episode_0034

*

The next day, we arrived at the harbor of Mora Village around afternoon, before the sun had even set.

Considering that we had even encountered a group of monsters along the way, it was a surprisingly early time.

The main reason was that we went to sleep before sunset and woke up before sunrise, allowing us to set off early.

However, even after arriving so early, I had no time to catch my breath.

I hurriedly loaded the luggage onto the boat and sat down, grabbing the oars.

“Lucia, get on quickly. Kunat, you too.”

“Ah… yes.”

Lucia clutched her left arm and carefully climbed onto the boat.

The sleeve she was holding was soaked and dripping, and bright red blood was constantly flowing from her left hand and the limp right hand.

Perhaps because she couldn’t use both arms, Lucia struggled to maintain her balance even to board the boat swaying in the waves.

I reached out and grabbed Lucia’s waist, carefully seating her.

Lucia winced in pain, her eyebrows twitching.

“Ugh…”

“Sorry… are you okay?”

“Yes… I’m fine. I’m sorry, Father…”

Lucia was injured in her left arm and shoulder during the battle with the monster earlier.

That was why I was holding the oars.

Of course, it wasn’t as severe as what I had suffered in the past, so it wasn’t a life-threatening injury, but it was serious that blood continued to flow even though it was tightly bandaged.

“I’ll hurry.”

I pushed the large pillar holding the boat with the oars.

The boat slowly moved away from the land and began to head towards the sea.

I gripped the oars tightly and rowed.

I was just an ordinary person, except for my Holy Power, so I couldn’t move as fast as Lucia. I had to hurry to get to the island before sunset.

Now that Sola doesn’t even turn on the lighthouse, traveling the night sea, where it’s difficult to know the direction, was no different than suicide.

I bit my lip and gripped the oars again.

“Father…”

“Don’t worry. Even if there’s no food on the island, there are some herbs that have been dried and stored. If you rest for a few days, you’ll get better soon.”

“… Yes, I believe you.”

Lucia’s drooping right arm,

The blood flowing from within that sleeve was already soaking her feet.

Lucia muttered weakly.

“If I could row, we could get back quickly… I’m sorry for not being able to help.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? If Lucia wasn’t there, I would have been caught and killed by the monster.”

“… Did I do well?”

“Yes, and I didn’t. Even if you can fight, it’s my job to protect you… I’m ashamed.”

Yes, I should have expected it.

It was bound to happen someday.

After accepting the devil, I was able to move as nimbly as a wolf, and I was able to defeat the monster, but Lucia’s body was ultimately only that of a girl in her late teens.

Even if her strength and agility exceeded that of humans, the durability of a frail girl’s body didn’t change much.

With that body, Lucia always threw herself into battles with the monsters, until she was completely covered in white bodily fluids.

It meant that it wouldn’t have been strange if she got hurt at any time.

Looking at the monsters that easily died at Lucia’s hands, I overlooked even that obvious fact.

“… Aren’t you worrying too much? It’s not like I’m going to die.”

“It hurts.”

“… It does.”

Lucia, who is ignorant of medicine, probably doesn’t know, but losing that much blood can lead to death from anemia.

Of course, I don’t do the foolish thing of taking that fact out and making her uneasy.

Lucia slowly closed her mouth and closed her eyes.

Falling asleep now, after losing a lot of blood, is dangerous.

I noticed Lucia’s silence amidst the waves that constantly shook the boat and the sound of rowing that cut through those waves, and I opened my mouth in a hurried voice.

“Oh, you’re not getting seasick today?”

“… Huh?”

“You said you get seasick.”

“Ah… yes…”

Lucia left a suitable answer and became silent again.

As I rowed with all my strength, my dull and dirty blond hair quickly became soaked with sweat and scratched my forehead.

I shed droplets of sweat everywhere and rowed even more fiercely.

Sweat flowed near my eyes, but I didn’t have the luxury to stop rowing.

I just closed my eyes and kept rowing.

Kunat is watching the direction anyway.

