Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 123
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 123
Thanks to unexpected help, getting inside the temple had turned out to be simpler than I’d anticipated.
And seeing how enthusiastically Licht was stepping up to resolve things, Petrick’s situation also looked like it would somehow work out.
So what I had to do was…
“I don’t know exactly what, but like the priest said, I should probably be doing something active here. Right?”
“Peep-eep.”
Nature, who had been quietly hiding in my pocket until now, slipped out and nodded solemnly.
Its expression seemed to say, ‘That Licht fellow — he was actually a good guy after all.’
Chuckling to myself, I sat up in bed and slowly mulled over what came next.
First, it was still too soon to let my guard down.
Just how kind and good a person Licht really was remained to be seen, something I’d only find out by observing him closely from now on.
After all, wasn’t he, in name, an Archbishop candidate right at the center of the temple’s political arena?
Even though he’d brought me here like this, he might very well turn around and handle matters exactly as he pleased, acting as if we’d never met.
Still, thanks to him…
‘The fact is, I did get in here easily.’
That seemed to be a concession from Licht’s side as well, so long as he didn’t pry into my identity. For now, let’s consider it a mutual deferral.
“Still, who knows when my identity might slip…”
I pulled out paper and pen, wrote a letter to my younger brother and sent it off, then got up.
“Shall we take a quick turn around the place before that reliable priest shows up?”
“Peep.”
I shared a sly grin with Nature.
* * *
I was able to stroll freely through the temple interior without any real restriction.
It was thanks to the ‘Honored Guest Token’ Licht had left for me.
“Oh! Th-this token! Are you not the guest from the prophetic dream? Welcome, please come in. Without even a guiding priest, however did you manage on your own…”
“Ahaha. I came out because I wanted to look around by myself. Would it be all right if I took a quick tour?”
“Yes. Please look around at your leisure. I shall pray that God’s blessings are ever with you.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I casually mimicked the priest’s hand gesture as I walked along.
The priests, though startled upon seeing me, made way — perhaps intending to let me have a little time to myself.
‘This is rather comfortable, isn’t it?’
It seemed it was true that Licht had smoothed things over for my convenience.
Even though it was morning prayer time, no one was bothering me.
‘What could he be up to, though?’
‘A guest of the Archbishop candidate must be no ordinary person.’
Of course, the curious gazes couldn’t be helped, but I was unfazed — maybe because I’d often gotten them back at the family estate as well.
On the other hand, something did pique my curiosity.
‘There really aren’t many old people.’
Most of the people in the temple were about my age, or even younger.
Was this also the influence of the ‘ritual’?
‘That’s not something I can do anything about right now, so let’s move on.’
Passing by the many people heading to the prayer rooms, I walked toward the area that was relatively empty.
“Let’s see.”
Looking at the guideboard…
As expected, the corridors leading to the worship hall seemed to be bursting at the seams, whereas the school of theology and the garden areas looked comparatively empty.
It was a perfect direction for me.
‘Let’s start by heading to the school of theology.’
If I had the Honored Guest Token, I could go anywhere, so it seemed nice to go to the library in the theology school, do some reading, and head back when the time was right.
Just then, a library far humbler in size compared to the one inside the Asteri family estate caught my eye.
‘The books here are probably related to the myths of Anyatras, right?’
If so, I’d find them plenty interesting.
I picked up any book at random and opened it up.
And then—
“Hm?”
Something felt off, so I examined the book from several angles.
‘Something’s weird.’
It was clearly the book placed at the very front.
Which meant it was a book anyone could easily reach — one that should have been arranged so that even a small child could grab it at once…
[God and the Shadow: An Inquiry into the Ancient Abyss and Wisdom, Volume IV]
…The title printed on it practically screamed ‘I am a difficult book’ no matter who looked at it.
‘Come to think of it, this one too.’
Oh my? This one as well?
I pulled out several more books from the shelf at a child’s eye level.
A number of clearly difficult books had been stuck there.
Conversely, the books at my eye level — that is, up high — were mostly ones with simple content.
- Introduction to Theology from the Basics
- Learn the Story of Anyatras through Song!
“…This is a mess, isn’t it?”
How on earth do you tidy up to end up with a mess like this?
Right then.
“Hoho… I have shown our honored guest a shameful sight.”
From a short distance away, a stooped priest slowly walked out.
An elderly priest with white hair, wearing thick round glasses.
“Ah! My apologies. Without thinking, my frustration got the better of me and I was rude.”
“I am the librarian in charge of the books here, but my constitution is poor, and I am shamefully unable to keep them properly organized…”
The priest, adjusting his round glasses, swept a hand over the bookshelf as if in regret.
A fine white dust came showering down along the priest’s hand.
It looked exactly like the accumulation of all those years, and it made my heart sink.
“I do make an effort in my own way, but even the grace of Anyatras does not straighten this old back of mine… Hoho.”
“…”
For some reason, Sylvia came to mind.
‘Now that I think about it, Sylvia made an expression like that once.’
It seemed I’d inadvertently touched on an unpleasant nerve.
“I shall continue tidying at my own gentle pace, so there is no need for you to worry, honored guest…”
“If, that is, you wouldn’t mind.”
“Yes?”
“Would it be all right if I helped you organize this place?”
“Oh my… If the honored guest wishes it. This too must be the grace of Anyatras.”
