Chapter 76: Bath and Purify (1)

Chapter 76: Bath and Purify
(1)

It
all started two weeks ago, when I encountered Nate Elin at the
fountain.

“What
the hell, horrible⋯”

“Uww,
wooweeek⋯”

The
Temple’s investigators, who had followed Nate Elin, recovered the
bodies of the slain Paladins and Priests from the fifth floor.

They
gagged or squeezed their eyes shut at the sight of the carnage.

Those
left on the fifth floor would be weaker than the elite that had
followed Nate Elin, but they were still not worthy of death on the
fifth floor.

“Can
you explain to me what the hell happened here?”

Nate
Elin’s face grew serious as she asked for the truth of the matter.

We
told her everything we had seen and experienced.

The
investigators looked as if they were possessed or brainwashed by
something and were hugging a mysterious black egg.

The
inscrutable abomination that hatched from that egg was a very
unpleasant darkness.

Hitolis,
Hope, and the Paladins at my back, were going mad, as if possessed by
the creature.

“I,
indeed. I lost my mind in an instant⋯”

“I
don’t remember exactly⋯
but I’m sure, I
wasn’t me. As if I was possessed by another personality⋯”

Hitolis
and Hope chimed in, frowning as if the mere recollection of the
moment was painful.

“How
could that be⋯”

Nate
Elin’s expression hardened as if she had heard something
unbelievable.

“Brainwashing⋯
black eggs⋯
reluctant aura⋯
no way⋯”

She
tapped her chin as if remembering something.

“By
any chance, do you have a theory about that black egg?”

“⋯⋯No.
I’m not sure. Thanks for the trouble.”

Hearing
my question, Nate Elin hastily ended the conversation.

She
glared at the injured party members and then at me.

Her
gaze, which had begun to scan my head, slowed slightly at the lower
crown of my helmet, and then locked completely on the belly of my
leather armor, which was riddled with holes.

Nate
Elin stared at my stomach and muttered quietly.

“⋯Certainly,
the Paladins’ divinity.”

Jubeel
and Joy Hog, who were watching Nate Elin from behind, muttered
quietly.

“That
bitch. Just looking at a man’s stomach in the open?”

“Jubeel.
Please shut up. She’s a Paladin of the Temple. There’s no way she’s
looking at a man’s stomach. She’s just checking out the truth.”

“Is
that so?”

“Yes.”

“Hmmm.”

Nate
Elin, who coughed loudly at the sound of the voice, looked at us and
said.

“Although
it was an inscrutable disaster, caused by a mistake of the temple, I
promise to compensate you for this damage in the name of Paladin Nate
Elin.”

Damage
done in the Labyrinth can rarely be compensated.

When
you enter the Labyrinth, you don’t know what will happen, and you
take full responsibility for everything that happens.

So
everyone’s faces lit up when Nate Elin confirmed that she would
compensate them.

Physical
injuries aside, the damage was enormous.

My
helmet and leather armor, my most valuable equipment, were smashed,
and the handle of Zirnier’s axe was slightly tarnished.

The
axe that Idelbert had gifted me was snapped in half, broken when it
entered the creature’s mouth.

All
that remained of my equipment were my gaiters.

Nate
Elin, surveying the delighted faces of the party, turned to me.

“Since
you were directly harmed by the Paladin, the temple will compensate
you.”

“You’re
going to compensate me for what?”

“What
do you want?”

“Hmm⋯”

It
was a bold statement. She knew what I wanted.

“⋯No.
I shouldn’t have said that. I’ll compensate you accordingly.”

“I
see.”

Seeing
my expression, Nate Elin must have felt cheap, because she quickly
changed the subject.

‘A
few gold coins would be satisfactory. Money is one of the biggest
reasons explorers come into the Labyrinth.’

“Investigations
are suspended. Everyone prepare to return to the surface.”

“What?!
But we still have 12 floors to go⋯”

“We’ve
had enough of the harvest. All investigators, retreat.”

Nate
Elin ordered the group to retreat.

“Let
us join you.”

“Okay,
but don’t use that weird language.”

“Yeah.”

We
joined the ranks.

With
their gear and bodies in tatters, the party didn’t look like they’d
make it safely from the fifth floor to the ground.

