It’s that hard to get?

At Aisla’s words, Camilla threw Havel a strange look as well. How did he actually get this?

“There are points that accumulate every time you work.”

“Points?”

“They build up when you properly fulfill your role as a reaper.”

Later, those points could be used for promotion—or to make requests to upper management.

That was why reapers worked themselves to the bone without taking a single day off. They were trying to stack as many points as they could, no matter what.

“It’s a flower I obtained by using those points—along with a few other reapers.”

Reapers who’d once received major help from Dorman, or who felt grateful for how John Carter had been dealt with this time, each contributed a little.

Ten years at the shortest, a hundred years at the longest—and Havel didn’t even need to be mentioned. He handed over every last point he’d saved since the day he became a reaper.

“No—why?”

Why go that far just to bring this here?

The more she heard, the less she understood. He’d said humans couldn’t even eat it. It wasn’t something she desperately needed.

“Because it’s the most valuable thing I can obtain on my own authority.”

“Then why are you giving it to—”

“Thank you.”

“...What?”

Wait. Did you just say thank you? You—Havel?

“Are you sick?”

“What are you talking about?”

Don’t glare at me. I’m seriously worried.

He said thank you?

Since when could you even say something like that?

“Unbelievable...”

Did you just bow your head, too? Camilla was completely flustered. Was catching John Carter really that big a deal?

“......”

Whether Camilla was flustered or not, Havel’s gaze had already returned to Dorman.

As he watched Dorman continue to greet ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) customers with a bright smile, the faintest trace of a smile flickered across Havel’s lips.

It was so brief that no one properly saw it, of course.

“Well... anyway. I’ll accept the gift.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Camilla took the flowerpot, feeling a little awkward about it.

She hated the name, but if it was that valuable, she might as well keep it for now.

Though... will I ever have a reason to use it?

It prevented erasure, right?

“Hm... so how do I raise it? Do I just toss it somewhere?”

“Keep it close to you.”

“Close to me?”

“It’ll grow by feeding on your energy—and the energy of the strange things that gather around you.”

...Can I really accept this? What kind of flower eats energy to grow? It’s ominous. So ominous.

“Miss!”

At that moment, Dorman came over, calling out loudly. Camilla whipped her head around, thinking something had happened.

“We sold all the desserts from this morning!”

Dorman pointed at the completely empty display case, grinning.

“You’re incredible, Dorman.”

“Right?”

“You’re like a god of sales.”

...What are you even saying?

“Haha. I’m good at everything, you know.”

“That’s correct.”

Oh, sure?

How do they sync up like that?

Camilla stared at Havel, who was pouring out praise, and Dorman, who was puffing out his chest even more at every word, like she couldn’t believe this.

But in the end, a faint smile spread across her face anyway. Well, if he was working hard, it wasn’t a bad thing.

Maybe I should raise his pay a bit...

“This shop needs me more than it needs Camilla now. Haha. At this rate, won’t everyone think I’m the owner?”

“Of course.”

...Let’s postpone that raise.

*****

“This necklace you sold to people by deceiving them as a sacred object.”

In Cardinal Martio’s hand was a necklace with a red stone set into it—the very necklace Eva Faith had sold through the temple.

“You truly didn’t know it was Eva Faith’s scheme?”

“I truly didn’t know!”

Pope Brissel shook his head urgently. The neat, immaculate image he’d always maintained was nowhere to be found anymore.

With a ghastly pale face, Brissel hurriedly rattled off excuses—like it was the only way he could survive.

“The one who suggested selling that necklace was him! Daniel—he orchestrated everything!”

When it was revealed that the red “sacred object” was actually an item Eva Faith had spread to steal people’s souls, countless people were left speechless in shock.

Naturally, mistrust toward the temple surged at a terrifying rate.

The only way to break this situation was to show that they were actively purging the Eva Faith believers who had seeped into the temple.

With the survival of the order at stake, the temple leadership finally drew a blade sharper than ever before.

If there was one thing to call fortunate, it was this: the Sword of Judgment owned by the order proved a tremendous help in separating out Eva Faith believers.

The moment word spread that the Sword of Judgment would be used, the Eva Faith believers hiding within the order panicked—fleeing ahead of time or exposing themselves on their own.

And once again, people had no choice but to be horrified.

Because far more people belonged to Eva Faith than anyone had imagined.

When things had been cleaned up to a certain degree, people went looking for someone to hold responsible for the incident—and they found Pope Brissel.

He was the one who had named the red stone a sacred object, recommended it be sold through the temple, and ultimately gave the final approval.

And he was also the one who had pushed most strongly to raise the priest Daniel—one of Eva Faith’s central figures—into the position of high priest.

“Daniel! That man!”

Of course, Pope Brissel felt wronged. He truly hadn’t known the red necklace belonged to Eva Faith, either.

They’d told him they’d discovered a mysterious mineral that reduced bodily pain. They’d told him they should sell it as a sacred object to increase the temple’s revenue. He’d approved it with nothing but good intentions.

It wasn’t harming anyone, was it? They would fill the temple’s storerooms by selling the red stone, and then use a portion of that revenue to spread the word of God more widely.

Since it was meant to contribute to the work of delivering God’s will, he believed God would surely look the other way.

But then...!

How was I supposed to realize the ones who brought it up were secretly members of Eva Faith?

And only after the incident exploded did he learn that they’d whispered in his ear at Priest Daniel’s instigation.

From Brissel’s perspective, it was enough to drive him completely insane.

“I truly didn’t know!”

Faced with the suspicious stares of the people, he raised his voice even higher.

“I can swear it—even if you tell me to hold the Sword of Judgment and shout it aloud!”

If he’d known, would he have voluntarily worn that necklace around his own neck? That horrific necklace that siphoned out souls?

“Indulgences.”

“......!”

But at the word that followed, Pope Brissel couldn’t help but flinch.

“And regarding indulgences. Is that also something that has nothing to do with you?”

At Cardinal Martio’s calm follow-up, Brissel’s expression stiffened hard.

Before the Eva Faith incident erupted, there had been another scandal in the temple.

Posters listing the sins of the high priest and high-ranking clergy had been pasted up day after day without end.

From those who had embezzled donation money, to evidence suggesting abuse of young believers.

At first, everyone denied their crimes—but in front of the Sword of Judgment, they had no choice but to lower their heads.

Because the image of Cardinal Stella—who had tried to lie while holding the Sword of Judgment and died a gruesome death—was still vivid in everyone’s minds.

And in the final poster that appeared after Cardinal Stella’s death, the name mentioned was none other than Pope Brissel.

Indulgences that absolved even murder if money was paid. And the one who sold them was Pope Brissel.

“Are you saying you weren’t the one who sold an indulgence to Count Orleans?”

“That is...!”

Count Orleans—who had recently kidnapped children, turned them into statues, and committed murder. It was revealed that he had been the primary user of indulgences.

People who were still shaking with rage over that case, in which countless children had died, were forced into shock all over again.

From the temple of all places—and with the pope personally selling indulgences, allowing murder to be swept away!

“Can you swear, in front of the Sword of Judgment, that you truly didn’t know it was a sin—that indulgences, too, were all Daniel’s doing?”

“......”

To that question, Pope Brissel couldn’t answer easily.

It was true that Daniel had orchestrated this as well. But he couldn’t honestly claim he felt no unease at all.

Did he not know it was a sin? Did he truly not know?

He understood that buying off even murder with money was obviously wrong.

But...

In the face of money, he had only deceived himself—telling himself it was all for the order.

Of course he could never, ever say in front of the Sword of Judgment that he knew nothing.

In the end, Brissel bit down on his lip, then slowly bowed his head.