13 — Business Talks with the Pope

13 — Business Talks with the Pope

Cattleya stood at her usual counter.

“Here are today’s stones.”

“On it. I have to say, Luciel, your hard work’s really putting a dent in that debt.”

“A dent? What debt?”

“Oh, nothing...” Her smile and cheer faded when she saw the large gems at the top of the pile in my bag. “Luciel, did you go to the main chamber of the twentieth floor?”

“Yes, I did. I fought with a wight and two skeleton knights.”

“Let’s square your points away first,” she said. “That’s 215,342. Big haul this time.”

“Thanks. I’ll be sure to put them to use.”

“I hope you do.”

“Actually, I’m pooped, so if you’ll excuse me...”

Cattleya giggled. “That’s a funny joke. Unfortunately, I’m not in a joking mood.”

“O-Oh, you’re not?” I laughed nervously.

“No, I’m not. Shall we be off?”

Well, it was worth a shot. Cattleya once again escorted me to the pope’s chambers.

“Greetings, Cattleya and boy called Luciel. What urgent matter brings you this time?”

“Your Holiness,” Cattleya said, “the exorcist has progressed to the twentieth floor of the labyrinth, where he did battle with a wight and two skeleton knights. We come to report his victory.”

“Oh? Luciel, it pleases me to hear your continued descent goes smoothly.”

“Thank you, Your Holiness.”

“I find your strength curious,” the pope remarked alluringly.

“You flatter me, Your Holiness. The battle was a hard one and I only won it with luck. Without the magic bag you gave me, I would have surely been injured...or worse. I owe this victory to you.”

“Then my aid proved useful?”

“Yes, very much. Your help was the deciding factor in this fight. Of that, I’m certain.”

She chuckled. “You display such valorous and meritable acts of service in so small an amount of time and you would bestow the glory on me. You humor me, Luciel, truly.”

“I’m honored, Your Holiness.”

Cattleya had told me a million times before coming here to not get carried away and make a fool of myself. So I spoke the honest truth and nothing more.

“I would see the items you have brought,” she commanded.

“Yes, Your Holiness,” I replied. “The wight wielded both fire and holy magic. Two powerful knights protected it. They were skeletons, but much stronger than usual, as if possessed by spirits of the dead. So I’ve taken to calling them ‘death knights.’ This is what they dropped.”

I placed the wight’s garments, its two arm bracelets, and the knights’ armors, shields, and weapons in front of me. As the maidens brought each of them to their mistress, I noticed a shadow of unease on Cattleya’s face.

The pope took each item gently in her hands, examining them carefully, pensively. “It is as I expected,” she said. “Luciel, I truly owe you a great debt. The items you have collected from the wights you have slain thus far once belonged to bishops and archbishops of this church. I fear these creatures were the same individuals who went missing well over a decade ago.”

“You mean to say they died in the labyrinth, then turned on the Church in death?”

“Luciel!” Cattleya snapped. “Word your sentences carefully!”

“Indeed,” the voice behind the veil replied, ignoring the interjection, “though it would be more accurate to say that they turned against the Church, the Healer’s Guild, and the Republic of Saint Shurule in its entirety.”

I stayed silent.

“Over fifty years have passed since the formation of the labyrinth. None know what birthed it,” she explained. “These halls once bustled with life, the scribbling of pens, the marching of templars and paladins, but that was the past, of which the present is a mere shadow.”

My private quarters were clearly intended for two people originally, and now I finally understood why. All this pomp and circumstance was likely meant to boost my motivation and lead into giving me the next key item for clearing the dungeon. Although there was probably some truth mixed in. The pope’s voice sounded so young, I was having trouble believing she’d been alive over fifty years ago. The veil that she hid behind made it hard to judge, though.

“When the labyrinth was formed, many brave souls endeavored to seal it off. It is thanks to their efforts that we have stayed the tide of undead thus far.”

“It can be sealed?”

“It can,” she said. “To the best of my knowledge, traversing it in its entirety is the method through which this would be achieved. However, none have succeeded. Countless spells and alternatives have been attempted to no avail.”

“I can see how that would be troublesome.”

“In so many words. At its very depths, there lies a core, the source of the miasma, and destroying it is the answer. Only then will the labyrinth cease to function, and once it is sealed, the impurities will gradually dissipate until the dungeon itself vanishes.”

“The entire labyrinth will disappear?”

“Indeed. The seat of the Church cannot coexist with such a place, for they are nests of magical energy, miasma, and avarice. I trust you understand the weight of this matter.”

“Yes, very much so,” I agreed, although to be honest, it wasn’t surprising in the least.

To earn a profit was not inherently evil, but a labyrinth near an organization that deceived and put people’s lives in danger couldn’t have been a coincidence, not when there were corrupt clinics and healers being ignored. The church’s complacency was as good as encouraging such corruption.

“If I may return to the past, many brave souls sought to eliminate the labyrinth upon its emergence. A great many elite templars and paladins ventured into its depths.”

If they were anything like Lumina, I imagined they must have made good time.

She went on, “Their progress was swift, descending five to seven floors in a single day. But just as quickly, the stench and miasma began to take their toll and their march slowed.”

I, on the other hand, was just fine with it all. Was this some roundabout way of calling me a weirdo again? It had to have been bad if not even the elites could make significant headway. Like an internal struggle for power or something. Whatever the case, one look at the desolate dining hall was proof enough that whatever had happened back then had left the Church quite short on manpower.

