Chapter 67 Inquisitor (9)

“Yes. I was finishing up some work…”

“Since you’re moving with that body, it takes a long time. I came to check on you this morning to treat you again, but you weren’t there. So I came now to treat you.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“…It’s something I must do, of course.”

I stared at Sister Melody intently.

“Then, let me check your condition.”

“Yes.”

It didn’t seem like it was just my imagination.

‘She’s softened.’

By “softened,” I meant her attitude toward me. I was surprised by how gentle her expression and voice had become—so much so that she felt like a different person.

Of course, I couldn’t be certain yet. We hadn’t had a proper conversation, after all.

But I felt it in my gut.

Sister Melody’s attitude toward me had changed.

I know it’s inappropriate to compare a person this way, but…

‘It feels like coaxing a stray cat into your home.’

Even if you bring a stray cat home, its wariness will remain. Right now, I need to act naturally and help her feel at ease.

“Oh dear, even though I just patched this up…”

Her condition wasn’t great, even after one round of treatment. I quickly treated the wounds that had worsened and helped her recover her strength.

“Ah…”

She let out a small sigh, seemingly feeling her strength gradually return. Her pale complexion was slowly regaining color.

“How do you feel?”

“Good.”

“You’re not planning to head out again tomorrow, are you? With injuries like these, you need at least a week of rest. Especially avoid any strenuous activity.”

With any other patient, I would’ve discharged them. But not Sister Melody. If left unattended, she might overexert herself again.

“I won’t worry about that anymore. My duty is to protect Father Arthur, after all.”

“True, you’ll need to be careful since we’re heading into the labyrinth soon.”

“Yes. I cannot neglect my mission.”

Hearing her words reassured me that she wouldn’t overdo it again.

But I couldn’t help but feel uneasy knowing her motivation for resting wasn’t to care for herself, but to fulfill her duty to protect me.

“What do you usually do when you rest?”

It was a question she wouldn’t have answered in the past.

“I meditate or do light training.”

“Please skip the training this time.”

“Training must be done daily.”

“Your body is already overworked and full of accumulated fatigue. If you’re worried about your body stiffening up, you don’t need to be. Rest is also a form of training.”

Why do athletes take breaks? To release the overload built up in their bodies.

Of course, divine power could relieve this overload, but I chose not to mention that.

‘It’s not just about healing the body.’

The mind also needs rest.

She had trained her whole life to become an inquisitor, tirelessly hunting heretics without any breaks. And now she was expected to head into a labyrinth in just a few days.

It was an overwhelmingly demanding schedule.

“Find a good restaurant, eat delicious food, lie in bed, and let your mind go blank while resting.”

“…Is that necessary?”

“It is. No one can work 365 days a year without rest.”

In the past, such words would’ve had the opposite effect. But now, I felt like they would resonate with her.

“Trust me and try it once. After all, there’s nothing else urgent before we enter the labyrinth.”

She had said herself that she would no longer chase heretics.

So I asked her to listen to me for just this short period.

After a moment of contemplation, Sister Melody let out a small sigh and said,

“Alright.”

See? I was right—she had changed.

“Good decision.”

Since she wasn’t the type to break a promise, I used my divine power to completely remove the fatigue lingering throughout her body. Previously, I had intentionally left some minor muscle soreness to prevent her from overexerting herself again. But now, I could heal her fully without worry.

“The treatment is finished. Rest well, and I’ll come by around lunchtime tomorrow.”

“Is there still more to treat?”

“Yes. Instead, I’ll check your condition daily, and once I’m sure you’re truly fine, I’ll let you be discharged.”

At the mention of discharge, Sister Melody’s expression softened.

“Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As I was about to leave the hospital room after finishing the treatment, Sister Melody asked me,
“Will you be attending the worship service this week?”

“Unless something big happens, I probably will. Why do you ask?”

“I’ll attend with you.”

“Is it because of His Highness?”

Since this incident wasn’t related to the prince, there was still unfinished business involving him. One of the reasons I had asked her to stay in the hospital was also tied to the matter with the prince, so when worship was brought up, I reflexively mentioned him.

“…One doesn’t always need a reason to attend worship.”

“Oh! Of course. That was thoughtless of me. Haha.”

Singing hymns, interacting with other believers, and listening to the wise words of the priest conducting the service—there are so many good reasons to attend worship that no other excuse should be necessary.

