Chapter 21: At the temple (1)

Chapter 21: At the temple
(1)

“I
want to die.”

That’s
what Jeremy said as soon as he regained consciousness.

He
looked down at his chest, then back up and passed out.

After
another ten minutes of helplessness in front of the labyrinth, Jeremy
woke up.

“Why,
why can’t I wake up from this dream? Yes, it’s a dream, a crazy
dream. If it’s a dream, there’s no explanation. There’s no way I
could have turned into a woman.”

I
don’t know what it’s like when a man turns into a woman. To be
honest, I don’t really want to know. I’m sure it’s fucking terrible.

Still,
I couldn’t waste time like this. I walked over to Jeremy.

“Jeremy.
Wake up.”

“No,
brother⋯this
is ridiculous. I
still have Anya. She likes me as a man, not me as a woman. She’s
straight, not a lesbian. She’s⋯”

“Anya
is dead.”

“⋯ah.”

Jeremy’s
face went white. Reality was starting to set in but I still remember
what he said.

This
would give him hope.

“And
you said you’d bring her back from the dead.”

“⋯⋯!”

“You
promised yourself that you would grow strong and obtain the miracle
of resurrection that exists somewhere in the Labyrinth, didn’t you?”

“⋯Yes,
I did.”

Jeremy
nodded slowly but his face remained stony.

“But.
Even if I get stronger, even if I get a miracle, even if I bring Anya
back to life⋯it
won’t mean anything⋯if
she doesn’t look at me.”

“Meaningless.
You’ll be strong enough by the time Anya is resurrected, and you will
have the money to erase the blessing.”

“Ah!”

Yes,
blessings and curses can be erased at the temple.

The
only problem is that the cost of removing a blessing or curse
skyrockets the more you do it.

The
mere realization that a blessing or curse could be removed was enough
to change Jeremy’s complexion in an instant.

“Yes,
first I get stronger and resurrect Anya, then I remove the blessing
and turn myself back into a man!”

I
nodded in agreement, visibly excited by the newfound hope.

“I
can be with Anya again!”

“I
know. We’ve got a long way to go, and now you’re standing here
despairing like this?”

“No!”

Jeremy
jumped to his feet, his despair at the state of affairs he had just
been in.

“I
have a long way to go to destroy the goblins, save Anya, and become a
man again⋯”

Jeremy
squeezed his eyes shut and repeated his goal, then turned back to
face me and bowed his head deeply.

“Thank
you, brother! You’ve really brought me back to my senses.”

“Yeah.
That’s it.”

It
was fucking awkward to see the guy who was a guy just a moment ago
turn into a girl and bow down to me like a brother, so I just nodded.

“How
does a man’s goal turn into a woman⋯
phew⋯”

I
smacked the head of Grumpy, who laughed quietly behind me.

“Ngit⋯”

It
felt like a slap in the face to get this reaction.

“Why
did you hit me all of a sudden?”

“⋯You
don’t know a man’s heart, you vicious bitch.”

“⋯Ah.
I know. He’s a man at the top of the love pyramid, and he just
plummeted to the bottom, so it’s understandable.”

“⋯No,
that’s not what
I meant⋯”

A
man turns into a woman and the first thing she thinks about is the
dating market, is this a proper human idea?

Where
did you throw away your pride and dignity?

‘If
it were me, the moment I switched to a woman, I would have killed
myself.’

Whether
it boosts experience efficiency or not, if I can’t see it I just feel
like I’m losing the will to live.

At
the same time, I realized the dangers of the blessings and curses
that I had only vaguely felt.

‘If
I get the wrong one, I’m fucked.’

When
I think about it, despite losing the symbol of masculinity, getting a
hole instead, and growing breasts on his pectorals, it’s quite
remarkable how Jeremy regained his sanity by thinking about his
girlfriend.

“Come
on, let’s go, this is no time for this, let’s get back to the
labyrinth-“

“Not
there, you crazy bastard!”

I
shouted back, interrupting Jeremy as he was about to enter the
labyrinth again.

I
quickly canceled the thought I had just had. This guy is still crazy.

“Let
me ask you a question.”

While
we were making a ruckus in front of the labyrinth, a man dressed as a
priest approached us.

‘Doesn’t
that look like what Adolf was wearing?’

