Lost Lamb (6)

I'm feeling it only now, but sharing Holy Power with people is surprisingly addictive.

"Ah... This is the Saintess-nim's miracle..."

"My Holy Power has increased ridiculously..."

"It's different from what I usually feel. This is real!"

Even when I first shared Holy Power with May, I was just dumbfounded because I didn't know anything. But now that I've realized the logic little by little and gained my own knack, the reactions of people that I hadn't seen before began to come into my eyes slowly.

"A demon is a Saintess, I still can't believe it..."

"What are you saying now? Don't tell me you still doubt the Saintess-nim?!"

"N-No! I didn't mean that..."

"Watch your mouth. If you make a wrong move, your Holy Power might be confiscated again."

At the urgent whispers going back and forth quietly among the priests, the corners of my mouth went up slightly without my knowing. Is this the taste of power? No, to be exact, it would be the taste of an overwhelming supporter. To think people who tried to harm me calling me an unholy demon just a few minutes ago are now watching my mood and keeping their mouths shut among themselves.

As expected, whatever it is, you must have skill first to be treated well. Because heavy Holy Power felt at the fingertips is much more persuasive than boring and pedantic noble doctrines.

"I don't know if I can say this."

"Yes, yes? What are you saying suddenly...?"

I muttered as if talking to myself toward the priest kneeling politely in front of me waiting for Holy Power.

"I think my shoulders have gone up a bit. I feel quite good."

At my sudden confession, the priest lost his words for some reason and started blinking his eyelids blankly. Soon dropping his gaze staring at me weakly downward, he suddenly took a deep heavy breath.

"Because of foolish people like us... how much persecution must you have suffered all this time..."

"Yes?"

"Your shoulders must have been very heavy..."

"No, what is that suddenly?"

"I can't even imagine how exhausted you must have been carrying that heavy burden alone."

I waved my hand hurriedly in fluster. But tears big as chicken poop were already welling up in the priest's eyes.

"Why are you saving the world trapped in a demon's body..."

It was a joke thrown lightly with a slightly bragging feeling. I don't know why the flow of the story suddenly bounced this way.

"It's really serious in many ways. Get a checkup later."

"To give me a chance to receive a checkup from the Saintess-nim... Ah, it's truly an honor!"

Seeing him accept even my sarcasm mixed with worry gratefully soaked in emotion. It seems it really is serious. It's truly pitiful at a young age.

"Foolish bastards. It's truly pathetic to see you not knowing what to do being played by a demon's trick."

Just as I was sharing Holy Power one by one like that. Joachim, who was watching that appearance from afar, muttered loudly enough to be heard with a face full of dissatisfaction.

"A demon is a Saintess, where in the world is there such a bad joke."

His voice mixed with sarcasm spread as if pouring cold water on the square. But the reaction of the priests who had already tasted the miracle was completely different from before.

"That's enough, Executioner Priest-nim!"

The priest who was shedding tears big as chicken poop after receiving Holy Power back from me just now suddenly flared up and jumped up from his seat. Where did the momentum from earlier, as if he would follow even to the end of hell if it was Joachim's order, go? Now he is glaring blatantly at Joachim as if he became a loyal dog protecting me.

"The Saintess-nim is realizing the Goddess's will right now!"

"Stop the nonsense joke. That is the Goddess's will, what kind of absurd remark is that."

"Isn't it the Executioner Priest-nim whose eyes are blinded because of that arrogance!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

A perfect mutiny that needs no words.

"Y-You ungrateful bastard...!!"

Joachim's face flushed red and blue in an instant. He trembled his lips at the soaring sense of betrayal and gripped his staff tight. But his staff without Holy Power was now just a well-carved wooden stick.

"I will return to the Papal State and report every bit of your abominable treasonous acts!"

"Do as you please! I only follow the Goddess's will, I am not a puppet swayed by the Executioner Priest-nim's arbitrariness!"

What a pitiful disorderly mob this is. Neither seems to be saying anything particularly wrong. But the sight of accusing each other of being a traitor and a blind person is truly a spectacle. This doesn't solve the situation cleanly either. Nor does any blessing come down, so why on earth are they doing that?

"Stop it, everyone. I can't concentrate because it's noisy."

At my quiet rebuke, the square became silent in an instant as if time stopped. The priest shouting at the top of his lungs next to me. Even Joachim refuting strongly with veins on his neck flinched for a moment and stared at me blankly.

