Work Prophet
Chapter 137 - 53: Sinful Feast

Chapter 137: Chapter 53: Sinful Feast

Since most treatments required some time to take effect, the results of the first round of competition were not immediately available.

However, judging from the scene, the Female Priest undoubtedly held an overwhelming advantage.

Beyond her gentle image which itself was a bonus, her method of treatment was more in line with the current understanding of medicine on the Bratis Continent.

A variety of herbs combined with some mysterious items of unclear significance, and it was best to chant some powerful spells while grinding them—this made people feel more at ease.

In contrast, Li Yu’s treatment appeared both bizarre and rudimentary, and the process was somewhat disgusting.

He even took the feces of that Shepherd, placing it on an Evil Artifact that had a strange shape and a cold shimmer!

Then he brought one of his eyes close to it as well.

For a moment, the onlookers couldn’t help but sweat for the somewhat foolish Shepherd, because Li Yu didn’t seem like he was treating him, but rather like he was about to curse him even more.

Moreover, Li Yu’s subsequent treatment appeared quite perfunctory.

He only had the Shepherd swallow two tiny, Little Thumb-sized discs, which indeed looked far inferior to Adele in terms of how it appeared, making him seem more like the ignorant and backward one.

At that time, even more people favored the Female Priest.

Soon, the second round of the competition began.

This time, Adele was to treat the little boy whom Li Yu had chosen first, who came to the Female Priest accompanied by his mother.

Compared to the youth’s nervousness, the expression on the peasant woman’s face was clearly much more excited.

Especially after witnessing Adele heal the Butcher who had gout, the peasant woman was utterly convinced that the Female Priest could cure her child.

However, when Adele inquired about the boy’s illness, her expression became very serious.

Afterward, she repeatedly asked the peasant woman if she had committed any act of sacrilege against the god during her pregnancy.

At first, the peasant woman insisted that she absolutely had not, but later maternal love overcame her fear of punishment.

She confessed that during the sixth month of her pregnancy, she once encountered a group of heathens while washing clothes by the river.

The group of heathens had asked her in detail about the location of the Temple and the number of armed personnel inside.

Although she was suspicious of their intentions, because they were armed, she eventually told them everything she knew; the group was pleased with her cooperation and even gave her a rabbit they had caught on the road.

She initially wanted to throw away the rabbit, but could not resist and ended up cooking it that night, sharing it with her husband.

About seven days later, she heard the news of a fire at the nearby Temple; though there were no casualties, the Temple was destroyed in the fire.

After finishing her story, the peasant woman knelt on the ground, crying and begging the Female Priest to punish her, but not to take out her anger on her child.

The Female Priest’s furrowed brows eased slightly as she then reached out to help the kneeling farmer’s wife to her feet, speaking softly.

"You misunderstand. My asking these questions isn’t to blame anyone, but to understand what sickness your child has contracted. It turns out that his current condition is because you ingested the ’sin food’ given by the heathens in exchange for absolving your sins."

Upon hearing this, the farmer’s wife was filled with immense regret. "If only I had thrown away that rabbit, no, no, that’s not right, I should never have disclosed the location of the Temple to those people."

Priest Adele, after hearing this, comforted her instead, "Those heathens were intent on destroying the Temple; even if you hadn’t told them, they would have asked someone else. Such matters are hardly a secret."

The farmer’s wife, catching a hint of hope from her words, said expectantly, "Then, Priest Adele, are you willing to perform a ritual to expel the impurity from my son’s body?"

The Female Priest nodded, "Of course, but the impurity brought about by the ’sin food’, since it contains your sins, is not so easily expelled.

"Let’s do this, I will perform an expulsion ritual once, and then each year you should bring your son to the Temple and have the priests there perform further cleansings. After about seven times, he should be completely healed."

The farmer’s wife was momentarily delighted by this, but her expression quickly darkened again.

Adele caught the change in her expression and added with a smile, "Don’t worry, later I’ll personally talk to that priest. For the subsequent treatments, you won’t need to offer any more sacrifices."

The farmer’s wife was overjoyed and knelt down once more, continuously praising the goddess.

The nearby onlookers also universally praised the Female Priest’s kindness and generosity.

Watching the cheering crowd, Ireya had a faint premonition that if her good friend really could win this competition, her name might soon be known across the entire west of the Continent, instantly making her the guest of honor among all the Noble Families.

Priest Tessa of Black Stone City had spent a lifetime treating illnesses and saving countless lives to build up her reputation, yet it still couldn’t match the gains of a younger counterpart in a single day.

As Miss Rabbit felt happy for her close friend, she couldn’t shake off a sensation that, even though Adele seemed calmer than ever and was flawless in her performance to this point, her smile didn’t look as natural as usual, carrying a hint of strain.

However, unless someone was very close to Adele, they probably wouldn’t notice the forced aspect in her smile.

After all, her smile was exceedingly gentle and infectious.

Ireya just thought that her friend might be a bit nervous, considering her opponent was Li Yu.

Miss Rabbit, having known Li Yu for so long, had never seen him lose to anyone. Even now, as everyone was favoring the Female Priest, Ireya still believed that the final winner would be Li Yu.

She had never wavered, only hoping that Adele would perform well, and that even a loss wouldn’t be by much. Adele could still garner a great deal of fame.

That outcome would probably be what Li Yu always talked about, a "win-win".

As Ireya pondered these thoughts, the Female Priest began preparing her ritual.

She procured owl’s blood and snake scales, throwing them into the copper basin before her, then added some spices and the teeth of some unidentified animal. Chanting a spell, she lit a fire beneath the basin.

She continuously burned the contents of the basin until smoke rose, then she quickly tossed in a small, blackened bundle.

Looking up at the farmer’s wife, she said, "Bring your child here and have him stand in front of this copper basin. I am going to start expelling the impurity from his body. During the ritual, remember not to let him leave this basin’s side."