I Became a Fake Priest the Saintess Is Obsessed With

4 – The Alley(2)

The alley was incredibly dark. Not being able to distinguish the difference between here and there was blinding.

Fortunately, my eyes, accustomed to the darkness, allowed me to walk.

‘Patients…. where are the patients?’

I felt like I had been wandering for a while, but I didn’t see any sick people.

More importantly, I didn’t see any people at all.

‘Did I take the wrong path? The paths are all intertwined…’

I had only been in the alley for about 10 minutes, but I had already encountered several junctions.

The streets were a convoluted mess, and it was unclear which ones led into back alleys.

“Damn, it’s a dead end. I’ve taken the wrong path.”

I had just reached the end of the alley when a solid wall greeted me.

The psychological pressure of possible imminent danger combined with the aftereffects of yesterday’s treatment had my body trembling.

“Phew… I need a break.”

Deciding it’s better to rest for a bit since the route was too confusing, I tried to lean against the wall to rest.

“Whoa!”

The wall didn’t support me and I stumbled into the space behind it.

[The Goddess laughs and notes that the wall was actually an open passage]

“Blast it! If you knew this, why didn’t you say something earlier!”

While dusting off my butt, I got up, eased my temper, and studied the wall.

The wall appeared impenetrable, yet one could pass through it without any physical resistance.

Initially, it seemed like a trap created by a spell, but curiously there was no palpable trace of artificial magical force.

“What’s happening? A passable wall that’s not a creation of magic? Goddess?”

[The Goddess responds that it’s a mystery created by the alley]

“Mystery, huh… That does make sense.”

A mystery is a phenomenon formed through mana by numerous peoples’ twisted imaginations.

The human imagination of a concept, brought into reality by the power of mana.

Simply put, it might be a product of the unconscious, instigated by mana.

Likely, the continuous accumulation of people’s fears relating to the dark and complex alley crafted this wall.

It seems to be an artificial creation, but the natural force that created it makes it virtually indistinguishable from magic.

Having roughly understood the wall, I nodded.

“So, Goddess, this is a back alley, right? If I saved a person here, could I become a high priest?”

[The Goddess replies that it would significantly increase your chances of becoming a High Priest]

“Well, regardless, it is a back alley and becoming a High Priest is a possibility. You really lack flexibility…”

The Goddess responded well to my questions through the status window.

Just a while ago, the system wasn’t responsive, but surprisingly, the Goddess is a helpful stand.

‘Should I ask her things like the three sizes of the saintess later? She might know.’

[The Goddess looks at you with contempt]

“Ah, right. Goddess, you were a pervert who could read minds.

Hastily, I turned my gaze away from the system and looked toward the back alley.

“This place is a real mess…”

The back alley, which I understood with just one glance, was in a more terrible condition than I had imagined.

The ground was filled with garbage, and bugs that feed on such waste were everywhere.

On the walls, there were occasional old blood stains, and unidentified liquids smeared, causing mold to sprout.

“Phew… It’s hard to even breathe in such a place. I wonder if there are any people here…”

Well, there must be some.

The back alleys that hide behind the city always inhabited those who have failed in life.

Whether it’s businessmen pushed back by competition, or the poor who’ve had nothing since the dawn of time, someone certainly lives here.

As evidence, the boy I possessed, Ivan, was a penniless orphan who had built a shack in the back alley to live in.

‘Anyway, now I just need to find the sick and heal them.’

It was a arduous journey, but I finally managed to enter the back alley.

Almost on the final leg, to complete the quest, I had to heal the sick, so I decided to look for the injured.

‘Ha… I’m sure there are people here, I just don’t know where…’

I hesitated once again to take a step.

Surrounded by darkness, how can I find people in a place I’ve never been before?

[The Goddess has decided to help for your convenience]

A system with the Goddess’s will came up, then suddenly a blue line appeared leading somewhere.

I’ve played various games so I know what this is.

This is what’s called a guide.

“Wow, I’ll take back what I said about you being inflexible. You’re really a Goddess full of flexibility!”

I gave a big thumbs up to the air to salute the senseful Goddess.

And then I slowly followed the guide.

***

As I ventured deeper into the back alley, the unique putrid smell gradually disappeared.

It might be simply because my nose is acclimated to the stench, but guessing from the changes in air density and humidity, the air is definitely getting clearer.

And the sudden change in environment suggests there is something else.

“Goddess, tell me the truth. There is definitely something hidden here, right?”

