With this much public opinion, even the temple couldn’t get away with it easily.

As expected, Priest Millon was extremely helpless.

“Of all occasions, why did it happen when the Archbishop was away…”

The priests sounded helpless behind me. 

Hearing that, Baron Delrond whistled softly and spoke to me in a low voice.

“I couldn’t believe the Archbishop was away at just the right time. You’re lucky.”

“It’s not luck though.”

“Yes? What… Don’t tell me, you know about it? That’s why you decided to come to the temple today?”

I replied with a smile.

Baron Delrond clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“The Baron is more meticulous than I thought.”  

“Thanks for the compliment.”

While we were chatting, Priest Millon said as if he had organized his thoughts.

“The Archbishop’s permission is needed to bring the children into the Open Hall.”

Is that the only thing he could come up with after rolling his head for a while?

It was so ridiculous that I couldn’t even laugh.

“Do those children have their names on the priest’s list?”

“No.”

“If so, why do the children need the Archbishop’s permission to come out into the Open Hall? The children are not priests, so they didn’t necessarily have to obey the Archbishop.”

“Right. The children are the Imperial people, so it is His Majesty’s orders that they have to follow.”

As Baron Delrond confronted him, Priest Millon’s face was sharply distorted.

“…then bring His Majesty here.”

Priest Millon said with glaring eyes.

“If His Majesty orders it, I will bring the children out.”

This time, is he going to pick on Kalian?

“Don’t resist, and just show us!”

“Show us right away!”

Even though the public opinion around him was so bad, he was still that desperate to resist until the end. It meant that there were many things they were hiding.

He wasn’t wrong though. He had no reason to act on my orders unless I was an emperor or an archbishop.

However, I could push this far thanks to the clear evidence, which was the child, and the public opinion around me. Without these two, Priest Millon wouldn’t have blinked an eye no matter how much I shouted. Just like it was in the temple of the Williot estate.

“Looks like he’s trying to buy time.”

Baron Delrond said in a low voice.

I silently agreed with him.

It was clear that the temple was trying to do something while we were reporting this to His Majesty and taking orders from His Majesty.

I’ll never let them go their way.

It was when I was about to take out the last card I had prepared.

Step Step step step-

The sound of urgent footsteps was heard. Not just one, but many.

Could it be that the Archbishop is here?

When I turned around, slightly flustered, I saw Priest Adrina breathing heavily.

“I brought the children!”

Behind Priest Adrina, there were children who seemed to be in relatively better condition than the children I had.

“There were so many that I couldn’t bring them all, but I did bring all the children I could bring. All these children, too, were abused…”

“Priest Adrina!”

Priest Millon cut off Priest Adrina’s words with blood veins around his neck. Red veins also appeared in his eyes.

“What are you doing now? As a priest, how dare you betray the temple?!”

At Priest Millon’s shout, Priest Adrina’s eyes shook greatly. She put her hand on her chest and thought for a moment before opening her mouth.

“I am a faithful servant of God.”

Her determined eyes stared straight at Priest Millon.

“I am not a servant who serves the temple, but a servant who serves God.”

“…!”

“That’s why I can no longer betray God. I apologize, Priest Millon.”

“Priest Adrina!”

“Right now, in the Secret Hall, there are about 10 children who are malnourished because they cannot eat properly, and there are about 7 children who cannot move because of the severe abuse!”

Priest Adrina looked at me, shouting loud enough to leave the Open Hall. Desperation was seen in her reddish-brown eyes.

“Other children are suffering, too. Some children even have to sell themselves to nobles even if they don’t want to for the benefit of the temple.”

“Crazy…”

Baron Delrond said at Priest Adrina’s confession that followed.

I left the child to Baron Delrond and slowly approached Priest Adrina.

I held Priest Adrina’s trembling hand tightly, and she bowed her head politely.

“Please, save the poor children. I beg you.”

“Of course.”

I smiled as I wrapped Priest Adrina’s hand affectionately.

“That’s why I’m here, so don’t worry.”

Tears streamed down Priest Adrina’s cheeks.

“Thank you. Thank you very much.”

She put her forehead to the clasped hands and expressed her sincere thanks.

*****

Because of Priest Adrina’s confession, public opinion, criticizing the temple, grew out of control.

On top of that, with the addition of the Imperial Knights, which Baron Delrond had prepared in advance, the Secret Hall was forcibly opened despite Priest Millon’s strong opposition.

According to the report posted annually to receive donations from the temple, exactly 57 children were being cared for in the temple. However, there were only 49 children who were actually being cared for in the temple.

When asked why, they said some ran away, and some died by mistake.

“Were those children cremated and prayed for?”

