The Priest Wants to Retire

EP.201 Resolution

The actions taken in the deep of night were only fully concluded when the sun was high in the sky.

Rather than being unable to find the timing to stop, it was more appropriate to say I couldn’t halt until the very last drop was expelled.

The saying that all men keep a beast below their waist was something drilled into my ears during my apprentice priest days.

I had thought that the beast within me was merely the size of a weasel or a badger, but I could never have imagined it could be so ferocious as to subjugate the strongest existence of humanity, a mere female.

Even now, the memory of when I roughly grabbed the hero’s legs, which attempted to crawl away, and muffled her mouth with mine while begging for rest was vivid.

When I covered her previously untouched white skin with my bite marks and kiss marks, I felt an indescribable crimson ecstasy.

Even now, with my eyes closed, the frenzy of that night swam in my consciousness like a sticky sensation.

The more assertive my words became, the more dramatic the Hero’s reactions, which I lavished with various filthy slurs.

Whenever thoughts of unspeakable actions I couldn’t express to others came to mind, I executed them without hesitation.

Moreover, in the very last moment, I made my way into the Hero’s…

To say it was merely possessed was utterly insufficient.

One could explain it only by saying I had gone completely mad.

But for some reason.

Despite committing such outrageous acts, my current thoughts were as calm as a serene lake.

If it had been my usual self, I would have shuddered from the guilty memories slithering in my mind, suddenly screamed in agony, or rolled around on the floor, but none of that happened.

My body and spirit were lax, quietly savoring the aftertaste of last night, humbly accepting everything that came.

Whether this was a result of growing up a step as a man or having fallen as a priest, only God would know.

Suddenly, such musings crossed my mind.

“Huuh…”

Swish.

Suddenly exhaling, I rose my sluggish body.

Aside from the refreshing feeling of a New Year’s morning of changing into new underwear, my physical condition was quite the opposite.

The muscle ache, as if every joint was screaming, reminded me of when I first joined my comrades in hellish training.

Carefully picking my steps to avoid waking the Hero beside me, I cautiously navigated the bed.

Now that it was fully daylight, the horrific sights on the bed momentarily made me hesitate.

After shaking my head to dismiss the distraction, I moved quickly.

The bed sheets were uncomfortably damp.

Clothes haphazardly strewn about the room.

Even the strange smell of our lewd acts wafting in despite the wide-open windows.

To tidy up these embarrassing remnants before anyone could see required considerably more diligence than usual.

Thanks to informing Apis in advance of the situation before leaving base camp, I had no worries about the overnight stay.

But if the fact that the Hero and I had shared the same bed got out, it was all too obvious that the party would go into chaos.

I was quite worried about the Saintess, but my biggest concern was none other than Dawna.

Whether it was her secretly trying to procure the forbidden love potion formula from the Magic Tower or her attempts to hypnotize me using coins strung on a thread whenever we were alone together.

I had been consciously avoiding it, but Dawna’s twisted affection toward me had clearly reached alarming levels.

After a chance encounter with Dawna, who was talking to what appeared to be a doll made of my hair, I couldn’t even look her in the eye for a while.

So I had tried to indirectly express my refusal that I could not form any ties with anyone right now.

However, after seeing Dawna smile at me while her eyes were swollen like a ripe peach that night, I couldn’t bear to reject her a second time.

“······!”

After thoroughly rummaging around by the bedside, I finally found what I was looking for.

The short wooden stick, resembling a doodled ice cream stick, contained Cleansing Magic, a disposable magical tool specially made by Dawna.

I knew it would be here.

Given Bigtim’s meticulous nature, if he had arranged such event-related underwear and aphrodisiacs, he would have certainly prepared cleaning supplies for aftercare too.

Clack! Swish!

Gently applying pressure, I snapped the stick, and the previously stained room was clean in the blink of an eye.

The furniture in the room remained untouched, while only the stains and dust on the sheets, along with stray hairs, were swiftly taken care of, an art that never ceased to amaze.

When Dawna first conceived this magical tool, the inscribed spell had gone haywire, burning all the clothes worn at the time.

Now it was a memory I could look back on, but back then, it had been quite the trauma.

It was no small feat to soothe Dawna, who had been bawling about showing herself to a man for the first time while I was equally bare.

It took a promise that I would take responsibility if she never married to finally calm her down.

Honestly, it was fortunate that the young Dawna had been a little kid at the time.

If such an event had happened while she was an adult like now… just imagining it sent chills down my spine.

“Huuh…”

Anyway, I had relieved a burden.

Now that I had eradicated all traces of our activities, only the task of creating an alibi for when this situation is discovered remained.

Coincidentally, at the moment, I was contemplating whether to participate in the Demon King’s subjugation, so if I claimed I was gathering my thoughts for that, it should pass smoothly.

However.

“This is really trashy. Me…”

No matter how desperate the situation was, the fact that my thought processes had entirely turned into that of an adulterer filled me with late-arriving disgust.

Even considering the Saintess, who treats me as if she couldn’t live without me, as an exception.

Offering just a bit of hurt to Dawna, who had the deepest connection among those I had met, would still be for our mutual benefit in rejecting outright.

Even if she had a somewhat gloomy and twisted side, at her core, she was a kind soul — she couldn’t possibly go berserk like the Saintess or the Hero just because I turned her down.

Alright. I’ve made up my mind.

Once the Demon King was dealt with, I would solidly confess my feelings to Dawna.

Resolving with such determination, I attempted to rise from the bed.

Grab!

“Ugh!”

“─!?”

The Hero’s hand shot out from under the covers like a flash, firmly wrapping around my waist.

With her eyes tightly shut and her mouth mumbling, it was easy to guess that the Hero was deep in her sleep.

The real issue was that the Hero’s animalistic senses were far sharper when in a daze, and right now was far more dangerous than when she was fully conscious.

This was the reason that nobody dared to approach the sleeping Hero except for me.

Countless were the victims who had ended up with their bones and flesh separated after boldly approaching her while she slept.

Even Bigtim, her own brother, wouldn’t dare approach her without armor while she was asleep.

Could it be that the thrilling memories of last night had awakened the Hero’s latent fighting spirit?

As unease washed over me, I briefly trembled.

“Don’t go, don’t go…”

The faint voice laced with anxiety suddenly froze me in place.

The grip on my waist was so strong it felt unbelievable for someone who was half-asleep, and the stronger her hold became, the more fragile her troubled expression appeared, as if it would crumble at any moment.

After investing a whole night to show tangible proof, what in the world was still causing her so much anxiety?

Was I really that untrustworthy?

A twinge of sadness tugged at my heart.

“Don’t worry. I won’t go anywhere without you, Hero.”

Peck.

After a few gentle head pats, I carefully kissed her exposed forehead.

“Hehe, hehehe…”

In that moment, her bashful smile seemed like the bliss of possessing the entire world.

Is she really awake?

That thought crossed my mind, and I whispered again in the Hero’s ear.

“From today on, prepare yourself. For the price of introducing me to women, I will repay you every night. Understand?”

“Hehe, heehee…”

Although her body shrank back as if scared, seeing her only give a slight protest suggested she was still very much asleep.

“Alright. Let’s give this a shot. Worst case, it’ll be worse than death?”

Thankfully, my resolve had solidified.

That very day, Regis Lowville’s participation in the Demon King’s subjugation was confirmed.

Moreover, the punishment I received from the Saintess for abandoning her breakfast due to my late return was, needless to say, brutal.

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