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The Great Cleric (Light Novel) #4
The Great Cleric (Light Novel): Volume 4
The journey to Yenice is long, and Luciel has a big task ahead of him. Charged with reviving a long-defunct branch of the Healer’s Guild in a nation of beastfolk, the S-rank healer’s mission was never going to be easy. But things are made even more complicated when it is revealed that the country is home to its own host of problems, and even Luciel’s reputation isn’t enough to keep trouble away. In contrast to his time at the Adventurers Guild, the welcome mat hasn’t exactly been laid out for him, and he’ll have to learn to navigate the murky waters of local affairs or risk falling victim to the schemes that unsavory politicians are concocting from the shadows.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 30, 2022
Book 1 and 3: the villain is evil because he uses medical debt to sell people into slavery.
Book 4: but what about ethical slavery?
I'm really hoping this is going to get retconned in book 5 but if it doesn't, I'm giving up on this series. Seriously, what is it with isakais lately and slavery.
Book 4: but what about ethical slavery?
I'm really hoping this is going to get retconned in book 5 but if it doesn't, I'm giving up on this series. Seriously, what is it with isakais lately and slavery.
October 18, 2021
Felt weird but interesting developments
Previous books have been great, but I found the humour and dialogue in this novel kinda jarring. Throughout the novel the jokes felt flat or didn’t really hit at the right points, not sure why… more cringe than binge compared to the past LNs but hope it picks up again.
Previous books have been great, but I found the humour and dialogue in this novel kinda jarring. Throughout the novel the jokes felt flat or didn’t really hit at the right points, not sure why… more cringe than binge compared to the past LNs but hope it picks up again.
January 17, 2023
He's part of a church that bans slavery, the entire last several books had a villain that was angled as evil because he practiced slave trading, and now the main character is building an army of slaves.
It just doesn't make sense, he keeps saying he doesn't want slaves, but he keeps enslaving people anyways and everyone just happens to desperately want to stay enslaved to him.
The book tries to spin it as using slavery curses as a pact of secrecy, but it's not clear for what, and the existence of consenting, divine contracts explained at the beginning of the novel makes this entire idea unnecessary. So it really just looks like slavery for slavery's sake, but with an attempt at plausible deniability.
It just doesn't make sense, he keeps saying he doesn't want slaves, but he keeps enslaving people anyways and everyone just happens to desperately want to stay enslaved to him.
The book tries to spin it as using slavery curses as a pact of secrecy, but it's not clear for what, and the existence of consenting, divine contracts explained at the beginning of the novel makes this entire idea unnecessary. So it really just looks like slavery for slavery's sake, but with an attempt at plausible deniability.
March 25, 2025
Minor spoilers; minor TW: enslavement discussion
The worldbuilding aspects grew more expansive as the series progressed, but after finishing Vol. 4 and starting Vol. 5 I became disillusioned with the protagonist's self-righteousness, so-called humbleness, and the series' handling of enslavement.
I understand that these are common isekai tropes, but I especially did not enjoy how the author handled topics of enslavement and the slave trade. The whole point of the first few volumes was about how Luciel was "not like the other healers" in his work ethic and goodness, but in this volume and the next he fully integrates himself into the enslavement system as "the good slave owner". While some series use this trope as a device to make commentary on the system, The Great Cleric has not set up any such plot elements.
Luciel is the only slave owner we get to see in-depth thus far, with the others being corrupt healers like Botteculli or the slave dealers who are one-dimensional characters who simply treat it as a business or the status quo. Granted, Luciel does treat his enslaved with more respect and freedom than we've heard from other slave owners. Yet this respect and "freedom" is conditional: the enslaved are still his enslaved. They are branded, expected to follow orders without compensation, and will fear threats and punishments at their owner's whims should they deviate from his orders. I question whether "the good slave owner" is even a truly accurate trope. Is a "good slave owner" still not a "slave owner" nonetheless?
