Chapter 26 - The Church!
As we galloped toward Radia, Lizbet insisted we head to the church. "Dealing with or treating demon beasts is the church's specialty. They can handle basic healing too, but recovery skills aren't magic, so they guzzle Esser like crazy. Unless it's a serious injury, they won't take patients. Depending on the skill, even a representative priest at a decent-sized church can only manage one or two treatments a day."
"That drives up the treatment costs too. There aren't many skilled priests, and their usage limits are strict. I hear priest skills don't improve through training—you have to maintain strong faith and pray consistently to the goddess. Keeping that faith steady isn't easy."
It seemed the priests in this world were a bit different from the typical RPG healers I'd imagined. There were priests who adventured, but most only helped out casually due to those constraints. Their stats didn't align with adventurers anyway, since they relied solely on faith-derived power. Training as an adventurer wouldn't boost their priestly abilities much. I'd assumed it was a rare class because I hadn't seen any among adventurers, but that wasn't the case.
"Radia's church is one of the top three largest in the kingdom, so... they should be able to treat Als. I'm a mage, so I can only sense Tesser vaguely, but the energy coming from Als feels like it. The church should handle it..." Lizbet muttered, as if convincing herself.
"Yeah. If it's that big, they'll fix Als right up. We're almost there, Lizbet. Which way to the church?"
Gazing at Radia's gates with the sunset fading behind us, I asked her for directions.
"We're here! Emergency patient! We need treatment!"
After a quick explanation to the stunned guards at the gates, we sped through and arrived at the church. It was in a spot I hadn't visited before—a massive, ornate building that drew a gasp of admiration. It reminded me of famous European cathedrals back on Earth. Staring at the structure beyond the open main gates, I entered, looking around and calling out.
Two women in nun-like habits emerged from a nearby small building, but they froze and paled at the sight of me. I calmed their shock by explaining I was the Divine Beast who'd recently arrived in Radia, then showed them Als on my back and gave a rough rundown, requesting treatment.
Once they grasped the situation, one dashed off somewhere while the other guided us. Even after explaining who I was, though, their terrified expressions lingered—paler than Lizbet's had been at first sight. I can talk, for fuck's sake... these nuns are jumpy.
We entered a building per her guidance, revealing what looked like a ward. After laying Als in the assigned room and waiting briefly, several priest-like figures appeared to check his condition. The one in the fanciest robes, wearing glasses, placed a hand on Als's chest, murmuring something. A holy glow emanated from his palm.
I watched in awe as the light faded, and Als's face regained some color. The glasses-wearing priest wiped sweat from his brow, exhaled, and turned to us.
"You can rest easy for now. We still need to monitor him, but he's past the critical stage."
Lizbet's expression softened in relief. Huh... I don't really care either way...
"It's surprising the hero got hurt this badly... but the energy inside him feels unusual. Could you explain in detail?"
I agreed, and we followed the priest to another building. Lizbet hesitated to leave Als, but seeing other priests tending him eased her enough to come along.
We entered a modest structure beside what seemed the central cathedral, stepping into a reception-like room. The priest offered Lizbet a chair; I lay down beside her to match eye level.
"First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Father Baul, bishop of the Goddess Church's Radia branch."
Bishop? That explained the flashy robes—high rank. But weren't bishops supposed to be elderly grandpas? Baul looked young, maybe early thirties at most.
Setting aside his age, I explained what had happened when he asked. Baul listened intently through his glasses, then sighed.
"Hoo... I see. We'd received reports about the Hero Eater at the church too. We were debating if it was a regular monster or demon beast warranting our intervention... but to think it'd come to this..." His face held a hint of regret.
"Even so, you were too reckless chasing a beast that killed a high-level hero, especially as beginners. You're lucky it ended like this—you could've lost your lives."
"Sorry..." No arguing that. Lizbet bowed her head, and Baul smiled gently.
"No need to apologize. I only meant to advise caution. Adventurers face danger constantly, so weighing and avoiding risks is essential. Lose that sense of peril, and regret follows."
His words carried a strange conviction.
"Huh... you sound like you know from experience?"
"Ah, you didn't know? I adventured for quite a while. My service earned me this bishopric young, leading the Radia branch. Believe it or not, I'm a hero too. Haha."
A hero? And a priest one? That was surprising. I'd pictured heroes as sword-wielding warriors. Guess there were no strict criteria. If heroes have infinite Esser, doesn't that mean no limits on healing? I asked, and Baul explained.
"Even adventuring, priests' work keeps our stats from growing much—no matter the level, we're often weaker than novice adventurers physically. Our skills drain stamina and mental energy heavily, so even infinite Esser limits us. I can manage three or four a day."
Seemed the frailty I'd sensed in Als was common to all heroes.
"Back to the Hero Eater—its nature's still unclear. The energy in Als isn't plain Tesser; it's off. And from your account, no pollution spread around it... Hm?"
"Huh?" Lizbet, listening, glanced at me with sudden doubt.
"......Come to think of it, the Divine Beast carries a similarly unusual energy."
"...Like mine?"
What? You saying I'm the same as that thing? That my reincarnated horse body is some world-ending Hero Eater?
Baul apologized for the intrusion, placed a hand on my body, closed his eyes, and probed.
"Hm... Different from Als's. His is Tesser without pollution effects. Yours is Esser, but akin to Tesser..."
"Well... I don't know why I have it either..."
"We priests don't know Divine Beasts well enough for certainty, but no need to worry. It's definitely Esser."
Phew. Dodged being a doomsday demon.
"Setting the Divine Beast aside, Als needs monitoring—full recovery will take hospitalization. He's not healed yet."
Lizbet's face clouded with worry.
"The alien energy disrupted his internals, but your quick arrival let us stabilize with emergency care. Still, its odd nature resists purification and recovery skills—Tesser lingers."
"W-Will there be... aftereffects...?" Lizbet asked anxiously.
Baul smiled reassuringly. "No need to fret. It's just incomplete Tesser expulsion—no major damage or organ pollution. Hospitalization until full purification is all."
Lizbet sighed in relief.
"Leave Als to us. Night's falling—report the Hero Eater to the Guild Management Office and rest. Give the ward nun your address for contact when he wakes."
We thanked him and rose to leave when the door opened.
"Baul. Are you here?"
A clear, crystalline voice called. The golden-haired beauty in a nun's habit entering drew an inner gasp. Sparkling blonde hair under a black veil. Her relaxed habit hugged tautly, showcasing breasts larger than her head. The tri-slit skirt had a central black panel with white lines and gold embroidery, slightly parted at the ankles. The prim black attire radiated eroticism from this stunner. Her closed-eyed face evoked maternal serenity and peace. Flawless, translucent skin, glistening lips—holy allure incarnate.
"Oh, sorry, Baul. You have guests...!?"
Scanning the room, her serene face twisted in terror.
"Kyaa, kyaAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!"
Among the women who'd seen me, she screamed loudest, collapsing to the floor clutching it.
Come on, that's too much...