“Goodness, why are you making things difficult like this? You think you should be in charge here just because you’re older? Shouldn’t we consider experience rather than age? For your information, I’ve been the senior healer for much longer.”
“Much longer? Anyone who hears you would misunderstand! It’s only a year’s difference, yet you exaggerate so much!”
Just thinking that I could have been caught between these people and worn down to the bone if I had delayed my resignation even a bit made me shudder.
‘The timing was perfect.’
I congratulated myself and, watching the two of them bicker, found an excuse to step away, saying I’d go prepare some refreshments.
Whatever conclusion they reach doesn’t concern me. I have no intention of wasting my energy getting involved in unnecessary matters.
My goal is simply to drain as much performance score as possible and then return leisurely to the Palmor Church.
Feeling that achieving that goal wouldn’t be difficult, a smile naturally formed on my lips.
“Why are you asking me that? It’s something you should handle on your own.”
“What? Priest Arthur always answered everything when I asked!”
Unbelievable.
“Just handle it on your own.”
“Excuse me?”
This wasn’t the first time. It was already annoying enough that a healer was casually questioning a senior healer, only to then say, “Priest Arthur answered for me.” As if to imply that just because Arthur did it, I should too. That was a terribly misguided notion.
“Priest Arthur may have shown you some kindness, but that’s a personal favor. No one has the right to treat the senior healer with such disrespect. If you’ve received kindness, be grateful and move on. Why are you demanding kindness from others too?”
“S-Sorry. Priest Arthur did it so naturally that I didn’t think you wouldn’t.”
“Don’t use your junior as an excuse! You’ve mistaken goodwill for entitlement just because someone was kind to you!”
I used to think this junior was kind and respectful, but it seems they were more… no, overly kind than I had imagined.
‘Looks like I’ll have to say something as a senior. They’re all getting way too relaxed!’
Priest Arthur is an admirable junior who works well, isn’t greedy, and knows his place.
The problem is that he’s too kind, making it obvious that people around him take advantage of him.
“Geez, tsk tsk tsk! You can’t behave like that!”
“S-Sorry.”
Watching their face pale and their eyes tear up after just a few words from me was almost repulsive.
‘Do I really seem that easy to them?’
If I told anyone I went through this, they’d tell me to stop joking and that I was exaggerating. How dare they!
“Make sure you tell the other healers this too. Tell them not to force kindness.”
Leaving the tearful healer behind without mercy, I went to check on my junior.
Luckily, I was able to find him taking a break.
The problem was that healers had gathered around him in a huddle.
The moment I saw the books and papers in their hands, my expression instantly soured.
‘They’re even trying to drain him while he’s resting!’
At this point, I was beginning to feel sorry for him.
“I even feel like I should protect this naive and unambitious junior. How much easier has everything become, thanks to him giving up his position without hesitation!”
‘If only Priest Ando weren’t here, I could have taken complete control.’
The faster I gained control here, the more likely it was that our bishop from the main church would be dispatched. Since Priest Ando and I belonged to different factions, it was natural for us to keep each other in check.
The problem was that over time, senior priests from other factions would arrive, slowly chipping away at my authority.
‘If I could get Priest Arthur on my side, it might make it much easier to take control here.’
Currently, there are three senior priests in total. Though Priest Arthur said he’d step back, his influence here wasn’t going to disappear overnight. If I built a rapport with him and siphoned his influence, Ando wouldn’t stand a chance against me.
“What on earth do you think you’re doing?”
I raised my voice from my abdomen in a thunderous tone.
“Oh.”
Goodness, I almost jumped out of my skin.
“Priest Chilan?”
I thought lightning had struck. I couldn’t think of anything I’d done wrong, but his piercing gaze was fixed on my juniors.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Why? Are you honestly saying that because you don’t know?”
“Did I make a mistake?”
Why would he suddenly start yelling at me like this?
“I distinctly told you to rest, didn’t I? But here you are, working instead of resting. Of course, that would make me angry!
And I’m not angry at you, Priest Arthur. I’m angry at these brothers for disturbing your rest!”
The juniors’ eyes widened in shock at his words.
What business did he have with how one chose to spend their day off?
“U-Us?”
“Yes! Why are you tormenting Brother Arthur like this? No matter how easygoing he is, this is too much! If this keeps up, everyone will have to retake the legal studies course!”
A senior priest has the right to assess the general priests. The juniors turned to me with pleading eyes; their faces pale.
