17 - Chapter 17
Having lost his mother right after birth and his father imprisoned in the abandoned tower, Elkai was his only family.
Though there were no warm words or actions, Elkai's mere existence was a pillar of support for him.
That was why this sudden tragedy was so unbelievable.
He even wondered, 'Did this tragedy befall me as punishment for smiling recently?'
Ashil, who had followed him, looked at Edenber with concern.
'Husband...'
She had come out to comfort him, but it didn't seem like comforting him would cheer him up.
Ashil recalled the dream where Biante's large Bear Holy Beast had blown Edenber and Elkai away.
And she remembered herself surrounded by humans with swords and torches after the two had weakened.
'Being the boss of Munrepe without Grandfather and my husband isn't good.'
There was only one way to solve this problem.
'I have to find the human named Yeoju.'
Novice priest, pink hair, similar age to the male lead.
Information about Yeoju that she had heard from her mother flashed through her mind.
She didn't know if she had the same birthday as the god, but she had heard that it was changed in the original story, so it should be possible.
The next day, Ashil woke up early and carefully packed two strawberries in a black cloth, tying it securely on her back.
Then, just as she was about to set off with confident steps,
She realized a very important problem.
'Where does the human Yeoju live?'
She didn't know where Yeoju was. She knew she was somewhere around here, but...
Furthermore, she couldn't even get out of the castle without someone's help.
Because she didn't know the way.
"Pipi..."
Ashil's tail drooped in frustration.
She couldn't ask her husband to help her find her, because the human Yeoju might not be able to heal Grandfather. She didn't want to give him false hope.
But she was scared of humans other than her husband. What should she do?
It was then.
"Where are you going?"
A human who happened to be passing by in the hallway spoke to her.
Ashil's eyes lit up at the appearance of a familiar face.
"Piiya!" (Knight human!)
The knight human, Dylan, flinched at her overly enthusiastic greeting.
He had spoken to her because he wondered where she was going with a bundle on her back when the atmosphere was so grim.
But seeing her up close, his reptile phobia resurfaced. He was scared of the small, black lizard.
However, Ashil, completely unaware of this, nodded and put her front paws on her waist.
'He's a good human who helped me scold the Bear friend.'
Thanks to him, she was able to become the boss of Munrepe easily. She should ask him to help her this time too.
"Piyattpi piiya?" (Do you know where the Priest humans live?)
"They mostly stay at the Temple unless they have something special to do. But why..."
Ah, the Temple! Ashil's eyes sparkled with the answer.
"Piyattpi piiyaa." (You have to go somewhere with Ashil.)
"Yes? Where..."
"Pii." (You'll know if you follow me.)
Then she confidently moved her feet. She didn't even know the way, but her leading posture was quite something.
Dylan stared at the smooth back of her head with wavering eyes. What kind of trouble was she trying to cause this time?
Then Ashil, who turned around, urged him.
"Piyattpi!" (Hurry up!)
"...Yes."
Was it just his imagination that he was about to get caught up in something as troublesome as the Bear Holy Beast?
Dylan sighed deeply and moved his feet reluctantly.
Just in case, he didn't forget to stop by his room and grab his fellow knight's cat toy.
Theodore was a Priest who managed the Novice priests at the Temple in the Munrepe territory.
Today, he was looking at the list of children he was in charge of with a frustrated expression.
"How can there be no source of money here?"
Novice priest.
As the name suggested, it was a term for young children who were not yet official Priests and whose Divine Power had not yet manifested.
Priests who managed Novice priests were mostly envied by others.
This was because 80% of the Novice priests were young nobles, and their parents offered numerous bribes to take good care of their children.
However, Theodore was unfortunately not one of them.
The Novice priests he was in charge of were from poor neighborhoods, orphans, and other poor people with no connections.
The Empire gave great benefits if one was listed as a Novice priest, even if they did not become a Priest.
From small tax reductions to large bonus points on the Imperial Palace management exam.
It was to help children in difficult circumstances in the name of God.
In line with that purpose, only children from poor backgrounds could become Novice priests.
However, some Priests who were blinded by money accepted noble children as Novice priests, and the matter grew.
If one person started, everyone would follow.
Becoming a Novice priest was now almost a required course for entering the Imperial Palace.
"But why did I have to be in charge of these kids!"
There was no way to make money unless nobles occasionally came to take children to use as servants.
Theodore pounded his chest in vain.
It was fortunate that a perverted noble had given him a small amount of money yesterday, wanting to take a girl.
It was then that a junior Priest under his command ran up to him.
"We have a visitor!"
"What visitor? Did someone cause an accident?"
"No, they say they want to take Selena."
"What?"
Theodore's eyes widened.
Selena, was he talking about that sassy and brazen pink-haired orphan?
Every time he said something, she would glare at him with her eyes wide open, as if she was going to eat him alive, so he was thinking of sending her to the perverted noble who came yesterday, but this was truly an unexpected event.
"Who on earth?"
"They say they're from the Munrepe Dukedom."
At that, Theodore was even more surprised.
Even though the family was declining, a Dukedom was still a Dukedom.
They would give him much more than the noble who had thrown him a small amount of money yesterday.
He jumped up and shouted loudly.
"We can't keep the guest waiting. Let's go quickly!"
Then he ran with flying steps and quickly arrived at the reception room.
Novice priest, pink hair, similar age to the male lead.
Fortunately, there was only one human who fit the conditions at the nearby Temple. Her name was Selena.
Relieved, Ashil covered herself with a black cloth and sat on the sofa, munching on the strawberries she had packed as a lunch box.
"You must have had a hard time coming all this way. You want to take Selena!"
"Yes."
Dylan answered instead of Ashil, who was hiding her identity.
He was barely hiding the expression on his face that said, 'What am I doing here?'
Just before entering the Temple.
The one lizard and one human had agreed on something.
"I don't know why you're trying to take the Novice priest..."
"Pii?"
"It's better to hide your identity from the Priest. If the Divine Beast comes to take her directly, things will get bigger and the chances of it going as you want will be lower."
"Pii."
Ashil agreed, thinking it was a reasonable opinion.
But she refused the suggestion to wait in the carriage until Selena was brought.
'I don't want to be alone in an unfamiliar place.'
Being left alone in a remote place was enough just by leaving the forest and coming to the human world.
It was better to be with a human she knew than to be alone in the carriage.
So, she was pretending to be the Munrepe Duke's beloved pet, covered in a cloth.
"Hahaha, how did you know about our Selena?"
"It was when the Duke visited this place."
Dylan gestured to Ashil, who was diligently eating strawberries.
"He said he was impressed by how well Pipi played with her."
"Ah, so that fellow's name is Pipi. Well, Selena is a very kind and affectionate child."
Theodore, blinded by money, chimed in without even checking the facts.
"Unfortunately, someone has already said they would take her - don't you need another child?"
"No, it has to be Selena."
"I see. Hmm, since two of you want the same child, what should we do?"
He dragged out the end of his sentence and made a troubled expression. Of course, he was only thinking about money in his head.
