episode_0036

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After the evening Mass, I closed the door of the Tabernacle and offered a prayer.

In the first place, it wasn’t even a proper Cathedral, and considering the times, there weren’t any Blessed Sacraments left, but even if it was just a formality, it was better to at least pretend than to not do Mass at all.

As I finished my prayer and turned around, Anna and Lucia were slowly getting up, and Sola was leaving with a sulky expression.

I asked Anna, who was sitting closest to me,

“Why is Sola so down? She seemed fine when we had dinner earlier.”

“Um…. Maybe, it’s nothing.”

Anna said with a beaming smile.

I tilted my head and asked Anna again.

“What is it? What happened?”

“Priest. You kept emphasizing the need to be wary of desire during your sermon at Mass today, right?”

“I did.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘I said that for you to hear,’ but Anna probably knew that the sermon was aimed at her.

Anna covered her mouth with her hand and smiled.

“It seems that Sola thought it was nagging aimed at her.”

“No, how could that be.”

“You know, how Sola was whining a lot about wanting more meat for dinner yesterday and today.”

“Ah.”

“It seems she thought you were scolding her because of that.”

Well, originally, it wasn’t desirable for a sermon to target someone specifically.

But I had given that sermon to give Anna and Lucia a little warning, and if Sola unexpectedly felt something from it, that wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

However, it was a little unexpected.

“Honestly, I didn’t think Sola would listen to my words attentively during Mass.”

“That kid likes you too, Father.”

At Anna’s words, I shuddered.

Seeing my reaction, Anna hurriedly shook her head and said,

“Not in the way I like you.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“By any chance, were you expecting something?”

Anna looked at me with a sly expression, squinting her eyes.

I sighed and said,

“Don’t tease me too much.”

“Hehe….”

“Anna?”

Anna bowed her waist slightly towards me as if she was being coquettish.

“Priest, aren’t you just too cute?”

“I think Anna, your biggest problem is in your eyes. Or you’re crazy.”

“Not the looks…. The behavior, I mean.”

Ah, I’m slightly hurt.

“What?”

“You gave that sermon for me to hear, right?”

“If you know, why don’t you be a little more careful?”

“Hehe, I wonder.”

I sighed at Anna’s playful attitude.

Of course, Sola was also quite the prankster, but now that I think about it, Anna also had a mischievous side.

On the other hand, even though Lucia had lived on the island longer than Sola, Anna was actually the closest to Sola, so she might have been influenced to some extent.

For Sola, Lucia felt like a quiet friend, while Anna felt almost like a close older sister.

I personally asked Anna to take care of Sola.

“Haa… Anyway, I’m worried because that energetic Sola is sulking, so why don’t you go after her, Anna?”

“Um….”

After hearing my words, Anna slowly crossed her arms and leaned her body at an angle.

She seemed to be expressing her dissatisfaction with her whole body.

On top of the two arms she had crossed in front of her upper body, her large breasts were softly squashed and lifted up.

“What about my one-on-one sermon time? I was really looking forward to it….”

“Anna….”

“Tch.”

Lucia, who doesn’t know much about sex, was just flushed because of the alcohol, but Anna isn’t like that.

It’s true that she is weak to desire, but an even bigger problem is that she is an ordinary woman who is well-versed in worldly knowledge.

Unlike the ignorant Sola or Lucia, she knows the sweetness of love and romance.

Even if she hasn’t experienced it herself, she must have seen it countless times around her.

Right now, her father, who is a famous blacksmith, was also a well-known lover, so she must know very well about the happiness of a woman who is loved.

That night, what this audacious Nun, who confessed her feelings to a Priest, wants from me is not just Sex, but the happiness of a woman who is loved.

I sighed and said,

“… I told you. You shouldn’t do that. You can’t do that. Why do you keep making things difficult for Priest.”

“You’re making things difficult for me too, Priest.”

“I love you. I love you all. You know that, don’t you.”

“You also know that I don’t want that kind of love, don’t you?”

