A beam of light much thicker than the purification spell Lilian usually used shone down onto Fina.
The flames on Fina extinguished, but her whole body was charred black, hanging on by a mere thread of breath.
Aris stared at Lilian in disbelief. “Lilian! How could you lay such a vicious hand on a believer of the Goddess!”
Lilian backed away repeatedly, feigning fright. “It was a divine oracle sent down to me by the Goddess...”
Aris didn't have time to press her further; he cast a healing spell on Fina.
The healing power restored a faint, weak breath to what had been a lifeless lump of charcoal.
Yet he didn't breathe a sigh of relief over saving Fina's life, but simply scooped her up into his arms.
Seeing her charred face, Aris wrinkled his nose and turned his face away.
Even if this woman survived, she would be left permanently disabled, and her face was definitely ruined.
“What are you all standing around for?!”
Aris turned his head and barked sharply at the terrified novice nuns cowering in the corner:
“Carry her to the retreat room in the back and apply herbs to her wounds! As for what happened in the back kitchen today, if anyone dares leak a single word, don't blame the Church for expelling you on charges of incitement!”
“Y-Yes, Father!”
Feeling as if granted a grand reprieve, several nuns hurriedly carried Fina—who had only a single breath left—out of the kitchen.
The back kitchen fell quiet, leaving only the crackling embers in the hearth and the sweet aroma wafting from the simmering beast milk.
Only when the footsteps outside faded into the distance did Aris turn around, his hypocritical face darkening:
“A divine oracle? Would the Goddess's divine oracle command you to harm a nun?!”
Facing Aris's stern, icy interrogation, Lilian nodded without a second thought:
“It's true, Father. I swear in the Goddess's name, it was the Goddess who permitted me to do this.”
On the surface, she bit her lower lip, but in her heart, she was already rolling her eyes to the heavens.
Hilarious. When the Goddess left, she personally said to let the power of light protect me.
Then how is killing off everyone who wishes me harm not a form of protection?
Priest Aris was left somewhat bewildered by Lilian's solemn vow, furrowing his brows as he sized her up.
No clergy member would dare lie in the Goddess's name, especially a Saintess personally designated by the Goddess herself.
“Did the Goddess truly say so?”
“Really, really.”
Looking at Lilian's innocent, wide eyes, Aris began to wonder: could Fina really have done something to anger the Goddess?
Over the years, relying on her ambiguous relationship with him, she had bossed people around in Glimmer Town quite a bit. It wasn't impossible for her to have committed some vile deed.
Besides, she was crippled now anyway and could no longer...
Aris stared at Lilian's pure face, his breathing growing slightly heavier.
Lilian was someone he had brought to the church as a child and watched grow up; he knew her personality inside out.
In recent years, she had grown increasingly mature, and Aris had endured waiting all the way until the day of her adulthood baptism.
Yet, of all things, Lilian received a divine blessing from the Goddess and became a Saintess! That left Aris brimming with stifled rage.
“Is that magic truly a gift from the Goddess? You didn't secretly learn it somewhere?” Aris asked with a frown, reluctant to accept it.
Saintesses of the Church were strictly forbidden from learning any offensive magic; they represented the Goddess's mercy and purity.
Except in one scenario: when the Goddess personally bestowed a blessing, granting the Saintess offensive spells.
This group of Saintesses was known to the world as Chastisement Saintesses!
Aris's intensely possessive gaze almost made Lilian gag with disgust. Suppressing her revulsion, she spoke up: “Of course it was personally bestowed by the Goddess, right in front of the bakery, under the eyes of the believers.”
Lilian thought of a way to avenge herself on Aris, her eyes curving into a smile:
“Father, look! Isn't the flame granted by the Goddess so beautiful?”
A Searing Spark ignited in Lilian's hand once more. She took a step forward, bringing the flame closer to Aris like a child showing off a toy to an adult.
Aris's furrowed brows smoothed out. Lilian receiving the Goddess's blessing was ten to one true, and a sensation this big would quickly spread to the grand church in Morningbell City.
With a new Chastisement Saintess emerging, he bet that within two days, someone would arrive at his dilapidated church with knights to claim her.
After all, becoming a Saintess was one in a ten thousand; receiving a second divine blessing from the Goddess was rarer still, let alone a blessing of offensive magic.
Just as he was pondering this, an “accident” happened.
“Oops! Watch out, Father! I can't control it!”
Lilian “panicked” and blasted the spark straight toward the space between the priest's legs.
Aris turned pale. Driven by male instinct and the intuition of a First-Rank Cleric, he raised a pale yellow energy shield to protect his body just before the spark hit.
The scorching-white spark didn't hit head-on, but stuck directly to his crotch at a tricky angle!
In the blink of an eye, high-end fabric worth several gold coins was scorched into a fist-sized charred hole, billowing black smoke filling the back kitchen alongside the reek of burnt meat!
“Ow!”
Priest Aris let out a comical squawk, hopping repeatedly like a rooster stepping on a thumbtack.
“Damn it! Damn it all!”
Retreating in panic, he cast a water sphere to douse the flames.
The fire went out.
Aris looked down at his robe, which now had a drafty breeze blowing through his crotch. His face turned from white to bright red, shaking all over with rage.
“Li! Li! An!”
Aris raised his head, pressing down directly with the pressure of a First-Rank powerhouse.
“Do you have any idea what you are doing? Attacking a senior priest is a major crime! It is apostasy!”
Faced with Aris's berating, Lilian showed no fear. Instead, she gasped with exaggerated shock, taking two steps back in her little leather shoes, her small face a picture of pure innocence:
“Father! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I told you I only just received this divine spell from the Goddess, so I'm really not very skilled with it yet!”
Lilian blinked her large, teary eyes, looking every bit the terrified, delicate flower:
“Are you all right? That flame just now was only meant to show you how beautiful the Goddess's grace is. Who knew it would fly off on its own... Could it be that the divine fire sensed some sin? But how could that be you, Father? You're so humble and kind!”
“There must have been something dirty in that direction, and you happened to be blocking its path. I guessed right, didn't I, F-a-t-h-e-r?”
The priest's face turned ash-gray, ten thousand wild thoughts racing through his mind. Could the gift Lilian received really be a flame that punishes evil?
He really had used her... just now...
“N-No, you're right. It must be just as you guessed. But don't go using this power recklessly in the future—at least not until you've completely mastered it. It would be terrible if you hurt someone.”
Without another word or making a scene on the spot, he simply clutched his legs together awkwardly and hurried away.
“Tsk, the old gelding sure runs fast.”
The moment the door closed, the innocence vanished completely from Lilian's face.
This old pervert really is a pervert, but he's also genuinely strong. The power of a First-Rank Cleric isn't something I can mess with right now.
Besides getting revenge, that fireball was mostly a test of the priest's strength. If he weren't strong, I could have just scattered his ashes right then and there. But as luck would have it...
“U-Um... Lady... Lady Saintess...”
A timid voice unexpectedly floated in from the half-open back door.
Lilian shuddered all over!
The novice nun, Clara?
When did that little girl double back?!
How much of my behavior just now did she see?
If my persona is exposed, the next time the Goddess looks down, what falls might not be golden light...
Lilian stared dead at Clara standing in the doorway.
Should I explain it to her?
Or should I just silence her forever? Once and for all?
Rate on N.U.
