Chapter 72: Sanctuary of Restful Purification — Determination
Chapter 72: Sanctuary of Restful Purification — Determination
“You mean… not leaving?”
Valentin tapped the corner of his mouth with his index finger as he spoke.
Even without his usual dazzling white smile, it was easy to guess what he was thinking.
“Even if it’s you, Sir Kar… I must admit this is rather confusing.”
“I understand.”
The strategy condition had been fulfilled.
The exit gate had appeared.
Yet we were staying in the labyrinth?
It certainly wasn’t normal behavior.
If I had to compare it to something, it was like announcing you would stay late at the office and work overtime even though your job was already finished.
I knew from experience how destructive that kind of declaration could be.
“Surely you know that staying in a labyrinth after the gate appears is something only bandits do—people who kill other explorers and loot them.”
“I know.”
“Once an expedition completes a labyrinth, it must leave immediately. That is the fundamental rule of exploration established by the Royal Labyrinth Management Corps. What you just declared is a violation of exploration law.”
The Holy Knight widened his eyes and stepped closer.
“Sir Kar, you will need to explain yourself.”
Even though he personally liked me, he still intended to question me.
The strict discipline of someone who clearly separated public duty from private feelings.
Very fitting for the vice captain of the Spear of Order, responsible for managing cultists and the slums.
“Please give us a reason why we must remain here. If your explanation is reasonable, I will accept it.”
Still, my efforts to build goodwill had paid off.
At least he was willing to hear me out.
That was exactly why I had repeatedly spoken with Valentin about Arteine’s warm generosity and magnanimity.
If this bright-toothed Holy Knight had considered me no different from other cultists, my hands would already be tied behind my back.
“Understood. Persuasion is one of my specialties.”
I endured Valentin’s piercing gaze and spoke again.
“Lidni told me. If we do not leave through that gate, we can obtain the Hidden Piece.”
The Forerunner of the Twisted Truth was always reliable in situations like this.
“Do you understand now?”
“…Honestly, that Evil God alone isn’t very convincing. Isn’t it a deity with fewer than fifty followers?”
《I should rip every tooth out of this monkey!!》
Crackle—!
The exalted being complained that Valentin was unpleasantly blunt, though technically correct.
“It’s true that His authority is somewhat lacking as proof.”
“…Sir Kar?”
Lucius blinked in disbelief.
He could not believe that I had just belittled the very god I worshipped.
Priests raised within the warm greenhouse of Good Gods would never understand.
Cultists had to occasionally offer blunt criticism to survive.
If we did nothing but praise them endlessly, we would soon experience the exciting transformation into something resembling a monster.
“I will present another piece of evidence.”
In truth, this one was far more reliable than divine wisdom.
“You remember what I told you before? That I joined the expedition run by the second son of the Brites family—Master Odilon.”
Excuse number two.
The legend of God-dilon enters the stage.
“You may doubt the knowledge granted by the Wise One. But surely you are not foolish enough to doubt the information network of the Brites family, which rose to become one of the Milky Way factions through information trade alone.”
“…You’re saying the Faint Shadows of the Brites family discovered the Hidden Piece condition of this labyrinth?”
“Yes.”
“……”
Valentin had not moved when I invoked Lidni.
But now he was thinking carefully.
That was the prestige of the Brites family.
If I used their name too often, the Red Shadows assassins might come after me someday.
“…For now, I will not question the authenticity or origin of the information.”
After a long pause, Valentin looked straight at me.
“So what do we do now? Should we search for Arteine’s arrangement and fulfill the hidden condition?”
“That is what I am curious about as well.”
Saint Seraphina, who had been listening with great interest while maintaining Arteine’s Touch, spoke softly.
“Hidden Piece? You must mean the ‘Treasure of the Labyrinth.’ For seven years, visitors from the future have discovered nothing. But it seems Brother Kar knows something.”
“I know it quite well, Saint.”
“What do you intend to do now? To be honest, I would prefer that you leave immediately.”
The Saint openly requested our departure.
I pretended not to hear.
Looking around the ward, which had grown calm, I spoke quietly.
“Perhaps the world was moved by the sight of the noble Saint healing patients from across the continent. That is why it recreated this place as the Sanctuary of Restful Purification.”
“……”
The Saint smiled faintly.
“There is a concept called the ‘reset cycle’ in labyrinths. Do you know what it means?”
“It refers to the phenomenon where every component of the labyrinth returns to its initial state.”
