The Holy Empire's Subjugation Force (2)
“Yes, I will do that.”
“Don’t concern yourself with those people. Once they realize this is ultimately beneficial for them as well, they’ll have no choice but to accept it. The system you devised, Priest Arthur, will prove to be of immense value to the Holy Empire.”
He seemed far more confident about what I had done than I was myself. While his words filled me with gratitude, the way he viewed my plan as something so extraordinary felt a little burdensome.
“The materials I wrote aren’t perfect. There are parts that need revision, and even after implementation, the efficiency might not turn out as expected. The priests who will actually be working will need to adapt to this new system, and I can’t be certain how quickly that will happen.”
They say well begun is half done, but for the materials I’d provided to truly benefit the Holy Empire, it would still take time.
Bishop Haman let out a hearty laugh, as if my words pleased him greatly.
“It is precisely because there are people like you, Priest Arthur, that the future of our Holy Empire looks so bright. Even if this plan fails, the very act of attempting it holds great meaning. So please, don’t be discouraged. By the way, is there nothing you desire? If there is anything you want, I will do everything in my power to support it.”
“No, I couldn’t possibly ask for compensation when there’s still no proof that I’ve been of any help. And if it benefits the Holy Empire, that alone is enough for me.”
It wasn’t as if I hadn’t thought about compensation while preparing the materials. I had even imagined what kind of reward I might request. But after long consideration, I had concluded that accepting a reward right now would be a loss.
Right now, only I know how good this system truly is.
If I accepted compensation now, I would only receive recognition for about ten percent of its true value. But what if I waited until the system had been properly established and proven effective? Then I could receive proper recognition—full one hundred percent—and claim a far greater reward.
That was why I humbly and politely declined.
“If I were to receive excessive compensation, how could I possibly show my face with any dignity?”
“So you mean you wish to receive it only after the results have been clearly proven.”
Bishop Haman understood my meaning perfectly without needing further explanation.
“Hmm, this is tricky…”
After a moment of contemplation, Bishop Haman suddenly changed the subject.
“Would you consider coming under my command? Someone like you, Priest Arthur, would be welcome at any time.”
“!!”
I wasn’t sure just how much influence Bishop Haman held, but receiving such an offer wasn’t something that happened easily, even for a Chief Healer. Any priest with ambition would have no reason to refuse. And seeing how much he seemed to favor me, it didn’t appear he intended to simply recruit me into his faction and leave me idle.
If I go under Bishop Haman, there would be many benefits. Since he thinks so highly of me, he would surely support me wholeheartedly.
But if I entered his service, the work I would be assigned was all too obvious. There was a high chance I would be tasked with implementing the system I had designed across the temples. If I took on such a monumental task with an uncertain future, how many years would it consume?
Of course, I would receive substantial rewards in return, but my career would be ruined for just as long.
The reason I had maintained neutrality while living at Palmore Church all this time was simply because I had no particular ties to either side. Palmore was a place that fell short of being called a proper city, yet had too many people to be considered a mere rural village.
It’s like a rural town that functions as a city.
It might sound confusing—like calling an entertainer’s entertainer something else entirely—but that was exactly what Palmore was. Too rustic to be a city, yet too populous to be countryside. Merchants frequently passed through, and anyone from the surrounding villages needing supplies would come to Palmore. This was because regular trading caravans visited, and our church was located there as well.
Not to mention, many people come to Palmore every weekend to offer prayers.
Yet because it still lacked many qualities of a true city, no one had ever come all the way there to recruit me into their faction. If I turned down this offer, there was no telling when another opportunity like this might come again.
“I am truly grateful for your offer. However, I’m afraid I cannot give you an answer right away.”
“Hmm. Good opportunities do not come often.”
His gaze sharpened as if trying to see through me, and I instinctively lowered my eyes. Still, I had no choice but to be cautious about accepting the proposal.
Seeing my attitude, the bishop softened his sharp gaze and spoke.
“Even so, Priest Arthur, if you ever change your mind, please let me know. You will always be welcome.”
For a while, the chilly atmosphere left me breaking out in cold sweat, but as time passed, the mood gradually softened.
“When will you be entering the Labyrinth?”
“We must go before the Labyrinth’s geography changes, so we will enter within two days at the latest.”
“…What do you mean by the Labyrinth’s geography changing?”
The geography changes?
“Oh dear, look at me. I’ve said something I shouldn’t have. This must be why, when one grows old, the only place left to go is by His side.”
Whether it was a genuine slip or not, he didn’t seem particularly flustered as he tried to play it off casually.
