“May the blessing of the Sun God be with you.”
“Oh, I pray for the Sun God’s blessing. Are you Priest Arthur?”
“Yes, Bishop.”
“Ah, I am Priest Cadon, and this is Bishop Haman.”
I thought the older person would be the bishop, but it turns out the younger man is the bishop.
“My apologies.”
“No need to apologize. I often encounter this misunderstanding because I look younger than my friend here. Haha.”
“That’s unfair. I’m the younger one.”
I thought he was younger but turns out he’s just youthful-looking.
Thanks to that, even though I mistook him for someone else, he didn’t seem offended.
“I’ve heard you’ve been managing the temple well.”
“I’m doing my best with my limited abilities.”
“I went inside and was amazed. You’ve organized it incredibly efficiently. Where did you learn this?”
“I just thought it through on my own.”
“Oh~! So Priest Arthur came up with this? That’s impressive. Do you think it could be implemented elsewhere as well?”
“If something I devised can make life easier for other priests, I’m more than happy.”
“Wonderful, just wonderful.”
Bishop Haman nodded in satisfaction, smiling.
“Entering the labyrinth is important, but so is the daily life of our priests. Despite the small staff managing many patients, no one here seems visibly exhausted. Now, think of the faces of the priests in our temple.”
“They do all look quite weary. Of course, they hide it in front of the believers.”
Such blunt honesty?
“Look here. Patients come and go here, just like at our temple, yet the atmosphere is different. This is revolutionary!”
As expected of someone of his rank, he seemed to notice the efficiency of the system I created, even without examining it closely.
The senior healers operating within the system merely thought it was convenient and had no further opinion.
Unlike Bishop Haman, they couldn’t see the bigger picture.
‘A bishop truly is different. To recognize how efficient this system is at first glance.’
Bishop Haman, still excited, continued to ask me about the system.
I answered his questions and explained that what he was seeing now was just the beginning.
I also shared how this place could grow in the future.
Before I could even finish half of my explanation, someone interrupted our pleasant conversation.
“Bishop, it’s time to leave. Everyone is waiting.”
Priest Cadon’s words brought a hint of regret to both of our faces.
I was disappointed too—explaining my plans to someone who viewed them so positively was immensely enjoyable.
Especially since he wasn’t just neutral about my plans; he was highly optimistic about them.
“…Now that I think about it, I do have other matters to attend to.”
“Ah.”
He glanced at me with reluctance, as though he didn’t want to leave.
It wasn’t like we were parting as lovers.
In the end, I could only offer some comforting words.
“I’ll be here, so please take your time. I’ll always be around when you return.”
“There’s a lot to be done.”
Priest Cadon replied with a tone that brooked no argument, while Bishop Haman sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder as he spoke.
“Once I enter the labyrinth, it’ll be hard to make time. Priest Arthur, won’t you be entering the labyrinth?”
“As the person in charge here, he can’t leave his post recklessly.”
Even without me answering, Priest Cadon replied on my behalf.
“Ah, I was looking forward to chatting with Brother Arthur while hunting together, but it seems that’s not possible.”
“Please refrain from using such awkward speech. And you really must go now.”
“Alright, alright. I’m going. Priest Arthur! Once my work is done, I’ll return, so please prepare the summary materials to send to the Holy State by then.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“He’s asking me to formally prepare the materials, which means he’s genuinely considering implementing this system I created in other temples.
It’s not just empty admiration or compliments.
‘Changing the entire temple system to my way won’t be easy, though. I wonder if it’s even possible.’
Anyone can see that the system I devised is efficient and effective, but there are quite a few priests who cling to tradition.
In that sense, Bishop Haman’s openness to change suggests what faction he might belong to.
‘If Bishop Haman brings this system to the Holy State and tests it in other temples, and if it proves to be effective, no one will be able to change the system here lightly.’
What happens to the Labyrinth Temple after I leave doesn’t concern me.
That’s why I’ve never involved myself in who becomes the next bishop.
But considering that the Sun God expressed approval of my actions in a dream—complete with a reward—how can I allow the conservatives to ruin it?
‘Our Sun God is merciful, but I feel like even he wouldn’t let such a thing slide.’
I’m not the most devout priest of the Sun God.
But when he personally tells me, ‘You’re doing well, keep it up,’ I’m not rebellious enough to ignore it.
