“How could you say something so dreadful…?”
Though this assignment has been extended beyond its original schedule, I also have a life elsewhere.
How could anyone say, “You’ll probably be stuck here forever” to someone like me?
“This isn’t even that hard…”
Since the other person was the one to pick a fight first, I forgot my initial intention to thank them and blurted out a curt reply.
Fortunately, Priest Cadon didn’t take offense; instead, he responded as if stating an undeniable truth.
“Not many people could endure this position. Why on earth was such a monstrous system even created?”
“Bishop Haman seems to like it and has said he plans to expand this system steadily moving forward.”
“Others will probably appreciate the efforts to lighten their workloads elsewhere.”
“Our temple, too, should become manageable as we continue to bring in more staff.”
They were actively recruiting more people, so someday, things might truly get better.
“No matter how many staff members you add, how are we supposed to manage when patients flood in all at once?”
“As the number of priests increases, we’ll be able to handle more patients overall. The load on individual leaders will decrease.”
I earnestly hoped that this would be the case.
“Well, I’ve been working here for a month, but the number of patients seems to grow even faster than the priests we add. It hasn’t made much of a difference.”
Priest Cadon’s blunt honesty stung.
Did he really need to spell out the harsh truth so plainly?
“I’m worried. I can already see the tough road ahead for you, Priest Arthur.”
“……”
“I just hope your future won’t be unbearably difficult.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Until now, I had been holding out hope for the arrival of a new leader.
But after hearing Priest Cadon’s words, I wasn’t sure anymore if their arrival would truly mean the end of my struggles.
Feeling defeated, I ran a hand over my face and steeled myself before saying the words I should have said earlier.
“Priest.”
“Yes? Go ahead. For the record, I must be heading back soon.”
He must have thought I was about to beg him to stay longer.
Seeing how worn out he seemed, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of sympathy.
“That’s not why I called you. It’s about something that happened in the labyrinth. I thought I should inform you.”
“What happened in the labyrinth?”
I proceeded to tell Priest Cadon everything about the evil god’s altar, leaving out no details. Then, I retrieved the offerings I had stored near my quarters.
“I’ve purified them, but since these items were under the control of the evil god’s power for so long, it’s crucial to destroy them quickly.”
“The evil god’s altar… How did I not think of that?”
“Pardon?”
Since the topic of heresy had come up, Priest Cadon’s eyes grew more serious than ever.
On top of that, he started saying some peculiar things.
“Something strange happened recently. I thought a demon had been summoned and was wreaking havoc nearby. There was a patient whose personality changed drastically, almost as if possessed by a demon, and they began to reject divine power outright.”
“It’s reasonable to assume a demon was involved in such cases. Most of the time, that’s exactly what’s happening.”
Typically, these kinds of incidents were the work of demons—or the machinations of heretics.
Unfortunately, this time, the matter was tangled with an evil god, which was far more troublesome.
Priest Cadon’s expression darkened, reflecting the gravity of the situation.
“Fighting an endless battle against an entity you cannot kill is bound to wear anyone down.”
With demons, eliminating the root cause usually resolved the problem.
But an evil god is, well, a god.
Just as unjust laws are still laws, an evil god is still a god, which means we cannot kill it.
All we could do was endlessly seal it away, over and over again—just like the evil god’s body had been divided into pieces and sealed in various parts of the world.
“If I hadn’t listened to you, I would’ve completely misread the situation.”
This incident wasn’t the result of a demon being summoned. It stemmed from offerings from an evil god’s altar scattered throughout the labyrinth making their way into circulation.
“So, an altar has already been unearthed. I thought immediate action was necessary, but even that seems to have been too late.”
“It seems the shifting paths of the labyrinth recently revealed the altar. When we were inside, we didn’t encounter it. We need to inform the Holy See as soon as possible and take action.”
“I’m already worried about how many sacrifices these offerings from the altar might claim.”
There was a high likelihood that some of these offerings had already left the labyrinth city.
If that were the case, we’d have to hunt them down across the entire world.
“Just imagining it is horrifying.”
Tracking offerings tied to an evil god wasn’t completely impossible, at least.
Since they were often valuable items, searching through high-end markets or auctions could sometimes yield results.
And if that didn’t work, rumors about nobles whose behavior had recently changed dramatically were often a good lead. Searching their estates usually turned up an offering.
