Chapter 143: I Just Want to Hold On to These
The strong man’s body convulsed a few times before rapidly deflating like a sad balloon, dead as a doornail.
A tiny spark drifted into the air above, dissolving like a magician’s trick, as I found myself lost in thought, staring at it.
When I looked back, Sister Teresa had silently wandered off, leaving only an ethereal silhouette behind.
I furrowed my brow.
In that moment, my brain sparking with thoughts… I almost called out to her but ultimately shook my head and quickened my pace to catch up.
We returned to the old building where the goods were being traded, one in front and one behind.
Here, the flames still burned, though they had shrunk significantly. The church’s clerics, along with a Sword of Kanli from the Water Order, were working hard to extinguish the fire. Nearby, the vice-captain and a hawk-nosed fellow were wrapping up their cargo inspection when they spotted us and asked, “Did he kick the bucket?”
“Yep, he’s gone.”
Teresa nodded and then asked, “How’s it looking over here?”
The vice-captain gave a kick to a pile of cargo boxes beside him.
“Take a look at this.”
He pointed to the top box, and I directed my gaze over, noticing it had been opened. Inside were several clearly-too-small burlap clothes for kids, unceremoniously tossed across the lid, with one pocket gaping open and a few crispy, yellowish straw leaves spilling out.
“Each of these garments is wrapped in lotus seed grass. Based on this, I estimate it amounts to about five hundred to seven hundred grams… the other boxes haven’t been checked yet.”
But things were unfolding just as I suspected.
I strolled over, picked up a straw leaf to scrutinize, then brought it to my nose for a sniff… it had a grassy aroma, albeit a bit sour with a strange stench. Nothing particularly special, though.
“Dried lotus seed grass doesn’t have any effect unless ignited.”
Teresa was watching my every move. Hearing her, I couldn’t help but glance at the clusters of infernal fire still smoldering a dozen meters away.
“… Don’t get any weird ideas,” Teresa chimed in again, “Once you get hooked on this stuff, it’s super hard to kick it!”
Of course, I knew that.
“Older Sister, you seem to know quite a bit about this?”
“I don’t. It’s just that a friend of mine is really interested in lotus seed grass. His name’s Chris.”
Chris… oh, that’s the Birdbeak Doctor! Are he and Teresa acquainted?
I casually tossed the straw leaf aside, clapped my hands, and turned my attention to the merchants standing proudly nearby, asking, “Some of them… might be unaware. Older Sister, we need to get to the bottom of this.”
“Got it.”
Her calm and reassuring tone sounded trustworthy.
At that moment, Charles lifted his head.
He spotted Sister Teresa, as if he had found a last lifeline, eyes wide as he shouted, “Sister Teresa!”
I saw Teresa’s figure flinch slightly, a look of melancholy crossing her face, yet she ignored him entirely.
“Dean, listen to me! I know nothing of the heretics! I’m not involved with them! Really! Please save me! Sister Teresa! After all the years I’ve devoted to serving you, you must believe me! Save me—!”
Still calling himself “this humble one,” but his demeanor had lost all dignity, nearing a scream.
After a moment, Teresa finally replied.
“Caught red-handed, and you still want to argue… Charles, you’ve truly let me down.”
That one sentence pushed Charles to the brink of despair, and he began to weep.
“No! It’s really not me! I’m not a heretic, I know nothing about lotus seed grass! You know me! You know I would never do such a thing… You know… someone is trying to frame me!”
Teresa fell silent.
After a brief pause, she let out a sigh.
“I just… thought I knew you very well.”
“Are you saying… you don’t believe me? I’m not a heretic… Sister Teresa…”
Charles shed tears, mumbling, and then began to confess.
“This matter… it’s my fault! I’ve taken advantage of my position and for years have siphoned off a portion of the resources donated to Cataloma, secretly selling them at a discount to local merchants to make a profit… I’ve kept this from you, I… I’m sorry… but it was the only way! Today, when the merchants suddenly changed, I found it odd, but they paid more than usual… I’m so greedy! I have an elderly mother to support… I didn’t know anything about the Gate of Truth or lotus seed grass… what’s going on…”
“Sister Teresa, I have a child too! Little Charlie! You’ve seen him, you even said you liked him… for his sake, please save me! I’m willing to return every penny I’ve made… no, double that—”
“Charles, don’t you get it?”
Teresa’s reprimand interrupted him.
As if to calm her emotions, she took a deep breath.
“At this point, it’s not something I can settle with just a few words. Whether right or wrong, whether you’re being framed… you can explain that in the underground prison.”
With that, Teresa turned away and looked at the vice-captain.
“Tanis. What’s the plan for the Sword of Kanli?”
The woman named Tanis smiled lightly.
“We’ll investigate thoroughly. We’ll find out who had the nerve to slip people into the city like this.”
Teresa nodded lightly.
“Thank you for your hard work… I’ll leave the lotus seed grass to you. As for the remaining cargo… can I have it transported back to Cataloma?”
Tanis raised an eyebrow: “Aren’t you worried about raising suspicions?”
Teresa chuckled at that: “Worried… but the children have been looking forward to these new clothes for so long.”
“You are truly compassionate.”
“Not really… just a fondness.”
Suddenly, I remembered the two children I had saved earlier, and looked up towards the alley, only to find they had long disappeared.
They probably fled… oh well, as long as they weren’t hurt.
“I’m not a heretic, I can’t go to the underground prison… I’m not a heretic…”
The Hat-Wearing Man, Charles, was still muttering to himself in the distance.
The flames had nearly all extinguished, leaving only a small flicker not far from me. I rubbed my stomach lightly as I walked over and unleashed my Ice Mist to snuff it out.
“Truly… a handy ability, Silvya,” Teresa’s voice came from behind, “Your Frost Order is so powerful, it feels almost like a countermeasure against the Gate of Truth.”
I fell into silent contemplation for a moment.
“Sister Teresa.”
“Hmm?”
“Earlier, in the dean’s office, I saw that book, The Sorrow of Love… you wrote it, didn’t you?”
“Ah, yes! You caught me! I’m a bit shy about it… don’t laugh at me.”
Shaking my head, I turned back towards her.
“It’s really well written.”
I locked my gaze on her star-like eyes.
“I read that line. The suffering in this world is merely due to the malice of the human heart… Sister, do you believe that?”
“Hmm…” Teresa pondered for a moment, “I might have thought that once upon a time.”
“Sister… did something happen?”
“Some things happened.”
“… Can’t say, huh?”
“Can’t say.”
“Then, Sister, do you still think that way now?”
“Now…”
Teresa looked up.
Above in the blue sky were just white clouds and sunlight.
“This world… lakes and mountains, beautiful scenery, there’s so much that is delightful. I just want to hold on to these.”
