The Priest Wants to Retire

EP.185 Smile

I almost died.

Physically, mentally, and socially.

No matter how inseparable life and death are, there are limits.

The death that clings to my life feels particularly stubborn compared to others.

These days, I find it hard to shake off such rational doubts.

“I’m, I’m sorry…”

In a rare display of humility, Apis apologized to me.

Considering she almost severed someone else’s life just a moment ago, her boldness felt a bit out of place.

Seeing Apis, with her strong pride, act so timidly made my anger evaporate.

“It’s okay, Apis. It was a situation that anyone could misunderstand…”

“No, I really am sorry…”

Did she feel something unsettling from my dazed gaze that looked far beyond this place?

The embarrassment leaking from Apis’s words and actions became even more vivid than before.

“Really, it’s okay. Ripping clothes is something that rarely happens during adventures, and at this point, it’s nothing to worry about. So don’t hold it in too much.”

“Bu-but…”

That was a sincere truth with not a hint of impurity.

Apis, who misunderstood my suspicious conversation with the Hero, inadvertently summoned the fire spirit.

That its wrath incinerated my clothes completely should be regarded as an accident.

Of course, it was a rather painful memory to be flung out of the window by an unexpected explosion and displayed momentarily in front of passersby.

But arguing about the past is one of the most unproductive things to do, so if I wanted to live, I had to overcome this pain and move forward.

Oh? Why are there tears?

Hic!

?!

Suddenly, as I desperately tried to stifle my rising sobs, Apis’s eyes widened in panic as she looked at me.

Thanks to the Hero quickly finding something to cover me, the tragedy of my naked body being exposed on the street was fortunately prevented.

However, the fact that a priest, who should ideally maintain purity, had revealed her form to the crowd was enough reason to plunge my thoughts into deep despair.

The cold glances directed at me lingered sharply in my mind.

When I caught a glimpse of a certain nameless woman, hastily covering her curious child’s eyes while looking at me like an insect on the street, I couldn’t help but curse the world.

“Please, restrain your worries! Priest! I’ve memorized every passerby’s face! If you want, I can erase their memories right now!”

“Uh, really? Is that possible?”

“Of course! Apis! I have developed new technology just for such an occasion! With Hero Chup! As long as I have this secret technique, I can erase any specific memories of anyone!”

“How does that work…?”

“I hit the target in the head until they forget!”

“…”

“I’ve tested it on Bigtim several times, so the effect is guaranteed!”

As if she heard something utterly unworthy of a response, Apis suddenly turned her back to the Hero.

Though she didn’t have time to express her thoughts in words, my intentions weren’t far from Apis’s either.

“Should I just run around the city naked? That way we settle it! How about that!”

“No, it’s really not necessary… I’m really okay…”

“Then, um, how about touching my chest? I’ve heard that human males calm down quickly when they touch a woman’s chest!”

“What! Is that really true? Apis! Priest! Please let me take on that role! Just so you know, I’m about twice as big as Apis! I confirmed it when we all compared in the bathhouse!”

“Oh! Hero! You need to calm down!”

With my face buried in my hands, shaking like a heartbroken girl, perhaps I looked particularly pitiful to Apis.

Her comforting words seemed endless.

But venting this frustration onto Apis didn’t feel right; it was utterly misplaced.

The one who deserved criticism right now wasn’t Apis, who misunderstood, but another someone who set the stage for that misunderstanding.

“Let’s discuss this once we get to the inn. Let’s…”

“Ah, okay…”

“Hah! That means you plan to touch slowly at the inn, right! Understood! I’ll prepare right away!”

Clumsily responding to statements that would surely just add to the exhaustion, I loosely heard the Hero’s stern remarks and tightened my grip on the old sword I held.

“Tsk tsk, what are these youngsters thinking nowadays…”

Ignoring the nearby murmurs of bystanders who overheard our shocking conversation, filled with the sounds of sigh.

◈◈◈

“Hmph!”

Thud!

The first to welcome me when I arrived at the inn was the Saintess.

As soon as my heavy steps touched the entrance, a figure swiftly burst through the door and charged towards me, reminiscent of a feline spotting its prey.

I was extremely lucky to have stopped by a clothing store and changed into proper clothes.

If I had only worn a rag, it would have been quite uncomfortable for an adult man to embrace a beautiful woman.

“Hng!”

“I’m sorry, Welna. I took a long time, didn’t I…?”

Thud!

Before I could finish speaking, she stomped her foot.

Seeing her express her emotions through actions rather than words, it seemed she was a bit sulky.

But the feeling conveyed from her slender arms wrapped tightly around my waist was more relief than resentment.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…”

Nod.

Gently patting her head, I checked her well-being for a moment.

Once again, all I got in return was a faint nod digging into my abdomen, but honestly, that was enough for now.

The image of the Saintess trying to protect a child caught in a fierce blow lingered in my mind, and simply knowing she was unharmed was a relief.

“Excuse me, is that person with you?”

“…?”

At that moment, an older woman, holding a small child, unexpectedly approached us.

“Excuse me, but who are you…?”

“Oh, I’m not suspicious. I simply wanted to thank you for saving my child’s life.”

“Eh?”

My eyes widened in disbelief.

It was astonishing enough that the Saintess managed to communicate properly with someone other than me or the Sister.

But what truly shocked me was the absurd backstory the woman shared with me.

“When a lightning bolt fell out of nowhere, I wondered what would happen, but thanks to you treating all the injured in the inn, we were relieved. Without your help, I can’t imagine what would have happened to my child…”

For a moment, I was dumbfounded, struggling to believe in the reality unfolding before me.

Despite having seen it with my own eyes, I found it hard to trust my memory because it felt like an illusion.

The Saintess, who always seemed entangled with me, threw herself to protect a child she didn’t even know.

And I had treated the injured purely out of my own will without being asked.

This self-initiated behavior was unimaginable from the mechanical patterns I had observed.

By the time I regained my senses, my mouth was agape in shock.

“Uhh?”

“Good job! Really well done! Welna!”

“─!?”

I lifted the Saintess, who was snugly in my arms, high into the air.

This overwhelming emotion bubbling in my chest couldn’t find an appropriate outlet other than this.

I hadn’t even considered what kind of reactions my actions might evoke.

It was just a strong impulse to praise the Saintess, who had finally accomplished a selfless act worthy of admiration.

“Haha! Today, anything you ask for, I’ll do! Welna! Just say it!”

“R-really!?”

I was spinning in circles, still lifting the Saintess high.

Suddenly, a cold chill prickling the back of my neck crossed my mind.

Following that sensation, my gaze abruptly froze.

“…”

The sight of the Hero glaring at the Saintess, still in my arms, burned itself into my eyes.

“Hmph.”

…Why is he smiling?

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