The Impulsive Act
The priest of the Ketel faith, then the temple knight guarding the corridor leading to the prayer hall, inquired, “Are you leaving?”
Selma nodded in response.
“Yes, it seems today is not the right time.”
At the words of Selma, both the priest and the temple knight displayed gloomy expressions, as if embarrassed.
This was only natural, for the loud sound of prayers emanating from the prayer hall was now spreading throughout the entire monastery.
“I left it in charge of the priest managing the library.”
“I apologize for the trouble. I didn’t expect it to be so noisy.”
“Yes, it is a place of rest for the One who governs silence, Keslokea, so such a mood is only natural today. It was simply that I failed to time my visit correctly. It was all according to the will of Keslokea, of course.”
Seeing the understanding smile on Selma’s face, the priest bowed his head even lower in apology.
“I must apologize, but—”
“There’s no need to be so formal. Protecting the monastery is an inevitable duty.”
The priest, who had spoken as though he had committed a capital crime, received thanks from the wide-eyed Selma and then conducted a thorough examination of her body.
“Yes, there are no abnormalities.”
“I told the priest who was managing the library as well, but it seems the abbot is very busy, so please convey to him that I will return tomorrow.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Receiving the farewells of the priest and the temple knights, Selma left the monastery in a leisurely manner.
Black Horse (Kertashian) — Superhuman Strength Overload
Deloun, the guard stationed underground, spotted the priest approaching with a cart.
“I will place the documents in the storage room.”
After exchanging a light greeting, the priest handed the cart to Deloun, who frowned.
“How long has it been since you left the storage room to come back again?”
“The monastery is noisy today, so the faithful could not concentrate on reading.”
“What exactly is happening above?”
The sound of prayers spreading from the prayer hall reached even the depths below, though faintly.
Deloun had heard the explanation from the newly hired temple knights, but since he had not witnessed it himself, the words made no sense to him.
“Well, I didn’t see it directly, so—”
Feeling troubled as he managed the library, the priest passed the cart to another temple knight.
“You said you’d return tomorrow, so there’s no need to organize now. After all the trouble today, you shouldn’t make him wait.”
“Yes, understood.”
As a major donor, the monastery had been watching closely.
If the abbot had to wait until tomorrow to retrieve the documents again, his honor would be ruined.
The temple knight who had answered opened the door and stepped inside.
Behind the door lay another, and the temple knight who had been guarding it strictly opened the final door.
The temple knight who had left the cart near the entrance glanced inside once more, then exited.
“... ...”
The cabinet slowly opened, revealing Rai, who was crumpled up.
“Hey, can you pull your legs out?”
“I-I’m not sure…”
Elin, who was entangled with Rai, whispered with a pained expression.
She had been forced in, making escape difficult.
“Wait, what are you touching?”
“I didn’t touch it on purpose, and there’s nothing to touch anyway.”
“Agh, why did I take this job?”
While the two whispered and struggled to exit, the cabinet began to tilt.
“Wait, wait, wait! It’s falling, it’s falling!”
Elin warned urgently, but the already-tilted cabinet fell to the floor with a loud thud.
Only barely able to grab the floor with his hand, Rai let out a sigh of relief.
If caught here, he would face immediate execution without a word.
After barely regaining balance, Rai squeezed out of the cabinet, followed by Elin crawling out.
After a moment of catching their breath, the two stared at the sacred relic placed in the center of the storage room.
“It was easier to get in than I thought.”
“We worked hard.”
“Thanks to the plan of the Ten Thousand Evils.”
“I am Rye Redford. From back then until now.”
Elin looked up at Rai denying that he was the Devil of All Nations.
It would have been a tremendous disgrace to deny the achievements of a commander who accomplished massive feats and blocked the armies of the Empire and major powers, but he showed no expression at all.
Although she did not know the full details, Elin respected his will and nodded.
“Understood. Mr. Rye Redford. Then shall we do my job?”
