An Accidental Score
Feeling like I had accidentally scored a massive amount of favor, I cleared my throat and said, “As thanks for lending it to me, I’ll buy you dinner.”
“Sounds good.”
“What would you like to eat?”
“Let’s keep it simple. There’s a new restaurant just ahead—shall we go there?”
“Perfect.”
Thanks to borrowing Cardinal Caria’s Autobiography from Priest Ando, I figured this would be enough to pass the time while I waited for the mercenary request to be processed.
The thickness of that autobiography is no joke.
The text was crammed onto thin paper in characters so tiny that just looking at them made my eyes spin. It was a testament to how extraordinary Cardinal Caria’s achievements had been during his lifetime.
“Hmm.”
I set aside some time to read the opening section. It began with his training days and continued through his life. Becoming a cardinal was no ordinary feat—his accomplishments were staggering.
“He saved a count possessed by an evil spirit when he was only fourteen.”
What had I been doing at fourteen?
I think I was studying so hard to become a healer that I kept getting nosebleeds.
Cardinal Caria had exorcised an evil spirit at the age of fourteen. His talent had clearly been exceptional from the start. If we shared one similarity, it was that we both came from humble roots.
This is more interesting than I expected.
I had assumed a book this thick would take forever to finish, but I never imagined the exorcism records would be so utterly gripping. The experiences he described were far too intense to belong to an ordinary life.
He really lived like the protagonist of a novel before he passed.
If he had lived longer, he might even have become Pope. Yet even while holding the rank of cardinal, he never spared himself; he traveled ceaselessly to exorcise demons and ultimately died from a curse inflicted by an evil spirit.
He had been the undisputed master of exorcism and had displayed remarkable talent in healing as well. I hadn’t finished the book yet, but it seemed to focus far more on exorcism than on the healing knowledge I was hoping to find.
Still, it’s better than not reading it at all.
Time passed in a flash while I was absorbed in the book. I nearly missed my appointment with Princess Canaby altogether.
“I’ve arrived.”
Princess Canaby spoke as though she had been waiting for me.
“You’re later than usual today.”
“I had some errands to run and ended up going all over the place…”
If I told her I had visited Priest Ando to borrow a book and then become so engrossed that I forgot the time, she would probably be displeased.
“Has your condition deteriorated badly?”
“It is still tolerable for now.”
Even so, the fact that she immediately showed me her left arm suggested the words were little more than habit.
“Starting today, I intend to explore a new treatment approach.”
“What method will you use to develop this new treatment?”
“Rather than simply treating the symptoms, I plan to use my own power to probe various areas.”
“Probe?”
The concept seemed difficult for her to visualize.
“If you experience it directly, you will understand what I mean.”
I placed both hands on her left arm.
“Hmm?”
She tilted her head, sensing the difference right from the start.
“The sensation is rather different, isn’t it?”
“It is indeed markedly different from the usual feeling.”
Until now, treating her left arm had involved only touching the designated points to draw out the curse before stopping. That method was faster, and expending extra power had yielded no additional benefit.
But things would change from here. I was going to expend divine power lavishly in search of new approaches. Since I possessed no established knowledge for creating novel treatments, I had no choice but to attempt what might appear to be a rather crude method.
If doing so allowed me to find even the slightest clue, I would consider it worthwhile.
“Hmm.”
I infused divine power into her body and scanned its entirety as though performing a full internal examination. After all, comprehensive medical checkups usually involved something called a CT scan. While CT scans exposed the body to radiation with harmful side effects, divine power actually benefited the body the longer the exposure lasted. The energy known as divine power was truly overpowered.
“What are you doing right now?”
Her tone was not accusatory but filled with curiosity. Watching divine power gather and fade steadily in my hands would naturally pique anyone’s interest.
“I am examining your entire body—from the top of your head to the tips of your toes—to determine how far the curse’s influence extends. It doubles as a health examination, and because it is beneficial, powerful individuals often receive periodic divine power baths.”
“His Majesty does summon priests at regular intervals. I always wondered what he was doing during those times…”
“It is a service not everyone can receive.”
It was a special privilege the Holy Empire extended only to the nation’s core power holders. Receiving it signaled that the Holy Empire regarded the recipient as an exceptionally important figure.
“Then what are the results?”
“It is clear that, were you not cursed, you would be extraordinarily healthy. However, the curse is currently affecting your entire body, whether visibly or not. Your stress levels are also remarkably high.”
“Can divine power even detect something like stress?”
“There is nothing divine power cannot do. If something proves impossible, the fault lies with the individual priest’s limitations. In truth, there must be methods other than simply killing monsters. The problem is that I do not know any superior method. That is my own inadequacy.”