“Haa…. Anna. You’re really a bad Nun.”

“So? Are you going to punish me?”

“If you do that one more time, you’ll see me in the confessional next time.”

Anna closed her eyes slightly and raised the corners of her mouth, then slowly turned around and went to find Sola.

She isn’t planning on having some kind of relationship with me right away today or tomorrow.

It’s just that she was lightly teasing me.

But the attitude Anna showed me now was like calmly declaring that she had no intention of giving up like this.

I sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

It was then.

Lucia, who had been standing blankly while Anna and I were talking, was slowly approaching me.

“Priest….”

“Lucia? Is something wrong?”

“That…. That’s…”

I looked at Lucia, who was hesitating.

Lucia’s shoulder, which had been badly injured in the last exploration, had almost completely recovered.

She felt a little dizzy because she had lost a lot of blood, but still, Lucia herself told me that the wounds on her body had all disappeared.

In fact, it wasn’t an injury that could heal in three days.

Of course, the hemostat made by mixing blessed medicine and Holy Water has excellent effects, but still, it couldn’t perform the miracle of healing such a big wound in an instant.

Right now, pus is still flowing out of my stomach, which was pierced when I first encountered the monster, but it’s clearly strange that Lucia’s injury, which was only three days old, has healed.

Maybe it’s because her body is closer to a Devil.

Or is it?

Holy Water can’t have an effect on a Devil’s body, can it?

Honestly, I haven’t seen this kind of case often, so I couldn’t make a hasty judgment.

I spoke to Lucia, who was looking uncomfortable and twitching her lips.

“How’s your body?”

“Ah…. I’m fine now. Like I… said… during the day… you know.”

“Yes, that’s a relief, but still, be careful just in case. It was a big injury.”

“… That’s right.”

Lucia slowly opened her lips.

Then, a trembling breath slowly leaked out through the gaps in her lips.

At a glance, she didn’t look like she was okay.

“Lucia?”

“Um… Priest, is it okay if I… come to your room later?”

“… Is something wrong?”

“That… It’s a little difficult to say it here…”

She curled the ends of her thin, delicate fingers around her sleeve and slowly turned her gaze towards the statue of the Goddess.

At that sight, I slowly nodded my head.

If it’s something difficult to say in the sacred Prayer Room, it must be about Devils.

I carefully stroked Lucia’s hair and said,

“Okay. I understand. Come whenever you’re comfortable.”

“… Yes,”

She closed her eyes and moved her head slightly from side to side.

Her head rested lightly on my palm.

I carefully placed my thumb on her forehead, and the rest of my fingers on her temples.

She didn’t seem to have a fever, and she wasn’t frowning, so she didn’t seem to have a headache either.

I was relieved and slowly withdrew my hand.

“Now, let’s go out. I have to go make Holy Water.”

“Holy Water… Ah, I see…”

Lucia tilted her head, as if she had realized something, and asked.

“Were you… going to the island Cliff during the day… because of that?”

I had sneaked out alone when the field work was over and it was quiet, but it seemed that Lucia had seen me heading towards the Cliff.

In order to prevent the Holy Water from spoiling, I had to mix it with salt, so I had gone to collect the salt that was stuck to the rocks below the Cliff.

I replied in a slightly surprised voice.

“Yes, I went to get salt. I didn’t know Lucia was watching.”

“I thought… you were going out to explore… alone… and I was a little surprised.”

I smiled slightly at Lucia’s very weak voice and said,

“That could be the case. You’re a patient right now. You look so sick.”

“Priest… If you go out alone,”

“I know, I’ll die at the hands of a monster.”

“…”

Lucia glared at me with a slightly sulky expression.

I smiled and continued,

“I won’t go out alone, so don’t worry. I don’t want to die yet.”

“… Promise me. You can’t go… alone… leaving me behind.”

“Okay. I promise. Now let’s go out.”

I slowly took off my Stole and went outside.

＊

In my room, I had filled five large buckets with water.

All of them were newly made Holy Water.