“It sounds easy when you say it, but it’s anything but simple.”
Securing cooperation from noble families, inspecting auction houses, scouring luxury markets—none of it was an easy task.
“No wonder some people call us back-alley thugs.”
Given the urgency of such situations, the church often wielded its authority to force compliance, which occasionally led to complaints and protests.
After Priest Cadon departed, I resumed my duties at the temple, fully immersing myself in healing work.
During our expedition into the labyrinth, the healing itself hadn’t been challenging; the physical strain of constant movement had been the hardest part.
But working at the temple? The healing itself was grueling.
“Come to think of it, both are equally exhausting in their own way.”
As Priest Cadon had mentioned, it seemed like the number of patients had increased significantly compared to a month ago.
Upon investigation, I learned that a mercenary had apparently struck it rich in the labyrinth, flipping their life upside down.
“Rumors are always more powerful than you think.”
I heard more details from a nursing priest.
“A porter sold something they picked up in the labyrinth at an auction and became incredibly wealthy. Everyone went crazy after that. It’s human nature to think, ‘If they did it, why not me?’”
It wasn’t a skilled mercenary achieving greatness through hard work, but rather a porter stumbling upon a fortune by sheer luck.
That alone seemed to have stirred up quite a commotion.
“Since then, people started believing that even seemingly useless items from the labyrinth might be valuable. Someone even brought in monster dung, asking to have it appraised. Can you imagine? Hahaha!”
“Dung? But surely it was obviously dung?”
“Exactly! But they were convinced it wasn’t. Isn’t that just hilarious?”
To those unaware of the broader implications, this was a lighthearted, amusing story. But knowing the situations it caused, I could only sigh bitterly.
“So that’s why there are so many people now.”
Unqualified individuals were entering the labyrinth, chasing after quick wealth.
To someone like me, who had experienced the labyrinth’s malice firsthand, their actions seemed utterly foolish.
“They’re like moths to a flame.”
“Pardon? Are you talking about the patients?”
It was a muttered remark, but the nursing priest overheard and looked startled.
“So many people chase illusions. And how many of them perish in the process? These patients are lucky to be alive and receiving treatment, but what about those who never had that chance? Thinking of them, it’s just so tragic and wasteful.”
“Oh, I almost misunderstood you there.”
“Misunderstood? What do you mean?”
“Nothing! It’s just… you would never… Haha! Oh my, look at me! I need to change the bedsheets for a patient. I’ll be off now, Priest!”
The nursing priest left hurriedly with an awkward smile.
“Did I just cause some kind of misunderstanding? …Well, I suppose it doesn’t need clarification.”
Shaking off the uneasiness, I immersed myself in temple work.
After returning from the labyrinth, treating patients no longer felt as challenging as it once did.
My divine power had grown considerably, and having faced monsters in the labyrinth, I had become much calmer and more composed in critical situations.
“I always knew you were skilled, Priest Arthur, but your abilities now leave me speechless. You’ve improved, haven’t you?”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who noticed. The junior healers showered me with admiration, though it felt more like flattery than genuine praise.
“I think my experiences in the labyrinth helped.”
“Sigh, now I’m conflicted. Seeing how much you’ve grown, it feels like joining the subjugation team might be the right choice for me.”
“Are you scared?”
“Yes! I’m a coward. I’d probably faint the moment I saw a monster.”
The junior healers seemed to be debating whether to apply for the subjugation team after witnessing my growth.
If they left, it would place a heavier burden on the remaining priests at the temple, who were already struggling with the influx of patients.
But I couldn’t outright forbid them from pursuing the labyrinth if they wanted to grow.
After all, if they returned stronger, they would be an even greater asset to the temple in the long run.
Short-term hardships might yield long-term benefits.
“What do you think, Priest Arthur? Should I apply for the subjugation team?”
The Holy See wouldn’t neglect the safety of its priests, so barring extreme circumstances, they would likely return unharmed.
But the labyrinth was unpredictable.
No one could guarantee a safe return, especially with the lurking dangers of traps.
I explained that I couldn’t give them a definitive answer or encourage them outright to venture into the labyrinth.
“This is not a decision you should make based on someone else’s opinion. If you went to the labyrinth on my advice and suffered a grave injury or even lost your life, how do you think I would feel?”
“Ah…”
Their faces turned contemplative. It was a choice they needed to make for themselves.