Chapter 137 - The Saintess's Plan! (3)
“Puhuhu, Klea. That was impressive. To think you'd prepared something like that.”
“Heehee. I'm just happy that you're pleased, Master♡”
That evening after the saintess appointment ceremony, as I pulled Klea—still in her saintess robes—into my arms upon returning to our lodgings, she hugged me back and rubbed her face against my chest. Wow. Not only had she declared she'd join my guild and operate from there despite being a saintess, but she'd even shipped off Baul like that. I was surprised, but it had been quite the entertaining event. Sure, the citizens who kept approaching me afterward were a bit overwhelming, but I could brush that off with a smile.
“So, does that mean we can head to Radia together without any issues now?”
“Yes. Officially, I'm being dispatched to the Radia branch of the Goddess Church as a saintess. I'll essentially be their top authority there, so there'll be some management duties... but otherwise, I'll be with you almost all the time, Master.”
Since we're heading to Radia anyway, they want her to take charge there too? No complaints here. My bitch as the head of Radia's church... Wait, doesn't that make the church my new playground?
“Oh yeah, you mentioned appointing me as the saintess's guardian, right? What's that about?”
“Heehee. Just think of it as an external appointee I selected. It's mostly a honorary title without real authority, but it means the Goddess Church will treat you with deference internally. Even if we're always together, no one will suspect anything if I say you're my guardian.”
Kyaah. Nice, nice. No problems parading around with Saintess Klea by my side! The thought of having Lizbet and Klea flanking me already had my horse cock twitching in anticipation.
“I figured just joining the guild might not provide enough justification on its own. Plus, it works with your status too...”
“Good job, good job. I'm very satisfied, Klea.”
“I am honored, Master♡”
Divine Beast of the kingdom and guardian of the saintess. Pretty damn appealing title. At this point, no one in the kingdom would dare attack me.
Krooh. How should I reward Klea for this?
“...Oh. Speaking of which, what happened to Baul? Is that it for him?”
The thought hit me suddenly while holding Klea. Poor Baul hadn't just been abandoned—he'd been completely exiled. She must've framed him for something and sent him packing.
“Heehee. The crimes I pinned on Baul weren't that severe, actually. I reported it that way to the kingdom too, so he'll probably get investigated and released eventually. Returning to the Goddess Church will be tough, though.”
Hmm. To ship off her former lover like that. Klea, you're one scary girl!
“There was another reason for framing him with those crimes too. Right, Liz?”
“That 'thing' we talked about before? Hehe♡”
“Yes. Before we leave for Radia, we have to leave Master with some fun memories.”
Hmm? Lizbet seemed to know something about it too. Had they planned this in advance?
“Huh? What are you up to?”
“Heehee... Well, you see...”
Klea and Lizbet started giggling mischievously as they explained their shocking plan. I could only smile dizzily at the revelation.
“Really... I swear, really... I didn't... hic... sob...”
In a small cell within the kingdom's prison, Baul—clad in tattered rags—clung to the iron bars, tears streaming down his face. How long had he been crying? His face was puffy and swollen, his throat hoarse as he muttered weakly. Despite his titles as hero and bishop, the knights who had witnessed evidence of him trying to line his pockets during the saintess exam ignored his pleas entirely. They glared coldly, locked him away, and went about their duties, disregarding his cries. His crimes were lighter than others', but for a hero and church bishop to commit wrongdoing was enough to breed disgust among the knights.
As he wept in his cell, after some time, a voice finally addressed him.
“Prisoner Baul! On your feet.”
“Has... has my innocence been proven!?”
Baul rushed toward the knight, but the knight sneered down at him.
“Innocence? Hah... Still haven't come to your senses, eh? Get ready. The Saintess wishes to hear your final defense.”
“K-Klea!”
“She seemed pained to punish an old acquaintance outright. Wants to hear why you did it.”
Klea was summoning him. Hope flickered in Baul's eyes. It had to be a misunderstanding. If he explained well, his lover Klea would recognize his innocence. Clutching that hope, he docilely allowed the knight to cuff and blindfold him, following wherever he was led. After a long walk, he overheard a familiar voice speaking to the knight.
“Then, I'll leave it to you.”
“Yes. I'll let you know right away if anything happens.”
