The Second Return (1)
A few days had passed since we joined up with the kid. During that time, the little one had been trailing after Sister Melody like a shadow, watching her every action with sharp eyes. It seemed he was trying to learn something through observation. He could have simply asked about anything he was curious about, but he appeared to understand that wasn’t permitted. The child observed Melody, and I observed the child.
For a child who had been wounded, suddenly acting too familiar might only feel like a burden. That was why I deliberately watched his behavior, calculating the best way to approach him. And right in the middle of that, the welcome news arrived that a path out had appeared.
“We’ve found the path!”
“Huh? Really?”
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
“It looks like we can finally head outside.”
Everyone excitedly packed their bags. Having gone through so many events, the feeling of returning was strangely complex.
Just the things I experienced in the labyrinth alone could fill an entire book.
The second labyrinth expedition had progressed far more stably than the first subjugation, which had ended so anticlimactically. It was an encouraging result. I had no idea how many more times we would need to enter this place, but if the subjugations continued in this manner, I felt confident there would be no major problems.
“Everyone, let’s go!”
“Waa! Let’s go home!”
Whether it was the anticipation of how much their heavily packed bags would yield, everyone’s expressions were bright. Worry also crept in about whether anything serious had happened to the priests at the temple while I was away.
“What should I do once we get out?”
The kid had approached me at some point and asked with a worried look.
“Sister Melody will rescue your family. Then come to our temple together with them. I’ll prepare a place where your whole family can live together.”
“You’re really going to take responsibility for all of us?”
“I wouldn’t lie about something like this.”
“...I don’t know about others, but I trust you, Priest. I know you’re someone who can actually do it.”
How frightening it must be to entrust your entire family’s future to a stranger.
“All right. I’ll be waiting, so go rescue your family and come back.”
“Yes.”
The kid clenched his fists tightly and took a deep breath, clearly nervous. Since a path leading to the labyrinth entrance had appeared, getting outside would be instantaneous. The decisive moment was clearly approaching faster than expected.
Following the guide’s path, we reached the outside in the blink of an eye. It was so fast that we all let out involuntary gasps of amazement.
“Wow, it comes out this quickly?”
“At this rate, not using it would be stupid.”
Everyone marveled at the overly convenient system, yet it seemed to naturally spark wariness.
“People will probably start asking why we even bother making maps.”
“Why would you make maps when there’s such a convenient path? It’s pointless. Even if you spend all that money to create one, would it even be useful? The paths inside the labyrinth change completely soon after.”
Meaningless map creation. Who would put real effort into something like that? And this was exactly the labyrinth’s true intention.
“You’ve all worked hard. Each of you, rest well and enjoy yourselves without overdoing it.”
“Yesss!!!”
“Kyaa~ We can finally rest!”
“We’ll gather again in two weeks. I can help sell the items if you tell the leader, but it won’t be as profitable as taking the time to sell them individually.”
Whether to entrust the items and sell them easily even at a small loss, or to go through the hassle of selling them personally for definite profit, was each person’s choice. If they sold well according to their ability, they could earn quite a sum, so everyone’s minds must have been spinning.
“Sister, you’re heading to the temple, right?”
“No. I plan to go to this child’s house.”
“Without even resting?”
“It seems better to handle it quickly before they notice on that side.”
The child’s expression looked incredibly earnest. In the end, I placed my hands on both of them and channeled divine power.
“You’ll be tired, so let me restore your stamina.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I should at least do this much. You’re doing extra work because of me.”
Since I probably wouldn’t need to use any today anyway, I poured in more than enough—thick and generous. Seeing their expressions brighten as if their fatigue had completely melted away, I smiled with satisfaction.
“Go and come back quickly. I’ll prepare a comfortable place for you to rest and have plenty of delicious food waiting.”
If they went like this, bloodshed was inevitable, but these people were used to such things, so it wouldn’t affect their appetite.
I’m not sure if I should call that fortunate.
Hiding my bitter feelings, I asked the child with a smile.
“How many family members did you say there were?”
“Ten.”
“Then I’ll prepare enough for twenty people.”
“Twenty?! More than half are kids, so they won’t eat that much. We can’t waste food.”
