Became the Academy’s Munchkin Power Priest

32 – Why are you here

Echina watched Gran’s back from a distance. I wasn’t too surprised when I found out he was the high priest. He didn’t feel it.

But now, surrounded by numerous priests, Gran felt like an unapproachable figure.

He struggled with priests younger than Gran, as well as priests older than Gran.

He listened intently and answered what Gran said. It was like a teacher and his disciples.

What was it like even talking to the pope?

I had a conversation without hesitation with the pope, who could be considered the emperor of the church.

Now I could feel what kind of person Gran was.

“Aren’t you staring at me too stunned?”

Chloe came to Echina’s side and said.

“How did Gran become the high priest?”

“How is it? He was just trying hard. I tried everything to catch up with Grand-nim, but it seemed like I was going to lose my mind first.”

Echina turned her head to look at Chloe.

She came to the temple and realized that Chloe was no ordinary child either. She was the granddaughter of an archbishop, and she became a third-class priest.

Echina looked at her own fist. Although she had calluses, she still looked like a tender child’s hand.

On the other hand, Chloe’s hands showed small scars in her places. It wasn’t to the extent of her ugliness, but I could tell she had tried hard anyway.

Eki I bit her lip.

Anxiety that had faded for a while was coming back.

It was not a negative reaction.

Because she felt exactly what was unsettling.

‘I have to move forward too.’

“Didn’t you say there was a training facility built by Gran-sama here?”

“Ah, yes. Please cover…. Wait i….”

“Heh heh, you mean the gym? Come over here.”

***

After spending the night at the temple, we set out for the front.

There were no wagons heading to the front. I had to ride a horse, but I was overweight and couldn’t ride a horse.

Fortunately, there was an ancient wolf that was bigger than a horse. At first, I thought it was impossible to mount a wolf.

Once the ancient wolf saw the horses mounted by Cloah and Echinace, it laid down as if telling me to mount it.

It was fortunate that there was an ancient wolf. Its soft, gray hair was thick, full, and fluffy.

I was sorry that the burden would put on the wolf’s back, but I had no intention of getting off.

I had to walk for at least five nights, but thanks to the ancient wolf, I was able to reduce it to two nights.

I finally entered Riona Village, a frontline village. Priests and paladins in armor were seen. There were also more knights.

There was nothing special about being a frontline village. For the people who lived here, soldiers wandering around was no different from everyday life.

The villagers looked at me as I rode a giant wolf. At first, I was surprised or scared and avoided myself. The soldiers immediately rushed into battle and tried to confront me.

Among the priests, there were some who recognized my face, so the tension ended quickly.

We passed through the village and headed for the front line. I was thinking of meeting the commander here and receiving a mission. After carrying out the mission, I received the commander’s certificate and wrote it in the performance report.

In fact, the performance report was enough to save the ancient wolf, but it was decided to carry out the original goal.

“It’s gloomy here too.”

Chloe sniffed.

She said her frontline should go a little further east from here as she stayed in her past.

As Chloe said, the surroundings were dull.

There were a few rotten trees, and the floor was muddy, probably because there were not enough trees to absorb rainwater. The soil was dark like potting soil.

After passing the hill, I could see the Demon Realm at a glance. Before long, I could see the barracks and soldiers staying at the front.

“Who are you?”

A sentry guarding the road asked.

“High priest Gran. Where is the Commander?”

“Now the saintess is in charge of this place.”

“A saint?”

It was an unexpected sound. She should have belonged to a party with a hero.

“So a party of warriors is stationed here?”

“No…. Now the saintess is left alone. For now, I will show you the way.”

I didn’t know there was a saintess here.

She was strangely awkward.

She’s 8 years old. Even since she came here, I’ve seen her face pass by. However, the face-to-face was like the first time. In fact, I had never even mingled with her. The word she spat out to the saintess was ‘wait a minute’, which came out of embarrassment.

***

Tesia’s clothes were stained with her blood. The personnel who had gone out on patrol this morning were on their way back after being attacked. She chanted her incantations as she watched the condition of her soldiers.

Severely wounded soldiers were treated by Thesia, and other priests took care of the lightly injured patients.

