Encounter with the Witch (2)
“Damn.”
A short sigh swirled with a storm of emotions. Orishin, whose loyalties were anyone's guess, snickered telepathically.
Come to think of it, when you beat me down, you were spouting all sorts of abyss trivia, huh? Real abyss expert. Even taught the saintess a thing or two.
“Shut your trap.”
Morgina yanked off her gauntlet and hurled it at Orishin. With a yelp of Ow!, he ducked behind Kriel's back again.
“If you've even dragged in a middling outfit like Eve Kaha, that means you've rounded up every active saint out there. What's the point of calling in that many people?”
“Because that many abyss shards have cropped up. If it was just one or two, that little Priest-King wouldn't be clutching his neck and collapsing.”
Morgina tossed out the Priest-King's title without a shred of formality. Watching her, Kriel was reminded anew that this violent woman held the authority of a saintess.
“He's still the king you people chose. Show some respect, even if it's just lip service.”
“Sure, he's a kid who hasn't learned much about society. The older priests from the other orders won't even glance his way, but he snatched up the Priest-King seat because he's young and pure. Gotta feel sorry for a kid that age becoming king.”
The Holy Kingdom was always on the front lines against the abyss. The Priest-King was the church-elected supreme commander of the war effort. The 'king' title meant he rarely crossed blades with the abyss himself.
“Locked on the throne at such a young age.”
It was essentially a desk job drowning in paperwork. Reports poured in from abyss fronts across the world, wandering holy knights tracked demon movements, and he issued the final orders as the ultimate authority. The position was glorious, but veteran priests wished that glory on someone else.
Kriel let out a sigh. This witch had a rough idea of his true nature. She'd witnessed him using blood qi during a few missions with the Western Front army. Any normal cleric would've whipped out the rod of penance on the spot. But Morgina—unusually flexible, or perhaps cunning, for a holy woman—had turned a blind eye with a pragmatic what's good is good.
Kriel could easily read her eagerness for his company in her gaze. He could refuse, but that would kick off a headache starting with Orishin's purification and snowballing from there.
Since things have come to this, best to grant Morgina's request and have her purify Orishin in exchange.
At first glance, once Orishin's purification wrapped up, Kriel would have an excuse to bolt. But he had his own calculations. To fully resolve Rolang Village's mess, Orishin needed returning to his original spot—the mountain behind Rolang—to restore the spirits too. Just like a soldier's leave ended with reporting back to base, Orishin's return to Rolang fell under his orders. At least by Kriel's flexible interpretation.
Get everything done upfront, then wander the world till he got sick of it, and saunter back to the unit for discharge right when the Lion Duke started forgetting him. Orishin's homecoming might drag a bit, but with the unicorn himself wailing Leather, gems, whatever— just purify me!, rough consent was already in the bag.
“I've spilled my story, so now it's your turn...”
Morgina's eyes shifted to the wobbly unicorn-head ghost peeking from behind Kriel. She clicked her tongue.
“Told you to keep your pet in check. No idea what it is, but you went and played the sucker again, right? Sure, I'll handle it.”
Sucker? In this world? Name one sucker who threatens with a sword!
“Still yapping. How many days have you traveled with that thing? At first, I thought he popped straight out of some knightly novel.”
It wasn't far off, given he came from another world. Not out of a novel into reality, but into a game world. Kriel snapped out of his reverie late.
“Just did my knightly duty.”
“Exactly. In this day and age, how many knights stick to that code? Bunch of plate-armored barbarians. Except your Western Front boss. He's not modern.”
Morgina naturally lumped knights and old men together in her jab, then wagged a finger at Orishin—get over here.
Grumbling, Orishin floated slowly toward her.
“Where's it possessing right now?”
The Bicorn's broken horn lay on the table.
“Goat horn? No, too big for a regular goat. A monster goat?”
Yeah? That was my horn? Promoted to horn, then demoted?
Kriel cut off Orishin's nonsense and summed up succinctly: cursed into a Bicorn, body slain by him, soul brought here for purification in the Holy Kingdom.
Nice summary. Coulda been a scholar instead of a knight.
“What.”
Morgina let out an incredulous chuckle.
“So yeah, you bagged another weirdo and ended up with a clingy ghost, huh?”
Not clingy! Your goddess told the elder to teach me!
“A proper elder wouldn't have fallen. You're younger than me, aren't you?”
Like hell! I've outlived this kingdom!
Orishin threw a fit, but sank under the verbal barrage grounded in his ancient fall. Morgina flashed a victory smirk at the corner where he sulked, sniffling At my age, zapped by abyss beams... He was too busy grinding his horn against the wall to notice.
“Just purify that thing, right?”
“Yeah.”
Kriel answered a touch hesitantly. He wasn't fully sure about handing Orishin over to her. But among priests he could grab right now, she was the best bet.
“Your request is for escorting during the abyss shard hunt?”
“Call it joint exploration. If I say 'escort,' you'll sit on your hands for anything else, right? Lazy ass.”
“Never claimed to be diligent.”
“Charging in sword-first for strangers, but no handouts for your lady?”
Kriel laughed in disbelief.
“If you were a lady, I'd be a divinely blessed paladin. What ridiculous joke.”
“Oh? Treat me like a lady while you're playing paladin?”
Morgina flicked something his way. Kriel snatched it reflexively—a raven pendant, like hers. Hers was black; his gleamed with red aura.
“That's the mark of our church's Champion. Kinda like a paladin stand-in.”
Champion. A proxy warrior, also called champion. Symbol of the church's honor and might. Usually held by the holy knight captain; outsiders were rare. Only for famed knights devout to the god when the order lacked talent.
And Kriel didn't even believe in Eve Kaha.
“You can just toss that out?”
“Who'd judge me? I'm the saintess! God's will is with me. Even Granny High Priestess told me to follow my heart.”
Whoa. With that temper, she still honors the High Priestess.
Morgina snapped her fingers. Holy ravens swarmed Orishin, pecking from all sides. Caws and shrieks filled the room in discord. Kriel ignored the racket, examining the pendant. It gripped his fingertips like a tight squeeze—holy power clashing with his Dark Knight nature. Wearing it might feel like a too-tight tie. But no life drain, at least.
As he stared, Morgina quickly added,
“Return it when this is over. ...Or join the church if you don't wanna.”
“Do I have to wear it?”
Morgina pouted.
“Hey, I prepped it for you. Without it, how do you think other priests will see you? It's us vouching for your status.”
“Fair enough. I'll take the job.”
“Good. I'll give you a room—clean it spotless. We meet the Priest-King in a few days.”
“The spirit's purification?”
“Hah. Done before dinner.”
Worthless! Worthless! Can't even purify right, yet wearing a saintess band? Impeach her!
“You damn motormouth!”
Grown used to Morgina's raven squad or his ghostly state, Orishin glided freely through the air, dodging them by a hair's breadth. The Eve Kaha Cathedral's communal dining hall became ground zero for the noise, but the serving priests—accustomed to raven racket—dished out food calmly.
“...Sorry. The spirit isn't usually like this.”
Unable to bear the embarrassment, Kriel apologized first. The priests waved it off. An elderly priest smiled serenely and whispered kindly,
“We know the spirit isn't like that. But we know the saintess is, so no need to apologize.”
Kuhahaha! Pissed? Sucks for you! Can't purify me with that power! The limit of your holy might!
“I'll exorcise you!”
Kriel just wanted to boot them both out and eat in peace.