The Bard (1)

Cooling the fireball that seethed in his chest, Lowen descended to the first floor.

"Hello."

A gentle smile rested on Lowen's face. His hair was damp with sweat and disheveled, but he had no leisure to care.

"I'm sorry for the late hour. Might I stay for just one night?"

A long-haired man draped in a flamboyant cape. From the reddish-brown lyre held in his right hand, one could easily guess his profession.

"The cathedral is open to all."

The man placed his right hand over his chest and offered a polite expression of thanks.

"Thank you."

Having given his thanks, the man strummed his lyre with a bright ding-a-ling and introduced himself.

"I am the bard who follows the wind to spread tales—Recaaaaaar!"

From long experience, Lowen knew that dealing with bards was a tiresome business. They never pursued the ordinary. It began with the cape covered in mysterious patterns and continued straight through to the singsong self-introduction. As if allergic to normalcy, they insisted on individuality even in the smallest things.

"I am the bishop of this cathedral, Lowen."

The man strummed his lyre once more.

"Bishop Loweennn, is it? I'll be imposing for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just one night."

"It's Lowen."

"Bishop Loweennn rolls off the tongue so much better."

Truly, thanks to this bard, the fireball in Lowen's heart had been completely extinguished.

"Mr. Recal, this way, please."

"Tsk tsk."

The man wagged his index finger and clicked his tongue.

"Not Recal—Recaaaaaar. I would ask that you call me properly. All things only gain their true meaning when called by their proper names. Before being named, it is merely an annoying wind; once named, it becomes a flower breeze. There's a famous song about that, you know? A verse from the song Flower Breeze?"

If I'd known I would have to deal with such a bothersome fellow, I would have been a hundred times better off plunging into Ariel's rear hole and enjoying myself.

"Come now, try saying it. Recaaaaaar~"

Lowen smiled amicably and clasped his hands behind his back. A duck on a lake. His face wore a peaceful smile, yet the fist hidden behind him was holding back fierce anger. He had endured his lust even while looking at Ariel's plump buttocks, but this man's annoyance surpassed that level entirely.

"I retract my statement that the cathedral is open to all."

Frost settled over the eyes smiling behind Lowen's glasses. The sunset was still drinking in the summer heat, yet his smile made one shiver more than winter.

"If you wish to spend the night, please tone down your enthusiasm."

The man looked dejected and nodded.

"I'll take that as understanding. I'll show you to your quarters, Mr. Recal."

"Ah, just a moment."

The man called Lowen to a halt.

"My name is not Recal, but Recar. I would like this made clear."

"Understood, Recar."

When called by his proper name, Recar beamed and strummed his lyre with a bright ding-a-ling.

Is there a natural way to smash this lyre?

It might have been an overreaction. Lowen had hated bards since long ago. Because of a bard's singing, he had once nearly failed a major mission. Anyway, he disliked bards. Those types always dragged incidents and accidents along with them.

The sun rose earlier now. He woke as usual, yet the sky was already dyed a soft indigo. Only a few days ago it had still been pitch dark. The cool dawn air had grown a little milder. Summer was coming.

"Haa......"

Lowen dry-washed his face and let out a deep sigh. He had not slept a wink. Whenever he closed his eyes to sleep, Ariel kept rising before him.

Ariel laughing ehehe with Lowen's member sandwiched between her breasts. Ariel sticking her hips out and spreading her anus for him to see. Ariel grunting as she tried to work his cock into her rear hole.

"Damn..."

A sticky, unsettled feeling pooled in his solar plexus. Probably because he had not fully resolved his desires. He had not even managed to push the entire glans into that chewy hole before it ended.

Forget it. He had simply been blinded by something and acted recklessly. Become nothing more than an unbridled colt.

"She said she can see emotions...?"

She had definitely said so. With those eyes that had shone brilliantly gold. Ariel had said she could see emotions with her two eyes.

"Even if I act nonchalant, I might get found out."

Lowen closed his eyes and shook off the regret lingering in his lower abdomen. The opportunity had passed. Carrying around a lump of regret would only become baggage. Having regained his composure as much as possible, Lowen rose from his place.

Knock knock.

The place he headed was Ariel's bedroom.

"Y-Yes...!"

The moment he knocked, Ariel's voice answered. She was already awake. Lowen made his heart as comfortable as possible and entered Ariel's bedroom.

Ariel was curled up inside the blanket—like a pupa waiting to become a butterfly.

"Saintess, good morning. What a surprise to find you up first."

When he casually offered the morning greeting, the pupa flinched.

"Ah... Yes..."

Ariel had not slept a wink either. Because of the stimulating experience that sent blood rushing to her head, the brain's own narcotics had shown no intention of stopping their secretion. Even if it was aftereffects from overusing divine power, she had gone too far. Not only swaying her hips in front of Lowen and exposing her shameful place, but actively trying to put his member into her rear hole.

The shame that flooded in when her mind returned to normal—she thought her heart would burst. It was worse than when she had been caught masturbating in the confessional. Even now the shame remained in her rear hole, burning hotly. She had tried all night to soothe it by gently touching herself under the blanket, yet the sensation of the glans pressing firmly against her sphincter only returned and made it hotter still.

