I Became the Gallery's Judak (5)
The sun had set in a hurry.
Before long, the soldiers began trickling back into their tents one by one.
“Thank you for your hard work. Please have something warm while it’s still hot.”
I poured the pre-warmed tea into their cups and handed it out.
It was brewed with rosemary leaves that I had discreetly taken from the clinic before we left.
Technically, I hadn’t received permission, so I had “borrowed” them, but Margaret the priestess would surely overlook something like this.
“We’ll enjoy it properly, Priest.”
“Thank you.”
The soldiers cupped the warm cups with both hands.
Among them was a soldier who had boasted he would treat us to ale in the afternoon.
“Hehe, I said I’d treat you, and now I’m the one being treated first.”
Being treated to a single cup of tea? That was way too generous a reaction.
But perhaps the warm tea was actually doing some good, because the soldiers’ faces had already loosened up a lot.
Still, there were a few soldiers who looked like they were still on edge.
“You seem tense?”
“No, no.”
The soldier who looked the most serious straightened his back immediately.
By age, by experience, by anyone’s standards, he was clearly the youngest.
“Don’t worry. Nothing to worry about is going to happen.”
“Wilson, I nearly died too, but the priest fixed me right up. Stop worrying for nothing.”
“…”
One soldier who had said they were going to plant wheat added a word, but the young soldier’s expression only grew harder.
It almost looked like the opposite effect.
“..Still, if you’re worried, I’ll pray to the goddess that you remain safe.”
The actual goddess wasn’t likely to grant prayers from a fake priest, but the placebo effect was no joke.
I clasped my hands together in prayer and activated the buff.
Power of Bless.
A bright light bloomed from my hands, and with the perfect performance, the young soldier’s stiff face gradually softened.
“This is what they call blessing in stories… I really feel its power.”
It wasn’t just a feeling. The power was real.
But I didn’t bother correcting the misconception. After all, I had deliberately created it.
Of course, there were side effects.
“Hey, Priest. Could I perhaps receive a blessing as well?”
The other soldiers who had witnessed the young one’s “blessing” (?) started staring at me with longing eyes.
“..Yes, of course. I’ll grant you one by one.”
The soldiers were able to sleep well after I had prayed for each of them individually.
“Sleep well tonight!”
But the peaceful night never came.
“Kueeeeeek!”
Ambush!?
I jolted awake at the odd sound that reached my ears just as I was falling asleep in the early dawn hours.
I checked the surroundings and tried to assess the situation, but the inside of the tent was strangely peaceful.
The source of the cry was easy to spot.
“Kweeeeeek—”
My eyes naturally drifted to the side.
One soldier was snoring.
..I should have just let him sleep alone when I had the chance.
A belated regret.
I had tossed and turned all night. My eyes were a bit puffy as I greeted the morning.
Clang-clang-clang!
The brass gong that signaled the start of the day rang out around the tents.
The soldiers who heard the sound got up without exception and lined up in front of the tents.
They had eaten their breakfast after the lineup was complete.
It wasn’t exactly a feast—only boiled grain porridge and rock-hard bread—but at least it filled their stomachs with no problems.
Better than nothing.
This was why people said you had to check the floor once before you slept.
The knight who had come looking for me was still chewing on the remaining bread when he finally spoke.
“Everyone, be quiet!”
One soldier raised his voice, and the surrounding area fell silent at once.
Soon, a blonde woman walked out from the depths of the forest.
The sunlight made her hair gleam with an unusually bright luster.
That must be the lord’s daughter.
The blonde hair was extremely similar to the lord’s.
But aside from that, honestly, it was very different.
She was slender, a little taller than the others, but she didn’t carry any sense of intimidation.
Most importantly, unlike the lord, the knight was beautiful.
It seems the external hire went well.
I couldn’t help but think that.
She looked around, searching for something.
When she spotted me, her face brightened and she strode forward confidently. It seemed the thing she had been looking for was me.
“The gorgeous flower-patterned shirt! Just as I heard! Nice to meet you, Flower Priest.”
“..Not Flower. It’s Plawi.”
“My apologies, Flower Priest. Anyway, I’ve heard a lot from Father.”
“…”
“Ah! I forgot to introduce myself.”
She snapped back to herself and straightened her posture belatedly.
“Knight, Charlotte. I’ve taken command of this dungeon exploration. Please treat me well, Plawi Priest.”
How could I keep getting her name wrong no matter what I heard?
Still, there were hints of the lord’s personality in her.
No authority, though.
I naturally greeted the approaching soldiers as well.
I didn’t use honorifics, but the way I spoke and acted showed I was considerate of them.
She inherited the good parts of the lord.
Charlotte walked a full circle around the camp to check the preparation status and then came back to me.
“We’ll enter the dungeon now. Priest, please wait here and treat any injured people who come out.”
Leaving the healer in a safe place. It was the most logical decision.
But I had no choice but to shake my head at Charlotte’s request.
Without me here, analyzing the dungeon would be difficult.
“No. I’m coming in too.”
“Priest, did you say something?”
Charlotte’s eyes widened in surprise.
“This is troubling. Besides, if the priest gets hurt, Father will be very displeased.”
“Isn’t the safest place right next to you, Knight Charlotte? And treating the injured on the spot would give the highest survival rate.”
