What Does That Evil Dragon Live For?

“You must have something to worry about at the beginning of the new year. Yes, what is it about?”

 

“Ha, this is embarrassing, but….”

 

Rubaine quietly led John to the corner and whispered softly.

 

“At the time of the initiation ceremony of the saints this year.”

 

“Ah, the time has come for the Newt family to gradually include their children.”

 

“Because of that, maybe… …Does it have to be my direct descendant?”

 

“Well, it’s normal for direct descendants of the family head to join the temple. But since you’re asking me, I guess you have a reason.”

 

Rubaine cleared his throat again and continued.

 

“When I heard about it, there was a house where their nephew had entered the temple.”

 

“When there is only one successor in the family, or if the other children are very weak, or something like that, it is done under the confirmation of the priest.”

 

Rubaine’s eyebrows furrowed at the words that there should be confirmation by the priest, but John was such a quick-witted person.

 

“However, the confirmation process can be a little flexible.”

 

As expected, Rubaine’s furrowed brow quickly smoothed.

 

“Looks like your nephew will join the temple next year instead?”

 

“The second is already turning 18 this year, and the third is aiming to join the Knights. I think my youngest daughter will probably get married a little early.”

 

“Okay. It seems to be a good reason why it is difficult to enter the Temple.”

 

Rubain smiled with satisfaction at John’s reply, as if he had looked into his own heart.

 

“Looking at it today, it seems that the renovation of the chapel must have cost more money than you had planned.”

 

“Hahaha, investing in a place that spreads the word of God is not a waste at all.”

 

“But when it comes to the Pavello Temple, the budget will always be short.…so I’ll make a small contribution to show my sincerity…”

 

“You are truly devout. thank you, Blessings from Lord Bara will dwell in Count Newt’s family.”

 

Rubain swept his chest pleased that the ‘deal’ was made without any major problems.

 

While these small deals were being made between the two, Elaine slipped out of the chapel among the crowd.

 

Now, it would be time to spend some time until Count Newt and his wife had finished talking with other nobles, so she could go out toward the main entrance of the temple.

 

It’s been a while since she has been here, so she was thinking about looking around the temple, but suddenly someone tugged on Elaine’s clothes.

 

“Kyaak!”

 

“you! Follow me.”

 

It was Martin. Of course, behind him, there was Damon, Ellie, and Lorina.

 

Judging from their expressions, it was clear that they were not talking about sharing good wishes for the new year.

 

“ah! Let go of me!”

 

Elaine struggled and screamed quite loudly, but her voice was drowned out by the giggles and squeals of children everywhere.

 

In the end, Elaine couldn’t help being dragged along by Martin and Damon even though she was showing off her dislike.

 

“What? If you have something to say, say it quickly.”

 

The place where they dragged Elaine was toward the cemetery of the temple. On the first day of the new year, when good spirits were hard enough to come by, no one dared to walk toward the cemetery.

 

“you! What did you do to my brother?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Are you pretending not to know? If you didn’t do anything, why is my brother suddenly looking after you?”

 

As she thought when she got out of the carriage, the children tried to make it be Elaine’s fault.

 

“That sounds funny, Martin. You still don’t know your brother?”

 

“What?”

 

“You think your brother’s going to fall for it just because I’m doing something? He doesn’t even look out for his own siblings, right?”

 

Everyone’s expression turned weird as if they were deprived of what to say.

 

As Elaine said, L’Arch was a person who seemed to ignore everyone in the world. There was no way that such a person would be fooled by Elaine’s sweet talk, who was ‘Newt’s stain’.

 

“Then why the hell is my brother doing that!”

 

“Why are you asking me that? Go ask your brother. I’m dying of curiosity too!”

 

“You really—!”

 

“And while you go talk, could you please tell him to stay away from me.”

 

Even Lorina looked surprised at Elaine’s annoyance. This is because everyone knew that Elaine was acting differently to L’Arch.

 

“To be honest, I haven’t even spoken to L’Arch since three months ago when he told me to get lost because I was bothering him. I don’t know why someone who did that suddenly acts like that.”

 

The children’s faces became more strange.

 

L’Arch was a man who would have said such a thing. Looking back, Elaine hasn’t been walking around L’Arch’s room lately.

 

If so, does L’Arch really “just” take care of Elaine?

 

When everyone was puzzled by Lark’s actions, Lorina spoke as if she couldn’t even tolerate such doubt.

