Chapter 27 : Chapter 27
Chapter 27
I was stunned when I read the newspaper.
‘Someone with the same name? No, it is not that common of a name.’
Even the name Yurion is not common, and Yurion Lumaine is even rarer.
The possibility of someone sharing the same name is close to zero.
‘Then the young hero mentioned in the newspaper must be the same boy who visited our counseling office two days ago.’
I recalled the conversation I had with Yurion two days earlier.
He had come because he was seeing and hearing things. He said he saw the Sun Church burning and heard a voice telling him that only he could save the people from the fire.
And now, two days later, a fire had indeed broken out at a Sun Church, and Yurion Lumaine had rescued people from it.
It was difficult to dismiss it as mere coincidence.
‘Perhaps what Yurion saw and heard were not hallucinations at all. It may have been a form of prophecy granted by a divine oracle.’
In this world, the Prophet of the Sun Church is real.
It is on an entirely different level from shamans or cult leaders who babble nonsense and insist they are prophets.
Those who receive an oracle from Lumenai truly can see the future.
Cassis also became a Prophet after receiving such an oracle.
I began to consider that Yurion Lumaine might also be a Prophet who had received an oracle.
A Prophet who had not yet realized his own status and mistook the oracle for hallucinations…
Knock knock.
I was lost in thought when someone knocked on the counseling office door.
I opened it. The face before me was not particularly welcome.
“Priest Jakov? What brings you here?”
“Kain, have you been well?”
Priest Jakov. He was an assistant priest responsible for attending to and serving the Prophet within the Sun Church.
Among the priests, his position was especially high.
“I merely came to speak with you for a while. Are you busy?”
“...No, not particularly. Please, have a seat.”
I felt uneasy. He claimed he had simply stopped by, but I knew that was not the real reason.
Without hesitation, Priest Jakov sat across from me and stated his purpose exactly as I had expected.
“How is Lady Cassis?”
Priest Jakov is the assistant priest who serves Cassis and the one who entrusted her to this office.
He would occasionally visit to inquire about her condition. In the past, it was about once a month. Now it was once every three days, sometimes even every two.
‘This is becoming somewhat burdensome.’
I put on an apologetic expression.
It was the sort of expression anyone in the service industry could produce.
“I am sorry to say that Cassis’s condition seems to have worsened.”
“Ah… is that so.”
Priest Jakov’s face darkened instantly.
“I do not mean to doubt or reprimand you. May I ask the reason?”
“When you say reason, what exactly do you mean?”
“The reason her treatment keeps being delayed. It sounds as though I am interrogating you—my apologies. However, if Lady Cassis is not cured, I will be placed in a very difficult position….”
“Yes, I imagine you must be anxious as well, Priest Jakov.”
I understood. He is Cassis’s closest attendant. If her condition does not improve, he would bear the greatest responsibility.
“As for the reason her treatment is delayed… there are several factors, but she appears to be struggling greatly due to internal issues within the Sun Church.”
“You mean the conflict between the Oracle Faction and the Doctrine Faction.”
“Yes. Due to stress, she does not seem to be eating or hydrating properly. When the body weakens, auditory hallucinations cannot improve.”
“Are auditory hallucinations truly so closely related to physical weakness? Like a cold?”
“In truth, mental illness is not so different from physical illnesses like a cold. The body and mind are not separate—they are closely interconnected.”
Priest Jakov’s expression turned stiff.
As far as I knew, the Sun Church treats the body, mind, and soul as separate entities.
My words may have been uncomfortable for him to hear.
“I see. Proper meals and hydration… understood.”
“Are you well yourself, Priest Jakov? You seem troubled.”
“Troubled? Very much so. Far too much.”
A deep sigh escaped him, and his face was clouded with distress.
“I do not know if you have seen it, but recently there was a fire at the Sun Church in eastern Lumiere.”
“I read about it in the newspaper. They said a young hero saved everyone.”
“Yes. Had it not been for that child, they all might have died. He is truly brave and remarkable.”
A faint smile briefly touched his lips before fading.
“In truth, that fire was the result of arson. It was not an accident, but an act of terror. It is highly likely the Idra Church or other heretics and subversive forces were responsible.”
“Why would they commit something so terrible…?”
“It seems information that the Prophet has effectively lost her prophetic abilities has leaked. That is why such incidents keep occurring.”
I nodded quietly.
If Cassis’s prophetic abilities were intact, such an event would never have happened.
The fear of her abilities would have deterred them.
The oracles of the Sun Church are powerful and precise. If anyone attempts to attack the Church, an oracle is immediately triggered, informing the Prophet of the fact.
“Just to be clear, no information was leaked from my side.”
“I know. Based on various circumstances, we believe it is more likely the information leaked from within the Sun Church itself.”
“You suspect there is a spy within the Church?”
“Yes.”
“That must make matters even more chaotic.”
“Indeed. Heretics run rampant, taking advantage of the Prophet’s impaired abilities, while the priests who should unite in trust instead doubt and fight one another….”
Muttering darkly, Priest Jakov cautiously lifted his head.
He seemed to be gauging my reaction.
“...Do you have a request for me?”
When I asked first, his shoulders flinched as though struck.
“How remarkable. It is as if you read my thoughts… Yes, I do have a request.”
I waited silently for him to continue. If it was a request from Priest Jakov, I was inclined to accept it—though not merely because of our acquaintance.
‘He has paid me far too much.’
He had paid me a substantial sum for Cassis’s treatment. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this counseling office had grown to its current state thanks to him.
Compared to the money I had received, I had yet to cure Cassis.
In fact, her condition had worsened.
