The Day Priestess (4)
The Day Priestess (4)
The deepest interior of the Holy See.
Tiela stepped into a forbidden domain that no one—except the Day Priestesses, certain archbishops, and the Pope—was permitted to enter.
Dragged along as I was, I ended up stepping inside with her before I knew it.
It was a lovely garden. As if flowers bloomed in every season, the whole area was lush and green. The fact that red flowers were especially numerous among them was probably meant to honor Ra.
A quiet corridor. In the empty space, only red light flickered. It was just a simple hallway, but thanks to the stained glass splitting the light, it felt utterly sacred.
"Is it all right for someone like me to set foot in here?"
"What kind of talk is that now?"
Tiela laughed as if amused.
"I'm the one who dragged you here. No one else is going to say anything."
As expected of someone who acts like she's the only one in the world!
It's obvious what she's going to make me do, so I'd rather not go, though!
Knock, knock.
Tiela knocked on the door. The answer came only after a long pause.
"...Who is it?"
"Open the door. Arpina."
"Tiela."
A voice mixed with a sigh opened the door.
"I told you...you didn't have to come find me...?"
Our eyes met.
['Sun God's Prayer' activates.]
Look at that Status Window popping up on its own.
She's still pretty. Her silver hair fluttered softly, and the clothes she wore were modest yet elegant. That wasn't all. Staring at that expressionless face, I felt like I could forget everything around me and go all in for a moment.
Get a grip, Zahard. You can't fall for this.
"Hello?"
"......."
Bang!
The door slammed shut again.
"T-T-T-Tiela?!"
"What."
"Y-You never said you were bringing another guest!"
"I never said I was coming to see you in the first place."
"That's true, but! Another priest, of all people! This wasn't part of the plan...!"
"Plan or no plan."
Tiela reached out. She ripped the entire door off.
"There's no need to walk on eggshells when visiting a friend."
The door she flung aside went tumbling down the corridor. I whistled.
That's intense. Head Tiela. Being the leader of the Day Priestesses isn't something just anyone can do!
"Stand up straight."
"Yes, ma'am."
I bowed my head. This time I greeted her properly.
"I'm Zahard, an inquisitor with the Fifth Inquisition Office."
"Ah, I'm Cardinal Arpina. I'm unworthy, but I serve as the Voice of the Church."
Her darting eyes managed to meet mine in greeting. She frantically poked Tiela in the side.
"I told you not to act so recklessly...!"
"Over one door? Can't you just put it back on?"
"As if it could ever go back on...!"
Crunch.
The door embedded itself partway into the wall. Tiela dusted off her hands.
She raised her head with a satisfied look.
"Perfect."
"It's not perfect! It's not perfect at all!"
Arpina slumped her shoulders as if this were familiar. She glanced at me, then asked Tiela.
"...Tiela. Why did you bring Inquisitor Zahard?"
"You've heard about this one, haven't you?"
"I hear even when I try not to. The winds sweeping through the church reach my ears whether I want them to or not."
"Then this will be quick."
Tiela opened the ruined door again.
"The two of you talk. That's all."
"What?! T-Tiela?!"
"That door has too many problems, Arpina. Next time, have it replaced with a proper one."
"It's because you're always breaking it?!"
Tiela strode out. The door stuck in the wall creaked.
Arpina rubbed her face. She glanced at me.
"Why...did you come?"
"I came because I was told to follow along?"
"...No way."
Arpina looked me over from head to toe. Her expression stiffened as she checked my condition.
"...The prayer flowing off you alone is archbishop-level or higher...! I-Inquisitor Zahard. Weren't you said to be sixteen?!"
"That's right?"
"Have you perhaps been chosen by Ra? Are you something like...an unofficial apostle?"
Sharp as expected. I nodded. There was no need to hide it.
"Ra is especially fond of me."
-...Hmph.
Ra snorted. But she didn't exactly deny it. Playing coy.
"A-As I thought, then? In that case, a hidden talent who hasn't surfaced yet..."
Arpina hastily dusted off a chair. Looking again, the room was a complete mess.
Books scattered everywhere. Snack bags piled in the corner. A bed covered in breadcrumbs.
Arpina shrank back a little.
"I-It's very shabby, isn't it? F-First, sit here! I'll bring out some tea!"
Well, I expected this much...
If I'd come any later, it would've been a full-on garbage dump.
A common problem for people with depression.
. . .
Arpina took a deep breath. She made a visible effort to rebuild her signature poker face.
She had to calm down. This might be the last chance that had finally come to her.
Calm down.
No bad thoughts, only good thoughts...no bad thoughts, only good thoughts...
"I brought the tea...!"
She tripped on the threshold. She fell forward.
The tea she'd painstakingly prepared landed spectacularly on Zahard's head.
Splash!
Drip, drip.
"......"
Inquisitor Zahard raised his hand. He lightly wiped his face with his sleeve.
"...That was refreshing?"
"I-I'm sorry...I'm sorry...H-How do I...?"
She wiped frantically. Why did I make another mistake? Seriously.
