The Holy Empire's Subjugation Force (1)
It was incredibly strange that, of all people in the expedition party, only Princess Canaby had fallen under the curse. ‘The one who should have been the most protected in the subjugation force getting cursed is odd enough, but the fact that they tried so hard to hide it is even stranger.’ At the very least, if a member of the precious imperial family had been cursed, they should have gone to a bishop-level priest instead of coming to me. Yet Princess Canaby had summoned me in secret without telling anyone around her and received treatment.
‘The most likely possibility is still a succession struggle, isn’t it?’ Whatever happened in another country’s imperial succession wasn’t something I needed to worry about. But since my own patient was directly involved, I couldn’t help but pay attention, which left me in an awkward position. ‘Even if I do worry about it, there’s nothing I can actually do. She’s a member of the imperial family—why should I concern myself?’ Just like people say not to worry about celebrities, worrying about royalty was equally pointless. They were extraterritorial beings who could kill people without going to prison; they were power itself.
‘She’ll handle it well on her own.’ Still, the pity in my heart didn’t disappear completely. It wasn’t pity for her as a ‘royal,’ but as a ‘human being.’ For someone still so young to endure hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, and pain for two whole hours showed an incredible amount of patience. I couldn’t help wondering what kind of hardships she must have faced to develop such endurance. That pity turned into interest, which became the reason I visited her hospital room frequently, just as I had announced I would.
“I’m here.”
In just a few days, entering Princess Canaby’s hospital room had become familiar. It felt almost like opening the door to my own house.
“You’ve come?”
The way Princess Canaby greeted me had grown relaxed as well. The wariness she couldn’t hide before had vanished, replaced by genuine delight at seeing me. Considering how she had been when we first met, this was tremendous progress.
Just as I had declared I would visit frequently, I came and went from her room constantly after that day. And whether it was thanks to my sincerity or not, Princess Canaby’s wariness gradually melted away. In truth, it was only natural for wariness to fade quickly toward someone who healed your pain. The fact that she had maintained such caution for so long was actually the unusual part.
Having received my devoted treatment, Princess Canaby was extremely satisfied and even asked me to continue treating her in the same manner going forward.
“Ah! This is a gift.”
“A flower?”
The season when flowers bloomed in full had arrived. Thinking she must feel stifled lying in her hospital room all day, I had picked a single flower from the garden and brought it to her. Her mind must have been exhausted from the curse; I hoped this small gesture might bring her even a little comfort.
“It’s a bit embarrassing to give, honestly.”
She was a member of the imperial family—how many flowers must she have seen in her life? Still, I couldn’t prepare anything extravagant enough to suit royalty. After all, there was no flower shop in the Labyrinth City.
“How lovely. I didn’t realize the flowers outside had already bloomed.”
Since being admitted to the treatment center, I had never seen her go outside. She was probably refraining for security reasons. I understood her situation, but as her primary healer, I still hoped she would take occasional walks for the sake of her mental health. ‘It was obvious she would feel troubled by it, so I never suggested a walk outright.’ Still, I had brought her a flower, however small the gesture.
“I thought it might be nice to see them like this before they all wither. It would be even better if you could go see them yourself.”
“…Thank you. I never expected to receive such a thoughtful gift.”
Even though it was a single room, the treatment center had been built in a hurry, so the facilities weren’t properly equipped. It was truly too shabby for someone of her status, and I felt quite sorry about that.
“The hospital room must feel very confining, doesn’t it?”
“Not at all. I don’t even remember the last time I rested this deeply. I’m actually enjoying each day.”
“There are times when few people are around, so you could probably take a short walk in the garden in front of the treatment center.”
“Just seeing this flower is enough.”
Princess Canaby gently brought the flower to her nose and inhaled its scent. The sight was incredibly beautiful. The modest little yellow flower paled in comparison to how radiant and lovely she looked.
“But did you truly bring this purely out of concern for your patient?”
“Pardon?”
“If you weren’t a priest, I would have thought you were making a move on me.”
“!!”
She must have been pleased with the flower, because she teased me in a way that was quite unlike her.
“If I said yes, would you accept it?”
“In my heart, I would like to.”
Her unexpected answer left me staring blankly at Princess Canaby. The male hormones I had forgotten about for so long surged through my entire body from that single playful remark. Unaware of how shaken I was by her teasing, she turned her attention back to the flower.
“Lately all I’ve seen are hideous monsters. It feels good to look at something beautiful.”
Well, didn’t she see something beautiful several times a day? ‘If she just looked in a mirror, there’s something pretty right there.’ But if she said the flower was pretty, what could I do? I told her where she could see plenty more beautiful things.
