The Imperial Taboo on Physical Priests
The imperial family had a rule passed down through generations.
[Never underestimate a physical priest.]
[Especially if they wield red divine power, never antagonize them—build a friendship instead.]
Most people mistook "physical priest" for holy knight.
But holy knights weren't priests. They poured their divine power into combat rather than recovery, becoming monsters who were hard to kill and whose destructive power rivaled auras.
Priests specialized in support and excelled at healing, making them polar opposites to holy knights.
So a physical priest meant someone who fought like a holy knight and healed like a priest, right?
'Dad... what exactly is a physical priest?'
That's why young Adria had asked the emperor directly.
The emperor lifted her with magic, cradling her in his arms, and pointed to a statue with his other hand.
'My daughter. Do you see that statue?'
The symbol of the imperial family.
It was a statue modeled after the dragon who had helped establish the empire and the imperial house at its founding.
'Yes! I told you last time that the metal for the head and body is different!'
'Right. Have you ever wondered why they're different?'
'Because they didn't have money?'
The emperor chuckled softly at his daughter's pragmatically realistic answer.
'No, that's not it.'
'Hmm, I don't know.'
'It's because that statue is a symbol of 'warning.'
'A warning?'
'Yes.'
The emperor's body trembled slightly. Though he had neglected training while ruling an empire, he was still one of the absolute masters.
Seeing him shake like that, Adria widened her eyes in confusion.
'Father...?'
'Daughter. Do you know much about the War God?'
'Huh? Not the God of Light?'
The Church of the God of Light was the empire's state religion. But the War God?
Wasn't that the god who had vanished after ending the Great War that nearly destroyed the continent?
The emperor nodded, keeping his smile.
'Yes, the War God. The one who issued a warning to our imperial family was none other than the War God.'
'Why would the War God...?'
'Because we broke our promise.'
A bitter smile touched the emperor's lips.
'The imperial family back then was foolish and arrogant... so we broke our promise with the god.'
As the Great War ended and the empire grew vast and solid, the imperial family's arrogance swelled.
They grew dissatisfied with the War God, who accepted only one priest and no other followers.
The imperial family broke the promise and arbitrarily changed the state religion to the God of Light.
'In anger, the War God sent a single priest.'
'...No way?'
'Yes. That was the physical priest. He called himself a physical priest, wielding a sword better than anyone and healing better than anyone. Even the previous emperor couldn't block his blade.'
'Grandfather...?'
'Yes. And the priest sliced that statue as a symbol of warning... and ordered us to leave the traces. That's why we never rebuilt it fully—we just maintain it.'
The emperor had been young then, but his innate talent allowed him to witness it with his own eyes.
A man wielding a pitch-black sword, rampaging wildly and turning the imperial palace into chaos.
After smashing the emperor's feet against a pillar, he approached the infant current emperor.
'What? It's just a baby?'
'Uh... waa...'
'Oh... looks like you've got some talent? You'll remember my words. Baby, remember this.'
His whisper lingered even decades later.
'My god and I will never forget today's events. Your sins deserve total slaughter, but I can't ruin the continent we've barely balanced... so I'll leave just this warning. Remember. The War God.'
Even now, as an absolute master, the emperor feared him. He wondered if his current power could even match that man.
Adria couldn't hide her shock. Still young, tears welled up from the impact of the story.
'No way...'
Her mind flashed to her sturdy grandfather.
Wasn't he the one who did push-ups in a handstand while casting full-power weight magic?
And he couldn't block the sword?
'He was stronger and more ruthless than anyone. And daughter, do you know who ended the Great War?'
'I heard the imperial family and martial houses played a big role in ending it...'
'We contributed. But we weren't the protagonists. The true hero of the war was that priest.'
Adria's eyebrows twitched.
'But why...'
'I told you. The imperial family back then was foolish and arrogant. One wrong choice brought disastrous consequences.'
The emperor's large hand gently stroked Adria's hair.
'Daughter. Don't be ashamed of mistakes and wrongs. Be ashamed of not correcting them afterward.'
'I see...'
Now she understood why that rule existed.
Decades had passed since that priest last appeared, and he rarely appeared in history books.
But the scars and warning he left remained.
'Still, it's a symbol. Some nobles aiming to rise or looking for excuses might use it against us.'
'Don't worry. Each has their circumstances, so they won't touch it. And there's one more reason we can't change it.'
'?'
The emperor's hand trembled slightly as he tidied Adria's messy hair.
'...He said if we change it, he'll take it as forgetting the past and come back.'
'But so much time has passed. And from what I know, the War God only has one priest...'
'That's the problem.'
'?'
Why was that a problem?
No matter how talented, the one who ended the Great War would be over 200 years old.
No human could survive that long.
'Having one priest means all the blessings are concentrated on that single person.'
'...!'
No way?
'Yes. He was a man favored by the god. So wouldn't 200 years be no big deal?'
'No way...'
'So, daughter. Adria. Remember this. Distinguish enemies and allies well. And if you're not stabbing them in the back first, keep those loyal allies close... always.'
After that, the War God's name was never mentioned again.
But clever Adria, even after being pushed out of succession and becoming an idol, kept inquiring about physical priests.
She met several who called themselves physical priests, but they were just failed holy knight candidates turned priests out of necessity.
