Hope (4)
“Mmm…”
“……”
At my words, those with clear consciences looked around with open curiosity. The ones who did have something weighing on them, however, kept sneaking nervous glances at their companions.
Should they swallow the discomfort and pretend nothing had happened, or should they accept my offer and clear their minds? The choice was obvious.
“I’ll eat it.”
“Me too…”
“Ugh, just one bite for me…”
One by one, the team members who had been hovering on the edges stepped forward. Eating food that a dead man might have consumed was unpleasant, but apparently it was better than carrying the unease out of the labyrinth with them.
They tried to hide their reluctance as they took small portions of the ritual offerings. The funny thing was that the idea of the food “washing away” any lingering resentment was complete nonsense.
Heh.
A little entertainment on the way back never hurt. If the Sun God found amusement in watching these people squirm, I considered it a fair trade.
“You handled that well.”
“Is this sufficient?”
“Yes.”
“Phew~”
“Was the food I prepared really that unappetizing?”
Since they could now completely shake off their discomfort by eating the offerings, I saw no harm in it.
“Oh, not at all! It was delicious. I only regret that we could only eat so little.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the food itself. Though no matter how hard one tries, poor skill can still make it taste bad.”
“No, it really was delicious.”
They kept insisting it was tasty even though they could have been honest, which made it hard for me to admit I’d been teasing them.
“The requiem service is over, so you may all return to your duties.”
“Does that mean we can examine the area now?”
“Yes. As long as you don’t disturb the deceased or their coffins, it should be fine.”
Once I gave permission, their expressions brightened at once. At last, the team members had work to do.
Farming.
It was time to start looting.
There is a profession known as grave robbing. These individuals dig up burial sites, steal the valuables inside, and flee. The very existence of grave robbers also implies that people place items worth stealing inside tombs in the first place.
“We’ve recovered an astonishing number of valuables.”
Everyone worked together to gather the treasures. Three hundred years was more than enough time for even well-preserved objects to rot or decay. On the other hand, anything that had endured for three centuries possessed immense value.
“But isn’t it a bit inappropriate to sell these casually? We discussed it among ourselves and thought it would be best to return them to the families once the identities are confirmed. Or we could sell them and divide the profits equally.”
I was genuinely surprised by the leader’s suggestion.
“You want to do that?”
“It seems the requiem service moved them.”
Princess Raciel added to the leader’s words.
“The problem is that these people aren’t all from the same country. That’s why I’m asking—could the temple take the lead on this? In my opinion, the temple is the only organization equipped to handle such a matter properly.”
It would indeed be awkward for any single nation to oversee this. The temple, with its extensive communication channels across multiple countries, was the most suitable choice.
“I’ll bring the suggestion to the higher-ups.”
I didn’t give a definite answer, but the Holy Empire would likely be delighted. Taking on this task would be an excellent way to demonstrate the Church’s power to the world. Moreover, the cause itself was noble. If the Holy Empire didn’t step forward, who would? They would probably volunteer eagerly.
“I’m glad—and proud—that the team members suggested this first. I was worried the requiem service might have been tedious for everyone.”
Hearing that the service had inspired such thoughts only reinforced my feelings.
“You underestimate yourself, Priest Arthur. The requiem you conducted was deeply moving.”
That much?
“The sight was overwhelming.”
Both the leader and Princess Raciel shared their impressions of the ritual.
“From the moment it began, simply watching made me feel as though my body was being purified.”
They felt their bodies being purified just by watching the requiem? I had been so focused on reciting the prayers that I hadn’t considered how the team might perceive it.
“It was a unique experience.”
The leader seemed to share Princess Raciel’s sentiments.
“It was a rather clumsy requiem, so thank you for viewing it kindly.”
At the time, I had no idea. The effect of the requiem was far greater than I had imagined. I would only realize it later through the team members’ changed behavior.
“Goodness, why is someone of your stature doing this? Please allow me.”
“Huh?”
I had been washing the dishes I’d used without much thought when someone suddenly snatched them away, insisting I shouldn’t be doing such work. Since I had always cleaned my own dishes before, this was completely unexpected.
But the changes in the team didn’t stop there.
“This should keep you warmer.”
Even when the team members weren’t doing anything in particular, they began looking after me.
