Chapter 88

When they passed through the large door, the entrance opened up into a cozy hall with a high ceiling.

In front of them, a grand spiral staircase curved upwards to the second floor.

On either side, wooden corridors stretched out, lined with several doors.

There were no flashy decorations, and the color scheme was drab, mostly gray.

However, the intricate latticework on the stair railings and doors gave off a solemn atmosphere.

No one was in sight, but voices and murmurs could be heard from somewhere.

Yuril, who seemed familiar with the place, walked briskly towards a nearby door.

She knocked lightly and slipped in without waiting for a response.

Tol and Sora followed quickly, not wanting to be left behind.

Only the child, eyes shining as they gazed up at the stairs, was left behind.

"Hello, is this a convenient time?"

"Welcome to the Temple of the Gray God. How may I assist you?"

The room beyond the door they entered was small, with walls lined with document shelves.

At a desk buried under piles of papers, women in thin gray robes were writing.

One of them stood up and greeted Yuril with a smile.

"I have come at your summons. Could you please announce us to Miss Kozue?"

The robed woman hesitated for a moment, glancing at Yuril's attire, then nodded in understanding when she noticed the adventurer's badge hanging from her neck.

"My apologies, I thought a new instructor had been dispatched. I will take you to the High Priestess's room."

Tol and the others were led to a room at the end of the corridor.

The woman who had announced them knocked lightly, poked her head in to state their business, and then stepped back to let them enter.

The spacious room was bright thanks to the open windows.

Pots of lush green plants lined the window sills, and the refreshing breeze was pleasant.

The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries, and a large ebony desk was placed at the back.

Seated was a woman with long ears, her age indeterminate.

She wore a loose gray robe and exuded a calm but unapproachable dignity.

The woman quietly raised her head and nodded in welcome.

Tol, who had been invited in, noticed Yuril had stopped in her tracks.

Her ears were trembling slightly, and she was looking sideways.

Peering over her shoulder, Tol saw another person where Yuril was looking.

Crouched by a pot near the window was another woman of the Gray-Eared race.

She was dressed in a peculiar manner, with several capes layered over each other.

Her silver hair was quite short, and her features were very refined.

She seemed engrossed in examining the plants, not noticing Tol and the others.

The moment of hesitation was brief.

Yuril soon moved forward, walking up to the desk.

After a graceful bow, she spoke without hesitation.

"Nice to meet you, High Priestess. I am Yuril, and I have come at your summons. It is a great honor to meet you."

"Hello, I am High Priestess Miralilira. I have heard that you are an excellent magic user. I am pleased to have you here."

From the raspy tone of her voice, the High Priestess seemed quite elderly, though her appearance was almost that of a young person except for the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth.

"By the way, what is that outfit?"

"This was given to me by my grandmother, who used to work here."

"Oh, could it be Yuraliliru? I see a resemblance."

"Yes, my grandmother was in your care."

It seemed the outfit was part of the ruse to pass off as grandmother and granddaughter.

By leading the conversation to the resemblance first, they could reduce the awkwardness.

Tol, impressed by the clever move, was suddenly interrupted by a voice from the side.

"Hmm, Yuraliliru's granddaughter, huh? Nice to meet you, young lady."

The voice came from the woman near the window.

Her age was also indeterminate, but from her voice, she seemed quite elderly.

Tol didn't miss the slight tremor in Yuril's ears when she was addressed.

"Hello, are you an acquaintance of my grandmother?"

"Yes, we've known each other for quite some time. How is she doing?"

"She is back in our homeland, taking it easy."

"I see, I see. I'd love to catch up. If you have time, please stop by the apothecary later."

"Thank you for the invitation. I will visit if I have the time."

Tol realized the short-haired woman was an apothecary who knew Yuril.

This could complicate things.

The apothecary, with a meaningful smile, turned to the High Priestess.

"I'll come back to pick them up when the sun sets. Please take care of them until then, Miralilira."

"Of course, thank you for your hard work."

"Not at all, please continue."

The woman gave a light bow to the High Priestess and a nod to Tol and the others before leaving the room.

Once the door closed, the conversation resumed as if nothing had happened.

"Could you please touch this?"

On the black desk was a soul detector, similar to the ones used at the Adventurer's Bureau, but slightly larger.

The soul detector and adventurer's badge were originally invented in the northern kingdom of Stral, the homeland of the Gray-Eared race.

There, a research institution called the Tower of Sages develops various magical artifacts.

After examining Yuril's skill tree, the High Priestess, with a slight tilt of her ears, commented.

"You are quite accomplished for your age. I am impressed."

"No, I still have much to learn."

"That modesty is just like Yuraliliru."

Standing up, the High Priestess took something that looked like an accessory from a drawer.

She walked around the desk and stood beside Yuril, who knelt without a word.

The High Priestess placed a silver chain around her neck.

"I confer upon you the rank of Middle Priest. From now on, you will strive to uphold the noble teachings of Lord Strajin."

"I humbly accept this responsibility."

"This is a modest but powerful ritual tool that symbolizes the power of the god. It will aid you on your path."

"Thank you. It is a great honor."

"From now on, you must offer the tails of the furs you obtain as offerings."

"Understood, High Priestess Miralilira."

With that, the ceremony to confer the priestly rank was complete.

The High Priestess returned to her seat, signed a document on the desk, and asked Yuril to do the same.

"I look forward to your future contributions."

Yuril bowed deeply and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

She let out a deep breath and looked at Tol and the others with a troubled expression.

"I didn't expect to run into her here... The timing couldn't be worse."

"What should we do? Should we go back and try again later?"

"Ignoring an invitation would be rude..."

As they exchanged glances, a familiar, loud laugh echoed from somewhere, apparently from the entrance hall with the high ceiling.