An <strong>Unexpected Guest</strong>
The time I spent reveling in my affair with Viola and faithfully tending to village life was blissfully happy.
And after savoring that happiness for about a month, just as Viola was starting to settle into life in the village...
...an unexpected figure arrived in this quiet, sleepy rural hamlet.
"...This must be the last one."
At the voice of a man that reached me through the familiar guarding the village entrance, I dispatched another familiar to keep watch on the situation.
From the viewpoint shared by the familiar, the man was clad in gleaming silver armor, boasting golden blond hair and emerald-green eyes.
I knew that face. How could I not?
"Benedict von Krushal."
Benedict von Krushal—one of the original novel's male protagonists. In other words, the man who was supposed to end up with Viola had come to this village.
My mind raced. How the hell did this happen? Is he supposed to show up here at this timing?
I racked my brain, but the answer was a resounding no. The novel's opening had Viola assigned to a rural village shortly before she became a saintess and returned to the Holy Nation.
If she and Benedict had met before that point, there would have been some mention of it in the story. But there wasn't.
So what was going on? Why was he here now? Had history been altered?
No, that couldn't be it. I kept turning it over in my head, trying to figure it out...
...when he started heading straight toward me. Striding purposefully.
By the time he reached me, he greeted me with utmost courtesy.
"Greetings, Father. I am Benedict von Krushal, a holy knight of the Holy Nation. I've been dispatched to this village due to the increase in magical beasts."
...It was because of me.
"I'm Kasian."
"Kasian... Yes, Father Kasian. I'll remember that."
I'll remember that—I never imagined those words could sound so ominous.
...As crass as it might sound, my mere presence in the village had dramatically boosted the ambient mana, drawing magical beasts from the surrounding areas.
Fortunately, the village had skilled hunters like Ranner, and I'd been periodically sending the beasts back to their habitats or culling their numbers to keep things in check. But it seemed the Holy Nation had noticed the anomaly.
"By any chance, have you noticed an uptick in magical beasts around here lately?"
"I'm afraid I wouldn't know. This village is so peaceful and remote that even the children can play by the river in the woods without seeing a single one."
"I see... That's truly fortunate."
Honestly, compared to how I acted around Viola, I was way too tense with him.
He was a seasoned holy knight—the future Grand Master of the Holy Knights, no less.
Could I really hide the fact that I'm an incubus from a guy like that?
And if it came to a fight, what then? I figured I'd win handily. After all, I was the pinnacle of incubi, the man destined to become the Demon King if the story had played out as written.
Could he really beat me one-on-one? Me, whom it took him, the other three protagonists, and Viola combined to finally defeat in the original?
Even as I thought, If things go south, I'll just take him down, I refrained from using any magic. Instead, I suppressed every ounce of mana I had while dealing with him.
"You must be tired from your journey. Why not join me for a meal?"
"I'm fine. I have jerky to tide me over."
Benedict pulled out some jerky and demonstratively tore into it right in front of me.
Then, looking flustered, he apologized.
"My apologies. I must have seemed like a glutton in front of you, Father."
Benedict von Krushal was, despite his noble-sounding name, an orphan adoptee. His ingrained habits leaned more toward commoner than aristocrat.
I shook my head at him and replied.
"No need to apologize. You're here to protect us from magical beasts—surely you can't be fussy about something like this."
"Haha, you're a hearty one. By the way, do you run this church all by yourself?"
I immediately shook my head at the question.
"No, a new nun was dispatched from the Holy Nation recently."
I wanted to hide Viola as much as possible... I didn't want her crossing paths with one of the men from the original who was meant for her. I'd tried to avoid mentioning it, but outright lying wasn't an option.
He was sent by the Holy Nation, after all—he might know the bare minimum already.
"I see."
But from his reaction, he didn't seem to know the details.
Even a holy knight of the Holy Nation doesn't have access to everything, I thought, my suspicions confirmed once more.
People in one department don't know everything about personnel affairs in another, so his ignorance actually made more sense.
In that light, the very existence of a priest named Kasian—someone who shouldn't even be here—felt like a decent cover.
That was when it happened.
"Father, I'm back... Oh, do we have a guest?"
Viola entered the church with a voice as bright and innocent as ever.
Benedict turned toward the sound of her voice, and Viola looked right at his face.
Their eyes met, and I tensed up in an instant.
I couldn't help it. This was the meeting between the original novel's protagonist heroine, Viola, and one of the four men who claimed her—Benedict von Krushal.
These two had both played major roles in my downfall in the original story.
How could I not be on edge? But that tension quickly turned out to be utterly foolish.
"Pleased to meet you, Sister. I'm Benedict von Krushal."
"Ah... Nice to meet you, Brother Benedict. I'm Viola. No family name."
Viola had no surname either. Like him, she'd been an orphan adopted into a convent.
Sharing similar backgrounds, they were drawn to each other in the novel, eventually becoming the Grand Master of the Holy Knights and the Saintess.
Remembering that plot, I braced myself. But this tension felt... different from before.
The earlier one had been primal, instinctual—a fear that my life might be forfeit.
But now?
Now... fine, I'll just say it straight.
I was afraid he'd steal Viola from me.
From the original story's perspective, I'd be the NTR villain who took her first. But from my standpoint—possessing this body and bedding her before anyone else—he was the sleazy homewrecker.
So I called Viola to my side. Yeah, like a rival marking his territory.
"Viola, over here."
"Ah, yes."
She trotted over to me with quick little steps and stood by my side, gazing at Benedict.
Benedict glanced between us, then smiled warmly.
"You two seem to get along wonderfully."
"Do we?"
"Yes, quite wonderfully."
"Thank you..."
Viola bowed her head politely, but Benedict shook his head and waved it off.
"No, no need to thank me."
With that, he stood and announced, almost like an order,
"I'll be staying in the village for the time being. Is there an inn around?"
"An inn... well..."
There wasn't one. Why would a remote backwater like this have an inn?
In the end, there was only one choice.
"...If you're alone, you could stay at my place with Viola."
I had to invite him to our cabin. The one that had just been for us two.
"Would that be all right?"
"...Yes, it was just me there a month ago. Shall I prepare a meal too?"
"Jerky will do for dinner."
...Jerky will do for dinner?
That set my blood boiling. Not as Demetrius de Belpert, the incubus.
As a Korean from my past life, fueled by the love of good food.
I'd let it slide earlier since I didn't expect him to stick around, but not this time.
"...We'll prepare a proper meal, Viola."
"Ah, yes...!"
"Really, I'm fine. You're already putting me up..."
"You need to eat to hunt the beasts, don't you? Isn't that why you're here?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"Then accept it. Viola, let's go cook. Brother Benedict, please rest here in the church."
"Yes...!"
Viola scampered after me, leaving Benedict standing awkwardly alone in the church.
We headed to the kitchen in the back, and I started preparing the meal with her.
Or at least, that was the plan.
"Viola."
"Yes, Father... Haah..."
I grabbed her breast and whispered in her ear.
"Let's have a little fun first."
Slipping a light hypnosis into her as I did.
Why did I do it? I didn't know at the time, but looking back, I realized.
It was possessiveness.
With my rival right there, I wanted to claim Viola without him knowing—to reaffirm that only I could have her like this.
Viola, swept up in my possessiveness, began moaning sweetly.
