Reviving the Forgotten Festival: The Village Transformed in a Week
Days spent in the dark basement of the prayer hall, relying only on the candlelight.
The light of the surface world, seen after a long time, was infinitely brilliant and beautiful.
"Lord of Light. Grant me a firm will that will not be swayed by the fleeting pleasures of this world, and allow me to enjoy only the true beauty that You reveal to the world."
Prayer is not just about feeling pain.
The world revealed by the Light.
By re-impressing the nobility of the creatures that had been temporarily disconnected during the prayer, and making the heart pious, the prayer is completed.
What I serve is the Light.
The essence of prayer is 'escaping from the darkness into the light'.
I have cast off the physical darkness and the darkness of the mind and come out to where the Light is.
There is no trace of disgusting lust in this heart now.
"Thank you for your hard work, Priestess Veronica. You haven't eaten anything but water for a week. If you suddenly take food into your mouth, your stomach will be shocked. I've prepared porridge and tea, so please replenish your nutrition with this first."
"Yujin, your thoughtfulness is truly appreciated."
I've raised many children before, but I've never seen a child as selfless and considerate as this one.
There were plenty of kind and kind-hearted children, but this child had a decisive mercy.
...That Yujin, even in his dreams, harbored lust. I'm really pathetic.
Drinking the porridge and tea, vitality quickly returned to the body, and the heart that had been beating slowly began to pump.
"It's not stimulating, but it tastes good. Did you make it yourself?"
"Yes."
I stroked Yujin's head and praised his achievement.
Yujin humbly accepted it.
There was no trace of insincerity in the exchange.
"Right now, outside, the festival is in full swing. Today is the highlight, and everyone is waiting for the priest's attendance."
"Haa... I see. It was Walpurgis Night, wasn't it?"
Actually, I didn't really want to.
I don't know what kind of forgotten village tradition festival it is, but it smells like heresy or something.
I had no choice but to tolerate it to relieve the accumulated resentment, but I was worried that I might lose sight of true salvation by being distracted by worldly happiness.
"Ah, and there's a joint wedding for the village men and women today. Of course, as a priest, you'll attend, right?"
"...A wedding? I've completely never heard of it."
It had only been about a week since I entered the prayer retreat.
No matter how unceremonious the villagers were, commoners not used to formalities, even for something like a wedding, which is a major human event, it should have been talked about at least a few months... even if rushed, it should have been at least a few weeks ago.
"It seems that the generation that will soon get married is coming... but if we rush the festival's excitement, it won't do."
Worried, I quickly grabbed the staff and followed Yujin's guidance to go see where the wedding was being held.
Until then, I had no idea.
I didn't know that such a poisonous wind of decadence was already blowing in this village.
※
"This, what is this!?"
A week is a short time.
Some say that reversing heaven and earth in a day is enough, but for that day to be possible, there must have been daily accumulations.
Expecting a change by stacking a week from nothing is impossible unless you're a god.
An impossible thing was happening in our village.
"Oh, Priest. Welcome. How did the prayer go? You must have suffered a lot. For someone like me, it's unimaginable. As expected, those who serve the gods are different."
The village elder, Dingken, greeted me.
It was a greeting full of respect for the priest, except for the fact that he had decided the wedding too hastily.
But such superficial etiquette didn't enter my eyes.
"Actually, my daughter is getting married this time. Please bless her."
Hearing my father's request, Laura stepped forward one step, bowing her head to me.
She was dressed in a way that barely covered her chest and waist, shamelessly lewd.
In my memory, Laura had never shown such vulgar attire.
There was the rustic girl's boldness, but she wasn't the kind who would reveal her body like a prostitute without shame, even if she always kept the line.
I wanted to scold her immediately, but since it wasn't a problem that could be resolved so easily, I didn't.
'This is strange! If it's this strange, someone other than me should have pointed it out!'
As a priest, I strictly enforce rules, but the village elders have been sharpening moral scales for a long time.
If any village girl was walking around like this, the elders should have scolded her.
No, Dingken shouldn't have let Laura be like that.
He should have grabbed her by the hair and dragged her home for a beating.
But now, Dingken was proudly displaying his daughter's lewd appearance.
It was impossible.
"...I heard there is a joint wedding. Are all the other women attending also like this?"
"Ah, my daughter is a bit plain, you know? It could have been made more flashy, but it was tailored to Frantz's taste."
"Yes. Actually, I think it would be better for me to show more of my pussy... but still, I have to listen to my husband's words."
Even though I had removed the poison from my body and mind through the prayer training.
It seemed my ears were being corrupted.
Anyway, from this short conversation, I could roughly figure out the situation.
'It seems some kind of magic has invaded this village.'
Probably the heretics with twisted ideologies.
While I was away, they brainwashed the villagers without magical resistance.
I thought it was too much for such a backwater village, but since it had happened, I had no choice but to accept it as is.
Did they notice that I had entered the closed-door prayer and reached out? If so, they must be someone who knows a bit about our village's situation...
