episode_0068

*

It was afternoon, two days after I regained consciousness.

I was sitting on a bench in front of the house, basking in the sunlight.

Anna and Lucia were working, and I felt guilty and awkward just sitting around, but I couldn’t help it.

It was because those two, who worked the hardest, would practically have a fit every time they saw me moving, begging me to rest.

When they even nagged about whether it was normal to get hurt every time something happened, I had nothing to say.

I must have worried them a lot.

Reflecting on that, I was forcibly enjoying this uncomfortable rest.

“Oh, Father, you’re sunbathing. The weather is nice today, isn’t it?”

Elena, who happened to be passing by, greeted me with a smile.

I waved my hand lightly and said,

“Good afternoon, Elena.”

“Hehe, the nuns told you to stay put, but you still managed to come all the way out here.”

“They’ll let me get away with being just in front of the house…”

“It’s not really your place to say, being rescued, but you should understand the nuns’ concern.”

“I understand… I understand, but I’m fine now.”

“Uh… you still look like you need some rest.”

“… Really?”

I stroked my face.

My injured body had already completely recovered.

Of course, my sunken eyes were hollow, and my skin was as rough as my heart, but that was the same even before I jumped off the cliff.

What am I supposed to do about this awful face being my default state?

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“You’ll end up getting sick later.”

“I won’t get sick from just this much hardship. I haven’t lived a life worthy of that.”

“That will all come at once later, combined. Besides, you won’t be able to find a doctor easily in this world anymore.”

“… You’re not wrong.”

I’ll probably die before I get sick, but what she said made sense.

Now I can’t find a doctor even if I’m in pain.

The level of medical knowledge we have is all the knowledge of herbs that I and the nuns know.

Perhaps that’s why the nuns started taking care of their teeth even more diligently than before, after the world was destroyed.

“Well, thanks to you, I’m going to have a relaxing day today. Though I feel uncomfortable.”

“That would be good. You might be busy at night in the future.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just, there’s something like that.”

“Huh?”

Elena shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

I tilted my head, looking at Elena like that, but decided to just move on.

“By the way, how is Paolo doing?”

“He just opened his eyes today. He still can’t move a finger, though.”

“Oh, he’s awake? That’s good.”

“I’ll say it again, Paolo is normal. You’re the one who’s weird.”

“Hmph, that young guy is just weak.”

“Don’t suddenly act like a grandpa Priest from a rural village.”

Elena said that, but covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

“Speaking of which,”

“Yes?”

“Are you planning to leave soon?”

“Yes. I was originally going to leave today. Paolo woke up, too, but…”

“… But?”

Elena smiled awkwardly and scratched her cheek.

“Um, Lucia caught a wild boar today.”

“Ahem,”

“Anna is very good at cooking.”

“Ahem, ahem,”

“That…”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at her.

Elena avoided my gaze and turned her head, then soon covered her face as if ashamed and said,

“Do you think it’s easy to eat proper meat dishes in this day and age?”

“No, did I say anything?”

“You said it all with your eyes, asking if I’m not leaving because I was tempted by food! How important is food in this world!”

“Who said it isn’t? I didn’t say anything, did I?”

“Uuuu,”

Elena huffed, then turned around with a brisk step and said,

“I don’t know, I’m leaving now.”

“The sun will set soon. It’s dangerous, so go tomorrow.”

Elena turned her head slightly and looked back.

“Th-Then, should I?”

“You can stay as long as you want. The reason I built the village in the first place was to accept others as well.”

Elena nodded her head slightly and said.

“Then, I’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”

“That’s a pretty specific plan.”

“Paolo, that idiot, should be able to get up little by little in about two days. I’m going to ask him then whether he wants to leave with me or stay here.”

I nodded my head.

When I heard Elena’s story before, they didn’t seem to be that close, but they must have developed some kind of affection for each other, having spent time together.

“Also, someone needs to take care of Paolo, who’s lying down, for those two days, after all, even if we’re guests, we can’t ask the nuns to go so far as to take out a gangster’s dick and receive his piss.”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Then, I’ll be on my way.”

Elena lightly put her hands together in prayer and left.

I watched her receding figure and muttered softly.

“Could it be… that while I was passed out… one of the nuns… no, right?”

It was then.

The black cat, who was already sitting next to me, opened its mouth.

“Don’t worry, nothing like that happened to you.”

“…”

“…”

I bowed my head and pressed my temples, saying,

“I told you not to talk to me.”

“Ah, I said I was sorry.”

“I said don’t talk to me.”

“It’s been two days, so stop being angry now. I’ve been apologizing all day yesterday and the day before. If you have any conscience, you should stop being angry now after beating me up that much, shouldn’t you?”

“Haa…”

“And what’s with getting so upset over just a kiss, are you some kind of teenage girl?”

“You’re a devil… no, never mind. Shit. I just shouldn’t respond.”

Kunat hopped onto my lap.

Then, he slowly wrapped his tail around my arm as if stroking it and said.

“There are countries among humans where they just kiss each other as a greeting, why are you still angry?”

“…Ha, so, that’s your idea of a greeting?”

“Well, of course I used my tongue a little passionately.”

“…”

“But at the end, the hand you grabbed me with had a little strength…”

I raised my finger without a word.

“Wa, wait.”

“…”

“You already did that a lot yesterday… stop.”

“I gave you plenty of chances to shut up.”

“Ah, damn it…”

Kunat finally shut his mouth.

Or rather, it was closer to rolling on the floor, drooling, and gritting his teeth.

*

“Paolo. How’s your body?”

Elena entered the room and carefully closed the door.

Paolo, who was lying on the bed, muttered softly.

“… I feel like I’m going to die.”

“Don’t exaggerate.”

Paolo’s arms and right leg were wrapped in bandages.

