Chapter 4 (Part 4)
“I saw some of the young ladies shirking their responsibilities and forcing others to do their work. And yes, they’re definitely harassing people out of sight of the priests.”
The next evening, after spending a day observing the behavior of the young ladies staying at the temple, a young acolyte reported their findings to Ian.
Hearing this, Ian realized that Cecilia hadn’t lied. He also came to understand that Priestess Anna was aware of everything but had been turning a blind eye in exchange for money.
If Ian intervened immediately, the harassment toward Cecilia would cease. As a true priest, he should have revealed the truth without expecting anything in return.
But Ian couldn’t do that. He couldn’t let go of the thought of using this opportunity to receive Cecilia’s help.
At the same time, he felt that he should avoid getting involved with her. If he did, he might face consequences he wouldn’t be able to handle later.
She knew too much about men. That made her too dangerous for someone as naïve as Ian to get involved with. Who knew what might happen if he did? It was better not to get involved with her from the start.
The answer was clear. All he had to do was act accordingly, yet Ian kept hesitating.
What should I do?
After agonizing over it, he eventually found himself heading to the confessional the next day. He wanted to rid himself of the impure thoughts that had taken root in his mind.
Fortunately, today’s confessional priest was Bishop Chris, who was known for his gentle and wise nature, making him the perfect person to confide in.
“Priest Ian? What brings you here?”
Recognizing him immediately by his voice, the bishop asked in surprise.
“I’ve come because I have something troubling me. You are aware of my severe insomnia, aren’t you?”
“Yes. But I thought your insomnia had been resolved. Your face, which used to look so fatigued, hasn’t looked that way recently.”
“That’s correct.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“But there’s a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
“I’m not sure how to put this into words.”
“Feel free to say anything.”
Encouraged by the bishop’s comforting tone, Ian hesitated before finally speaking.
“I’ve committed a sin against the Gods.”
“What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”
“My faith keeps wavering because of a woman’s indecent touches. I’m afraid I’ll completely fall for her.”
“Ah…”
The bishop, caught off guard by Ian’s unexpected confession, was momentarily speechless. After clearing his throat twice, he spoke again.
“I think I know what’s been causing your insomnia all this time.”
“What do you think the cause is?”
“It seems that you have a very strong libido, Priest Ian. You need to release it periodically, but since you haven’t, it’s been building up and manifesting as insomnia.”
“Are you saying I need to keep releasing it?”
“…Yes.”
After a brief hesitation, the bishop answered cautiously.
“Oh, dear!”
Ian buried his head in his hands. He couldn’t understand why the gods had given him such a trial. Deep down, he already knew that he needed to release his s*men.
But he had come to the bishop in the hope of denying that fact, only to hear the same thing from him, leaving Ian feeling even more conflicted.
“Then what should I do?”
“You’ll need to release it periodically.”
“Do you think the Gods would forgive such an act? Wouldn’t it be considered a betrayal of the Gods?”
“Yes, from the perspective of a priest, it would be a sin. However, we are currently suppressing our desires. We’ve done so until now, and we plan to continue doing so. The only reason we can live well is that our bodies are functioning normally.”
“…”
“But you’re not like that. Suppressing your desires has disrupted your ability to sleep. If you can’t sleep properly, your body will suffer. So, preserving your life should come first, don’t you think?”
“…”
“Since it’s about releasing your s*men rather than engaging with a woman, you don’t need to overthink it. Think of it as training until you can develop self-control.”
“Are you sure that’s acceptable?”
Ian, who had been staring at the ground in guilt, slowly raised his head.
“Think of it as the will of the Gods. As long as you maintain purity in your heart and don’t lose your chastity, it should be fine. But be careful—temptations from the devil are far stronger than you can imagine.”
“Understood.”
After the confession, the suffocating feeling in Ian’s heart felt slightly lighter. The bishop had been right. All he needed was to stay firm in his beliefs.
So, Ian decided that he could accept the young lady’s help as long as he kept his mind sharp and in control. With that, he steadied his wavering heart.
***
Two days after meeting in the confessional, Priest Ian sent word to Cecilia.
“Just do the laundry again. If you ruin the clothes this time, I won’t let it slide.”
“You should do your own laundry.”
“Looks like you still haven’t learned your lesson. If I have to show you how serious I am—”
“Excuse me…”
At the end of the day, just as Lady Pirus was once again threatening Cecilia in the dormitory hallway, a young acolyte approached them.
“W-What brings you here? You didn’t overhear what I was saying just now, did you?”
Seeing Lady Pirus panicking over the possibility of being overheard made Cecilia almost laugh out loud.
