RFC-Mini Arc: The Temple-Part 03 (Patreon)

In the center of the wall is an arched opening, blocked by a large piece of stone. Endo yells and it is slowly pulled up, just enough for us to pass under.

On the opposite side of the wall is another world. Rolling green hills that seem to go on endlessly under the vast blue sky. The pebbled path is replaced by smooth gravel, over twice the width of the previous road.

“Only a little bit further now,” Endo says as we once again begin to run. Sweat beads on his brow and I can hear his breathing growing labored. Good. Knowing that he’s struggling a bit eases my annoyance at this situation.

I’ve been here for over an hour and have spent the whole time running. This is nothing compared to Kierra’s loving attention but if anyone else had to endure this, they’d be crying tears of blood. I’m amazed Endo is holding up as well as he is, but I assume he must be used to it.

Starting to see this as the punishment it’s meant to be.

Luckily, we don’t have to travel as far before coming across buildings. Proper ones, made of wood and stone. The road widens into a large circle that they are placed around, many people running back and forth.

Endo leads me to one of the smaller buildings, one with a proper door. Inside, there’s someone dressed in a white shirt standing behind a desk with a bored expression. He perks up a little as we enter, gaze passing over Endo before settling on me curiously.

“Ah, I’ve got a Lourianne Tome here. Says she’s a volunteer.”

“Hold on.” He picks up a pile of papers, flicking through them. “I could have sworn…ah. Yeah, I’ve got it. Lourianne Tome. Eric’s in charge of her. Send her over to the barn.”

“Right, just confirming. Come on. The journey’s almost over.”

Why do I get the feeling that something worse is waiting at the end?

I smell the barn before we reach it, the air ripe with the musk of animals and the stench of too many within a confined space. I hear it next, the lowing of cattle and the muffled stomp of hooves floating through the open door of a long building. Endo leads me inside.

Inside, there is a long walkway. On either side there are stalls holding absolutely massive creatures. A black bull with a red diamond on its forehead and large horns whose points reach higher than me, turns my way and huffs. Its breath sends out a gust of wind that makes my clothes stick to me and forces me to shut my eyes.

“Anybody in here?”

“Yah!”

The shout draws my attention to an open stall toward the back. As we approach, a man walks out, latching the half door behind him. He’s dressed the same as Endo, his straw hat hanging off the back of his neck by a thin string. The belt on his waist is slightly tilted, one side weighed down by the excessive amount of tools I can see poking out of the pouches.

“Hey,” he says, wiping his face with a dirty towel. “You Tome?”

“That’s me.”

“Eric.” He tucks the towel onto the strap of his belt before extending his hand. His brow comes up as I grasp it. “Wasn’t expecting a lady to have such firm hands.”

“That’s not something you should say,” I hiss, quickly drawing my hand back. Did no one teach this muscle-brain manners? I love my new strength but who can blame me for being a little self-conscious about my unladylike characteristics?

“Ah, sorry, sorry.”

“I’m going to head back,” Endo says. He does not look enthused.

“Thank you,” I say politely, working hard to keep the amusement out of my voice. Don’t think I’m successful from the way his eyes briefly narrow before walking off.

“Let’s get right to it. The one thing we don’t have here is time, haha.”

At the end of the walkway is a door that opens into a storeroom. He grabs one of the straw hats hanging on the far wall and tosses it to me. Next is a belt similar to his, followed by a pitch-fork and a shovel.

I walked for over an hour to…muck stalls?

-

Yes, apparently, I did.

The work isn’t too terrible. The most annoying part is coaxing the animal out of their stalls and I have to coax them. They’re far too heavy to push and Eric warned me about agitating them. After years of domestication, the Gallahorns are docile but they can still be frightened or aggravated to violence. Which, with their powerful wind affinity, is liable to bring down the roof.

I finish a dozen stalls in under an hour, much to his appreciation.

His appreciation manifests in another barn. Sigh.

It’s easy to slip into the mind-numbing work. I finish up the third barn and am looking for Eric to show me the fourth, because I just know there’s a fourth, when I faintly catch the sound of raised voices.

It takes barely a thought to adjust my ears to those of a wolf. However, with Geneva’s help, my transformations have become not only smoother, but subtler. She explained all the different parts of the ear, showing me I didn’t need the whole furry appendage, just what is inside. As a result, there’s no visible change to my appearance but the faint sounds clarify into an argument.

“You damn fanatics have taken it too far! No one cares if you bathe in blood under the full moon but the Sanctuary is more than just your playground. We had an agreement,” a heated voice practically snarls.

“An agreement your side broke first,” a far calmer voice responds.

“The Breeders have administered the Sanctuary for the past four decades. An arrangement supported by your predecessors.”

“Just because the Temple chooses to step back from the tedious manners that accompany our work for those willing and suited for it, does not mean that we are blind to your machinations.”

I should ignore it. The last time I got wind of a plot, it led to an unfortunate entanglement with a prince that nearly ended with me being accused of treason. This is clearly trouble in the making, trouble that has absolutely nothing to do with me.

“Coo!” [Master Lou, you will need to return here. How unfortunate it would be if these events caught you unawares.]

Cheh. No, I know what you’re doing. Succubi, always trying to get me into trouble. “None of my business,” I mutter as I turn to get back to work.

[Mm. Though, it would be a shame if the elf were to walk into an annoyance during one of her visits.]

I pause.

Heaving a tired sigh, I walk toward the voices. “Stop spending so much time with Geneva,” I grumble.

“Coo coo~” [As you wish, Master Lou. I would much rather spend my time with you~]

The flattery slides off my shoulders. Hmph, your tricks won’t work on me forever. I’m only doing this because I want a bit of a break. Saints save me, you show someone you’re capable and their response is to work you to the bone.