Chapter 7: The Temple of Dreams
Arrival at the Temple
We arrived at the Temple of Dreams.
It was small but elegantly decorated.
A lapis lazuli sheep’s head at the entrance caught my eye.
Lapis lazuli, used for blue dye, is incredibly expensive, yet they used an entire block for a temple ornament.
Truly befitting one of the five largest religious orders.
Orphe passed the statue and opened the door.
“Wait a moment.”
“Alright.”
‘Sure.’
Since my visit wasn’t planned, this process was necessary.
As a saintess serving the God of Dreams, I could’ve just barged in shouting, “I’m the saintess, bring out the boss!” but the other side has their own position to consider.
A Flustered Priest
Soon, the temple’s entrance burst open with a bang.
A middle-aged priest, face pale as a ghost, appeared.
“Oh, oh, oh, Saintess! What brings you here! Without notice… No, come in! I’ll serve you to the best of my ability.”
His expression was a mess.
Part joy, part bewilderment…
One thing was clear: my arrival shocked him.
I thanked the priest who held the door and stepped inside.
The Temple’s Ambiance
The walls were engraved with poppies and frolicking sheep—classic symbols of the God of Dreams.
Small windows high on the walls were veiled to block out light.
Instead, candles on stands softly illuminated the hall.
I walked slowly along the central carpet.
At the altar stood a statue of the God of Dreams: a man yawning, wrapped in a blanket, embracing a sheep.
It looked ready to doze off any second.
I knelt piously before it.
“You who drape the heavens and dwell in the darkest places, your humble servant dares to disturb your slumber.”
‘Yo, your saintess is here, show up!’
[There’s not much prepared, but enjoy your stay.]
What, are you my friend’s mom or something?
Anyway, I thanked them for the welcome.
I quickly finished my brief prayer.
Rising, I nodded slightly to the fidgeting priest nearby.
“I’m Isidora. I’ll be staying for one night, so please take care of me.”
‘Yo.’
“No, no! The honor is ours to have the saintess visit our temple!”
The priest hurriedly spoke, pulling a handkerchief from his robe to wipe sweat from his brow.
Then he bowed respectfully.
“I’m Bonumia, the monastic priest managing this temple.”
“Alright, Bonumia. Where should I go now?”
‘Getting hungry here.’
Bonumia pointed to a small wooden door on the right wall of the altar.
“Go through that door and head down. That’s where the temple’s residents stay. Orphe, the knight, is probably waiting for you there.”
Orphe’s Connection
Knight? Right, that was a thing.
In his second cycle, Orphe’s backing was the Temple of Dreams.
What was it about the holy sword he monopolized? Something about a divine vision in a dream?
Pretty bold in a world where the gods’ power and existence are proven.
[The God acknowledges that part.]
What’s with that tone?
And why so brief? Where’s the subject?
…Come to think of it, why are the other gods so quiet?
[In a temple dedicated to one god, you can only communicate with that god.]
Oh?
So that’s why they didn’t use “The God of Dreams” earlier?
Interesting setting.
Guess only someone like me, serving eight gods at once, would encounter this.
The setting’s more detailed than I thought.
This kind of pointless detail is typical of the fantasy academy writer who runs this temple.
[They refuse to respond.]
Refusing, huh? It’s obviously you, so why hide it?
Embarrassed?
[They insist it’s not their setting and they’re not embarrassed at all.]
Sure, sure~
I reached the bottom of the stairs and gently pushed open the door.
A Lively Scene
“Tonight’s dinner is stew! With meat!”
“Yayyy!”
“Urbano, don’t stand there!”
“No way! Catch me if you can, Priest!”
“You little—!”
A chaotic bustle greeted me.
The wooden floor thudded with running feet.
The savory aroma of stew wafted through the air.
Torches cast a warm glow around the room.
The clamor filled the vast space like a marketplace.
“What’s going on here…?”
‘What a circus.’
“You’re late.”
“Eek?!”
Orphe’s voice startled me from beside the door.
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“This is the living quarters.”
“Living quarters?”
‘Like, report to Quarters 1 kind of thing?’
“Yeah. The Temple of Dreams also takes in and feeds orphans. I don’t know about other temples, though.”
“Oh… That’s why there are so many kids.”
‘What a racket.’
