Chapter 70

Ever since I was able to use magic, I hadn’t thought of wanting to do anything special. I conjured the tentacles, albeit with impure intentions. Because I didn’t want to run away. But harsh shackles hurt, so soft ones would be better. If I force someone into sleeping with me, it will be hard on them, so I let something like an aphrodisiac come out.

There were many times when I used my power for convenience, but it was the first time I used magic with hostility toward someone of my own will.

“Lily, are you okay? Yes?”

“I don’t feel so good, but I’m okay.”

I said, wiping the blood from my mouth with my hand. The hard black sphere I created was confining the paladins. Some used swords or gathered their divine power to destroy it, but they were made with an intention, so it won’t break that easily.

Still, there were some who managed to avoid it. It was the paladin who guided us in the first place.

“Getting out of there is a lot easier than I thought.”

“I think there is a misunderstanding. We don’t have any other intentions. We just want to meet the Pope…”

“Don’t you dare mention His Holiness with that mouth, that is blasphemy!”

“…Endymion, this person is annoying.”

“I think so too.”

We just came with a purpose, so we didn’t want to cause a commotion. It could be a nuisance to the person called High Priest Larsen, and to some extent, this was also an international matter.

But for this guy to act like this without listening to our side, I was angry.

As I stared at him quietly, the scarlet eyes that had been staring at me suddenly turned elsewhere.

“You’re trying to do dirty tricks!”

“…What?”

What nonsense is he talking about now. I was stunned to see that the man’s cheeks were slightly flushed.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Hah! I don’t believe in what any devilkin would say.”

“Did you not hear anything from High Priest Larsen?”

“Oh dear. I wondered what the fuss was about, Sinclair. As expected, it was you.”

Just as soon as Endymion finished his words, there was a flustered voice from behind. An old man with gray hair, deep red eyes and a wrinkled face was walking by. As soon as I saw him, I thought he looked like Damian. Endymion, who was standing next to me, approached the old man.

“It’s been a while, High Priest Larsen.”

“Long time no see, Endymion. How is my little boy?”

“Yes. He is in very good health… Is the letter you sent me fabricated?”

“No, no. That guy got the wrong idea on his own.”

“High Priest, how can you allow a devilkin to be brought into this holy land!”

“Hoh, you punk. Does this Miss look so evil to you?”

“Yes, she looks evil!”

He’s not even looking at me as he was saying that. The old man, High Priest Larsen, approached me who was standing with a rugged face. He clicked his tongue. and bowed down

“The poor disciple has done a great disrespect, Miss.”

“High Priest!”

“What? Ah, it’s, it’s okay. You, you can just speak comfortably. Are you Damian’s… grandfather?”

“Thank you, then I’ll speak at ease. It seems that my little boy owes a lot to you. But he is such a careless guy and doesn’t care about others at all.

“…I can’t say he’s not. Well, still, compared to the beginning.”

He had changed a lot. High Priest Larsen smiled. The man behind me, Sinclair, scoffed out of disbelief, but I also decided not to mind the way he turns his face away when our eyes met again.

“The Pope is waiting for you, Miss. Come follow me.”

“Yes. Oh, wait.”

I had to free those people before I could go. When the sphere was removed, the trapped paladins stepped on the ground and bowed respectfully to High Priest Larsen. Endymion was still wary, but it didn’t seem like they had any further intention to attack us.

But that man, Sinclair, was still looking at us disapprovingly. High Priest Larsen sighed deeply and told him.

“Sinclair, did I teach you to be like that? You were so stupid that you couldn’t recognize the one who came all the way here to ask for help, going so far as to pose a danger to them even.”

“…Forgive me, High Priest.”

“You should definitely apologize for the rude behavior you have done to our guest.”

High Priest Larsen started to walk. Endymion held my hand and gestured at me, and I, half nervous and half excited, pressed my beating heart and hurried on.

My body wasn’t as heavy as before, perhaps because I had used my magic as much as I could. However, if I use this much magic, I will definitely have to absorb the energy again sooner or later. I just hoped I wouldn’t have to do it while I was on Terra. In the midst of the silent silence, the High Priest said.

“I will make sure that child apologizes, so don’t take it to heart too much.”

“…The High Priest doesn’t seem to care because I’m half, but I’m still devilkin.”