"By the way, a bard is staying at the cathedral."

"A-A bard?"

"A wandering musician. If you're curious about heroic tales or adventure stories, try meeting him once."

Having come to wake Ariel and confirmed she was up, Lowen decided to begin the day's work.

"I'll be downstairs preparing the meal, so come down at your leisure."

Just as he was about to leave the bedroom—

"Um...! Bishop Lowen...!"

Ariel peeked her head out from under the blanket. Through her messy bangs, her teary purple eyes were visible.

"About... yesterday... I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Her trembling eyes looked up at Lowen.

"I didn't respect Bishop Lowen's will... and did such a thing on my own... And I misused divine power to immobilize you... I'm sorry for everything. It's all my fault."

To the apologizing Ariel, Lowen offered a gentle smile. There was a slight mix of pretense in it, yet this awkward smile was sincere.

"It's fine."

Lowen shrugged.

"I shouldn't say this, but... I enjoyed it too. So don't worry too much about it."

An answer that considered Ariel's tender heart as much as possible. And it was also the truth.

"But I'd prefer if you don't do that next time."

It might have been good physically, yet it had been far too hard mentally. Because he never knew what sudden thing she might do. He had thought fellatio through to paizuri was possible. But he never imagined she would try to go all the way to anal sex from there. If she had not been satisfied with anal sex? The stress that arrived when he considered what would come after was no joke.

"I'll prepare a delicious meal."

Lowen lightly patted Ariel's head.

"Bishop Lowen."

"Yes."

"Bishop Lowen's meals are always delicious."

With a little of the shame faded, Ariel emerged from the blanket and smiled sweetly, looking relaxed.

"Thank you."

Today's breakfast was an ordinary meal of plain pancakes with bacon and eggs, yet for some reason it tasted better than usual to Ariel.

Ding-a-ling♪ Ring-ding♩

A clear, pure sound resonated through the cathedral. Recar played his lyre and drew the attention of the people who had finished the service.

"What a beautiful service this is. To hear the Saintess's prayer in an unexpected place. Ah, I am a blessed one. Ah, I am a beloved one."

Last night he had been rather quiet. With people gathered, Recar made a great fuss and began to sing.

"Who likes that sort of thing..."

Contrary to Lowen's muttering, people flocked around Recar.

"Truly wonderful playing."

Among them was Ariel herself, wearing a benevolent face as the Saintess.

"I don't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠know where to put myself at the Saintess's praise. To express this feeling—it is as if I have become a baby bird. Wanting to hide my birth within the nest, yet chirping more than anyone to announce my birth to the world—such a baby bird."

I have no idea what he's talking about.

Yet everyone except Lowen nodded as if they understood perfectly.

Am I the strange one?

While Lowen watched with clear displeasure, Recar continued playing his lyre and singing.

"Could you tell us some interesting heroic tales?"

Ariel, who had been appreciating the song, sparkled her eyes like any other ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠young child. She seemed quite taken with him.

Drrring♪ Ding♩ Ding♪

"Of course. I know dozens of heroic tales alone. Among them, the one that thrills the heart most is the story of the hero who protected Edelweiss Town while the winter rain fell steadily."

Edelweiss Town, was it... He could not remember exactly when, but he had once dealt with a large bandit force in Edelweiss Town. It had definitely been winter then as well, and a tiresome rain had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠been falling.

"The song I will sing from now is composed based on what I saw and heard myself. Please listen. The Knight of Winter Rain."

Recar began playing the accompaniment at a slow tempo.

Everyone surrounding Recar listened intently to his singing. Honestly, Lowen had to admit it—from the voice to the lyre accompaniment, it was pleasant to hear. Recar made the tale of the hero who protected Edelweiss Town feel vivid and real. In short, it was the story of a man in a pressed-down hood who single-handedly drove off a bandit army that had attacked Edelweiss Town with nothing but one sword.

"Hm?"

It had to be his imagination.

The more he listened, the more Lowen felt it was not someone else's story. It was similar to the time he had eliminated the bandits in Edelweiss Town. On a day of winter rain, he had pressed a hood deep over his face, swung his sword in the middle of the pack, and cut them down. Because the mission had been to wipe out the bandit group, he left not a single one alive. And when the situation ended, he heard the distant approach of knights and left the place at a leisurely pace—cigarette between his lips.

Standing at the very back, Lowen's mouth twitched stiffly at the corner.

Recar's song ended, and the people who had been listening with rapt attention broke into applause. The eyes of several young boys were full of excitement. A knight who alone slaughtered a bandit army in the rain—how could that fail to stir a boy's heart?

"I could do nothing but hide in an alley and burn that sight into my eyes."

Then one boy raised his hand.

"What about the identity of the Knight of Winter Rain?"

Recar shook his head.

"No one knows. Not his name, not his face. But as I remember it, he had roughly the same build as the bishop here."

Everyone's gaze turned toward Lowen.

"Haha, everyone—I am a clergyman."

As if to say there should be no misunderstanding, Lowen smiled gently and waved his hand.