The Church's Trial
Syucali looked like she was having the time of her life teasing Vera. "They say you're being compared to your sister?" "Shut it."
On the other side, sinners burned as frenzied voices rang out from the crowd. In this bizarre scene where cruelty and laughter coexisted, I reminded myself that my own position could flip at any moment.
"Having a hard time?"
"No."
Eos approached quietly and asked. It was uncanny how she sometimes posed questions that seemed to read my mind.
"We're joining the others over there."
"Yes, Master."
Eos and I headed toward Vera and Syucali.
"Hehehe~ Oh~ Mister Kang Seo-ja has arrived!"
Syucali, who had been messing with Vera, spotted me and waved enthusiastically.
"You always complain about being tired, yet you have endless energy when it comes to teasing people."
"Hehe."
Syucali laughed with a playful grin.
"I thought you'd left, but you were acting on Isabella's orders."
"Apprentice knight or not, I'm still a knight. I have to follow the lord's wishes."
Vera was an apprentice knight from Kidichi Territory. It was only natural that she would carry out the count's mission alongside her older sister, the upper-rank knight Vesna.
"You patrolled the village all night. Ugh..."
"Wasn't real combat what you wanted?"
"...You're saying exactly what my sister would."
Vera glared at me before her expression softened. A bittersweet look lingered on her face.
"They're waiting for you."
"It's not waiting. It's being dragged along."
She quietly extended her hand to me. I responded in kind.
-Grip!
"Thank you. Thanks to you, I realized my swordsmanship hadn't stalled at all."
"Didn't I tell you before? You were always talented enough to break through."
"Hehe... Hearing that from you actually feels pretty good."
Maybe it was because this was a gender-reversed world, but women who received praise always seemed delighted. That went for Vera, who upheld the code of chivalry, as well.
"This time I finally understood why they call me a succubus."
Vera laughed like a middle-aged man and sensually stroked the back of my hand while we shook.
"Whoa, look at you."
-Slap!
Syucali lightly smacked Vera's hand away, inserting herself between us.
"I told you not to interfere."
"Then don't make me want to interfere?"
Vera and Syucali glared at each other.
"Hah... Anyway, I'd like to spar with you again sometime, black-hair."
"Anytime the opportunity arises. Though I'm not sure there will be one."
"Don't worry. I'll come find you. Then we can hunt ogres together~"
Vera promised a future meeting and walked off toward where Vesna waited.
This will be the last time. Do not meet with Vera again.
As Vera moved away, Vesna's voice echoed in my ear. Since neither Eos nor Syucali reacted, it seemed to be a telepathic message meant only for me.
If you wish to keep breathing in this land.
Vesna delivered the brief warning and turned away. She seemed to value Vera more than I'd expected. And she understood better than anyone that no one should get close to black hair.
It's only natural for a knight from a count's family close to the royal house to be wary of me.
Vesna left after her one-sided declaration. Vera, following behind, turned back one last time and waved at us until she was out of sight.
"Whew~ She's finally gone. That knight lady."
I had a feeling I wouldn't see Vera again for a long time after today. Maybe never at all.
"Let's move."
Perhaps this kind of farewell was the most ideal one possible. And even if we met again, would we still be on the same side? The thought crossed my mind briefly before I shook it off. The future was impossible to predict. All I could do was prepare for what came next and keep moving forward.
"We're heading back to Cashu Village with the baroness tomorrow as well."
"Yes, Master."
"Sigh, no time to rest at all."
We left the burning grounds behind and returned to the inn.
"Now that I think about it, we didn't kill the boss of The Ear."
Syucali must have spotted Juri with Baista and grown curious.
"I told them she'd be useful."
"What? And Baroness Isabella actually agreed?"
Syucali wore an expression of pure disbelief. From an outside perspective, Juri had been the boss of the witch's followers, and every piece of evidence had pointed straight at The Ear.
"Not just the baroness—Vera and... Vesna would have hated it too..."
"We planted a fake boss and burned them together."
"You tricked both knights?! What if they find out...!"
"As you can see, Baista's sorcery was more than enough to fool a knight's eyes."
I'd found it hard to believe myself, but seeing Juri alive had convinced me. The sorceress Baista, once hailed as a hero, possessed that level of ability.
"That Isabella accepted it is surprising enough, but..."
"Isabella is short on manpower. She probably wanted to turn even one more person into an ally."
"Even so... We killed all of Juri's comrades. Isn't there a chance she'll betray us?"
"She won't be able to betray us."
"Why not?"
"Because her younger sister has gone under the baroness."
"Huh?"
The girl who had climbed the secret stairs in the general store. It had to be Juri's sister. Now that the girl had sided with the baroness, Juri would never be able to defy Isabella's orders.
"It's a bit sad."
The leash that had been freed from the witch was now bound by a noble's hand once more. I understood how Syucali felt.
"Well, it's less sad than dying~"
"..."
I thought so, but sympathy was a luxury in this other world. Survival came before human feelings. Being ruthless like Syucali would prove far more useful than letting emotions sway me.
"We need to make sure we don't end up like The Ear ourselves."