A Swarm of Children
I like kids.
Well, kids on a screen.
Little demons running around causing noise pollution don’t fall within my affection.
And most kids I meet in person are those little demons.
The ones in these quarters were no exception.
“Wow! Why’s your hair black, mister? Are you a demon?”
“You’re super tall! What do you eat to get that big?”
“The lady’s so pretty! What do you do?”
“Why’s your hair white? Are you a grandma?”
“Are you and the mister dating?”
Ugh, my head hurts.
The kids swarmed like bees, bombarding us with questions.
Their chattering made my ears ring.
If Bonumia hadn’t come down after us, I’d have drowned in their questions.
“You kids, don’t trouble the saintess and knight too much.”
“”Big Priest~!””
“Big Priest…?”
‘So there’s a Little Priest too?’
Bonumia gave an awkward smile at my words.
“Haha, the kids couldn’t memorize ‘monastic priest,’ so I told them to call me something simple, and this stuck.”
Bonumia skillfully herded the kids to the dining hall.
They followed obediently, though they kept sneaking glances at us.
Freed from their encirclement, I let out a small sigh.
“Not used to kids?”
“It’s not that, I just lived in a quiet place.”
‘Those brats nearly burst my eardrums.’
“Is that so? I thought the Pantheon, with all its visitors, would be noisy.”
The noise is outside the Pantheon.
With so many visitors, a whole village formed nearby to handle the demand.
Inside, it’s just clerics, so it’s structured to stay quiet.
“Let’s go. I heard dinner’s stew.”
I followed Orphe to the dining hall in a corner of the quarters.
The stew was delicious.
A Suspicious Setup
This is a conspiracy.
A plot!
Is it the God of Dreams’ doing?
No, someone must’ve put them up to it.
It’s definitely the God of Beauty’s favorite…!
“What’re you doing?”
“Just organizing my thoughts.”
‘Fck, you scared me.’
“Hope it doesn’t take too long.”
With that, Orphe left the room, saying it was time to put out the lights.
He’s off to meditate before bed.
Doesn’t this guy ever get nervous?
Sharing a room with an S-tier beauty like me, and he’s this unfazed?
Or maybe it’s better he’s indifferent?
Way better than some “Oh… this is kinda thrilling” nonsense.
Still, come on.
Only one spare room?
Is this a motel on a stranded island?
Answer me if you’re listening!
[They say they don’t know anything.]
Don’t play dumb, you bastards set this up!
Bonumia’s words still ring in my ears.
‘There’s only one spare room… Oh, oh! Yes, understood!’
‘Something wrong?’
‘What do we do… A last-minute guest arrived tonight, so there’s only one room. Is that alright?’
Divine Mischief
“Though I don’t doubt the gods’ will, sometimes their pranks go too far, and this girl fears it may lead to trouble.”
‘Fck, did you set this up or not?!’
[They swear they’re innocent.]
[They’re baffled about how things got like this while they stepped away.]
[Since it’s come to this, maybe a bold, passionate encounter wouldn’t be bad for resolving the oracle…]
F*ck off.
Even if I got shot in the head, that’s not happening.
Thankfully, Orphe was considerate enough to sleep on the floor, or we’d have shared a bed.
If this isn’t a divine conspiracy, what is?
Sadly, I couldn’t vent more anger.
Orphe returned quickly after meditating.
“Done?”
“Ah, yes. All finished.”
‘Why’s he back so fast?’
“Sleep first.”
“Yes. May the gods’ guidance grace you in your sleep.”
‘You can sleep in this situation?’
“Sure.”
Orphe lay down in a sleeping bag on the floor.
Drained, I carefully extinguished the wall candle and lay back down.
A Quiet Moment
Lying with my eyes closed, the only sound was Orphe’s steady breathing.
In the silence, I softly called out to him.
“Lord Orphe… Are you asleep?”
‘Really out already?’
“….”
Only the sound of his breaths answered.
Maybe thanks to meditation, Orphe fell asleep instantly.
‘What a carefree guy…’
All he has to do is swing a sword and beat people up.
How am I supposed to save this reckless jerk?
[Don’t forget the close-quarters strategy mentioned earlier.]
Shut up already.
I’ll serve only vegetables for offerings next time.
No response came.
Lost in the silence, I drifted off to sleep.