The Priest Wants to Retire

EP.212 Infiltration (6)

Crack!

I slammed the Holy Sword, which was hanging at my waist, into the pillar in front of me like a dart hitting a target.

In that moment, I heard a guh! of a voice deflating from the sword, but I didn’t care.

I couldn’t see anything right now.

Or maybe I should say I couldn’t hear anything at this moment?

I wasn’t sure.

“Stay still.”

Swish.

The guard, taking my sudden action as a sign of resistance, slowly drew out his sword.

Walls of crowd packed tightly into the closed space.

Blocking the only exit was a strong opponent, dozens of times stronger than me.

With no hope of my comrades’ support in this situation, escaping was improbable, and survival was even less guaranteed.

“Sit down.”

“······”

Just then, the final ultimatum whispered in my ears.

It was clear that the blade drawn from its sheath was demanding submission from me.

But despite that threatening assault, my body wasn’t retreating; instead, I was pushing forward.

Step, step.

“Hmm…?”

Surprised by the foolish action of the target, she tilted her head in confusion.

I could understand her feelings well.

What kind of fool would willingly place their neck in the path of a sword pointed at them?

Stand tall.

As the chilling touch of metal was about to pierce my neck, I finally stopped my steps.

Gulp. As I swallowed hard, warm blood flowed down my nape.

But the inorganic gaze before me remained fixed to my eyes, not showing the slightest bit of movement.

“Do you want to die?”

“······”

It wasn’t a threat.

She genuinely seemed curious about why I was behaving this way.

Every time I encountered the Saint Candidates, I thought of how their appearance and actions were eerily similar to those of the Saintess when I first met her.

That unique aura of mystery, making it impossible to fathom what they were thinking.

Though they might seem indifferent to the world, hidden beneath that was often the innocent face of a child.

If not for their unique skin tone, one might even mistake them for siblings.

That’s right. The secret plan I was about to employ hinged entirely on that shallow impression – a gamble.

Had the lives of the entire population not been at stake, I wouldn’t have chosen this perilously reckless option, even if it meant having a sword to my throat.

With various emotions freezing my face, I awkwardly smiled.

I induced curiosity with a meaningful expression and didn’t forget to feign nonchalance.

“Hey, how about we do something fun together?”

“······fun?”

I only realized that my behavior definitely resembled that of a kidnapper right after I said those words.

◈◈◈

“So, what happened next? What happened to the Princess and the Prince!?”

“W-Wait a moment; hold on…”

Contrary to my concerns, my storytelling was terrifyingly effective.

Considering the possibility of being torn in half if I failed, I was simply dumbfounded.

Of course, alongside that dread, I had a hint of confidence.

Well, maybe not in all fields.

But when it came to entertaining and soothing children, I had no doubt I could outperform anyone in this world.

Playing with air, puppet shows, playing house, coloring, origami, string games, reading fairy tales – the list went on.

Having taken on the role of the big brother in the orphanage where I grew up, I could confidently say my repertoire of games was unparalleled.

There were even sincere suggestions from those around me to become a preschool teacher when I eventually left the clergy.

“And so, the Princess, awakened by the Prince’s kiss, lived happily ever after~ What a joyous occasion~”

“Wow…!”

As the fairy tale reading session concluded with great success, cheers erupted from my sole audience.

Her joy reminded me of long-forgotten times as she dropped the sword she was holding and focused on my story.

After all, the tale I recounted was based on the Saintess’s favorite fairy tale, the very story that had led her to demand physical closeness with me — the story that was the starting point for it all.

“This time! What are we playing next!?”

Clears throat! “Well, actually…”

For a brief moment, my mind turned fuzzy, the insistent voice urging me to suggest the next game echoed loudly.

I sensed it instinctively.

This was the perfect opportunity.

“Let’s play hide and seek this time!”

“Hide and seek!”

“While Si-keu counts to 100 with her eyes closed, I’ll be hiding. After counting to 100, Si-keu can find me somewhere in this stable.”

“Okay! Got it!”

Looking at that pure face, free from doubt, my guilt felt like a heavy weight on my chest.

But right now, I couldn’t afford to be lost in such thoughts.

Clenching my teeth, I steeled my resolve.

“I’ll hide now. You absolutely cannot peek!”

“Okay! One~ Two~ Three~ Four~”

I turned my back on the girl cheerfully counting with her hands over her eyes.

Wait a second! Ha Gye In!

The voice of the archangel aide, which chilled me to the bone, held me back.

I slowly glanced towards the direction of the sound, where the tip of the Holy Sword that was precariously lodged in the pillar seemed to be calling for help.

