Priest Cadon.
Many people know him simply as the priest who serves Bishop Haman, but if you look into him more closely, you’ll be amazed.
It turns out that Priest Cadon is far more remarkable than you might have thought.
“I understand that Priest Cadon refused the bishop’s position and chose to continue serving Bishop Haman instead.”
What made Priest Cadon famous was not a particular achievement, but the unusual fact that he turned down the bishop’s position.
Beyond that, not much was known about him, but after observing him for a few days while working together, I realized he was much more impressive than I had expected.
“Refusing the bishop’s position to serve Bishop Haman, that’s already a significant background.”
You wouldn’t just refuse such a prestigious position unless you had some kind of strong will or even madness.
Having refused the honorable position, Priest Cadon continues to serve Bishop Haman, quietly living without the fame his abilities would warrant.
But anyone who works with him would surely come to the conclusion that Priest Cadon occupies a position far too humble for someone of his abilities.
“Now that I think about it, all of Bishop Haman’s achievements were done in collaboration with Priest Cadon, weren’t they?”
In the end, the truth is that all the accomplishments of Bishop Haman are also the work of Priest Cadon. He simply doesn’t seek attention or fame for himself.
“You’re truly impressive.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ve already adapted so well. Moreover, you’ve even given me advice.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize I did that… it’s just a habit.”
“To be honest, I would rather follow you around and learn from you, without getting involved in the labyrinth. I envy Priests Ando and Chilan.”
I wasn’t just saying this to flatter him.
Having been assigned the responsibility of overseeing the temple for a month, I felt there was so much I could learn from him.
Shouldn’t I make sure I understand how the labyrinth temple is being run?
Of course, these were all unnecessary concerns.
Even without me teaching him, Priest Cadon would handle everything on his own, and he was even advising me on areas I hadn’t considered.
“I knew he was an assistant to Bishop Haman, but he’s even more capable than I imagined.”
It turns out that Priest Cadon was the one managing the temple, not Bishop Haman.
He was the expert in this field from the start.
“I’m suddenly embarrassed for saying I’d teach you.”
If I were to teach him something, I’d only be sharing knowledge that he already knew—he would figure out more than what I taught him and improve it.
How ridiculous it must have seemed for me to think I could teach someone like that.
“These are the insights I gained from the temple management proposal that Priest Arthur sent me. Even I, as knowledgeable as I am, couldn’t have adapted immediately without this information.”
I was relieved and touched when I heard that he had quickly adapted to the temple environment thanks to reading the report I had written.
“If this system is implemented in other temples, it will surely make life easier for the priests. We need to move quickly… Now that I know how effective it is, I feel more urgent to get started.”
Priest Cadon seemed increasingly interested in the workings of our temple. He became so involved that he started bringing along Priests Ando and Chilan, focusing intensely on temple management.
As soon as they met Priest Cadon, the two of them were overpowered by his gaze and started following him obediently, listening to his instructions.
My plans to teach him about temple management completely vanished, and time seemed to stretch. Even without me, the temple would run smoothly.
Priest Cadon had effectively taken over my role.
“I believe I’ve learned everything I can for now. You must be busy, so I think it’s time to relax and focus on preparing for the labyrinth. Priest Chilan and Priest Ando will be helping me, so you don’t need to worry about temple matters anymore.”
“Understood. I’m truly grateful for everything you’ve done. The help I received will be invaluable when I enter the labyrinth.”
The advice Priest Cadon gave me would be invaluable.
“The terrain has changed, so some of what I’ve said may no longer be useful.”
Information about the labyrinth is always precious.
“The information you gave me is not insignificant. It will definitely be a great help.”
I couldn’t forget Priest Cadon’s kindness.
As I was thinking this, he hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
“…Perhaps.”
“Pardon?”
“Once the diplomatic matters are over, would you consider staying with me for a while to learn?”
“!!”
The sudden offer left me frozen for a moment.
He wanted to teach me?
Someone like Priest Cadon wouldn’t just take anyone as a disciple.
I had thought about learning from him, but I never imagined I’d receive such a formal offer.
“Are you formally… making me an offer?”
“Of course. Who would joke about something like this?”
Such a wonderful offer.
It was so tempting that I wanted to accept it right away.
But sadly, I already had a mentor, and I was in a situation where I had other things to do.
“I really appreciate the offer. But the mission I’ve been given isn’t something that will end in a month. It could take a year, or even two.”