Adolf
was a priest, and there is only one other organization in the
Labyrinth City that dresses like that.

“Greetings,
my name is Sorvel, apprentice cleric of the Order of the Great
Earthmother.”

The
Order of the Earth Goddess. The big boys of the temple district
located south of Labyrinth City.

“Me,
a man⋯
hehe, me, a man⋯
me, a man⋯
me, a man⋯
me, a man⋯
me!”

“⋯Yes?
Ah, yes⋯”

Sorvel’s
face turned white as he looked at the woman who was acting like a man
and making me want to stay away from her and pretend I didn’t know
her.

He
began to backpedal.

“I’m
Balkan, a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sorvel.”

“Ah,
yes, it’s a pleasure, Mr. Balkan.”

Grabbing
Jeremy by the scruff of the neck, I stepped forward, and Sorvel
looked a little relieved to see the same man.

“What
brings you here?”

“Ah.
Yes. After watching from afar, it looks like you’ve been cursed this
time, is that right?”

‘It
was business.’

It
can only be one of two things.

You
either get a blessing and rejoice, or you get a curse and despair.

If
you get a blessing, go to the temple to check the details of the
blessing, and if you get a curse, go to the temple to get rid of it.

One
way or another, this leads to the temple and Sorvel is supposed to
lead those people to the temple.

“Hmm.
If it’s a curse, it’s a terrible curse, and if it’s a blessing, it’s
an efficient blessing.”

“Example⋯⋯?”

“Well,
once a man turned into a woman.”

“Kahahahahaha!”

“⋯⋯?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯Ah.
Hmm. Hmmm.

For
a moment, a hint of mockery and pity crossed Sorvel’s face.

Somehow,
this girl wasn’t worried about the man’s dignity, but about his fall
in the dating market.

“I,
please don’t look at me like that⋯
I’m begging you⋯”

Even
the priest was at a loss for words, and Jeremy was even more
frustrated by the comforting words he was given.

“But
don’t worry too much,” said the priest, “we have the
blessing of the Great Mother Goddess to solve the most terrible
disasters in the world.”

Sorvel’s
expression instantly changed to that of a salesman.

“Did
you know that the Adventurer’s Guild and the Earth Mother Church have
recently started offering free blessings verification for explorers?”

“Ah.
Yes. I am aware of that.”

I’d
heard about it from time to time when I served at Diana’s tavern.

-Has
the once stingy temple gone senile or completely crazy? They are now
verifying blessings and curses for free if you get one!

-Oh,
I heard about that too. They even pay you to have it appraised if
it’s a unique or newly discovered blessing or curse.

“As
far as I know, there hasn’t been a horrible, ugly curse that turns a
man into a woman ⋯
ahem, no, a blessing. Well, you’re in luck, because if you come to
the temple and confirm the details of the blessing, I’ll give you a
whopping five silver coins. You and the rest of the party, of
course!”

Sorvel
glared at us as he said that.

Jeremy
was now listening as well, a curious look on his face.

Meanwhile,
I thought,

‘⋯Fucking
cheap.’

with
a sense of foreboding.

‘This
is what it’s all about, selling your personal information and getting
rewarded.’

Of
course, it was safe to say that the Temple was the most trustworthy
organization in Labyrinth City.

They
were one of the living consciences of the Labyrinth City, often
taking care of the weak in the streets.

However,
there was something of a nuisance next to the temple.

Explorers’
Union⋯.

For
a moment, Deluna’s face flashed in my mind’s eye. The weight of her
head in my backpack suddenly felt much heavier.

‘Oh,
my God. I’m getting so suspicious.’

I
can’t trust anyone. Am I overthinking this? Who should I let in, who
should I keep out⋯?

Let’s
keep it as simple as possible.

Do
I need money right now? No.

Five
silver coins is a lot of money, but I don’t need it right away.

I
do owe Diana’s money for lodging and food, but I’ll be able to pay
her back through my work at the tavern and future exploration of the
Labyrinth. For now, I haven’t even gotten paid for what I got from
the Labyrinth this time.

So
is there a reason to go to the temple? Yes, there is.

I
felt the weight of the staff and cross necklace on my backpack.

No
matter what, I must deliver Adolf’s death to the temple where she
belonged. It’s the least I can do to be human.