Truthfully, after seeing the highly ordered state of the library labyrinth, I simply couldn’t stand looking at a library that was this realistically disheveled.
An uncontrollable impulse welled up!
‘And I’ve just happened to gain a useful ability, too.’
Hadn’t I acquired a new ability a few days ago while making the blocks?
I immediately pulled out every last book in the library.
Then I took the dye that the Golden Branch and Jade Leaf twins had given me out of my pocket.
‘I’ll paint the bottom of the spines and classify them by difficulty level.’
At least if I divided them into basic, intermediate, and advanced, they’d be easier to tell apart.
“Hm?”
“I’ve always been interested in the books here. I wanted to read through them starting from the basics, so this worked out well. Could you perhaps help me in classifying the books by level?”
As I said this with a wink, I began sorting.
“…!”
At those words, the elderly librarian-priest’s eyes went round.
A sudden encounter, a sudden act of service, a sudden task.
Yet for some reason, it felt as if he had gained a grandchild who was now helping him with his work.
‘How can there be such a good-hearted person!’
Lines of joy etched themselves deeper around the priest’s eyes.
“Hoho… Then, would you care to study the myths of Anyatras a bit with this old man…?”
“It would be my honor.”
And so one hour passed. Two hours.
Before the sun had even risen above our heads.
“…!”
[Painting Proficiency experience points have increased by 20%.]
The old priest’s eyes flew wide open in amazement.
‘I-is this even possible?!’
All the books that had been pulled out of the library were now neatly arranged on the shelves according to their level!
‘Impossible!’
Weren’t these the very books he had personally selected and set aside — in a hundred distinct tiers!
No matter how much he had assisted, it was not a task that could be easily accomplished.
“How in the world… No…”
Librarian and priest.
No, Ann — the head of the Anyatras Asteri Branch School of Theology — stared at the honored guest who had perfectly cleared his test, and clicked his tongue.
Not just knowledge, but goodness in helping others.
And even patience, too.
For someone who possessed all of this to be not a priest, but an honored guest, of all people!
‘What a waste of talent!’
“Truly remarkable…”
“It’s nothing. How hard it must have been to manage this on your own. Even I found it this difficult. Didn’t the others help you?”
“That is not quite…”
The priests who had been singled out as ‘the others’ tried to say something in their defense but closed their mouths.
Ann, the head of the school of theology, wiped away a tear before collecting himself.
This was a chance.
Even though he could not sense a shred of holy power from this person, considering that an Archbishop candidate had brought him as an honored guest, and that he possessed outstanding understanding of theology, the possibility of him becoming a pillar of the theology school was limitless.
‘Perhaps this honored guest is the very key to solving this ongoing crisis of holy power depletion!’
Therefore, even if it meant being rude, he would make the request…!
“Honored guest. It may be a rude question… Ahem. Might I ask what your name is…?”
Right then.
“Ah, there you were.”
From a distance, Licht appeared in a hurry, as if he’d been searching around for me.
And then, when he faced Ann… Zzzzt.
A brief exchange of glances
crackled between them.
“I’ve been looking for you. Let us go back promptly.”
“Oh, oh dear. My back! Honored guest, my apologies, but could you help escort me just as far as inside the school of theology?”
“Pardon?”
“Honored guest. I have something urgent to discuss with you.”
Ann and Licht each seized one of my arms and began to pull.
“What? No, why are you both suddenly acting like this?”
Unable to grasp the situation, I found myself abruptly sandwiched in the middle, unable to go with either.
I couldn’t just shake one off because one of them was an old man, and I couldn’t shake off the other because he was the very person who might just save Petrick!
‘No, seriously, what is with these priests?!’
Right at that desperate, crucial moment!
“Peep-yooo!”
Nature — who had been quietly, or perhaps discontentedly, observing the situation from inside my pocket — dramatically shot up into the air, let out a loud cry, and spewed a spray of ice-cold water.
Fwooosh!
Several droplets of water as chilly as a snowflake of House Bydantis splashed onto each person’s face.
…
“For starters, shall we go inside the school of theology and talk?”
“…Let us do that.”
Now conscious of their own unseemly behavior, the priests calmed themselves and headed inside.
* * *
“…I sincerely apologize for the commotion earlier. It was because your talent, honored guest, was so exceptional.”
“Not at all. I’m just glad you thought well of it.”
“Ahem. You may rest assured. Though this person’s eyes do occasionally glaze over when he discovers a new theology student, he is unequivocally an ally.”
“An ally, you say…”
Licht covered his reddened face with a fist, coughed a few times, and answered.
“Allow me to introduce him. This gentleman is the head of the school of theology, who seeks to fundamentally resolve the holy power depletion crisis.”
“Aha, the head of the school of theology…”
Huh?
I looked at Ann once more.
“The head of the school of theology… sir?”
“Hoho. Embarrassing as it is, I am indeed addressed by such a title.”
Putting his round glasses back on, Ann laughed a good-natured laugh, “Hoho.”
“Now, now, that’s not what’s important at the moment. Though I do not know how our honored guest is aware of this problem, his ability alone is such that even I can only click my tongue. So… meager as it may be, I intend to share everything I know.”
“Just a moment.”
I raised a hand.
“You two don’t know my identity, right? Is that truly all right?”
“It’s fine.”
“Because you are an honored guest.”
“…”
Is… that so?
If my identity comes to light later, don’t blame me?
I — Lion Asteri — quietly lowered the hand I had raised.