“Gah! These damn bugs! Priest, leave it to me! I won’t let a single one get near you!!”
“…Thank you. You really don’t have to.”
“If these bugs bite you, it would be a disaster, wouldn’t it? I’ll make sure you can sleep tonight without any trouble from them!”
At first I simply thought, How nice of them, but when every single team member started acting this way, I couldn’t help but notice something was off.
“Why are they behaving like this?”
I asked Sister Melody about my recent concerns.
“Do you truly not know the reason?”
“I really don’t…?”
Was there something I was supposed to have realized?
“Their treatment of you changed after the requiem service.”
“It did… wait, really?”
Could the requiem service truly be the cause of their changed attitudes? Only after hearing Melody’s explanation could I make sense of their behavior.
“I thought you would have noticed.”
“What exactly did I do during the requiem?”
“It was a service for over a hundred souls. The conditions were harsh as well. You completed it successfully, and to ordinary people with no knowledge of such rites, the sight must have been extraordinary.”
Having experienced it since childhood, I hadn’t realized how special it would appear to laypeople.
“They were impressed by the requiem, so why are they being so good to me?”
“The more impressive the requiem appeared, the greater their respect for the priest who conducted it.”
“Hmm…”
“Also, I happened to overhear some of them talking among themselves. They said that even if they died fighting in the labyrinth, they felt at ease knowing you would take care of them the way you did today.”
“Ah!”
In other words, they were trying to stay in my good graces because they hoped I would help them after death.
“So that’s what it was.”
Of course, it would be best if no one died at all, but accidents tended to happen when least expected. Even I couldn’t guarantee I would save every single person without exception.
“They don’t need to go that far…”
If someone really did die, I would do my utmost to give them a proper funeral so they could return to the Sun God’s embrace. As long as they wished for me to handle it, I would gladly do so.
“Do you think they’d be happy if I told them that?”
“They probably would. But wouldn’t that make them take care of you even more than before?”
“Even more than this?”
“They’ll want to express their gratitude somehow. I know their attention is burdensome, but perhaps you should simply accept it? At the end of the day, the things they’re doing are just small chores that would otherwise be annoying or inconvenient for you.”
They were finding hope through these small acts of service toward me. There was no need to tell them to stop. They weren’t trying to bribe me. The kindness they could offer was modest.
“Let them satisfy themselves with these small things before they try to repay you with something bigger later.”
After listening to everything, I felt I shouldn’t ignore Melody’s advice. As she said, if they tried to repay me with something major later, it would be too much to handle. Refusing their goodwill wasn’t easy either.
“I understand.”
For now, their help consisted of washing dishes for me or looking after me when I was cold or hot. I decided to accept these small kindnesses willingly.
“Oh? Priest…!”
“Hey, hey—come here for a second.”
A team member who had been approaching me with a friendly greeting was hastily pulled aside by another.
“What’s wrong?”
“Didn’t you hear? What Priest Melody said.”
“What did she say?”
“She told us not to be too obvious because the priest finds it burdensome.”
“I really wasn’t doing much, though?”
“I know. But there are several people acting like you. From the recipient’s perspective, it must feel strange to be looked after from every direction.”
“Ah…”
The team member’s face fell with disappointment as he realized it was already too late to act.
“I get that it’s a shame, but since he finds it burdensome, let’s restrain ourselves. Subtle, inconspicuous help is still allowed.”
He hadn’t realized the situation had already progressed this far when he hadn’t even done anything particularly noticeable.
“How are we supposed to help the priest without him noticing?”
Since he was the type to handle everything perfectly on his own, it was hard to find ways to assist.
“I don’t know either. And even if I did, why would I share that? I need to use it myself.”
After witnessing the requiem service, more than a few people had come to the conclusion that staying in Priest Arthur’s good graces would mean solid support in the afterlife. The problem was that Priest Arthur was not someone so lowly that he would personally conduct funeral rites for the likes of them.
He was currently treating their wounds, but his skill made it obvious he would rise to an incredibly high position in the future. They doubted they would even be able to brush the hem of his robe later on. That was why they were working so hard to make an impression on him now.
If he were to personally oversee their funerals, death itself would no longer seem so frightening.