After doing this to me! Just where do you think you’re going? Come back! Come back right now!─!?

A voice filled with fear and confusion echoed in my mind as I observed my surroundings.

It turned out there was a large pile of manure collected for fertilizer directly below the Holy Sword.

If left as it was, it was obvious the sword would fall down soon enough.

Considering the sacred value of the sword, I needed to retrieve it as quickly as possible.

But for some reason…

Do you really think an incompetent and barbaric Ha Gye In like you could solve this situation without my help!? Right now! Yes! Right now is not too late! Quickly bow your head to me and serve me!

I didn’t feel even the slightest urge to save it.

Wait, wait! Why is there no response? You’re not really going to leave, right? That can’t be! Alright! Just this once, I’ll be generous! Let’s settle for 3-4 days of receiving offerings from the Hero’s body every week! How does that sound? Isn’t that a generous deal!

Instead of responding, I slowly traced the sign of the cross with a faint smile.

As she said, her help might be essential to navigating this situation.

Setting aside her blood-boiling tone, the information she possessed was undoubtedly useful.

However, I couldn’t be too sure where to draw the line on trusting the words of someone desperate to possess the Hero’s body.

Most importantly, I had no desire to partner with a scoundrel demanding someone else’s belongings.

Even if it was about a matter that affected the fate of this world.

Pfft.

What─!?

I scoffed at the ridiculousness of it all and quickly slipped away from that place.

The piercing screams incessantly jabbed at my back, but each time, my steps only grew lighter.

Rejecting her offer was certainly an impulsive choice.

Yet I had no regrets about making that choice.

No matter how much the current Demon King, as a true irregular, might interfere with others’ will, if this was a dungeon, breaking that core would cause a collapse.

Moreover, the only person likely to know the clues to resolving this situation wasn’t just that angel aide.

The most sacred space permitted only to the Saint and her dedicated guardian.

The Meeting Room of the Saint.

In there, apart from the Saintess, there was just one other person.

A being shrouded in the veil of invisibility.

If that person knew the answers I was seeking.

Although it was a wild hypothesis based purely on my intuition, the name they boldly claimed bestowed blind faith in that conjecture.

“Saint······.”

I had tried to stubbornly deny and ignore that absurd claim up until this moment.

But having thrown the Holy Sword, which claimed to be the archangel, into the stable, feelings of doubt flooded in — what had I really done until now?

I had to get to the Meeting Room. That was where the answer I was seeking lay.

The question was how to even get there.

With only four marks of stigma remaining.

While that would be more than enough in a typical dungeon, considering the dangers lurking here, it was woefully insufficient.

“For now, I need to join up with my comrades first······.”

Chill!

Just then.

As I burst onto the main road heading towards the Meeting Room, a handful of chilling shadows looming over my head suddenly halted my sprint.

Boom!

Ugh!

Dust soared as the fragments flying past my cheek revealed the human forms of three figures.

Their red gaze, clearly focusing on me through the flames, hinted strongly at their identities.

“Hah, this is insane······.”

Would I be able to escape even one? Now that there were three, I could only let out a sneer.

Feeling an intense sense of despair, I reluctantly drew out the remaining great sword.

“Hero Punch─!”

Wham! Crack! Boom!

Something resembling a thunderstorm swooped down before me, accompanied by a familiar scream, shattering, crushing, and demolishing the enemies in front of me.

The swing was so fast that the instant I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them again, the scene was already over.

“Are you hurt at all! Priest! I’m truly glad we got here just in time!”

A face I was far too familiar with cheerfully greeted me, her blood-stained hands reaching out.

I froze.

Unintentionally, I stepped back a pace.

It was inevitable.

Although she appeared to be the Hero at first glance, the fact that someone completely different was acting as the Hero and addressing me was utterly bewildering.

I subtly loosened a few buttons on my collar to see if I was misinterpreting this.

“Hmm? Why are you suddenly unbuttoning your clothes······?”

“······!?”

But that choice only confirmed further that the person before me was not the Hero.

No matter how urgent the situation, the fact that the Hero’s gaze had not once swept appreciatively over my exposed collarbone was absurd.

I could conclude definitively. She was not the Hero.

After all, irrespective of how dire things might be, at the moment we met, it made absolutely no sense that the Hero wouldn’t sequentially appraise my body from top to bottom.

“Here! Take my hand! Priest! The comrades are waiting!”

“······”

I had to make a decision.

Should I cater to that phony Hero’s whims or interrogate her identity right now?

“The Saint is worried sick too! Hurry up!”

“······”

I barely stopped myself from bursting into laughter.

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