To be exact, it was closer to being wrapped in ripped-up blankets, but Paolo knew very well that even this much was appreciated in this world, so he didn’t have any thoughts of complaining.

When he was first moved to this village, the wound on Paolo’s leg was swollen with infection.

One arm seemed to have a fracture in the bone and was even more swollen, and the other hand that pulled the crossbow string was torn to shreds.

It was an injury that wouldn’t have been strange for him to die from if there hadn’t been proper measures taken, so there was no way he could complain.

Paolo stared blankly at the ceiling and muttered.

“Ha, seriously… even though I was careful… everyone died in just a moment.”

“… It’s not the first time you’ve seen it, is it?”

“It’s the first time.”

“What was the story about attacking other groups before?”

“I mean it’s the first time I’ve seen our group die.”

Elena nodded her head.

Right,

These are the kind of people they are.

This is the mindset of ordinary humans who have survived in this world.

The Priest is the one who’s special.

“I see…”

“Elena, you don’t seem to be the same.”

“I’m… well, yes, I’ve seen it a few times.”

“… How many times?”

Elena closed her eyes.

“… Enough to get used to it.”

“Haha,”

Paolo laughed emptily.

Elena slowly breathed in through her nose and wiped the cold sweat from Paolo’s forehead.

Listening to Paolo’s sigh, she opened her mouth in a small voice.

“You were on the verge of dying, too. We’re really lucky.”

“You’ve been incredibly lucky, many times. I envy you. Shit.”

“…”

Elena’s hand paused in the air for a moment.

Lucky.

I was lucky?

Having gone through all those terrible things, and now living miserably with a dirty body that I had never even imagined before.

Lucky.

“Yeah… I’m lucky. I…”

Elena smiled and answered.

Paolo, who didn’t know at all that it was a smile that was barely clinging to the edge of her lips, squeezing her heart as much as possible, said bluntly in a sighing voice.

“Maybe every group that accepts you will die. Shit.”

“….”

“Hey, I’m just kidding. Loosen up your face.”

“…”

“Ah, damn it. Seriously.”

Elena smiled.

“It’s not funny at all.”

“Hmph, really.”

Paolo turned his head slightly and looked out the window.

Beyond the hazy window covered in dust, a bright blue sky was reflected opaquely.

Paolo looked at the sky and said.

“So, how is this village? Does it seem like a good place to settle down?”

“It’s a perfect place. It seems like the Priest put a lot of effort into it.”

“Really? Are there any valuable items?”

“There’s nothing in particular except for being a safe place. I recommend just suppressing your temper and living with them rather than looting.”

“Ha, is he being lenient because we’re the same religious folks?”

“I know because I’m a religious person. Originally, there are no valuable items in churches or sanctuaries.”

“The church in my old neighborhood was incredibly magnificent, and there were fat bastards inside wearing Priest Robes and strutting around.”

“It’s not like that here. It’s this kind of world in the first place.”

Whenever the world is in crisis, humans are tested for their true nature.

If there are people who want to help others even in the age of destruction, they would truly be good people and heroes.

Elena thought so and held back her words.

No matter how much she explained, Paolo would just spit out complaints with a hateful voice.

“Then I’ll just live here. Since it’s where that crazy Priest who even defeats monsters lives. It’ll be a little safer than other places.”

“Yeah.”

“There won’t be any crazy people possessed by devils crawling into the place where the Priest lives, either.”

“… I guess so.”

Elena didn’t bother to explain about the devil living here.

She had already noticed that all the nuns here were related to devils over the past two days, but she didn’t think it was necessary to tell Paolo that fact.

Elena skillfully changed the subject.

“I’m leaving the day after tomorrow.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I want to wander around.”

Paolo stared blankly at Elena for a moment.

“By yourself?”

“I’ve been alone a lot, too.”

“… Humph, do as you please. You’re a lucky bitch, so I guess you’ll survive.”

Paolo sighed once and tried to scratch his head, but groaned in pain as he raised his arm.

Elena brought her hand to his head and scratched the itchy spot.

“Elena.”

“Why?”

“Then, we’re saying goodbye in two days.”

“Well, it’ll be difficult to expect to meet again in this kind of world.”

“Hmm,”

Paolo nodded his head.

“Then let’s have sex to our hearts’ content before that. Get on top.”

“…”

Elena shook her head and said.

“What are you saying, you can’t even move, you patient.”

“That’s why I’m telling you to get on top.”

“No way. What kind of nerve do you have to do that, being a guest in a sacred village built by a Cleric himself.”

“Ha, geez, what are you saying now?”

Paolo scoffed as if he was dumbfounded.

“Did you talk to the Priest a little, and now you feel like you’ve become a nun again or something?”

“…”

Elena chuckled and replied.

“Yeah.”

“What?”

“I thought that if I had met someone like that, I wouldn’t have changed. Unlike trash like you.”

“Hey.”

“I started to think that.”

Elena slowly got up and said.

“I’ll give you a piece of advice.”

“…”

“I matched myself to you guys when I joined your group. If you’re going to live here, you’d better match yourself to them without doing as you please.”

“Bullshit.”

“Otherwise…”

“Or what?”

Elena closed her mouth.

Then she quietly left the room.

“Haa…”

Elena, who had come out, quietly looked up at the blue sky.

If Paolo doesn’t give up his habits and tries to mess with the nuns…

Would it be the Priest who harms him, or the nuns?

“I’m really unlucky. I, too… like them… I wish I could have been here.”

Elena quietly lowered her head.

At that moment, Elena felt the thoughts that had been stirring in her heart a moment ago disappear in an instant.

“… Priest?”

In the distance, the Priest was seen grabbing the tail of a black cat and slamming it on the floor.

“What is he doing?”