If you ask if I can trust the devil, I have nothing to say, but I think I can trust Kunat because Kunat should have face-saving and would be ashamed to return to Hell after being submerged in the water.

“Yeah, it’s already been a few times since we went outside, so it’s about time you got used to seasickness.”

“…”

“Lucia, haa… did Sola… like venison too?”

“Sola… likes all kinds of meat…”

“Really? Then later… whew… cheap wild boar meat… that… tell her to try it. It’s salted and aged, and if you eat it at a bad place, uh… whew… even Sola won’t be able to eat that.”

“Wild boar…?”

“There is. Something like that. It’s a dish from a somewhat distant region, uh…”

I kept talking non-stop so that Lucia wouldn’t fall asleep, even while gasping for breath.

My head wasn’t working well because I kept rowing with all my might, but I just spewed out whatever came to mind.

The muscles in my arms were in as much pain as if they were burning, but I was somehow enduring it.

How much time had passed?

“Billy. Turn slightly to the left. We’re almost there.”

“Huk… huuh… okay.”

I moved the boat following Kunat’s guidance.

After a while, the bottom of the boat made a sound as it scraped against the pebbles and slowly stopped.

I jumped up and hugged Lucia with my trembling arms.

“Aah… Father…”

“Just hang in there, Lucia.”

I ran across the pebble field and climbed up the hill, holding Lucia in my arms.

My body must have been exhausted already, but I didn’t even know where this strength was coming from.

The tips of my fingers were trembling, and I felt like I would drop Lucia if I let my guard down even a little.

I gritted my teeth and held Lucia tightly.

Then, in the distance, I saw Sola waving her arms left and right.

“Sola! Lucia is hurt!”

“Father! What did you say?”

“Herbs!”

Sola seemed to have noticed the situation when she saw Lucia in my arms and ran towards the herb field.

As I climbed the hill, I saw Anna running with her skirt clutched in her hands.

“Father! What happened…”

“Explanations later, I need herbs first. I think the dried ones are…”

“I heard from Sola and already brought them to Lucia’s room!”

“Ah, thank you!”

I ran into the monastery and ran down the hallway.

*

It was only after it had become completely dark that I slowly left Lucia’s room.

Anna and Sola were waiting for me outside the door with worried expressions.

I sighed and nodded.

“It’s okay. Now. Lucia is sleeping.”

“… Ah, that’s a relief.”

I ground up the herbs that have a hemostatic effect, mixed them with Holy Water, spread them on the wound, and then wrapped it tightly with bandages.

Lucia, whose blood slowly stopped, slowly fell asleep, breathing evenly.

She may be dizzy for a few days, but at least her life won’t be in danger.

Of course, she had to eat well to recover.

It was fortunate that I caught a deer.

“Sola, I’m sorry. I was going to feed you meat today, but let’s eat together when Lucia wakes up tomorrow.”

“Father, Sola is already an adult. I can endure that much.”

Sola put her hands on her hips and pushed her chest forward as she spoke.

I felt relieved by that sight, and I smiled without realizing it.

“You’re the youngest one here.”

“I’m an adult, okay? I fought with ghosts while Father wasn’t here, okay?”

“… Ghosts?”

Anna sighed and said.

“It’s nothing.”

“Ah, Anna! It was a real ghost!”

“I told you that was my sleep talking.”

“What kind of sleep talking is that? Anna is wrong! It was definitely a ghost. A ghost looking for Father… mph,”

Anna quickly approached Sola like lightning and covered her mouth.

I looked at Anna and asked.

“What’s all this about?”

“Ah…. Haha, you know Sola. It’s just silly talk.”

Sola grabbed Anna’s hands with both hands and pulled them down, shouting.

“I’m not an idio-mph!”

“Be quiet, you idiot.”

I slowly leaned my back against the wall and sighed.

I somehow felt a sense of affection for this crazy commotion.

I had clearly frowned upon and hated this commotion until recently, but now I was even glad to see it.

Even if the world was destroyed.

Even if monsters hung humans up and laid eggs like maggots,

Even if Anna and Lucia showed affection for me and felt sexual impulses.