In the first place, making Holy Water was simple.

Consecrate the salt, dissolve it in water with a silver Goddess statue submerged, and then consecrate the water again.

The reason why Holy Water is precious is not because the method of making it is difficult, but because it is difficult to be granted the qualification to make Holy Water.

The authority to make Holy Water was only granted to a Bishop of a large Cathedral, or a Priest with a position higher than a Diocesan Bishop in a region, and in special cases, to a small number of Clerics who had been recognized by the Pope.

Of course, I, who was a top-notch Exorcist Priest in the Order, was also granted the qualification to make Holy Water.

In fact, this was not because I was outstanding, but because I worked so tirelessly that I used up Holy Water like I was pouring it out.

Of course, other Exorcist Priests also consumed a lot of Holy Water, but usually low-ranking Priests had to get Holy Water from nearby Cathedrals.

“… Where should I check.”

I slowly dipped my finger, which was covered in Holy Power, to check if the Holy Water was made properly.

The Holy Water scattered a subtle golden light in the room.

That meant it was made well.

“Hoo… If I make this much, I’ll use it for a few months.”

I sighed and slumped down on the chair.

No matter how annoying Kunat is, he won’t make me use all this Holy Water alone.

In the first place, since he has a needle in his chest, Holy Water won’t be needed much to subdue him.

Unless it’s to harass him.

“Billy. When making such poison, you have to make it outdoors where there is good ventilation. Didn’t you even learn that?”

As expected,

Kunat was looking at me with an unpleasant expression on the desk.

I replied in a blunt tone.

“Holy Water isn’t poison.”

“You have to think about me, who lives with you.”

“So it would be nice if you hurry back to Hell. Why are you loitering around.”

“Uh-huh, you’re being mean again.”

“Crazy bastard.”

“No.”

“Crazy bitch.”

“Yes.”

“I like it.”

“Heeheeheehee”

I shook off the Holy Water on my hand towards Kunat’s face.

Kunat screamed and jumped up.

As he lives like a cat, he is gradually becoming like a cat.

It was then.

Knock knock.

I heard someone knocking on the door.

Judging by the fact that even the two cautious knocks felt a slight tremor, it must be Lucia.

I wiped the water off my hands with a handkerchief and said,

“Come in.”

“… Yes,”

As expected, it was Lucia who opened the door and came in.

“I told you to come at a convenient time, but you came quite late, didn’t you.”

“…”

“… Lucia?”

“Si, Priest…”

Lucia was trembling all over.

Like someone thrown naked on a snowy mountain in the middle of winter.

I pushed the chair away and ran towards Lucia.

Lucia slowly began to fall to the floor before I could even reach her.

“Lucia!”

“Ugh, ugh… Priest…”

I asked, holding the fallen Lucia,

“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

“My… My body is weird…”

“… What?”

Lucia closed her eyes tightly and burrowed into my arms.

Her small fingers, clutching the fabric of my chest, were trembling.

“Actually… it’s been weird… since I came back to the island…”

I was dumbfounded by Lucia’s words and said, slightly angry,

“What are you talking about. Why didn’t you say it sooner!”

“Priest… looked… happy for the first time in a while… so I couldn’t tell you… I was afraid… I would ruin your mood…”

Ah.

Yes, that’s right.

After overcoming the big event and returning to the island, I had the illusion that everything was going well.

I had clearly been enjoying the peaceful time I had felt for a long time for the past three days.

Was Lucia enduring the pain alone because she was afraid of interfering with my happiness?

I bit my lip.

“You idiot….”

I picked up Lucia and took her to my bed and laid her down.

Then, I checked the temperature of her forehead and said,

“Wait, I’ll get some medicine for Anna….”

“No….”

Lucia shook her head.

“Priest… My body is weird…”

“… What do you mean.”

“Here… It’s weird here.”

“… What?”

Lucia slowly murmured in a plaintive voice, very earnestly.

“Just a little, here…”

“…”

“Please… please…”

.