Soon, Baul was led into a building devoid of sunlight, where someone removed his blindfold.
The moment the cloth came off, Baul's eyes widened at the sight before him.
“Lizbet!!!”
It was Lizbet—Klea's friend and the apparent lover of the Divine Beast Sema.
“Heehee♡ Hello, criminal Baul.”
“L-Lizbet! I'm innocent!!”
Chained at hands and feet, Baul tearfully pleaded with her. Lizbet just giggled at him.
“You seem really wronged, huh?”
“I swear! I never did anything like that...!”
“Hehe...♡ Come with me for now.”
Baul followed Lizbet as she turned and walked ahead, entering a building that looked vaguely familiar. Wait, this place... one of the Goddess Church's buildings? Why here...?
“Klea must've been really shocked that you committed crimes~”
“B-But I didn't...!”
“So she wants to hear your confession through the rite of confession—why you did it.”
“N-No, I...”
“Normally, a saintess wouldn't meet a sinner alone... but Klea begged so earnestly, and the kingdom approved since they knew you two were close.”
“......Is that so...”
“She said there were things she could only tell you one-on-one. Insisted on it for the confession rite.”
“......”
“Of course, knights are waiting outside. Better not act up, right? Heehee...♡ Here we are. Confess your sins to the Saintess♡”
With that, Lizbet led Baul into a spacious room with two doors. A confessional...? But the kingdom's church was so vast and full of buildings that even Bishop Baul hadn't seen this one before. As he took in the unfamiliar space, Lizbet knocked on one door and called inside.
“Master~♡ The sinner has arrived♡”
...Master? What was Lizbet talking about...?
“...Heehee♡ This way, Baul.”
Following Lizbet through the other door revealed a large confessional space with a single chair in the center. ...Way too big for a confessional. And that curtain like a divider...? Plus, some strange smell...
Before he could ponder, Lizbet sat him in the chair and said,
“No rowdiness, okay? Gotta chain you to this chair too. That's what we agreed with the knights.”
“O-Oh, sure. Okay...”
The iron chair bolted to the floor. Lizbet pointed to its shackles, urging him to sit. Baul complied hesitantly, and Lizbet smiled sweetly. Then, with a flick of her finger...
“...Huh?”
The chair's shackles clamped over the cuffs on his legs and arms.
“Y-You don't need to go this far... Wait, what was that just now...?”
“Heehee. No need to know♡ Alright then...♡”
Lizbet opened the door, stepped out, and waved goodbye.
“Confess your sins nicely♡ Ba.ul♡”
As the door shut and Lizbet vanished, Baul stared blankly. She seemed convinced of his guilt. ...Why? Lizbet should know he wouldn't do such things...
Sighing, he looked around. ...Why a divider curtain instead of a partition wall? Makeshift confessional? And... something weird beyond the curtain...
As he stared, the voice he'd longed for rang out.
“Chuckle...♡ The wayward... lamb...♡ Ahh...♡ Baul...♡”
“K-Klea!!!!”
Forgetting his shackles, Baul rattled them and shouted toward her voice beyond the curtain.
“I-I'm innocent! Klea! Believe me! I'm not guilty!!!”
“No...♡ Heehee...♡ Ahh...♡ Baul. You...♡ have sinned...♡”
“N-No, I...!!!”
From the moment Lizbet left, an odd presence filled the air. A faint, squelching sound like wet flesh. What... was that noise? In a confessional? But more importantly—prove his innocence to Klea!
“To Master's bitch...♡ Pretending to be my lover...♡ Ahh...♡ An unforgivable sin...♡”
“N-No...! ...Huh? Klea, what did you just say...”
“Heeheeheehuht...♡”
Klea's voice sounded chillingly eerie. Why laugh like that? What had she just said? Amid his confusion, her giggling grew even more sinister.
“You, who lusted after me—Master's bitch—and treated me like your lover. The arch-criminal Baul.”
And then... the curtain parted, revealing to Baul's eyes...
“Confess your sins...♡ to Master...♡ and to me, Master's bitch saintess...♡”
A grotesque four-legged beast, and beneath it, a woman on all fours, smiling. Under the massive beast, a hugely swollen belly protruded from a golden-haired woman. Naked, wearing a strange choker—his lover, the Goddess Church's saintess. Klea stared right at Baul.