The prince seems to act well, but I was no slouch when it came to acting either.
I managed to keep my true feelings hidden and did my best as a priest every time he visited.
Maybe because of that, the prince seemed to have mistaken that we were becoming friends.
At first, he pretended to be friendly, and before I knew it, he started speaking comfortably with me, even asking personal questions without hesitation.
“What do you usually do, Priest? I see you only at the temple when I come by. Don’t you ever go outside? Just because you’re a priest doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, right? If you want to pursue a hobby, you’d have to go out, wouldn’t you?”
What kind of hobbies would there be in this world? I just needed time to rest.
“During my rest time, I usually pray or study.”
“…Sounds pretty boring. Don’t you want anything?”
“If I want something, I usually buy it right away.”
I’m not the type to want many things, so when I want something, I just buy it.
As I’ve mentioned before, priests, especially high-ranking healers like myself, don’t have financial struggles.
I make a good income, especially since I get additional payments for each patient I treat. Those extra fees accumulate, and before I know it, I have a large sum of money.
“Ah, you’re the youngest head priest, so money probably isn’t an issue. But still, it doesn’t make sense that you don’t want anything.”
“?”
Why does it not make sense that I don’t want anything? Maybe because I didn’t show any interest, the prince spoke with a fiery look in his eyes.
“Do you have any idea how many things in this world stimulate your desire to own them?! This must be because of your lack of experience. I want to show you the satisfaction you get when you acquire things that stir up your greed. After spending all day in this dreary temple, surrounded by blood and prayers, do you really think you’d have the desire to own anything?”
If I were an ordinary priest, I might have been a little shaken by the prince’s words. Like some rural fool wanting to experience the city life. But I had lived a luxurious city life in my previous life.
‘I was born and raised in Seoul.’
So, I knew all too well about the extravagance of this world.
“How about it? Wouldn’t you want to go out with me? If a priest wishes, I can show you a whole new world.”
Go out with him and see a new world? At first glance, it might seem like he’s offering kindness. But the prince’s suggestion hid a deadly trap. If I followed him, I would probably experience the indulgence and luxury that nobles enjoy.
‘If it’s the luxury and indulgence I’ve never experienced before, I’d be swept away, wouldn’t I?’
If I were an ordinary priest, that is. I could already tell what the prince must have thought of me.
‘He must see me as a blank sheet of paper.’
Perhaps because he’s a bad guy, he seems to take pleasure in doing bad things. He was desperate to stain me with darkness, trying to turn my pure white heart into something black.
“Once you experience the world you don’t know, you’ll have no choice but to thank me.”
Yes, I’m sure it would be fun and enjoyable at the time. Even though I know exactly what kind of things are out there, if I followed him and experienced it firsthand, it would be hard to maintain my composure. Once I dipped my feet in that darkness, there would be no going back to being a white sheet of paper.
‘The corruption of priests is a serious problem, and it’s all because of things like this.’
The priests raised in the temple, sent out into the world, were too pure, and soon became stained with the darkness. I knew exactly what was coming and had no intention of walking into a trap knowingly.
“I’m sorry, but I’m busy, so it’s difficult for me to leave the temple and spend personal time outside.”
“A priest can’t have personal time? This seems like a big problem.”
His words, criticizing the church system, made my gaze sharp without me realizing it. Suddenly, the prince raised both arms and said,
“I didn’t mean to badmouth the Sacred Empire. I admit I made a mistake.”
“The church is not the problem. It’s just that I am lacking. I’ll work harder so that I don’t hear such things.”
In other words, I had no time to hang out with him because I had work to do. Seeing my meaning, the prince seemed to understand and took a step back.
“It’s a shame. If you just tried it once, I’m sure you’d change your mind.”
He reluctantly backed down because of his slip of the tongue, but I didn’t think this would be the end of it. After making me feel uncomfortable, the prince left, and Princess Lasiell came to visit. Just like how the prince visited the temple frequently, Princess Lasiell wasn’t one to stay idle.
“Did that man come again today?”
“Yes.”
“Such a persistent fool.”
I wonder if she even knows how determined she is to track the prince’s every move.
“The reason I’m here today isn’t just to visit. I’ve come to let you know that it’s almost time to enter the labyrinth.”
She could have sent someone, but the fact that she came herself shows her consideration.
