episode_0061

*

Contrary to my worries that settling down somewhere other than the Monastery would be difficult, the move proceeded remarkably smoothly.

The biggest reason was that we had fewer belongings than I thought.

If we were ordinary girls, we would have had a lot to pack, from various clothes to small accessories, but the nuns, who were destined to spend their entire lives on the island, were not.

Lucia, who was weak and could hardly do anything, had all her belongings packed in a large bag.

Anna and Sola, whose rooms had collapsed, had their already small belongings damaged by the debris, so they could only pack a small bundle.

Funnily enough, I had the most luggage.

From the various items used for exorcism to my clothes, I needed as many as six large bags.

Anna saw the silver candlesticks and Order ornaments I had packed and said, “Father, you’re the most girlish.”

We moved to the mainland in two trips.

Lucia and I went over first with the luggage and unloaded it, and then I returned to the island alone to bring Anna and Sola.

Anna was nervous that a monster might attack, and Sola was excited to be going outside the island for the first time, and their appearances were so contrasting.

As the mainland got closer, Sola opened her mouth wide, as if to show all her overflowing feelings.

With an expression that seemed like she was about to cheer at any moment, she stared blankly at the world she was encountering for the first time, her eyes rolling busily.

The abandoned Mora Village, now a ruin with no one, was so desolate compared to its former lively appearance.

But Sola, who didn’t know the old appearance of this village, seemed to find every scene just amazing.

After all, to Sola, who had spent her entire life on an island with a population of fewer than five, a landscape without people wouldn’t feel that strange.

“Oh, wow…”

Sola uttered exclamations that weren’t words and slowly got off the boat.

She seemed very fascinated by the harbor that was carved by hand, not a pebble beach, and she smiled bashfully as she looked down at the ground for a long time and slowly moved her feet.

“Heh, I really came out. For, for the first time…”

I tried to ignore those words.

Seeing Sola’s appearance of being so happy like a pure child, I felt as if a heavy lump of iron was pressing down on one side of my heart.

Unlike Luciana and Anna, who were involved with demons and isolated, Sola seemed to have been sent to the island for political reasons.

Perhaps the Order took financial gain in exchange for hiding her.

Sola was a pure soul.

She was a child who had no reason to be trapped on that island.

But, abandoned by her parents and taken in by the Order, she spent her entire life trapped on that island.

That fact felt very unfortunate as a cleric, and very shameful at the same time.

“Yippee! I’m out!”

Sola, who had no way of knowing my feelings, burst into a restrained exclamation and started running like crazy on the empty harbor.

Lucia, who was in the middle of moving luggage, found Sola running and smiled bashfully and started running with her, and Anna shook her head and looked at the two.

“She has good stamina.”

“…”

“Father?”

“… Yeah,”

“What’s wrong? Are you… are you sick?”

I shook my head without saying anything.

If I explained this thought about Sola to Anna, she would surely comfort me with sweet words.

Lucia, and even Sola herself, would say it wasn’t my fault and comfort me.

But, I am the one who should be responsible for Sola now.

I am also the only person who can take responsibility for the fact that this world and the Order did something cruel to Sola.

I am also the one who will criticize myself most harshly.

“It’s nothing.”

So I decided to hold on to this painful feeling a little longer.

I wanted to feel sorry for Sola’s tragedy a little more.

“I need to go hunting.”

Since we came out to the mainland, I decided to let Sola eat as much meat as she likes for the time being,

I vowed that as I moved the luggage.

*

Time on the mainland passed much faster than on the island.

Of course, it wasn’t that time flowed differently on the island or the mainland, but because there was a lot to do in the newly established home.

Plowing new fields, finding new wells, and decorating each of the houses assigned to each person.

We lived several times busier than at the Monastery, and a week passed in the blink of an eye.

We settled in each of the four houses that were close together.

Originally, I was going to have them live in the houses that were in the best condition among the vacant houses in the village, but it was the result of reflecting the nuns’ opinions that they wanted to live as close as possible, even if the houses were old.

Well, having lived in the same house for a long time, it might be awkward and unsettling to be separated now.

I accepted their opinions and found the houses that were closest together and in the best condition.

They each assigned each other’s houses on their own.

They each occupied a small house with a living room and a bedroom, and the largest house with two bedrooms was assigned to me.

It wasn’t that I asked for a big house.

It was a decision that contained their consideration, considering that Kunat was attached to me.

Of course, I didn’t like living with Kunat, but I couldn’t leave Kunat to the nuns.

This year, she would surely win over the nuns with her sinister words and lead them to corruption.

At least it’s a relief that there are two rooms.

No matter how unafraid I am of demons, I wanted to stop living in the same room as a demon.

That demon was threatening both my mental stability and my ethics as a cleric.

That annoying demon kept provoking my anger and kept inducing me to violence.

I even thought that I had become very violent.

Kunat shrugs her shoulders, saying, “Don’t talk nonsense, you were always like that,” but every time she did, I activated the needle in her head at maximum output.

