Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Tax Collector (End)
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“So, what in the world is going on here? Why can't you just explain it straight? Is there something you're feeling guilty about? Huh?”
With every step Elise took toward him, Serge retreated another step.
But soon enough, Serge's back hit the chapel wall. His face drained of all color.
“Th-that's... After checking the ledgers... there was a bit of a discrepancy...”
“A discrepancy?”
“Yes... Um... The offerings from the chapel are all... going somewhere...”
“Somewhere?”
Elise tilted her head.
Her gaze was icy cold. Completely different from the face she usually showed me. That must be how Elise looked at church folk. Even watching from afar sent chills down my spine.
“What could be so important about that to drag in an attendant priest and threaten to tear the chapel apart? And to intimidate Priest Leo of all people?”
“Th-that was... my rightful authority as an inspector...”
“Is that so? Then maybe I should exercise my rightful authority as a saintess candidate?”
They say an eye for an eye.
Power countered with due power.
And Elise Aurora de Lua, saintess candidate, was a woman who wielded just that kind of influence.
“Right now, I'm going back to the dorms to call my maid. And I'll tell her to draft a letter to the Holy See.”
The moment the words “Holy See” left her mouth, sweat poured from Serge's forehead like rain.
“The inspector priest abused the church's authority.”
“...”
“How do you think His Holiness will react to that? Especially knowing the sender is the sole saintess candidate of our time, who recently suffered immense emotional distress from a kidnapping incident—and that the victim of said incident was the hero who shone in the Great Cathedral affair...”
“...*gulp*.”
Serge's throat bobbed as he swallowed.
Or maybe it wasn't saliva, but the weight of his life.
“...I think I may have made a mistake...”
“You think?”
“Ah, ah... haha... Looking at the ledgers again... they're perfectly in order.”
Only then did Elise flash a sly grin. Serge forced a smile in response.
“This chapel has no issues at all. The offerings come in steadily and go straight up to the church, right? If anything's short, that's on the church for losing track of the books. Their fault, so they'll have to cover it from their own pockets.”
“...Y-yes, that's right.”
“Oh, and the Erebos branch budget from the church needs to come through every month without fail. We used to have the Great Cathedral, but now this is the only facility left in Erebos. So naturally, a portion of the church's budget should be invested here, don't you think?”
“Th-that's...”
“Is that strange? What's strange about it?”
“N-no! Not strange at all! You're absolutely right! I'll see to it immediately!”
Serge nodded furiously. Survival instincts kicking in.
I watched from a distance in admiration.
No matter how sharp Elise was, who would've thought she'd have the guts to pull that on a church inspector. She even squeezed branch budget funds out of them.
That's power.
After getting royally screwed over by Life is Real Combat, You Bastard, Serge sidled along the wall cautiously.
“Lady Saintess Candidate, to avoid disturbing your studies any further, I, Serge, will take my leave.”
“Is that your farewell?”
“...D-do you have any other business?”
“Hm...”
Elise tapped her chin with a finger.
“Fine. Go on.”
The corners of Elise's eyes curved mischievously as she said it.
I knew that look. The face she made when she was up to some mischief.
“Then... if you'll excuse me.”
“Hold on.”
Elise called Serge back. He turned with a face like he might snap any second, forcing another smile.
“Y-yes... What is it...?”
“You just said 'excuse me,' right?”
“Pardon?”
“Would someone who knows they were rude say it like that?”
Elise leaned against the offering box and continued.
“You've shown such an unseemly side before the Lord. Isn't it the duty of the faithful to offer due sincerity for that?”
“...”
I was floored by her ruthless cunning.
Not content with extorting the budget, now she was going after the coins in Serge's personal pouch.
“...Y-yes, you're right. Offerings are important...”
Serge reluctantly opened his money pouch and dropped in a few gold coins, glancing at Elise.
“Hm...”
Clink.
Elise's expression didn't change. Serge's face fell as he pulled out more gold.
“...Hmm...”
Clink, clink.
With every coin Serge dumped into the offering box, Elise's lips softened.
By the time her mouth curved into a full smile, Serge had emptied his pouch.
“...I'll be going now.”
“May the Lord's blessings be with you. See you later.”
No need to describe the dark cloud that settled over Serge's face at Elise's parting words.
“Sorry. I ended up showing you an ugly side.”
After Serge fled like a scalded cat, Elise gave me a wry smile and apologized.
“No need. Thanks to you, I got out of a tough spot.”
“The church wants to pin this incident on that archbishop's personal deviation. So the new inspectors they sent are desperate to find any blemish on the academy branch.”
Putting it simply, passing the hot potato.
Elise scowled at the gate where Serge had left, clearly displeased.
“Anyway, when they should be bowing their heads, they act all high and mighty. The divinity students' complaints are piling up too. Guess we'll have to clean house soon.”
Unlike before, Elise was wielding her authority as saintess candidate without restraint.
Good for her, if that's what she wanted.
