How to Survive in a Good Small Guild - Chapter 90

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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How to Survive in a Small Guild
Chapter 90
Was I the only one who found the Temple’s actions appalling? The other priests gazed up at Seraphine’s Judgment with reverence.
“Ah, one day I’ll reach that level too….”
“Let’s train even harder!”
Charles was a junior priest I’d once despised, but seeing him injured so severely left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Junior priests appeared and dragged Charles away. I watched them go, then trudged toward the office without energy.
Even after arriving at the office, the middle-ranking priests were buzzing about Abilities.
“Seraphine’s Ability really does seem the most terrifying of them all.”
“But in terms of raw power, isn’t it Matthias?”
“No, the most practical one is Aria.”
“Actually, wouldn’t that be Etienne?”
“…Do you all know about every high priest’s Ability?”
The moment I broached the subject, their faces lit up with the eagerness of people about to share something they knew.
“Of course we do. We know everything.”
“We’ve been in the Temple far longer than you, Odret!”
“Wow, that’s impressive. So what Abilities does each of them have?”
One of the middle-ranking priests puffed out his chest and began to explain.
“First, Aria has the power of Revelation. Without any will of her own, she can glimpse futures that suddenly come to her mind.”
Precognition, then.
“And Etienne has the power of Healing. Though it does require a price.”
The most fitting Ability for a Temple priest.
“Seraphine has the power of Judgment, as you just witnessed, and Matthias….”
He spoke carefully.
“Martyrdom.”
“Pardon? Martyrdom? What kind of power is that?”
“Just know it as that. His power is Martyrdom. Though no one has ever witnessed it directly.”
Now that I thought about it, the original work never mentioned that these four high priests received Abilities.
There must be some deviation from the source material. Damn—is this because of Park Geo-sung’s Sacred Scripture?
I couldn’t quite grasp what Matthias’s power was, but I thanked them for the information.
“So the high priests gained their powers through heavy exposure to the High Priest’s Ability?”
“Yes, and I’ve heard that process was extremely painful. But they endured it and became high priests.”
“I see.”
“Oh, by the way, Odret. Could you handle this task for us?”
A stack of documents appeared before me. I looked at the middle-ranking priest who handed them over, puzzled as to what they were.
“It’s a list of volunteer test subjects.”
“Test subjects?”
“Yes. The High Priest is researching how to transmit the Miracle Ability and working on summoning the Prophet. These are the test subjects who will receive that power.”
Found it.
Evidence of the Temple conducting horrific experiments within its walls.
“Did all of these volunteer?”
“Of course. They’ve all signed the contract themselves.”
I couldn’t connect it to human trafficking unfortunately, but human experimentation was still illegal.
This would be invaluable when Sedrian moved to dismantle the Temple.
“Yes, then….”
Instead of complaining about being given extra work, I began examining the documents since they contained information I needed.
‘So the Temple spreads posters like this to recruit test subjects.’
[Recruitment of Participants for Ability Aptitude Research]
Earn compensation for just a brief participation!
The Temple is recruiting aptitude research participants for the advancement of Ability studies.
The experiments are neither difficult nor dangerous; simply follow the instructions and submit to simple examinations.
-Participation Benefits
Immediate compensation upon participation
Meal provided on examination day
Simple health checkup included
-Examination Contents
Basic physical examination
Simple Ability response confirmation
※ Details are specified in the participation consent form.
People drawn by money would participate in the research, and that’s when they’d be made to sign this consent form.
[Ability Aptitude Research Participation Consent Form]
I have received a basic explanation regarding the purpose and procedure of the research conducted by the Temple, and I hereby voluntarily agree to participate in the research after confirming the contents below.
※ The following reactions may occur during or after research participation.
—Temporary fatigue, headaches and dizziness, nausea, sensory abnormalities, confusion of specific memories or partial loss of memory, emotional fluctuations and personality changes, auditory hallucinations and visual hallucinations and other temporary psychological abnormalities, and other unforeseen reactions
The text regarding side effects was written in very small print, so one could easily consent without noticing.