Besides, there was one more reason why I didn’t want to live with Kunat.

Recently, Kunat had been in human form more often than in cat form, but she completely ignored my request to please put on her damn clothes properly.

Demons can’t wear human clothes, she said,

So when I told her to please go back to her damn cat form, Kunat smiled and said,

“Why, is this appearance very stimulating to you? A priest, feeling lust for me, a demon?”

And she showed off her cleavage.

Of course, every time, the needle vibrated like a dog in ice water, emitting holy power from her head.

Although it passed quickly, a week was enough time to adapt to the new environment.

The chaotic work that was chaotic at first was now somewhat stable, and we naturally distributed our work.

In fact, not much had changed from the Monastery.

Anna was still in charge of the overall life.

She made our meals, managed the newly created vegetable garden, and occasionally returned to the island to harvest the fruit from the trees.

She didn’t use the boat when traveling to and from the island, but flew.

The succubus’ wings were not just decorations.

When she was free after finishing her work, Anna also managed the blacksmith in the corner of the village.

It seemed that it had simply been abandoned because there were no people, and the blacksmith seemed to come alive again at the same time as Anna’s touch, spitting out fire.

It wasn’t for nothing that she was the daughter of the most famous blacksmith in the capital, and her touch when handling the blacksmith’s tools was very delicate and bold, and a happy smile appeared on her face as she handled such tools.

Anna’s appearance of tying her long hair tightly with rough rope proved that she had done this action more than once or twice, and it was very skillful and natural.

Lucia started taking on the hunting that I had done with her alone.

Originally, as she had done so far, we went hunting together, but she was so busy with too much work in the early stages of the move that I asked for her understanding and entrusted her with it entirely.

Later, after the busy work was somewhat organized, I tried to be with her again, but she had already become accustomed to hunting alone in the meantime.

Lucia’s hunting method was more like that of an animal than a hunter.

Her appearance of jumping from tree to tree reminded me of the hunting method of feline predators such as tigers and leopards,

The method of approaching while hiding her presence and snapping the prey’s neck in one breath was something that I, an ordinary human, could not even imitate.

As when fighting monsters, she always came back covered in the blood of her prey.

I felt uneasy about Lucia’s appearance.

It felt like her actions and appearance were gradually resembling the Ebony Wolf.

But when I saw Lucia carrying a large wild boar on her shoulder and approaching me with a cheerful expression, asking me to stroke her head in a cautious tone, I decided to change my anxious thoughts.

She herself would know better than I do that her appearance is changing.

Maybe she can falter.

She may be tormented by resembling the demon who ruined her life.

She may feel confused about her identity.

But, I must not be confused.

I must claim and believe more strongly than anyone else that she is a human, not a demon.

I decided to trust her.

I decided to trust myself to hold her whenever she falters.

Sola, well, there wasn’t much difference.

She still wasn’t very helpful, and she still didn’t try to work very much.

She was busy enough just looking at the world she was seeing for the first time.

Everything visible was new and fresh to Sola.

The beach full of sand instead of trees and gravel that she hadn’t seen on the island.

From stone walls instead of wooden fences to roof tiles that she was seeing for the first time.

She was learning a lot, engraving all the scenery that was obvious to us anew.

Of course, she didn’t stop her own quirky actions in the meantime.

Recently, she found out about the existence of bathhouses somewhere, and she’s busy moving to make one of the empty houses into a bathhouse.

I didn’t want to stop Sola.

Because she needs to regain all the experiences she’s lost.

I also asked Anna and Lucia not to make Sola work for the time being.

Fortunately, both of them agreed with my opinion.

I also spent a very busy week.

I looked after the village as a whole, and built fences, barricades, and thorny moats around the village.

It might not be very effective against monsters, but it would be better to have them than not, and there was also a newly cultivated vegetable garden, so it was worth it just to prevent wild animals from invading.

After organizing the abandoned cathedral in the village and finishing all the work, I decided to go out exploring again.

Because there were fewer time constraints since I didn’t have to take a boat, I had the expectation that I could now go quite far.

I still can’t be a match for monsters, so I needed someone to accompany me.

But I didn’t want to bother the nuns who were already busy, so,

“You don’t have to make excuses like that, if you want to go with me, just say so.”

“Shut up.”

In the end, I came out exploring with this bastard.

“Billy, is it not enough to live in the same house as me, now you’re even bringing me to such a secluded place, aren’t you being too obvious?”

“Now I’m amazed. How can you keep talking nonsense when you know what’s going to happen? Or do you forget that your head might get fried every time?”

“I have to be on the same side as the opponent I can’t beat, and I have to enjoy the pain I can’t avoid.”

“Is that so? Should I try to enjoy it once?”

I slowly raised my finger.

With a slight gesture, I could activate the needle stuck in her head.

Kunat bowed her head with a stiff face.

“I’m sorry, please don’t do it.”

“You should have done that from the start. Why are you always picking a fight like that?”