“It seems to be confidential, so I will pretend I never heard it.”
“No, no. It’s fine. It will become known soon anyway. What harm could there be in knowing a few weeks earlier?”
Even though he said that, if such information carelessly left my mouth, Bishop Haman would find himself in a very awkward position.
“The Labyrinth’s layout changes completely every three months.”
“Every three months? The entire maze?”
“Yes. That is why it has never been fully conquered despite so many attempts.”
Everyone had been pouring their hearts into creating Labyrinth maps, but if this was true, all that effort would be in vain.
“Then does that mean all the maps created so far become useless?”
“The Labyrinth has dozens of different patterns, and those patterns shift randomly at set intervals.”
It meant there were multiple Labyrinth maps, and they changed randomly every three months. The problem was that the Labyrinth was enormous. Even completing a single map for Pattern A would take years, and there weren’t just one or two patterns—there were more than ten.
This made it impossible to predict how many years map-making would take.
“Does the type of monster that appears also change when the layout shifts?”
“That’s correct. A golem could suddenly appear at the Labyrinth entrance. In that sense, we were quite lucky when the Labyrinth first opened. There were goblins at the entrance, after all.”
“…I suppose this information shouldn’t be shared with people from other countries?”
The moment I heard that the Labyrinth’s layout changed, the first person who came to mind was Princess Canaby.
What happens if they can’t find the monster they’re looking for before the three months are up?
This was information only the Holy Empire knew. At the very least, if other countries had known, they wouldn’t have been acting so relaxed and leisurely at such a critical time.
“Oh my, it seems there is someone you wish to tell.”
“Yes. I cannot go into detail because it concerns a patient’s private information, but there is someone for whom an immediate change would be extremely troublesome.”
“Dear me, what should we do about this?”
Bishop Haman pondered for a moment before speaking.
“How high in status is this patient of yours?”
“A very high-ranking individual.”
Bishop Haman’s eyes sparkled at my words.
“Could you arrange a meeting with them?”
“Would you really be willing to do that? I wouldn’t want to burden someone as busy as yourself…”
Since this was information far beyond what I could handle on my own, I was deeply grateful that Bishop Haman had offered to step forward. Of course, actually meeting with him would only be possible with Princess Canaby’s permission.
“This much is nothing. Since it’s for you, Priest Arthur, making time is no great issue. Hahaha.”
I decided to go see Princess Canaby as quickly as possible to arrange a meeting with Bishop Haman.
And then.
“I refuse.”
“Pardon?”
I had been rejected. I had gone through the trouble of setting up this meeting even at the risk of inconveniencing Bishop Haman, only to be turned down so flatly that my head spun.
“I have no desire to meet them.”
“Your Highness, I did not make this suggestion lightly. I am certain it will be of help to you. So if you would just meet with him once—”
“No.”
Princess Canaby cut me off coldly. Since this was for her sake, her refusal left me utterly bewildered.
“Did I not clearly state when I was admitted that I would not meet with anyone else?”
“It will aid in your treatment.”
“As long as I have the treatment you provide, Priest, there is no problem at all.”
It seemed Princess Canaby had misunderstood my suggestion to meet Bishop Haman as a recommendation to receive treatment from him. The problem was that I couldn’t explain in detail why I wanted her to meet him.
No matter how frustrated I felt, I couldn’t let important information slip from my mouth. Not even Bishop Haman would be able to cover for me if I did.
“It will be of great help to your overall treatment. If you meet with him, I assure you that you will not regret it.”
“I have no intention of receiving treatment from anyone else, so please do not speak of this any further.”
Goodness, I was dying of frustration because I couldn’t say anything. Thinking I might at least give her a small hint, I said,
“He is someone who can provide help in that area.”
“My people will be the ones to hunt the monster. If the Holy Empire’s subjugation force gets involved unnecessarily, it could complicate matters.”
She had misunderstood again.
“It’s because this is not something I can speak about openly that I cannot explain in detail. You really must meet with him at least once.”
“My decision may seem stubborn to you, but my mind will not change.”
“……”
Princess Canaby’s stubbornness was not something I could overcome. I gave her one final plea.
“You may be missing something very important.”
“Since it is a choice I made, if I suffer any loss because of it, that too is something I must bear.”
“…Understood.”
It wasn’t the first time Princess Canaby had shown such wariness. I simply hadn’t expected that same wariness to become an obstacle when it came to meeting the bishop. This was clearly my mistake. She had already displayed her distrust of people several times in front of me, yet I had been foolish enough not to anticipate that it would cause problems.