First of all, I couldn't believe the Pope of the Seventy-Two Churches had really gone out of his way to protect this irredeemable idiot; yet again, the Pope was quite old, and it was said that a child born late in life was especially precious. Clearly, Hellstar had grown into this because of the environment he was raised in.
If Hellstar had been ten years younger, perhaps I wouldn't have gone as far as smashing his face. No. I still would have.
In fact, there was no need to involve the Iron-Blooded Lord. There were countless ways I could manipulate this idiot. Setting aside the fact that he was the Pope's son, I could have sought help from Glenn, a member of the imperial family, or even raised the issue publicly during my upcoming audience with the emperor. It would have been a breach of etiquette, but this wasn't a problem to dismiss lightly. I doubted I would face severe punishment.
I didn't want any of that, though. I didn't want Glenn's help or the emperor's, and I certainly didn't want the Iron-Blooded Lord involved.
Hellstar would be grateful now, but in the near future? He'd probably wish things had gone differently, thinking, Maybe it would have been better if things had escalated back then.
"Start by fixing your face. People might think I hit you," I instructed.
"U-understood."
Hellstar once again used divine power to heal his face. The swelling, the broken nose, the blood—all reversed as if time itself had undone it.
I found the sight strangely repulsive and felt I shouldn't touch this divine power. C ould it be an instinctive warning from the Dark Qi within me?
At that moment, a tearful waiter appeared. "Excuse me... I'm sorry, but if you damage the tavern's property without permission..."
"My apologies. Everything will be reimbursed. He will cover it," I said.
Hellstar flinched and looked at me. When our eyes met, he instinctively lowered his gaze.
The relieved waiter stepped back.
"Sit down," I told Hellstar.
"Y-yes..." He sat, though he kept glancing at me.
I ordered, "The moment you leave the restaurant, go to the academy and do your job. Understand?"
"U-understood."
He sounded dazed, so I asked, "What exactly is your job?"
Desperately, Hellstar replied, "Uh, I mean... I heard there's a severely injured hero disciple. He is deeply eroded by miasma. I will fully heal him."
"That's the bare minimum," I said.
"Excuse me?"
"One hero disciple isn't enough," I said. "Since you came all the way to the academy, let's have you provide a little extra service."
"What do you mean by service?"
"Examine everyone who was caught in the Otherworld—students, hero disciples, professors, all of them."
His eyes widened. "How many people are we talking about?"
"Still fewer than 1,000."
Hellstar's face immediately turned pale. It was only natural. Examining even 1,000 people was no small task. It would be difficult even without treating them.
I raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to?"
"I-it isn't that I don't want to. However, I'm a bit busy since I'm a Bishop..."
"Then don't do it."
He looked puzzled.
"I guess I'll spread the word that a Bishop of the Seventy-Two Churches participated in the Abyss Auction," I said flatly.
"N-no! I'll do it! I can do it!" Hellstar rolled his eyes, then faced me seriously. "Still, 1,000 is too many. If it were around 100, I could give them a thorough diagnosis. Can you settle for that?"
"How would you pick them?" I asked.
"Well, I'd consider status, family power, and influence, then start cutting from the top..."
I raised my finger. "Come here."
"Y-yes...?"
"I said come here."
"Ah, yes." He stepped forward, and I slapped his head.
He groaned.
"You crazy fool. Were you even listening, or are you ignoring me?" I chastised him.
"N-no. But it would take over a month to diagnose 1,000 people in detail."
"Then reduce the number differently. Don't bother with family or status. Do the gods you follow decide miracles based on rank?" I questioned him.
"They don't..." Hellstar muttered, then asked, "Then how should I narrow it down?"
"You figure it out. I'm not here to hold the hand of a child who's lived ten years longer than me and expects guidance for everything. Ugh , just thinking about it makes me angry—"
Hellstar desperately racked his brain and finally stammered, "T-then! What if I base it on how long they've been in the Otherworld? The longer someone stays, the more likely they've been exposed to miasma. I could focus on those who've stayed the longest and maybe set up a separate application for anyone in particularly bad condition."
I listened, then slapped his head again.
He groaned once more. "Why?"
"A clever bastard like you should know better," I spat.
Hellstar clutched his head and fell silent. I watched his pathetic posture for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Still, it feels good."
"What feels good?"
"Lately, it feels like my network is expanding," I answered. "Who would've thought I'd have connections with the Seventy-Two Churches?"
It was true. Fighting demons and the Dark Church would inevitably expose me to Dark Qi. At those times, I would need someone who could detect the latent Dark Qi in me and treat it properly. It didn't matter if they were a low-ranking priest, but by chance, I had formed a connection with a Bishop.