“I thought you enjoyed this useless banter with me.”

I stared at Kunat without saying anything.

Kunat waved her hand and said.

“Don’t do it. I said I’m sorry.”

“Do you think I’d enjoy even a second of time with you? It’s creepy, so don’t even joke about it.”

“That’s too much.”

“…”

When I shut my mouth, Kunat quickly changed the subject.

“Come to think of it, you haven’t met a monster since you came to the mainland, have you?”

“Fortunately not, it seems like they haven’t appeared to the nuns either. Lucia is the most likely to meet them since she goes quite far, but she doesn’t seem to have met them yet either.”

“How do you know that?”

“If she met them, Lucia would appear covered in white liquid.”

Kunat nodded and said.

“That’s right, I haven’t felt the presence of monsters around the village either.”

“Where did all those corpses that came to the island that day come from?”

“They were sent by demons to kill you,”

Sent by demons?

I frowned and asked.

“Do you know how to do that? The saying that demons are unrelated to monsters was a lie after all,”

“They’re unrelated, please believe it.”

“But how do you send them?”

Kunat sighed.

“First of all, monsters instinctively avoid demons, so just chasing them can drive them away like a flock of sheep.

“…”

If that’s true, the reason why monsters don’t appear around the village might be because of Kunat and the nuns.

I have already confirmed that monsters are afraid of demons.

The day Kunat was separated from me on the island, the monster turned its head towards me.

It means that monsters instinctively avoid demons who can kill them.

The reason why I think it’s ‘instinctive’ is because I desperately hope that they don’t have intelligence.

If monsters are even smart, there’s nothing more terrible than that.

Kunat smirked playfully again.

“It’s the same as demons avoiding you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, is there anyone who has demons sticking to them as much as I do?”

“That’s because you go around poking your nose into every place where demons come out, usually demons curse and run away when you appear. You’re the one who sticks to the demons.”

“I’m talking about you.”

“Hoo.”

Kunat said with a slightly flushed face.

“That’s right, I’m definitely sticking to you.”

“You know it.”

“Actually, I want to stick to you even more.”

“If you’re into suffering, I won’t stop you.”

“That’s too cold.”

Kunat put her red hand on my shoulder and said.

“Tell me sincerely, honestly, and truthfully,”

“… Let go. You bastard.”

“Have you really not grown fond of me at all?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Really?”

Kunat suddenly grabbed my shoulder and gradually brought her face closer.

“What, what is it.”

“Billy.”

“What is it, won’t you let go of this?”

“I know that you keep glancing at my body.”

“… What?”

“I also know that you go into your room and suffer alone, and then offer a prayer of repentance. If you put your ear to our house’s door, you can hear everything you whisper inside.”

“… Don’t say ‘our house’. It’s creepy.”

“Look at this, you’re still avoiding answering and trying to change the subject.”

“…”

I shut my mouth.

It was because I was hit right on the mark.

Honestly, it would be stranger if I didn’t take a look at her walking around shaking her big breasts and ass.

But, it was only a reflexive glance,

I had never looked at Kunat with the eyes of a heterosexual man.

… At least she never appeared in my dreams.

“Of course, you’re probably not feeling attracted to me as a woman. That’s just an honest reaction as a male.”

“You fucking… what are you trying to say.”

“But you know what? There’s something called *tteokjeong* in the world.”

Kunat squinted her eyes and continued.

“I mean, there are emotions that start from such physical reactions.”

Kunat chuckled and smacked her lips while looking at me.

It was as if an experienced woman was teasing a virgin.

I was creeped out and spat out profanity.

“Did you grab my shoulder to say that kind of bullshit?”

“Remember, Billy. Not all love in the world has a pure and beautiful start.”

I couldn’t stand it any longer and knocked away Kunat’s arm that was grabbing my shoulder.

“You crazy bitch. Why are you doing this?”

“Hoo-”

Kunat suddenly breathed into my face.

I frowned and glared at Kunat.

Kunat smiled and said.

“How is it.”

“What is,”

“Since you said you didn’t like my bad breath, I’ve been working hard to manage it with a fragrant scent.”

Certainly, her breath had a fragrant citrus fruit scent.

In fact, it didn’t smell bad before.

I just felt bad that it was a demon’s breath.

Her scent was very…

No, what the hell am I thinking.

“You’re going too far. I’m really going to get angry.”

“Hehe, I just want you to know that I’m trying to look pretty to you.”

“This crazy bitch is for real.”

That’s when it happened.

“Shut up.”

“Um? Why can’t you refute and just show a coercive attitude, well, I don’t mind such coercion either…”

“No, shut up. Please.”

Kunat closed her mouth with a sulky expression.

I also closed my mouth and quietly listened.

“… Don’t you hear something?”

“What sound?”

“…”

From afar.

A faint scream was coming from a very distant place that I couldn’t even estimate.

“… It’s a person.”

I pushed Kunat away and started running towards the direction where the scream was coming from.