It’s been three years since I left my parents for the Royal Academy of Celestia’s Mercy. We had to make a split decision to flee from the assassins, and it was in our best interest to separate since their main target was me.

The plan was to escape, learn the ways of the mage, and be powerful enough to stand on my own two feet. That’s exactly what I intended to do after being selected as an exemplary candidate and joining the Royal Academy.

I thought this time, the path would be easy and I could learn everything about mana art, despite Celestia's Mercy being a pacifist institution. I at least planned to master the healing arts and learn everything about life energy that the academy excelled in teaching.

I was wrong.

Wrong about everything.

——

Right now, I lay in a cellar, sprawled on the cold floor. My face is bruised and swollen from beatings. I even suspect I have a broken rib as well. My hands are shackled with special chains that have anti-magic properties.

I watched a lizard crawling across the walls, preying on bugs, which was the only source of entertainment down here. Occasionally guards come here to beat me up every day or two. Thankfully, the cellar had adequate toilet and bed arrangements. The food’s also good and tasty, unlike what I heard they hand out in those normal prisons.

So yeah there were not many complaints other than the guards who were a bunch of assholes.

Suddenly, there was a loud clang on the jail fence. I tilted my head and saw the guards opening my cell doors and let out an exasperated sigh.

Two tall guards stood on either side and lifted me by my arms.

"Again? I've already had this session twice today. My face is still recovering. Can we not do this today?" I asked.

"Head priest's orders," one of the guards grunted. "Just shut up and cooperate."

Walking through the cell corridors heading towards the gates. I glanced at the side and saw my other fellow cell mates glancing at me with a smirk.

It's been a few months since I was shifted to this cell down here and I really never got along with other cellmates.

One look at the other prisoners and you could tell they weren't your typical criminals.

The prisoners here wore fine robes and carefully placed luxury cushion couches. Bountiful fruits and drinks so that they won’t suffer. Some prisoners even had personal servants fanning them at all times, some even were massaging the prisoners’ backs. There was also a cocky prisoner who lay on a beautiful servant's lap as he was being fed grapes. The only thing common between them and me was the iron fencing around their rooms that kept them inside.

This was a cellar made to imprison influential and powerful nobles who upset the royal family. Despite the severity of their actions, these nobles were treated quite well as the royal family still sought their aid.

They were not actually prisoners but more like house arrest in this fortified citadel in the kingdom.

For some reason, I, Benjamin Almond, chosen as an exemplary candidate to join the Royal Academy of Celestia Mercy, was sent here instead.

At first, I was made to live in a luxurious room along with excellent care on the top floors of this citadel. They even assigned me personal tutors from my academy to teach in person. However, I was strictly forbidden to exit my room and even to try contact with my parents. They also put up a condition to utilize my special mana arts for a particular ritual.

They said it was for my own safety until they dealt with the assassins.

At first a few years I was okay but then I was really frustrated and demanded to be sent back to the official Celestia’s Mercy academy at once. I was losing my mind being holed up in my room all the time.

And that’s how I landed inside this cellar that was made for the nobles.

We finally stopped in front of two massive iron gates. A guard posted at the gates pulled a lever, and the gates slowly began to open, revealing the familiar marble stairs leading to the upper levels.

The guards pushed me forward, and we started climbing the stairs.

This CItadel has lax security on the inside with few guards placed here and there. They had more guards on the outside to defend the citadel from incoming invaders.

The Citadel was heavily guarded from the exterior to ensure that no one tried to break into the prison. Although there was surprisingly a lack of guards inside to monitor the prisoner’s behaviors. Not to mention, there is said to be a high-tier mage overseeing the interior of the citadel at all times. I had never seen the mage in person, but I heard the other prisoner nobles talking about a powerful sensory mage keeping watch over everything.

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As I finally reached the upper floor, I encountered a vast hallway lined with guards. I walked through the hallway and entered an elevator. The two guards accompanying me stayed close behind as if I might try to escape at any moment.

The guard pressed the button, and the elevator doors closed. Silence enveloped us, broken only by the hum of the ascending elevator. The citadel had a lot of floors going from the bottom below to all the way to the top.

“I heard that the warden of this prison can see and hear anything and everything that happens inside the Citadel. They even said that the warden can peek in your butthole as you wipe your ass if he wished so, is that really true?” I asked, breaking the ice.

The guards remained silent and emotionless as ever.

“You guys are no fun,” I muttered with a sigh.

It's been nearly three years since I arrived here. I haven't even seen or heard how my parents were doing. They said contacting them might also put them in danger and they just said they are in a safe place for the time being.

Nearly cooperated with them for 3 years and not once did they allow me to step out of my room or let me contact my parents. It was then and there that something cracked and I just started revolting by turning my room upside down as well as being uncooperative with my studies. That’s when the enforcer came in and beat me up and locked me down here in the cellars. Thankfully, they need me—or rather, they need my special healing abilities otherwise they might even kill me.

