An Exemplar for the Holy Empire
It was no ordinary matter for a priest to nearly lose his life inside the temple after becoming entangled in another nation’s imperial succession struggle. Even so, it was uncommon for news of a priest suffering harm to reach all the way to the Pope. To the ruler of the Holy Empire, the life or death of a single priest was simply too trivial a concern.
However, the fact that the report came from Bishop Haman, that the incident had taken place in the Labyrinth Temple, and that it had occurred during an extremely sensitive period all carried considerable weight.
“This is the Deltrack Empire showing open contempt for the Holy Empire. If we remain silent, won’t they assume such behavior is acceptable? You must deliver a proper warning this time.”
“Before that, there is something more important. Is the priest all right? It would be unacceptable if he has sustained any injuries.”
“Ah! Yes, it seems he was not seriously wounded. However, the mental shock must have been immense.”
Of course, to extract the maximum possible benefit, they would have to insist there was shock even if there wasn’t.
“Indeed, after enduring such a harrowing experience, the shock would naturally be great. I am relieved to hear he is safe.”
“We will arrange a meeting with the Deltrack Empire.”
“Hmm.”
The Pope, hands clasped behind his back, fell into thought. It had not been long since the Labyrinth opened. Diplomacy between nations was proceeding with intense urgency. In the midst of that, an unfortunate incident had occurred, and the victim happened to belong to their own holy nation.
“If anyone seeks to line their own pockets with this affair, I will be greatly disappointed.”
“!!”
Those who had been eagerly preparing to squeeze every advantage from the Deltrack Empire froze in the middle of their calculations.
“You must consider what serves that person’s interest and what serves the future of our Holy Empire when you negotiate. Do you understand?”
“…Yes. I understand.”
Until now, the Pope had never once inserted himself into matters of extorting money from other countries. The fact that he had specifically warned them against personal gain made it clear he intended to use this incident for propaganda.
“When the sun was covered by dark clouds, the gates of the Labyrinth opened. I have reflected on that day for a long time. Why did such a thing happen? Why did the Labyrinth’s door open precisely when the sun disappeared?”
Gulp—
Everyone swallowed hard, tension rising at the Pope’s meaningful words.
“We must uncover the truth. What exactly is the identity of that Labyrinth? Why did He send down an oracle commanding us to seal it?”
“O-oh, wise words indeed, Your Holiness.”
“The Labyrinth has only just opened. Every nation is watching the others while attempting to conquer it. This is an extremely critical period.”
“Yes.”
The Pope was warning them not to commit errors while blinded by the greed right before their eyes.
“What is his name?”
“Pardon?”
“The priest at the center of this major incident.”
“Ah~ It is Priest Arthur. A talented individual who earned the distinction of youngest Chief Healer.”
“If this matter is resolved well, give him generous compensation. Did the priest not protect the honor of our Holy Empire?”
Imagine if Priest Arthur had been blinded by mere wealth and accepted the offer. Becoming involved in another country’s imperial power struggle was bad enough, but if an imperial family member had died inside the temple, it would have created an international crisis. Just thinking about how to handle the fallout from a priest who had made such a dishonorable choice was enough to cause a headache.
“If this incident becomes known, would it not serve as an inspiring example to everyone?”
“Indeed, Your Holiness. I will ensure the entire clergy learns of it.”
The Pope’s command was issued. Before long, the story of a chief healer in the Holy Empire who had faced unreasonable violence and responded with admirable spirit spread among the priests.
“The problem with corrupt priests these days is no small issue, but whoever this priest is, he’s impressive.”
People who purely admired the story after hearing it.
“This is exactly how a priest should act! So what is that priest’s name?”
People who grew curious about the priest who had done such a thing.
“A chief healer? Which faction is he from? Neutral? Then we might be able to bring him over to our side?”
And those who wondered whether they could recruit the capable priest into their own camp.
With these varied reactions, the Holy Empire grew feverishly heated.
After all, doesn’t every person carry pride for their nation in their heart? In these troubled times when clerical corruption had become a major headache for the Holy Empire, the tale of a priest who upheld his dignity even when his life was in danger was more than enough to fill the chest with pride and set it ablaze.
Yes. The fervor of nationalism worked its magic even here.
“Congratulations.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Take care of yourself.”
“Yes. I definitely will.”
I never imagined the matter would escalate to this degree.