“Correct.”
The reset cycle of a labyrinth was something explorers always checked before entering.
If you were inside when it reset, you would be cast into the rift between time and space.
“Sir Valentin. Do you know the reset cycle of this labyrinth?”
Valentin frowned deeply.
“…Approximately seven years.”
This labyrinth had existed for exactly seven years.
“Ah…”
Pendrick’s face darkened.
He had read children’s stories and biographies about Saint Seraphina until they fell apart.
“…Don’t tell me.”
Valentin, who served the Goddess of Wisdom, seemed to understand what I was about to say.
His complexion turned pale as he glanced at the Saint.
“Don’t tell me… this labyrinth reproduces that incident?”
He looked at me desperately.
As though hoping I would deny it.
“Yes.”
I could not give him the answer he wanted.
“The Sanctuary of Restful Purification resets after recreating the great catastrophe that actually occurred in the past.”
There were moments when one had to face an unpleasant truth.
I looked around the ward before meeting the Saint’s eyes.
“In about one week, this temple will be attacked by a horde of monsters. Every priest, Holy Knight, lay believer—and even the patients—will be brutally slaughtered.”
Time remaining until the annihilation of the Sanctuary of Restful Purification.
Seven days.
“…Good heavens.”
Valentin bit his lip.
Lucius stared blankly.
The Saint before us was merely a labyrinth phantom.
Every patient, priest, and knight was just a copy of a real person.
But a priest who served Arteine—the goddess of protection—could never despise them simply for that reason.
“Saint?”
Bartimir suddenly spoke.
“Didn’t you say you have a mystic that hears everything? Then you must already know about the monster army coming.”
“……”
The Saint slowly opened her eyes.
“Someone from the future must have mentioned the historical event at some point during the past seven years.”
“Correct. I overheard it six years ago. I have been counting the days ever since.”
Valentin looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
Seraphina gently stroked the cheek of a young beastman patient whose hair had been replaced by worms due to a curse.
“I was told that I am destined to die fighting the monster army to protect the patients without fleeing. More precisely, the real Seraphina did.”
Just as history recorded.
This Saint would soon die.
Then the labyrinth would reset and a new Seraphina would appear.
A predetermined death.
An unavoidable fate.
“As expected of me. Wouldn’t you say that deserves praise from future generations?”
She showed no fear.
A high priest like the Saint had a spirit far too firm to fear her own death.
But the coming tragedy would not affect Seraphina alone.
Everyone in the Sanctuary of Restful Purification would die.
Then the labyrinth would reset.
Seven years earlier.
And the same massacre would occur again.
“…But it pains me that I cannot protect these people to the end.”
She cared nothing for her own safety.
Yet she mourned the suffering of innocent people.
Most of the patients had nothing to do with her.
Many did not even worship Arteine.
Yet she sincerely grieved for the future where she would fail to protect them.
Saint of the Guardian Church.
There was a reason Arteine had chosen her.
《Unlike her goddess, that Saint is not a hypocrite. Their positions should be reversed!》
Valentin stepped forward.
“…Saint, please run away. Once the labyrinth resets, you will repeat the same fate forever. At least this time, you can escape.”
“……”
It sounded like a reasonable suggestion.
After all, everyone here was technically fake.
Even if saved, they would suffer again.
Escaping would be the rational choice.
“I refuse.”
But—
As she had already said.
The Saint was a fool.
“In fact, Arteine delivered the same oracle. She told me to abandon the temple and escape. But how could I abandon those who came here relying on me?”
Seraphina rose and looked around the ward.
Her gaze slowly passed over every patient.
At first it seemed troubled.
But soon it hardened with determination.
“I would rather throw myself endlessly into this suffering than abandon my duty—even if my efforts are meaningless.”
Valentin lowered his head.
“I will make the same choice again and again. Just as the original me did.”
Foolish.
And because of that—
Brilliant.
“I am destined to suffer meaningless hardship and die an insignificant death. Even so, will you not return to the future? Please go. I do not want your precious lives crushed for my sake.”
High-ranking people never understood the hearts of those beneath them.
Which believer of the Harmony Church could simply say yes and leave?
After checking the expressions of the Moon Expedition and the church members, I spoke.
“Saint. It seems no one here wishes to leave.”
We would throw ourselves into death.
Following the foolish Saint.
“We will help you stop the monster army.”
The true exploration of the Sanctuary of Restful Purification—
Had only just begun.