At my candid admission, Princess Canaby paused, then spoke with careful deliberation.
“I have heard it said that the potential of divine power is infinite. Even mana, brimming with mystery, would not dare make such a claim, yet no one can refute it.”
The power granted by the Sun God to his followers. Divine power was the fundamental force that had been used to create the world itself.
“It is only natural that wielding such a magnificent power would be difficult.”
“Since you trust me to this extent, I must strive even harder.”
For today, I decided to be content with having assessed Princess Canaby’s physical condition.
“You called it a health examination? My body feels remarkably refreshed because of it.”
“It is essentially the same as giving your entire body a massage with divine power, so the benefits should last several days.”
Had tomorrow not been a day off, I would never have attempted the examination.
“I hope you sleep well tonight.”
“After everything you have done for me, I must sleep soundly.”
“Would you like to try with the lights off?”
“You do not appear particularly busy today.”
“I cannot spare much time, but I believe it is worth attempting. What do you think?”
She had likely failed to sleep the previous night as well.
“…Very well. Let us try.”
“I will extinguish the lights.”
At some point she had declared that turning off the lights was pointless and had endured auditory and visual hallucinations in brightly lit rooms. Even someone as patient as she was found the inability to sleep deeply distressing and had shown clear signs of suffering.
Click—
The lights went out, and Princess Canaby slipped beneath the blankets.
“Close your eyes.”
“Mm.”
“Is it uncomfortable?”
No matter how much she had come to trust me, having someone nearby while trying to sleep could still feel intrusive. Given her naturally high vigilance, I remained cautious.
“No, it is fine.”
“Your body must be comfortable if you are to sleep well. Stop thinking and close your eyes. There is no need to be afraid. Should the curse approach, I will eliminate it for you.”
“……”
I whispered in a soft voice, almost like ASMR. Once the atmosphere felt right, I planned to leave.
As I sat quietly in the darkness, I gradually heard breathing from beneath the blankets.
Huff… huff…
The divine power that had cleansed her entire body seemed to have worked wonderfully. I had not been certain she could truly fall asleep, yet the steady breathing that only comes with deep slumber began to emerge.
I didn’t expect her to fall asleep this quickly…
As expected, divine power was practically a panacea for all ailments.
Marveling once again at His greatness, I rose from my seat. I had worried my movements might wake her, but she remained sound asleep, completely motionless.
Click—
When I carefully opened the door and stepped out, the knights looked at me.
“The prin—”
“Shh—!”
“??”
I explained the situation to the bewildered knights: the princess had fallen asleep, so they should make as little noise as possible.
Did she truly fall asleep?
I nodded at the knight who mouthed the question.
Yes, so please remain as quiet as possible so she is not disturbed.
Understood!
The knights’ expressions grew solemn. Knowing better than anyone how long she had gone without sleep, their joy at the news was only natural.
Leaving the sleeping princess behind, I returned to work and focused on treating patients. During the brief moments of rest that appeared between cases, I immersed myself in Cardinal Caria’s autobiography.
In that way, the day’s routine passed in the blink of an eye.
When I stopped by the princess’s ward after finishing work, I was told she was still sleeping and therefore did not enter.
“Where are you going?”
“I have some business outside.”
“I will accompany you.”
Thanks to Sir Lapel’s consideration, additional knights had been assigned to protect the temple. They also escorted priests when they went outside to ensure their safety.
It would have been one thing if I were going elsewhere, but since I was heading to the mercenary guild, going alone felt unwise.
“I would appreciate that.”
With a holy knight clad in pure white armor standing reliably behind me, I stepped outside.
“Where are we headed?”
“I am on my way to the guild to post a request.”
“A priest posting a request?”
“I want to obtain certain books, but they are not easy to find in this city.”
“I see.”
Once the Labyrinth City grew larger, acquiring books would become easier, but for now its development centered mainly on supplies needed for entering the Labyrinth.
“You should not visit the mercenary guild alone. If I am unavailable next time, be sure to bring another knight with you.”
“Is it truly that dangerous? I have never been there before, so I do not know what to expect.”
“A guild is not easily defined. There are people who live from day to day with no future, barely scraping by, and there are also perfectly respectable individuals who make you wonder why they became mercenaries at all. If the latter were the majority, there would be little cause for concern, but roughly eighty percent of the mercenary guild consists of those who live wildly, like mayflies, without any thought for tomorrow.”
Because the guild was a gathering place for all kinds of people, one had to remain aware that anything could happen. Yet a guild was still a place where people lived. Though I was told to be cautious, the warning did not truly resonate.
Not until I stepped inside the guild and witnessed its reality with my own eyes.