Chapter 126

Chapter 126
Chapter 126: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

True enough.

The time had finally come to bring this truth to light.

I needed to uncover the exact significance behind this ‘Guest’s Token’ and understand the sheer weight of authority it carried, granting admission into a sacred enclave like this.

It was vital to figure this out before the entire sanctuary crisis reached its conclusion.

When you really think about it, wasn’t the whole situation deeply peculiar?

Lion hadn’t entered this place under his true identity as ‘Lion Asteri’.

Instead, he was merely passing as a young nobleman’s scion, utilizing illusory makeup to maintain the appearance of an ordinary, comfortable life.

Wasn’t he essentially a young master who deliberately kept his background concealed while maintaining deep ties to the arcane?

On top of everything else…

“Beep.”

Lion hadn’t exactly gone out of his way to mask the presence of Nature either.

Didn’t clear water practically overflow from Nature’s mouth just moments prior, right when Ann and Rikschel grabbed his arm and started bickering?

To any casual observer, he cut a remarkably suspicious figure.

Yet, everyone simply let it slide.

That reality pointed to one of two distinct conclusions.

Either Lion’s true identity had already been exposed, or this Guest’s Token simply held far more weight than who he actually was.

‘There is zero chance my cover was blown.’

While not entirely impossible, their overall reactions suggested otherwise.

That left only a single logical answer.

It had to be this token!

“…First off, please allow me to offer my deepest apologies for failing to explain this adequately.”

Rikschel began by expressing his regret directly to Lion.

“So it genuinely carries an extraordinary significance.”

“Indeed, it does. Um… Do you happen to have any familiarity with the concept of a Messenger of God?”

A Messenger of God.

They served as direct emissaries of the divine, manifesting whenever profound injustices plagued the mortal realm or when the world drifted down a corrupted path.

“In our prophetic visions, those who materialize under unusual circumstances are recognized within the temple as bearing the potential to become Messengers of God. Consequently, we bestow upon them the ‘Guest’s Token’ as a sign that, while they have not yet formally stepped into the divine fold, they are destined to do so shortly.”

“What does stepping into that role actually entail for someone?”

“You would wield authority equal to that of the Archbishop.”

“….”

They handed *me* a token that carries that kind of power?

Why did my chest suddenly feel so suffocatingly heavy?

Lion cast a look of utter disdain toward the Guest’s Token dangling against his chest.

Wasn’t this item essentially an all-access VIP pass?

‘If that’s the case, people are just going to blindly excuse whatever reckless stunts I pull.’

He figured they probably would have forgiven him even if he had whipped out a magical staff and started casting spells right in the middle of the holy temple.

“You really don’t need to carry such a heavy burden over this. It has never actually happened before, truth be told. It’s just that… well, expressing it this way might sound a bit crass.”

Shall we refer to it as divine PR?

The emergence of a Messenger of God served as undeniable proof that the deity Anyatras still walked in spirit.

Their very existence functioned as grand publicity for the temple itself.

Rikschel bowed his head as if suddenly mortified by his own phrasing, nervously scratching his cheek with a fingertip.

‘Figures.’

If an artifact possessed that kind of utility, it definitely would have been exploited as an overpowered item or a max-affection trigger in the game ‘In the World’.

“Even so, there is no denying the fact that you appeared in that prophetic dream.”

“…Yes?”

“Because when a person speaks while bearing the Guest’s Token, uttering even a single falsehood becomes an absolute impossibility.”

Rikschel pressed on, completely ignoring Lion’s brief interjection.

“If I had dared to fabricate a lie simply to leverage the Guest’s Token for personal gain, a bolt of divine lightning would have obliterated me from above. It is a phenomenon known as divine retribution. Hahaha.”

He quickly tacked on an encouraging remark, “Naturally, there is no need for you to fret, since any punishment would have fallen squarely upon me alone…”

‘I was being carried on your back, you absolute lunatic—no, priest!’

Even if divine lightning was involved, would electricity really discriminate and zap only one person?

Lion, who had been hitching a ride at the time, easily could have been fried to a crisp.

“….”

Right. Time was of the essence, nothing catastrophic had happened, so it was best to just let it go.

“Leaving that aside, what exactly was the prophetic vision about?”

“That…”

At the inquiry, Rikschel’s expression shifted completely in an instant.

