Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 276

Father Serio begins to speak.

“At first, I felt that I had strayed from the mainstream of career advancement. When I work as a teacher under Father Nicolo, my colleagues are all smarter and more talented than I am, so I do my best not to fall behind.”

As we can see from Deacon Michelino, many talented young people work under Father Nicolo, and the competition for advancement is fierce. Father Serio must have been vying intensely with his skilled colleagues in that environment.

How does it feel to be assigned to a church in a third-class district, one that deals with adventurers, after being left behind by Father Nicolo and his peers?

“Since I am assigned to this church, I find myself bewildered by everything. I haven’t been in touch with everyday life for a long time. Interacting with various people at this church makes me realize that I have only engaged with a small number of individuals within the clergy.”

With a slight wry smile, Father Serio turns his ignorance into a lighthearted story. “Life in this church is entirely different from before. Within a large church organization, it becomes difficult to see how the divine scriptures are directly connected to everyday life, but here I can feel that connection in a very tangible way.”

Indeed, being in this small church likely provides him with many opportunities to speak directly with citizens. He probably has to get hands-on and participate in the church’s operations frequently. Transitioning from working under Priest Nicolo, almost like a bureaucrat, to becoming a manager of a small business must be quite a shift. While he must feel bewildered by the magnitude of that gap, it seems that Father Serio possesses the mental flexibility and capacity to see it in a positive light.

“Embarrassingly, I once thought of adventurers as uneducated farmers who take up weapons out of desperation because they cannot make a living.”

Father Serio’s perception is not wrong. It’s not just the clergy’s prejudice; many citizens in this town likely think the same. 

In fact, although my circumstances differ from those of the farmers in this world, I too become an adventurer out of necessity, and in a broader sense, so does Sara.

“In reality, adventurers risk their lives to expand human territory. Some may look down on them, thinking they do it for money. But so what? We priests, in a broad sense, also serve the church to earn a living.”

Perhaps there is a catalyst that leads Father Serio to this line of thinking.

Responding to my inquisitive gaze, he begins to share that catalyst.

“The first adventurer I treat is a young man named Abel. Unfortunately, while exploring a cave, he encounters a monster, and during the battle, he slips and sustains an injury. As a result, his right arm becomes immobilized. He thinks he has no choice but to quit being an adventurer and hopes to at least return to the village to cultivate his fields, clinging to that slim hope as he comes to the church for treatment.”

This is a common story. Every adventurer has moments of bad luck. If an unfortunate moment arises while fighting, that adventurer can end up dead.

Fortunately, it seems that the young man named Abel’s luck is not the worst, but without help, his future would be bleak. An adventurer who cannot wield a weapon can no longer call themselves an adventurer and thus must retire. 

However, the magical treatment at the church changes his fate.

“Apparently, magical treatments for adventurers are something only top adventurers with connections to the clergy can receive privately, so it is out of reach for an adventurer like Abel, even with his skill. Nevertheless, through my magical treatment, Abel is able to return to being an adventurer. I will never forget the joy and gratitude in his voice at that time.”

After explaining this, Father Serio closes his eyes as if recalling something. Perhaps the scene from that moment plays back in his mind behind those closed lids.

“Until then, few people believe that the church can treat adventurers, but after Abel’s treatment, word spreads, and now every day is bustling.” He chuckles. “I hear that Abel is still active as a fine adventurer. However, being an adventurer is truly a harsh way of life. Every month, many people lose their lives. I believe the church should do everything in its power for those who fight with their lives on the line. That is why I am willing to cooperate with you.”

With that, Father Serio concludes his long story.