Alas, Luciel remains convinced that he is unaccountable for his participation in the slave trade, all the while complaining about inconveniences that pop up in his journey, like how his enslaved deviate from the tasks he gives them, express over-excitement toward other tasks that he does not want to deal with, or irritations when their views do not align with his own. He lacks self-awareness that his values might align with the corrupt figures he set out to take down. He also expresses no intentions of overthrowing or challenging the slave trade. Despite being from Japan, a country that does not endorse slavery, he does not seem to regret purchasing slaves, shows no remorse for making people into slaves, nor internally monologues about how he disagrees with any part of the slave trade. While the world of The Great Cleric accepts enslavement as a reality, I would have thought that a reincarnated person would think otherwise, or at least question the status quo.
If the author had intended this series as social commentary on enslavement and how it changes a person, be they the enslaved or the slave owners, I would have been more compelled to finish the series. For example, if the author set up foundations for Luciel to eventually realize he is contributing to the corrupt system he set out to destroy/change; or if they explored why his enslaved actively want to remain enslaved for reasons other than "he is a good slave owner" (i.e. trauma, indoctrination, fear of change), then the story would have a more rounded political hook. But the author has yet to do either of those, instead presenting Luciel as a shining protagonist who can do no wrong, and the supporting characters themselves do not question or challenge his involvement in the slave trade either. While I am reluctant to compare this series to others, I will say that other isekai and fantasy series approach enslavement with more sensitivity and self-awareness, by either presenting enslavement as downright bad or addressing why a protagonist or other characters might partake in the system for survival or personal interests. If only The Great Cleric had even laid the groundwork to do one of these things in its earlier volumes as a promise for future volumes.
Overall, I did enjoy the author foreshadowing future arcs via prophecies and foreboding comments from the protagonist and supporting cast. I also enjoyed watching the progression of Luciel's rise to power (it really goes to show how skills and (but mostly) networking are crucial to career advancements) in the Church. But ultimately it was the handling of enslavement that has prompted me to rate this series low on my list. Of course, every reader is entitled to their own opinions and preferences, and I acknowledge that my own biases have greatly influenced what I look for in an isekai series. However, should The Great Cleric ever end up exploring the aforementioned topics in more depth and self-awareness, count me as one reader who would gladly revisit this series.
The worldbuilding aspects grew more expansive as the series progressed, but after finishing Vol. 4 and starting Vol. 5 I became disillusioned with the protagonist's self-righteousness, so-called humbleness, and the series' handling of enslavement.
I understand that these are common isekai tropes, but I especially did not enjoy how the author handled topics of enslavement and the slave trade. The whole point of the first few volumes was about how Luciel was "not like the other healers" in his work ethic and goodness, but in this volume and the next he fully integrates himself into the enslavement system as "the good slave owner". While some series use this trope as a device to make commentary on the system, The Great Cleric has not set up any such plot elements.
Luciel is the only slave owner we get to see in-depth thus far, with the others being corrupt healers like Botteculli or the slave dealers who are one-dimensional characters who simply treat it as a business or the status quo. Granted, Luciel does treat his enslaved with more respect and freedom than we've heard from other slave owners. Yet this respect and "freedom" is conditional: the enslaved are still his enslaved. They are branded, expected to follow orders without compensation, and will fear threats and punishments at their owner's whims should they deviate from his orders. I question whether "the good slave owner" is even a truly accurate trope. Is a "good slave owner" still not a "slave owner" nonetheless?
Alas, Luciel remains convinced that he is unaccountable for his participation in the slave trade, all the while complaining about inconveniences that pop up in his journey, like how his enslaved deviate from the tasks he gives them, express over-excitement toward other tasks that he does not want to deal with, or irritations when their views do not align with his own. He lacks self-awareness that his values might align with the corrupt figures he set out to take down. He also expresses no intentions of overthrowing or challenging the slave trade. Despite being from Japan, a country that does not endorse slavery, he does not seem to regret purchasing slaves, shows no remorse for making people into slaves, nor internally monologues about how he disagrees with any part of the slave trade. While the world of The Great Cleric accepts enslavement as a reality, I would have thought that a reincarnated person would think otherwise, or at least question the status quo.
