“You don’t have an apple tree, and that’s exactly why you’ve been able to survive until now. If you had one, you’d already be in the afterlife.”

“Oh my goodness, oh my gracious! I was thinking of planting an apple tree there last year, but I stopped myself….”

“It is the Almighty Luqera who has helped you.”

Listening to the words of the benevolent Roella, Charon buried his eyes into one thick arm and started shedding tears.

As his fear against divinity grew, so did his respect for God and the saintess blossom.

He was in such an emotional state that he didn’t even notice that someone else had come into his establishment.

“Hiic, hicc. I didn’t know that, and yet I tried to swindle you, dear Saintess. I thought that you were a pushover because you looked like you would be none the wiser if I say that something is worth 10 million shillings when it’s actually just 1 million. But truthfully, really, everything was according to God’s plan.”

The man’s sudden confession made Roella’s expression turn sour.

‘Something worth 10 million won, he says.’

After just one step into this establishment, I already figured that I’d be conned to some extent, but I didn’t know that it would be to the extent of a whopping 9 million won on top of 1 million.

Who even swindles to this extent anymore—this was a blatant daylight robbery.

Nodding, Roella forced herself to smile.

“Yes, it is God’s plan. So, if you give the sacred relic to me, I’ll take good care of it and I’ll be sure to offer it to God in your stead. Besides, it must go through various rituals in the temple to ensure that the vitality it holds now can return to its original owner.”

“Oh, yes, please. I’ll get it for you right now.”

Charon immediately jumped up from his kneeling position, wiped his tears, and then took the sacred relic from the display case.

“Here you are, Your Eminence.”

As the man handed over the sacred relic to Roella, he no longer held any doubts or suspicions for her.

‘Good. Just as planned.’

Roella received the sacred relic with a pleased smile stamped upon her lips.

“Thank…”

But before she could finish speaking—

“Um…”

An unfamiliar voice interrupted the conversation between these two.

It was one of Charon’s employees, who had been holding his breath and had been willing himself to be one with the background until now.

The smile on Charon’s face froze sharply as his eyes darted to the employee.

“Can’t you see that Her Eminence is talking right now! Are your eyes just for decoration?!”

“Huuk. I, I apologize, sir. But, it’s just, I believe this is something that I must bring up…”

The employee was trembling as he spoke. Charon let out a huff and haphazardly ruffled his hair.

“Then what is it?! Just know that you’ll die if it’s nothing.”

“It’s just…”

“It’s just?”

The employee shrank more and more while his pupils quivered at the sight of Charon, whose eyes were glinting dangerously.

I briefly wondered if there’s something I did wrong, but I shook my head.

‘Looks like he just couldn’t endure not saying something.’

The employee took a very deep breath to steel his nerves, then soon after, he shouted with all his might.

“There’s an apple tree in the yard of the boss’s house!”

“…What?”

“You were going to plant three trees last year, but you decided to plant only one. It was there, in one corner…”

After the employee ended his trembling outburst, an awkward silence stretched between them inside that room.

Soon, all eyes turned to Roella.

Roella, who still had that benevolent smile on her lips, looked away.

“…Uhh, then, you’d have been in big trouble if you didn’t have an apple tree…?”

“Catch her!”

The same moment Charon shouted those two words, Roella turned around and booked it.

* * *

‘Who the heck plants a darn apple tree in their yard?!’

Ah, people were free to plant whatever they wanted in their private properties, of course.

But still, I couldn’t easily imagine that possibility since I’m a mere lowly plebian to the core.

Weren’t apple trees only found at orchards or something?

“You’re not gonna stop, huh?!”

“Hold it right there!”

“That kid’s definitely a fake saintess!”

“That con artist!”

Even though I’m running so fast that my bangs were fluttering so much on my forehead, I could still hear the husky voices and the many footsteps on my tail. They’re gradually getting closer, too.

It’s terrifying.

I had a strong hunch that, saintess or whatever, I’d be dead meat the moment they’d catch me.

“System! System!”

I hurriedly called the system window.

‘You told me to get the gemstone, and I did! Now, do something!’

Now that I was a rat stuck in a trap, the only thing I could turn to was the system window.

Ding—!

At the alarm that sounded as if in response to my desperation, I raised my eyes.

〈 Hidden Mission, Complete!

: Let’s get our hands on that gem (Done)

– Would you like to receive your reward?

– Reputation +5 / Bonus stats +5

( YES / NO ) 〉

‘Don’t just give me a notif about the mission’s success— save me!’

However, at this point, the system window was no longer responding.

Only the yes/no options hovered in front of me and covered my field of vision.

Ha, this thing seriously wasn’t going to help even at a time that I needed it the most!