‘Is it because he’s the protagonist?’
Edward had accepted the proposal far more easily than expected. As they walked, Satin entertained thoughts he couldn’t voice aloud.
Their second visit to the temple was no different from the Bureau of Order yesterday—completely swarming with people. The streets outside had been relatively calm, but the temple was in utter chaos.
“What the hell is going on here…”
Satin muttered under his breath, prompting Edward, who was walking ahead, to respond.
“They’re probably family members of the afflicted. Even if there’s nothing that can be done, they can’t bring themselves to leave.”
Edward’s brow was furrowed, but it didn’t seem out of irritation. Rather, he looked moved with sympathy toward the people sitting in despair outside the temple.
Thanks to having a priest with them, they didn’t need to take a number this time. As they approached the prayer counter, one of the priests recognized Edward and asked why he was there—then nodded even before hearing the answer. Given the current situation, he must have figured it out immediately.
“You finally get assigned to a pilgrimage and this happens. Tough luck, huh.”
Without asking about the others in his group, the priest opened the door for them.
“You’re here to see Priest Jeremy, right? He’s in the side chapel right now.”
“Thank you.”
The group passed through the prayer counter and entered the main building. After walking down a long hallway, they reached a fork. A sign pointed right toward the Grand Chapel, but Edward turned left instead.
When they were far enough that the noise from outside had faded, Cain murmured softly,
“This is my first time in a temple.”
Satin had intended to ignore it, but found himself glancing at Cain reflexively. Cain scowled and asked,
“What.”
“No, just… you said this is your first time in a temple…”
In the Dark Age, Cain had wanted to become a Temple Knight, yet this version had never even set foot inside a temple. Then again, he had become a Black Magician, so if he had been making regular visits to pray, that would’ve been even more bizarre.
At last, they arrived at the side chapel. Even without a sign, it was easy enough to guess. Edward knocked and announced himself.
“Priest Jeremy, it’s Edward.”
A few seconds later came the reply: “Come in.”
Edward opened the door and stepped in first. A weathered male voice greeted him.
“Didn’t expect you to return so soon.”
“I haven’t returned, sir. I came because I have a question.”
“Is that so?”
“These are the people I’ll be traveling with for a while.”
Edward stepped aside, revealing Jeremy’s face. He was an older man with a thick white beard and an elaborately embroidered robe—suggesting he held a relatively high rank among the priests.
Rita was the first to step forward with a greeting.
“Nice to meet you. Edward’s in our care.”
Though her tone was more flippant than cheerful, Jeremy wasn’t offended. He chuckled warmly, while Edward simply shook his head in quiet disapproval.
When Satin met Jeremy’s gaze, he offered a respectful nod and nothing more. He was merely accompanying them—there was no reason to make unnecessary introductions.
Then Satin nudged Cain in the side. A hint for him to at least pretend to greet the man. Just like when they’d visited Edward’s inn earlier, Cain was staring off into space, pretending to be absorbed in the wall.
“Cain.”
Satin prompted again, and Cain reluctantly gave a small nod. Jeremy only chuckled at the scene, showing no hint of annoyance.
There was no time to waste, so Edward got straight to the point.
“You saw the Bureau’s notice, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. Hah… I’m not sure whether to call it a bold or foolish idea…”
Jeremy let out a heavy sigh, his expression conflicted.
“I’m worried that people will do reckless things because of that notice. Staying put won’t necessarily keep them safe either, but… you know how people can be.”
“That’s why I’m here, actually. I thought the temple might have something to contribute.”
“We actually held an emergency meeting about it. There was talk of offering blessings to those heading out to subdue the Demon King—free of charge, for groups of three or four or more.”
‘One day only: Free blessings for all Demon King slayers! Bring a friend, get double the divine power!’
Satin imagined the line on a promotional flyer and smirked. Cain, standing beside him, let out a quiet chuckle.
Startled, Satin flinched. No way… Cain couldn’t have actually read his mind—could he?
“Why are you laughing?”
Satin mouthed the words silently so Jeremy and Edward wouldn’t hear. Somehow, Cain understood immediately.
“It’s funny.”
Well, it was funny. Still, this wasn’t the time for jokes, so Satin nudged Cain in the side as a warning, then turned his attention back toward Jeremy and Edward as if nothing had happened. Edward was speaking with a serious expression.
“I came to suggest something similar. But rather than blessings, wouldn’t it be more effective to offer holy relics instead?”
“Holy relics?”
“The Bureau of Order is requiring bounty hunters to register in advance for a reason. They plan to claim credit if someone actually manages to defeat the Demon King.”
Jeremy sighed heavily and stroked his beard as Edward pressed his point.