If the author had intended this series as social commentary on enslavement and how it changes a person, be they the enslaved or the slave owners, I would have been more compelled to finish the series. For example, if the author set up foundations for Luciel to eventually realize he is contributing to the corrupt system he set out to destroy/change; or if they explored why his enslaved actively want to remain enslaved for reasons other than "he is a good slave owner" (i.e. trauma, indoctrination, fear of change), then the story would have a more rounded political hook. But the author has yet to do either of those, instead presenting Luciel as a shining protagonist who can do no wrong, and the supporting characters themselves do not question or challenge his involvement in the slave trade either. While I am reluctant to compare this series to others, I will say that other isekai and fantasy series approach enslavement with more sensitivity and self-awareness, by either presenting enslavement as downright bad or addressing why a protagonist or other characters might partake in the system for survival or personal interests. If only The Great Cleric had even laid the groundwork to do one of these things in its earlier volumes as a promise for future volumes.
Overall, I did enjoy the author foreshadowing future arcs via prophecies and foreboding comments from the protagonist and supporting cast. I also enjoyed watching the progression of Luciel's rise to power (it really goes to show how skills and (but mostly) networking are crucial to career advancements) in the Church. But ultimately it was the handling of enslavement that has prompted me to rate this series low on my list. Of course, every reader is entitled to their own opinions and preferences, and I acknowledge that my own biases have greatly influenced what I look for in an isekai series. However, should The Great Cleric ever end up exploring the aforementioned topics in more depth and self-awareness, count me as one reader who would gladly revisit this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2023
As a story The Great Cleric volume 4 is quiet good. Luciel arrives in Yenice, and learns the political situation has changed a lot in between their request for aid earlier and the time he finally arrives. Not everybody is happy, and some are willing to go very far to make Luciel's life harder if not downright end it.
It is well told with a single plot that builds up and leads to a decent end confrontation. The downside is that happens in the first 75% of the book, and then we get what is effectively a 25% book long epilogue. I don't mind the slice-of-life, and it does depicts a bit of the world building in regards to Yenice, but most of it could be moved to earlier in the book and likely have resulted in better pacing.
The main reason for me to reduce the rating to three stars though is the inconsistency of how Luciel deals with slavery. Don't get me wrong, considering how prevalent slavery was (and still is) in RL, the institute itself can play a role in a serious story as long as it is depicted in a somewhat realistic fashion which it is in this series. It is just that in volume 3 Luciel frees all slaves, but here he buys them without much thought as soon as he arrives in town. Then later on he is curious why his wishes are treated as commands by the slaves even though we know from v3 that a slave cannot disobey their owner due to a magic seal, a seal Luciel can remove and according to his own thoughts is free to do so as their owner. Then, near the end, he supposedly offered some of his slaves freedom, the ones he personally punished with slavery for serious crimes (so not the ones he bought at the start for labour), but those supposedly refused to be released (a conversation we as a reader never read about till that point) even though I feel that it is unlikely he could ever do so without seriously angering the authorities because in this case it is actual lawful punishment.
So great story, well-told for the most part, but especially the slavery aspect could have been presented more consistently.
It is well told with a single plot that builds up and leads to a decent end confrontation. The downside is that happens in the first 75% of the book, and then we get what is effectively a 25% book long epilogue. I don't mind the slice-of-life, and it does depicts a bit of the world building in regards to Yenice, but most of it could be moved to earlier in the book and likely have resulted in better pacing.
The main reason for me to reduce the rating to three stars though is the inconsistency of how Luciel deals with slavery. Don't get me wrong, considering how prevalent slavery was (and still is) in RL, the institute itself can play a role in a serious story as long as it is depicted in a somewhat realistic fashion which it is in this series. It is just that in volume 3 Luciel frees all slaves, but here he buys them without much thought as soon as he arrives in town. Then later on he is curious why his wishes are treated as commands by the slaves even though we know from v3 that a slave cannot disobey their owner due to a magic seal, a seal Luciel can remove and according to his own thoughts is free to do so as their owner. Then, near the end, he supposedly offered some of his slaves freedom, the ones he personally punished with slavery for serious crimes (so not the ones he bought at the start for labour), but those supposedly refused to be released (a conversation we as a reader never read about till that point) even though I feel that it is unlikely he could ever do so without seriously angering the authorities because in this case it is actual lawful punishment.
So great story, well-told for the most part, but especially the slavery aspect could have been presented more consistently.
