The Secret Chamber
Yes, honestly speaking. I had underestimated the holy relic sealed away for three hundred years. It was my mistake, and I’m reflecting on it now. Still, it wasn’t entirely without excuses.
‘Because I’d already spent every drop of divine power and had nothing left to contain it.’
Now that I understood the gravity of the situation, the only thing left was to stop the phenomenon. I told everyone to offer morning prayers, then stepped into my tent. Once inside, I took out the relic and sprinkled holy water over the cloth it rested on.
“……”
Would a simple sprinkling be enough? I changed my mind, fetched a wide bowl, filled it with holy water, and submerged the relic completely. I didn’t expect ordinary holy water to solve a three-hundred-year-old relic. What I was really after was something else.
‘What’s the special trait of holy water? It conducts divine power extremely well…’
If I poured divine power into it this way, the energy I supplied would be greatly amplified.
“That’s right. I’ll pack it in nice and tight, so please accept it gratefully.”
The fact that my sleep had been restless meant the relic still possessed enough strength to act even after yesterday’s events. I had known it was powerful, but I hadn’t expected it to be this strong.
“Priest.”
Sister Melody entered my tent in a hurry, apparently to assess the situation.
“Have you heard what happened?”
“Yes. It seems you’ve already taken measures.”
“My body felt heavy when I woke up, but I assumed I was the only one.”
“Everyone reported nightmares. There was no way to miss the cause.”
“You believe this is the culprit as well, Sister?”
“I’m certain. But will this actually work?”
Since the liquid didn’t look like any particular holy water from the outside, she might find it suspicious.
“Would you dip your finger in?”
“……”
Assuming I had a reason for the request, she dipped her finger without hesitation.
“Oh?”
“Can you feel it?”
“Yes. I can. This will definitely have an effect.”
“Good. I intend to keep it fully submerged so the energy can’t leak outward. I hope it works as I expect, though I can’t be sure yet.”
“With this much divine power, nothing should escape. And I believe there’s something more I can contribute.”
Sister Melody left briefly, saying she would fetch something. When she returned, she carried a box of suitable size.
“If we fill this with holy water and seal it, that should suffice. I asked permission and obtained it from another member.”
“Well done. This will make things considerably easier.”
The box fit the relic perfectly. I filled it with holy water, placed the relic inside, closed the lid, and wrapped the whole thing in cloth.
“I’ll perform a procedure now.”
“Yes.”
Wooong—!
Light burst from her hand and sank into the cloth wrapping the box. The glow faded, but I could sense the lingering trace of divine power and recognized it as a form of sealing.
“That was a seal, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. No one will be able to open the box now. It won’t open by accident, either.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“However, it won’t last indefinitely.”
“As long as it holds until we reach the Holy Empire, that’s enough.”
“I’ll renew the seal every three days. Normally it would last a week, but I doubt the relic will remain quiet, so I shortened the interval. If you feel it’s insufficient, please tell me at once.”
I had also been thinking it would be risky to leave the relic unattended for long based on a single seal.
“Understood. It works out well, since I’ll need to replenish the holy water and add more divine power anyway.”
For now we had a temporary solution, but only time would tell how effective it truly was.
After finishing the seal and stepping outside, I found everyone discussing their dreams. Curious about the mood, I listened in.
“The Priest said it’s fine, so what’s the problem?”
“Still, it feels unsettling. Especially after having dreams like that.”
From the conversation, it seemed everyone had suffered nightmares after looting the heretics’ warehouse yesterday and now felt uneasy. The real cause, of course, lay elsewhere.
“Were the dreams very disturbing?”
“S-Sir Priest.”
The moment I appeared, everyone stopped complaining and fell silent.
“Please don’t hold back. Speak freely. If anyone is troubled by what happened, I’ll offer prayers. A short service would be fine as well.”
“It’s nothing. We’re just making a fuss over a single dream.”
“Are you truly all right?”
“Of course. How could we fail to endure something so minor?”
A few team members clearly remained bothered by the dreams, yet most seemed determined to brush the matter aside. I understood the impulse; when people decide to treat something lightly, they commit to it wholeheartedly.