The junior priest answered Leila’s question with an awkward smile.

“Of course.”

“You’re lying.”

“No, we really…”

“Then show me your prayer journal.”

At the added words, the junior priest kept his mouth shut.

Leila’s face hardened to the point of being terribly hard, glaring at the junior priest.

“As a priest who serves God, what you do is worse than a beast, huh?”

The priest’s face flushed bright red at the obvious insult.

The junior priest wanted to refute it, but he couldn’t because all the crimes he had committed had already been revealed in detail, so he kept his mouth shut.

The investigation continued.

The Imperial knights hurriedly brought doctors from the capital to examine the children.

Of the 49 children, 16 were malnourished and 5 were seriously injured, unable to walk properly. And not only were they dirty because they hadn’t been washed for a long time but the clothes they were wearing were also worn out as if they had worn them for years. Scars were also often seen on their skinny arms and legs. 

Most of the children in good condition were children who were purposely fed well so that they could be sold to nobles. Since it was impossible to sell products with flaws to the nobles, they made their appearance clean at least.

That fact made Baron Delrond more indignant than anyone else.

While doctors examined and treated the children, Leila checked the donation ledger.

In front of Leila, the senior priest in charge of the ledger stood nervously. Leila, who looked through the ledger superficially, smiled and looked at the senior priest.

“Seems like I look easy to the priest, huh?”

“Yes? What do you mean…”

“Other than that, there’s no way you would try to fool me with this double ledger.”

She notices it was a double ledger just by looking through it?

The senior priest’s eyes widened. Leila said as she handed the ledger into the priest’s arms.

“If you don’t want to be charged with creating a double ledger, bring the original ledger right away.”

“I, I understand.”

The senior priest retreated as if running away, and Ver took his place.

Ver, who heard what Leila said from a few steps away, asked Leila with great curiosity.

“How did you know that the ledger was a double ledger just by looking at it?”

“I’ve seen one made with a similar method in the past.”

“Where? At the Duke of Williot?”

The Duke of Williot.

Leila’s face darkened slightly at the words that touched her sore finger.

[T/N: Sore finger: something that hurts but is precious.]

Ver apologized right away as he realized he had said something wrong.

“I’m sorry, Baron. I made a slip of the tongue.”

“No. I overreacted.”

Leila exhaled heavily and wiped her chest.

She had no lingering feelings for Philen and the Duke of Williot, but she still felt bad every time she heard the names.

“Is the children’s matter done?”

“Yes. Children who need hospitalization have been sent to the clinic, and the remaining children are being treated by doctors.”

“I see.”

Seeing Leila relieved, Ver added. 

“And His Majesty is here.”

“…yes?”

Leila’s eyes widened instantly. She jumped up from her seat.

“Where…”

She was about to ask where he was, but she didn’t have to. Because she saw Kalian behind Ver.

He approached Leila and Ver with numerous Imperial knights.

“I see the Sun of the Empire.” 

Leila greeted him in an abbreviated manner.

Kalian looked at Leila and asked.

“Did you sneak into the Secret Hall?”

Has he already heard it?

Leila answered with an awkward smile.

“It was reckless.”

Leila unconsciously stopped herself from answering ‘I apologize.’

It was definitely reckless, but she didn’t think it was wrong. And Kalian said it before, ‘don’t apologize for something you don’t think is wrong’.

“…that was the only way to uncover the temple’s dirty secrets and save the children.”

The words that usually ended with ‘I apologize’ became longer. 

Leila looked straight at Kalian and uttered her opinion.  

“If I hadn’t, the children would have continued to suffer.” 

“It sounds like you could have done something worse.”

“Of course.”

Leila clasped her hands over her chest.

“I am an Imperial official who works for the Imperial people. For the sake of the Imperial people, it is natural to take such a risk.”

It was a good attitude that an Imperial official should have. 

If it had been anyone else, he would have praised them for being great, but for some reason, it was hard to do that to Leila.

“…good job.”

But she indeed did a good job, so he should praise her.  

“Still, it was reckless.”

And pointed out what she did wrong.

“Next time, if something like this happens, you should discuss it first and move. I don’t want to be a bad boss who puts the lives of his subordinates at risk, you know?”

To prevent the atmosphere from getting heavy, he added a light joke, but the innocent Leila shook her head in embarrassment.

“I, I don’t mean to do that.”

“I know.”   

Kalian smiled and tapped Leila on the shoulder.

“Anyway, you did a great job this time.”

Leila was stunned at the repeated compliments and lowered her head.

“You must be tired, so go back and rest. Leave the rest to me and Ver.”

“…but I’m tired too.”

Ver complained a little, but Kalian neatly ignored him and turned around.