Adventurer of Many Professions

Chapter 34 Visiting the Temple!

"Ah, wait a moment!"

As Raymond and Sylph were about to leave the report room, the auditor called out, stopping them in their tracks. He gestured toward Raymond's injured arm, his expression softening slightly. "If you're hurt, you should visit the temple. The priests there offer free healing services daily, as long as they have enough magic power left. Consider it a small compensation for your troubles."

Raymond's face lit up at the news. "Really? That's great to hear, thank you for letting me know!"

He had resigned himself to a slow, painful recovery, but now he had a chance to be treated by a priest. The thought was thrilling. Priests were regarded as the most vital support class in any adventuring team. Not only could they heal wounds, but they also possessed magic to cleanse poisons, cure various conditions, and even enhance the abilities of their teammates.

Raymond's thoughts drifted to the five silver coins he had spent on the antidote. If he'd had a priest teammate, he could've saved that money, and maybe avoided the poison entirely. The value of having a priest on a team was immeasurable. More importantly, a priest could be the difference between life and death in a dangerous situation.

"I'll head to the temple now," Raymond said, turning to Sylph. From the pouch containing their commission reward, he pulled out ten silver coins; what he had earned from the mutant rats he had killed. He separated five coins and offered them to Sylph. "Here's your share."

Sylph hesitated before taking only two of the coins. "You spent five silver coins on the antidote, right? That should count as a team expense." She jingled the two coins in her hand. "Besides, you killed most of the mutant rats yourself. Two is plenty for me."

Raymond blinked, caught off guard by her reasoning, before breaking into a smile. "Alright, but let's split any compensation we get from the guild evenly. Without your explosion magic, we wouldn't have survived, let alone killed the giant mutant rat."

Sylph nodded, smiling warmly. "That sounds fair. It's settled, then!"

She suddenly perked up. "But if you're going to the temple, I'll come with you."

Raymond raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to—"

"Nope! I insist." She waved off his protest.

He shrugged. "Alright, let's go together."

The two descended the stairs and exited the report room. As they passed through the Adventurer's Hall, the judgmental stares and wrinkled noses of the other adventurers returned with a vengeance. Some muttered under their breath, others outright avoided them, but the effect was the same, Sylph's improved mood from earlier soured almost instantly.

Raymond, meanwhile, sighed internally. He had hoped to mingle with other adventurers in the hall and perhaps trigger a learnable skill from another warrior, but with the stench clinging to him, no one would come within arm's reach.

As they stepped out into the fresh air, Sylph finally snapped. "No, I can't take this anymore!" She spun to face Raymond, her cheeks flushed with indignation. "I 'need' to shower and change first. I can't walk around like this a moment longer!"

Raymond glanced at himself, covered in filth from the sewer battle. He frowned as he thought about entering the temple in this state. After all, the temple was a sacred space, and now that he knew the gods worshipped there were real, he felt a sense of unease about entering so unclean.

"You're right," he said quickly. "Let's clean up first. We can meet in front of the temple afterward."

Sylph nodded, looking relieved. "Deal!" Without another word, she darted off toward her home.

Raymond, however, didn't head back to Red Rose Street. His injuries were too visible, and the last thing he wanted was to worry Arya, the girl he shared his home with. Instead, he turned toward a nearby public bathhouse, intent on scrubbing off the grime and clearing his mind before heading to the temple.

As he walked, he found himself feeling an odd mix of excitement and unease. Meeting a priest and experiencing their magic firsthand wasn't something every adventurer got to do. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that the events in the sewer were connected to something far larger and that visiting the temple was just the first step in uncovering it.

The temple stood at the junction of the East and North Districts, its towering white marble pillars visible from several streets away. Raymond had been here once before when he came to awaken his profession, so the path was familiar. As he approached, a small river meandered alongside the road, and he decided to stop and clean himself up.

---

Standing waist-deep in the cold river water, Raymond scrubbed at his clothes and protective gear, trying to rid them of the persistent sewer stench. After several minutes of vigorous washing, he lifted his arm to sniff his sleeve and frowned.

"There's still a weird smell," he muttered, "but it'll have to do for now."

He turned his attention to the wound on his arm. The water had washed away the grime, and he felt reassured knowing the antidote he had purchased would keep him safe from infection. The pharmacist had assured him the detoxification effects would last a full day, leaving him little reason to worry.

"Good enough," he said with a resigned sigh, climbing out of the water.

---

When he arrived at the temple, the sight still took his breath away. No matter how many times he saw it, the structure's sheer grandeur was awe-inspiring. The temple was the largest building in the town of West, a magnificent palace of pure white marble, gleaming in the sunlight. Its towering pillars gave it an ethereal quality, as though it were suspended between heaven and earth.

This was the house of the 'Sun Goddess', a deity said to be real and tangible, unlike the abstract gods of myth and legend. It was no wonder such a temple existed for her worship.

The temple wasn't just a place of prayer; it housed nuns devoted to the goddess as well as awakened priests. Those who awakened to the priest profession were required to serve here, learning the art of healing and other divine skills before deciding whether to remain in service to the Sun Goddess or venture into the world.

Raymond hadn't fully understood this requirement until recently. It was only when a guild attendant explained that priests' abilities were granted through divine favor, earned through prayer and service, that everything clicked into place.

The temple's wide stone staircase bustled with activity. Devotees moved in and out, their faces serene, while adventurers; some limping, others supported by teammates, entered seeking aid. Raymond's gaze lingered on one group carrying a severely injured comrade. The adventurer's armor was mangled, and his face was pale from blood loss.

"Free treatment, as long as you can make it here alive," Raymond murmured, his tone tinged with a mix of gratitude and melancholy. The temple's services were invaluable, but they came with that condition that you make it to the temple.

"Raymond!" a voice called out, breaking his reverie.

He turned toward the sound and froze. Sylph was walking up the temple steps, but she looked entirely different. She wore a white dress that fluttered in the breeze, its blue-edged hem swaying delicately. Her usual magic hat had been replaced with a white silk cap adorned with lace, and her freshly washed blonde hair shone in the sunlight. A soft veil drifted with the wind, threatening to take flight until Sylph pressed it down with her hand.

For a moment, she looked like a vision from a dream, ethereal and graceful.

"What's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head as she adjusted her veil. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Raymond blinked, snapping himself out of his daze. "It's nothing. Just… the wind feels stronger today, that's all," he said with a small smile. "Let's head inside."

"Okay!" Sylph replied cheerfully, skipping the last few steps to reach him. Her happy expression faltered as she took in his appearance. "Wait a second—didn't you go back to change?"

"No," Raymond admitted nonchalantly. "I live pretty far away, so I just washed up in the bathhouse."

Sylph's eyes widened in surprise. "The bathhouse?! Why didn't you tell me earlier? I could have waited for you!"

Raymond shrugged, keeping his voice calm. "No need. I didn't want to waste time with this wound. The sooner it's healed, the better."

Sylph puffed out her cheeks in frustration, her hands planted on her hips. "You…! Honestly, Raymond, you're impossible sometimes!"

"Alright, alright," Raymond said, waving her off as he started up the temple stairs. "Let's just go inside."

Sylph huffed, stomping her foot in indignation. She gathered her skirt and followed him up the stairs, muttering under her breath about his stubbornness.

---

Inside, the temple's air was cool and filled with the faint scent of incense. Rays of sunlight filtered through stained-glass windows, casting colorful patterns on the marble floors. As they entered the main hall, Sylph couldn't help but marvel at the serene beauty of the space, her earlier frustration melting away.

Raymond, however, had only one goal in mind: finding a priest to treat his injuries.