TLWCL 16🔐

Chapter 16 ….

During the process, a cigarette fell from his hand.

“Ah! That could start a forest fire!”

Fortunately, it seemed to have gone out as it fell. He glared at me with eyes blazing like fire.

“Speak clearly.”

He’s not going to hit me, right? Right?

“It’s still too early, Kardil… Everything has its proper time.”

Kardil’s lips pressed together.

“The fact that I have the power to save more people… that must be real.”

“Yes. I cannot lie. As an ascetic, I must not utter falsehoods. By the way, are there still many patients in the hut?”

“…Yes. Especially, they’ve been asking for you.”

“Oh my, it seems Kardil is suffering too much, and it worries me.”

“Well… it doesn’t matter. If I hadn’t prepared myself for hardships of this level, I wouldn’t have left the church in the first place.”

Kardil stomped on the cigarette butt with his heel, crushing it. It almost felt like he was hitting it on my behalf, and I flinched.

He picked up the stub, put it in his metal case, and entered the hut. Even in this fantasy-medieval setting, he was a polite smoker.

“Ugh…”

“Ugh… hnn…”

Inside the hut, as before, the moans of the sick could be heard.

But those were mild cases. The ones truly at death’s door didn’t even moan; they lay as if lifeless.

Kardil began explaining near the bed of a patient.

“This patient is suffering the aftereffects of the epidemic that circulated last year. Diseases that priests’ treatments, holy water, or various herbs can’t cure. At first, they were rare diseases, but as the epidemic spread, many people contracted them. They are incurable and highly contagious, which has been quite a headache… but, well, with you here, I suppose there’s no need to worry.”

Oh… I hadn’t realized.

Honestly, I didn’t know the details; I had just been firing the Purification Beam without any medical insight.

“Saving souls in pain is also my mission, so I simply dedicate myself fully to my duties as an ascetic.”

“…I hope the people of the church see it the same way.”

The most fortunate thing was that Kardil’s “affection event” seemed to have gone smoothly.

From the way he’d been talking to me, it looked like he no longer considered me a fraudster, but rather someone whose trustworthiness was ambiguous—a slight improvement.

[Temporary disciples: 8]

The temporary disciples had increased from 7 to 8!

Of course, that extra one might not be Kardil… but still, an increase was good.

I summoned the power of the Purification Relic again and healed the patients. Having coordinated with Kardil for several days, our teamwork was seamless.

When I purified, he treated the awakened patients. Six new disciples had already joined in this process.

In a country where heresy is severely punished and worshiping other gods is unthinkable… could people really trust me this easily? I questioned, but considering what Kardil said… it wasn’t impossible.

Now that religious skepticism was starting to emerge, performing flashy light effects while pretending to be a church leader in the medieval era easily convinced the locals.

Plus, I was miraculously curing incurable diseases.

Hmm… if I were a person of this era, I’d probably believe it too.

With modern media, people might not fall for it, but here, entertainment was limited to watching executions.

I exhaled. It wasn’t as exhausting as the first day, but pretending to be a church leader was still somewhat tiring.

Only about two patients remained in need of treatment.

Thanks to some sort of “attraction effect,” even more people arrived than before, so it was quickly manageable. Each treated patient became a disciple, and it felt like fishing in a fishpond.

[WARNING!]
[System: If the number of disciples remains at ‘37’ after 27 hours, gradual physical collapse will commence.]

“If this continues… I should be able to claim my disciple rewards comfortably by tomorrow. Maybe even today, if I’m lucky.”

It’s better to level up my Weakness Detection than to buy new things, right? I was curious to see how high I could level it.

Reaching level 3 in Baptism required 10 points.

Focusing on Weakness Detection seemed more useful than Baptism, so that’s what I chose to level up.

While treating patients, Kardil spoke.

“Do you truly believe you can change this empire? This country filled with useless traditions and corruption…”

Apparently, someone from the church had spoken in a frustrating manner earlier, and it stuck with him.

Rather than insulting himself, he was likely contemplating whether this empire and the central church could genuinely improve—and whether he could play a part in it.

Time for some cultist-style mental care.

“My own strength alone is surely insufficient. But if brothers unite their wills, what can’t we achieve? We could change not only this empire but the entire world.”

I spoke with a firm voice, giving him reassurance.

“If this empire and the central church are the sources of people’s suffering, shouldn’t that be changed?”

I drew forth my power. Golden light shimmered through the veil I wore.

“If necessary… I would correct it to its roots.”

A bright light burst from my hands.

The chaotic light streams and particles from earlier now formed delicate patterns of flowers and sunlight before fading. The enhancement made them shine beautifully.

Kardil listened while energizing the weakened patients. After a brief pause, he spoke.

“So… this is your mission.”

“It’s the life I’ve dedicated myself to.”

“…The deal you broke last time… was that truly your intention?”

Wait a moment.

That… I’m not sure about. A deal? What deal?

Kardil gave me a sharp look.

