A Priest's Life as a Villain

Chapter 004

Ran still often thought these days.

About why it had to be him.

At first, he had believed it was simply the Lord's will. He no longer thought so now.

Cyrano drawing closer to Ran.

Ran drawing closer to Cyrano.

"Cyrano" and "Ran" were not exactly parallel. They were ambiguously blending together. That process was confusing, but not painful. Ran thought, perhaps, that might even be his talent.

What was certain was that it was not thanks to the Lord's grace or prayer.

"Prayer?? Aren't you going to pray?"

Hilda, sitting at the edge of the bed, spoke. Ran was lying with his back turned toward her.

"Don't mind me, just go out."

"? If I leave now, the high priest will scold me."

Ran jumped up and stood face-to-face with Hilda.

Surprised, Hilda drew in her neck, and as if steeling herself, brought her hand up above her shoulder strap.

Ran abruptly grabbed her hand and drew his face close to hers. Hilda tightly shut her eyes.

"Hm."

She looked about his age or maybe younger. Other than a strikingly pretty face that would stand out in a lineup, there weren't any distinctive features.

Suddenly, Ran bent down and grabbed Hilda's ankle, lifting it up.

"Kya, kyaaa!"

Hilda, who toppled over onto the bed, looked up at Ran with startled eyes. He was staring closely at the sole of her foot. Embarrassed, she reflexively tensed her toes.

"Just stay still for a moment."

Ran smacked the sole of her foot with a loud clap, then straightened her curled toes.

"The size is roughly similar."

Ran let go of her ankle with a flick and sprawled far away from her, lying down next to her.

Hilda turned her head to look at Ran.

Nothing else happened.

A brief silence passed. Hilda cautiously spoke.

"Is it true that most inquisitors aren't actually clergy?"

"? Yes."

Hilda didn't ask any further. She figured Ran was one of that kind. The church priests were always reciting scripture or praying at all hours. And they were mostly hypocrites.

"Excuse me."

"Yes?"

"Could I borrow your lap for a moment?"

Hilda just blinked. After her foot, now her lap? Even Boras didn't have this kind of taste.

"I'll only rest on it for an hour."

She couldn't refuse. Hilda, caught off guard, sat down in the center of the bed. Ran gave a slight nod of thanks, then lay down with his head on her lap right away.

"I'm a really light sleeper, you know? You can stroke my hair, but don't do anything else. And if I fall asleep, please leave right away."

Just like that—an hour passed as if by magic, and snoring was soon heard.

Hilda sat frozen the whole time. She slowly bowed her head. Her tense muscles gradually released, making soft creaking sounds as they relaxed.

"Inquisitor."

It was the scariest word in the world. Even just muttering it, she felt as if she might lose control. Resentment and curiosity welled up within her at the same time. How could someone do such cruel things so unhesitatingly, while not even being church clergy?

"With such an innocent face, too."

Her mind raced with thoughts. Hilda gently supported Ran's head and carefully removed it from her lap.

The sound of the door closing was heard.

Ran quietly opened one eye.

* * *

"Safe again today."

Ran spoke, looking in the mirror. He pressed down his bird-beaked mask.

Lucerne's dawn was bleaker than its evening. The thick fog made everything look washed in blue. As Boras had said, with Asriel not bestowing his warmth, it seemed as if not even sunlight could filter through.

Most villagers who passed by looked at Ran in fear. Some didn't. Those who didn't were either imperial guards dispatched for local security, or members of the Church.

'Nothing special.'

Occasionally, he would suddenly feel uneasy or a sense of disgust would flare up. Either there was a demon nearby, or there was a strong stir of demonic force—one of the two.

Someone once said that was Ran's natural intuition. Ran disagreed.

'Holy power attained through training in Quersa.'

He walked the village in circles several times before noon.

It was passing by the old lord's mansion. Boras recognized him from afar and came toward him. Ran took off the mask and crammed it in his coat pocket.