"During the time I was away, didn't the guild people come into the village?"
"They did come. Especially yesterday, they contributed greatly to raising the festival's excitement. I know you don't like those people, Priest, but... is there some misunderstanding?"
"Are they still here?"
"They are, but..."
It was good that I didn't have to go looking for them on purpose.
"Lead the way."
※
Naked women were dancing in circles around the phallic statue.
I couldn't know or didn't want to know what specific meaning it had.
"That phallic statue... they said it would be burned."
The worry I had from the moment I first saw that phallic statue was nicely fulfilled.
The monster that was supposed to be burned to symbolize the victory of reason over instinct had become an idol that gathered heretics and deceived people?
"Even though I don't want to think it, maybe there was a connection with the heretics before the festival was held."
If so, I couldn't let it be.
Acknowledging the authority of the village chief elected by the village is possible only within a certain limit....
Since such a monstrosity was committed, if it proves a connection with the heretics, they would have to pay with their lives.
"Yujin. You should go home. It might be inappropriate for a child like you to see."
"Why? Can't I come with you?"
Yujin, who rarely questioned me, spoke up.
This kid hadn't done that before.
"Things that will happen ahead might be shocking and violent in your eyes. That's why I'm saying this, don't say much and go back."
"I'm grown up now. Please let me stay by the priest's side."
Was the child's heart that yearns for adults manifesting?
Usually not, but especially at a time like this.
"This is a command. Go back quickly..."
"I'll be right here."
With a firm voice, Yujin looked me in the eye.
As I gazed into those eyes that seemed to suck me in, my thoughts began to change a little.
It's possible that if you keep hiding things just because they're children, they won't grow.
This incident would definitely be a clear lesson for Yujin.
"...I understand. Stay by my side. Just don't interfere, don't come forward or intrude."
"Understood!"
As I gently stroked Yujin's energetic shouting head, I firmly gripped the staff.
First, I had to get rid of that shameless object.
"Lord of Light..."
I called the god's name and prayed.
The raised divine power targeted the abomination that furrowed the eyes of light.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa boom!!!!
The women who didn't know their own fate and were dancing under the phallic statue were in chaos from the falling wooden fragments and fled in all directions like ants.
Towards the broken, limp phallic symbol of male strength, I rebuked with a stern voice.
"What kind of nonsense are you doing! Aren't you afraid of the wrath of the Light! Losing morality as a human and sinking into decadence and pleasure! As a priest of the Light, I cannot forgive you!"
The reaction to my voice was not from the guild people, but from the villagers.
But unfortunately, their reaction was not one of admitting fault, fear, or guilt for their bad deeds.
They were bewildered. As if I had done something strange.
"No, Priest! What is this? Ruining the rare festival, is this what a priest does?"
The village chief stepped forward as if representing the villagers' confusion.
It was good that I had something to say to him too.
"What do you mean, what a priest does? As you see, it's me! I have to do it! In broad daylight, women are dancing around the penis without a shred of shame! How can I just let such lewd scenes pass?"
I lifted my chin, as if to say, 'Come up with some excuse.'
But the village chief's excuse far exceeded my imagination.
"What do you mean? Women showing off their pussies to their cocks is always a thing, isn't it?"
"...What do you mean by that?"
I frowned, urging him not to speak recklessly.
Yet the village chief was casually spouting nonsense that completely deviated from common sense.
"No, that's right! The fact that females submit to males is a very natural principle. Women are used by males and have the duty to bear offspring. That's natural, how can it become non-existent by hiding it?"
I barely suppressed the rising anger.
This was the logic of the heretics.
It was a story denying the reason and order of humans created by the god of light.
I took a breath and countered as calmly as possible.
"Humans are different from animals. We have reason, love, and brotherhood. It is unacceptable to treat other beings as mere consumables for our pleasure. If human, one should not be swayed by desire, but become the master of that desire itself."
But the village chief didn't even think of listening to my words from the beginning.
He spat on the ground in front of me and rattled on.
"Hey! That's why I can't talk to pussy girls who haven't been trained! That damned light or whatever..."
"You shameless bastard!!"
I struck the village chief's head with the staff.
How dare you insult the god in front of me. Unforgivable.
Perhaps the village chief was saying such things because of the brainwashing influence. But don't think you can escape punishment.
"Aaaah!!"
Seeing the village chief fall unconscious from the single blow, the village women raised their screams.
Fear finally began to appear in the villagers' eyes.
But it was clearly not the fear backed by awareness of having done something bad.
That's why among them were those who defended the village chief.
"What wrong did the village chief do to make you like this! Even if it's the priest, you can't do that!"
The one who said that was a young village girl.
Even after hearing the village chief casually belittling women.
The gazes that had respected me now turned to hatred, contempt, and anger.
It was a path of thorns.
The only one who looked at me straight was Yujin.
But my heart didn't break.
Originally, walking a difficult path is the duty of a priest.
"Everyone, kneel in your place. It's time for the sermon."