Chapter 82: Sanctuary of Restful Purification — Harvest
Chapter 82: Sanctuary of Restful Purification — Harvest
I continued lying in the Saint’s temporary office and living space.
My serious injuries had long since healed, but the hidden strategy condition—that the Saint must survive for more than four days—had not yet been fulfilled.
《Time remaining until four days have passed since the monster army’s assault began — approximately 1 hour》
Originally, the hidden route of [Sanctuary of Restful Purification] was structured so that players barely endured until the third day, after which the reinforcements from the Kingdom of Rumes arrived and the counterattack finally began.
However, due to the labyrinth enhancement that did not exist in the game, the development had become considerably distorted, leaving us with this unexpected surplus of time.
“Captain… your arm….”
— You pushed yourself too far.
Pendrick and Astrimia, sitting beside me, spoke bitterly.
Valentin, standing behind them, looked as if he were about to cry, and Lucius’s expression was not very good either.
The atmosphere had sunk too heavily, so I decided to demonstrate that there was nothing to worry about.
“You do not need to feel so sorry for me.”
Rustle!
When I released my will, [Sky Invader]—which had been a long-sleeved garment—transformed into a short summer ceremonial outfit.
“I can make it short-sleeved so it doesn’t hang loosely like this.”
— …Are you doing that on purpose?
“What do you mean?”
— Nothing….
Astrimia let out a mental sigh and carefully continued.
— The children under your guardianship will love seeing that, won’t they?
“…I have nothing to say to that.”
When Marlin and Abel were mentioned, I finally felt a little more strongly that I had done something most people would find difficult to accept.
From now on, when performing acts of self-sacrifice, perhaps I should offer internal organs or muscles so that it wouldn’t be as obvious.
If the parts were not essential for survival, would it be acceptable to gradually hollow them out?
“Well, whatever. You can just attach a prosthetic arm, right?”
Bartimir—the only one who looked calm—poked the smooth end of my left arm.
— Why are you so calm about this, Bartimir?
“Back when I lived as a black magic test subject, plenty of things got cut off. My current arms and legs actually aren’t originally mine. Each one was transplanted from some unknown demon.”
— …I see.
Astrimia, though she had no face, seemed stunned and fell silent.
I sat up and lightly swung my feet.
“As expected, we get along well. My daughter is the best.”
“Of course. I’m your mother, after all.”
We exchanged glances for a moment before nodding at the same time.
The strong family bond of the ‘Le’ family.
It was unfortunate that I would probably never share such emotional understanding with Bartimir’s older brothers and sisters when I eventually met them.
“But it seems like it won’t be long before Captain becomes an explorer whose name is known throughout Pletika, doesn’t it?”
Pendrick—the monster of sociability—naturally changed the subject.
— Exactly!
Astrimia immediately agreed.
— Even though she’s a labyrinth wraith, having a connection with the historical figure Saint Seraphina is definitely something to boast about!
“At this rate, won’t people recognize you wherever you go? Especially among the followers of the Harmony Church—you’ll become incredibly famous.”
I answered calmly.
“I don’t mind becoming famous.”
— Hehe, so Lord Kar really is an explorer. I thought you only loved exploration itself, but you like fame too?
“Of course. Once my reputation grows, outlaws will target me and attempt to rob me.”
“……”
Plundering inside labyrinths.
A lovely element that raises the difficulty of exploration.
The deceased Guild Master of the Black Sword Guild had to be eliminated because his schemes would have prevented us from enjoying exploration and endangered the siblings. But attacks from outlaw explorer groups were something that could not be prevented.
“Everyone, please be happy. From now on, exploration will become even more difficult—not only because of the labyrinth’s own rules, but because of people as well. That means the sense of reward and accomplishment will rise accordingly!”
— That sounds… exciting….
“Haha….”
The two lovers laughed awkwardly.
Why were they laughing?
“Lord Kar.”
When the conversation briefly fell silent, Valentin spoke, his eyes unusually bright today.
“You have uncovered the arrangement left by Arteine within the labyrinth [Sanctuary of Restful Purification], which holds deep meaning for us. Therefore, aside from the information reward, we can provide an additional reward.”
Perhaps because it involved the Saint he had read about in childhood fairy tales and biographies, Pendrick asked with visible excitement.
“Really? What kind of rewards?”
“First of all, starting today, Lord Kar and your expedition members will be treated as honored guests of the Harmony Church. After all, you are the expedition that recreated another timeline in which Saint Seraphina survived!”
Seeing such sparkling eyes on the face of a burly Holy Knight nearly forty years old was unexpectedly adorable.
Bartimir beside him, however, was frowning intensely for some reason.
“Ah, don’t praise only us. The Holy Knights and priests worked incredibly hard too, didn’t they?”
Pendrick smiled and thoughtfully acknowledged the devotion of the church members.
“Ahaha, not at all. We merely did what we were supposed to do.”
The Holy Knight with the shining teeth widened his eyes for a moment and scratched the back of his neck shyly.
For a man of his size, his reactions had been surprisingly cute.
Was this a cunning tactic to make me become his fan?
Crackle!
Sue’je pleaded that I please remove the rugged face of that bulky Holy Knight from sight.
Since I was a cultist who faithfully followed the words of the Evil Gods, I stepped slightly farther away.
Soon Pendrick asked another question.
“I was curious even before we went to volunteer. What kind of treatment do you receive if you become an honored guest of the Harmony Church?”
“A special identity badge for you will soon be created. With it, you will be able to act as official honorary members of the Harmony Church.”
“Ah.”
Pendrick nodded, but his voice lacked the refreshing clarity that usually came when his curiosity was satisfied.