I'm the problem. I'm a walking disaster. The handkerchief she was frantically wiping with kept dabbing at all the wrong places.
Zahard snatched the handkerchief away.
"I'll wipe it myself."
"...Ah."
So I can't even manage to wipe something properly.
"I'm...sorry..."
She felt small. The more unfamiliar the person, the worse it got. She watched for reactions and grew anxious.
She hadn't been like this before. She'd been bold, even. Confidence had overflowed from her.
The foundation of that had been the fact that she was one of the chosen.
But now it was different. Her body, without a scrap of power, was frail, as if it might collapse at any moment, and she had to force herself to act composed to deceive others.
Every single moment was agony. The more she pretended to be calm, the more her inner self crumbled.
If she cracked again like this...
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry..."
The depression piled up inside her burst out.
"I'm sorry I'm stupid someone like me should just die why am I even alive."
"Hold..."
"I'm sorry for being a burden I'll wash your clothes I'll do whatever it takes I'm sorry I'm sorry."
"What..."
"If I upset you I'll make it up to you somehow I'm really sorry please don't be angry."
The words spilled out like rapid fire. The tears she'd been struggling to hold back kept clawing at the corners of her eyes and streaming down.
She had to endure. She was in front of a stranger. She had to endure.
But Tiela had brought him...so maybe it was all right.
What was all right? Just hold it in a little. Don't act so weak.
But...but...
The tangled threads of complicated thoughts knotted together. Arpina broke down.
"...I'm sorry."
In the end, it ended with "I'm sorry." Just like when she talked with Tiela.
. . .
I wondered why she seemed fine for once.
My prediction was right after all. Cardinal Arpina, suffering from depression. A woman who had lost all her power and was constantly anxious about when she'd be cast out.
A broken priest, depressed and undergoing vampirization.
My clothes were damp. I drew up my Sacred Power.
Whoosh...
With a haze of steam, Ra's priestly robes turned dry and fluffy in an instant. I smirked.
"Your Eminence, Cardinal Arpina. Here. Look. I'm all dry and fluffy now."
Arpina, who had been sobbing, timidly raised her head.
"B-But trash like me..."
"Would you like to touch?"
I took Arpina's hand and placed it on my clothes.
"Fluffy, right? Not wet at all, right?"
"...Hic...Yes..."
"I'm fine, so shall we get back to what we were talking about? First, sit down. The floor is cold, so you should get up."
I headed to the small kitchen attached to the room. I lightly rinsed the teapot and brewed fresh tea.
Setting out simple snacks was a bonus. I poured a cup for her and even carefully placed it on a saucer.
Shaking out the blanket draped over her shoulders and wrapping it around her was another bonus. I didn't open the black curtains. It would clearly be bad for her skin.
"Feeling a little better?"
Arpina sniffled. She wiped her tears and hung her head low.
"...Yes. I-I'm sorry. For showing you such a strange sight."
"No, it's fine. I get depressed often too. Sometimes when I stub my little toe on a table leg, I curse a lot. Everyone's like that. When something bad happens, people break down."
I casually laid out bait. Arpina bit without a hint of suspicion.
"...You're right. When something bad happens...people inevitably break down."
"Something bad must have happened recently?"
"It wasn't recent. It's been a few years. About four years...I think."
Arpina sipped her tea. She let out a deep sigh. She raised her small hand and fiddled with the teacup.
"Inquisitor Zahard. I think Tiela definitely had a reason for bringing you here. Is...my thinking wrong?"
"Wouldn't Tiela know that?"
"What I'm about to say must not leave this place. So..."
Arpina looked at me cautiously.
"Could you...swear an oath before the Sun God?"
Her small hands fidgeted. Arpina spoke hastily.
"O-Of course, I know it's a terribly rude thing to ask. But this matter is extremely important..."
"I swear before Ra, who is watching, that I will not speak of what is discussed here outside."
As if that was hard.
I shrugged.
"Will that do?"
"...Inquisitor Zahard is remarkably unreserved."
Arpina hesitated. She drew a deep breath.
For the first time, life returned to her faltering eyes.
"The reason Tiela called you here is because of a matter related to me. To be precise...it's because of a problem with my body."
"Are you suffering from an incurable illness?"
"H-How did you..."
"No, well...you've been so stiff since you came in, and you don't seem able to use your power properly."
"...I-Is it that obvious?"
"It wasn't obvious during the Divine Trial."
"...Haaaah."
Arpina sighed. She nodded slightly.
"You're right. Inquisitor Zahard. I'm currently suffering from an incurable illness. To be precise, it's closer to a curse."
She lifted the veil she wore on her head. She let her shoulders relax slightly.
The inside of her collarbone. In that deep spot, there were exactly two holes.
Wounds that wouldn't heal. A curse left by the most vicious kind of vampire.
"...There are beings called True Ancestors. The original form of all vampires."
I knew all of it, but I deliberately dragged it out.
"...No way!"
"Yes. You're right."
Arpina clutched her clothes tightly.
"My body is currently...undergoing vampirization. Before long, I'm fated to be turned into a True Ancestor's puppet."