Rai grabbed the back of Elin’s collar.
“Stay still. Do you think I came here just to look around?”
“Really? I don’t feel anything.”
“That’s why it’s a miracle.”
Rai, laughing mockingly, scanned the surroundings and then hugged Elin to his chest.
“Skinship is not included in the request, you know. Even if I’m beautiful, you should endure it.”
“There are spider webs everywhere, so you have to endure even if you don’t want to.”
Rai hugged Elin like a baby and covered her ears with his head, then lightly jumped toward the bookshelf.
Walking on the bookshelves as if unaffected by gravity and jumping again, Rai stepped on the ceiling and fell toward the display stand holding the sacred relic.
Rai landed silently, and Elin breathed out softly as she approached the relic.
“Is it okay to touch it?”
“Yes, there’s nothing left now.”
With Rai’s permission, Elin closed her eyes and carefully placed her fingers on the relic.
The remnants of memory left on the relic flowed into her mind, and she exclaimed in surprise.
“Oh my, oh my. It seems the temple knight and the priest were lovers. It’s so hot~”
“Stop the unnecessary love story and tell me who the culprit is.”
“Who’s the real culprit?”
“The prayer hall. He was drunk… and crying. And… I was right at the start.”
Elin frowned.
The empty prayer hall was illuminated only by moonlight on the sacred relic and the altar.
The man, swaying as if drunk, knelt before the statue of Keslokea and wailed.
Though it resembled a prayer, the content was words cursing and denouncing Zeroa.
The man, who had bowed his head in a daze and remained still, slowly stood up and staggered toward the relic.
“An impulsive act. Jealousy blinded him, and he thought that taking the relic would cause a miracle. He could not think normally while drunk.”
“So who is it?”
“Thick blackish-brown hair, neat appearance. Yes, it’s Orle.”
“As expected, it was that guy.”
Rai gave a twisted smile.
Though it was only a hunch, there had been no evidence, so he had left it alone. Even now, proving it would be difficult, but it was enough for him that he was the culprit.
While pondering what punishment to give, Elin opened her eyes.
“You left a lot of evidence in the prayer hall while drunk.”
“Why couldn’t the guards catch him if they investigated?”
“If you don’t know the situation, it won’t be seen as evidence.”
Elin laughed confidently.
All that was left was to escape safely.
“Then I’ll have to get back into the cabinet to wait.”
“Ugh— I don’t want to.”
“If you don’t want to, you can stay here and get caught.”
At Rai’s words, Elin’s confident expression turned into a pout.
—
After thinking it over, it seemed they had drawn a blank.
The priest-disguised Volin whispered quietly to Cuthbert, who was also disguised as a plump priest.
“…”
“Other guys can be caught, but if we get caught we’ll be arrested for impersonation. And holy blasphemy will be added too.”
Even though Volin spoke, Cuthbert stared straight ahead in silence.
He was merely sucking on cotton to create cheek fat, so speaking was not uncomfortable.
“Say something too. If you slip up, you’ll end up sharing a room with Zeroa.”
Despite Volin’s complaint, Cuthbert’s eyes were filled with kindness.
His eyes, which had seemed devout, looked toward Volin.
“Brother…”
“The Ketel faith does not use the word ‘brother.’ We are called priests.”
“Priest…”
“And we respect everyone regardless of position.”
Despite the repeated objections, Cuthbert’s compassionate gaze remained unchanged.
“Is that important now? A new world is opening before us.”
Cuthbert turned his gaze forward again.
Before him walked Abigail in the priestly robes of the Ketel faith.
Abigail, who had always been fierce, now wore robes that covered most of her body, giving a pure yet strangely sexy appearance that he had never seen before, nor would ever see.
The sight of Abigail walking tall and gracefully, especially the way Cuthbert looked at her hips with pious reverence, was the face of a priest transcending the world itself.