“This will be the occasion where you meet face-to-face with the family you’ll be living with from now on. Many people will gather, introduce themselves, and get to know one another.”
The child nodded calmly, finally understanding.
“If that’s the case, I’ll try to come back as quickly as possible.”
“Good. Say your goodbyes properly.”
Even if they were bad people, they had still raised the child. I hoped the closure would go well. It would also be good for the child to vent any resentment toward them.
After sending off the child and Sister Melody, I began walking back toward the temple. There were quite a few items we had brought from the labyrinth to send to the Holy Empire. Since Melody had left immediately with the child, I ended up carrying her luggage as well, making the load rather heavy.
“Huh?”
Perhaps that was why. I realized it far too late. By the time I came to my senses, I was already almost at the temple. The reason I was so flustered was…
Are all these people heading to the temple?
It wasn’t just me going to the temple. At first, I had assumed the people who came out of the labyrinth would scatter to their respective destinations. But no matter how far we walked, the crowd refused to disperse. It was awkward and bewildering. I was finally beginning to grasp the situation.
There was that time something almost happened around a similar period. Why couldn’t I remember it?
It was the experience where everyone who came out of the dungeon had flocked to the temple. Would this time be any different? The same thing was happening now. All the people who had poured out of the labyrinth were heading straight for the temple.
What should I do?
I was only human, and fatigue had piled up heavily. In other words, I was in a state where I desperately wanted to rest. My steps toward the temple naturally slowed.
Sigh.
As I nearly reached the temple, I saw people who had arrived before me already lining up at the entrance. Inside was probably a battlefield right now.
“Excuse me. Could you make way for a moment?”
“You have to get in li… Oh, it’s the Priest. Please go in.”
Because I was wearing priest robes, they let me through without issue. The moment I stepped inside, the thick smell of blood, sweat, and disinfectant washed over me. It was a scent that perfectly evoked our temple, and thanks to that, while others would have frowned, I couldn’t hide my delight.
“Should I help?”
I approached the person who looked the most distressed and urgent while tending to patients, then subtly offered assistance.
“Huh? Would that be… Hic! Priest Arthur!!”
The chick’s face brightened the instant she spotted me.
“Now that I think about it, it was about time for you to arrive!”
“Haha, I’m glad to see you too. It’s been so long that I feel like crying.”
“You must have suffered so much in the labyrinth! Ah! Goodness, I’ll do it. Leave it to me. I can handle this much now!”
It was surprising that she would refuse help when anyone could see she was deeply troubled.
“I’ll teach you. What to do in cases like this. Let’s have a lesson since it’s been a while.”
At the word “lesson,” her eyes sparkled.
“Yes!”
Thinking of it as work would be annoying and irritating, but giving teachings to the chick was something I could enjoy. Of course, it was still tiring. But seeing her gaze full of respect and how much she had grown was quite thrilling, so there was no reason to refuse.
“Everyone’s doing well now.”
After instructing the chick and cleanly finishing treatment on a difficult patient, I checked whether there were more people around who needed help. Surprisingly, it wasn’t easy to find anyone struggling. Everyone was handling the flood of patients with ease. Of course, with so many patients, they weren’t in perfect condition. But this was an unbelievable level of improvement compared to before.
Patients who would come to me even if it was just a little difficult are now being treated by the chicks on their own. It feels rewarding to have taught them so diligently.
When did they grow so much? The kids were growing up so fast, yet I hadn’t noticed. I felt remorseful for being too indifferent.
“Priest, leave this to us and go rest. You haven’t even unpacked your luggage. What is this?”
The kids had grown, but I decided to do what I could and jumped into treating patients. Soon, however, the children began urging me to rest in a relay-like fashion as they passed by.
“Please go in quickly. We can handle this!”
“No, I’m really fine.”
Even while frantically treating patients, they moved me with their thoughtful words urging me to go inside.
“You can see everyone is doing well, right? It means we’ve grown too.”
“That’s right, please go rest. Your face looks so gaunt!”
With them showing this much consideration, I couldn’t just stand by for the temple priests. Everyone wanted me to rest, but oddly enough, I decided to help them even more actively. Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to show everyone that I had grown stronger in the labyrinth?