“Didn’t you say we couldn’t enter the labyrinth?”
“I can’t keep being suppressed by that order. The prince will soon lead an expedition into the labyrinth. We will enter around the same time. So, I’d like the priest to start preparing as well.”
Princess Lasiell, who feels nauseous just from looking at the prince’s face, certainly wouldn’t want to go into the labyrinth with him.
“I’m not saying we’ll go together. We’ll follow him after he enters, taking a different path so we don’t encounter him.”
“Oh~”
It seems that it would be more comfortable for us to move behind him than to have our backs exposed.
“There’s no way we won’t meet Prince Lorath in the labyrinth. That could be very dangerous.”
Of course, the labyrinth isn’t entirely without eyes watching, but it’s a much better environment for covering up crimes than the outside.
“That doesn’t matter at all. He’s always tried to kill me.”
She explained as though there was nothing unusual about it, even though I would never be able to speak so nonchalantly about it.
I guess it’s natural for her, but still, it didn’t sit well with me.
‘Being threatened isn’t something that should be accepted as normal.’
I still thought it was better for me to help these people.
Rather than someone as sinister as him becoming the Emperor of the Empire, it would be much better for Princess Kanabi, who appears more normal, to ascend to the throne. That would be a good thing for the Holy Empire too.
“…Understood. Then, I will start preparing to enter the labyrinth.”
“Good. The next labyrinth expedition won’t fail. I’ve studied a lot during this time, so expect great things.”
It’s said that it will take a full two weeks for the prince’s expeditionary force to be ready. We will enter the labyrinth two weeks from now as well.
“This time, we’ll go as deep as possible. As you know, the labyrinth changes its terrain every three months. We’ll use that to our advantage and head as deep as possible, not considering the time we’ll spend returning.”
By now, everyone knows that the labyrinth changes its terrain every three months.
The expeditionary force was already trying to use their heads to take advantage of this situation.
“This time it might be fine, but we never know how long the labyrinth will show mercy. It’s not a good idea to keep making plans based on the terrain change every three months.”
“Are you saying not to use that convenience?”
The labyrinth wouldn’t continue showing mercy forever. The terrain changes every three months, and they send people outside to avoid getting caught up in it?
If I had never entered the labyrinth, I would have just thought it was lucky, but after clearly remembering their malice, I became curious as to why the labyrinth would go through such trouble.
When everyone, like Princess Lasiell, took advantage of the terrain changes every three months and being spit out, what would happen if that sudden kindness stopped?
They would only bring supplies for a maximum of three months, but would they still have enough supplies when they return?
‘It’s not like we’re being attacked by monsters, and yet they’re saying we’ll starve to death. How ridiculous.’
Just like a witch fattening up a child before eating them in fairy tales, perhaps the labyrinth is waiting until its prey is plump enough to devour.
“Are you saying that sending people outside every three months is a huge trap?”
“Why would the labyrinth do something that benefits us? We’re the ones hindering the monsters inside.”
“Surprisingly… you’ve convinced me.”
Thankfully, Princess Lasiell didn’t dismiss my words.
“I didn’t expect a priest to give such advice… I’ll seriously consider it.”
“Yes.”
“If you hadn’t said this, I would have kept making plans based on it. And one day, when something that seemed obvious suddenly isn’t, we’d have faced a crisis.”
“I’m just worried that many people will fall into the labyrinth’s trap.”
Using something that clearly benefits you would be a foolish move.
‘Actually, it’s even stranger that Princess Lasiell, after hearing my words, is already thinking of changing her plans.’
Most people, after hearing my words, would continue to use it with the mindset of “just this once, one more time!” and end up falling into the trap.
The fact that the labyrinth uses psychological traps gives me chills.
‘It’s like Prince Lorath and the labyrinth are similar in that they pretend to be kind on the outside but are filled with malice inside. They’re well-suited to each other, and I hope they last a long time.’
The longer the prince stays in the labyrinth, the more pressure will be relieved from Princess Kanabi and Princess Lasiell.
“Will you tell others about this?”
“I would like to, but what would my words mean to them?”
I’m not some big shot, just the chief healer.
Of course, to ordinary people, being the chief healer is a huge deal, but to those in power, I’m just the ‘chief healer.’
‘Advising them not to use it because it’s a way to conserve supplies and maximize efficiency would sound absurd to them.’