To grow the Labyrinth Temple according to my plan, the bishop at the helm must at least be someone as understanding as Bishop Haman.
The problem is…
‘I thought Bishop Haman was an ordinary man since he travels with such a modest entourage, but the more I think about it, the more formidable he seems.’
Even my mentor, the Bishop of Palmore Church, was once a renowned inquisitor in his prime.
‘Why are all the bishops I know so suspicious?’
As Bishop Haman and Priest Cadon departed for their work, I refocused on treating patients.
“Priest Arthur.”
“Ah! Understood.”
While treating a patient, I immediately recognized why the knight had come to find me the moment I saw his face.
I quickly made my way to the room where Princess Kanabi was admitted.
Knock, knock.
“It’s Priest Arthur. I’m coming in.”
The first treatment session had been at 10 a.m.
Now it was 5 p.m., and her symptoms had returned just seven hours later.
The brightly lit room was now dimmed once again.
Princess Kanabi, lying in the dark, extended her left arm.
“Quickly, heal me.”
“I told you to call for me as soon as the symptoms began. Why didn’t you? How long have you been enduring this?”
“I couldn’t bother you while you were busy working outside.”
“Enduring it isn’t always the answer. Please describe your symptoms in detail so I can treat you properly.”
“Sigh. The symptoms started two hours ago.”
I can’t understand why she keeps trying to hide her pain.
She had a healer nearby who could treat her in an instant, yet she chose to endure the pain alone for two whole hours. It’s baffling.
“Your Highness.”
For the sake of her active cooperation, I needed to make it clear that forcing herself to endure pain is not the right approach.
“You need to be honest with me, at least when it comes to your health. I understand that this isn’t an easy thing to do, especially for someone like you. But I’m someone who prays for your well-being.”
Tonight, during my evening prayers, I’ll make sure to sincerely pray for her to get a good night’s sleep.
“So, please, be honest with me. Don’t endure the pain alone.”
If she doesn’t cooperate, the consequences won’t fall on me but on her.
If she keeps hiding her pain even after this, there’s nothing more I can do.
‘If she refuses to cooperate, what can I possibly do?’
It seemed my sincerity had reached her, as Princess Kanabi spoke.
“If I keep calling for you, wouldn’t that be troublesome for you?”
“How often are you planning to call for me?”
“You told me to report every time I’m in pain. I get sick frequently. That’s why I tried to endure as much as possible before calling you.”
“In that case, let’s do it this way.”
Considering her incredibly strong tolerance for pain, it seemed more practical for me to take the initiative rather than expecting her to call me every time.
“I’ll visit regularly whenever I have the time.”
“Regularly, here?”
“Yes, but only if Your Highness allows it.”
“How often do you mean by ‘regularly’?”
“Hmm, how about every time I’m free from other patients?”
It seemed she couldn’t quite grasp how often that would be.
“There’s not much time left today, so why don’t you get a brief experience of it?”
“If you’re visiting frequently, that means you’re expending a lot of energy on me. Is that okay?”
“Yes, I’ll make sure not to overexert myself. How does that sound?”
I had no intention of exhausting my divine power solely for Princess Kanabi’s treatment. My goal was to build rapport by showing up often, not to waste energy unnecessarily.
“Let’s try it until midnight.”
“You’ve made a wise choice. I’ll do my best to support Your Highness’s recovery.”
Of course, the one who would ultimately lift the curse wouldn’t be me but whoever defeated the monster.
What I could do for the princess was ensure she didn’t suffer lingering after effects and manage her condition so she could endure without pain.
“I’ll begin the treatment now.”
With the formalities out of the way, it was time to proceed with the treatment.
“Aren’t you asking about my symptoms this time?”
“You’re experiencing hallucinations, auditory delusions, and pain in your left arm, correct?”
“That’s right.”
It was unlikely her symptoms would suddenly worsen. Knowing she disliked discussing her pain, I had decided to skip the questioning and proceed straight to treatment.
“If any additional symptoms appear, please let me know then.”
“…I will.”
The treatment was over in an instant.
Having done it once before, the process was significantly faster this time.
“How do you feel?”
“…It’s almost absurdly comfortable. I can’t believe I endured this for so long.”
A random thought struck me—what kind of monster had cursed Princess Kanabi?
‘Is it some elusive creature?’
Having never entered the labyrinth myself, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of place it was, making it difficult to speculate.