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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Embezzling Chef
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I ignored the strange looks people were giving me and surveyed the kitchen.
“This is my first time in the kitchen. There are so many interesting things. Are these all cooking utensils?”
I tapped at the kitchen knife stuck menacingly in the cutting board and casually picked up an unfamiliar utensil.
The head chef, Kento, seemed displeased by my dismissive handling of his tools and began to huff and puff.
Though he couldn't say anything outright because of my infamous reputation.
“Saintess, the knife is dangerous.”
Unable to watch any longer, Dietrich tried to stop me.
He probably thought I was just looking for trouble.
“Yes, Saintess. If you're curious about the kitchen, please come at night. I will be able to give you a proper tour then.”
“Ah, I hadn't thought of that. I'll take your word for it and come back at night, so be sure to give me a proper tour then.”
I gave a bright smile at Chef Kento's courageous words and turned away.
I heard everyone let out a sigh of relief, thinking I was about to leave the kitchen.
But my real reason for coming to the kitchen was just beginning.
I activated the map system, which included all the secret passages.
The target was right next to the pantry where ingredients were stored.
Just as I'd seen in the novel, I knocked on the wall with a specific rhythm.
*Tap, ta-tap, tap, tap, ta-ta-tap.*
“W-what! What are you—! Stop!”
Kento shouted from behind me.
When I turned around, he was glaring at me, his face pale as a sheet.
*Hey now, you're making it a little too obvious that you know about the secret passage.*
*Creeak!*
“Gasp! W-what is that!”
“No way, there was a place like that in the kitchen…”
The wall I had knocked on opened, revealing a hidden passage.
The kitchen staff was startled.
Though the meaning of their surprise soon changed.
“W-wait, there's something inside, isn't there?”
Several pouches were sitting inside the open secret passage.
Dietrich, who had been looking between me and Airic with a bewildered expression, immediately stepped into the passage to check the pouches.
*Jingle.*
The moment he untied the strings, what spilled out was none other than money.
And a large amount, at that—the kind rarely seen in this poor temple.
“Oh, my goodness! There's so much money! For some reason, I just felt like knocking here, but I never imagined money would come out.”
Isn't it just amazing?
I, who had been waiting for this moment, laughed brightly and exclaimed.
“And it looks like someone stashed it here. Could it be embezzlement?”
At my words, Dietrich's face hardened.
Being a sharp man, he must have realized it immediately.
A secret passage no one was supposed to know about, and money piled inside it.
And Kento, who for some reason had tried to stop it from being revealed.
To anyone, it looked like a clear case of embezzlement.
“…Head Chef.”
Airic, who had been quiet the whole time, called out to Kento.
He was glaring at Kento with a gaze so chilling it even startled me.
Well, the head chef he trusted enough to feed everyone had embezzled funds from the already poor temple. The sense of betrayal must have been immense.
“Would you care to explain this situation?”
*Wow, formal speech can sound this terrifying.*
“I, I don't…”
“You wouldn't say you don't know. Your reaction when the Saintess opened the secret passage was hardly that of someone who knew nothing.”
*That's right.*
*After turning pale and shouting ‘Stop!’ like a guilty thief, trying to deny it now is just pathetic.*
“I'll explain, I'll explain! I can clarify everything!”
“Yes. You'd better explain it properly.”
Airic approached the ashen-faced Kento.
The much taller man looked down at the cowering chef.
“If you cannot properly explain why a head chef with no divine power knows about a secret passage, then as the High Priest responsible for maintaining order in the Grand Temple, I will have to interrogate you.”
“Th-that…”
“And it will not be a pleasant process.”
Airic, who had been threatening him elegantly, delivered the final blow.
“There is also the option of handing you over to the Captain of the Holy Knights.”
The Captain of the Holy Knights, protector of the Grand Temple, would naturally be a more fearsome opponent than the High Priest.
He was, after all, the strongest in terms of martial prowess.
The threat hit its mark; Kento's face turned deathly pale.
“S-so, you see, what happened was…”
Kento slowly approached the open passage, as if to explain in detail.
In that moment, his vacant eyes met mine.