September 24, 2021
Yenice, the capital of the beastfolk, is Luciel's new goal. He's supposed to bring back the Healer's Guild to a nation that once kicked them out---and populate it with healers who aren't prejudiced against beastkin. But the city has its own problems, and just by being there, Luciel is drawn into them . . .
This is another volume that felt like it was really struggling in places. Luciel's adventures in the dungeon, and in general most scenes where there's some direct action, are pretty good. His growing friendships with his team and the people he picks up can be decent. The politics, though, is not very good.
There's not a lot of buildup around more than one or two of the Council members, and even those few didn't feel like much more than either chump villians or chump yes-men. The beastmen having distinct sub-races wasn't a surprise, but the story does very little with this, too.
I'm also not really fond of how the slavery aspect keeps getting handled. Not the fact that slaves exist, or Luciel finds himself owning them. But the fact that several of them flat out refuse to be freed, without having reasons that seem like they'd work just the same if they weren't slaves. Now, if the story wanted to play up more selfish motivations--that Luciel would be obligated to continue to provide food and clothing---that would be one thing. But in general this didn't really work well for me.
Overall I kind of wish the story would dump the "building a Healer's Guild" plotline and go back to the "exploring dungeons and accidentally unearthing hero-grade quests" it did so well in volume 2. Luciel is at his best when he's more of an oblivious wrecking ball to his surroundings, and not as good when he's in charge of managing other people. I rate this book Neutral.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
This is another volume that felt like it was really struggling in places. Luciel's adventures in the dungeon, and in general most scenes where there's some direct action, are pretty good. His growing friendships with his team and the people he picks up can be decent. The politics, though, is not very good.
There's not a lot of buildup around more than one or two of the Council members, and even those few didn't feel like much more than either chump villians or chump yes-men. The beastmen having distinct sub-races wasn't a surprise, but the story does very little with this, too.
I'm also not really fond of how the slavery aspect keeps getting handled. Not the fact that slaves exist, or Luciel finds himself owning them. But the fact that several of them flat out refuse to be freed, without having reasons that seem like they'd work just the same if they weren't slaves. Now, if the story wanted to play up more selfish motivations--that Luciel would be obligated to continue to provide food and clothing---that would be one thing. But in general this didn't really work well for me.
Overall I kind of wish the story would dump the "building a Healer's Guild" plotline and go back to the "exploring dungeons and accidentally unearthing hero-grade quests" it did so well in volume 2. Luciel is at his best when he's more of an oblivious wrecking ball to his surroundings, and not as good when he's in charge of managing other people. I rate this book Neutral.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
April 29, 2022
This Volume 4 of the light novel series (web novel series) deals with the Healer's Guild entering Yenice (free Beast-folk territory). Since the start a Tiger Beast-Folk, Shahza, working for the Doctor's Guild (the people that use potions and medicines instead of healing magic to cure patients.) Luciel, instead of liberating all the "slaves" he finds in Yenice, he goes to purchase slaves, enslaves people that try to harm him and his retinue and use slavery as a tool to intimidate all of their enemies. I find it weird, that in the first 3 volumes, Luciel was insistent on freeing every slave he would find, and the moment he crosses the Beast-Folk territory, uses slavery as much as he can. The Golden Rule, (treat others as you would like to be treated, does not apply in Volume 4).
Volume 4 has 150+ pages, illustrations, blank pages, information and cover pages, with 10 chapters and 2 side stories. This seems to be the lightest volume in the series so far. The story isn't as well polished as the previous plot arcs and stories.
Luciel is a S-Rank Healer that works for the Popess of the Holy Healing Church and the Healer's Guild. Luciel discovers a Dungeon here in Yenice and figures that he needs to conquer this labyrinth as well. The clinic of the Healer's Guild was placed in the bad sector of Yenice, Dhoran and Pola (dwarves) do all of the renovations and upgrades to the run down building.
This light novel series has 7 volumes in (April 2022). Missing from the illustrations is a map of this alternate reality world (Galdardia).
Volume 4 has 150+ pages, illustrations, blank pages, information and cover pages, with 10 chapters and 2 side stories. This seems to be the lightest volume in the series so far. The story isn't as well polished as the previous plot arcs and stories.