Even if Lucia became a devil.

Even if the world was taken over by the devil’s hands.

Even if Kunat was planning to use me as his secret weapon in this world dominated by the devil.

And, even if I was helplessly swept away in all those situations.

This commotion felt like it was bringing me back to my familiar and tedious daily life.

“Eueeuph”

“Ew! Sola, did you lick my palm?”

“That’s because you wouldn’t let go!”

“You’re so dirty!”

“The dirty one is Anna who just went to the bathroom… Gyaaaaak,”

Cancel that.

It’s still too noisy.

*

As always, Kunat entered the room through the window with silent footsteps.

However, the place she headed to wasn’t Father Theodore’s room, where she always slept, but Lucia’s room.

Kunat quietly climbed onto the bed and looked at Lucia, who was lying down with her eyes closed.

“How was it?”

Lucia widened her eyes and smiled.

“I’m glad I asked Kunat-ssi. Father hugged me and moved me.”

“I see.”

“I was flustered because I forgot to say I was getting seasick because I was pretending to be dizzy.”

“That’s what happens when you do a sloppy lie, but fortunately, Father Theodore firmly believes in you.”

“When Father hugged me… I felt like I became a princess…”

“…”

“Father is my prince… hehe.”

Kunat shook her head and continued speaking.

“Even though that Father looks rough, he’s not someone who would go against the Goddess’ teachings. No matter how strongly you push him, he won’t touch you.”

“… I guess.”

“That guy is not a prince.”

“That’s right… there’s no one who looks better in a priest’s Soutane than Father. He looks so cool when he wears the Stole.”

“Ah, I see.”

Kunat casually agreed with Lucia’s ecstatic voice and said.

“Rather, you have to pretend to be weak to get the Father’s attention.”

“I was happy to give my body to the devil and be able to help Father… did Father like me more before I became a devil?”

Lucia muttered in a voice that quickly became dejected.

Kunat scoffed and replied.

“Isn’t that obvious? You’d be surprised if you knew how much I’m being harassed by that Father. Even now… no, never mind.”

“I’m getting stronger and helping Father a lot… I enjoyed traveling around the Mainland with him too…”

“Isn’t it the instinct of clerics to pour more heart into the weak?”

“…”

Of course, Lucia is also weak.

The strength of the world is not only in power.

Father Theodore wasn’t cold-blooded enough not to pour his heart into this girl who was mentally unstable rather than physically.

Of course, it was a slightly difficult story for Lucia, who had spent most of her life on the island, so Kunat didn’t bother explaining it and closed her mouth.

Lucia slowly recited, mixing in a breath that seemed like it would break.

“It’s okay anyway… I know Father doesn’t love me anyway.”

“… Hooh, what are you talking about?”

Lucia slowly stroked her arms and waist while lying down.

It was as if she was retracing the places the Father had touched when he hugged her today.

“Who in this world would love me, who ate my friends… neighbors… even my mom, and made my dad commit suicide?”

“…”

“It would be nice if he would just touch me sometimes… I’m satisfied with just that.”

Lucia slowly closed her eyes and let out a shallow sigh.

The chilly coldness mixed with resignation and lament in her breath was so poignant that even Kunat’s cat whiskers trembled.

Kunat stopped speaking for a moment and thought about something, then slowly began to open her mouth.

“You’re saying you’re satisfied with just touching, right?”

“…?”

“There’s a way for that too.”

“…”

Kunat smiled faintly.

She was briefly flustered by this girl’s obsession and emotions, but this was clearly an opportunity for Kunat.

An opportunity to corrupt Father Theodore.

An opportunity to reduce Billy’s animosity toward devils.

An opportunity to shake his firm faith.

‘Billy, can you… act like a dignified cleric even while holding a Nun?’

Kunat looked at Lucia.

Lucia was looking at Kunat with sparkling eyes.

Even to herself, a devil, Lucia’s face was so cute.

No matter how much of a Billy he is, he wouldn’t be able to reject this Lucia.

Kunat quietly whispered her evil plan in Lucia’s ear, convinced of that.