“..That’s true, but…”
Charlotte showed hesitation after I presented the prepared reason.
To put her at ease, I added more.
“Besides, I’ve spent my life as a wandering priest. I can take care of myself.”
“Understood. Just be careful.”
Fortunately, I had persuaded her.
“Then we’ll enter.”
Two soldiers holding shields went through the portal first.
A signal of no abnormalities from inside came, and Charlotte and the rest of the soldiers followed one by one.
I passed through the portal last, after everyone else had gone in.
Whoosh—
Blinding.
The moment I stepped into the dungeon, intense light burst out and the world turned white.
I reflexively closed my eyes, and the next thing I felt was a familiar scent.
It didn’t take long to identify its source.
Sea air?
The salty smell of salt and the damp breeze brushed against my nose.
Slowly opening my eyes, I saw a sparkling blue beach bathed in sunlight.
“You’ve arrived, Priest. It seems this place is a sea.”
Charlotte, who had approached unnoticed, muttered in admiration.
“Is this your first time seeing the sea?”
“As you know, our territory is quite far inland, so…”
I see.
For a moment, I opened the gallery and checked the map.
According to Charlotte’s words, no matter which direction you went from the territory, the sea was far away.
A truly vicious inland area, huh.
I scanned the coordinates in case I could figure out the dungeon’s internal position, but nothing was marked.
So it really is a separate space.
The thought of a Tower’s interior where GPS didn’t work came to mind.
It wasn’t enough proof, but my instinct was screaming that the dungeon and the Tower were connected.
I could probably tell for sure if I investigated the boss entity.
“Charlotte, do you have any plans?”
“Calling me ‘Charlotte’ sounds too stiff. Please call me normally. Well, Shally is the nickname only used among family…”
Charlotte hesitated for a moment, then clapped her hands as if she had remembered a suitable one.
“Lotte would be fine.”
For a second, I was completely lost between dungeon, Tower, and everything else.
“..Lotte is out.”
“Hmm, why?”
“No, sorry. Ignore that.”
An unspoken story.
“Anyway, may I ask about your plan?”
Charlotte didn’t ask further. She scanned the forest leading from the beach and the island in order, then looked at the soldiers.
“As shameful as it may sound, this is my first time seeing the sea.”
Her expression grew a little troubled.
“Even with the soldiers’ reports, I thought we’d set up camp on the shore, capture the orcs that appeared, and attack their base. But I never imagined the beach would be this hot.”
The metal parts of the armor on the soldiers who received the strong sunlight on the beach were gradually heating up.
The soldiers in chainmail were already looking exhausted, their bodies soaked with sweat.
The season is different too. Unlike the city in spring, the inside of the dungeon feels like late summer.
The summer beach was always scorching under the sun.
In particular, the sand carried that heat and raised the temperature around it.
Even though there was wind, wearing armor for long periods was an ordeal for Charlotte and the soldiers.
“Then may I say one more thing?”
“If it’s the priest’s wisdom, I’ll listen.”
It was a bit extreme for a priest’s wisdom, but trusting me, she spoke without hesitation.
“Let’s set the forest on fire.”
“..Eh?”
“We’re going to burn the island.”
The portal was the entrance anyway, located on the shore.
Even if the flames spread widely, escaping outside the portal was enough.
Even if the orcs rushed out of the dungeon to survive, fighting them on their home turf would be no problem.
No need to fight in the enemy’s territory unnecessarily.
“But, can the priest who serves the goddess of flowers just burn the forest like that…?”
Charlotte asked, doubting if it was really okay, but the answer from a fake priest who wasn’t even real wouldn’t change.
“Burned land will be fertile and bloom with beautiful flowers. If it’s the goddess, she’ll prefer a flower-filled island over the one with orcs.”
I had now mastered the art of twisting words.
The listening knight looked like he was questioning whether it was right, but since no better option appeared, he eventually nodded.
“Considering the soldiers’ safety, it might be the best method.”
Once the decision was made, the soldiers moved with surprising speed.
With the promise that they didn’t have to fight orcs to the death, their movements gained a new energy.
Soon, dry branches and fallen leaves were gathered, and oil was sprinkled everywhere to prepare for fires.
Most of the fires were lit after most of the oil was consumed.
Small sparks rose, then slowly but surely spread to the surrounding grass.
As soon as the fire reached the trees, the flames spread through the forest in an instant.
Black smoke soon covered the sky, and the hot heat pushed all the way to the beach.
“Everyone, get out!”
Following Charlotte’s order, the soldiers passed through the portal one by one.
I watched the burning forest, then stepped out of the dungeon myself.
After that, there was nothing left to do.
The soldiers set up a formation to watch for orcs that might suddenly appear and waited, but I didn’t need to be part of that.
“I hope the whole island burns to death.”
“When the island is completely burned, even if they die by fire or suffocation, it won’t be a big deal.”
Charlotte looked like she was saying it was unnecessary worry.
But I had climbed the Tower for a long time and knew.
How ruthless the monsters’ survival instinct was.
Coincidentally.
Urgent shouts and cries came from beyond the portal.
“Kueeeek!”
“They’re coming out!”
The soldiers all raised their shields firmly and gripped their weapons at once.
Soon, orcs covered in burns poured out from the portal.
Crash—!
The orcs and soldiers who had rushed out to fight collided head-on with the shield wall.