“That’s too…! Barbaric.”
“Reneben, don’t assume that everyone in this kingdom is like the people of the temple.”
Only then did he shut his mouth.
Even after suffering at the hands of the empire’s nobles, he was like a naïve puppy loyally following after his master, so I had to give him a sharp warning.
“Some people will tell you, you’re great and they really do think that but others, when you keep showing them goodwill, will start to think you are a fool.”
“…But violence… that’s…”
“You’re right. It’s just my speculation. But I cannot think of another answer.”
I murmured the words, pulling my hand away from his pitifully aghast face.
“That’s why the temple exists, isn’t it?”
“…”
“When I first learned about the Saintess and the temple, that’s what I was taught.”
That the temple is justice.
That its role was to punish the misdeeds of royalty and the nobility and correct their wrongdoings.
“But now I don’t think I’ve ever seen the temple act for justice…to the point I’ve almost forgotten that it’s supposed to.”
“…I have no…excuse.”
“I understand. It’s hard for someone as innately kindhearted as you to oppose others. But you see…”
“…”
“Being kind and turning a blind eye are two different things.”
Seeing him bite his lips, I reached out to stop him and continued.
“Don’t you think it’s time to stop looking away? You’re not the High Priest of the Empire, you—”
“I…”
Reneben suddenly cut me off. After hesitating briefly, he lowered his head and spoke.
“I am Reneben, the High Priest who serves the Saintess.”
…Correct.
One of my people, someone I cherished.
“I won’t…look away anymore. Otherwise, what’s the point of leaving the Empire and coming all the way to another country…”
He faltered, his breath hitching between words.
I gently lay down the two monkeys and covered them with a blanket then I led Reneben out onto the terrace.
“Why won’t you turn a blind eye anymore? Aren’t you afraid? Aren’t you worried you’ll be taking on a burden you don’t have to carry?”
It sounded more like a question I was asking myself. Through Reneben, I was seeking an answer.
“…I think it’s normal for those who have…to give a little more.”
His voice gradually steadied, as if he was finding his place again.
“Why do people say that if you give more, you can’t even take care of your own interests? When you share, they say you don’t know how to consider your own.”
“…”
“Why do people who share, give and care for others have to be called fools?”
“…Because they are fools.”
“L-Lady Emilone…”
“They are fools. To me, everyone in the temple is a fool.”
Leaning against the terrace railing, I felt a chill as the cold wind swept over me.
It wasn’t cold enough to be unbearable, just slightly uncomfortable.
Thanks to a certain someone’s consideration earlier, I had gotten a good rest, so despite the late hour, I didn’t feel sleepy.
“Fools who can’t say a word to people who stupidly pick the wrong person to criticize because they can’t tell who’s in the wrong.”
The cold wind wrapping around my body should have made me feel tired, but it didn’t.
“…That’s why I don’t…I don’t want to be called that anymore.”
“Hm?”
“I want people to see our generosity not as something expected of the temple but as the admirable acts of the priests who give. I want people to clearly understand that even as others scramble to keep everything to themselves, there are people who are willing to share what they have.”
When did he start speaking so confidently?
He might look adept at speaking, but he had always been a timid kid. Even while eating, he held himself back because he knew that someone somewhere might be starving.
I see, a prepared heart, huh…
“Shall we go outside, Reneben?”
“…Pardon?”
I wasn’t sure what kind of preparedness Alois wanted me to gain.
He said I had to prepare myself to confidently face whatever came without crying or trembling.
“I want to see it with my own eyes.”
But it seems this preparedness wouldn’t take long to solidify.
“But I guess I can’t do that. After all, Alois said I shouldn’t go out just yet.”
Not yet.
He said not yet and I trusted his judgment.
“But… tomorrow should be fine.”
After all, I was more afraid of what could happen during the time I spent preparing myself than what I would see in the future.
The thought of doing nothing while trying to ‘prepare my heart’, knowing fully well that people were suffering…
That would be more tormenting that witnessing the lives of the people as Alois said.
***
As the night drew on, I ended up helping even Alois with his work.
Despite him suggesting that I should rest more, I shot him a glance and went on to finish the work that had piled up.
“Would you like breakfast?”
“Just something simple…”
Even though I got plenty of sleep, I felt the fatigue creeping in from staying up all night. After rubbing my eyes, I searched for my usual sandwich.
While Reneben went to fetch it, Alois approached with a document in hand, addressing something that had already been on my mind.
“The orphanages and facilities for the disabled… they seem to be surprisingly effective.”
It was something I had been concerned about.
“There’ve grown to be a lot.”
I hadn’t expected much impact from the orphanages and disability facilities that we introduced in the past few months.
I had been planning to expand the scope gradually.
“Because with the orphanages, children who were thought to be abandoned human resources can now be seen as assets to the country.”
“…That’s what I was aiming for, yes.”
The reason why the number of orphanages had rapidly risen was simple.