Noticing this, Lucius quickly added an explanation.
“Are there not labyrinths and facilities in Pletika that ordinary explorers cannot enter? For example, Zone 1 itself, or the research labyrinths in the Mage Tower located in Zone 2.”
Some labyrinth mechanics impose entry restrictions based on affiliation or class.
That was why the status of a Harmony Church member—an organization that held influence across all of Pletika—was necessary.
“If you become honorary members of the Harmony Church, you will be able to enter places that were originally inaccessible.”
Lucius turned his gaze toward me.
“Furthermore, Lord Kar, since you are a cultist, you have had to request permission from the Spear of Order every time you left the cultist residential district, correct? Once you become an honorary member, that will no longer be necessary.”
Until now, I had needed permission each time I left Cultist Town, but that inconvenience would disappear.
“In addition, if you wish, a new residence will be provided, and you will be able to travel freely to other districts.”
Overwhelming convenience in terms of activity.
Now I could roam freely throughout all of Pletika.
This was the reason a cultist needed to clear [Sanctuary of Restful Purification].
“To be honest, I believe Lord Kar—who led this entire expedition—deserves an extremely generous reward in addition to the honorary membership!”
Valentin, who had briefly calmed down, clenched his fists again in excitement.
“Perhaps we might even be able to grant you a sacred relic that currently has no owner!”
— A sacred relic…!
Astrimia’s blade trembled in shock at that moment.
《The Saint is approaching from afar.》
Truth kindly displayed the message.
Originally, I could only view information about targets within my field of vision, but now the range had expanded.
An additional effect from the self-sacrifice ritual.
After destroying the mana core of the Gigantic Destruction Golem, Eye That Perceives Truth had reached the Third Tier without consuming another Mystery.
“As expected of Lidni. To handle things this wisely.”
The abundant faith generated from a cultist’s self-sacrifice had been distributed and used efficiently.
I had asked for help, but honestly, the result exceeded expectations.
《Do not be surprised by something so obvious. :)》
“Lord Kar.”
Soon Seraphina entered, sliding aside the wooden board that served as a door.
“It is about time for you to return.”
《Time remaining until four days have passed since the monster army’s assault began — approximately 5 minutes》
When had the time passed so quickly?
With Bartimir’s help, I stood up. The Saint looked into my eyes and spoke again.
“Even though you sacrificed an arm, I regret that I cannot offer you a special reward. We searched the entire sanctuary, but there was nothing of great value.”
I had not expected anything.
I had not cleared [Sanctuary of Restful Purification] for material compensation.
“Instead, I will bestow a blessing.”
The followers of the Harmony Church firmly refused to receive it, so Seraphina granted the blessing only to the members of the Moon Expedition.
[Cozy Rest].
A Mystery that maintained a refreshed mental state. A large amount of divine power was invested so that it would last about ten days.
“…What will happen to this labyrinth from now on?”
After placing her hand on Bartimir’s head to give the final blessing, Seraphina spoke carefully.
“Will it reset as scheduled?”
Even though she was referring to the disappearance of everyone—including herself—her voice did not tremble at all.
Even if I nodded firmly and told her that it would reset at midnight tonight, her expression probably would not change.
But what if I said this instead?
“It will not reset. Not anymore.”
“…What?”
Seraphina’s eyes widened slightly.
It was not a dramatic reaction, but it was satisfying enough.
“Did I not tell you? I intend to distort history.”
In actual history, after Seraphina’s death, Arteine fell into grief for several months before rebranding the Guardian Church.
The Harmony Church.
A religious order that pursued harmony among all people.
The spirit of serving the peace and happiness of the innocent had originated from Seraphina’s death.
“Since the Saint survived, this labyrinth will now unfold a history different from reality.”
People had given such benevolent distortions of history a convincing name.
Alternate history.
Usually it existed only in hypothetical stories.
But [Sanctuary of Restful Purification] was different.
“Unlike in the future, Arteine will continue to pursue protection through force alone. The Guardian Church will also remain unchanged instead of becoming the Harmony Church.”
“……”
I stared directly into the Saint’s eyes as they trembled more intensely.
“As long as you remain alive, Saint, the history of the labyrinth [Sanctuary of Restful Purification] will continue forever. That altered history itself is the reward.”
The hidden reward of [Sanctuary of Restful Purification].
“Forgive my rudeness, but may we request free treatment whenever we visit this labyrinth in the future?”
Friendship with the greatest priest in history and continuous free healing.
Free treatment from Seraphina, a Ninth-Tier priest, was such an outrageous benefit that other explorers would lose their minds with jealousy if they learned about it.
Moreover, that personal connection would carry enormous influence in relations with the Harmony Church.
“The normal clear condition of five days of caregiving will remain unchanged, but since our expedition fulfilled the hidden condition, we may freely enter from now on.”
“I see….”
“What do you think? Will you treat us for free as well, just like the other patients?”
“…Of course.”
A fresh smile blossomed across Seraphina’s face.
Even I—someone who was born unable to properly understand other people’s emotions—could clearly recognize the feeling that appeared there.
“Lord Kar and your companions will naturally receive treatment.”
Buzz.
Before long, a white gate appeared beside the Saint.
The labyrinth wraiths could not see it, but they seemed to sense something, because Seraphina bowed toward us.
“Farewell. Foolish explorers and believers who came from the future. I will not offer deeper thanks. After all, I must continue welcoming you in the future.”
Likewise, I did not say goodbye.
Because we would meet again.
Forcing the corners of my mouth upward in an unfamiliar smile, I stepped through the gate.
Sanctuary of Restful Purification.
The history of a sanctuary that had originally been destined to perish had been completely overturned.
At least within this labyrinth.