19 Chapter 19 Rock You Like An EXPLOSION! Arc Part 3

"Ah, Megumin, Big Sis is so happy to see you!" Cecily hugged and rubbed her cheek with the kinda reluctant Megumin's own. "Lady Aqua really has blessed me to go on this chance to slack off and see Megumin--I mean holy pilgrimage."

She does know everyone heard her the first time, right? Michael thought. Actually why does Aqua look smug, like she's taking credit for something?

"Big Sis, seriously, let go." Megumin not to gentle was pushing the Priest's face away.

"Eh, Megumin actually has people she's familiar with?" Asked Yunyun, surprised at her rival having people be friendly and familiar with her.

"I resent that remark!"

"Ah!" The Priest quickly recomposed herself as she turned toward Aqua. There was a moment where the Axis Priest almost couldn't believe what she was seeing. Like a person having too much hope, yet unlike what's typical to getting a lottery ticket, they actually win. The moment was gone quickly. A bit too quickly in how this Cecily composed herself. It made Michael think that maybe she's more competent than she seemed.

No, wait. This is an Axis Priest. I'm looking too deeply into this.

Now composed, Cecily greeted Aqua with an attitude of formality and...elation?

Michael couldn't help but think that look in Cecily's eyes toward Aqua were like those of a lover.

I never paid attention back in Uruk but was that how Ishtar's worshipers looked at her? I don't...think so? This feels a bit more intimate. Michael thought. He had seen some of the...odd Axis Priests in Axel despite their small number (or maybe they are all oddballs), but none of them seemed to recognize Aqua beyond praising her for her Advanced Job.

"Are you by chance, the Arch Priest Lady Aqua?" Asked Cecily, a calm happy smile on her face, as opposed to her hyper excitement from earlier.

"Hm, hm, that's right!" Aqua nodded with a wide smile, always happy to be acknowledged by members of her church. "So you've heard of me? It's true. I am Aqua, the actual--"

Before she could continue Michael grabbed Aqua by the shoulder, and brought her close. "What are you doing? If you tell this one that you're a goddess, she looked like she might actually believe you." He whispered.

"Why is that a bad thing?" Aqua found herself whispering back, while frowning with teary eyes.

"Think of it this way. You're the CEO of a company but no one ever met you, they just know you're there from your signature on the paperwork that comes from your office. No one can directly talk to you except for a few and it's by phone, or a web-call with poor camera quality." Michael began to explain quickly.

"What do you mean poor camera quality?" Aqua whisper-shouted.

Michael didn't want to mention what he thought of Aqua statues he found sometimes, and their differences from the "real" thing.

"Focus! Look, the point is, one day you appear before your company employees--"

"They're my lovely followers not employees. They're not my wage slaves, but my beloved worshipers."

"You're breaking the analogy but okay. So your followers don't recognize you, even when you tell them who you are, and how your signature should confirm your identity, but then one of them starts to believe you and then another. What do you think happens next?"

"I'd be welcomed as their Goddess CEO and celebrated and live a comfortable life without any worry."

"No. They will be like 'Oh Miss Goddess President, so good to finally meet you. Here, take all this hundred piles of paperwork that we could never get to you because of poor communications with your office. We are so happy we can now give all that work to you directly rather than guess what to do.'" Michael finished his analogy.

Aqua's eyes widened and looked back to see the Axis Priest waiting patiently with a calm smile, tilting her head at Aqua look. Megumin seemed perturbed by the behavior. Yunyun looked between Megumin, Cecily and Michael and Aqua, trying to figure out the social dynamic of what's happening. Schwanhild silently observed, and Darkness was ignored and forgotten.

"Ah-hem, ah yes." Aqua sat back straight, coughing to appear as though nothing happened. "I am Aqua, the great, powerful, holy beautiful and beautiful Arch Priest."

"You know, people usually try to spread the repeat of their hyped-up self-descriptors to at least appear subtle. You didn't even hesitate to say 'beautiful' twice in a row." Michael pointed out with a chuckle. Aqua just pouted and huff at Michael breaking her stride.

"Yes, it really is an honor to meet you, Lady Aqua. News reached Alcanretia of a new powerful Arch Priest living in Axel, and I was sent here to confirm such information, and to offer aid as needed." Cecily explained.

"That's suspicious." It wasn't Megumin that said this, even though it seemed like she was going to, but Schwanhild whom everyone now turned to. "While I understand that Arch Priest is a difficult Job to reach, and the Axis might have few of them due to it's number, I don't see why you would put all that much effort to help one Arch Priest in a different city."

