Chapter 23 : Holy Empire Subjugation Force (5)

Not in any other place, but within the temple itself, a priest was nearly killed due to involvement in another nation’s succession dispute. However, it is rare for such an incident to be reported to the Pope.

This is because, to the Emperor of the Holy Empire, the life of a mere priest was an insignificant matter.

Yet, several factors played a significant role: the fact that the report was submitted by Bishop Haman, that the incident occurred within the Labyrinth Temple, and that it happened during a highly sensitive period.

“This is an act of disregard by the Deltrak Empire against the Holy Empire. If we remain silent, won’t they assume it’s acceptable? This is an opportunity to issue a firm warning.”

“Before that, there’s something important to address. Is the priest in question unharmed? Any injuries would be unacceptable.”

“Ah! Yes, it seems there were no severe injuries. However, the psychological shock must have been immense.”

After all, claiming a shock even when there wasn’t one was necessary to maximize compensation.

“Of course, going through such a harrowing ordeal must have been deeply traumatic. It’s reassuring to hear they are safe.”

“I’ll arrange a meeting with the Deltrak Empire.”

“Hmm.”

The Pope, with his hands behind his back, fell into thought.

The Labyrinth had only recently opened.

Diplomatic negotiations between nations were underway.

Amid this, an unfortunate incident occurred, and coincidentally, the victim was from our Holy Empire.

“If anyone seeks personal gain from this situation, I will be deeply disappointed.”

“!!”

Those who had been devising ways to exploit the Deltrak Empire froze in their tracks.

“Negotiate with the understanding of what serves that person and what benefits the future of our Holy Empire. Do you understand?”

“…Yes, I understand.”

The Pope had never intervened when it came to extracting money from other nations.

Yet, by explicitly stating not to seek personal gain, it became clear he intended to use this incident as “propaganda.”

“When the sun was obscured by dark clouds, the Labyrinth’s gates opened. For a long time, I pondered the meaning of that day. Why did such a thing happen? Why, of all times, did the gates open when the sun disappeared?”

Gulp—

Everyone swallowed nervously at the Pope’s meaningful words.

“We must uncover the truth. What is the Labyrinth? Why did he issue a divine oracle to seal it?”

“Indeed, Your Holiness, wise words.”

“The Labyrinth has only just opened. Each nation is monitoring one another as they attempt to conquer it. This is a critical moment.”

“Yes.”

The Pope warned against being blinded by immediate greed and making errors.

“What is the name?”

“Excuse me?”

“The name of the priest who faced this ordeal.”

“Oh—it’s Priest Arthur. He’s a remarkably talented individual, young yet capable of qualifying as a senior healer.”

“If this issue is resolved well, provide him with generous compensation. That priest safeguarded the honor of our Holy Empire, did he not?”

Imagine if Priest Arthur had succumbed to mere greed and accepted an offer.

The problem of intervening in another nation’s succession dispute aside, if a royal had died within the temple, it could have caused an international crisis.

How would we have dealt with the presence of a dishonorable priest? Just imagining it is headache-inducing.

“If this incident becomes widely known, won’t it serve as an inspiration to all?”

“Indeed, Your Holiness. I will ensure that everyone learns of it.”

The Pope’s orders were delivered.

Before long, the story of how a senior healer had experienced unjust violence and stood against it with remarkable courage spread among the clergy.

“These days, the problem of corrupt priests is rampant, but this priest, whoever they are, is extraordinary.”

Some people sincerely admired the story after hearing it.

“A priest should act like this! So, what’s that priest’s name?”

Others expressed curiosity about the individual who achieved such a feat.

“A senior healer? Which faction are they from? Neutral? Then perhaps we could recruit them.”

Still, others schemed to draw the capable priest into their ranks.

The Holy Empire was abuzz with varied reactions.

After all, don’t all people hold a sense of pride in their nation deep within their hearts?

The corruption of the clergy had become a major headache for the Holy Empire, and in times like these, the tale of a priest maintaining their dignity even in a life-threatening situation was enough to evoke pride and stir the heart.

Indeed, even here, nationalistic pride struck a chord.

“Congratulations.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Take care of yourself.”

“Of course, I will.”

I hadn’t expected things to escalate this much.

In the rumors spreading among the public, there was no mention of Princess Kanabi.

The story was reduced to me getting caught up in a succession dispute involving a noble family from the Deltrak Empire and narrowly avoiding severe harm.