She had given up—until she heard rumors about Eugene by chance.
—...After this schedule ends, I'm going to Karma Territory.
—Pardon? Who are you meeting...?
—I'll handle that. Just say I'm going to congratulate Count Karma's heir on his improved condition, since he sponsors me.
After that, the priest who appeared smashing a beast's head was much younger—about her age.
And fortunately(?), he didn't seem like the War God's priest.
Still, having met a "physical priest" testified by Professor Nipella Aoman after so long, she decided to get close.
'Plus, he's handsome.'
He was still young and small, but he could grow plenty.
...Though her initial impression shattered a bit while getting friendly.
Just a little.
"You got this! Go go!"
No, quite a lot.
"Ah, that's not how you do it."
No, it completely shattered.
Adria glared at him with bloodshot eyes, slashing her thumb across her throat.
"Seriously! Let's! See! You! In! Hell! Ugh! For real!"
"Ah, sorry."
"......"
Honestly, he was annoying at first, but not bad. He wasn't malicious—just clumsy with emotions.
And who else would treat a famous idol like her that way?
So she kind of liked it.
'But he's not really the War God's priest, right?'
No matter how handsome, that would be...
After spectating and snarking for a while, he got a death threat and returned to the waiting room.
'...Go inside, have this, and wait.'
'What's this?'
'Fatigue recovery potion. And while waiting, an assistant professor will come for your weapon aptitude test. Keep that in mind.'
It was Nipella's way of saving his life.
Left alone in the spacious waiting room, Eodukshini was clutching a calendar and sobbing.
"What're you doing?"
-What did I do to lose three weeks already...! My time... it's gone...
...Same old story.
"...Yeah. How'd time fly like this?"
-...What'd you do all that time?
"Me? Drank with the knight uncles, teased Adria a bit...?"
-...Now that I think about it, no need for me to feel inferior.
Why regain your senses over that?
Annoying.
-No matter how I wasted time, it was better than you.
"Oh yeah? Big mouth on you."
I grabbed Eodukshini and hoisted it up.
Really aggrieved, it shrieked instead of cowering at the usual moment.
-So you dating or what!
"Why bring up dating?"
-Teasing a girl like that without dating is just... guk!
"Watch your mouth. Wanna get neutered for real?"
-...Actually, that was my self-introduction. Enjoyed it?
"Nah. Total snooze."
-Guk!
Bam!
Slammed to the floor, Eodukshini twitched sporadically.
I dusted my hands with a snort.
"Told ya, don't act up."
-That... devil bastard...
"Devil? I'm a proper priest."
I picked my ear, ignoring it. Eodukshini trembled with vows of revenge, but it wasn't cute.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked.
Ah, the assistant professor Nipella mentioned?
Opening the door revealed a woman in a crisp suit, cold-faced.
She adjusted her disheveled glasses and read from her papers in a flat voice.
"Special admittee Eugene?"
"Yes!"
"You need to take the weapon aptitude test. Bring your weapon and follow. Right after, you'll register your divine beast, so bring that too."
"Got it."
I registered as a commoner at the academy.
It wasn't an official holy city anyway, and using the Arcana surname... would attract too many bees.
I pulled my sword from my luggage. It had stayed still, sensing the place.
"Eodukshini. Let's go."
-Why me...?
Thud, thud, thud!
Footsteps pounded down the hall.
Peeking, two female students dashed past the assistant professor.
"Hahaha! Catch me if you can!"
"Hey! You're dead if I catch you!"
The staffer turned. Inaudible to others but clear to my sharp ears, she muttered softly.
'...Not kids anymore. Wait, they are.'
She looked exhausted, so I pulled out a fatigue potion.
Casually slinging Eodukshini over my shoulder, sword in hand, I approached her.
"Got everything."
"Then let's go. Follow me."
"Ah, and sis? Want one of these?"
"?"
Sis, right?
Eh, whatever. Pretty means sis. Calling her auntie would just build hostility.
'...What's that?'
"Fatigue potion. You look beat."
I blinked innocently at her.
Key here: look totally not like a bribe.
No professor or assistant could resist this!
-Urk.
'You're dead later.'
'Why?'
Eodukshini whispered in my ear.
-That was gross...
I squeezed Eodukshini hard.
Its silent scream echoed soundlessly.
Passing the hall, two sweat-soaked students brushed by us—exam just ended, apparently.
Swaggering posture, green-dyed hair, skull tattoo on collarbone.
Couldn't help overhearing their crap.
"Ugh. Commoner trash ruined my focus. My score's tanked."
"Your fault for being a moron."
"Me? The system's wrong—testing commoners with nobles. Pathetic worms."
"Heh, yeah. Broke nobodies pretending by scraping tuition. Still trash. Not even commoners—serfs? Kekekeke."
...This is the level of applicants?
Them spouting that openly meant the academy was infested with their kind.
Perfect timing—a way to ease school life popped up. Befriend profs and assistants.
And another.
Eliminate troublemakers before they start problems.
'Just don't create issues in the first place, right?'
I stared at the nobles' backs, clenching and unclenching my fist.
-...Uncle? What's that fist? Let go! Let go! No, you bastard!!!
Eodukshini caught on and wailed.
-I'll get caught in the fallout too!!!