“If the temple announces it’s distributing relics, people will flock here. Even those who don’t believe in blessings wouldn’t refuse a relic.”
“So, what you’re saying is the temple should claim some credit for itself, too?”
Rita, who had been silent since her greeting, suddenly tugged on Edward’s shoulder and asked that blunt question. Jeremy paused mid-beard-stroke, startled, and looked at her.
Unlike Jeremy, Edward didn’t seem flustered. He nodded calmly.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. The Bureau will hand out the reward money, but they’ll erase the accomplishments of others in the process. We can’t let that stand.”
Rita rubbed her chin and glanced around, clearly turning something over in her mind.
Edward was just about to speak again when Cain burst into laughter. It was louder this time—enough that everyone heard.
“Cain.”
Satin called his name without thinking, half-scolding. Cain, completely unfazed, shrugged and offered an excuse.
“What? It really is funny.”
“I mean, sure, but this isn’t the place to laugh about it.”
Only after speaking did Satin realize his mistake. He’d basically admitted to finding the situation funny too.
He quickly glanced around to check the mood. Jeremy was forcing an awkward chuckle, Edward had his hand to his forehead, and Rita was biting the corner of her lip to keep from smiling.
With a sigh, Edward said,
“Satin, you wouldn’t know since you’re not from around here, but things in Cloverland are complicated. Even if it looks ridiculous, this is the best course of action. If the temple gets involved, we can at least prevent someone from being unfairly erased from the record.”
“…Right, makes sense.”
Satin mumbled a reply and stepped back. There seemed to be some sort of power struggle between the temple and the Bureau of Order, but since he didn’t know the details, he couldn’t comment.
Cain might know more, but at the very least, he wasn’t inclined to voice any criticisms. He followed Satin and stepped back as well.
***
The temple worked quickly. Whether that was due to it being a Korean-style fantasy world or the urgency of the matter was unclear—but either way, it was a welcome surprise. Not even an hour had passed since their meeting with Jeremy when the announcement went up outside the temple, and all the temple-backed organizations began spreading the word.
“They’re already lining up. Maybe we should’ve come out sooner.”
Rita stomped her feet at the sight of the long queue in front of the temple. The line was steadily moving, but it still looked like they’d have to wait at least thirty minutes to receive the relic.
“Can’t you go get it for us? You’re a priest.”
Rita asked as casually as if she were asking for an employee discount. Unsurprisingly, Edward frowned.
“Telling a priest to violate public order inside the temple—your boldness knows no bounds.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll wait.”
Edward looked like he was about to launch into a sermon, so Rita quickly raised both hands in surrender and moved to the back of the line.
It was nearly summer, so some people in the line were fanning themselves. Watching them, Satin muttered absentmindedly,
“Hot today.”
He hadn’t meant anyone to hear it, but Cain responded instantly.
“Hot?”
“A little. Aren’t you?”
“Not really.”
Satin was dressed lightly, but Cain had a heavy robe draped over him. Sure, there’s that saying about wearing black in summer, but this seemed excessive. Satin started feeling embarrassed, thinking Cain had more reason to be overheating than he did.
Just then, Rita, who had been craning her neck to watch the line, turned around with a smug grin.
“I can use ice magic, you know.”
“Oh, really.”
Satin replied reflexively, still not sure what her point was. What did ice magic have to do with the current situation?
Rita grinned mischievously and murmured something. Satin couldn’t catch the words—just a few short syllables.
“Whoa…”
He let out a quiet breath of awe as he felt the magical energy rise from Rita’s hand. A moment later, hail started falling in a small area around him—for about three seconds.
“…That’s impressive.”
He offered praise while watching Rita puff up with pride, though honestly, it hadn’t cooled him down all that much.
“Let’s move.”
Edward kicked a few stray ice chunks from under his feet and began walking forward again.
The line moved steadily. As they discussed what supplies they might need before heading to the southern forest—where the Demon King’s castle supposedly lay—their turn finally came.
Rita, having become the de facto leader of the group through unspoken agreement, stepped forward to receive the relic. Seeing it for the first time, Satin looked a bit let down.
“It looks like a souvenir.”
The relic was a small pendant shaped like a shield, engraved with the temple’s insignia. It was small enough to fit inside a ring formed by your thumb and forefinger.
Edward overheard Satin’s muttered comment and chuckled softly.
“It is a souvenir. And a fairly expensive one. That’s why they ask you to return it after the campaign.”
“So that’s what a relic is supposed to look like…”
Satin started to say more, but trailed off. Not just the relic—everything about the temple felt like a profit-driven enterprise. Was that just how temples operated in this world? No one else seemed to find it strange.
