Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: The Magic Circle on Her Back
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At Max's request to show her bare back, Eirin felt her mind go blank.
Sure, it was just an illusion where she could choose to see or not see—but that was only within the illusion.
In reality, she couldn't help but feel repulsed at the idea of baring her skin to another man.
She was a woman before she was a saintess, after all.
For a daughter of a noble house faithful to the Goddess Church, showing bare skin to a man was no small matter, even to her family.
Eirin wasn't from a noble house, but she had been raised as a saintess under the strict doctrines of the Goddess Church.
Baring her skin wasn't easy.
But at Max's insistence that it was necessary to fool the other nuns' eyes, Eirin steeled herself and lowered her clothes.
It was embarrassing, but she endured it, holding on tight.
'It's okay. I've experienced this before.'
With that, she offered her back.
Somehow, the sight of herself baring her back to a man and sitting there felt strangely familiar.
It suddenly brought back memories from the illusion, when she had yielded her back to the demon Max as he took her.
She flushed with unnecessary shame.
Her ears burned hot.
She bit her lip to hide her embarrassment.
"Now, if you could just spread a little divine power."
Max's voice came from behind.
Hearing it without seeing him made the mood somehow strange.
Eirin clasped her hands together at his words.
She prayed to the Goddess and unfurled a faint divine power.
Faint enough that the priests wouldn't suspect.
Spreading it lightly around so the other priests wouldn't notice.
And at that moment.
"Hya!"
The brush tickled her back.
The cold brush touched her skin, and Eirin felt tension ripple through her body without thinking.
She bowed her head, tightening her body to maintain her prayer posture.
"Don't move."
"H-How can I not..."
Before she could finish, the brush drew the next stroke.
"Hya!"
A moan nearly escaped her lips.
Max's touch was too soft and persistent to even speak.
The brush slyly delved into Eirin's back, drawing a circle there.
Pleasure creeping along her back stabbed into her spine and urged her heart to race.
"Haa, haa."
Eirin's body twitched at Max's brushstrokes, reminding her of herself in the past illusion—helpless under his caresses.
She panted, praying harder to the Goddess.
This was a trial from the Goddess.
A trial for the saintess who strayed from the teachings.
She glanced at Max.
His face, focused on the brushing, held no lust.
He was earnestly doing his job to fulfill Eirin's request.
To feel pleasure from such motions...
How irreverent a thought.
'I'm not some pervert...'
Eirin clamped her mouth shut and clasped her hands.
Pray.
Pray and drive away the distractions.
That would do it.
But contrary to Eirin's firm resolve...
"Kyaa."
"Haaang."
She reacted sensitively to each of Max's brushstrokes.
Whenever the brush teasingly stimulated her erogenous zones, all sorts of lewd thoughts flooded her mind.
It started with experiences from the illusion, being ravished by the demon.
-Does this feel good?
The demon's whisper slithered down her body as he caressed her slowly.
-Lewd wench, trembling because it feels so good.
The demon from the illusion drew closer.
-Beg me to ravish you. Offer me your pathetic virginity.
The demon lusted after her openly.
His voice tickling her ears gradually made Eirin's mind hazy.
The good feeling from the illusion.
It overlapped with the strange pleasure from her spine, heightening the odd sensation.
And when it reached its peak...
"Hya!!"
Eirin gasped sharply, her body shuddering intermittently.
Her focus wavered; she gripped her hands tightly to keep the divine power steady.
"Goddess, please..."
She called the Goddess's name, concentrating her mind.
Without the saintess's lofty mental strength, she would have crumbled several times over from the exquisite pleasure.
When she regained her composure, she felt a dampness below.
By then...
"Haa, haa."
Max's every brushstroke made her body tremble.
She had grown accustomed to the dizzying, brain-tingling sensation.
She wanted to keep feeling it.
So much that she regretted it ending.
It was the moment a new fetish was etched into Eirin's body.
"Hnngh!!"
She accepted the pleasure into her body until Max said it was done.
Like a sponge soaking up water, the new pleasure took deep root within her.
A small magic circle was etched onto the left side of her back.
[Visual Distortion]
[Voice Alteration: Max → Eirin]
[Lip Movement Link: Max]
[Range Limit: 5 Meters]
Spells to deceive the priests' eyes were densely inscribed.
Several efficiency spells for mana use were added so it could activate with minimal mana.
[Deactivate on Violent Movement]
[Duration: 45 Minutes]
By adding a few penalties, the mana in the inscribed spells could be used even more efficiently.
The fine brush danced across Eirin's back, allowing me to complete the magic circle without issue.
It had enough output to activate on its own without me infusing mana.
'If the surface is veiled by the saintess's divine power, no one else will detect it.'
Using mana in the main hall full of experts without getting caught.
Installing a portable magic circle.
And drawing it on human skin instead of paper or parchment.
Despite all the points needing care, I completed it successfully.
