Chapter 40
“You can’t just go anywhere all alone. You don’t know how worried I was.”
Lea while looking pale with worry, grabbed me by my shoulders and warned me several times.
I didn’t mean to, it was a bit unfair, but I nodded and replied obediently,
“I’m sowwy.”
“Never, never, be alone in the church, alright?”
“Yes!”
“Okay, then let’s go in.”
Lea opened the door of the carriage.
People with hooded robes lined up in front of the church to greet us. A young man with the same robe came up to me.
“Nice to meet you, little miss. My name is Urso, I’m responsible for the third church in the northwest.”
“Hello.”
“You must have had a hard time riding the carriage until sunset. You can rest today, and tomorrow when the person from the central church arrives, we will check your divine power.”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, I don’t think I’m going to check it today.
‘Before that, I have to be prepared to make some kind of mistake in the test.’
In view of what happened in the castle not long ago, my divine power is at least similar to that of a priest under the direct control of the Pope.
‘If this gets known, they’ll try to take me away.’
But it’s already known to many people because of the incident, and I can’t pretend to be a beggar like before.
So I had to look as normal as possible. It’s a good thing that my divine power has increased.
‘The question is how to make errors in the test.’
Suddenly, Urso said,
“Let’s go. We have prepared a meal.”
Urso walked ahead and guided me.
The rest of the people from Dubbled, who were accompanying me, looked around the inside of the church with a small exclamation. For a first-timer, it really was a wonder.
Ordinary people could enter the chapel built outside but the access for people to come and see the church inside was strictly limited. It was because those who did not have any divine power were not allowed to enter.
‘Oh, it’s been a long time since I last came to this church.’
It felt very familiar as I had almost came to live here in my second life.
The people from Dubbled were excited and whispered to each other.
“What do you eat in the church?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll have something great.”
“We can eat, right?”
“I’m sure because the teaching of the church is not to discriminate by rank.”
I looked at them with a pitiful look.
‘I don’t think so…’
As expected, their expectations broke down as soon as they entered the dining room.
The meat and fish were full of bad smell.
‘I knew it.’
The church avoids killing.
’Do not eat what is bought, but eat what is naturally dead’ was the way they ate.
Therefore, one shouldn’t expect delicious food because the quality of the ingredients are the lowest.
“Come, have a seat.”
Urso sat in the chair as I sat next to him.
“Before we began eating, let us all give a short thanks to God for allowing us to eat.”
Soon, all of us started to eat.
“Urgh…”
The faces of the Dubbled’s servants, who tasted the food, turned pale.
‘I know, it’s not tasty.’
The reason why the servants felt so disgusted by the food provided by the church was that the duke was full of money and was generous with his employee’s meals.
I had become so comfortable with the meals provided there that I wondered if I could even eat the meals here after such a long time.
With a worried face, I scooped up the fish soup with a spoon and delivered it to my mouth.
‘Huh?’
It’s surprisingly good enough.
I was hungry and the food was pretty decent, so I finished a whole bowl of soup.
“You seem to like it. I’m glad.”
Urso grinned.
***
On a particularly dark night.
Lea, who saw me asleep, left the room with an empty glass of water.
As soon as I heard the sound of the door close, I opened my eyes.
[Are you going out? Didn’t you promise not to be alone?]
‘Now is the only time I can get the goddess’s tears for you.’
If Boone didn’t grant me a wish, then he won’t go away. He would continue to suck out my divine power, and eventually I’ll become a lunatic.
[Child…]
Boone called me sadly.
‘I’m sure there are a lot of people who want your power!’
[Yes! Those who miss their dead parents, lovers, friends, and children try so hard to awake me!]
‘But, I don’t miss anyone from the grave.’
Rather it was that there was no one who I could miss in the first place.
[If I emerge, I can protect you.]
‘Really? Will you look like a human if you emerge?’
[Yes, and my power will stay the same, but when I am assuming my true form, I can exude more power.]
‘Why are you using your human form then?’
[Most of the humans are so weak that they go crazy just by looking at a devil’s true form. Usually the bodies of other devils are too terrible for human eyes. But I look beautiful even in human eyes.]
He said with a huff.
Those words aroused my curiosity.
‘Then show me.’
[Sure, but I’ll need to pull your divine power by 9 percent…]
I quickly corrected my words.
‘Come to think of it, I don’t think I have to look at it.’
9%.
Large amounts of my divine power was required to maintain his current form if it got to nine percent, it would drive me crazy in less than half a day.
Carefully leaving the church grounds, I headed for the chapel.
During the meal earlier, I heard people say that the Goddess’s Tears, was on display. But the chapel was guarded by many knights.
‘Boone, please make sure they won’t see me.’
Soon, I set up a barrier.
I was thinking, if I get caught, I should pretend to be sleepwalking. But the knights didn’t notice me.
‘Okay, it’s a success.’
I saw a glass tube on the platform and ran. It was much taller than me, so I grabbed the corners and raised my head.
As I stuck out my head, I caught a glimpse of the beautiful sapphire under the moonlight.
‘This is it?’
[Yes! This is it!]
Boone exclaimed with great joy.
I rummaged through my pockets and pulled out the wire I had packed in advance. When I was a beggar, there was no place I could not get through with this thing.
‘I must unlock it first, and remove the protection.’
It was then.
I heard the door open. I was so startled that I quickly lowered myself in an attempt to hide myself. I could see red wine-colored loafers worn which were usually worn by high-ranking priests.
‘I’m in big trouble.’
Just because I set up a barrier didn’t mean that everyone couldn’t see me. Those with strong divine power could see the existence within the barrier. In other words, if they were a high-ranking person in the church, it was likely that they could catch me red-handed.
‘Boone!’
[Yes, child.]
‘Emerge as a human.’
[Huh?]
‘Please attract his attention so that he doesn’t notice me!’
A gust of wind blew through the window. I felt the cold blow over my shoulders as the curtains fluttered wildly. Boone emerged with a human body.
‘Go out now!’
If I get caught entering the chapel at this hour, I’ll be locked up in prison.
If Boone gets caught, I’ll have to bring him back. As I got up, the other person’s feet came to a standstill.
But…
“Are you from Dorie Farm?”
Far from being surprised, he said strange things.
‘Isn’t that Urso’s voice?’
He strode up and stopped in front of Boone.
“You’re a girl worth seeing as I have heard.”
It seemed that Boone was mistaken as a very delicate and beautiful-looking woman.
That misunderstanding was very much possible in such a dark place.
I would have mistaken him for a woman too if I hadn’t seen that pillar of fire the other day.
“I have brought the money. If you make me disappointed this time, your father’s farm will be cut off today.”
What?
‘You extorted money from the residents, and you enjoy a luxurious life.’
If so, it was understandable how the church food was unusually delicious. Although they prepared it in a similar fashion to other churches’ food to show it to the people of Dubbled, it may have been mixed with Urso’s food because it usually used good ingredients. I glanced up and peeped at Urso as he approached Boone and squeezed his hands. Then,
‘Gasp!’
Suddenly, he grabbed Boone’s ass and squeezed it.
“Your father must have been in dire need of money seeing that he sent you in a hurry when he said he couldn’t do so before.”
There was a grin on his face.
Boone stared at Urso, who was rubbing a devil’s ass.
Could one consider Urso unlucky or lucky to be able to touch a devil’s butt?
I was so dumbfounded.
One thing was for sure, that madman was a pervert. Boone’s gaze fell down on Urso’s hand that was grasping his ass, and then a smile bloomed on his face.
“Why? Are you already excited?”