A Swift Reunion
It had been a while since the urge to write hit me again. The impulse I thought I’d forgotten was hammering away inside my chest. But that didn’t mean I was about to start scribbling something right this second. There were things I needed to handle first, after all.
After finishing my report to the guild, settling the accounts, and finally whispering to Sally that I’d overlook her attempt to offer Hans as a sacrifice, today’s work was more or less wrapped up. All that remained was delivering the nameless man—who seemed perfectly comfortable rolled up in leather and was dozing off—to the temple and collecting my fee.
“The temple… I really don’t wanna go…”
“It’s already too late.”
Rydia chuckled and pointed at the two guild staff members who were loading the man onto a stretcher in our place. We’d receive the money, but since this was officially the guild handing over custody of an injured party to the temple, we were accompanying them. It was also the guild’s way of preventing any lunatic from claiming he was just some adventurer who got knocked unconscious in the labyrinth after a blow to the back of the head. They even had a dedicated team that handled only these kinds of matters, which showed exactly how serious the guild was about supporting adventurers… though, strictly speaking, they were probably just devout believers or money-driven.
The Goddess created the labyrinth, and those who serve her created the guild to support adventurers. How many followers wouldn’t feel a surge of pride from that single fact? Of course, even non-believers of the Goddess of Love could work for the guild. They simply demanded the same level of professional dedication. Most people washed out, but a few stubbornly clung on anyway. Like elves who lost their minds over the guild’s high salaries, for instance.
That was why so many handsome male elves worked the guild reception desk.
…If this weren’t a gender-reversed world, it would’ve been a feast for the eyes.
“Sigh.”
“Stop sighing. You’re not quitting after coming all this way, are you?”
“Ah, that wasn’t what the sigh was about.”
“Then what?”
“I was just thinking how much better it would be if Elly and Lady Rydia wore the bunny girl outfits instead of the male staff at The Elf and the Silver Coin.”
“……”
Rydia silently crumpled her face into a deep scowl.
“Yeah, I figured that extreme disgust meant you wouldn’t do it. Still… any chance I could convince you?”
“Why do men find half-naked women so appealing?”
“Haa… I genuinely don’t understand why women find half-naked men so appealing.”
We shook our heads at each other for a moment. Before we knew it, we had arrived in front of a pure white stone building. Its majestic scale rivaled the guild’s main headquarters. Built from flawless white marble, the structure featured a roof resting atop countless columns—a perfect Doric temple, the very image of classical Greek architecture. That was only natural, since it had been the direct inspiration. While it was the largest and most eye-catching building, many more ordinary structures clustered around it.
If the central temple existed to praise the Goddess and preach her greatness, the surrounding buildings had been erected later according to necessity. A treatment center for healing the wounded, a free male brothel (they accepted donations rather than fees) that appeared after too many decent men were criminally turned into prostitutes, an academy for educating future holy knights and priests, and the free cafeteria I frequently relied on. Facilities created not for the Goddess herself, but for the people living within her embrace, surrounded the main temple like satellites.
The place we needed to visit was one of those satellite buildings.
“Lady Rydia. Lady Rydia. How much do you think we’ll get? He may look like that now, but he’s a young man with all his limbs intact. I bet it’ll be quite a sum.”
“…The way you’re talking makes it sound like we’re committing a crime.”
Rydia let out a heavy sigh and shook her head.
“It should be a considerable amount for first-floor revenue. That’s why they’d risk bringing him in. Besides, we’re receiving all at once the money he would’ve repaid over several years of work.”
“A lump sum, then.”
“Yes. Though it won’t be as much as you might expect. As I said before, this isn’t actual human trafficking—it’s purely a service fee for the rescue. The valuation also depends on the individual’s abilities.”
“So because he’s basically a cripple now, he’s worthless?”
“…I keep telling you to stop deliberately picking the most misleading words. The temple will treat him properly. Unless it’s some horrific curse, everything should heal. What I meant was that as a first-floor adventurer, he lacks the means to repay a large sum. That’s why the price is set lower.”
“Makes sense. The temple isn’t exactly desperate for money.”
An amount tempting enough for adventurers on that floor would suffice. No need to shackle the patient with debt. As I nodded in understanding, we arrived at the treatment center. We bypassed the long line for general consultations, and Rydia knocked on a small side door.
