Chapter 323: Awakening(3)
Chapter 323: Awakening(3)
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*
I had actually expected Kate to come looking for me even before the release. They say people with a little bit of knowledge are the most dangerous, and Kate’s sexual knowledge was exactly like that.
She would read Volume 24.5, be shocked, consult with Luminous, and then come to me. I wouldn't panic; I’d simply hand the confused woman over to the other girls.
That was the plan I had originally established. Since the other women were also aware of Kate’s disastrous lack of common sense regarding sex, I intended to use this opportunity to teach her properly.
How important that act is as a human being, what the purity taught by the Church truly meant, and whether it was really okay to use her body so recklessly, even if it was for Luminous and me.
If I taught her this time, perhaps the way Kate looked at me would change a little.
Maybe I could even dilute that characteristic fanaticism of hers, and further, make our relationship a bit smoother.
At least, that’s what I thought.
"Isaac-nim. I have a request."
"Yes. Go ahead."
"Please allow me to have my first night with you today."
"I see... Wait, what?"
Until she made that request with a face flushed in a way that was very unlike her. I think the expression "no brakes" fits perfectly here.
Regardless of how much I and those around us were taken aback, she placed a hand over her heart, closed her eyes, and spoke in a voice that seemed to be suppressing her excitement.
"To be honest, after reading the Holy Scripture released this time, I felt lust for Isaac-nim. Feeling guilty for harboring such desire toward you, I appealed to Luminous-nim. However, Luminous-nim said it was alright, and that I had simply come to know of it late. Finally, she informed me that the emotion I feel for Isaac-nim is 'love.'"
"..."
"Thanks to that, I realized. I harbor the emotion of love for Isaac-nim and thus feel lust as well, and that the contents of the Scripture are acts for sharing that love. I realized that when sharing love, one obtains a pleasure far greater than when I comforted myself. And that I stand to gain much simply through the act of receiving your seed."
Following that, she opened her eyes and looked me straight in the face. There was a hint of madness mixed with longing, but strangely, it didn't feel slimy or dirty.
Rather, it was pure. It was just that she was "pure" because she had been completely dyed in "color"; in another sense, she had already fallen.
Just what kind of conversation took place for the once-innocent woman to change like this? I was beyond bewildered.
It was hard to say she had become a different person, as Kate’s characteristic purity remained. It was just that her purity had been dyed a different color.
"So, I ask of you, Isaac-nim. Please have my first night with me. In order to receive your seed more easily in the future, I must learn in advance."
"...Is that really your only goal?"
I couldn't help but be suspicious of this Kate, who wasn't her usual self but one dyed in color. Before, I could have brushed it off, thinking she was just a bit slow.
But now, she had even learned the "method." Even worse, she only knew the method itself and had no idea what it symbolized or meant.
In other words, the problem wasn't her common sense, but her "concepts." Let’s remember how terrifying fanatics can be.
They are monsters who believe anything is permissible as long as it is for their god.
Fortunately, Kate wasn't that extreme, but how should I put it...
"Yes. And Isaac-nim can also feel pleasure. Luminous-nim informed me that such pleasure is perfectly fine, as long as it is with the man I love."
"Oh, boy..."
She was just... lacking. I held my head as a wave of dizziness washed over me.
Kate wasn't wrong. The pleasure obtained when a man and woman who love each other have sex—that isn't strange; it's a natural sensation.
Luminous probably meant it in that sense, but the problem was that it was Kate. From the start, she considered receiving my seed a sacred act.
Furthermore, as a Cardinal managed by the Church, Kate must have lived an ascetic life.
They say a late-bloomer is the most terrifying, and she was the textbook case.
Add her unique faith to the mix, and a completely unpredictable person had been born.
And so, the moment she realized the emotion she felt for me was love, she began charging forward like a runaway train.
"...Wait a moment. Cardinal Kate. Shall we have a little chat?"
Finally, unable to watch any longer, Mari called out to Kate. Kate’s gaze shifted toward her.
Mari let out a sigh as she looked at Kate’s face, which seemed both innocent and stained with color. It was a sigh filled with complex emotions.
After a moment of pondering how to explain, she spoke quietly.
"Cardinal Kate, have you finally learned how children are made?"
"I learned through the Holy Scripture."