After
all, I must accompany her to the temple.

So
is it necessary for me, with a status window, to go to the temple?

In
my personal opinion, yes.

[◆
Blessing of ???]

–
???

–
Stamina +10 Strength +10 Agility +10

This
mysterious blessing has been there ever since I could see the status
window.

I
don’t know exactly what it’s called, or when, or where, or how I got
it, though I’m enjoying its effects.

Did
I get it when I first came to this world, did I get it when my status
window synced, or if not, what the hell is this blessing?

‘If
the temple, which has been dealing with blessings and curses for
hundreds of years, appraises it, shouldn’t they be able to uncover
the true nature of this blessing?’

It
was a plausible enough idea worth a try.

I
opened my eyes to find Grumpy and Jeremy staring at me. Suddenly, I
was the decision maker among the three.

“⋯Okay,
let’s go.”

Sorvel
grinned.

***

“The
Earth Mother gives a great blessing to this world, and soon the
labyrinth will be colored with light…”

“Don’t
you ever get bored with all that nonsense?”

The
nun who had been silently reciting the revelation slowly opened her
eyes.

A
black, unholy demon was in front of her.

“What’s
the point of giving revelation after revelation, when have they ever
been true to their word?”

“That’s
because we don’t understand what he means. His revelations have
always been right, and we’ve always been wrong.”

“Who
doesn’t have a way with words? The barking of a passing dog is a
prophecy if you interpret it in all the right ways.”

“⋯What
are you doing here all of a sudden? Are you here to settle a score?”

“No,
nothing like that.”

The
demon pulled something out of his pocket and threw it in front of the
nun.

The
nun silently maneuvered the wand in her hand to catch it.

“A
necklace with a ⋯
cross on it?”

“Yes.
It’s a holy relic to find the ‘right one’ you’ve been searching for,
for four years.”

“⋯⋯!”

The
nun sucked in a quiet breath.

“⋯You
must have gone to great lengths to bring it here, so why would you
just give it away? What
is its purpose?”

“⋯Purpose.”

The
demon pondered for a moment.

Then,
snap!

“Serif
Adeline, I have come to visit a group of people who have been
cursed⋯nay,
blessed⋯with
a terrible and unusual curse.”

The
apprentice priest outside said.

“Alas.
I’m afraid this is the end of our meeting.”

“⋯⋯”

“Make
good use of it. I’m not sure if there will be anyone suitable among
the people coming to this cramped temple, but if there is, the
necklace will vibrate and let you know. It’ll shake just as intensely
as a magic dildo. Pfft.”

The
demon that had sneered at Serif in a bloodthirsty manner was already
gone by the time the light of the grate shone once.

“⋯Whoo.”

Sighing
unnecessarily, Serif looked at the necklace with reluctance for a
long moment, before finally putting it on cautiously.

The
cross settled into the center of her cleavage as if it had found its
rightful place.

I
don’t know what the demon’s intentions are, but this is the holy
relic I’ve been searching for all these years, all the way into the
labyrinth.

I
wanted to test it, at least.

Ding!

“Serif
Adeline?”

Serif
clasped her hands together to greet her visitor and gave a faint
smile. It was so easy to create such a fake smile now.

“Yep.
I’m ready, please come in.”

As
if on cue, the heavy door swung open. Light streamed in through the
cracks, and three people entered.

A
woman with a sharp expression, a woman with a face that seemed filled
with unjust suffering, and…

“⋯⋯What?”

“⋯You
are⋯”

Boooooooo!!!

“What⋯?!”

The
holy object that she just put on shook frantically, irritating
Serif’s chest.

Serif
looked in the direction of the necklace with a puzzled face.

It
must have been two meters tall. A warrior’s body, so massive and
muscular that it wouldn’t look out of place in a large, clunky Great
Helm, a fantasy brought to life.

It
was a body she had seen only once in her life, though it was not one
she was used to seeing as a woman of the clergy.

‘A
month ago, when I went down to the Labyrinth⋯!’

“It
seems we meet again here.”

The
man bowed his head and said hello.

Buuuuuuuuuuu!!!

“Hmph!”

“⋯⋯?”

The
necklace twitched frantically as he moved.

As
if he, himself, was the one she had been looking for, for so long.