Luciel is a S-Rank Healer that works for the Popess of the Holy Healing Church and the Healer's Guild. Luciel discovers a Dungeon here in Yenice and figures that he needs to conquer this labyrinth as well. The clinic of the Healer's Guild was placed in the bad sector of Yenice, Dhoran and Pola (dwarves) do all of the renovations and upgrades to the run down building.
This light novel series has 7 volumes in (April 2022). Missing from the illustrations is a map of this alternate reality world (Galdardia).
September 3, 2021
Much better than the previous novel
I enjoyed the plot alot, and felt like the author didn't skip around and forget things as often as before. It's clear that the author is growing and becoming more experienced, however I do wish the novels were longer. I typically find 300 pages to be the sweet spot before any side stories. On that note the side stories were much better this time as it added additional perspectives at the end that gives you a better feeling.
That said, the author is still a bit...absent minded. Example being SP. It still hasn't been used and Luciel is sitting at 200+. I'm not saying go full on "I'm a spider so what?!" But some more attention to his characters would be nice. Example Luciel isn't really improving his skills or stats that significantly, nor is he any closer to being near Brod or The Lion. Lastly, plot devices are left unexplored, like SP, the airship stone, the grimoires he just got....it's just not even mentioned once it's in his bag.
I'll still continue to support this series and I look forward to the next novels
I enjoyed the plot alot, and felt like the author didn't skip around and forget things as often as before. It's clear that the author is growing and becoming more experienced, however I do wish the novels were longer. I typically find 300 pages to be the sweet spot before any side stories. On that note the side stories were much better this time as it added additional perspectives at the end that gives you a better feeling.
That said, the author is still a bit...absent minded. Example being SP. It still hasn't been used and Luciel is sitting at 200+. I'm not saying go full on "I'm a spider so what?!" But some more attention to his characters would be nice. Example Luciel isn't really improving his skills or stats that significantly, nor is he any closer to being near Brod or The Lion. Lastly, plot devices are left unexplored, like SP, the airship stone, the grimoires he just got....it's just not even mentioned once it's in his bag.
I'll still continue to support this series and I look forward to the next novels
September 3, 2021
Weak plot and rush story.
The story continues for our cleric, although the story is a little bit off all over the place. It looks like the author tried to cram a lot in this volume. From clearing a labyrinth to politics and introducing a miriad of new characters, with little development for most of the characters. The weakest part was getting involved in politics, wich didn’t make too much sense at the end. Also the way the labyrinth was cleared was anticlimatic. Hopefully next volume will bring more of what the author brought in the previous volumes.
The story continues for our cleric, although the story is a little bit off all over the place. It looks like the author tried to cram a lot in this volume. From clearing a labyrinth to politics and introducing a miriad of new characters, with little development for most of the characters. The weakest part was getting involved in politics, wich didn’t make too much sense at the end. Also the way the labyrinth was cleared was anticlimatic. Hopefully next volume will bring more of what the author brought in the previous volumes.
November 14, 2022
It remains kind of funny and really fascinating to see how many changes Luciel is trying to implement in Yenice. He's also doing so much to improve the lives of people. He doesn't seem to realize that he's turning into the Sage returned with his actions because the earlier Sage has been turned into a legend and almost a mythological figure.
July 27, 2023
8/10
Another solid volume, filled with satisfyingly hard work and grit. The fight with the dragon could have been done better, still feels like he kind of cheated it.
The other perspectives the author uses is genius, and more authors should copy it. It’s gratifying seeing the MC from other’s perspectives.
Another solid volume, filled with satisfyingly hard work and grit. The fight with the dragon could have been done better, still feels like he kind of cheated it.
The other perspectives the author uses is genius, and more authors should copy it. It’s gratifying seeing the MC from other’s perspectives.
October 30, 2023
En contra de mis expectativas, porque pensé que la historia estaba quedándose corta y no me podía ofrecer nada nuevo, creo que mejoró en este volumen.
Igualmente parece ser que también se va pareciendo a todas las otras... ahora incluye calabozos.
Este héroe, que no era héroe, va a visitar calabozos de ahora en adelante y le quedan, creo, siete.
Igualmente parece ser que también se va pareciendo a todas las otras... ahora incluye calabozos.
