Meanwhile, at that time.


    At the Temple.


    "Ah! Today is another perfect day for over-the-top cleaning and dramatic prayers!"


    Taro, the stand-in priest with an exaggerated ir for everything, beamed with delight as he wielded a broom like a knight''s sword. He was thrilled to be in charge of  Temple while the regr priest, Lucan, and the Saintess Maris were away on their trip.


    "This temple is a masterpiece! Just being here feels like it''s flushing out all the impurities from my body!" Taro dered, sweating and shining with enthusiasm.


    He energetically scrubbed the temple''s entrance, his movements reminiscent of a high-energy dance routine. His face glowed with a mixture of pride and exertion.


    "Ah, Priest Taro, hello!"


    "Taro-san, you''re really giving it your all today too!"


    As the town residents passed by, they greeted Taro with genuine warmth, though a few eyed him warily and whispered, "Let''s avoid the temple this week... it''s a bit too... theatrical."


    "Oh, hello! How''s your back, Kamura-san?"


    "Yes, yes. Thanks to your treatment, it''s much better. Thank you for yesterday."


    "That''s fantastic to hear! If you need anything, just ask!" Taro responded with a grandiose wave of his hand.


    Despite his short tenure, Taro had integrated surprisingly well into themunity. His enthusiastic antics and exaggerated kindness had won over the townsfolk, who had initially been skeptical of his dramatic style. His admiration for the Saintess was clearly excessive, but it added to his charm.


    "Phew... Not a single speck of dirt remains. It''s as pristine as a holy relic now!" Taro proimed, admiring his work.


    "Cleaning the temple feels like it''s purifying my very soul. When my soul is light, my body feels light too!" he added, reveling in his sense of aplishment.


    The physical benefits were apparent, too. Taro''s energetic cleaning had imbued him with unexpected vigor. His previous ailments were fading, and he felt revitalized.


    "Now, on to the inner sanctum. Time to tackle the hallways!" Taro announced, striding inside with renewed zeal.


    Even though he had cleaned the day before and the day before that, Taro''s enthusiasm knew no bounds. He mopped with the precision of a maestro and the speed of a caffeinated squirrel, convinced that his efforts were a form of divine purification.


    "Hm...?"


    As he reached the door of Mira''s room, Taro''s eyes glimmered with dramatic curiosity. "The room is normal but mice are guarding it. So it has some short of divine secrets but what?"


    He approached the door with exaggerated reverence, though his intentions were far from pure. "Oh, I''d never be rude to Saint. I''m a devoted servant of both the gods and the Saintess."


    Taro kissed the hallway floor in front of the door. "So... if I were reborn, I''d wish to be your doormat. Just being trampled by the Saintess and having her feet cleanse away the dirt would bring me the utmost joy!"


    Despite his newfound purity, Taro''s theatricality remained undiminished. His over-the-top reverence was impossible to stifle.


    "Grr..."


    Suddenly, the security mice in the hallway, which had been observing Taro''s exaggerated antics, came to life. They were baffled by his bizarre behavior and began to gather around him, their tiny eyes filled with confusion and concern.


    As Taro continued his dramatic disy, the mice debated among themselves about how to handle the overly enthusiastic priest.


    ---


    Julia, Olive, Hima, and Rina stood at the entrance of the new dungeon, excitement bubbling in the air.


    "Alright, everyone," Julia dered, adjusting her gear with exaggerated seriousness. "Remember, this is a new dungeon. Stay sharp and avoid any traps!"


    Hima, in her usual flirty manner, winked. "Oh, I''m sharp, alright. Especially when ites to finding treasure."


    Olive, ever silent, simply nodded and adjusted her bow, while Rina rolled her eyes. "We''re not just here for treasure, you know. There''s a chance to improve our skills and—"


    "—find treasure!" Hima interrupted with a grin.


    The group ventured into the dimly lit dungeon. The walls were lined with eerie, glowing mushrooms, and the floor was a mix of slick stones and treacherous puddles. They navigated through the narrow passages, asionally slipping on the wet floors.


    "Careful!" Julia warned as Hima slipped, grabbing a nearby wall to steady herself. "This ce is slipperier than a soap-covered eel!"


    "I think I''m going to need new shoes after this," Hima grumbled, attempting to regain her bnce.


    As they ventured deeper, they encountered their first trap: a pit filled with what appeared to be harmless, but incredibly smelly, mud.


    "Ugh, is that...sewage?" Julia asked, wrinkling her nose.


    "Looks like it," Rina replied, eyeing the pit with suspicion. "Let''s try to avoid it."


    Hima, ever the enthusiast for adventure, attempted to jump over the pit, only tond directly in the center with a loud ssh. "I guess I''m testing the depth!"


    Julia and Olive quickly pulled Hima out of the muck, while Rina, standing at the edge, tried not tough. "That''s one way to test the waters," Rina remarked.


    "Very funny," Hima muttered, dripping wet. "Let''s just keep going before I turn into a swamp monster."


    The next room was filled with strange, animated statues that began to move as soon as they entered. One statue, resembling a grumpy old man, raised a sword and swung it in a slow, exaggerated arc.


    "Look out! We''re under attack!" Julia shouted.


    The group scrambled, but the statues moved at a snail''s pace, and the "attack" was more of aical disy. Hima tried to dodge a particrly slow swing, only to trip over her own feet and fall into a nearby pile of bones.


    "Help!" Hima eximed, her voice muffled by the pile. "I''m being buried alive by skeletons!"


    Julia and Rina rushed to help, but Olive calmly stepped over and gave the statue a gentle shove, knocking it off bnce. It toppled over with a clunk andy still, its sword floppedically.


    "Easy," Olive said, as the others finally got Hima free.


    They continued on, only to find arge room with a giant chest in the center. The chest was covered in intricate carvings and looked quite intimidating.


    "This must be the treasure room," Julia said, eyes wide with excitement. "I''ll open it!"


    As Julia approached the chest and began to pry it open, a cloud of confetti exploded out of it, showering everyone in glittering paper.


    "What the—?" Julia eximed, as the confetti settled. Inside the chest, instead of gold and jewels, was a single,rge rubber chicken.


    "Well, that''s...unexpected," Rina said, stifling augh.


    "I guess this dungeon''s entrance''s treasure isn''t what we thought," Julia admitted, shaking her head with a smile. "Let''s take the rubber chicken and head back. We can go another entrance."


    As they made their way out of the dungeon, covered in muck, glitter, and slightly embarrassed, Hima quipped, "I think we''ve earned our fun for the day. Next time, let''s aim for less slime and more shine."