At the very least, I owed him this.
“There is a tradition within the Sun Church. When an accident or act of terror occurs at a church, the Prophet leads the priests to the site. There, they hold a prayer vigil and a service.”
“To pray that such a tragedy does not recur.”
“Precisely. They also honor the victims. Within the Sun Church, it is called a ‘Consolation Pilgrimage.’”
He paused briefly before continuing.
“This time, we must also visit the eastern Sun Church in Lumiere where the terror occurred. As part of the Consolation Pilgrimage—and to commend the young hero who saved the people.”
“That makes sense.”
“However, as you know, the Prophet’s abilities are currently impaired.”
He was laying the groundwork carefully. A sense of unease crept up within me.
“If another attack were to occur during the pilgrimage, we would have no means to prevent it.”
“...I see.”
“If the Prophet were to die in such an attack… it would be a catastrophic tragedy. The prestige of the Sun Church would collapse, and heretics would flourish even more.”
His expression was nearly tearful as he pleaded.
“I ask that you accompany us on the Consolation Pilgrimage, Kain. Please protect the Prophet… I beg you.”
In simple terms, he wanted to hire me as an escort.
“I understand your request, but why entrust such a role to me? I am a counselor. I am not a professional guard, nor even a mercenary.”
“I have heard that you once distinguished yourself in a similar situation. During the kidnapping of Director Justin….”
I frowned.
“That was not me, but Erisa, who works with me. Erisa is currently at the Mage Tower for long-term research and is not here.”
“Her contribution was significant, but I heard it was due to your direction at the scene that Director Justin was rescued.”
“That was….”
“I noticed there is a new staff member outside.”
“You must mean Draksan.”
“Draksan… is he not the hero of Sauhin? The one who slew the Bear Monster and saved numerous villagers?”
I nodded reluctantly.
Priest Jakov smiled.
“If you and Draksan would join the Consolation Pilgrimage, it would be most reassuring. As for compensation—”
“Wait, please.”
If I heard the amount, it would become impossible to refuse. I cut him off hastily.
“I am sorry, but I will need to consider the escort duty. I am not a professional guard, and it is difficult to leave due to counseling appointments.”
“I understand. I apologize for the unreasonable request….”
“No, I am the one who should apologize.”
Priest Jakov rose from his seat.
“I shall take my leave. Please consider my request favorably….”
“Yes, I will give it serious thought.”
As he gathered his clothes, I added,
“I mentioned this during our last session as well, but Cassis seems to be neglecting her meals due to stress. I would appreciate it if you could pay attention to that.”
“I will keep it in mind. Is there anything else you would like me to convey to the Prophet?”
“Nothing in particular. Ah, please remind her to take her medication properly. It seems she occasionally skips doses.”
“Medication?”
Priest Jakov tilted his head in confusion just before exiting.
I was equally confused.
“Is there a problem?”
“Does Lady Cassis take medication?”
“Yes. She is undergoing pharmacological treatment alongside counseling.”
“Ah…? That is strange. I was under the impression she was receiving only counseling.”
“Did she tell you that?”
“Yes. When I asked her previously, she said she was not receiving separate medication, only counseling.”
“And you have never seen her taking medicine?”
“No. At least not in my presence.”
Then this was not a simple misunderstanding.
‘Cassis deceived both Priest Jakov and me?’
She told me she was taking her medication properly. In reality, she was not.
She told Priest Jakov she was only receiving counseling. In reality, she had been prescribed medication.
‘Why?’
What possible reason would she have to lie to both of us? Then a question suddenly occurred to me.
“Priest Jakov. May I ask how many Prophets who have received divine oracles currently exist within the Sun Church?”
“What? What do you mean?”
He widened his eyes as though I had asked something absurd.
“I mean exactly what I said—how many Prophets who have received divine oracles are there currently? Is that a difficult question to answer?”
“Ah, no, it is not difficult.”
Realizing my meaning, he hurriedly shook his head.
“There is only one Prophet who has received an oracle—Lady Cassis.”
“What?”
“When a new Prophet appears, the previous one loses their prophetic ability. Thus there is always only one Prophet. At present, that is Lady Cassis alone. That is why we so desperately wish for her to recover quickly.”
As always, he offered a gentle smile.
“Has your curiosity been satisfied?”
“Ah… yes, just a moment.”
I detained him briefly and organized my thoughts.
‘Yurion Lumaine foresaw the fire at the eastern church. He even saved people from it.’
Such actions would be impossible without prophetic power.
Thus I had considered the possibility that both Cassis and Yurion were Prophets.
‘However, there can only be one Prophet in the Sun Church.’
When a new Prophet appears, the existing one loses their ability.
Then there is only one conclusion.
‘Yurion Lumaine received a divine oracle and became the new Prophet.’
And Cassis lost her prophetic abilities.
‘To conceal that loss, she pretended to suffer from auditory hallucinations.’
By doing so, she could temporarily hide the fact that she had lost her powers.
As for why she did not honestly reveal the loss, I could not yet be certain.
‘There are many possible reasons.’
Perhaps at first she simply feared losing her position. Then, as the conflict between the Oracle Faction and Doctrine Faction intensified, revealing the truth might have led to unforeseen consequences.
‘It remains only a hypothesis.’
There is no guarantee Yurion truly is the new Prophet, nor that Cassis has lost her ability. The circumstances merely suggest the possibility.
It is something I must confirm in person. With either Cassis or Yurion.
I checked the appointment schedule. It would be quite some time before I met Cassis again.
I turned to Priest Jakov.
“I will accept the escort duty you mentioned. When is the Consolation Pilgrimage scheduled?”