His gaze grew distant and glazed, mirroring someone staring into the solitary cell of an orphanage, while his pupils softened into absolute reverence…

“You truly cut the very figure of… a Messenger of God.”

“….”

Lion immediately recognized that he had asked the wrong question.

This priest, despite keeping a straight face, was clearly projecting his ideal imagery onto Lion, associating him with a divine emissary.

‘Hmm.’

That felt like a rather ominous omen.

“I apologize, but I am an individual who is profoundly disconnected from religion and any sort of pious lifestyle…”

Disconnected was putting it lightly.

If anything, he stood at the exact opposite end of the spectrum.

Paladins existed, sure, but weren’t mage-priests practically unheard of?

Furthermore, Lion had lived an existence completely detached from spiritual matters even prior to his transmigration.

“Ah, please do not worry, I have no intention of forcing anything upon you. A priestly vocation cannot survive on coercion alone. It is a path one simply cannot endure without personal desire.”

Isn’t that precisely why we are teaming up right now?

Fortunately, Rikschel swiftly regained his composure and offered a reassuring smile.

…Regardless of the details, Rikschel’s explanation had roughly cleared things up.

Whatever the underlying motive, the temple viewed Lion as an ideal figurehead for publicity, and Lion intended to capitalize on that arrangement to buy himself plenty of breathing room.

Well, that about summed it up.

“I intend to handle my personal affairs with as little disruption as possible once this business concludes.”

“Understood. Please do as you see fit.”

He naturally hoped things could be resolved without his family catching wind of it, but given that he had now stepped foot inside the sanctuary, he suspected they had already been alerted.

Still, since this was happening under the temple’s purview, they would surely realize there was no genuine emergency…

‘Above all else, my primary concern rests with Elvia.’

Being a witch, she harbored an inherent aversion to this place.

Lion mentally drifted back to his days at the orphanage.

Not the charity volunteer period, mind you, but rather the specific day he underwent a physical check-up administered by Rikschel.

“This rag must be tossed away immediately; it’s far too filthy.”

…Didn’t Elvia mutter those exact words casually to herself?

The garments in question hadn’t looked dirty in the slightest.

Yet, through Elvia’s perceptive eyes, just how deeply ‘corrupted’ had they appeared?

‘Well, considering her unique disposition, it makes sense.’

For Elvia’s peace of mind, before he departed the temple to head back, he needed to make a detour to an arcane boutique or Andrie’s clothing establishment to pick up a fresh change of clothes.

Naturally, the moment Lion stepped outside the temple grounds, Asteri family retainers and Rikschel were lined up to greet him, a development Lion remained entirely oblivious to.

Meanwhile.

‘Can this really pan out the way we hope?’

Rikschel blinked his clear eyes in sheer astonishment, marveling at how readily Lion had accepted his current predicament.

‘Are you truly content with this?’

Wasn’t that the unvarnished truth?

From the viewpoint of a devout believer or clergyman, he was hailed as a Messenger of God, yet they were essentially using him as a glorified brand ambassador without his initial consent.

There was every chance he would face intense scrutiny down the line.

People might whisper things like, “Isn’t that the exact guest the temple put on a pedestal?”

Yet, the young nobleman trusted that he would sort it out and let the matter rest.

‘Truly, his character is nothing short of exceptional…’

Though the nobleman continued to deny it, deep within Rikschel’s heart, Lion had already cemented his status as the true Messenger of God.

Because of that conviction, what course of action remained?

‘I must resolve this ordeal with the utmost speed!’

Rikschel tightly clasped his hands together and silently swore an oath.

“So, am I expected to simply remain stationed here?”

The primary reason Rikschel had dragged him along stemmed from the strong intuition born of that prophetic dream.

Yet, as matters stood, Lion found himself entirely incapable of sensing even a flicker of Divine Power.

‘Shouldn’t that sort of sensitivity have surfaced ages ago if I possessed it?’

It wasn’t as though he lacked familiarity with characters who wielded priestly magic, nor was he currently standing in a location devoid of divine energy.

Despite that, there was no sudden awakening of holy aptitude, nor any whispering voices of deities echoing in his mind.

For Lion, this represented a notable setback.

It meant a crucial piece of lore concerning his primary character remained locked away.

