A Journey with Rat and Dragon (4)
“The temple in Armen is... pretty big, huh.”
“It has to be that large to handle a population this size.”
Honestly, the temples in rural areas are just small by comparison. Plus, they were serving multiple gods at once. And the villages didn't have that many residents to begin with, so no need for anything grand.
Anyway.
“Let's head in for now.”
“Huh? Right now? No preparations or procedures or anything?”
“Do we need something like that?”
At my words, Maybel started to say something but then closed her mouth. My very existence is a temple free pass, after all. Though outwardly, I'm keeping my identity hidden. I just need to give a subtle hint to a priest who seems reasonable.
“Is it really okay?”
“Just trust me. I'll handle everything.”
With that, I strode confidently toward the temple entrance.
“A meeting with the High Priest of the temple? Did you make a reservation in advance?”
“Nah, didn't do anything like that.”
“In that case, please apply for a reservation. If you do it now... it'll be available in three weeks.”
“Three weeks?!”
“Yes. The High Priest of the Life Goddess is an extremely busy person.”
I was stopped by the staff member at the information desk inside the entrance.
“No, uh, this is really urgent.”
“Plenty of people say that when trying to meet the High Priest. We can't make exceptions to the proper procedures.”
Hmm. Should I complain that this is a total roadblock, or praise them for sticking strictly to protocol? I could feel Maybel fidgeting anxiously behind me.
Well, no helping it.
I subtly let a bit of divine power leak out.
“Even if you look cute, rules are rules. You can't think that'll get you anywhere.”
The desk staff didn't notice the divine power I released at all.
Well... yeah. Not everyone working at a temple has to be a priest.
But.
Crash! Clatter!!!
“Wh-what was that just now!!”
The priests inside did notice.
“Oh? Priests? What's with the sudden...”
“What was that divine power just now?! That endlessly dense divine power we felt for just a moment...!”
“H-has the Goddess descended?!”
Hmm... To pick up on a brief leak of divine power like that. They're pretty skilled.
Anyone who couldn't detect it wouldn't be qualified to serve me anyway. Especially since I did it on purpose.
“Mind if I step inside for a chat?”
The priests looked at me, exchanged glances, and nodded in unison.
Good. That's how it should be.
A temple is the home of the god it serves. You can't block the god from entering her own house.
“It's settled. Let's go in.”
“Ah, y-yeah...”
And so Maybel and I followed the priests deeper into the temple.
“If it's not too rude...”
“Don't ask if it's rude.”
How embarrassing would it be to admit I got blocked at the entrance of my own temple and couldn't meet the High Priest?
“I'm forbidding questions about my identity too. Just guess in your hearts. Whatever you think it is, you'll be right. But don't say it out loud.”
“Y-yes! Understood.”
The priests treated me with utmost reverence. So much so that if I told them to grovel on the floor, they'd drop flat immediately.
“S-so, Your Excellency, what brings you here? Surely... a new Hero...?”
“Not that. Don't speculate.”
“Ah, yes.”
I took a sip of the flower tea in front of me, with the priests seated before us.
Whew. Nice floral aroma.
“I'm here for something minor—looking for someone.”
I beckoned slightly to Maybel, who was shrinking behind me, and she stepped forward in front of the priests.
“This child's mother sent a letter through the Life Temple. Does anyone know anything?”
“This child...?”
“Ran into her by chance, and she's got a tough situation. She says her mother, whom she separated from as a kid, sent a letter from here to her rural village.”
“A letter?”
Maybel pulled a neatly folded parchment from her bosom.
"My dear Maybel..."
“My mom, who I separated from when I was little, sent me this letter. It says it was sent from here, so I came looking for clues.”
“Hmm... A letter...”
One of the priests looked at the letter and spoke up.
“Plenty of people send letters through the Life Temple. How could we remember them all?”
“It was sent about a year ago. Does anyone remember?”
“We send out dozens a day. There might be records somewhere, but how would we know who sent which one?”
Hmm... That many letters?
“C-can't you do something? She's a rat beastkin like me, with gray hair just like mine...”
“Rat beastkin... Hmm...”
Then one priest raised a hand, as if remembering something.
“Come to think of it, about a year ago, someone who looked like a rat beastkin did come by...”
“Really?! You remember?!”
“I was busy, so I didn't look closely, but small build, big round ears—probably a rat beastkin.”
Maybel clung desperately to the priest.
“Please! I beg you! Any clue about my mom!”
“I don't know much! Just that her unfamiliar appearance caught my eye...”
“And? Anything else? Please, think of it as saving a life!!!”
Maybel wailed, clinging and pleading.
I pulled her away from the priest.
“Maybel, calm down first.”
“But...”
I gently infused a bit of divine power into the teary-eyed Maybel to steady her unstable emotions.
“Ooh...”
“That much divine power...”
“As expected...”
Ignoring the priests' reactions.
“Anything else you remember about that rat beastkin from a year ago?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. Beastkin are rare in Armen, so she stuck in my memory.”
“Hmm... Anything else? Any other details?”
The priest pondered, then murmured as if struck by a thought.
“Come to think of it... she had a peculiar smell.”
“A smell?”
“Yes. A musty odor that's hard to smell in Armen.”
Musty smell? Hmm...
“No other clues?”
“No, nothing else really...”
No other leads, huh.
Maybel slumped in deep disappointment at the priest's words.
“Is there no way...? No way to find Mom...?”
“Not right now, but we did confirm one thing.”
“Huh?”
I looked straight at Maybel.
“Someone presumed to be your mother came to this temple a year ago. That's a fact, right?”
“But...”
“We don't know if that rat beastkin was your mom. But it seems certain she sent the letter from here.”
In the worst case, the letter could have been a trap to lure the kid. Or the sender might not even be her mom.
But that's another issue. For now, it looks like the letter came from here.
“As for clues... the smell, maybe.”
Would be nice if there were more.
Hmm.
“Anyway, thanks. Maybel, let's head back.”
“Huh? We still don't have enough on Mom!”
“We've heard all we can for now. We'll try other methods for the rest.”
Maybel looked a bit dissatisfied but had no choice but to nod.
We need to go back and organize the info first.
As we prepared to leave, the priest in the finest robes approached.
“Um, Your Excellency, where are you staying?”
“Mm. Got a room at an inn.”
It was decent enough—the guard recommended it. A bit pricey, but.
Silver's no big deal.
“I see. If you hadn't arranged lodging, we were prepared to offer our temple's accommodations...”
“Already got a good spot, so no need.”
“But... we wanted to host Your Excellency properly.”
I shook my head slightly.
“This is plenty. Don't fuss over me anymore. And keep my presence a secret.”
“But Your Excellency appearing in the world again... Doesn't that mean we need a Hero's power?”
“Nah. Got nothing to do with Heroes.”
I'm just sightseeing the world, after all.
So.
“Forget about me. Got it?”
“Understood, Your Excellency.”
The priests nodded meekly.
Well, it'll leak out where it will anyway. Better than not saying anything.
And so Maybel and I left the temple.