The New Prophet
Kain’s face turned pale as he read the newspaper.
‘A namesake? No, that name isn’t common enough for that.’
The name Yurion itself was uncommon, and Yurion Lumain even more so. The odds of it being a coincidence were nearly nonexistent.
‘Then the boy hero in today’s paper is the same boy who visited our office two days ago.’
Kain recalled the conversation he’d had with the boy, Yurion, two days earlier. Yurion had come seeking help because he was seeing and hearing things—visions of the Sun Church burning, and voices telling him that only he could save the people from the fire.
Now, two days later, a fire had indeed broken out at the Sun Church, and Yurion Lumain had rescued everyone from the flames.
It was difficult to dismiss as mere coincidence.
‘Perhaps what Yurion saw and heard wasn’t hallucination at all. It might have been a prophecy granted by divine revelation.’
In this world, the prophets of the Sun Church were the real thing. Unlike charlatans who spouted nonsense and declared themselves prophets, those who received a true oracle from Lumena could genuinely glimpse the future.
Cassis had become a prophet through such an oracle. Kain now suspected that Yurion Lumain might be another recipient of divine revelation—one who had yet to realize he was a prophet and mistook the oracle for hallucinations and visions.
Knock, knock.
While lost in thought, someone rapped at the counseling office door.
Kain opened it to find a face he wasn’t particularly pleased to see.
“Father Jacob? What brings you here?”
“Mr. Kain. I trust you’ve been well?”
Father Jacob was a high-ranking priest of the Sun Church, tasked with attending to and supporting the prophet. His position was among the most prestigious within the order.
“I simply came to chat. Are you busy at the moment?”
“……No, not particularly. Please, have a seat.”
Kain felt uneasy. Though the priest claimed he had come just to talk, Kain knew better.
Father Jacob sat across from him without hesitation and, as expected, got straight to the point.
“How is Lady Cassis faring?”
Father Jacob was both Cassis’s personal attendant priest and the one who had entrusted her to Kain’s care. He visited the office periodically to check on her condition—once a month at first, but now every three days, sometimes even every two.
‘This is getting rather burdensome.’
Kain put on the apologetic expression that anyone in a service profession could muster.
“I’m sorry to say this, but her symptoms seem to have worsened.”
“Ah…… I see.”
Father Jacob’s face darkened immediately.
“I’m not here to doubt or reprimand you. Might I ask the reason?”
“What sort of reason are you referring to?”
“Why her treatment continues to be delayed. Forgive me if that sounds like an interrogation. It’s just that if Lady Cassis isn’t cured, I’ll be in quite a difficult position……”
“Yes, I understand you must be anxious, Father.”
Kain understood. Father Jacob was Cassis’s closest aide. If her condition didn’t improve, he would bear the greatest responsibility.
“As for the delay…… there are several factors, but it seems Lady Cassis has been greatly distressed by internal issues within the Sun Church.”
“You mean the conflict between the Oracle Faction and the Doctrine Faction.”
“Yes. The stress appears to have affected her appetite and hydration. When the body weakens, hallucinations naturally don’t improve.”
“Are hallucinations closely tied to physical frailty? Like a cold?”
“In truth, mental illness isn’t so different from physical ailments like a cold. Body and mind aren’t separate—they’re deeply intertwined.”
Father Jacob’s expression grew awkward. The Sun Church treated body, mind, and soul as distinct entities, so Kain’s words likely made him uncomfortable.
“I see. Appetite and hydration…… Understood.”
“Are you all right, Father? You look quite troubled.”
“Troubled? Yes, very much so.”
A heavy sigh escaped Father Jacob, his face etched with worry.
“You may have seen the news—there was a fire at the eastern Sun Church in Lumière recently.”
“I read about it. They say a young hero saved everyone.”
“Indeed. If not for that boy, they would all have perished. He’s truly brave and remarkable.”
A faint smile flickered across Father Jacob’s lips before vanishing.
“In truth, the fire was an act of arson, not an accident. It was terrorism. Likely the work of heretics, including the Idra Church, or other subversive forces.”
“Why would anyone commit such a horrific act……?”
“It seems information has leaked that the prophet has effectively lost her prophetic abilities. That’s why these incidents keep occurring.”
Kain nodded quietly. If Cassis’s powers had remained intact, this never would have happened. The fear of her prophecy would have deterred such an attack.
The Sun Church’s oracles were powerful and precise. Any attempt to strike at the church would immediately trigger a revelation, alerting the prophet.
“Just so you know, the leak didn’t come from my side.”
“I know. Based on the circumstances, it’s far more likely the information escaped from within the Sun Church’s priesthood.”
“So there’s a spy inside the church?”
“Yes.”
“You must be in quite a mess.”
“Indeed. While heretics run rampant in the gap left by the prophet’s lost abilities, the priests who should be united are instead suspecting and fighting one another……”
Father Jacob, murmuring darkly, lifted his head cautiously, as if gauging Kain’s reaction.
“……Do you have a request for me?”
At Kain’s direct question, Father Jacob’s shoulders flinched as though struck.
“Remarkable. It’s as if you read my mind…… Yes, I do have a favor to ask.”
Kain waited in silence. He was generally inclined to grant Father Jacob’s requests—not merely because of their long association.
‘He’s paid me far too much.’
Father Jacob had given Kain a substantial sum for Cassis’s treatment. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the counseling office had grown to its current state largely thanks to him. Having accepted so much money while still failing to cure Cassis—or rather, watching her condition worsen—Kain felt obligated to at least hear him out.
“The Sun Church has a tradition. When an accident or terrorist attack occurs at a church, the prophet leads the priests to the scene. They hold prayer vigils and services there.”
“To pray that such incidents won’t happen again.”
