Chapter 24

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“High Priest!”

The temple became noisy.

The villagers were crowded in front of the temple.

It was Hanna’s first time seeing such a scene in the Temple of Remia(1).

Hanna and the children were surprised by the noisy atmosphere and gathered at the temple.

“Teacher, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know either. What’s going on?”

“Was our temple always this popular?”

Hanna and the children snooped around the temple’s hallway to examine the situation.

“Excuse me, Curtis. What’s going on?”

“We’re also trying to figure out what’s going on.”

The priests were busy talking to people.

Some familiar villagers were seen.

“There’s the fruit shop uncle and the weapon shop lady.”

“Yeah. Something’s wrong with the atmosphere.”

“Everyone’s expressions are bad.”

Hanna took the children to a corner as people’s voices began to get louder.

At that time, I heard a familiar voice.

“You better take the kids with you.”

“Cesar?”

Cesar, who appeared quietly, tapped Hanna on the shoulder and said that.

Unlike his usual appearance, he is wearing his robe properly like a priest, the symbol of a high priest is also draped on his shoulders with a design of a young daemon with golden water.

He used to throw it around on the sofa, table, or somewhere in the window frame of the hallway, saying it was uncomfortable.

He looked different wearing a proper priest’s robe.

“This is our job.”

As Cesar drew the line, he looked at Hanna as if saying to go back to the nursery.

“Oh… Yes.”

Cesar’s eyes, which had always been a little dazed, had a different seriousness in it than usual.

Hanna sensed that something was not right.

Cesar passed Hanna and the children and walked straight into the gaps of the confused people.

With his appearance, people raised their volume even more, and Cesar quickly became invisible to the crowds.

“Guys, it’s so confusing here, so let’s go back.”

Hanna went back the way she came from, holding the children’s hands with anxiety.

After that, it was not long before she heard the whole story of it.

“There is a plague going around.”

It was Moisei who delivered the news.

“A plague?”

“A plague broke out not long ago in Sosoletti Village beyond the mountain, and it has moved to this village.”

“Oh my god…”

A plague.

It was a word that made my heart sink just by hearing it.

What’s more, isn’t this place in the Middle Ages where people are vulnerable to infectious diseases?

“What about the villagers? Is it a very bad situation?”

“It was in the early stages, but everyone came to the temple out of anxiety after hearing the news of Sosoletti Village.”

People of this era looked for God, not the doctors when a plague breaks out.

“Do I die if I get a plague?”

“It depends on the severity. However, people with weak health are at risk.”

“It’s a big deal.”

I couldn’t help but worry because most of the villagers were on the old age side.

“Can’t you send priests from the central temple?”

“Because other villages are in a more serious state than before… It will take quite some time to get here.”

“Oh, my…”

Listening to Moisei, Hanna looked down at the temple.

Although it was late at night, the temple was brightly lit.

“How is the high priest doing?”

“He’s reciting prayers for the residents.”

“Until this late hour?”

Hanna was surprised to hear that Cesar, who sleeps a lot, was reciting prayers from noon to this late hour.

“He’ll continue until the prayer room closes.”

“No, didn’t the original operating hours of the temple have passed?”

Originally, it was normal for the temple to close at 7 pm for the last prayer.

“When the world is in chaos, the temple never closes.”

“……No…”

Doesn’t that mean he has to recite a prayer all night?

“He can take turns with another priest, but I don’t know. If it’s Cesar, I think he’d do it by himself until he collapses.”

“What?”

I never imagined that Cesar would have that side.

He’s always too lazy to do everything properly.

At Hanna’s strange gaze, Moisei smiled enthusiastically.

“You don’t know Cesar well.”

“I thought I knew him quite well…?”

“At the age of nine, Cesar never neglected his prayer for seven days without sleeping or eating for his village, which was made into ruins by the mad wizard Goetus, and his power manifested.”

“Yes…”

I’ve never heard of such a story.

“Wasn’t he born with divine power?”

“Of course, since he was blessed from birth, his power was manifested.”

“It seems God’s power isn’t just randomly dropped/given.”

“Usually, a person is born with a minimal level of power, but that level of power is achieved through awakening. The Pope now gained the power of life only after treating thousands of dying soldiers on the battlefield.”

Cesar, who she only thought of as a defective priest, looked a little different.

Is the process of manifesting power like a test of God?