 

“Looks like something is bothering him. Seeing him come out with an act like that.”

 

“Who says that now—!”

 

“As you said, there’s no way L’Arch, who thinks you’re annoying, would do that without anything happening, right? It means you’re lying about something. Martin! Such liars must be punished.”

 

Martin, who had been dazed for a moment, seemed to come to his senses at Lorina’s words.

 

“That’s right! You, you’ve become so arrogant lately!”

 

At the same time, Martin and Damon violently grabbed Elaine’s arms.

 

“Let go of me!”

 

“They said that liars should be locked up in a place where no one will listen to them and let them reflect!”

 

Lorina smirked and opened the morgue behind them.

 

Then Martin and Damon forcefully push the struggling and screaming Elaine into the morgue and lock the door from the outside.

 

“What are you doing, Martin! Damon!”

 

“Didn’t I say I wouldn’t let you go? I don’t know what you believe in these days, but even if I lock you up like this, no one will say anything to me!”

 

“That’s right! Elaine is just a disgrace to our family! Everyone will be praising Martin, right?”

 

Elaine knocked on the door of the morgue, but the kids outside just shouted mean things at her, giggled amongst themselves, and then walked away.

 

‘So this is what Martin had planned for today, but it didn’t happen in my previous life…..is it because my attitude has changed?’ 

 

Elaine swallowed dry saliva and looked back.

 

There was a coffin lying there, waiting for a funeral. Despite the embalming process and the cold weather, there was a faint smell of decaying bodies in the morgue.

 

TL: Embalming is the process of preserving a corpse by treating it with chemicals.

 

‘It’s terrible.’ 

 

The fact that she was trapped in a place like this, the fact that they were still children, the fact that they were doing this, all of it was terrible.

 

She didn’t want to use Rabes’s power, but now she had no choice.

 

Elaine calmed her trembling heart and chanted the spell with her eyes closed.

 

‘Rekuro!’

 

But she couldn’t feel the warmth that should spread from her forehead.

 

‘Huh? What’s wrong? Let’s try again’ 

 

Elaine eagerly recalled Rabes and recited the spell again.

 

‘Rekuro. Rekuro, Rabes!’ 

 

But she felt nothing.

 

Suddenly, she remembered Rabes saying that he and the temple were incompatible.

 

‘right! The temple is protected by divine power… !’ 

 

She knew why she couldn’t feel Rabes’s magical power. The entire temple is protected by divine power, so the magic doesn’t work.

 

Well, there was no way that Rabes, who could do anything otherwise, would ask Elaine, who lacked much power, to bring something from the temple.

 

‘What can I do? So, am I really trapped here?’ 

 

Elaine started banging on the door again urgently.

 

“Is anybody there? Help me! There’s someone in here!”

 

But there was no one in the temple’s cemetery, and the sound of the girl knocking on the door was useless in the winter wind.

 

* * * 

 

“These days, she’s trying to climb to the top of my head when I ask her to come. This time, I have to show her the truth.”

 

“You did very well, Martin. Even from my perspective, her habit was very bad.”

 

Martin nodded triumphantly. He couldn’t do anything wrong to Lorina.

 

“But when are you going to get her out? We need to get her out before we go home.”

 

When Damon spoke in a slightly less confident voice, Martin glanced at Lorina and said in a strong voice.

 

“Why do you think you have to get her out before we go home, Damon? You can send a servant tomorrow to get her out. After spending the night with the corpse, she will know her place for sure.”

 

“Really? But leaving her overnight is a bit…What if she freezes to death?”

 

“It’s not even outdoors, so why freeze to death? don’t worry!”

 

Martin, who had never shivered in the cold or suffered from hunger, didn’t know exactly what it was like to lock up a girl younger than himself in the morgue in the middle of winter.

 

He just wanted to look as mature and cool to Lorina as his older brother at this moment.

 

And Lorina, who wished Elaine had really died, was fanning Martin’s bravado by his side.

 

“Martin will take care of it, so Damon doesn’t have to worry. And the attic where Elaine lives or the morgue is no different.”

 

“That’s right. She’s a girl who lives well in that small room, so what’s the big deal about sleeping in the morgue?”

 

“Well, what if something happens to her..? Even if she doesn’t freeze to death, she might get eaten by a corpse that comes out of a coffin…”

 

“hahaha! What a coward you are, Damon!”

 

It was then that Martin was enjoying the feeling of victory.

 

* * *