The elevator came to a halt, and the doors slid open. The guards pushed me forward,

“Start walking,”

We were on the topmost floor of the Citadel known as Mother Grimshaw’s Courtyard.

I walked out of the elevator, the two guards trailing behind me.

Just as I stepped out a girl holding white robes stepped in front of me.

She bowed courteously and then walked behind me and draped the ceremonial white robes over me.

“The Priest eagerly awaits,” she informed.

“Yeah. He always does,” I replied heading to the courtyard.

The Mother Grimshaw’s courtyard was located on the topmost floor of the citadel. It was like a garden with grassy trimmed lawn, and beautiful marble statues and fountains were scattered across. The ceiling was made of glass allowing the sunlight to flood in and provide natural light. White marble benches were also placed around, making it inviting for people to relax and enjoy the serene environment.

The most attractive thing about the courtyard was a white small marble shrine almost placed right in the center dedicated to the Goddess Grimshaw.

As I glanced at the shrine I noticed that people had already gathered around there.

Seeing that, I let out an inaudible sigh.

“There are even more people than usual today,” I muttered.

“Start walking,” one of the guards snapped.

I turned around and glared furiously,

“Do you guys know any other words besides that?”

Before he could reply I started walking on the cobblestone pathway that cut across the lawn, heading towards the shrine.

As I approached the shrine, I saw there were a lot more people gathered there. These people were none other than visitors who came from faraway places to attend this session. Each one of them belonged to the elite class or just rich aristocrats from some faraway lands.

However one look at these folks and you can tell that something was wrong with them. One woman was coughing up blood, while the other guy had black spots all over his body. There was also a man who was chained and restrained by guards as he tried to wiggle himself free acting strange almost as if he was possessed.

These folks were the same as the rest, facing deadly curses or being possessed by evil spirits, poisoned by deadly toxins, or just fatal diseases. It can be anything! But not for long.

As the guests noticed me they all stared at me with wonder like I was some divine goddess myself. Some of them even had their mouths open, salivating as they watched me, Gross!

I walked through them and went inside the shrine, an old grumpy man wearing white robes stood there with a staff in his hand. He was the head priest who ran this little show here.

The old man just looked at me grumpily without complaining and turned his attention to the guests that had gathered around, “Now we’ll commence the blessing,” muttered the priest.

All the people gathered around the courtyard got on their knees and joined their hands to pray.

That was my cue to start the ritual, the blessing ritual. There was a crystal ball placed inside the shrine on the altar. I took a deep breath, gently placed my hands on the crystal ball, and began reciting the prayer:

“Oh, Benevolent Lady Grimshaw,

In your radiant light, we find solace.

With gentle hands and a heart full of grace,

Mend our wounds and ease our curses.

Bestow upon us your divine touch,

That our bodies may be restored,

Our spirits lifted,

And our hearts filled with hope.

In your name, we seek wholeness,

For you are the eternal healer,

Guardian of life and vitality.

Bless us with your sacred gift of life.

Oh! Mother Grimshaw!”

The crystal ball lit up, emitting a pulsating vibrant green light.

The next instant the green light enveloped everyone within the courtyard in its warm embrace.

The people in the courtyard’s all their worries started fixing right before their eyes. Their curses, toxic poison, evil spirit, diseases, etc all started healing right before their eyes. It was like they almost reverted back to time itself. The guests whose eyes were once gloomy filled with vitality at once. Even the chained-possessed man had regained his senses.

And this all was possible thanks to my divine healing arts.

As the blessing ritual came to an end, I finally lifted my hands from the crystal ball. That’s when I suddenly felt dizzy as I was strained out of my mana. The usual stinging pain in my head reappeared, almost feeling like my skull would crack open in two. My body was already worn out performing this ritual twice already and my legs finally gave out.

The guards quickly came and grabbed me by the shoulder, saving me from falling to the ground on my face.

Everything looked so hazy, almost like a blur, my breathing was heavy. I am forcing myself to not pass out.

“Thank you,~ apostle of Mother Grimshaw,”

"Thank you, Apostle. My husband’s mind is clear once more."

"My son is well again. Thank you, Apostle."

“My curse has been lifted! Hail Mother Grimshaw!”

And more such cries were hailed by the guests.

The guests were all eager to thank me, calling me the apostle or something but I just didn’t like that title, “Yeah, yeah, whatever! Now take me back to my cellar, will you.” I said to the guards.

“Guards! Please escort the apostle to his room, will you,” ordered the priest.

The guards quickly came to my side, lifted me by my shoulders, and almost dragged me away from the shrine. The female servant who gave me the robes stood next to the priest.

“Sir, how long till the harvesting season?” she asked.

“It won’t long now,” said the priest as he stared in my direction.

My brows twitched, ‘Harvesting season? But it's the middle of November.’

My eyes were already muddy and before I gave it any more thought I had already passed out and forgotten about all that conversation.