“Cesar does not spare himself if there is great chaos in the world after that. He’s such a person by nature.”

“……I guess not anyone can just be a high priest.”

She thought Cesar was just privileged to be born with a blessed body and is taking it for granted.

Oh, my. If I had known, I wouldn’t have said that he was a salary thief(2) who usually skipped the temple’s works.

“I’m worried. For both the villagers and the priests.”

“Teacher Hanna should also pay attention to preventing the children from contacting other people.”

“Oh, yes. Of course.”

I think we should do proper hygiene thoroughly.

“Thank you for the news. You must be busy for the time being, but I think it’s better to take a break from Jeremy’s class.”

“Yes. Thank you for your understanding. Well then.”

Moisei said goodbye to Hanna and headed back to the temple.

Moisei was also able to predict that he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

The temple was still brightly lit.

Somehow, Hanna was able to hear Cesar’s low voice reciting prayers.

She was under a false impression.

But she still has to sleep.

The next day, Hanna prepared a large amount of cold tea in the dining room for the suffering people of the temple.

As such, he said that he felt refreshed just by drinking tea he made, so he wanted to stay up all night and do this to the believers who kept the temple.

They said that they felt refreshed just by drinking the tea she makes, so she stayed up all night doing this for the priests who stayed up all night watching the temple.

“You are well armed.”

Curtis, who found Hanna, spoke to her.

Hanna tightly tied two pieces of cloth on her to cover her nose and mouth.

“I have children that I have to take care of.”

“Good job. We shouldn’t have more patients.”

“Don’t you think it’s better to cover the priests, too?”

I wondered if people around the world were all showing their faces because they lacked knowledge of infectious diseases.

“I know what you’re thinking, but we should make sure that the people don’t feel anxious as much as possible.”

“No, but it’s still dangerous…”

“Don’t worry. If the priests get sick, they will be transferred to the central temple for healing.”

“Oh.”

Hanna was relieved.

Fortunately, the priests seemed to have a separate treatment system.

“Is Cesar still praying?”

“He’s so stubborn.”

“Won’t you stop him?”

“How dare I stop him from what he’s doing.”

Hanna was always amazed by Curtis’ attitude.

Curtis seemed to worship Cesar almost more than as a boss or his minister.(3)

Sometimes, his words and actions were free-spirited, but he often acted as if there was a reason for every action he did.

“Curtis, how did you get to know the high priest?”

I asked Curtis, offering him a cup of tea.

Curtis, who had been looking at the people in the temple hallway all the time, glanced at Hanna and then looked ahead again.

“I met him after becoming a priest and being assigned to the Central Temple.”

“Really? Your trust relationship seems too strong for that.”

Curtis fixed his head to Hanna at her words.

Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“He’s like a god to me.”

“You said you met each other at work.”

“Because I’m one of the many lives he’s saved.”

“Cesar saved you?”

Cesar’s past was so interesting that the more she digs, the more interesting it was.

“Most people in the Empire owe Cesar their lives.”

“Why?”

“The power that’s sealing the beasts of the Black Desert is Cesar’s.”

“What?”

Hanna’s eyes opened twice as wide as usual.

Because it was surprising that he would do that.

To the north of the empire was the Black Desert.

Originally, it was a place that glittered with golden sand, but as the magical beasts/demons began to appear there, it was all dyed black, so it was called the Black Desert.

“The village where I grew up was right next to the black desert. It’s not enough for dead friends and family to fold all ten fingers in their hands. At that time, it was Cesar’s voice/prayer that saved us and the empire. I saw that and dreamed of becoming a priest.” (chapter notes: Fold all ten fingers is a description of people praying with their own hands clasped/folded together.)

“So that’s what happened.”

“That’s why Cesar always can’t help but sleep. His power is continuously being sucked to keep blocking the beasts there.”

Oh. That’s why he was always half asleep, it’s because he was tired.

It was the moment when one mystery was solved.

“Why didn’t those stories spread throughout the empire?”

“Cesar doesn’t want it.”

“Oh my god.”

Hanna was surprised.

‘If I were him, I would spread my greatness by hanging placards around the neighborhood! Isn’t he foolish?’

Curtis smiled as if he had read Hanna’s mind.

“People like us can’t dare judge him.”

Suddenly, the absolute loyalty of Curtis and Moisei to Cesar began to be understood.

Cesar was a person in a state of dehumanization.

Where do such a person’s trivialities come from?