My head was spinning. I had no idea how much time had passed.

I glanced over my shoulder. Whoever had been behind was now gone, along with the warmth.

It was probably her, wasn’t it? Ra, the Goddess of the Sun.

"...Ha."

I stood up. In the dim light, I heard the Demon Sword curse.

【How dare you... use me as a mere stepping stone!】

At least she seems to have some awareness.

I scanned my limbs. Aside from a few minor scrapes, I hadn’t suffered any other visible damage.There were no other abnormalities. No strange energy inside my body, no bad omens in sight...

I staggered upright and checked my status window.

[Jahad Balton] [Level: 6]

[Race: Human] [Job: Apostle of the Sun God]

[Job Unique Skills]

Love of the Sun God: Skills related to the Sun God grow rapidly.

Grace of the Sun God: Holy power recovers quickly.

Blessing of the Sun God: You can handle the holy artifact of the Sun God without risk.

Prayer of the Sun God: Immune to mental corruption.

[Possessed Skills]

Stigmata (D): Provides a certain degree of resistance to all types of magic.

Divine Power (D): Allows you to draw upon the divinity of the Sun God to some extent.

Healing (F): Gradually heals scratches.

Blessing (F): Slightly improves mood.

Ember (F): Creates a warm flame upon touch.

Prayer of Fire (D): When praying, the body warms up to some extent, slightly enhancing physical abilities.

Crown of Ashes (EX): Offers up tributes to dramatically enhance the efficiency of skills related to the Sun God.

Look at that!

I've gained 5 levels, and the skill grades for both Stigmata and Divine Power have reached D! In addition, the Prayer of Fire, which I hadn't even aimed for, also reached rank D!

To achieve what would normally take a regular priest years in just a few minutes!

"Well, at least I won't be easily beaten to death..."

【How dare you ignore me, you insignificant human!】

"Calm down. I'm listening properly."

How much time had passed?

I climbed up the stairs. The secret entrance was completely blocked. This means no one else would have discovered it.

I couldn't tell when it would be safe to leave. While it was possible to open the secret entrance from inside, there could be someone outside. If the child who had come in a few days ago suddenly discovered the seal of the Demon Sword...

Hmm.

Even I would find that suspicious.

I took my hand off the secret entrance. It seemed better to take care of what I could do at the moment.

I approached the Demon Sword Surtr. The red orb flinched and trembled.

【W-What are you Those sinister eyes!】

"It hurts my feelings when you say it like that."

【What are you planning to do! You scoundrel! If you're a priest, you should behave like one!】

"What's the Demon Sword rambling about now?"

I raised my hand. Warm embers flared up in my palms.It was hot. Naturally, the embers were a mass of divine power.Because it was the power of the gods, it was a natural adversary to the Demon Sword.

Surtr instinctively sharpened its blade.

Sinister energy crept cautiously beyond the barrier, flickering nervously.

【Get rid of that filthy thing at once!】

"Whoa, whoa, calm down. Don't worry..."

Skills improved more quickly when used on stronger opponents, similar to how a warrior grows stronger when teetering on the edge of death.

It's when you learn from an unbeatable opponent that you truly begin to gain experience.

Right now, Surtr is an EX-grade item. There's no way I can capture it as I am now, and in terms of danger, it easily surpasses S-grade.

But what could it do?

It's unable to move! If it can't move, it's just the strongest scarecrow!

The ultimate place for acquiring experience for a priest!

"It won't hurt..."

【L-Leave me alone!】

"Didn't you just ask me to release you earlier?"

【N-No! Stop this! Get that creepy thing away from me!】

"Your tone changed."

I licked my lips.

"I like this version of you more."

【Eeeek!】

【Ugh... Ughhh...】

I dusted off the divine power still lingering on my hands. I’d been exhausting it for almost half a day, resting whenever I was tired, and then continuing to sprinkle embers over the barrier surrounding the Demon Sword.

Even though it was sealed within a sacred barrier, its keen senses could perceive beyond it. It must have felt like its body was being covered with filth.

It resisted within the barrier, threatening me to stop, and tried to repel me with magic. However, that's exactly what I wanted.