"I tell you repeatedly, but I am not a Saintess. I am just a demon who luckily became able to use Holy Magic."

I clicked my tongue lightly shaking off the light rays leaking faintly between my fingers.

"As proof, smoke keeps coming from my body every time I use Holy Magic."

"Th-That is..."

"If I were a real Saintess, such smoke wouldn't have risen even if I were a demon."

Although I spoke quite confidently. Actually, even I don't fully accept my own words. Why I, a demon, became able to use Holy Magic... Although I am loudly claiming to be chosen by the Goddess. Why the Goddess bestowed this power on me is still in the fog.

There is no way the Goddess is crazy enough to entrust the role of a Saintess to a demon. But it doesn't seem like she gave it as a test either. What on earth did the Goddess wish from me to bestow this power?

"If I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were a real Saintess, I would have been completely immune to light."

With that calm remark as the end, I naturally approached in front of the huffing Joachim.

"Now, it's Joachim-ssi's turn."

"My turn, what on earth does that...!"

"Apologize. Then I will return it."

At my unhesitating proposal, Joachim's eyes were dyed with shock once again.

"You abominable thing! Do not try to test me!"

"You don't need Holy Power?"

"I do not acknowledge you as a Saintess! A demon can absolutely never become a Saintess!"

"I know. That's why I kept saying no since earlier."

It is clear from his look that he would rather die than bow his head to a demon and apologize. Watching those stubborn eyes, I suddenly thought Joachim's life must be quite tiring.

"I will absolutely not be swayed by your cunning trick! Demon's mercy or whatever...!"

"Then I will use Joachim-ssi's Holy Power usefully."

At my indifferent retort, Joachim's complexion, who was talking confidently, turned earthy in an instant. Judging by the reaction, it seems he had a tragic flow drawn in his head in his own way.

"Use well, why would you use my Holy Power..."

"I'm sorry, but that talk ended earlier. So I won't answer."

"S-Stop...! Why do you end the conversation as you please!"

Joachim's voice turned inside out unsightly. It was a desperate trembling unbelievable for a man who was raising his momentum mentioning demons and such just moments ago.

"W-Wait a minute... Wait just a minute...!"

"Captain Orban, Lumina-ssi. I'm tired. let's go back."

"I said wait a minute!"

Joachim chasing pitifully behind me. His appearance following limping using the staff as a cane was truly pitiful. The venom from earlier was nowhere to be found. He looked endlessly miserable and powerless like a child whose toy was taken away.

"I-I'll apologize... No, I will apologize..."

"Why are you doing this suddenly? Didn't you not want to do it?"

"Holy Power is my everything... Without that, I really become nothing..."

What kind of picture did he draw in his head to apologize only now? He's a strange old man whose real intentions I really can't know.

"Well, anyway, since you apologized, I will return only about one-third of the Holy Power I intended to give originally."

"One... One-third...?"

"Yes. You were stubbornly useless. If you had apologized earlier like the others, you would have received everything back."

"Wh-What...! What can I do with just that much!"

Joachim shouted urgently in shock. But pretending not to hear, I gently placed my hand on his ordinary wooden stick.

It seemed like things were wrapping up somehow like that, but...

At the very moment I was returning Holy Power to Joachim.

Something completely unexpected happened.

The Holy Power I let flow to Joachim couldn't stay in his body for some reason and bounced out as it was. It soon became a round bead shape and rolled helplessly on the dirty ground.

"...?"

"...?"

My, Joachim's, and everyone's gazes around ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were immediately fixed on the yellow light bead rolling helplessly on the floor.

"Eh?"

"Wh-What... That's surely not my Holy Power right?!"

At Joachim's trembling question, I shut my mouth for a moment and frowned slightly.

But that was only for a moment──.

"Strange. Why doesn't this go in?"

Snatching up the yellow light bead rolling helplessly on the ground. I shoved it mercilessly into Joachim's chest as it was. However, despite that, the yellow light bead didn't go into Joachim's body until the end.

"Really strange. It wasn't like this for others."

"Cough, cough!!"

Wrestling like that for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a long time. Joachim's complexion turned bluish beyond pale before I knew it. Whether because I shoved the Holy Power bead into his chest too physically. Or because of the shock of being rejected by the Holy Power bead... Weird groans are leaking faintly from Joachim's mouth whose eyes are strangely rolled back.

"...This isn't going in?"