The Mad Saintess (Part 2)
Kali startled at the sudden shout and bolted off to the side. The saintess glared at me and snapped.
"How dare you name a dog after a god and mock the divine!"
"Is there a law against it?"
I shot back nonchalantly, and she jabbed a finger at me, veins bulging in her neck.
"What law? You're a heretic!"
"Me?"
"I'll report you to the High Priest and have you brought to trial!"
"What bullshit... fuck..."
I muttered under my breath, and her eyes blazed with fury. Just then, the High Priest and Hildeva emerged into the courtyard, drawn by the commotion. The High Priest eyed the flushed-faced saintess and asked,
"Sister Celereja, what is it this time?"
"High Priest, this arrogant man named his dog after a god, blaspheming the divine!"
"What do you mean?"
The High Priest turned to me, and I explained honestly.
"My hunting dog's name is Kali. It seemed fitting for the guardian god of hunters."
"Hmm. For a hunting dog, that's a fine name."
The High Priest nodded, leaving the saintess speechless, her lips pressed tight.
"Sister Celereja, come inside now and have your meal."
"Ah... yes... under... understood..."
As she trailed after the High Priest into the inn, she shot me a fierce glare. I met it with a relaxed smirk, only stoking her rage further. She looked like a freshly ordained novice saintess. At that age, you burn with faith and spout nonsense like that. It pissed me off, sure, but what could I do? Had to let the cutie off easy.
Idwild had fled upstairs and stayed hidden, so Della was handling the hall alone, working her tail off. I took charge of the priests' round table myself. They devoured the lunch special, migas, with relish. Migas was originally a way to use up stale leftover bread, but I'd loaded it with fresh bread and no skimping on ingredients—how could it not taste amazing? Everyone scraped their bowls clean, except the saintess, who poked at hers with a sour scowl, barely eating. Even sharing a table with the High Priest, she acted like that. What a nasty personality. For someone with that temper to be a saintess... she must have some special holy power talent, or no way she'd have made it with that attitude.
Once everyone finished, they sipped wine or lemonade to their taste and chatted amiably.
"Mr. Bertrand, you seem to have some real guts."
said the High Priest.
"Opening such a grand inn in a city everyone shuns—most folks wouldn't even dream of it."
"Got lucky, that's all."
"You've got a sharp business eye. Come by the temple sometime. I'd love to share a cup of tea and talk shop."
"It'd be an honor."
I'd pegged him for a proper gentleman at first, but chatting revealed a merchant vibe like Mollo's, not a priest. Like most clerics, this High Priest was driven more by greed than faith. Gotta watch these types. Corrupt priests like him offer no real help but create endless headaches.
"What's that skull over there?"
A young priest, silent till now, pointed at the troll skull.
"That's a troll skull. It was here when I bought the inn, and I liked it, so I kept it up."
"Ah, must be worth a fortune then."
Well, well, look at this kid. Freshly sprinkled with holy water, and already appraising?
"Eh, it's just a troll, not a dragon. How much could it fetch? Apenzel's crawling with 'em."
"Is that so...?"
The young priest shifted his gaze from the skull, scanning the furnishings—then locked onto Della crossing the hall and didn't look away. He let out a low,
"Hmm..."
trailing his eyes over her exposed nape and ankles. Priests aren't eunuchs with zero interest in women. Repression just makes the craving worse—plenty even rape shrine maidens under the guise of "blessings." Back in the capital, I heard about it almost daily. I glanced at Hildeva. She met my eyes and shrugged helplessly. Smart Hildeva had already sized them up.
"Well then, meal's done. Shall we head out?"
The High Priest stood with a grunt and sauntered toward the door. The young priest shuffled after, still ogling Della's ass, while the saintess trailed with a pissed-off scowl. What a weird crew...
"Mr. Bertrand, I'll settle the bill later."
Hildeva winked and hurried after them. Priests always think free meals are their due. I knew the church was rotten, but having them in my town soured the mood. Hope they don't shake me down over some bullshit pretext.
Lunch rush ended, laborers headed out for fence work, and the hall quieted. Idwild finally peeked over the third-floor railing.
"The priests... gone?"
"Yeah, they're gone. Come on down."
Despite being swamped alone thanks to Idwild's bolt, Della smiled kindly. Idwild crept down the stairs, fidgeting. I sneaked up behind to tease her.
"Priest, did you check the kitchen?"
"Eek!"
Idwild jumped straight up, spinning into me. She wrapped her arms around my waist, clinging desperately—her tits squishing against my chest and gut, soft and rubbing. Breath caught in my throat for a sec.
"Damn it, easy!"
I peeled her off. She peered fearfully toward the kitchen.
"What... they're gone...?"
"Just messing with you."
"Phew..."
In that brief moment, sweat beaded on her forehead again. Priests really terrified her. Made me wonder—if that crazy saintess learned Idwild was a black mage, what then? She'd go berserk way worse than the dog-name crap. Might even "purify" her with holy power. Even a novice saintess's holy energy opposes black magic directly. A direct hit, weak or not, wouldn't leave Idwild unscathed. Better keep her indoors for now. Bad luck strikes, and it'd happen—losing this milk-cow witch would hit the inn hard.
As dusk fell, I checked the clearing—the fence was still underway. Eyeballing it, another four or five days. Good thing I'd pounded the posts; otherwise, it'd drag over a week. Too dark for more work, so the laborers came in for dinner. Della, with her bubbly smile and sway, stole hearts from workers and guests alike before heading out on delivery to City Hall. Idwild went up to heat bathwater for rooms. I tended bar for the drinking crowd.
Idi's black magic made the wall furnace roar, warming the hall cozily. Guests chatted over drinks. Expensive candles, wicked with fine oil, lit the place brightly, earning their keep. Gazing at this warm scene, my brutal decade as a hero felt petty and pointless. Demon King assassination, kicking out troublesome dragons, averting volcano eruptions, sinking isles with dimensional gates... Impressive feats, sure, but zero satisfaction. Now, I felt it every time a table filled. Speaking of...
I glanced at the Holy Sword behind the bar. That goddess-blessed blade made those feats possible. Retired now, yet she still shielded me. Maybe she pitied my silver tongue, cracking her up in prayers.
Guests retired, hall cleaned—still no Della. Not even to Bue, just City Hall in town. Why so late? Worried, I threw on my cloak and opened the door. There she was, crossing the courtyard. About to ask why the delay, I noticed her tilting her head oddly.
"Hmm... weird..."
Della furrowed her brow, deep in thought, then spotted me and blurted,
"Master, it's really strange, isn't it?"
"...What is?"
"The new saintess."