*****
*****
Chapter 168: Sins and Punishment (7)
The next morning, the entire Indulgentia Orphanage was in shock. The buildings were all in ruins, yet for some reason, no one who had been sleeping through the night claimed to have heard a sound. It was as if it had all been a dream.
Naturally, the whole world was in chaos. From early in the morning, people were bustling around amidst the ruins, and the volunteer students from Colosseo Academy were left bewildered.
“What in the world is going on?”
“It’s truly astonishing.”
“Why didn’t we hear anything when the buildings were collapsing?”
Tudor, Sancho, and Figgy were looking around with dumbfounded expressions. They were about to return to the academy now, but it seemed their steps wouldn’t come easily. After all, the place where they had been volunteering for the past ten days had been turned into a field of destruction.
Then, Bianca and Sinclaire arrived.
“They say Night Hound was here last night.”
“It’s scary. Everyone was sleeping, and…”
The students who had come for volunteer work began discussing the fearsome villain that had attacked the orphanage. They were concerned that they might have become the target of this killer if they had made even a slight mistake.
“It’s a pity! We had the opportunity to prove our worth as future heroes!”
“Why would he wear a mask and only appear at night? He’s definitely a thief. If he gets caught, I’d…”
“Hey, everyone. Isn’t this a bit scary? There have already been quite a few deaths caused by that murderer.”
“What’s so scary? If he shows up, I’ll shoot him with one of my arrows!”
“There are many interesting aspects to this villain worth researching.”
Everyone was getting excited.
Meanwhile, as the puppies were howling and crying in a circle, Dolores’ voice was heard.
“Academy students, please return to the school now. Please gather in one place. Those from Quovadis Clan, please remain here.”
Saintess Dolores was overseeing the reconstruction of the destroyed buildings and the counting of casualties.
Surprisingly, despite the disaster that occurred in the early hours of the morning, there wasn’t a single person who had died or been injured. However, a large number of remains of children around thirteen years old were found in all the places Night Hound had visited. Most notably, the remains of around thirteen boys and girls were found below the residence of the head of the Indulgentia family, Quilt.Countless reporters arrived and began covering this horrific scene. Academy reporters did the same. Dolores didn’t particularly interfere with their reporting, but her attitude was somewhat encouraging.
On the other hand, Quovadis sent an investigative team early in the morning. Young priests from the New Testament sect came to diagnose the health of the children and thoroughly search the scene of the tragedy.
However, some priests from the Old Testament sect tried to do the same, but:
“Saintess Dolores is still investigating you, so please leave the scene for now.”
Inquisitor Mozgus, a part of the new testament faction, was preventing the Old Testament team from investigating. Some of the Old Testament priests resisted.
“Quovadis is the same for both factions! Are you discriminating based on denominations?”
“Even the priests of the Old Testament have a duty and a right to diagnose the health of the children and to save them!”
“Mozgus! Saintess Dolores! What are you doing? If I report this to Cardinal Humbert, he will give you a severe reprimand immediately!”
Mozgus did not say a word and blocked their way like a fortress. The dispute with the Old Testament faction’s priests seemed like a mere formality to him.
Looking out into the distance, he turned to Dolores and said in a low voice.
“It’s not a bad thing to look for and address the family’s weaknesses. The actions of Night Hound are unforgivable, but… in a way, he’s doing a commendable job of exposing the rot within the family.”
It was remarkable for a strict adherent of principles like Mozgus to speak like this.
Mozgus had been silently observing Dolores, recalling how she had worked tirelessly during the Red Plague outbreak. He felt a certain fondness for her as he spoke. Dolores nodded.
“Mozgus, I’m entrusting you with the situation here.”
“Understood. Are you going back to the academy, Saintess?”
“No, I still have one thing to do.”
“What is it?”
At Mozgus’s question, Dolores simply smiled.
Suddenly, Mozgus noticed that Dolores had become much more vibrant than before. She used to be a strict and stern teenage girl with internal conflicts and turmoil. But now…
“She has become even stronger.”
As if shedding a layer of inhibition, she shone more brightly and energetically. There was a subtle freshness about her face. Dolores was in a state of relief and newfound happiness because of her shared experience with Night Hound the previous night, even though it was temporary. She had never been able to voice her innermost thoughts or share her feelings. She felt a great thrill at being understood for the first time and receiving comfort from someone.
Because of this, she was no longer afraid of the world that had pressured, intimidated, and oppressed her.
“Saintess Dolores! Why are you blocking us like this?”
“Please let us participate in the investigation!”*****
*****
“Just because we belong to the Old Testament, can we be discriminated against? We are all brothers and sisters under the banner of Quovadis!”
“Dolores! If Cardinal Humbert finds out about this…!”
The Old Testament priests protested with raised voices.
Ignoring them, Dolores stepped forward.
Thunk.
She took out several pieces of paper from her chest.
The envelope with stamps and addresses. It bore the seal of the Indulgentia family, a prominent family of priests that had served both the government and the Rune church for generations. She had received these documents from Night Hound before he left.
“Make good use of these.”
That was all he had said before disappearing.
Now, Dolores began to read from the documents.
“Month 0, Day 0! Selling a list of indulgences and punishments!”
Although her voice trembled, it did not falter.
“Sender: Quilt Rune Indulgentia. Recipient: ‘Humbert L Quovadis’ (Grand Cardinal)!”
As she held the letter, the papers crinkled under her grasp.
. Lord Bequin’s Deed: Murdered his parents who intended to donate their inheritance instead of leaving it to him, disguised the act as an accident and seized the inheritance. Payment: 1.5 billion gold. All sins are forgiven.
. Viscount LaGesso: Defiled and murdered twin sisters who worked as maids and disposed of them as if it were an accident, leading them to an agonizing death. Payment: 200 million gold. All sins are forgiven.
. Baron PeppaPig: Killed a business associate and embezzled the investment money. The family of the business associate was pushed into a state of extreme poverty and committed mass suicide. Payment: 800 million gold. All sins are forgiven.
. Countess Aizel: Accused of large-scale tax evasion, amounting to nearly 1,000 billion gold. Payment: 300 million gold. All sins are forgiven.
. Quacar’s CEO: Charged with stock manipulation, driving over ten thousand small investors to suicide. Payment: 5 billion gold. All sins are forgiven.
.
.
The documents contained a record of all the indulgences that Quilt, or rather Dantalian, had sold to nobles and merchants who had visited the Old Testament’s Temple over time. The list included various crimes such as tax evasion, stock manipulation, sexual offenses, contract killings, arson, assault, murder for hire, and other inhumane acts. It revealed how closely the Quovadis family, the Old Testament of the Quovadis family, was associated with these illegal and criminal activities.
The shocking and undeniable evidence was presented to the world, and it was done by none other than the Saintess of Quovadis herself.
*****
*****