"Hoho, what business has you up so early, inquisitor?"

"I'm just out for a walk."

"Ahem. The state of things around here must've made you uncomfortable. Makes me embarrassed on your behalf."

"It's nothing."

One way or another, Ran ended up walking side by side with Boras. Eight maids followed behind them. All wore thin white robes.

"Where are you coming from?"

"I'm returning from morning worship. Purifying these girls' bodies is my main duty and joy."

At that moment, a foul stench brushed past Ran's nose. It wasn't Boras's breath. Ran glanced behind. His gaze instinctively focused on one person. Hilda. Like the other maids, she kept her head deeply bowed and her joined hands hidden in her sleeves as she walked.

Boras turned to follow Ran's gaze and flashed a yellow-toothed grin.

"Did you have a good time yesterday? These are girls drenched in the Lord's grace. Hilda especially is a masterpiece. To take on a man of an inquisitor's caliber..."

"High Priest."

Suddenly, Ran stopped walking, pulled the bird-beaked mask from his coat and put it back on. As he turned, Hilda clamped both hands over her mouth and collapsed. The other maids and Boras looked back and forth between the two, bewildered.

Ran kept his gaze on Hilda as he spoke to Boras.

"She's a masterpiece, but you might want to dispose of her soon."

* * *

The official charge was heresy, but all day Lucerne buzzed with the word 'witch-hunt'.

Whenever the accused was a woman connected to a demon, people called it a witch-hunt. There was a popular belief that magic power seeped easily into female bodies.

Ran asked Boras to detain Hilda and stepped out. He said he would get headquarters' permission for her transfer before the transport.

"You wretched bitch! You dog of a woman!"

Boras lashed out with a whip. Each blow rang with metallic echoes throughout the mansion's basement. Chains tautly fixed to the wall bound Hilda's neck and limbs, suspending her body off the ground.

It was the second day since Ran had returned to Gerinhild.

Boras visited Hilda whenever he could, alternating vicious beating with feeding her water and pieces of bread.

"I cared for you so much!"

"??."

He couldn't grip the handle anymore. Dropping the whip, Boras fell to his knees and started to sob bitterly.

"Say it isn't so! Say it! How could you be a vessel for a demon?! The Lord's touch filled every part of your body! Ngh, hic."

Hilda gazed down at the sobbing Boras with empty eyes. Her emotions were long dried-up—burned away completely. Utterly exhausted, all she wished was for everything to end quickly.

Wailing like a child, Boras abruptly stopped. Bowing his head, he heard the dripping sound of liquid hitting the floor. Hilda was urinating herself. Boras felt a burning heat from below. His twisted desire flared up uncontrollably. He slowly opened his mouth.

Bang, bang—!!

"High Priest! High Priest!"

A guard banged urgently on the basement's iron door. Boras, startled mid-motion, smacked his lips and opened the door.

The guard's face was sheet-white.

"It's bad! We're under attack!!"

"What?? Attacked?"

"Looks like it's the Revolutionaries!"

Together, Boras and the guard hurried through a basement corridor and up the stairs.

Unbelievable. Lucerne had become a living hell in an instant.

"Wh-what is this...?"

The clash of weapons and screams came in waves. Flames blazed fiercely everywhere. Though these were times of war, he'd never lived through it firsthand. Boras's mind went blank. His knees buckled, and the guard had to support him.

"There! That's him! That's the high priest!"

Someone shouted from somewhere. Boras stumbled toward the basement stairs, clinging to the guard.

"O, O Lord, please look after your lamb, save me from the flames of hell, give me time to repay you..."

Boras gasped for breath, muttering prayers nonstop.

Just as he entered the hallway connected to Hilda's cell, he heard footsteps behind. Two armed men followed, closing in.

"Aaaah!"