Even after Isabella became a noble, keeping someone with black hair like me at her side was always a burden. It wouldn't be strange if she abandoned me at any moment, let alone other factions. In the end, I had to build enough power on my own to overcome this cursed hair color. Otherwise, knights like Vesna or mages like Margaret would surely come for my head.
"Yes, even the witch is watching Master closely."
Eos understood the gravity of the situation better than anyone. She also knew that if things continued this way, the outcome would not be favorable.
"From now on, I'll focus entirely on building strength."
"Yes, Master."
"Th-then what about me..."
"Right. Don't even think about resting tonight."
"Ugh... I'll die at this rate...!"
"If you really don't want to die, get strong enough to defeat Vesna."
"Eeeek...!"
Syucali wailed, but I believed the pain she felt now would one day turn into happiness.
The next day, we made our way to Isabella's carriage.
"Black-hair! I've been waiting for you!"
"Ooh... You've finally arrived!"
The members of the merchant caravan greeted us warmly.
"What's going on? Why is everyone so happy to see us?"
Syucali eyed the women who approached so familiarly with suspicion.
"Well... we're hungry."
"We want to help prepare meals on the way to Cashu Village!"
"So that was your goal all along!"
Isabella's close aides were people I'd met during previous supply requests. Many of the women who had tasted my cooking back then had decided to follow Isabella to the end.
"Once you taste food that good, it's hard to go back."
"We have plenty of ingredients, so we just need you to cook!"
The women clinging to me were filled with desperate longing.
"Hire a professional chef! Kang Seo-ja is an adventurer!"
Once again, Syucali shouted on my behalf, trying to protect me. But it was ultimately futile. Every time we stopped to rest, I ended up cooking for the people gathered around the campfire.
"My Master all to myself... Ugh... Ahp! Chomp, chomp..."
Today as well, Syucali glared at the newcomers while chewing on her meat.
-Clatter... Clatter...
The journey back to Cashu Village went smoothly. After all, we'd completed every supply request that had been under noble scrutiny.
"Cashu Village is in sight!"
Attacks from minor monsters couldn't hinder the caravan. And so we returned to the first village I had encountered after falling into this other world. Helga had been by my side back then, but now a noble stood in her place.
"Then I'll take my leave, Lady Isabella."
"I'll call for you soon. Don't get hurt, and especially take good care of the thing down below."
"Understood."
It had been a while since we'd returned to Syucali's hideout, so we needed time to reorganize. The backpack that had been full at the start of the journey was now empty, and the black sword I'd been using was shattered. Even in the farm village, getting entangled with The Ear had prevented any proper rest.
Eos and Syucali needed time as well. They looked fine on the surface, but the unfamiliar external schedule, continuous battles, and psychological pressure must have exhausted them both physically and mentally. No matter how effective my healing ability was, fundamental rest was necessary.
And I planned to move only after fully releasing the rest of Eos's mana seal. Of course, I had no intention of remaining idle. I had paved a path to keep growing even during rest by making full use of my abilities.
"Tonight I'm visiting the church."
"Are you injured?"
"No, it's a request."
I had chosen church service for the sexual service request. My mental corruption of the witch Myu had succeeded and we were currently working together, but the relationship could collapse under one-sided force at any time. Rather than waiting for the worst, I decided it was better to prepare for that possibility.
-Knock knock.
"Who is it?"
"I've come after accepting a request."
"You are..."
I revealed my face and hair color to the female priest who opened the church door.
"The black-haired incubus..."
The priest recognized me immediately upon seeing my hair color, which was said to be ominous.
"I heard the sisters needed a man."
"That's true, however..."
"I'll quietly complete the request and leave."
"Ah, no. It might be too much for you to handle alone. The sisters can be quite... intense."
"It's fine."
"...Then please come in."
It was often said that even the royal family could not act recklessly toward the Holy Church. I viewed the Holy Church—the organization that believed in God—as the only force capable of opposing royalty and nobility. Especially if I could obtain strong holy power, the church would protect me directly. In that case, even beings like the witch would be unable to approach me carelessly.
-Creak... Clunk.
The church door closed, and I looked around the interior. Though nothing was visible, I could sense something lingering there—something entirely different in nature from mana or sorcery.
"I never imagined the black-haired incubus would be the one to come."
"It's Kang Seo-ja."
"Ah... My apologies. Sir Kang Seo-ja. I am called Priest Chidin."
Priest Chidin showed a gentle expression as she guided me inside.
"Every time we treat adventurers, I hear that the sisters and priests struggle every night."
"Yes... The male god Grates, who founded our order, bestowed not only the blessing known as holy power but also the trial known as sexual desire."
"A trial... I see."
Fitting for a male god, I supposed. It felt like the whim of a perverted deity who preferred watching the nuns' excited states over using his own power. But thinking about it carefully, that was a man's perspective. This other world revolved around women. Fundamentally, the women here possessed stronger sexual desires than men. It made sense that the sexual desire accumulated through holy power could naturally be framed as a 'trial' and structured so that accepting men became the obvious solution.
The Holy Church is ultimately just another interest group.
A Holy Church that claimed equality with the royal family would surely have been capable of creating such divine laws.