Why was he giving them such a hard time? What had they done wrong?
Was this a ploy to drive out the embedded stone with a rolling one?
A flurry of thoughts crossed my mind, and I couldn’t decide what to do. Then, I happened to catch a glimpse of Priest Chilan’s eyes.
‘It doesn’t seem like he’s doing this because of any issue with me. He seems more focused on scolding the juniors, doesn’t he?’
If his target was the juniors, I could just ignore it. It wasn’t my concern.
But doesn’t one’s loyalty naturally lie with their own? The idea of watching the juniors, with whom I’d bonded over shared work, getting scolded by this newcomer left me in a bad mood.
After sorting out my thoughts, I finally spoke.
“I actually enjoy teaching.”
“Excuse me?”
The look in his eyes seemed to say, ‘What kind of strange hobby is that?’
“I’m serious. They’re all so smart that they catch on quickly once they’re taught. Somehow, it’s become enjoyable, and before I knew it, I found myself teaching even on my day off.”
“Ahem, even if you enjoy teaching! There is a problem with these brothers’ shameless behavior. This is the problem with giving guidance without expecting anything in return. How could priests come to think that continued kindness is a right?”
“Did something happen?”
“Earlier today, they came up to me and abruptly asked how to handle a treatment!”
“Oh…”
“Why did he have such a fit over something so trivial?”
“I’m sorry. I should have explained it better.”
So that’s what pushed his buttons, making him explode at me during my vacation. If it wasn’t a difficult question, he could have just answered it. The young junior just wanted to learn something—couldn’t he have just answered them?
Honestly, it felt a bit absurd. It’s not as if he worked hard to acquire that knowledge on his own; isn’t it simply wisdom bestowed by the divine? He may call everyone ‘brother’ and ‘sister,’ but when it comes to situations like this, he distances himself, acting the part of a priest. It makes me feel like this temple runs in the most ridiculous way.
“I’ll make sure to instruct them to only ask me questions from now on.”
“No, no! That won’t do. Knowledge that is easily gained isn’t valued properly.”
“Are you suggesting that I shouldn’t teach them at all?”
What I entrusted them with was the authority to manage this place, not the right to decide whether the juniors could study.
Realizing he may have overstepped, Priest Chilan hurriedly tried to smooth things over.
“Of course, it’s up to you if you want to teach them. I just couldn’t stand by watching them take advantage of your kindness.”
In other words, he was telling me, ‘Stop being a pushover!’
But that didn’t make me feel any less annoyed. How hard had we struggled with just nine people to treat the patients flooding into the temple?
“This isn’t kindness. With only nine people, we had no choice but to share our knowledge to get the job done. Maybe now that we have more people, it doesn’t matter as much, but it’s not something that should be discouraged.”
“Brother…!”
As Priest Chilan tried to object, his expression hardened, realizing that I was outright contradicting him. But before he could respond, a voice cut in.
“There’s nothing wrong with what Priest Arthur is saying.”
“Priest Ando?”
“…”
Priest Chilan looked at Priest Ando, who had appeared unexpectedly, and realized that things had taken a turn for the worse.
“Priest Chilan, don’t be so harsh. Every place has its own set of rules, doesn’t it? It’s not exactly appealing for someone new to come in and stir up trouble.”
Priest Ando’s words felt like a refreshing burst of clarity, clearing the air.
“And who is causing trouble? Are you saying it’s me? Priest Ando, you might not understand the situation, but I’m only concerned about Brother Arthur!”
“It looks more like you’re angry than concerned. Besides, I’m sure Priest Arthur can manage just fine on his own. It seems to me that you wanted to assert your seniority just because Priest Arthur is younger, but he’s the senior healer, after all—the youngest one, at that.”
In other words, he was saying, ‘He’s sharp enough to earn the senior position at a young age, so who are you to worry?’
I shouldn’t, but I felt a growing admiration for Priest Ando. He was saying everything I wanted to say.
‘At first, I thought Priest Chilan was stronger, but Priest Ando isn’t someone to take lightly either.’
Priest Chilan is the type to flaunt himself and build his authority like a peacock spreading its feathers. In contrast, Priest Ando seems to quietly observe from the shadows, only to swoop in at the right moment to deliver a decisive blow and claim the credit.
‘This isn’t a favorable matchup. On top of that, Priest Chilan’s misstep has made the situation work to Priest Ando’s advantage.’
It seemed likely that the next person in charge of this temple would be Priest Ando.