Boras ran with all his might, overtaking even the guard beside him. The two men didn't run. They walked at a steady pace, tightening the noose. Watching them, Boras grabbed and rattled the iron door's handle, now cursing instead of praying.

When they were just ten steps away, the heavy door finally swung open.

Bang!

"Hu-huaa!"

Boras collapsed against the door. His heart felt like it would burst through his mouth.

Crunch!

It was the sound of a thick skewer piercing through frozen slabs of meat.

Boras let out a choking sound. Lowering his hands from his face, he looked toward the source.

A tentacle, shot out straight, had pierced the guard's head from the back and shot through his forehead.

Boras wet himself. He couldn't breathe. His eyes slowly rolled along the mucous-covered tentacle.

"Uuugh!"

He felt nauseous. Where Hilda should have been, there now writhed a mass of hundreds of tentacles. Scarlet tentacles, varying in thickness and length, twisted and writhed as if each possessed a life of its own. Only five tentacles, which had once been Hilda's neck and limbs, remained chained and supported the body.

"You filthy old man. Lift your head."

A voice came from one side. It wasn't Hilda's or the beast's. It was a human male. Boras wiped the vomit from his hands and looked.

"Do you know who I am, by any chance?"

A man in a robe emerged from the shadows. His hood was pulled low, obscuring his features.

Without even really seeing, Boras shook his head desperately, his body trembling.

"Is that so. How disappointing. Is my reputation only this much?"

"Wh-who... who are you?"

"Hmm, nevermind. No way a pig in a sty would know a name from this world. I won't be disappointed."

A tentacle slithered up between Boras's legs. Like a seductive woman's touch, it slid up his thigh, over his belly, and slowly wrapped around his neck. Boras was on the verge of madness. He tried to pray with his mind, but no words came out.

"I'll make it short. Where is the inquisitor?"

"Gerin? He's gone back to Gerinhild!"

"Is that so? Ha, that bastard ruined all my plans. Damn it! Do you know how much effort I put into this?"

The man muttered, nearly in tears. Boras just shut his eyes tight. He couldn't bring himself to look at the man or the beast Hilda had become.

"At least tell me his name."

Bang—!

A shock from behind sent Boras sprawling forward. The coiling tentacles loosened. The man also started in surprise.

The gap in the iron door widened, then swung open.

"Ugh, what is that."

Ran grabbed his bird-beaked mask as if to block a stink. Behind him, the two men who had chased Boras lay collapsed side by side.

"Inquisitor!"

As soon as the man shouted, Ran picked up a spear dropped by a sprawled guard and took a throwing stance. In an instant, the spear flew from his hand and struck the beast square in its body.

KIEEEEEEE—!

A piercing scream resounded through the basement. Ran, the man, and Boras all clapped hands over their ears.

The beast's tentacles stood sharply upright, as if struck by lightning, then all at once drooped limply.

The man, throwing back his hood, wore a stunned expression. Like someone caressing a dead child, he lifted one of the hanging tentacles. Its tip slackened without strength.

"C-c-crazy... How did you kill it in one shot?"

The man was speechless, glaring at the bird-beaked mask with resentful eyes. Ran stood with his arms crossed, unfazed. His fists trembled, but the man no longer had any way to accuse the bird-masked inquisitor. He had, but now it was gone.

"Were you really planning to attack Gerinhild with just that?"

"? 'Just that'? Just you say?"

"Does that look impressive to you?"

The man faltered and tilted his head back, covering his eyes with the back of his hand as if tears might burst out.

"You know how much bullshit I went through? Damn it."

Ran started to reply, then simply pursed his lips. He'd had a hard time too. He had spent two whole days holding out in Lucerne's back mountain.

Until the Revolutionaries finally revealed themselves.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Damn, so much action in just 4 chapters.
Also, I don't see any good person here. The Revolutionaries and Boras are shitty people. But I'm guessing the Revolutionaries are only pushed into demons because of the mainland church's corruption.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】