Thanks to Eirin continuously using her divine power to fool the surrounding priests' senses.
During that time...
"Hng!"
"W-Wait..."
"It tickles... Hya!"
Eirin clamped her mouth with her hand, stifling her moans.
Her face flushed beet red as her body trembled and she panted.
Eirin, panting with a face about to burst, turned to look at me after I set the brush down.
"Haa, haa. I-Is it... done?"
"Yes. All finished. You did well."
If Eirin hadn't held her posture until the end despite the tickling, it would have taken longer.
As expected of a saintess who had overcome all sorts of trials.
"Wasn't it too hard?"
"I-I'm fine. It was actually... good."
"Pardon?"
"N-No, I mean, compared to the hardships I've endured so far, it was good."
"Ah."
That startled me.
"From now on, no one else will be able to see you properly, Eirin."
"W-What do you mean?"
"What I say will sound like you saying it. And your lips will move accordingly."
"So that means..."
"Through this interview with Brother Max, I've gained the experience of temporarily not having to keep silent. To discern this, we'll go alone. This is a trial from the Goddess, so no one follow. That's what you'll say."
"...Then what do I do?"
"Just smile faintly while spreading your divine power beside me. So they won't sense the mana moving."
Eirin nodded as if she understood.
"I'll leave it all to you, Brother Max."
"Don't worry. Now put your clothes back on."
"Ah, yes."
Eirin dressed right away.
She straightened her clothes, stood, and let out a deep sigh.
She looked a bit uncomfortable about deceiving others.
"It'll be over quickly."
"Yes."
I headed out the door with Eirin.
"Are you finished?"
The cold, curt nun guarding the entrance asked me.
"The interview is over. However, the saintess has undergone a slight change."
"What does that mean?"
Listen to the answer from Eirin, not me.
"During the interview with Brother, a revelation came from the Goddess."
"..."
At my words—no, Eirin's words—all the priests and clerics there, including the nun, looked at Eirin.
"S-Saintess?"
"Did you just speak...?"
"Divine Word without...?"
Everyone was stunned that Eirin spoke without Divine Word.
"In the process of sincerely apologizing to Brother Max, the Goddess gave new teachings. She said my misjudgment came from being too bound and trapped. Thus, she told me to step free of the Divine Word's constraints for a time and learn from the world."
"The divine power I felt from the room earlier...?"
"I was receiving the Goddess's will."
"...We'll follow you."
"That's not possible."
Eirin's words were firm.
Everyone looked flustered at this unprecedented reaction from her.
"I'll go alone. If I rely on your help, I won't gain true enlightenment."
"But we can't trust this illusion mage."
Everyone glared at me.
They seemed uncomfortable with the suspicious illusion mage's presence.
More than that, they feared Eirin going alone.
"Are you ignoring the Goddess's revelation now? Or are you ignoring me?"
Sometimes you have to go strong.
"Pardon?"
"I understand your desire to protect me, but do you think I'm so weak that something will happen if I go alone? I partied with the Hero and went to the Demon King's castle. At the very least, no one in the capital can touch me."
"S-Saintess, that's not..."
"If not, are you trying to suppress me for some other reason?"
"No!"
"I understand why you can't trust Brother Max. But an illusion mage can't harm me."
Eirin bit her lip, slightly flustered at my words.
She had never expressed her will so strongly to others before, so her surprise showed.
To the priests and nuns now, it must look like Eirin was angry at those ignoring her.
"..."
Everyone fell silent.
No one dared speak to Eirin.
That's the dignity that comes with the position.
The power to crush objections simply.
"I'm warning you. Don't even think of following me. Brother, let's go."
My words, disguised as Eirin's voice, finally made her step forward.
She eyed me as if asking, 'Do we not need to hear the priests' response?'
I answered with a smile instead.
Now, no one here could stop her.
So we could leave without hesitation.
'This is fun.'
Proxy power-tripping wasn't bad either?
We escaped the church safely.
No pursuit followed us all the way back to the shop.
"Th-That was amazing."
With the magic released, Eirin stammered as she looked at me.
She seemed genuinely shocked.
"I didn't do anything. I just borrowed the saintess's authority to bluff. Remember this: if the saintess wills it, she has the power to crush those who oppress her. So have confidence."
"...Thank you."
"I know the Divine Word makes things hard. When it does, come find me. I'll help anytime."
"...Yes."
Back at the shop, I looked at the letter still on the desk.
Master hadn't returned yet.
'Where did she go?'
But now wasn't the time to worry about Master.
"First, wash up a bit. The magic circle on your shoulder will fade soon. If you leave it too long, the magic will seep into your clothes when it unravels. Take it off quickly."
"Ah, yes..."
Eirin met my eyes, blushed, and headed to the shower room in the shop.
"I'll set up the illusion for viewing as soon as the shower ends."
Splash.
Water sounded from beyond the door.