Because I suddenly paused while recalling the past Serneuan Lumiere, my hand froze midair.

I soon moved again casually, but sensitive Kardil surely noticed.

“Before you left the church, when we met… you seem different from the person I saw then.”

Of course I’m different! I’m not the same person!

I couldn’t answer, simply continuing to treat the patient. Saying anything might ruin the goodwill I had built with Kardil. He might even start suspecting me.

“Well, people naturally change. If they experience events over a short time… they change even more. Anyway… what I wanted to ask was this.”

Kardil washed his hands and sighed deeply.

“Why did you cancel the deal to establish public healthcare systems and hospitals that you proposed? If you intended to do this anyway, there was no need to retract the deal.”

Uh… did he?

Serneuan Lumiere? Him?

Perhaps it was intended for my cultist act. Seeing me selectively heal patients now, establishing hospitals might have attracted more disciples.

But I couldn’t just say that!

“I cannot reveal certain details. Just know that breaking the deal was not my intention.”

“Very well. I don’t dwell on past regrets. I’m simply satisfied knowing you are now caring for patients.”

Phew… lucky.

Kardil was only curious. If he had pressed further, I might’ve been in serious trouble!

“Serneuan’s past… I need to think about it a bit more.”

Luckily, Kardil had a straightforward personality. Had he been more inquisitive, I’d be in real danger.

After treating the last patient, the disciple count had risen properly.

[Disciples: 39]

At this rate, I could complete the subquests comfortably by tomorrow.

I sat down to rest; I was tired.

It seemed long past noon… I had eaten breakfast and wasn’t hungry, but was Kardil not hungry either?

“Then, will you consider that deal again?”

Once treatments were done, Kardil asked.

Hmm, a hospital.

I had thought it would be good to establish one.

But since Kardil asked… a symbolic “deal” to improve his favor wouldn’t hurt.

I answered lightly.

“Very well. It will serve as a beacon for souls in pain.”

Creating a hospital and system would require much time and money anyway—not an immediate concern.

I sat back, thinking of myself selfishly, as long as I got the Healing Relic.

While Kardil tended to post-care, an enthusiastic woman explained the “precautions” in detail. She had been a patient on the first day and was now more familiar.

“The ascetic must not be treated as heretical, so be careful…”

The “precautions” were just my announcements, which everyone happily followed. Nice and convenient.

Those listening treated the instructions as serious and nodded. Some even mimicked her clumsy prayers.

Watching this, Kardil handed me a sandwich.

“By the way, have you heard of the healing spring in the Witch Forest? It’s said to heal all wounds.”

The sandwich—lettuce, tomato, bacon, and coarse white bread—looked delicious.

I took it and listened. Small talk is an essential skill for cultists.

“This was a legend told by my first patient, who has since passed. Her hometown was a small village deep in the Witch Forest. The spring there was said to heal inner injuries when drunk, and applying the water to wounds would heal them.”

Wait.

This is about the Healing Relic, isn’t it?

I sensed it.

“That patient didn’t survive even with the water. But it was an interesting tale.”

I continued casually.

“What happened to that small village?”

“Oh, that was long ago. When the empire conquered the Witch Forest, they were all killed. Some might have survived… but if such water existed, the empire would have surely dug to the lakebed for it.”

Kardil chewed the sandwich like a tired office worker, dismissing the legend.

This world makes legends real.

It couldn’t just be dismissed as a tale—it was almost certainly a Healing Relic.

‘Witch Forest… the spring. Not enough clues. If the empire scoured it thoroughly, they would have found the relic. But in the original story, Kardil discovered it and gave it to the church.’

Then how did Kardil find the relic himself?

“Sandwich is delicious. Thank you.”

“No need. I didn’t make it… it was given by a pregnant patient last time.”

I couldn’t taste the sandwich. My mind was consumed by the Healing Relic.

Why did only Kardil find it?

Did the small tribe not know of the relic?

Was it related to the deceased patient?

Perhaps the relic can only be identified through heirlooms or words left by the deceased.

‘Damn, there are too few clues.’

I need to probe Kardil more.

“That legend is quite fascinating.”

“Had the spring existed, there wouldn’t have been so much suffering. A shame.”

“Did any of your departed patients leave other legends?”

Kardil twitched his eyebrows but, tired, just chewed his sandwich before answering.

“The spring never dried, even in droughts or forest fires. Also… the central church priest investigating it once said something I just remembered.”

Kardil picked up a quill and resumed work.

“The spring turned blood-red after a massacre, dissolving all animals and people, leaving no bones. That’s why the empire didn’t take it… even trying to use it as poison, it would dissolve iron, ceramics, and everything else. Rumor has it it was the curse of the massacred villagers.”

Kardil rubbed the bridge of his nose, finishing his explanation.

“That’s all I know.”

I nodded and ate the sandwich, grateful the veil hid my expression.

I had a lead.

‘I need to go to the Witch Forest. As quickly as possible…!’