“You don’t have to force yourselves to endure it. I’ll offer separate prayers. So please don’t worry about the dreams and act as you normally would.”
“Really, we’ve only added to your burdens, Priest.”
“Not at all. This is part of my duties. If anything, I’m glad I can help.”
The person who had voiced complaints received a few sharp looks, but everyone brightened once they realized I intended to take care of the matter.
“There aren’t any lingering grudges or anything making our sleep restless, right?”
“Nothing of the sort. This place was used by heretics, so some influence is unavoidable. The items as well. That said, just because heretics used them doesn’t mean every single object is cursed. That would be absurd.”
“Oh dear. I think I’ll put back half of what I took so greedily.”
“Why? You were told to take whatever you wanted.”
“If I’m too greedy, it might come back to haunt me later.”
Each person packed according to their own level of caution. Some still hesitated, unable to decide what to keep. At that moment, Sister Melody spoke up.
“I’ve discovered a hidden room.”
She reported the secret room’s existence to the leader as though she had only just found it. Naturally, the hidden chamber had contained more than a single holy relic.
“However, the power of heresy permeates the entire space. It was likely a secret vault used by a high-ranking heretic. Equipment presumed to have belonged to that individual was also present.”
“I’ll need to inspect it myself, but these don’t seem like items we should touch.”
The leader immediately grasped her meaning.
“Yes. That seems reasonable. Some items may be harmless, yet distinguishing them under the present circumstances would be difficult.”
“I believe we should demonstrate our sincerity to the Holy Empire, which graciously permitted both Sister Melody’s assignment and Priest Arthur’s participation. Therefore, Priest Melody should take everything inside the room.”
“Are you certain you wish to say that without even seeing the contents?”
Sister Melody appeared surprised that the leader showed no reluctance.
“From the beginning, Princess Reciel instructed us not to take any items from this place. I understand that Priest Arthur and Priest Melody also refrained from collecting anything. At most, the Princess herself took a few things. The items in that room seem perfectly suited for distribution among the team, so I feel at ease.”
Considering the true purpose behind the formation of this team, such conduct was perhaps only natural. Princess Reciel had entered the Labyrinth not for wealth, but to lift the curse afflicting her elder sister, Princess Canaby.
‘Still, I thought she would waver at the sight of gold…’
Recalling Princess Canaby’s constant worry for her younger sister brought a smile to my face. I had watched Princess Reciel with similar anxiety, yet it had been unnecessary. Of course, the leader’s steady support at her side had made it possible.
“Still, please examine the room.”
“Of course.”
We needed to check whether anything inside could help lift the curse. There would undoubtedly be more cursed objects than helpful ones.
“It’s here.”
“There was a gap between the walls.”
“It was concealed by the object beside it, making it harder to find. I noticed the draft coming through and located it.”
“It’s too narrow to enter.”
“Is it difficult?”
The leader’s large frame made entry impossible. Sister Melody and Princess Reciel would manage easily, while even my own slender build could barely squeeze through.
“Yes, there’s no chance.”
“We’ll have to fetch a thinner team member.”
“No need to complicate things. I’ll go in, check, and return.”
“It could be dangerous, Princess.”
“With two priests accompanying me, any problem would be manageable.”
One excelled at eliminating threats, the other at saving lives; together they made a reassuring pair. What could the leader accomplish from outside anyway? Moreover—
“There is nothing dangerous inside. I have already checked everything.”
Since Sister Melody had confirmed it was safe, the decision to allow Princess Reciel entry gained unanimous support.
“It’s cold.”
The entire world was frozen, so the moment my back touched the wall, a piercing chill seeped into my body. After days of fighting the cold, the sensation had become familiar.
“It’s narrow.”
“It was a space forcibly created where none existed, so this is all there is.”
If the leader had tried to join us, movement would have been impossible.
“This is a gold ingot, and this is a jewelry box.”
Any ordinary person would have been transfixed, yet Princess Reciel regarded them with complete indifference. Her eyes only lit up when she discovered a box filled with potions.
“May I take these?”
“Of course. Please verify their effects before use.”
“Naturally.”
I wondered whether any of those potions might hold the power to save Princess Canaby.
I hoped a miracle would occur.