How he'd react knowing my weakness was uncertain, but it didn't matter. I'd just keep his mind in line until then.
"I look forward to your help from now on, Bishop Hellstar," I said with a genuine grin.
Hellstar smiled tearfully.
***
"Remarkable!" The moment I returned to the academy, Morland greeted me with applause. "How did you manage to convince that arrogant Bishop Hellstar? He wouldn't listen to anything I said."
I offered a plausible excuse. "The youngest sons have some things in common."
Morland showed no sign of doubt. He smiled brightly. "It's not just the hero disciples. Even students who stayed in the Otherworld for a long time are being examined. Those with physical problems are separated. Is it really okay to use such high-quality manpower like this? Haha ."
"Well, he says he wants to do it. How is Charon's condition?" I asked.
"He's improved significantly. The eye damage was slow to address, so his vision may have deteriorated slightly. Fortunately, he didn't go blind."
Although Morland spoke casually, vision loss was critical for martial artists. Half of the combat between masters relied on perception. Charon, as a hunter, often used a bow or crossbow, making his eyesight even more essential. This injury would leave an aftereffect, testing his endurance. Yet overcoming it could elevate him to the next level as a martial artist.
I left Morland and went to check on the other hero disciples. The first was Mir.
"There is nothing wrong with her physically. The bruising was severe, but it healed quickly without treatment. She is truly a giant, even if she is small," the physician commented.
"May I see her?" I asked.
The physician nodded eagerly. "Of course."
Seeing this, I couldn't help feeling my status had changed. If I were the loser Luan of the past, this would never have been allowed.
"Hmm." Certainly, there was nothing wrong with her. The girl who would normally be drooling and restless lay far calmer than expected.
It seemed the Martial God had taken some interest in Mir. Should I bring the Seven Sins Sword here and ask him?
It has been a while since I've talked to the Martial God. As I pondered this, I poked Mir's cheek. It was soft but cold, chewy like the rice cakes I sometimes had on Spirit Mountain. Her skin was so cold it felt almost frozen.
The moment I poked her cheek, Mir's eyes snapped open.
"U-um? Luan?"
"Yes..."
"It's you, Luan!" Mir jumped from the bed, her eyes wide.
"What is this..."
"I slept well! It's such a good morning! I think I slept for a long time! By the way, did I do it? Did you do it? What happened to the doll? I don't remember! Are the others safe?" she asked, rushing through her words.
"Wait, wait a minute. Calm down..." I pressed her shoulder as she bounced in excitement and glanced at the physician.
The physician looked three times more shocked than I was. I gave him a questioning look. He stammered, "N-no... I'm sure she was unconscious the whole time."
"I see..." His reaction suggested he didn't know anything.
I patted Mir on the shoulder. "Calm down for now. Is your body okay?"
"Huh? I'm fine! I've never felt this refreshed! I feel lighter and stronger than before!" she exclaimed.
"Really?"
I asked her to settle down before requesting a detailed check from the physician. She looked fine now, but I needed confirmation. Hellstar would arrive soon, so if he said Mir had no major issues, I could be reassured.
After leaving Mir, I reunited with the other hero disciples, some of whom I hadn't seen in a while.
"Luan! Are you feeling well?" Hector asked.
"I'm fine. How about you, Brother Hector? You look a bit skinny," I noted.
After my brief conversation with Hector, I also met Butterfly.
"Ah! Brother Luan! I'm glad you're awake!" he said excitedly.
"Likewise."
By the way, it seemed that Seren was still spending time in the host spring. I had a warm reunion with others like Charis, Pam, Charles, and Zeros.
During that time, I noticed one thing—Evan was nowhere to be seen.
***
After returning to my room, I pulled out the Seven Sins Sword for the first time in a while. This hard artifact remained unchanged after the battle with the demon king.
I reached for the hilt, ready to summon the Martial God, when a knock sounded at the door.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"It's me. Can I come in?"
The voice was unexpected. I opened the door to see Glenn Scarlet, smiling awkwardly.
"I heard you were awake. You okay?" he asked.
"As you can see, I'm fine. You?"
"Well, I wasn't the one fighting directly."
"I see. By the way..." I glanced at him. "You're looking much better."
Glenn scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "R-really?"
He had removed the hat that had covered his hair and the glasses that hid his eyes. He looked far better than when I first met him. It wasn't just his appearance. His perpetually bent back and shoulders had straightened, giving him a dignified presence. Looking at him now, he didn't seem so small.
I got straight to the point. "So why are you here?"
"I came to keep my promise," he said.
"What promise?"
Glenn met my gaze. "The Tomb of the Nameless King. I'm visiting the imperial palace today. Want to come along?"