Amidst the persistent clinging ashes and divine power, the Demon Sword, Surtr, resisted for a long time before finally breaking down in tears. Once all resistance vanished, I withdrew my power.

The red orb melted away.

【N-No more... Please, no more...】

"That was satisfying."

I casually opened the status window and checked for what had improved.

Blessing (E): Significantly improves mood.

Ember (E): Creates a sharp, stingy flame upon contact.

The ranks of the Blessing and Ember skills have increased. Although being lower-tier holy spell skills means they would cap at C rank, reaching that level would certainly be beneficial in real combat. It was surprising to have two skill ranks increase within a single day.

The growth rate was astonishingly fast. I shivered with excitement. While the improvement to ‘Blessing’ was pleasing, it was the upgraded ‘Ember’ that excited me.

A flame that's now not just warm but stingy*! (*Can cause damage.)

"Ah... a cheat is indeed a fearsome thing..."

Come to think of it, I recall 'Ra' saying something... something about a world destined for destruction… Well, let's put it aside for now. It doesn't seem urgent.

"Surtr."

【Go, go away! Get away!】

"Have fun. I'll come back for you."

【I said don't come!!!】

“I can't leave someone like you alone... I'll take care of you in Ra's name... gently that is...”

【Aaaah!】

Though it possesses a power completely opposite of divine strength, it's still an EX-grade item. There's no reason not to hold onto it.

But that's a story for later. Right now, there's no way to take it with me, and I'm not strong enough either. Leaving it here is the best option for now.

My stomach growled as I climbed up the spiral staircase. Pressing my ears against the entrance, I began to listen for any sounds of movement outside.

There was no sign of anyone. It seemed like I could slip out quickly...

Please, don't let me get caught.

"Gasp!"

Holding my breath, I carefully triggered the mechanism. With the sound of the statue rotating, the secret entrance creaked open.

I quickly dashed out. Panting, I inserted the key back into the keyhole and locked the entrance.

The statue returned to its original position. It was nighttime. Dim moonlight filtered through the stained glass. There was no one around, and it was incredibly quiet.

Thankfully, it seemed I hadn't been discovered.

I heard footsteps approaching from a distance.

Creak…

"...Is anyone there?"

I quickly turned my head. Just as the statue returned to its place, Mierkant emerged from the inner door of the prayer room.

"...Jahad?"

Mierkant's expression shifted rapidly, from relief to a sigh, then from a sigh to concern.

He strode over to me and sat down in front of me, examining me all over.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Any discomfort?"

"No, I'm fine."

"That's a relief. Thank goodness."

He cupped my face in his hands.

"...I thought you were dead. Where have you been for three days?"

Three days?

I've been gone that long?

"Oh, well... I just got lost..."

"Got lost?"

Mierkant stood up and scrutinized my face from different angles.

"...Since you came from outside, I suppose that could happen. Next time you want to go out, follow the children. They'll guide you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Aren't you hungry? I have some bread saved. It should fill you up."

Mierkant rose to his feet. It was hard to believe he trusted my clumsy excuse, so I looked up at him.

"...Aren't you going to ask more questions?"

It was just a question I blurted out out of curiosity. Even I realized I misspoke as soon as the words left my mouth.

However, Mierkant didn’t say anything else. He just rummaged through the room and pulled out the bread he had hidden.

"Eat slowly."

He gave a small smile.

"If you eat too fast, you might get a stomachache."

...Hmm.

He's kind, almost too kind.

It was a new day.

I have grown accustomed to life here. The three days that passed felt like just one to me, so the broom felt familiar in my hands.

Back and forth in a repetitive motion…

I lightly yawned as I swept the yard. Even though it was practically a rundown old church, there was still plenty to clean.

Like the crumbling walls.

Or the half-destroyed statues painted in strange colors.

Or the pathways made of broken marble.

Or the bent metal gate that never closed properly on one side… you get the point.

Honestly speaking, it felt more like a graveyard than a church. There were too many things to do here from the start. How was I supposed to handle all this by myself?

