Don't Do What You're Told Not To
"Let's not do what we're told not to do."
"Aigoo! Aigoo! This man is unbelievable!" Thud. Thump. Smack. After hearing the whole story, Hannah felt her heart shatter as she beat Hanson with everything she had. Hanson grimaced at the pain but stayed silent, enduring his wife's blows without resistance simply because the priest stood before them.
"Then I suppose we should decide on the punishment."
In this case, was it bestiality? The Goddess Juno had strictly forbidden unproductive acts of bestiality. And honestly... there was usually a good reason behind every warning not to do something.
"Before that, Hanson, would you take your pants off again?"
"Huh? Oh, yes..." Assuming there must be a reason, Hanson immediately dropped his trousers. The moment he did, Ilena covered her eyes once more.
"Priest?" Seeing this, Horaya seemed to realize something and cautiously called out to Jenkinson. He nodded.
"It's a sexually transmitted disease."
Doing something like that naturally made one susceptible to STDs. He'd found it strange from the start—Hanson's member was swollen an angry red, and strange discharge seeped from his testicles as well.
"There is always a reason the Goddess prohibits such things. I'll treat you for now. But if you ever do anything like this again, treatment may not be possible next time."
"Th-that... what happens if it can't be treated?"
Well, if it couldn't be treated, then it simply couldn't. It wasn't as if the man would die. Of course, he could spread it to others. But...
"It would have to be cut off. That part, I mean."
It was better to deliver this kind of warning with a touch of brutality. That was why Jenkinson had spoken so harshly. Hanson's face turned deathly pale. Jenkinson turned to Ilena, who was still covering her eyes.
"Priest Ilena. You can use healing sacraments, can't you?"
"Huh? Yes."
It was only natural. She wasn't some ordinary inquisitor or nun—at the priest level, healing magic was fundamental. Jenkinson had asked while already knowing this, and so he made the request.
"Then please treat Sister Hannah over there."
"What? Me too?" Hannah looked startled. Jenkinson smiled gently and explained.
"This disease spreads easily through sexual contact. Have you been intimate with your husband recently?"
"Yes, well..." To the nodding woman, Jenkinson answered while continuing Hanson's treatment.
"Given how visibly advanced the symptoms are, the chance of infection is quite high. It's likely Sister Hannah has contracted it as well."
"!"
Watching the couple head inside for treatment, Horaya let out a small laugh.
"How fascinating."
"What is?" After finishing the treatment, pulling up Hanson's pants, and writing out a prescription, Jenkinson asked. Horaya answered.
"It's the first time I've seen anyone treat Priest Ilena so casually."
Well, that's true... Jenkinson understood what she meant. Not all priests were equal. Some came from local nobility, others from central noble houses. There were priests born in the Holy Kingdom, priests born in the Empire, and priests from small nations like Rucella. Backgrounds varied wildly, and it was common for priests of the same rank to be treated differently according to their origins and status.
Ilena fell into a rather special category among them. After all, she was...
"It must be difficult for you, Horaya." As Jenkinson spoke with sympathy, Horaya scratched the back of her head.
"It's not really that bad... Priest Ilena doesn't pay much attention to status."
"I suppose that's true."
As Jenkinson kindly explained to Hanson exactly when to take the medicine, a voice interrupted.
"Treatment's finished."
"Did you explain everything?"
"Of course I did."
Satisfied with the answer, Jenkinson nodded and once again impressed the precautions upon Hanson.
"You must strictly follow what I told you. And please, never do anything like this again."
"Yes, yes! I swear I won't, Your Grace!"
Jenkinson nodded in satisfaction at Hanson's reply and turned to leave. Ilena followed him and asked.
"Wait, what about the punishment?"
She seemed genuinely puzzled that none had been issued. Wasn't bestiality supposed to warrant at least a Heresy Condemnation? Had it been her decision, she would have ordered both the condemnation and a year of monastic service.
To her question, Jenkinson smiled softly.
"I already delivered one, didn't I? The Goddess did."
The moment the man contracted the disease, Jenkinson had seen it as divine punishment already handed down. No further penalty was necessary. He believed the Goddess Juno was merciful toward mistakes born of ignorance... at least once or twice.
By the time we returned to the village, I was pondering Ilena's question. Well? I didn't really have any set destination...
Coo! Coo!
At that moment, the now-familiar cry of a pigeon made me smile.
"Looks like my path has been decided for me."
"It's Gugoo! It's Gugoo!"
Ilena waved happily at the pigeon—Silvestina's pet. The bird veered away from me and landed on her hand instead.
"How cute."
As Ilena stroked its head, the pigeon's beak moved, and a familiar voice flowed out.
"It's been a while, Priest Ilena."
"Yes, it has. Your Grace Silvestina." She greeted the bird with a bright smile. I got straight to the point.
"Is this a mission?"
"Hmm? Uh, well... about that?"
What was that strange reaction? As I wondered if something was wrong with her, Silvestina continued.
"His Holiness has summoned you, Priest Jenkinson. Return to the Holy Kingdom for a meeting. The deadline is no later than two weeks."
A meeting? The thought crossed my mind, but...
"Understood."
It wasn't the sort of summons one could refuse. I nodded without asking for details. The pigeon bobbed its head.