“If you want to come, there’s no need to ask. I’ll be waiting.”

If only she showed this softer side to our little chicks (the younger priests), they would have the courage to approach her. It was a small regret of mine.

The vivid memories of the intense events in the sewers had begun to fade, and enough time had passed for the nightmares to subside.

That time wasn’t entirely without incidents, though.

Word eventually spread among the other priests that Sister Melody was hospitalized.

Since I had hidden the fact of her hospitalization, I had to endure the cute complaints from the little chicks. They pouted, saying I shouldn’t have kept it to myself when she was hurt badly enough to be hospitalized.

To make up for the delayed apology, they carefully expressed their intention to visit her through me. Surprisingly, Sister Melody allowed their visit.

‘I’m glad it worked out well.’

Once the chicks received permission, they immediately visited her hospital room and began to apologize.

When Sister Melody graciously accepted their apologies, the awkward tension that could have worsened was resolved, and my heart felt much lighter.

Honestly, it had been painful to see Sister Melody avoiding the other priests.

“Thank you for accepting their apologies.”

“Why are you bringing that up now?”

After a week of rest, her face looked more peaceful than I had ever seen before. Her condition was perfect.

As expected, she had kept the promise she made to me flawlessly.

“You didn’t have to accept their apologies, but you did so graciously. If it had been me, I wouldn’t have been able to heal emotionally so easily.”

“…I know they aren’t bad people. It was simply an unfamiliar situation for them. And I’m used to it, so it’s fine. Honestly, I was more surprised that they apologized at all.”

“I don’t understand why you’re so accustomed to being treated that way. An Inquisitor like you doesn’t deserve such suspicion. The Holy Kingdom is always grateful for the noble sacrifices made by people like you.”

“…Yes. I’m well aware.”

Sister Melody nodded in response, indicating she understood, but her answer felt oddly unsatisfying.

Just as I was about to ask why she gave such an ambiguous reply, she spoke while gazing off into the distance.

“Prince Lorath has arrived.”

I had assumed Prince Lorath wouldn’t come, being busy organizing the labyrinth subjugation force, but there he was at the worship service.

“I didn’t think he’d come…”

“He’s not the type to give up until he gets what he wants. He’s blatantly targeting you. Until you give him what he desires, he’ll continue to be a nuisance.”

“Eventually, he’ll give up. My feelings aren’t going to change.”

I didn’t know how much patience Prince Loras had, but if he continued failing to find traces of Princess Kanabi, his persistence would eventually wear thin. It wouldn’t be surprising if one day he suddenly revealed his true colors.

I was already prepared for that.

“Your Highness, you’ve arrived.”

Prince Lorath walked straight toward me, as if no one else around him existed.

“Priest Arthur, I have something urgent to discuss. Could you spare me a moment?”

“The service will begin soon.”

“Skip it just for today. It’s that important.”

“…Understood.”

Skipping the service didn’t sit well with me, but I knew there was no way to refuse the prince when he was this insistent.

“Is there a quiet place where we won’t be disturbed?”

“Of course. Please follow me.”

I began walking to guide him to a quieter spot.

But something unexpected happened.

Sister Melody started following me.

Prince Lorath was not the type to let such a thing slide.

“I specifically asked Priest Arthur, so why is she following us? Now that I see her up close, her face looks familiar. Ah, yes… that extremely rude priest.”

It seemed he was still quite angry with Sister Melody. The usual mask of friendliness he wore had vanished, replaced with open hostility.

Sister Melody, being no less unyielding, met his hostility with calm indifference.

“I simply made an appropriate point to ensure Priest Arthur’s safety.”

Prince Loras’s expression hardened at the mention of my safety.

“Safety, you say?”

“Yes. I was dispatched as a Holy Knight to protect Priest Arthur. I heard rumors of suspicious groups approaching him, and I believe I’ve just uncovered the true source of those suspicions.”

Sister Melody casually swapped roles—Inquisitor one day, ordinary priest the next, and now suddenly a Holy Knight.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she claimed to be a healer tomorrow.

“Are you lying in front of royalty? How insolent. I overlooked your previous rudeness out of respect for Priest Arthur, but this time you’ve gone too far!”

It seemed the prince had done his homework. He was clearly furious at her claim of being a Holy Knight.