Thus, barring any unexpected developments, he planned to spend his time thoroughly exploring the sanctuary and investigating its various secrets.

“Ah! You are naturally curious about how we shall proceed from this moment onward.”

Rikschel, misinterpreting Lion’s musings, strode toward the ancient well and launched into a detailed breakdown.

“From here on, I shall unblock the pathways of the dormant spring and awaken the vital energies of the sanctuary’s soil. If our endeavor succeeds, the withered flora will regain their vitality, and the entire local ecosystem will stabilize.”

In simpler terms, the currently incomplete sanctuary would finally fulfill its intended function.

“While it feels rather boastful to voice aloud, my raw Divine Power matches that of the reigning Archbishop, so I harbor no fears of failure. However, my mastery over fine control remains somewhat lacking… meaning I can only handle the ‘creation’ phase. Consequently, it would be immensely helpful if the Righteous Person could oversee the ‘supplying’ phase.”

To put it plainly.

“You want me to just handle the watering?”

“Precisely so! That is correct.”

Lion slowly swept his gaze across the expansive interior of the sanctuary.

“….”

Since the sanctuary was an engineered pocket dimension, its boundaries were technically visible to the naked eye, yet it remained vast enough that handling the irrigation solo over a day or two was completely out of the question.

It was, for all intents and purposes, a massive agricultural field.

“Shouldn’t we consider summoning additional hands at this stage?”

“Hmm… If we were dealing with divine energy of a comparable magnitude, it might be feasible, but…”

Which meant, in reality, it was entirely impossible.

The logic likely mirrored how an ordinary spellcaster found themselves unable to manipulate mana in the immediate presence of a grand archmage.

‘Honestly, it makes far more sense that I am the one tasked with this, seeing as I can’t harness Divine Power to begin with.’

Requesting assistance from the outside world, where divine energy couldn’t penetrate, risked leaking sensitive secrets regarding the temple’s inner workings.

Besides, wasn’t this exact location tied directly to ‘Holy Water’, the very economic lifeblood of the temple?

Which meant…

The burden truly rested on his shoulders alone.

An ordinary person would undoubtedly groan and complain about being subjected to grueling manual labor.

‘…All things considered, it isn’t the worst assignment.’

Since Lion had already endured countless tedious grinding loops in his past gaming endeavors, physical toil of this scale hardly registered as a real problem.

Furthermore, if a simple application of water could resolve the issue, what task could possibly be simpler?

Additionally, as the distance between them grew, Rikschel wouldn’t even be able to monitor what Lion was up to.

‘Even better.’

Suppressing a satisfied grin, Lion carefully managed his expression and posed a question.

“You do have the basic tools on hand, I assume?”

“Yes, of course. Once the well begins functioning properly, water will naturally flow into the irrigation trenches, reducing the difficulty significantly… Please accept my deepest apologies for this.”

Rikschel made no effort to mask his remorseful demeanor.

It was obvious he viewed the Righteous Person as a pampered young master unaccustomed to hardship.

Pale complexion, flawless fingers entirely free of calluses.

Not even a single speck of dust marred his skin.

And that wasn’t even the half of it.

‘Though he does possess that delicate, sickly constitution…’

Even if the mission carried immense importance, forcing such heavy labor onto someone like him weighed on the priest’s conscience.

“I understand. I will take care of it.”

Nevertheless, the Righteous Person appeared to have already resolved himself to the task.

He was already inspecting the pile of farming implements stacked neatly in the corner.

He had even lost interest in further conversation, his posture silently urging the priest to leave him be so he could get to work.

That focused attitude likely aimed at ensuring maximum efficiency.

Rikschel turned his attention back toward the stone well, closed his eyes, and began to pray.

‘O Merciful Deity.’

He offered gratitude for the prophetic visions sent to rescue the wandering flock, and for ultimately guiding a true Messenger of God directly to their doorstep.

Rikschel opened his closed eyes and sank gracefully to his knees in profound reverence.

Before long, an everlasting emerald flame—the quintessential symbol of divine might—flickered within his pupils, and holy energy gathered rapidly within his trembling, clasped palms.

As he pressed those flame-engulfed hands directly against the structure of the ancient well…

Whoosh!

A brilliant pillar of divine fire surged upward from the depths of the well.