“Correct. They also honor the victims. We call it the ‘Comfort Pilgrimage.’”
Father Jacob paused briefly before continuing.
“So we must visit the eastern Sun Church in Lumière where the recent attack took place. Both to offer comfort and to commend the young hero who saved people from the fire.”
“I see.”
“However, the prophet’s abilities are currently lost, are they not?”
Father Jacob kept laying groundwork, and a sense of unease crept over Kain.
“Without her powers, if another attack occurs during the pilgrimage, we’ll have no way to stop it.”
“……That’s true.”
“And if the prophet were to die in such an attack…… it would be a tragedy of unimaginable scale. Not only would the church’s prestige plummet, but the heretics would grow even bolder.”
Father Jacob pleaded, his face nearly on the verge of tears.
“I would like you to accompany us on the Comfort Pilgrimage, Mr. Kain. If you could protect the prophet, I would be most grateful……”
In short, he wanted Kain to serve as a bodyguard.
“I understand your request, but why ask me to guard her? I’m a counselor, not a professional escort, let alone a mercenary.”
“I’ve heard you distinguished yourself in a similar situation before. During Director Justin’s kidnapping incident……”
Kain frowned.
“That wasn’t me. It was Erisa, my colleague. She’s currently away on long-term research at the Magic Tower.”
“Mage Erisa’s contribution was significant, but I was told that your on-site instructions were what ultimately allowed Director Justin to be rescued.”
“That’s……”
“I noticed a new employee outside. A rather imposing fellow.”
“You mean Mr. Draksan.”
“Draksan? Isn’t he the hero of Sauhin Village? The one who slew the bear monster and saved countless villagers?”
Kain nodded reluctantly. Father Jacob smiled.
“If you and Mr. Draksan could join the Comfort Pilgrimage together, that would be ideal. As for compensation……”
“Wait, just a moment.”
Once he heard the compensation, refusing would become nearly impossible. Kain quickly cut in.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll need some time to consider the escort request. I’m not a professional bodyguard, and I have counseling appointments that make it difficult to leave the office.”
“Understood. I apologize for making such an unreasonable request……”
“No, I’m the one who should apologize.”
Father Jacob rose from his seat.
“I’ll take my leave now. Please give the matter I mentioned some positive thought……”
“Yes, I’ll consider it carefully.”
Watching the priest gather his belongings, Kain added,
“I mentioned this during our last consultation as well, but Lady Cassis seems to be skipping meals due to stress. I’d appreciate it if you could keep an eye on that.”
“I’ll make sure to remember. Is there anything else you’d like me to pass on to Prophet Cassis?”
“Nothing in particular. Ah, please remind her to take her medicine regularly. She seems to miss doses occasionally.”
“Medicine?”
Father Jacob, who had been about to leave the counseling room, tilted his head in confusion. Kain was equally puzzled.
“Is there a problem?”
“Prophet Cassis takes medicine?”
“Yes. We’ve been combining talk therapy with medication.”
“Ah……? That’s strange. I was under the impression she was only receiving counseling.”
“Did she tell you that herself?”
“Yes. When I asked her last time, she said she wasn’t undergoing any drug treatment, only counseling.”
“And you’ve never seen her take any medication?”
“No, never. At least not that I’ve witnessed.”
This wasn’t a simple misunderstanding.
‘Cassis lied to both Father Jacob and me?’
Cassis had told Kain she was taking her medication properly, but in reality she wasn’t. To Father Jacob, she had claimed she was only receiving counseling, not medication. Yet she had in fact been prescribed drugs.
‘Why?’
What possible reason could she have for lying to them?
Then a sudden question occurred to him.
“Father Jacob. How many prophets currently receive oracles within the Sun Church?”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
Father Jacob’s eyes widened as if he’d heard something absurd.
“I mean exactly what I said—how many prophets are there in the Sun Church right now who have received divine oracles? Is that a difficult question to answer?”
“Ah, no, it isn’t difficult at all.”
Father Jacob shook his head hurriedly, finally understanding.
“There is only one prophet who has received an oracle—Lady Cassis.”
“What?”
“When a new prophet appears, the previous one loses their prophetic abilities. Thus, there is always only one prophet, and currently that is Lady Cassis. That’s why we’re all so desperate for her to recover soon.”
Father Jacob offered his usual gentle smile.
“Does that answer your question?”
“Ah…… Yes, just a moment.”
Kain held Father Jacob back briefly and fell into thought, organizing the information.
‘Yurion Lumain predicted the fire at the eastern church. He even saved people from it.’
That would have been impossible without being a prophet. So Kain had considered the possibility that both Cassis and Yurion were prophets.
‘However, there is only one prophet in the Sun Church.’
When a new prophet appears, the previous one loses their powers. Therefore, there was only one conclusion.
‘Yurion Lumain has become the new prophet through divine revelation.’
And Cassis had lost her abilities.
‘She pretended to suffer from hallucinations to hide the fact that she’d lost her prophetic powers.’
That way, she could conceal the truth for a little while longer. The reason she hadn’t honestly revealed her loss of power was still unclear.
‘There could be many reasons.’
At first, she might simply have feared losing the status of prophet. Then, as the conflict between the Oracle and Doctrine factions intensified, she might have worried about what would happen if the truth came out.
‘It’s still just a hypothesis.’
There was no guarantee that Yurion Lumain was the new prophet, nor that Cassis had truly lost her powers. But the circumstances strongly suggested it.
This needed to be confirmed in person—whether with Cassis or with Yurion Lumain.
Kain checked the appointment schedule. His next session with Cassis was still some time away.
He turned to Father Jacob.
“I’ll accept the escort request you mentioned earlier. When is the Comfort Pilgrimage scheduled?”