Knock, knock.
Soon, movement stirred inside.
“Who is it?”
“We’ve brought an injured adventurer.”
“Ah! Please wait just a moment.”
After a metallic clatter, the side door opened. A kind-faced woman in pure white priestess robes greeted us.
“May your paths ahead be filled with love. I am Priestess Remily. Please, come inside first.”
“Sure.”
Rydia nodded and stepped in. I followed, along with the guild staff carrying the stretcher. A long corridor stretched ahead. After walking for a while, we reached an enormous patient ward at the end.
“Over there! I told you to set the bones first for fractures before healing!”
“What kind of poison is this…? Stay with us, adventurer! The Goddess is with you!”
“No, Ollie! Open your eyes!! The priestess is coming any moment!”
Priests with heavy dark circles recited prayers desperately while drawing forth holy power. Patients coughing up blackened blood, barely clinging to consciousness. Others on the brink of death. In a scene straight out of a field hospital, countless people were slipping away.
Remily scratched the back of her head awkwardly at the sight and spoke in an embarrassed tone.
“It may look bad, but very few actually lose their lives. We rotate frequently and pour out our holy power without rest.”
She looked exhausted, yet her eyes and voice brimmed with pride. I gave her a bright smile and nodded.
“Of course! This is the hardest post even among those serving the Goddess of Love—you work day and night. People with that much faith, I trust completely. …Besides, the fact that we can still hear screaming is proof they’re alive, one way or another!”
“Hehe. Hearing you say that eases my heart a little! As expected of a companion to the Noble Lady Rydia.”
Remily’s expression brightened. She gazed at Rydia with open admiration for a moment, then bowed politely to me.
Hmm. She recognized Rydia after all. I could be as curt as I wanted when alone, but acting that way as Rydia’s companion would tarnish her reputation. No matter how badly I wanted to escape the temple, now was the time to put on a polite mask.
“…Is this what they call spousal support?”
“Yona. Stop talking nonsense and come here.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Rydia grabbed my arm, which had lagged behind while I was lost in thought, and pulled me along. After walking a bit further, we reached a relatively quiet corner bed, far from the critically injured patients.
The guild staff laid the deeply sleeping captive down with practiced ease and began relaying exactly what we had reported to the guild. Meanwhile, I started peeling off the leather strips wrapped around his body one by one. Since everything was settled now, we might as well take these with us. Even hobgoblins couldn’t hunt Iron Wolves recklessly, so the bundle was patched together from horn rabbit hides. Still, with this much material, it should sell for a decent price. Or I could lay it across my floor like a carpet.
I was gathering the leathers when I spotted a familiar face through the gap between a makeshift partition and the curtain of the neighboring bed.
“…Huh? Mr. Ian?”
“Who is it?”
Swish! The curtain flew open in response to my voice. The person who emerged was the Heretic Inquisitor I’d seen just a few days ago—Karen.
Since I truly hadn’t expected to run into them, my brain momentarily froze. Neat black priest robes were splattered with fresh red blood. Unlike before, her face lacked dark circles, but it was now etched with a mix of guilt and surprise. She looked every bit the Heretic Inquisitor returning from a rough job. However, not all the blood on her robes seemed to belong to enemies. As the curtain drew back fully, Ian’s entire body came into view—drenched in dark crimson blood. The only saving grace was that his wounds appeared mostly healed… but for some reason he remained unconscious, only whimpering softly.
While I flinched at what looked like a more serious condition than expected, Karen’s eyes widened the moment she saw me. She suddenly grabbed both my shoulders and cried out.
“P-please help us!”
“Huh?”
“I beg you… please help Ian!”
“Me?”
“You are the one who receives the Goddess’s words most perfectly. Surely you must have some way!”
“I don’t, though… I don’t even have holy power to begin with.”
When I shook my head in confusion, Karen’s face visibly darkened.
“Ah, no… Then what do we do about Ian’s curse…”
“Curse…?”
The word snapped me to full alertness. I reflexively touched the hilt of the Unicorn Dagger at my waist and asked.
“By any chance… is Ian a virgin?”
If so, I might be able to help a little.