[The Goddess tells you that in the deepest part of the back alley, there is a black market that the nobles often use]

“Do you say these aristocratic folks walk this path?”

[The Goddess said this place is a backdoor, so it’s filthy.]

It seems that, like in many fantasy novels, there’s a black market used by high-ranking officials hiding in the back alleys.

Well, there would be no better place to conceal a black market than in such dreary places, so I suppose it is to be expected.

Following the blue line, I ended up at a dead end.

But seeing the line go through the wall, I realized that this wall was magical.

As expected, when I pushed myself in, my body passed through the wall.

Finally, I was able to meet the sick of the back alley.

There were little girls there.

Girls who, coming face to face with an unfamiliar entity for the first time, were shaking like terrified mice.

At a glance, I understood why the Goddess considered these children sick.

Their bodies were nothing but bones; they were clearly suffering from malnutrition.

“Hello, kids~”

I know well how to make friends with starving mice.

“Would you like to try this medicine? It’s a delicious cure for hunger~”

The best method is to give them something to eat right away.

“No, no! Miguel Brother said not to take things from strangers!”

“Miguel sister… where’re you sister…”

Contrary to my expectations, the children did not react to the ‘delicious thing.’

Had their guardian Miguel taught them this, or was it their keen instinct from growing up in the back alleys?

The simple trick of a swindler wouldn’t work on them.

But I’m not a simple swindler.

I am, after all, a SSS-class swindler in my past life.

“Ugh… I just wanted to give you something tasty… That’s so mean…”

Children before they grow up are innocent beings.

And those innocents are also weak when it comes to purity.

As soon as I crouched down and pretended to cry, covering my face with my hands, the children began to look at me with pity.

“I… I’m sorry, Brother… I’ll eat it…”

The little girl who looked the weakest started comforting me.

“Can’t do that, Lily! You promised Miguel Brother!”

“Do you feel sorry for your brother…?”

An older kid who seems to be in charge tries to resist, but my plan has already succeeded.

A conflict has arisen amongst the children due to an outsider’s temptation.

The wise leader tries to stop the children, but who would think starving children would listen to reason?

In the end, the famished children one by one gathered around me and started to take the medicine I was offering.

“My stomach is not hungry anymore…!”

“Really…! but…it tastes nothing…”

Once their hunger was taken care of, the children started to joyfully bound around.

Ah, of course, I’m in terrible pain.

I’m feeling the torture of malnutrition for treating those kids.

‘Oh, damn… My stomach is contracting…’

The medicine to resolve hunger is bullsh*t.

It’s just empty counterfeit capsules I used to carry.

Obviously, there’s no effect to the medicine, the children’s condition improved because I treated them while distributing the capsules.

“Please give me the medicine too!”

Seeing the eased hunger of the children who took the medicine from me, others who were watching began to approach me.

I treated the children one by one, when I treated a total of three kids.

It was the turn of the child who acted as the leader last.

“Ah… I can’t… I promised Miguel…!”

“It’s okay, Shirin. Sister Miguel would prefer us to be full rather than keeping our promise.”

“……”

Lily, a girl, managed to persuade Shirin who was in dilemma, and she came to take the medicine from me.

“This is unbelievable…! I’m actually okay…!”

The children, feeling satiated for the first time in a long time, excitedly ran about, not paying any heed to me.

‘Save…me…’

I lay immobile suffering from the agony of hunger after treating four children.

Malnourishment is painful.

It causes your entire muscles to contract, a feeling as if your internal organs are being squeezed out…

It felt as if all the internal organs in my body had stopped working.

‘My Goddess…I’ll be coming to see you very soon…’

Still, to think I had to sacrifice myself for the children and die.

Wouldn’t the Goddess highly value me and spare a casino in heaven?

[The Goddess highly praises your self-sacrifice and enhances your skills]

[Absolute Healing (Passive) makes you immune to the pain of hunger and malnutrition]

In a single moment, all the pain I felt was gone.

I was surprised at the mention of skill enhancement and sprung up.

“Hey, if there’s such a thing as skill enhancement, can’t you get rid of the penalty!”

[The Goddess says it’s up to you]

Despite showing such a noble spirit of sacrifice,

The stubborn Goddess seems still assessing whether I’m worthy of heaven.

Damn, damn, damn!

I’d rather die…!

How long does she plan to toy with me…!

I kicked the ground in anger and expressed my dissatisfaction towards the Goddess.

But my anger towards her cooled down quickly.

– Bang!

Because I was smacked hard at the back of my head by an unknown existence.