The double ledger, where most of the funds allocated for the orphanage support from the temple went into the Bishop’s personal pocket, as well as the revelation that cheap materials were used to cut costs contrary to the original design, were all included.

It turned out that the entire building had collapsed entirely due to poor construction. In addition, the donated funds that came into the temple were being spent on all sorts of extravagance and indulgence.

“Even gambling? This toad-like human!”
[ T/N: Even though it’s not really an idiom, it might be used metaphorically to describe someone untrustworthy or morally questionable, drawing a comparison to the negative connotations associated with toads. ]

Karentina’s fists trembled as her anger reached its limit.

Eddie’s words swirled in her mind. No matter how she thought about it, something felt off. Wasn’t it normal for an ordinary person to be surprised and rush out at the mention of fire? Especially in a situation where people could die in a newly built building?

She couldn’t believe everyone didn’t listen to Eddie’s words like they did.

Thinking about the children and Priestess Leah, who were almost sacrificed to selfish greed, anger boiled up. Karentina gritted her teeth as she thought of Bishop Viano, who was doing business with stones.

“This evidence should be enough. Thank you, Zion.”

“N-No need to thank me! I just granted your wish in exchange for your magic power.”

He stiffened like a wooden block, seeming unfamiliar with being thanked.

“When you’re grateful, you say thank you. And if you make a mistake, it’s natural to apologize. If you want to be like a human, you should learn this part first.”

“…But it’s too difficult for me.”

“Zion can do it too.”

Karentina gazed fondly at Zion, who was still inexperienced in expressing his emotions, then turned her head towards the window. The winter sky in the North was clear and blue.

After organizing her thoughts for a while, she slowly spoke.

“How much magic power do I have left in my body right now?”

At my question, Zion placed a teacup with a pretty strawberry pattern on the lace mat before he lifted the teapot and poured the tea slowly.

“If your magic power was this much when I first saw you…”

Drip, drip.

The teacup was less than half full of the fragrant tea.

“Now, it’s at this level. It’s fine to make small wishes like bringing documents, but for wishes that consume a lot of magic power, four wishes may be the limit.”

“….”

Karentina rolled her head on how to use her magic power efficiently.

“Zion, I have a favor to ask you. This is a butler’s task.”

“Sure!”

He seemed like a puppy wagging its tail, probably because he was excited at the mention of ‘butler’s task.’

“First, go to the Imperial Post Office and send this letter to the temple using the fastest teleportation magic circle you can find.”

“Yes, Master.”

Saying so, she handed him a copy filled with evidence of the Bishop’s corruption and a letter detailing the whole story. Then, she looked straight into Zion’s eyes.

“I’m not sure if this will count as a wish.”

“What do you mean?”

“Could you check on the condition of my brother, Damion Lorraine?”

Zion tilted his head to the side.

“Why is that?”

Karentina took a sip of the warm tea that Zion had poured for her.

“Because the novel is about to begin… I want to save my brother.”

She couldn’t help but feel that her chest felt strangely tight as she remembered the sweet letters he had written to Karentina. In her memories, Damion had always been a sweet and kind brother.

‘One of the reasons Damion gritted his teeth and tried to inherit the title was because of me.’

It was because he knew that if he went astray, his sick sister wouldn’t live long either. That was how he became close with Ignis.

She hoped that the characters from her favorite novel would live a happy life without suffering.

“If this place becomes like the world in the novel I’ve seen…”

“….?”

“I’m going to twist the original story.”

Zion pursed his lips as if he wanted to say something.

“Should I make a wish?”

In the end, he let out a small sigh and murmured.

“…It’s just checking the health condition, so I’ll designate him as the tracking target.”

“Thank you.”

Karentina grinned at Zion’s response.

“I’m just doing this because it’s so easy. This is nothing to the great Briserd Mayneil Popo Zion.”

“That’s amazing, our Zion.”

“…You’re really strange.”

Seeing him shudder as if embarrassed, Karentina smiled slightly and affirmed.

“If anything happens to Damian, will you let me know right away? It’ll probably be around a week or so.”

“You’re like a prophet who can predict the future.”

“Is that so?”

Her lips curled into a satisfied smile as she looked at Zion mumbling quietly to himself.

 
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