"Then that is all."
With a flurry of wingbeats, the pigeon flew off. Ilena watched it go.
"No matter how many times I see it, Archbishop Silvestina's magic is truly amazing."
I had to agree. That was Silvestina's unique magic—the ability to control birds. She could embed her consciousness into multiple birds to control them directly or simply issue commands. It was a highly versatile ability. Honestly, I preferred it to my own bizarre magic...
"Anyway, you look healthy. That's a relief." Ilena smiled as she said this. For some reason, that smile felt uncomfortable to look at, so I turned my gaze away.
"I'll be going now."
If I stayed any longer, old memories would surface. I prepared to leave immediately.
"Huh? Already?"
Seeing her surprised expression, I nodded.
"Yes."
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"...All right. We'll meet again, won't we?"
At her words, I wondered. Would we? Honestly, I wasn't sure.
"If it is the Goddess's will."
That wasn't for me to decide. It was for the Goddess. With that thought, I set off. My destination was the Holy Kingdom—specifically, Saint Juno Great Cathedral.
"He's gone."
Horaya murmured as she watched Jenkinson's figure disappear into the distance. Ilena nodded.
"He is."
He hadn't always been like this. He used to be kind to everyone, enjoyed talking with people, and loved playing pranks. All their fellow trainees had adored him. And... he had surely cared for them too.
But after all those comrades died, Jenkinson no longer smiled with genuine feeling. She could tell. His smiles were all fake. In this village he had smiled often, but never once from the heart. It left her feeling a little bitter, yet...
"Well, it can't be helped. Shall we go too? How much time until the train?"
"Hmm, we still have about an hour."
Plenty of time. She muttered to herself and began preparing to leave. It was sad to see the boy she hadn't seen in so long still tormented by that incident, but she knew there was nothing she could do to help. She understood. She wasn't Sera... and therefore she could not heal his sorrow.
The dark night streets carried a strange atmosphere that made the red lanterns glow even more seductively, turning the women beneath them into creatures of raw temptation. Drunken patrons tossed coins at the prostitutes and groped their exposed breasts. Soon the street emptied of those who had found customers, leaving only the ones still searching to call out desperately for business.
This was the Empire's red-light district—a street where prostitutes gathered.
Step. Step.
A middle-aged man entered the area. Dressed in black with a fedora on his head, he walked the street with absolute confidence. His gray hair had faded slightly with age. His calm gray eyes were large and sharp, with a prominent scar running across his right one. The scar only added to his dignified charm. His body was solid with muscle, and his beard was neatly trimmed.
"Hey there, handsome. Got time?" A woman with considerable confidence in her chest pressed herself against him coquettishly. Her instincts told her this customer meant money. And if she was going to earn, she might as well earn from a good-looking one. She subtly emphasized her best asset. It clearly caught the man's eye.
"Well, I do have time. Shall we enjoy ourselves for a bit?"
He gave her breast a light squeeze and was about to follow her when—
"...Your Grace. We didn't come here for that."
A young woman who had appeared behind him let out a sigh. She wore a black nun's habit that concealed her figure, but her revealed face was stunningly beautiful. A veil partially hid her reddish-gold hair, yet its vitality still shone through. Her seemingly cold blue eyes held clear disdain for him.
"Lina, dear. It's better to enjoy these things at a leisurely pace, you know?"
As he tried to follow the prostitute again, Lina grabbed his sleeve and sighed once more.
"There is a demon in this place. Please exercise some caution."
At her quiet whisper, the man nodded. He knew. That was why he had come here in the first place.
Bang!
The silver pistol he had drawn in an instant put a hole through the head of the woman behind him. She collapsed with a thud. What was revealed were black wings and horns. Screams erupted from every direction.
"All done?"
Lina looked utterly fed up as the man spoke so casually amid the chaos.
"...Do as you please. Really."
Unable to find a way to stop his brazen behavior, she simply let out another long sigh.
"You look like you're having fun?"
At that moment, the man who had been about to purchase a prostitute looked up at the crow that had flown in and broke into a delighted grin.
"Whoa! It's Tina! What brings you here? Did you miss me?"
He hugged the crow with obvious affection. Silvestina, not bothering to hide her displeasure, spoke.
"Tina my ass. It's a summons from His Holiness. Return to the Holy Kingdom and attend the meeting."
The man tilted his head. A meeting all of a sudden?
"A meeting? Well, if it's a call from our adorable Holy Father, of course I must obey."
Silvestina, apparently finding further explanation tiresome, answered curtly.
"It's a meeting regarding the Lilith subjugation operation. Many people are already heading there."
"Lilith... Then I suppose our cute Jenkinson has been called as well?"
Who are you calling Jenkin? It was a nickname that would earn him a punch if Jenkinson ever heard it. Silvestina shook her head in exasperation but nodded through the crow.
"Obviously."
"Good. Let's head out immediately. Lina, prepare quickly. We need to leave now to catch the next train. Sorry, miss, but I'll have to take a rain check." He lightly tossed two silver coins to the prostitute and immediately began leaving the district.
Lina sighed at the man's sudden burst of motivation but followed after him. No matter how he behaved, this man was the church's greatest asset. As the nun assigned to assist him, she ultimately had no choice but to follow his lead.