“You, you! If it weren't for you!”
Kento raised his hands as if to strangle me and began to charge like a madman.
That is, toward me.
“Saintess!”
Airic and Dietrich shouted and reached out, seemingly to protect me…
My divine power is far less than theirs, but I can handle an ordinary person.
Because I have the system.
【Activating skill 'Body Enhancement'.】
*What a relief it is to have this.*
“Oh dear, were you that eager for a reward? I suppose I have no choice. Since the chef desires it so, I shall reward you now.”
I smiled and extended my right hand.
I gathered 5% of my divine power into my middle finger and flicked him.
Where? Right on Kento's forehead.
*Thwack!*
A sound like a giant walnut cracking echoed out.
“Guh, guuuh…”
The tremendous impact must have rattled his brain; Kento staggered without even letting out a single scream.
The man, who had been glaring at me with bloodshot eyes to the very end, finally rolled his eyes back and collapsed with a thud.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Silence fell.
Everyone stared blankly, alternating their gazes between me and Kento, who was foaming at the mouth and unconscious.
“Hiiiik!”
Soon, the kitchen staff gasped and huddled together, staring at the terrifyingly large welt swelling on Kento's forehead.
*Hmm. If I leave things like this, my image might get even worse.*
With a pious expression, I extended both hands toward the unconscious Kento.
As if bestowing a blessing.
“I express my gratitude for the head chef's hard work in preparing delicious meals for us all. However, from now on, you may rest easy.”
Perhaps deeply moved by my heartfelt blessing, one of the huddled kitchen staff slowly collapsed.
“High Priest, rejoice! For us to come into this much money, it must be that the god has bestowed mercy upon the Grand Temple!”
“…Th-”
“Now we can feed the acolytes more heartily. Isn't that a relief?”
I smiled brightly at Airic.
In return, I was met with a flood of incredibly dubious stares.
* * *
While Dietrich sorted through the embezzled funds, Airic led the kitchen staff to the temple's holy knights.
It was to investigate whether any of them had aided Kento.
Seeing the anxious looks on the departing servants' faces, I made a request to the holy knights.
“They may all be innocent, so please do not conduct the investigation too harshly. Remember that until the truth is revealed, they are all part of our family.”
The servants' eyes widened, as if they hadn't expected me to take their side.
The holy knights looked surprised as well.
*This is all part of my effort to change my image.*
“Saintess.”
After everyone else had left, leaving just Dietrich and me, Airic called out to me quietly.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
*I thought he'd start by interrogating me about how I knew.*
*I didn't expect him to ask about my well-being first.*
“I think I hurt my finger a little.”
“You don't have to do this next time.”
*I was just joking…*
Airic infused my right hand with divine power.
It was a healing power I couldn't use due to my lack of divine power.
Golden divine power enveloped my finger.
It was warm and gentle, just like Airic's temperament, which was nice, but…
He was focusing the treatment on my middle finger, of all places, making only that one glow golden.
Unable to bear looking at my brilliantly shining middle finger any longer, I pulled my hand back, saying I was fine now.
“Could you explain the situation? How did you know all of this?”
The location of the secret passage, the code for the door, and the existence of the funds Kento had embezzled.
Since I was a fake saintess, Airic hadn't told me about the secret passage, so he must be even more bewildered.
I boldly declared the excuse I'd prepared.
“It was a coincidence!”
*I can't very well tell him I know because I read the whole novel.*
*He can't really press me on it anyway, so I'll just deny it with confidence!*
“…Pardon?”
“I have very good instincts. I get these feelings sometimes.”
*I could have come up with a more plausible excuse, but…*
*my plan isn't over yet.*
*For now, I'll just leave it at that.*
Leaving the flustered Airic behind, I approached Dietrich.
“What's the total?”
“Ah, it's 9 gold and 87 silver.”
Dietrich also seemed baffled by my claim, but he answered my question faithfully.
Since 100 silver is 1 gold, that's roughly 10 gold.
*So, if I offer 10 gold, how much will my divine power increase?*
*It should go up by at least 1%, right?*
【It will increase by 0.01%.】
“...?”
*Are you kidding me?*