“…I’ll be able to go someday.”
Even after I suggested it again, the way she hesitated made it clear she really didn’t want to be discovered. ‘Is the struggle for the Deltrack Empire’s throne that fierce?’ No matter what, this was a temple. What bold fool would dare harm a hospitalized patient? If anyone tried, the Holy Empire would never stand by quietly. The fact that she, who surely knew that, was being this cautious meant she was exposed to that much danger.
‘It’s probably best not to act like I know anything. Getting involved in another country’s imperial succession struggle wouldn’t do me any good.’ I should just focus on my own work.
“Could you give me your arm?”
“My primary healer is so diligent that I don’t feel any pain at all.”
“Please don’t lie. Your complexion is pale.”
“There isn’t even a light on, yet you see that clearly.”
“Have you been sleeping?”
Even after receiving my treatment, Princess Canaby had trouble falling asleep. She was probably only taking short naps and waking up soon after. After treatment she could sleep for a little while, but then she would spend the rest of the time awake. ‘Her dependence on divine power is so high that it’s more than a little worrying.’ Perhaps because of that, even though she was receiving steady treatment, her face showed no signs of improvement. ‘If she can’t sleep, her recovery will slow down too.’ I was quite concerned about how to resolve her insomnia.
“The medicine doesn’t seem to help anymore. I’d like you to pray a little more earnestly.”
“Understood. I’ll pray even harder than I did yesterday.”
“It seems that person doesn’t like me very much.”
“Surely not. The Sun God loves everyone equally.”
“If He loved me, shouldn’t my insomnia have been cured long ago?”
“It’s because my ability is lacking. I’m sorry.”
“That can’t be. I know very well from personal experience just how capable you are. If anything is lacking, it must be me.”
The lowering of Princess Canaby’s self-esteem was ultimately a side effect of the curse. It was a shame that the pleasant mood created by the flower had faded so quickly.
Even after finishing the treatment, I stayed by her side and chatted about various things. It seemed more helpful for her treatment to spend time talking together rather than leaving her alone. Princess Canaby told me about the things she had experienced in the Labyrinth, and I shared the absurd incidents that had occurred while treating patients.
“I thought I had quite a lot of experience, but it seems I’m no match for you.”
“The stories you told were interesting too, Your Highness. I thought you only had to deal with monsters, but I had no idea traps were the biggest problem.”
“Haa…”
As we talked for a while, Princess Canaby suddenly squeezed her eyes shut. I realized it was a symptom of the curse.
“Are you in pain?”
It wasn’t so much because of the curse as it was from not being able to sleep.
“Once the curse is lifted, you’ll be able to sleep deeply.”
“…Yes. They’ll find it soon. I’ll be able to escape this wretched curse before long.”
At the time, I thought Princess Canaby’s hospital stay wouldn’t last very long. After all, all they had to do was find the monster that had cast the curse and kill it. But just as she had said, it was as if the Sun God truly disliked her, because things began to go strangely awry.
“I wouldn’t have thought this way after just a day or two.”
It was when I met Bishop Haman again. Since he had come with the subjugation force that was entering the Labyrinth, it was true that he was busy; it took quite some time before he came to see me again. In the meantime, I had prepared materials to show him. After reading through all of them, Bishop Haman couldn’t hide his excitement as he spoke.
“When did you begin preparing this systematic method?”
To me, who had already seen the hospital system in my previous life, preparing the materials hadn’t been particularly difficult. All I had to do was write down the knowledge in my head. In fact, organizing it into documents had even helped me recall details I had forgotten, so it had been beneficial.
“I will take this with me when I return to the Holy Empire.”
“Yes.”
“If this is accepted, our Holy Empire will be able to develop tremendously. And it will be Priest Arthur who begins this development! It will be an achievement that goes down in history. Haha!”
“The content seems like it will be difficult to accept. Do you think it’s possible?”
Looking at the materials I had created, quite a few people would foam at the mouth. I knew there were conservative factions who staked their lives on following and preserving the old ways.
“I wondered why you hadn’t announced something this good, and it turns out you were worried about that? I can’t say you’re wrong. Every time something like this happens, I feel truly regretful and sorry. When young priests try to do something, we should help them, but instead we only get in their way. This is something everyone needs to reflect on.”
“……”
“We must not fear progress. If we do, what will become of the Holy Empire’s future? Even if there are obstacles, we cannot shrink back in fear and avoid even trying. Even if it breaks, you must have the courage to step forward.”