"By any chance, while reading it, didn't you feel embarrassed or think it was scandalous?"
As Mari’s question implied, no matter how open-minded a person is, they usually feel at least a shred of embarrassment. It’s a basic human emotion.
Like when one’s private parts are accidentally exposed, or when one is unexpectedly caught in a "certain" atmosphere.
I wondered if Kate felt those emotions too.
"Why should I be embarrassed? Luminous-nim said it was only natural."
She doesn't! I slapped my forehead as my suspicion was confirmed.
I’ll say it again: Kate hadn't changed at all. She was just dyed in color.
A cleric who would carry out any command for Luminous and would even lay down her life for me.
A new desire called "lust" had simply been added to this large sheet of paper; the roots themselves were still intact.
"...Then, does Cardinal Kate harbor such feelings for men other than Isaac?"
This question came from Cecile, not Mari. Her voice was full of doubt, as she actually shared many similarities with Kate.
She, too, regarded me as the savior of the Demon Clan and a blessing bestowed by the gods.
Though she treated me as a man now, everyone knew she felt that way deep down.
I, too, accepted that heart of hers, even if it was a bit burdensome. At least she didn't openly worship me like Kate did.
"You go too far, Princess Cecile. My body is permitted only to Luminous-nim and Isaac-nim. There is no way I would ever let anyone else defile it."
"I can understand Luminous-nim, but why Isaac?"
"Because he is the one who will spread light upon this world, and a Saint blessed not only by Luminous-nim but by all the gods."
Kate answered with a sharp scowl, clearly finding the suggestion insulting. Her face contorted as if she didn't even want to imagine it.
Come to think of it, during the identity reveal last time, I had let her stroke my cheek with my own hand. At that time, Kate had an expression as if all filth was being washed away.
Cecile pondered Kate’s answer for a moment, then nodded and asked her next question.
"Then what if, by some miracle, another Saint appeared who achieved accomplishments similar to Isaac’s? What would you do then? Don't tell me..."
"Princess Cecile, when do you think another Saint like Isaac-nim will ever appear?"
"..."
For once, Kate put forward a highly persuasive logic. Cecile’s mouth clamped shut like a clam at that single point.
And for good reason—the feats I had achieved had changed the entire world and made it safe from the threat of the Demon War.
Kate gave her one cold glare before shifting her gaze back to me.
The moment our eyes met, her cold expression vanished. Only a flushed face remained, like a bride waiting for her wedding night.
Then, she placed a hand over her heart and declared with an expression half-expectant and half-excited.
"I swear to Isaac-nim. My body belongs entirely to Isaac-nim."
"..."
"You do not necessarily have to give me your seed. I can wait. However, as I have judged that the act must be performed to receive the seed more easily, I request it once more."
"Sigh..."
How did a person end up like this? I wiped my face with my hands in frustration.
Coming here out of the blue and making such a request was very Kate-like, in a way. She hadn't changed at all.
The problem was that she had awakened too late. For now, I intended to refuse.
"...I'm sorry, Kate-ssi. Not yet."
"By 'not yet,' you mean..."
"There are others besides you, Kate-ssi..."
I was embarrassed to say this, but since it was Kate, I had no choice. Telling her to wait her "turn" would be the most effective answer.
After hearing my response, Kate looked disappointed but nodded in understanding.
"I see. If only I had known sooner... that is a bit regrettable."
If you had known sooner, I would have been sucked dry by now. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
Come to think of it, Kate is a Cardinal. Moreover, she is a cleric whose faction is currently the strongest and who enjoys the favor of Luminous.
She is someone whose divine power has been top-tier since birth; what would happen if I had a tryst with someone like that?
It wasn't an exaggeration to say it would be like doing it with someone who possessed the stamina of Cecile during her estrus and Adelia combined.
And with her massive divine power, her recovery would be incredible too...
...I'm really screwed, aren't I?
I glanced at Kate while lost in serious thought. She was still waiting patiently for my words with a flushed face.
In erotic novels or thin books, saintesses almost always fall quickly. After that, their saintly side disappears completely, and they are reborn as succubi.
Could Kate be such a case? And it wasn't even forced; she wanted it herself.
But just how did she learn for her to be this unhinged?
So, I asked Luminous directly. Just what did she teach her for Kate to become a saintess in a different sense?