Este héroe, que no era héroe, va a visitar calabozos de ahora en adelante y le quedan, creo, siete.
January 16, 2024
amazing
I honestly can’t believe that Luciel is doing too much and helping in anyway possible to people and the city. I’m glad he isn’t spreading himself too thin. Also glad he has found so many trustworthy people. I think he will become the master of the hero who will be born in the next 40 years.
I honestly can’t believe that Luciel is doing too much and helping in anyway possible to people and the city. I’m glad he isn’t spreading himself too thin. Also glad he has found so many trustworthy people. I think he will become the master of the hero who will be born in the next 40 years.
December 19, 2025
HE BECOMES A SLAVER!?! but don’t worry. he is one of the good ones.
The first 3 books were a nice fantasy. Sure, there was nationalism and sexism and a few more of the -ism’s, but it is the main character and friends wanting to change a corrupt system, then in this book he embodies the corrupt system.
The first 3 books were a nice fantasy. Sure, there was nationalism and sexism and a few more of the -ism’s, but it is the main character and friends wanting to change a corrupt system, then in this book he embodies the corrupt system.
August 29, 2021
Love seeing the story continue
This story just never disappoints. The MC is op but he's so afraid of dying that he doesn't know it. He's also very likable and all the characters have a fun personality. Read it man.
This story just never disappoints. The MC is op but he's so afraid of dying that he doesn't know it. He's also very likable and all the characters have a fun personality. Read it man.
February 10, 2024
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ originally read these a few years ago, but since I watched the anime recently, I decided to re-read them. As usual they include far more than the animations. I enjoyed the growth of the character and the storyline itself - dungeon diving, adventuring, healer powers on the rise.
December 3, 2021
Amazing
June 8, 2022
Unlike the last volume, the story was entertaining from the start, much more enjoyable than the previous 2 volumes. The raid on the labyrinth also felt well paced.
December 9, 2022
7/10.
June 13, 2023
Too much talking about slavery which is supposed to be prohibited.
August 17, 2023
So fun
I really enjoy reading this series. I'm eager to see how the anime adapts it to screen. The story just leaves me with a smile and the giggles.
I really enjoy reading this series. I'm eager to see how the anime adapts it to screen. The story just leaves me with a smile and the giggles.
October 2, 2021
This volume mainly details our hero's exploits in Yenice. He heads there with the intention of reviving the Healer's Guild in the beastman land but along the way gets involved with local politics and once again gets stamped on with the title of 'hero'.
There are elements in this volume that I particularly like and dislike compared to the first three. Many of the new beast men and slave characters are quite interesting and I hope the author will keep them and expound.
The author has a bad habit of introducing a lot of new faces but not developing them. A very good example would be the healers and knights that accompanied him to Yenice. Apart from the initial introduction, the group is basically just background noise that are often referenced in one lump group excluding some like Jord. They weren't so interesting so I wasn't bothered particularly but I hope he doesn't do the same to these new characters.
A strong difference in this volume is that Luciel is forced to take on a more active political role. Although I like this progression from the story's point of view, I'm not sure if the author will be able to write this convincingly enough. So far development here has been so-so but there is still hope for improvement in the later volumes.
Out of the first four volumes, I like this the least but it's still quite readable and interesting enough to make me want to venture on to the next volume.
There are elements in this volume that I particularly like and dislike compared to the first three. Many of the new beast men and slave characters are quite interesting and I hope the author will keep them and expound.
The author has a bad habit of introducing a lot of new faces but not developing them. A very good example would be the healers and knights that accompanied him to Yenice. Apart from the initial introduction, the group is basically just background noise that are often referenced in one lump group excluding some like Jord. They weren't so interesting so I wasn't bothered particularly but I hope he doesn't do the same to these new characters.
A strong difference in this volume is that Luciel is forced to take on a more active political role. Although I like this progression from the story's point of view, I'm not sure if the author will be able to write this convincingly enough. So far development here has been so-so but there is still hope for improvement in the later volumes.
Out of the first four volumes, I like this the least but it's still quite readable and interesting enough to make me want to venture on to the next volume.
October 9, 2021
Really great story can't wait for volume 5
August 8, 2025
Better than most light novels and didn't follow the same cut and paste formula what was nice.
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