Looking
more like streetwalkers than explorers, we blended in with the survey
crew and made it back to the surface in five days.

“Yuck!”

“The
light! The sun is so blinding!”

“It’s
warm⋯”

The
sun was high in the sky over the Labyrinth city of Valerus.

The
party was happy to see the sun shining down on them.

Our
time in the labyrinth had been shorter than our previous journey, but
it had been dense.

We
had practically walked on death’s doorstep.

The
natural light was so refreshing, so warm, after all the hardships of
the dark, musty labyrinth.

Tsk!

“⋯!”

“⋯!”

At
the same time, a strange sensation swept through my body. Joy Hogg,
Jubeel, and I shuddered violently.

Hitolis
and Hope shuddered as well.

I
instinctively knew the cause of the sudden tremors.

“Stop,
no!”

“Ah,
yes. This sensation!”

[Current
Blessings and Curses: 4]

Palpitations.

Heart
pounding.

Question
mark blessing. Blessing of Hard-fought Battle. Blessing of
Brilliance.

The
total number of blessings increased by one.

***

“The
damage compensation and the promised contribution will be paid within
a week. Hope, Hitolis, and Balkan, follow us.”

Nate
Elin snapped at me.

“You
will go to the purification chamber of the temple. Even you, Balkan,
have been eaten by it, so we need to cleanse you of any evil energy
you may have.”

I
nodded, knowing she had a good reason.

I
didn’t feel anything wrong with my body, but there could be something
else I wasn’t aware of.

“Then
we should part ways here. We should turn these guys over to the
guards and get some rest.”

“I’m
frantically wondering if this is a blessing or a curse, but I’m so
tired. I think I’m going to get some wine and milk first⋯”

Joy
Hog and Jubeel pounded on Gregor’s pack.

Gurmimi
and Reichem’s heads bobbed up and down.

“Gellan⋯”

“I’m
going crazy!!”

Gellan’s
party’s wizard, Fusilini, stared at the dumbfounded Gellan with Baby
Aldente on her head.

In
truth, their party had done more damage than Joy Hog’s.

A
party that was so close to becoming a mid-level explorer had fallen
like that.

After
all, in the Labyrinth, no one is immune.

I
set up a settlement date with Joy Hog’s party and saw them off.

“Recover
well, Balkan!”

“Go
and rest, everyone.”

Jubeel,
carrying the still unconscious Lammel on her back, gestured as Joy
Hog trotted off with them.

Despite
the bump in the road at the end, this trip to the Labyrinth had ended
well enough.

They’ve
even gotten blessings, which was quite a relief to their bitter
hearts.

‘Now,
let’s get cleaned up in the temple’s purification chamber, Diana and
⋯’

I
remembered the promise I had made before entering the Labyrinth.

I
didn’t know if it would be a sign of trust, but I promised myself to
have a heart-to-heart conversation with Diana face-to-face.

A
smile formed on my face as I imagined the moments when I would share
a drink with Diana and have various conversations with her.

I
could only imagine the relaxation after the bloody labyrinth.

“⋯⋯”

Suddenly,
the surroundings became quiet. I snapped out of it and looked around.

Nate
Elin and the other Paladins and priests were staring at me blankly.

Gulp.

One
of the Paladins swallowed loudly. At the same time, I heard an
anguished gasp from somewhere.

My
hand unconsciously went up to my helmet.

The
lower part of the helmet was slightly chipped, revealing the corner
of his mouth and left cheek.

I
touched the softly raised corners of my mouth and my skin.

-gulp.

Then,
once again, the Paladins gulped.

They
were a group of confirmed virgins, so it was hard to tell if they
swallowed at the sight of a man.

“Crack,
crack! Kaak!”

Gellan
growled at me, his face full of hostility.

I
wondered why this asshole had to be like this.

I
quickly ignored him and turned to Nate Elin, the leader of the
lifelong virginity affirmation group.

“What,
is something wrong?”

“⋯Hmmm.
Nope. Nothing. We have a long way to go. We’ll leave for the temple
quickly. Get ready, everyone.”

“Yes,
yes! Prepare to return!”