Half of all orphans die.
If they had no parents, half of them would die.
And even those who did survive had no real skills, so they could only resort to hard labor for minimal wages.
From a national perspective, that was an enormous waste.
After all, the most valuable resource to a country was manpower.
“In the end, when the children from the orphanages grow up and can contribute, the nation will benefit from their taxes and labor. It’s not a loss by any means.”
Hmmm…
“Still, even if the orphanages make sense, what about the disability facilities…? Why have they surged so much? Hm? Alois?”
Why…why had the numbers increased so much?
Looking at Alois smiling, I began to sense something.
“Why are nations eager to accept those labeled as ‘ominous’ or ‘unclean’?”
“Why indeed.”
“Stop pretending not to know.”
“…It’s simple. Even the disabled can generate income. Once the state realizes that those they once considered burdens can bring in money, they’ll embrace the idea wholeheartedly.”
“Because, unless they’re intellectually disabled, they can still be used for office work?”
Alois merely smiled, confirming my thoughts.
Even children with intellectual disabilities could contribute with proper education.
Moreover, there were systems in place to monitor against excessive exploitation.
“Still… implementing these facilities required the support of the nobility. How did it happen so quickly? Especially since I didn’t apply any pressure.”
Alois leaned forward and placed a document in front of me.
“Well, that…that is easy once you buy out the right merchants.”
He pulled out another document, lightly shaking it in his hand.
“Besides, I’m the head of the most influential trading company in the Kingdom of Eseah. No one can match me in terms of financial power.”
“…Huh?”
Though I tried not to, my head involuntarily turned toward him.
“…Should you really be revealing that so casually?”
His tone was as if he was just discussing breakfast.
Before I could say more, Reneben entered with a maid carrying my sandwich.
“Uh…oh no, did I… interrupt…something?”
When Reneben came in, he found Alois hovering over me with one hand blocking his view of me and hesitated, taken aback.
For some reason, there was dissatisfaction of his face and I spread my arms wide to welcome Reneben and the breakfast he brought.
“Not at all. I was waiting for you.”
At those words, he quickly brightened and came closer.
“I brought a mashed potatoes and egg sandwich, the way you like it.”
“I would have enjoyed whatever you brought. Thank you.”
I usually enjoyed sandwiches made with mashed potatoes, eggs, and other seasoning but today I ordered a simpler version with just potatoes and eggs, given what was available in the Vermont Kingdom.
As I admired the neatly cut squares of food, I pushed aside the pile of documents and sat in my chair.
“Reneben, which one do you want?”
Instead of waiting for the maid, I, in my usual manner, used my hand to pick up one of the various sandwiches in the bowl and started to give Reneben my favorite flavor then I awkwardly lowered my hand.
Before I could withdraw, Reneben took the sandwich from me and muttered softly.
“I’ll…have this one.”
“I knew you’d like the one with grape jam.”
I joked since I’d seen him eat it before and Reneben nodded and sat across from me.
Alois, who was sitting beside me, observed us quietly for a moment then he spoke.
“That reminds me, I heard Your Holiness introduced dishes to this world that didn’t originally exist.”
“It’s just food I used to eat a lot where I came from.”
“Hmm…”
“Speaking of which, what flavors do you like, Lord Alois?”
Since we were picking the sandwiches with our hands, the maid who was holding the tongs was starting to get anxious, so I figured I’d shift her focus to Alois.
“Personally, I prefer food with nuts.”
With his princely dignity, I’m sure eating with his hands wouldn’t exactly be right.
The moment he said that, the maid eagerly began to fill his bowl.
Alois looked at it, looked at me, then shrugged and averted gaze.
“Hm. If you like nuts, then you probably don’t favor meat as much?”
“I don’t particularly enjoy it, but I don’t dislike it either.”
I see.
Mentally filing away the new information, I took another bite of my sandwich.
Watching Alois gracefully dine with a fork, I started to wonder if sandwiches have ever looked so high-class.
“Lady Emilone, I hear you’re fond of fruits…”
To so boldly declare that he had investigated me…
“Is that true?”
“That is true. I enjoy fruits a lot, even sour or bitter ones.”
Even more so if they were fresh and sweet.
“It sounds just like you.”
“…Hm?”
“Most people from the Empire prefer meat over fruit.”
“Well, I’m not from the Empire.”
The imperials did love meat, that was true. I used to think it was due to a lack of fruit, but their lands had no issues growing fruit.
So much so that the temple even had pineapples, peaches and bananas growing at the same time.
“Since we’re on the topic…what is your original country like, Lady Saintess?”
“Hmm…”
Even Reneben had never asked me this directly.
People seemed content to make their own speculations, so no one had ever brought it up with me.
I never thought I’d be asked this question today…
Advanced chapters available on Patreon.
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth [Chapters 83 – 86] - March 16, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 82 - March 4, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 81 - March 4, 2025