Even with just that, I received many words of concern and congratulations.

The concerns were for my physical well-being, while the congratulations were due to the recognition and reward I received for my exemplary behavior that reflected well on the Holy Empire.

‘I knew the Holy Empire made a habit of milking money from other nations, but I didn’t expect them to be this generous.’

I now had enough money in my pocket to easily purchase a house in a sizable city.

Of course, I didn’t go around boasting about how much I received.

Beyond that, I also started receiving discreet offers to join various factions.

I politely declined, saying I wanted to maintain my neutrality for now, but they left the door open, telling me to reach out if I ever changed my mind.

At first, I didn’t understand why they were so insistent, but I later realized it was because the Holy Empire had used this incident as propaganda.

‘I didn’t expect Sir Rafael’s absence to be this noticeable.’

Sir Rafael, who had been helping me with various matters, had entered the Labyrinth with the subjugation squad.

For the first few days, his absence didn’t feel significant since there were no issues at the temple.

But not long after the subjugation squad departed, rumors about the incident with Princess Kanabi spread rapidly, causing chaos in the temple.

Sir Rafael had ensured that the number of knights guarding the temple was increased, but it wasn’t enough to stop all the curious visitors coming to see me.

If Sir Rafael had been here, it would’ve been easier to manage the situation—a regretful thought.

Exhausted from dealing with the flood of people, I finally arrived at Princess Kanabi’s hospital room.

Two knights were stationed outside the room, and one of them, who had been involved in the incident with me, gave me a polite nod.

I returned the knight’s greeting with a smile.

“Have you had lunch, knights?”

“Yes, Priest.”

“How is the princess doing?”

“She seems to be stable for now.”

The incident had been publicized widely enough that it reached Princess Kanabi’s ears, and she learned about everything that had happened.

However, a significant part of the incident had been omitted.

Specifically, the fact that the knight had deliberately observed while I was put in danger.

The knight and I had agreed to keep that detail between us.

‘He did apologize sincerely after hearing that I had already reported the incident to the temple.’

With a deeply worried expression, he had offered an earnest apology, aware of the potential ramifications.

‘They say to hate the sin, not the sinner.’

A priest cannot act coldly toward someone who genuinely regrets their wrongdoings.

If the apology were insincere, it would be a different matter, but the knight truly regretted and repented for his actions.

Having once heard many confessions from believers, I’ve developed a sense for distinguishing between false apologies and genuine remorse. After receiving a sincere apology, I decided to forgive the knight, and we agreed to keep his actions a secret.

‘I never intended to mention what the knight did in the first place.’

Revealing what the knight did would only complicate the situation.

Thus, I chose to leave out any mention of him when reporting the incident.

In a situation where I would continue treating Princess Kanabi, it made no sense to jeopardize the rapport we were building.

When I extended compassion first, the knight responded with an unexpectedly gentle demeanor.

Before I could even reach for the door, the knight opened it for me.

“Thank you.”

Upon entering, I noticed the lights were on and addressed Princess Kanabi.

“You left the lights on.”

Usually, by this time of day, the lights in her room would be off.

The reason, of course, was her hallucinations and delusions.

A considerable amount of time had passed since Princess Kanabi was cursed.

Judging by the lack of progress, it seemed those who entered the Labyrinth had failed to locate the monster responsible for her affliction.

The problem was that the longer this dragged on, the stronger the curse became.

At first, she only experienced hallucinations, delusions, and pain in her left arm.

Now, she occasionally suffered from temporary blindness or deafness.

‘On top of that, the most pressing issue is that these episodes are happening more frequently.’

Although I visited her regularly, I didn’t always provide treatment.

Sometimes I would merely chat with her or keep her company during meals before leaving.

Lately, however, I had to administer treatment every time I visited because Princess Kanabi was in too much pain otherwise.

“How are you feeling today?”

“It’s bearable.”

Someone who once claimed to feel fine now described their condition as bearable.

For a person with her high tolerance for pain to say such things, it was clear she was suffering immensely.

Unable to sleep due to the pain, Princess Kanabi had noticeably lost weight since I first met her.

“Why didn’t you turn off the lights?”

“Turning them off doesn’t help anymore. The symptoms have worsened, and what I see has changed.”

“How long does the relief from treatment last now?”

“…About an hour and a half.”

“That’s barely any relief at all.”

If treatment only alleviated her symptoms for an hour and a half, then my efforts to contain the curse’s progression were practically ineffective.