episode_0090

“To go to the denomination, click here… You have to turn to the right.”

I am on my way to the church now. To the headquarters of the Church of Light and Abundance located in the imperial capital.

In fact, there is no guarantee that Hera is here. There were other churches belonging to the denomination in the capital, and it was unclear whether they were still staying in the capital in the first place.

I just decided that no matter where Hera was, I would be able to find out her whereabouts if I went to the headquarters.

It was enough to know where he was if he was in the capital, and if he had left the capital.

There is no need to go through any unnecessary trouble.

If you’re not in the capital, that’s it. I’m not in a position to keep up.

Before leaving the accommodation, I asked the manager for directions to the church.

And the answer is written on the paper I am holding in my hand right now.

Because it was quite far from the academy, memorizing it was difficult. The capital city is really complicated.

I walked carefully, looking at the paper from time to time to avoid getting lost.

And finally.

“Oh… .”

How did you feel about seeing with your own eyes the headquarters of the most powerful church on the continent?

“I don’t have time to pay attention to things like that. I need to find Hera quickly.”

It was big, tall, and gorgeous. More than that academy.

In addition, the unique sanctity of religious buildings was added, and I felt a sense of reverence as if I was truly in God’s land.

This is not an empty remark; the only place in the empire more splendid than this is the Imperial Palace. That thought suddenly occurred to me.

I looked around with somewhat cautious steps.

A person who might know Hera’s whereabouts. Or, I needed someone who could connect me to such a person.

… Even so, as a first-time traveler, I didn’t know who to ask.

So, among the passers-by, I picked someone who looked reasonably impressive and caught him.

“Hey, excuse me.”

My choice was a middle-aged woman wearing a white priest’s robe. He has a gentle face and is quite old, so he must be familiar with the inner workings of the sect.

As expected, the priest was a kind person.

“You are a young brother. Do you need help?”

“My name is Ethan Julius, a silver-level adventurer. if… Can you find one person?”

“A person?”

The priest made a humming noise.

“Does the person you are looking for belong to our denomination?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“I see. If you belong to our denomination, I can help you find out.”

After saying that, she asked me in a polite tone.

“However, if you don’t mind, may I know what you are looking for?”

“Ah, that’s it. I haven’t seen my friend for a while. Since I don’t know when I’ll be able to see you next, I thought I’d just see your face… .”

haha… . I smiled sheepishly.

Fortunately, it seemed to work well and the priest nodded.

“Okay. What is his name?”

“This is Hera Velen. He must be training as a paladin right now.”

“If you are training as a Paladin, it will be quicker to talk. At the moment, the apprentice paladins are staying at the headquarters.”

Oh my. I cried out in joy. It would be a perfect situation if Hera were right here.

“Can we meet right now?”

“Maybe? As long as you don’t leave your seat, we will be able to meet you.”

The priest guided me into the church headquarters.

Then, after making me sit in a room that appeared to be a living room, he disappeared somewhere and soon came back and spoke.

“I told my servant to convey what Brother Ethan said. Sister Hera will be here soon, so please wait a moment.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for your help.”

“I’m glad it helped. I will pray that the Holy Mother’s protection be with you, brother.”

The priest left the drawing room with a kind smile.

The time of waiting finally arrived.

Feeling a slight sense of nervousness, I put the refreshments on the table into my mouth.

… The taste was very bland.

By the time I felt full, thanks to the cold tea and endless snacks in the basket.

Suddenly.

The living room door opened roughly without knocking.

The person who opened the door was, of course, Hera. She was the only one who came in so rudely.

Rattling.

The sight of Hera opening and closing the door with such force made my shoulders slump.

As I was just looking at her without even being able to say hello, Hera walked across from me with long strides and dropped her butt.

“Uh… Hello?”

A blunt question came as if responding to a greeting.

“Why did you suddenly ask to see me?”

I began speaking cautiously.

“That’s right. I think you have some misunderstanding about me, so I came here to clear up your misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes.”

“What do you mean by misunderstanding? Didn’t you keep your promise? You said you would wait for me and then suddenly left?”

Although I expected it, the reaction was sharp. He’s naturally a prickly charmer, but he’s just sulking.

“That is a misunderstanding.”

Hera did not reply. However, he crossed his arms as if he wanted to explain something.

“The first thing you need to know is that I didn’t leave Quien.”

One of Hera’s eyebrows rose.

“The reason I’m in the capital is because of a request. Didn’t I tell you before? I’m an adventurer. I did prostitution as a side job.”

I put saliva on my lips and continued speaking.

“I came here because of a request, so I plan to return to Quien in a few days. And I also plan to continue living in Quien in the future.”

That means I didn’t abandon you.

After speaking, I laughed heartily and looked at Hera’s reaction.

“… … .”

Is it okay?

Hera looked at me blankly without saying anything. His mouth was tightly closed, but his expression was noticeably calmer than before.

“Now you know that I didn’t betray you, right?”

joy. He doesn’t listen to people and just gropes me. What kind of priest is that?

To be honest, I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel embarrassed, but I endured it because the other person was Hera.

Hera, who was looking at me in a way that seemed burdensome, suddenly picked up the teacup in front of me.