“The knights marched ever deeper in the name of the Church,” she recounted. “Yet as the miasma thickened, some fell to its sickness, some to powerful foes, and many to the hands of their allies, who were deluded by the monsters’ mind magic.” Wraiths came to mind. Or maybe it had been something even stronger. If so, I didn’t envy them. “Their ill-fated journey led to many sacrifices. And so, they sealed the entrance, hoping to forestall a deluge of monsters. One day, however, there were reports of zombies clambering from the labyrinth. This is when construction to expand the palace began.”

“I think I’m starting to understand why healers, out of all the classes, are the ones working as exorcists.”

“Some decades ago, those born with the class of paladin or templar were not so uncommon. But as of late, such people are rare. Even rarer are the ones who choose to cast their lot with the Church. Our numbers are simply too few.”

“So, you rely on the Purification spell to thin them out in lieu of raw strength.”

“Precisely. At present, our most pressing concern is seeing that monsters do not escape to the surface.”

Oh, was that a hint? Maybe she was telling me not to focus solely on clearing the dungeon, but also to patrol the higher floors. Would I find rare drops by reclearing them?

“I understand,” I said. “Do you know how far down the first excursion went? Or how deep the labyrinth goes? Any information you have would be helpful.”

“My reports indicate that they slew the fiend of the fortieth floor, but at the cost of the lives of two commanders. And so they deemed their struggle lost.”

“How did these knights compare to the paladins who are here now?”

“They were powerful indeed. Their era was one of war and strife and they were the chosen few who saw us through times of crises.”

“Wow...” By the sound of it, the fortieth-floor boss could’ve been as strong as my master. And I didn’t like that one bit. “I apologize if this is rude, but were you not able to commission adventurers to conquer the labyrinth for you?”

“Such an option was discussed at the time, but they were unable to enter,” the pope explained. “We would later discover that entry is only permitted to those with the light or holy magic affinities, or those of the acolyte, mystic, hero, paladin, templar, or dragoon classes.”

“Um, did the hero you tested that theory out with not manage anything at all?”

“As misfortune would have it, the instant the hero entered the labyrinth, demons invaded and our affairs no longer took precedence. I have heard rumors that the battle robbed him of his strength and powers thereafter.”

How convenient. This hero guy didn’t sound very heroic. And it wasn’t even against the big, bad demon king? Just regular demons?

“I see. What about the people the wights used to be?” I asked. “Why did they go into the labyrinth?”

“They were capable individuals, if lacking in frugality and temperance as you may have surmised from their belongings. I suspect riches were their aim.”

“That’s unfortunate.” Their greed had destined them to become wights. Wait, this was still all bogus exposition, right? I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more truth here than I was giving them credit for.

“That is all I know of the labyrinth and its nature. Tell me, Luciel, would a party to join in your mission lessen your hardships?” she offered.

“I suppose it would, but they would have to be as resistant to stench, illusions, charms, and other mind-affecting magic as I am.”

She paused for a moment. “I do hope you are cautious of your limits. Is it truly feasible for you to best this dungeon alone?”

“Yes, I believe it is, as long as I pace myself.”

“And what, pray tell, would you require to accomplish this?”

Well, I hadn’t been expecting a reward, that was for sure. “If I may, I would request specialized anti-undead weapons and armor. Anything that could help me survive.”

“Very well. I shall prepare several items.”

“I’m grateful. One last thing... You’re certain there were no reports of monsters other than undead in the labyrinth?” This was the only big “what-if” for me. If Purification ever stopped working, I’d be in for it.

“I am. Is this a concern of yours?” Unease tinged her voice.

“Not particularly, no,” I said. “Cleansing magic wasn’t enough to defeat the wight and its death knights, so I was curious. If I ever come across monsters other than the undead, conquering this labyrinth could be problematic.”

“Hm, it is possible the priests simply dispatched any they encountered in the past. Their levels were quite high.”

And I was still level one. My job and Holy Magic levels were meaningless in that regard. “Right. So please, don’t place all your hopes of overcoming this labyrinth on me alone.”

“I understand. But I apologize, Luciel, for I must ask you to delve deeper nonetheless,” the voice breathed with remorse. “Ah, and do meet with me once your healer level reaches six so that I may promote you. I will always make time to hear from you.”

“A promotion?” There was no mention of that in my god-given knowledge.

“Indeed. One’s job level increases through years of focused effort and experience,” she said, “and once level six is reached, one can be promoted. Certain occupations can only be taken upon attaining level ten, the maximum, but I know of none who have chosen to be promoted at so late a stage.”

So, I could elevate my job to a more advanced class, essentially? “Can you be promoted multiple times?”

“That is impossible. Only ancient texts speak of such an ability. You would also do well to note that only the king, emperor, and mystic jobs possess the power to promote another.”

“Thank you for the information. If I could ask one more question, is this different from multi-classing?” That had been an option while I was in limbo after my death.

“Multi-classing refers to those unfortunate few who possess multiple jobs. It is said they are burdened with exceptionally slow growth rates.”

Then it was a good thing I hadn’t gone that route. Unless it was something like a long-term investment with a bigger payout.

“Has it been researched?”

“At a sluggish pace. Multi-classers are a rare few and their fate is believed to be a divinely ordained trial.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

“I have told you all I am able to now, and I commend your successes, Luciel. I will gather the items I promised and entrust them to Cattleya. One of my retainers will see you out. Cattleya, remain.”

“Allow me, Your Holiness,” one of the maidens offered.

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me,” I said.

“I anticipate great things from you.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

My second audience with the pope came to a close.