Chapter: 175
“The Temple of Life in Armen… is pretty massive.”
“Well, to handle this many people, the temple has to be this big.”
Honestly, the temples in the countryside are small. Plus, they host several gods at once.
Since there weren’t many villagers to begin with, there was no need for a big one.
Anyway.
“Let’s head inside.”
“Huh? Right now? Without any prep or procedures?”
“Is that really necessary?”
At my words, Maybelle opened her mouth to say something, then clamped it shut again.
Well, my very existence is a free pass into the temple.
Sure, I plan to keep my identity under wraps, but I can drop a little hint to a priest who’s savvy enough to catch on.
“Are you really sure it’s okay?”
“Trust me. I’ve got this covered.”
With that, I confidently stepped into the temple entrance.
“An audience with the high priest? Did you make an appointment in advance?”
“Uh, no.”
“Then you need to make an appointment. If you apply now… you’ll be seen in three weeks.”
“Three weeks?!”
“Yep. The high priest is super busy.”
I was blocked by the staff sitting at the information desk at the entrance.
“Uh, this is actually really urgent.”
“People always say that while trying to meet the high priest. We can’t skip procedures.”
Hmm. Should I complain about being stuck, or appreciate their strictness on procedures?
I can feel Maybelle behind me shifting awkwardly. Hmm.
Can’t be helped. I subtly let a bit of my divine power leak out.
“Just because you’re cute doesn’t mean you can get away with anything.”
The information desk worker didn’t seem to realize I’d let any divine power slip.
Well… not everyone working in a temple needs to be a priest.
But…
Crash! Bang!!!
“W-What was that?!”
The priests inside definitely noticed.
“Oh? Priests? Why now…?”
“What was that divine power just now?! That momentary but incredibly dense divine presence…!”
“W-Was a god just summoned?!”
Wow… they sensed the divine power I let slip so quickly. They must have some skills.
Well, if they couldn’t sense it, they wouldn’t qualify to be my priests. Especially since I did it on purpose.
“Can I come in for a chat?”
The priests looked at me, exchanged glances, and nodded collectively.
Right. That’s how it should be.
The temple is like the god’s home, and if the god wants to come in, they shouldn’t be stopped.
“Now that’s settled, let’s go in.”
“Ah, yes…”
So, Maybelle and I headed deeper into the temple with the priests.
———————
“If I may ask…”
“Don’t ask silly questions.”
Can you imagine how embarrassing it’d be if I said I got denied entrance at my own temple?
“And I’ll also prohibit you from asking about my identity. Just guess what you think in your mind. Whatever you imagine is probably correct. Just keep it to yourself.”
“Y-Yes, understood.”
The priests were doting on me like crazy.
So much so that if I told them to lie down, they’d probably do it instantly.
“So, may I ask why you’re here, honorable one? Could it be… to choose a new hero…?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions like that.”
“Ah, yes.”
I took a sip of the herbal tea made from dried flowers that was placed in front of the priests.
Ahh, the floral scent is delightful.
“I’m just here for a pretty simple reason; I’m looking for someone.”
I subtly signaled to Maybelle, who’s been fidgeting behind me, and she stepped forward.
“This child’s mother sent a letter through the Temple of Life. Do any of you know about it?”
“This child is…?”
“I happened to run into her. There are circumstances, so I won’t go into details. Her mother, who she was separated from, sent the letter from here to her countryside home.”
“A letter?”
Maybelle pulled out a neatly folded parchment from her pocket.
“My mom, whom I was separated from as a child, sent me this letter. I came here to find clues since it was sent from this place.”
“Hmm… A letter…”
One of the priests took a look at the letter and said,
“There are tons of people sending letters through the Temple of Life. How am I supposed to remember all of them?”
“The letter was sent about a year ago; do any of you remember it?”
“Every day, dozens of letters go out. There might be records somewhere, but I can’t tell whose letter it is.”
Wow… Seriously? That many letters?
“Is there any way to find out? I’m a mouse beastman with gray hair, just like me…”
“A mouse beastman… Hmm…”
One of the priests raised his hand like he’d just remembered something.
“Now that you mention it, there was a mouse beastman who came about a year ago…”
“Really?! Do you remember?!”
“I was too busy to look into it deeply, but I think it was a mouse beastman with a small frame and large, round ears.”
Maybelle clung to the priest desperately.
“Please! I’m begging you! Just a tiny clue about my mom!”
“I don’t know much either! Just that the unfamiliar figure caught my eye…”
“And? Is there nothing more? Think of it like saving a life!”
Maybelle cried while clinging to the priest. I gently pulled her away and said,
“Maybelle. Let’s take a breather.”
“But…”
I infused a bit of divine power into the nervous Maybelle to steady her racing emotions.
“Ooh…”
“Such divine power…”
“As expected…”
Ignoring the priests’ reactions,
“Is there anything else you remember about the mouse beastman that came a year ago?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. Since beastmen are rare in Armen, it must’ve left an impression.”
“Hmm… Anything else? Can you remember anything more?”
The priest pondered deeply and then said quietly, as if he were trying to recall something. “Come to think of it… there was a peculiar smell.”
“Smell?”
“Yes. It was a musty scent that’s hard to find in Armen.”
A musty smell? Hmm…
“No other clues?”
“No, nothing else particularly…”
Hmm, no extra clues.
Hearing this, Maybelle looked utterly dejected, shoulders slumped.
“Is there really no way left…? Is there no way to find my mom?”
“Nothing definitive right now, but one thing is certain.”
“What?”
I looked straight at Maybelle and said,
“About a year ago, the person believed to be your mother came to this temple. That’s a fact, right?”
“But…”
“I can’t say whether that mouse beastman was your mother, but it seems clear that a letter was sent from here.”
In the worst-case scenario, the letter itself could be a trap to ensnare this girl.
No, the mouse beastman who sent the letter may not have been her mother at all. But that’s a different issue to postpone.
For now, it seems the letter was definitely sent from here.
“The clue would be… that smell.”
It’d be nice if there were other clues, but hmm.
“Thanks anyway, Maybelle. Let’s head back.”
“What? We still lack clues about my mom!”
“We’ve gathered all the information we can for now. We’ll need to explore other methods for the rest.”
At my words, Maybelle wore a slight frown, but had no choice but to nod.
I guess we’ll need to head back and organize the info.
As we turned to leave, the best-dressed of the priests approached and spoke.
“Excuse me, esteemed one, where are you staying?”
“Um. I booked a room at an inn.”
It was a decent inn recommended by the guards, although a bit on the pricey side. But a few silver coins aren’t a big deal.
“I see. If you haven’t arranged a place, we were considering providing accommodations at our temple’s lodging…”
“I’ve already secured a suitable place, so it’s all good.”
“But… I wish to host you in a better place.”
I shook my head slightly.
“It’s enough as it is. Don’t worry too much about me. And keep my identity a secret.”
“However, your reappearance in the world… surely the power of a hero is necessary, right?”
“Not at all. It really has nothing to do with being a hero.”
I just want to explore the world, that’s all.
So,
“Just erase me from your thoughts. Got it?”
“Understood, esteemed one.”
The priests nodded slightly at my words.
Well, even if I say that, it’ll probably leak out somewhere, but that’s still better than saying nothing.
And so, Maybelle and I exited the temple.
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