“I,
I. I need to go to the bathroom quickly⋯”

I
followed Nate Elin, who shook her head awkwardly, and the Paladins,
who gulped in a strangely sweetened breath, to the temple.

***

“That’s
it. Serif.”

Nate
Elin knelt down to one knee before Serif Adeline and reported the
rough results of the Labyrinth investigation.

Serif’s
face was emotionless as she received the report.

There
was no trace of her usual manufactured smile, just a stony
expression.

“It
seems that the omen that came after a decade has caused more
repercussions than expected. I never thought the seal would be
broken.”

“Yes.
Perhaps, given the circumstances, the other floors have been affected
as well⋯”

“⋯We’ll
have to circulate the Fountain Transition Scrolls more vigorously.
Perhaps the Labyrinth will be closed soon.”

Calmly
analyzing the report, Serif formed a natural smile and looked at Nate
Elin.

“You’ve
done a good job, Nate Elin. Now go back and get some rest.”

“⋯⋯”

The
congratulations didn’t deter Nate Elin but there was something she
hadn’t reported yet.

Balkan
had been grievously wounded on this journey and he had been brought
to the temple to make amends and purify his body.

‘Should
I tell her?’

Serif
looked at Balkan with a different gaze than the others.

Her
expression, which had been forced and colorless, was transformed into
something more beautiful in front of him.

Nate
didn’t want to see Serif, who was so warm and consistently kind to
everyone, treating only one person with special treatment.

‘⋯⋯hah.’

Nate
Elin hesitated for a moment before reporting what had happened to
Balkan.

“⋯What
did you just say?”

As
if on cue, the white cat’s tail and ears perked up.

“Oh,
no, it was not someone else, but the sword of the city, of the
temple…that stabbed him?”

“⋯Yes.”

Balkan’s
leather armor was covered in holy sword marks. He had obviously been
struck by the Paladins.

Upon
hearing this, Serif’s face turned pale.

The
cat’s tail, which had once stood up so high, gradually dropped
downward, as if it were in exhaustion.

“How
could you have made such a mistake, Nate Elin!”

The
next words sounded like a frightened cat screaming.

It
was something she’d never seen from Serif, who had always shrugged
off any mistake with a mechanical smile.

Nate
Elin was quite shocked to see her human side, something she had never
seen in all her years as Serif’s bodyguard.

“Uh,
what to do⋯
what to do⋯
Da, I have to go ask for forgiveness right
now⋯”

As
Serif nervously bit her nails, Nate Elin continued her report.

“⋯He’s
in the cleansing chamber now, though I did bring him in just in
case.”

“He’s
in the cleansing chamber?! Now?!”

“Oh,
he hasn’t gone in yet, he’s just waiting.”

The
purification chamber is a kind of bathroom.

Before
or after an important ritual like a pacification ceremony or entering
a labyrinth you have to bathe in holy water to cleanse the body and
mind of defilement.

Higher
ranking priests, such as Serif, would have their own private
purification chambers.

-Gulp.

Serif
swallowed hard, having had a brilliant idea.

“⋯Then…
this is really⋯
unavoidable.”

She
muttered in a very small voice.

“⋯Yes,
this is really, really unavoidable.

The
Temple’s sword was pointed at him.

Oh,
the pain and suffering.

This
was the most effective way to apologize to him, to make amends.

‘The
faithful service of a high-ranking priest, whose face even nobles
line up to see.’

This
would be enough for him to recognize her sincerity.

I
mean it. It was not something personal.

“Bring
Mr. Balkan to my private purification chamber, at once.”

“Serif!”

Nate
Elin’s eyes widened at the words. But Serif’s demeanor was steadfast.

-Gulp.

Serif
swallowed the saliva that kept trickling down her throat, trying to
control the uncontrollable wagging of her tail.

“Come
on!”

“Yes!”

Nate
Elin immediately ran out of the audience room.

-Boo-boo-boo-boo.

“HEEEEEEEE!”

Serif
flinched momentarily from the vibration of the necklace on his chest.

Serif
had gotten used to the vigorous vibrations by now, and she swallowed
back a sweet moan.

The
heat was too much but it didn’t matter.

Anyway,
she’s going to take it off soon.

-Tsk.
Tsk.

Her
white cat ears twitched in anticipation.