If she’s that scared, then why bother bullying others in the first place?
“I didn’t hear anything. I’m just here to deliver a message, so I don’t know anything.”
The young acolyte turned toward Cecilia and handed her a small note.
“What’s that? Don’t I have one too?”
Lady Pirus glanced around the young acolyte, checking if there was anything for her as well.
“No, there isn’t. Now, please head back to your rooms.”
Annoyed by Lady Pirus’s behavior, the young acolyte tried to usher the two women back into their rooms.
“We still have unfinished business.”
“It’s late. You should sleep early so you can wake up early.”
Although Lady Pirus shot a lingering glance at Cecilia, indicating that their conversation wasn’t over, the young acolyte shook his head firmly, saying no.
Thanks to this, Cecilia was able to return to her room safely without further trouble. Once inside, she unfolded the note the young acolyte had given her. The note contained only a date and time.
Did Priest Ian send this?
There was no name written on it, but Cecilia was certain it was from Ian. After all, there was no one else in the temple who would summon her through a young acolyte.
Late at night, while everyone else was asleep, Cecilia covered her face with a cloak and headed to the designated location. The meeting place was in front of the lounge used by the priests.
The note even included directions to avoid paths frequented by patrolling holy knights or priests heading to pray, allowing her to arrive unnoticed.
As she approached the lounge, she spotted Priest Ian waiting for her. He, too, was cloaked, and it wasn’t until she got closer that she could confirm it was him.
“Come this way.”
Ian gestured for her to follow him toward the lounge. He unlocked the door and entered first, with Cecilia following behind. Once she was inside, he locked the door.
“Is it really okay to sneak out and meet here in the middle of the night?”
Worried that someone might overhear, Cecilia whispered in a low voice.
“I suffer from insomnia, so when I can’t sleep, I often go to the prayer room to pray. No one would find it odd if I left the priest’s quarters late at night.”
But Ian didn’t lower his voice at all.
Shouldn’t he be the one more cautious? A priest secretly meeting with a congregation member at night was far from ordinary. If someone found out, it would cause a scandal.
“What if someone else is secretly meeting here like us?”
She feared that someone like Priest Gilbert might bring another woman here late at night.
“As a priest of the Atheon Temple, I’m ashamed to admit this, but this place is sometimes used as a playground for certain corrupted priests. There’s no set schedule; if someone else is here first, the others just leave.”
“Oh…”
Cecilia looked around the lounge. It was cleaner than other parts of the temple, as if extra care was taken to ensure the temple’s secrets wouldn’t be exposed.
Even so, she still felt nervous about being caught by someone.
“The door is locked from the inside, so no one can come in. This room is also soundproof, so there’s no need to lower your voice.”
As if reading her mind, Ian reassured her.
“That’s a relief, but still…”
“Let’s stop wasting time and get to the point.”
“Alright.”
After a brief pause, Ian spoke cautiously.
“I’ve had the young acolytes observe the behavior of the young ladies staying in the dormitory. Everything you said was true.”
“Then, will you help me?”
Hearing that Ian might help her, Cecilia looked at him with hopeful eyes.
“I can’t overlook the wrongdoings of the young ladies. I’ll accept your proposal.”
“Thank you.”
Relieved to hear he would help, Cecilia let out a sigh of relief.
“But you must keep your end of the bargain.”
“Of course. I’m not one to go back on my word.”
“The deadline will be before you leave.”
The vague deadline puzzled Cecilia, so she asked with a curious expression.
“Wouldn’t it be better to set it clearly at 100 days?”
“The event might not end on the scheduled day. It depends on the circumstances.”
“Does that mean it could go beyond 100 days?”
“It could also end before 100 days. The congregation’s prayers might conclude earlier.”
“Alright.”
“From now on, even if I don’t contact you, come to this place every three days.”
“What? Every three days?”
Cecilia couldn’t hide her surprise. She had expected to help him once a week at most.
Helping him relieve himself every three days in a temple that saw hundreds of people coming and going daily—was he serious?
She narrowed her eyes at Ian, but he simply looked back at her with a calm, unapologetic expression.
Ian’s nonchalant attitude made Cecilia wonder if she was the one overthinking.
“Yes. If something comes up, I’ll send word through a young acolyte.”
Sensing that the conversation was coming to an end, Cecilia asked,
“Do you need my help today?”
“I’ll help you first, and then we’ll begin the agreement.”
“Understood.”
After finalizing their agreement, Cecilia returned with a lighter heart.
Whether tomorrow or the day after, she felt certain that the time for retribution would come soon. A smile naturally spread across her lips at the thought.
-To be continued in Volume 2-
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