"...I need to become independent quickly or start earning money."

I had no intention of living here. A person should live a proper life, after all. How could eating dried-up bread be called living?

For now, my goals were clear. First, get to the Headquarters of the Cult of Ra. Second, to become an official priest and get involved with whatever legal or illegal activities that occur there.

As long as I stayed on the right path, even shady acts would be fine.Indeed, that's right.

To do that, I need to make a good impression on the official priests who visit the branch from the Headquarters...

"Hey."

The hard-working broom suddenly stopped as a foot appeared, stopping it in its tracks. A familiar boy was smirking, accompanied by other orphans.

"I heard you've crawled back in because you had nowhere else to go?"

"Hmph. The bastard's here."

"You damn bastard."

Hector. That's right.

Was his name Hector?

I peeked at the guy. He was much larger than others his age, and his hands didn't bear Stigmata. With brown hair and a face that looked more like a mercenary than an average person, his appearance was distinct.

Hector. I racked my brain again and again, but I couldn't remember him. I hadn't ever encountered him during the game.

Judging by the fact that I don't remember him, he must be an extra. Probably ended up dead while doing some thug work in the back alleys.

I leaned on the broom and silently looked up at him.

"What do you want to say?"

"Did you know that because of you, I got locked up in the punishment room for a week?"

"It’s called the Punishment Room, but it's basically a private room, isn't it? Warm, with meals on time. I would walk in there myself. It's great not having to work all day, isn't it?"

"You damn bastard!"

"You've been cursing since earlier; is that all you know how to do?"

Hector kicked the broom aside and growled, leaning close to my face.

"And all you have to boast about is your mouth."

"Better than a mad dog who can't do anything right except curse, don't you think? Woof, woof."

"You seem to trust that old man, but you didn't know he left for the Church early in the morning, did you?"

"An apprentice priest wouldn't miss that."

Hector's gang burst into loud laughter.

"What makes him so confident?"

"Hey! Hector! Beat him up!"

"Let's just bury him in the mountains!"

What a bunch of little devils. I subtly counted Hector's gang standing beside him. Two girls and two boys.

Including him, that makes five.

"Quite the group you've got."

"Why? Are you scared?"

"Scared? A cowardly dog barks with its pack, you know."

I cracked my neck. My physique was that of a boy; I had set the character age to be around 15.It seemed I couldn't avoid the fight, so I decided to accept it. But before that, there was something I wanted to ask.

"Why are you so eager to get me?"

"Because you look like a piece of shit."

"Look like a piece of shit? Well...better than you..."

I locked eyes with one of Hector's group. A rather pretty girl was smiling at me.

The one who said, "What makes him so confident?" was her.

...Ah, this guy was a typical teenager.

Getting embarrassed in front of a girl must’ve really riled him up from last time. And now that she’s showing interest in me, he seems to have snapped.

"Alright. Let's have a match."

I backed up slightly. I glanced around the area. No one to help me, and no one to witness this.

"But wait. There are two conditions."

"Do you think I'm just playing games right now?"

"If you agree to my conditions, I won't report you to the priest. We both don't have anywhere else to go, right? Since it's come to this, why don't we settle it like men?"

"What kind of nonsense..."

"What happens here stays between us. And the one who loses won't ever act up again."

"......"

Hector ground his teeth.

"...Fine. But you're going to end up dead here."

"I'll take that as your agreement."

"I'll kill you..."

"Wait!"

"What now?!"

"Despite my appearance, I'm an apprentice priest. A priest serving the Sun God Ra."

I clasped my hands together and gave a slight bow.

"Before the fight, I need to listen to Ra's voice. Give me a moment to pray."

"You're seriously crazy."

I heard a sound of tongue clicking. Sure, click your tongue all you want.

I'll make sure to kick you where it hurts.

[The Prayer of Fire is activated.]

[Your body feels warm.]

[Your physical abilities are slightly enhanced.]

"I heard it. Ra has spoken."

"...What?"

"To take you all down."

I raised my hand and made a slicing motion across my neck.

"To beat you senseless."

[Ra denies ever having said such a thing.]

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