I would need to pass this information along to Sedrian as-is. The volunteers for the experiment seemed like people who typically needed quick cash.
“Is it possible to check the subjects from previous experiments? I’m concerned about overlap.”
“Those are destroyed as standard procedure. Though you might find them if you dig through the Archives trash bin.”
“Then who manages this experiment?”
“Only High Priests and above. The person in charge varies depending on the time, but like I said, you could try searching the trash bin if you’re curious.”
The response was dismissive, but I followed the junior priest’s suggestion and headed toward the Archives.
If I could hand this over to Sedrian, we’d have grounds to attack the Temple for conducting illegal experiments.
“The Archives trash bin really hasn’t been emptied.”
Shredded paper lay crumpled in the bin, apparently left to accumulate for months.
Was it really impossible to find past documents here?
Then I discovered something far too familiar in the destroyed papers.
“……?”
Had I misread it? But if I pieced that writing together….
After hesitating, I picked up what appeared to be pieces of the same document from the shredded materials and slowly began fitting them together.
It took several hours to assemble the whole thing. But I didn’t stop.
Eventually, I was staring down at the completed document.
[List of Participants in the 57th Experiment]
…
…
…
…
Odret Lavandel
“…….”
It was my name.
“Why would I……?”
I muttered in a daze. So that meant….
“Why would Odret Lavandel……?”
Had Odret Lavandel needed quick cash? I began searching through my fragmented memories.
Ah, there it was—a large sum that came in one day.
I’d thought it was insurance money from my mother’s death… but had she needed cash then?
No, that doesn’t matter. Everyone has moments when they need money.
So if the original Odret Lavandel saw the Temple’s call for research participants when she was in need of funds, and was already working for a subcontracting Guild of the Temple, then she would have agreed to participate….
The pieces fit.
Odret Lavandel had participated in research testing the High Priest’s Miracle.
Confusion of specific memories or partial loss of memory, emotional fluctuations and personality changes, auditory hallucinations and visual hallucinations and other temporary psychological abnormalities, and other unforeseen reactions
As a result of the research, I became Possessed.
But from an external perspective? She would simply appear to be someone who forgot about the Temple experiments due to research side effects.
Her personality had become more proactive than before, more capable.
Of course, no one would suspect that I wasn’t Odret Lavandel but rather someone from 21st century Korea who knew the original story and became Possessed….
In any case, if I simply appeared to be experiencing side effects from the experiment, they would lose interest in me.
…But had everyone really lost interest in me?
[List of Participants in the 57th Experiment]
Supervisor: Aria
“Aria.”
Aria had witnessed me in the experiment.
She had watched as I lost my memory afterward, as my personality changed, as I became more capable.
“I have a suggestion for you. Why don’t you become an intern priest of the Temple?”
After that, she brought me into the Temple and made me her protégé.
“Heh, my eye for talent is rather good, wouldn’t you say?”
Even as I parsed the content of Sacred Scripture with ease, she didn’t find it strange—she praised me for being capable and helped me advance from intern priest to junior priest.
So that means….
“Odret?”
The Archives door creaked open.
I turned around.
Aria stood there, a gold star-shaped hairpin in her hair. The backlighting made her expression difficult to see clearly.
“It’s not that I recovered your memory… but I figured it out, didn’t I?”
One thing, though, remained certain.
Her voice was filled with unmistakable delight.
“You know, Odret, I’ve been watching you all this time… and it seems the experiment targeting you was a success.”
“…….”
“As a result of the experiment, you’ve become the perfect vessel—one who follows the Prophet’s will and the teachings of the Sacred Scripture.”
“High Priest Aria.”
“Congratulations, Odret Lavendel.”
Her clear voice echoed through the Archives.
“You are the Temple’s successful experiment.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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