“So...”
Just like that, Elise's face softened back to its usual warmth as she looked at me.
“Now that the pest is gone, shall we go on that outing today?”
“Outing...?”
Elise nodded.
“I told you in the infirmary. Let's ditch work and go on an outing sometime.”
“Ah.”
Right, she had said that when she visited.
No wonder she skipped classes and came straight to the chapel. Lucky for me it got me out of trouble, but...
“Shall we go, Priest?”
“Right now?”
“Of course. We've got time. Weather's nice, and best of all, we've got money now?”
Elise jingled the gold coins Serge had tossed in—somehow already retrieved from the offering box.
She handled the donations like personal pocket money.
Her every mannerism felt a bit off from the original work, but...
“Yes. Let's go.”
“Yay!”
Best to go along with Elise for now.
Soon, we arrived in the eastern lower town.
The lower town, half-destroyed in the Twin Towers incident, had already been rebuilt and buzzed with life once more.
“Well, it's not like the lower town has anything special...”
Unlike Sophia, Elise was different. If Sophia was a leopard prowling for food stalls, Elise was...
“Fancy some daytime drinks?”
Decadent.
“Hm...”
Skipping class for a tavern—and with a saintess candidate who ought to be all grace and virtue—pricked at my conscience a bit.
Elise, unfazed, brought over two mugs of beer and set them before me.
“L-Lady Elise, even so, alcohol should be in moderation...”
“Why? Beer is the Lord's holy blood. You know that, right, Priest?”
“Well...”
She's talking about wine, you silly woman.
Fizzy beer doesn't count.
Whatever. Elise tilted her mug anyway. Sure, she was of age as an academy student, so no real harm in it.
“Priest.”
It was about halfway through her mug when Elise spoke cautiously. Her cheeks were faintly flushed, probably from the buzz.
“After graduation, I'm stepping down as saintess candidate.”
“I see.”
Sudden declaration. But I wasn't surprised. It was just an extension of what she'd told me recently.
“I'll cut ties with my family too. And the Great Cathedral. Though honestly, I've already cut them off ages ago.”
“I see. So... where do you plan to go after graduation?”
“Not sure yet...”
Elise tapped the table with her finger.
“I've saved up a good amount, and as saintess candidate, I'll keep raking it in for a while... Maybe buy a house by the seaside somewhere quiet. Tend a garden, sleep in, eat whatever I want to my heart's content.”
“Sounds nice.”
I nodded.
In the original story, Elise became a beacon lighting the kingdom as a saintess.
But that was post-ending.
Post-ending life for Elise wasn't a big deal to me. If she's happy, that's what matters.
“So? What about you, Priest?”
“Pardon?”
“Lowly priests don't make much. And you don't seem keen on climbing the cathedral ranks. You don't even seem that devout from how you live.”
Tipsy, her tongue was loosening.
“So why not find a nice spot together with me and... settle down there...?”
“...”
I downed my beer in silence at Elise's words.
Didn't want to show any agitation.
Naturally, Elise taking an interest in me was par for the course. I'd thrown advice to her in burnout mode, and given her hope while kidnapped.
Still, this invitation came out of left field.
“Too soon for an answer, I'm afraid.”
“I figured.”
I deflected politely, and Elise slumped her shoulders like she'd expected it.
“I've still got a lot to resolve. Academy's barely into the second semester.”
Of course, everything would wrap up within the next year.
The black幕 leading the kingdom to ruin would be defeated, protagonists basking in glory.
Assuming things followed the original plot without hitches, that is.
“Fine, I'll ask again later. You have to answer then.”
“Of course.”
Elise seemed pleased with my reply, sipping her beer with a shy smile.
After that, it was mundane chit-chat. Academy gossip, tasty dessert spots, future plans.
Then, out of the blue, Elise asked as if remembering something.
“By the way, that girl from the magic department lately... You've been hanging around Isolde quite a bit, haven't you?”
“Ah, yes. Spirit magic training. Had some questions about the new spirit I contracted recently.”
“Hmmm...”
Elise propped her chin, narrowing her eyes. Some odd emotion flickered there.
“Priest. You should be careful.”
“Careful of what?”
“Isolde.”
“Isolde's... well, gentle. Unlike Sophia.”
“I know. She's nice. Can't say no, does whatever anyone asks.”
Elise chuckled bitterly. A hint of inexplicable bitterness laced it.
“But watching her... she kinda rubs me the wrong way. Feels like... she's a bit like me.”
“...Like you?”
I blinked in confusion. The headstrong saintess Elise and yes-man Isolde? Total opposites. But Elise's next words hit me like a brick.
“Not now. I mean old me. Me from the start of this year.”
“Ah...”
Burnout Elise.
That era...
“How to put it. Seeing Isolde feels like she's got no sense of self. Like she's hollow inside.”
Elise tapped her chest.
“That's why... I hate it.”
“...”
Elise's expression was utterly serious.