Too many people came back wounded at once, and Tescia was busy taking care of her wounded soldier while sweating.

Blood scabs clung to her silver hair, and her white skin was stained as she wiped the sweat from her face with her bloody hands.

Her condition of Tesia was a mess. Even so, her beauty was so beautiful that the wounded soldiers’ mouths fell open.

Tescia took care of her wounded no matter what her own appearance was. Her care for the wounded never ceased.

After she treated one seriously wounded soldier, she moved on to the next wounded.

There was a commotion at her entrance, but she didn’t even pay attention.

Someone rushed towards the entrance.

She focused on her healing without looking back.

Soon, a huge shadow appeared.

“Let me help too.”

It was the first voice I heard on the wire here.

Of course, there were countless soldiers on the front lines. The faces of the wounded soldiers changed every day, and every day I encountered soldiers with different faces.

However, the priests who take care of the wounded in this temple were fixed.

Tescia finished her healing and she looked at the man who had spoken to her earlier.

He was healing a seriously wounded soldier. His broad back was visible.

‘… A paladin?’

The outfit was a priest, but when I saw the man, I suddenly thought he was a paladin.

It was as if I had never seen such a large person in my life.

A long time ago, I happened to see Gran.

‘He was really big too….’

Tesia thought so as she looked at the big man.

He used high divine spells to heal wounded soldiers. Suddenly wondering who it was, Thesia tilted her head and approached the man.

“Heh heh…. Long time no see.”

Thesia’s footsteps stopped.

Her eyes narrowed.

Her cherry-like mouth opened slightly.

There was a feeling that something was stuck in her throat, trying to say something.

The man was laughing awkwardly.

Tessia’s hands and eyes began to tremble.

Tesia, who was staring at Gran’s face in such a state of fascination, turned her body around and came out.

The place she headed straight for was the washbasin.

Tescia washed the blood off her hands and her face.

Her face looked ugly today.

She wet her face with cold water to recover herself. After she washed away the sweat and blood, she dried herself.

Why is her hair so messy?

She stopped while wiping the blood scab from her hair.

As she was washing her hair, there were not one or two places that caught her attention.

Tesia let out a deep sigh and came out. She then headed back to where Gran was.

Gran silently took care of the wounded soldier.

Even though all the healing was finished, he carefully examined the wounded soldiers.

Tessia looked over the wounded soldiers with him.

Ten minutes passed like that.

The first person to speak was Gran.

“Looks like this is enough. Did you heal these wounded soldiers alone?”

“Uh…. What is it?”

Thesia called for Gran.

How long have you been calling his name?

When Gran was called, he stared at Thesia.

“It’s been a while.”

She tried to speak in her mischievous tone, as in her childhood. But the sound that came out of her throat was just crackling.

“Yes, long time no see.”

Tesia smiled awkwardly and bowed her head. Her face darkened. That was also because of Gran’s way of speaking.

“Gran…. Are you mad?”

Gran narrowed his brows as if asking what he was talking about.

“I have no reason to be angry.”

“Why…. Uncomfortable to say…. Is it because I am a saint?”

Gran, who said he didn’t know why, opened his mouth as if he noticed while rolling his eyes here and there.

“You don’t have to worry about it. I respect the saintess.”

“No, it’s okay…. I just like to be treated comfortably like before….”

Thesia spoke cautiously.

Gran just smiled silently.

Teshia was wondering where she should start talking to her. She told him she had a lot of things she wanted to say. There was so much of it that she couldn’t contain herself.

Should I take him to the room first?

Or should we walk outside and have a conversation?

She thought that if she could talk and confide in her, she would be able to go back to the way it was before.

Before she could make her decision, Gran opened her mouth.

“Tessia-sama…. Are there any demons around here?”

She realized it in an instant.

That you are the only person missing the past.

Tescia felt something in her chest crumble. She staggered for a moment, feeling dizzy.

“You overdo it.”

Gran’s gigantic hand grabbed my wrist and barely kept me from falling.

His hands were uncharacteristically large and clumsy.

Teshia felt as if his chest was clogged. She placed her slender hand on Gran’s hand.

“Gran…. I missed you.”