There was a cup in front of him, so he took mine and poured himself a full cup of tea.

Then he tilted his head and drank it all in one go. I don’t drink tea like that.

widely.

Hera asked in an indifferent tone as she put down her teacup.

“So you’re saying you’re keeping your promise?”

“Huh?”

“It’s a promise.”

“Promise, if it is.”

Surely that?

Hera spoke emphatically, as if confirming my guess.

“You said you would give it to me for free.”

“Ah, that?”

This is difficult.

I pretended to be calm and spoke brightly. This is the so-called strategy of pretending that nothing is a big deal.

“It was a promise, but since you are still training as a paladin and I am dating someone, how about replacing it with something else?”

Please let it go like this.

“… Are you really dating?”

Hera gave him a questioning look. This gaze full of suspicion and suspicion. I’m used to it now.

“Hey, I decided to get married this time. I know it’s hard to believe, but we’re really dating.”

“Marriage… . It’s absurd that a man like the vice-captain would get married.”

“Me too. I never thought I would get married.”

“But isn’t it okay once in a while?”

“What?”

Hera sent a contradictory yet intense gaze that was both cold and hot.

“Your body will become dirty anyway, so does leaving one more trace change anything?”

“Hmph. No matter what you say, I won’t change my mind. Even you can’t do that. I swore to only see one woman.”

“… Okay.”

Huh? You accept it so easily?

I was embarrassed to see him agreeing more obediently than I expected.

“Instead.”

Hera said firmly.

“It is true that the vice-captain broke his promise, so I need you to ask me another favor.”

“That’s it. okay. If there is anything I can do, I will listen.”

Even though I’m anxious about what I’m going to ask for, it’s probably better than fucking me anyway.

“Then why don’t you go somewhere with me right now.”

“Huh?”

now?

“Please.”

… What kind of bitch would ask for a favor so confidently?

I had no choice.

Not only had he already promised to grant the favor, but if he refused now, his relationship with Hera would worsen.

“Are you not going?”

Hera asked shamelessly.

“Oh, I’ll go. I’ll go. You can just go.”

“Good. I like it because it’s obedient.”

“Obedience is a piece of cake.”

So we, no, I followed Hera and went out of the church.

“Where are you going?”

“It’s a secret.”

Hera didn’t say anything about the destination. I don’t know what his intention was, but I had a reasonable suspicion that he was trying to make it look good.

Did you think I would be anxious if you didn’t tell me anything?

That sounds like a no-brainer. I am Ethan, a man who knows no fear.

So we entered deeper into the alleys of the empire.

… Can a priest come to a place like this?

Before we knew it, the bright and lively streets disappeared, and back alleys with a more gloomy and decadent atmosphere appeared.

“Hey, is this right here? Aren’t you here by mistake?”

“We’re on the right track.”

“Ha, how did they find out about something like this?”

It’s not even the slums of Quien. What are you planning to do in an area that just looks like a crime-ridden area?

Hera seemed to be well versed in the geography of this place. At least he seemed to know where he wanted to go.

Hera walked forward without the slightest hesitation and stopped in front of a store.

Has it finally arrived?

“Is it here?”

“Here I am.”

hmm.

“What on earth are you doing here? .”

I looked up and saw the sign. It looked closer to an old board than a sign, but it had the store’s name written on it.

“Zenith’s Atelier? Where to draw?”

“You will find out when you go in.”

“Ugh. Isn’t it time to put an end to that bitch’s mysticism?”

Now that everyone is here, what else are you trying to hide? That’s the only reason I came to the studio.

painting.

Since he couldn’t hold me anymore, it seemed like he was thinking of keeping my portrait instead.

I think I might masturbate while looking at my pictures later.

… … .

to be honest… It’s dark and humid.

Being someone’s daughter isn’t a bad feeling, but the method was a bit uncomfortable.

I actually had less aversion to smelling my underwear.

That might just be perverted, but there’s something about masturbating with a portrait… It feels closer to the abyss. Anyway, something felt uncomfortable.

At least I have promised something to Hera and I have accumulated some, so I am doing it.

“Let’s go in quickly. Let’s finish it quickly and come out quickly.”

I passed Hera, opened the store door, and went inside.

“Huh?”

Huh?

The inside was somewhat, if not a lot, different from what I thought.

“Are you a guest?”

In the direction from which the voice was heard, there was a woman believed to be the store owner (probably named Janice).

“Uh… I don’t think so yet.”

I turned around and walked out of the store with a dumb sound.

“Where are you going?”

“Hey, is it Hera? I guess it’s not here… ?”

“It’s right here, so be quiet.”

“No, that-”

Hera spoke to me while blocking the door.

“It will be over soon.”

“No, even if it ends soon… .”

I looked around the store with shaking eyes.

As the name Atelier suggests, there were various paintings hanging on the walls. As I expected, there were many portraits.

The problem was that the portrait was not a portrait. Rather, the person was closer to a bridesmaid.

“Are you serious?”

The main character of the picture was not a person, but another picture drawn on their body.

I shouted as I looked at the picture, or rather, the tattoo design, hanging on the wall.

“This isn’t right!”