I had Kate stay at the mansion for a bit while I visited the temple alone.
'Luminous-nim.'
[I am sorry.]
'Is "sorry" going to fix this?'
After hearing the whole story, I had no choice but to complain. If she was going to teach her, she should have taught her properly; I had no idea why she made her even weirder.
Of course, Luminous was also a bit of a victim. The direct cause of Kate becoming like that lay with the Church.
If the Church had taught her in more detail, if they had tempered her fanaticism just a little more, her concepts wouldn't have been that twisted.
'Let's say I loaded the bullet... no, let's say I drew the bowstring. At the very least, Luminous-nim, you should have adjusted it so the arrow hits the target accurately.'
[That is true.]
'But the arrow flew off in a weird direction, and you even dumped the bow on me?'
[...]
Luminous couldn't say a word in response to my indignation as I laid out the facts. Honestly, the arrow flying off somewhere else is fine.
The main point was the act of handing the bow to me—in other words, dumping the already "colored" Kate onto me.
If she had at least taught her what she should and shouldn't do, it would be one thing, but she had essentially dumped her on me because explaining everything was too much trouble.
This was why I was so heated. However, since I also bore some responsibility and Luminous had her own grievances, I only complained; otherwise, I would have been much angrier.
'Whew... Luminous-nim.'
[Speak.]
'Honestly, if Kate and I get together, it benefits Luminous-nim too, doesn't it?'
[I cannot say it does not.]
A child born between Kate and me would grow up to be an excellent cleric. Becoming a Cardinal would be a given.
If the number of clerics increases and their quality improves, it has a great impact on the god. And the god can then bestow even greater divine power upon them.
It was essentially a virtuous cycle. That was why Kate had been asking for my seed so bluntly from the start.
I let out a deep sigh, wiped my face, and spoke quietly.
'...Since it's already come to this, I won't say much more. Instead, since I might actually be sucked dry, I would appreciate it if you could give me plenty of divine power.'
[Speaking of which...]
'What? Don't tell me you can't give it to me.'
Then I really would die. Not just Kate, but Leona and Arwen are also lined up.
Especially Leona—she’s a beastkin with a sturdy physical build, and if that overlaps with her estrus, there’s no telling what will happen.
[It is the opposite. In fact, I can give you much more divine power than before. This applies not only to me but to Mora as well.]
'Why is that?'
Luminous answered my question with a voice that sounded strangely pleased.
[This is also thanks to your book. The population is expected to increase significantly in the future. It means there will be many more children for us to bestow blessings upon.]
'...Was that for real? I had a feeling, but still.'
[Of course. Just by following the book, satisfaction has increased, and naturally, the harmony between lovers and married couples has grown. You do not have to look far; they are all around you.]
'...No way.'
The mention of people nearby brought two individuals to mind. The ones who were quite passionate when Mari and I had our first night.
[If all goes well, you might even see another younger sibling. I shall say no more.]
"Oh, boy..."
I couldn't help but groan in earnest. No wonder Father looked more tired lately; this was why.
And so, after my conversation with Luminous ended, I returned to the mansion.
"So, the people confirmed so far are me, Cecile, Adel-onni, Arwen-nim, and Kate. That makes five?"
"What about Leona?"
"She isn't completely confirmed yet. So let's put her in the 'maybe' pile. Then..."
"Include Cherry too. That leaves Leona, Lina, and Cherry as the remaining three."
"Even if we do it once a day, the cycle is too long. We can't even do it once a week?"
The girls, excluding Kate, were huddled together, making a plan that wasn't really a plan.
From the looks of it, they were setting a schedule for my nights, and it seemed they had even included people who weren't confirmed yet.
"This won't do. Exclude me. Since I'm the official wife, I can do it whenever I want, right?"
"Wow... You only claim to be the official wife at times like this. Isn't that too much?"
"If you're salty, you should have confessed to Isaac first."
"Tch."
"Um... are you going to ask for my opinion?"
When I asked timidly, I was met with:
"You sinful public property, stay out of this. You just focus on exercising. Unless you want to be sucked dry."
"Yes, ma'am."
I was immediately shut down by Mari.
This is sad.
"Don't act like you're sad. You brought this on yourself, didn't you?"
I really did bring it on myself, so I had nothing left to say.