In the rumors that circulated publicly, Princess Canaby’s name was never mentioned. The story had been reduced to me getting caught up in a succession dispute between noble families from the Deltrack Empire and nearly suffering a serious injury.
Even that version earned me countless words of concern and congratulations. The concern was for my physical well-being, while the congratulations came because the Holy Empire had rewarded me for setting an example for everyone.
I knew the Holy Empire made a habit of extorting money from other nations, but I didn’t realize they would be this generous.
The amount I received was enough to easily buy a house in a decent-sized city. I did not go around boasting about the exact sum. In addition, I received discreet offers from various factions inviting me to join them.
I declined, saying I wished to remain neutral for now, but they left the door open, telling me to contact them anytime if I changed my mind.
I wondered why they were so eager, but later learned that the Holy Empire had used the incident for propaganda.
I didn’t realize how much Lord Lapel’s absence would be felt.
Lord Lapel, who had been looking after my convenience, had entered the Labyrinth at the head of the expeditionary force. For the first few days, his absence had not seemed particularly noticeable. The temple had run without major issues.
But shortly after the force departed, rumors about the incident with Princess Canaby spread rapidly and the temple fell into chaos. Although Lord Lapel had arranged for more knights to guard the temple, it was not easy to block every visitor who came to see me.
It would have been simple to turn them away if Lord Lapel had been present. It was a shame.
After dealing with crowds until I was exhausted beyond measure, I finally reached Princess Canaby’s ward. Two knights stood guard at the door. One of them—the knight who had been involved in the incident with me—bowed deeply in my direction.
I smiled and accepted his greeting.
“Have you gentlemen had lunch?”
“Yes, Priest.”
“How is Her Highness?”
“She seems stable for now.”
Since the events of that day had become known, they had reached Princess Canaby’s ears and she now knew everything that had transpired. However, one rather important detail had been omitted: the fact that the knight had deliberately waited until I was in danger.
The knight and I had agreed to keep that between ourselves.
He apologized after learning I had already reported it to the temple.
With a face full of worry that the matter might escalate, he had offered a sincere apology.
Hate the sin, not the sinner.
As a priest, I could not treat someone who was repenting for their mistake with coldness. Had the apology been false, it would have been different, but the knight genuinely regretted and repented his actions.
I had heard many confessions from believers in the past. Perhaps because of that, I could usually tell whether an apology was spoken with lies or came from true remorse.
Having received a proper apology, I decided to forgive the knight, and we both chose to remain silent about what he had done.
I never intended to reveal the knight’s actions in the first place.
Disclosing what the knight had done would only complicate the explanation of events. That was why I had reported the incident cleanly, leaving that part out.
Since I would need to continue treating Princess Canaby, there was no reason to do anything that might damage our rapport.
When I showed mercy first, the knight became remarkably courteous. Before I could even reach for the door, he turned the handle and opened it for me.
“Thank you.”
As I stepped inside, I noticed the lights were on and said to Princess Canaby,
“You left the lights on.”
Usually when I visited at this hour, Princess Canaby kept the room dark. The reason was, of course, the hallucinations and auditory disturbances.
Considerable time had passed since she was cursed. The lack of improvement suggested the expedition inside the Labyrinth had yet to find the monster responsible. The problem was that the longer time went on, the stronger the curse’s effects grew.
At first she had only suffered hallucinations, phantom sounds, and pain in her left arm. Now she occasionally experienced moments when her vision failed or her hearing became muffled.
And the biggest problem was that the intervals between episodes were growing shorter.
Although I visited frequently, I did not treat her every single time. Sometimes I would simply chat with her or stay by her side while she ate before leaving.
But lately I had to administer treatment on every visit. If I did not, Princess Canaby suffered too greatly.
“How are you feeling?”
“It is tolerable.”
The person who had once said she was fine when I arrived had now changed her words to “tolerable.” For someone with such patience to alter her phrasing meant the pain was unquestionably severe.
The pain alone was enough to feel like dying, and the inability to sleep had caused Princess Canaby to lose a great deal of weight compared to when I first saw her.
“Why didn’t you turn off the lights?”
“Turning them off made no difference. The symptoms have worsened, and now what I see has changed as well.”
“After I treat you, how long does the relief last?”
“…About an hour and a half?”
“That is practically at the level where treatment is no longer effective.”
The time she could escape the side effects after treatment was a mere hour and a half. At this rate, it was as if my promise to do everything possible to keep the curse from worsening was not being kept at all.