Priest Cadon quickly understood the meaning behind my words.
“I see. I didn’t realize it would take that long.”
“I would love to accept your offer and learn from you right away, but…”
This was something I had to decline.
‘Such a shame.’
But there was no helping it.
I couldn’t be certain when I would be able to fix Princess Kanabi, and I wasn’t sure if my mentor would even allow me to serve another mentor.
‘It’s just not meant to be.’
I comforted myself and decided to focus on what I truly needed to do now.
“So, I asked Priest Cadon for help.”
I explained everything that had happened while visiting the princesses.
Both of them had expected the bishop’s arrival, but they were shocked to learn that he had died on the way, and they were relieved to hear that I had asked Priest Cadon for assistance.
The end of my explanation was that everything could still go according to plan.
“I’m so relieved. I was afraid I’d be wasting time forever.”
Princess Lasiell clapped her hands in joy.
Then, suddenly, she said something unexpected.
“We must give him a great reward!”
Priest Cadon was going to be rewarded by Princess Lasiell?
Imagining the two of them, I couldn’t help but laugh.
It was hard to picture the small princess giving a reward to the large figure of Priest Cadon.
At that moment, Princess Kanabi spoke as if to warn her.
“Lasiell, Priest Cadon is a bishop-level figure.
He’s not someone you can just reward.”
“!!”
Princess Lasiell was taken aback by Princess Kanabi’s words, and her face quickly fell.
“I didn’t realize he was such a great person.”
“He’s not necessarily famous, but he’s not someone to be dismissed either.”
I hadn’t expected Princess Kanabi to know so much about Priest Cadon.
“I met him when I was sent as a diplomatic envoy to the Deltrak Empire. He came as part of an envoy and left our nobles in awe. I wondered who he was, so I looked into him. He was indeed someone who deserved it.”
“…I didn’t realize he was such an extraordinary person.”
Princess Lasiell looked at me, clearly feeling awkward, so I spoke to reassure her.
“It’s okay, you just didn’t know. It was a mistake.”
I told her it was fine, but it seemed like Princess Kanabi wanted to correct her sister’s attitude. She continued to lecture her.
“We’re not in the Deltrak Empire here. Don’t expect to be treated as royalty by people from other countries. You need to be humble. They might respect you, but they won’t revere you.”
This was advice that would be invaluable for Princess Lasiell, who was still immature.
Though, it seemed like she was taking it as just more scolding.
Princess Kanabi, realizing that her worries hadn’t gotten through to her sister, sighed softly and said,
“And when you’re in the labyrinth, it’s best to hide your royal status.”
“Why?”
“There will be people who will only see you as a source of wealth, not because they fear your royal status.”
“Do you think anyone would dare harm a royal?”
In the Deltrak Empire, royalty was revered almost like gods, but the labyrinth was a lawless place.
“Once you experience it, you’ll realize how meaningless being royalty is in such a place. Priest Arthur, please take care of Lasiell.”
“Sister! You have to trust me! I’m not a priest!”
“Yes, I’ll do my best.”
“Ugh.”
I wasn’t sure how well Princess Lasiell would heed my words, but I gave a reassuring promise to Princess Kanabi.
If this would ease Princess Kanabi’s worries even a little, it would be a good thing, right?
“Aren’t you two getting along a little too well? Are you meeting with her secretly without me knowing?”
“Of course, we meet. Several times a day.”
After leaving Princess Kanabi’s room, I answered Princess Lasiell’s question nonchalantly.
“What?! You meet several times a day?”
“Well, who am I? I’m the one who takes care of Princess Kanabi’s treatments. Naturally, we meet for medical purposes.”
I must have shocked Princess Lasiell, as her mouth immediately shut like a clam.
“There’s only one week left until the prayer meeting. During that time, Princess, you should visit often and stay by Princess Kanabi’s side. It’ll be much more comforting for her to have her family there rather than me constantly coming and going.”
It’s terrifying to think that a year could pass in the blink of an eye.
I hoped Princess Lasiell would understand and visit often to comfort Princess Kanabi. To my surprise, it seemed she had already sensed that.
“…Do you think my sister is afraid?”
“It’s not easy to make decisions in such situations. There’s a lot of uncertainty.”
She must have had a lot of responsibilities, and it wasn’t easy to let go of them.
She was someone who carried her sense of duty with her everywhere.
Even when her life was limited, she couldn’t easily release that burden, and that made her a pitiful figure.