“If one looks at the world askew, life is filled with dissatisfaction, but if one turns one’s eyes to the happiness around, life will be filled only with joy.”
“…”
“I guess the end of your life is near. Later you’ll die at Abigail’s hands.”
“If you can receive such holiness, you must make a noble sacrifice.”
Abigail, who had noticed the gaze, turned with a fierce look, causing Volin and Cuthbert to quickly look away.
Abigail, who had been glaring with a frown, returned to her devout priestly expression and headed toward the monastery.
“How did you arrive?”
“I came from the main temple at the request of the abbot. A quietness blooming in the field awaits your visit.”
Abigail greeted with a beautiful voice, and the temple knight returned the Ketel faith greeting and guided her and the two others inside.
“I haven’t heard anything from the abbot. What is the matter?”
“I have come to check the records of the Era of Silence.”
“Another faithful person came today to check the records, what an odd thing.”
“Yes, I know. Perhaps there might be something problematic, so the abbot sent a messenger to the main temple.”
“I see…”
The temple knight nodded and guided Abigail to the priest guarding the corridor leading inside.
After the temple knight who had delivered the message left, the priest greeted Abigail.
“Will you show me the document sent by the abbot?”
“Yes, here…”
— Thud
As Abigail tried to put her hand in her pocket, a sound came from behind the priest’s back.
“Are you all right? You shouldn’t exert yourself yet…”
“No, no. I just felt a little dizzy.”
Pia made an apologetic expression toward the female priest who was supporting her.
Rising while relying on the female priest who had even helped nurse her and seen her out to the monastery gates, Pia walked weakly toward the temple knight.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, I am fine. I am sorry for showing such a shameful sight.”
While bringing the unconscious Pia inside, the temple knight who had seen her before asked about her well-being, and she bowed at a 90-degree angle with a face as if she might cry.
“Huh?”
Abigail caught the tilting Pia and supported her instead of the startled temple knight.
“If your body is not well, why not rest a little more inside? The Ketel faith does not turn its eyes from the plight of those in trouble.”
Although Pia shivered at the pious voice and kind smile of Abigail, she did not show it and emerged from her arms with a somewhat stiff smile.
“It’s all right. Contact with her family must have arrived. There must be people coming to greet her.”
After Pia left after being examined by the priest, Abigail, who had been watching her back with a worried gaze, took out the scroll from her pocket as though just remembering and handed it to the priest.
“Yes, I have confirmed it. The abbot is currently visiting a guest and is busy. Will you wait?”
“I cannot disturb someone who is very busy. I will check the records first and visit when I have some free time.”
“Understood. Temple Knight [Name] will guide you to the library. Please wait just a little; we will bring it immediately.”
There was no examination of Abigail, who was also a priest, by the temple knight.
Rai had used the mana fragments stolen from the priests while massaging them to disguise her sacred power like that of a Ketel faith priest, and the document bore the abbot’s signature, so he was not suspicious.
After arriving at the private reading room written by Selma, Abigail waited, and a priest pushed a cart inside.
“If you need a hand, let me know.”
“It’s fine. That’s why the other priest came with me too.”
The priest, seeing the devout expression of Cuthbert, thought he was a fine priest and withdrew.
After staying still for a moment, Abigail opened the cabinet with an evil expression as the priest’s presence faded.
“Please… save me…”
Elin, with a face as if she might cry, whispered softly, and Rai, who looked tired, looked up at Abigail.
After pulling out the two who were entangled and painful, Volin and Cuthbert took out the documents hidden in their priest robes and filled the cabinet.
Rai, loosening his stiff arms, patted Abigail’s head.
“Thank you for saving me.”
Abigail tried to pull her head back in annoyance, but Rai laughed and stubbornly ruffled her hair.
“I will break through the forced protective barrier in exactly one hour, so use the confusion to escape.”
“I know without you saying.”
Abigail, muttering, was left behind as Rai put on his mask and exited the library with Elin.