“Wow, where is the devilkin here? In my eyes, I can only see a pretty Miss with a good heart.”

The High Priest, who smiled kindly, stopped in front of the long stairs and looked back at me. The infinitely deep eyes were looking straight at me.

“You were attacked one-sidedly. You could have hurt them, but you did not. Thank you for not harming them.”

“…You’re welcome.”

“Once you go upstairs, someone else will guide you. May the righteous judgment and the glory of the Divine Spirit be with you on your path.”

The stairs were narrow and steep, so we had to be careful not to trip. When I suddenly looked behind me, High Priest Larsen, who was watching this place, waved his hand. I thought they resembled each other at first, but they didn’t at all. Endymion laughed as if he knew what I was thinking.

“Not much like Damian.”

“Uh… yes. To be honest, they look very similar, so I thought anyone would know that they were related by blood, but their personalities are so…”

“I get it. I thought the same at first too. I was the one who accompanied Damian when His Majesty tried to bring Damian to Ciel.”

“His Majesty came all the way here? …How?”

“This was before he ascended the throne. At that time, he traveled all over the place looking for talented people, perhaps because he had war in mind. At the time, I often accompanied His Majesty as the vice-commander, and I met Damian by chance as he was returning from an external mission. Regulus has also been brought by His Majesty himself.”

“I knew that. In fact, when I heard from Damian that he was a candidate for a paladin, I wondered why he had come all the way to Ciel. He said he got out because he didn’t like that kind of life.”

I didn’t dig into it in detail, but the Emperor was involved after all. I frowned. It wasn’t a very good feeling for me. Endymion grabbed my hand stronger. When we reached the end of the stairs, a person covered in a white cloth from head to toe approached me.

“I’ve been waiting. Please follow me.”

It was a young-sounding voice. And although it felt a lot more chaste than when I was outside, I wasn’t offended. I removed the magic that was wrapped around me like armor and exhaled.

The interior, decorated with golden fabric and carvings, was quiet. I couldn’t even hear the sound of footsteps from the priest who took the lead, only Endymion and my breathing echoed. Just when I felt the same scene repeating itself, we stopped in front of a door engraved with a white deer.

“You can go inside. The Pope is waiting for you.”

“Thank you. Miss Lily, please go in first.”

“Yes. Thank you for guiding us.”

I don’t know what to say. It just felt really weird. It’s been a quick few days that it felt like a dream of coming here. After closing my eyes, I opened the door and went inside.

“…Adelaide, is that you?”

Right as I opened the door, the thin voice made me take a deep breath. A skinny old man was lying on a bed elaborately crafted with unknown patterns. Just like the priest who guided Endymion and me to this place, there were priests with their whole body covered.

I could feel it implicitly. That this person is dying. I bit my lip and slowly approached the bed. I said very quietly.

“Nice to see you. My name is Lilith. Adelaide is my grandmother.”

“Yes. As expected, she seems to have lived as a human and died.”

“…The priest who gave the ring to my grandmother, is that you?”

“Yes, that’s right. Forgive me for welcoming a guest this way.”

“It’s all right.”

As I shook my head and smiled, the blinking pope smiled faintly. The unfocused eyes had a very beautiful golden color. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking slowly.

“I was thinking, just in case. The fact that the ring did not return was proof that she was alive somewhere. That’s why I wondered if I would be able to meet her someday, even though I knew it was infinitely impossible. However, I found out when the ring returned. That she no longer exists under the same sky. Adelaide, did she die three years ago?”

“No, Pope. Grandmother died before that. The ring was always on Grandmother’s grave and I carried it with me.”

The closed eyelids lifted, revealing the golden eyes once more. It was a face full of emotions.

“The woman who carried the ring, it was you. But why…? Although the ring could never be worn unless by Adelaide.”

“…It must be because Grandmother is in me.”

His eyes widened as I pressed my chest while I answered. I’m sure now. Grandmother has been with me ever since she passed away. Mother found the ring and she gave it to me right away without leaving it anywhere, and the ring was what I considered to be Grandmother.

“I think it’s going to be a long story.”

With the whispered words, the priests standing next to the pope quietly went outside, making only the sound of their clothes rustling. Seeing Endymion leaning his back against the wall far away, I licked my dry lips and smiled bitterly.

“…It was after I became a succubus that I learned about the ring.”

Thus, the long story began.

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