Cecily blinked, and a happy grin started spreading across her face. Megumin facepalmed knowing what's about to happen.

"Oh may Lady Aqua!" Cecily moved and was now hugging the small confused and startled Priest to her chest. "Another loli, and one who is a Priest. Truly Lady Aqua has..." Then Cecily noticed that Axis symbol on Schwanhild military hat. It was a change the Twinkle Priest made after taking aqua as a patron. "AND SHE'S ALREADY IN THE AXIS CHURCH! THIS DAY CAN'T GET ANY BETTER!"

"Unhand me you rabid commoner! Even if we are in the same order, do not presume you can freely touch me!" Schwanhild growled out, trying and succeeding to push Cecily away from her, which just embolden the Axis Priest to draw on unknown reserves of hidden strength to hug the loli.

"And she's a kuudere too! So cute~!"

"Okay, maybe you should ease up on her, Since Schwanhild might actually start swinging her staff at you." Michael tried to diffused the situation before it became a problem.

Cecily's laser sharp eyes then focused on Michael. He realized he had made a mistake, by drawing attention to himself. "Oh my~," All of a sudden Michael found the Axis Priest in front of him, holding his hand and bending forward to get a closer look at his face. "I'm sorry for having ignored you. To think there would be a handsome adventurer in a party with Lady Aqua and Megumin, a Loli Axis Priest, it's like I've won the lottery today. Say, are you an accomplished adventurer?"

"I'm actually really hated in town." And once more, Michael decided that his karma was on point. He had never been so glad to have a bad reputation in Axel.

"I bet you're rich."

"I'm actually in debt."

"It's a long shot, but maybe you have a magic sword?"

"Nope." Michael smiled as he felt her grip loosening.

"Doesn't Heat'tit Khara count as a magic sword?" Asked Yunyun and Michael instantly felt guilty for naming the sword that, as he inadvertently made the innocent Yunyun spout swear words.

"Het-what?" Asked Cecily.

"Ah, no, that sword belongs to Darkness." Michael corrected.

"Hmm, that's right." Darkness nodded with a smile.

"Tsk, filthy Eris Cultist stealing what doesn't belong to them." Cecily clicked her tongue, as she sensed the holy energy around Darkness, and who it belonged to.

Aaaand there it is. Michael thought, as the animosity between the Axis Church and Eris Cult showed itself.

"Hmmph!" Darkness shivered and moaned.

"Seriously, I forgot how things are between the Axis and Eris Order." Megumin sighed. "Darkness isn't even a Priest, how could you tell?"

"I could tell by her smell." Cecily said with disgust, renewing her grip on Michael's hand when he tried to wiggle it out in the distraction.

"I, I don't smell!" Darkness actually blushed and protested the insult this time.

"You are bashful about the weirdest thing." Michael said.

"I'm a maiden too, you know." Darkness cried out.

"Let's forget about that smelly Eris Crusader and go back to talking about your marital future." Cecily said, and through unexpected sneaky maneuvering while Michael was talking to Darkness, the Axis Priest sat on his lap.

"Hmmph!"

"You were asking about my living conditions, to suddenly talking about marriage? What the hell is that jump?" Michael cried out. He didn't want to force Cecily off his lap, not because her bum felt nice (though yes it was), but because he had seen enough of Axis members to get a feel that it would be a bad idea. She might start throwing crazy accusations or sob stories about him.

"Big Sis, you're troubling my party member. We were about to go on a big adventure before you came here." Megumin stood up to object.

"Oh my, to have enthralled my cute Megumin already?" Cecily looked shocked before she held her chin in thought. "I suppose if you promise me six kids I can forgive you."

"You're jumping to kids now!" Michael started to shout, before her took a breath to calm himself. No, he won't fall to her pace. "Look, Miss Cecily, I don't know you, or know even why you're so insistent on getting hitched, just as we met."

"Hmm, how do I say this? Young pretty guys are my type. Pretty girls too." She said shamelessly with a lecherous smile. "Mostly though, even if you have a bad reputation and are in debt, I can't help the feeling that I would be happy in the long run with a Paladin like you." Cecily said without reservations.

Michael looked to Aqua for help, only to see her just nodding with Cecily's words. No help was coming from the Goddess.

"You're wrong about that Big Sis." Megumin said with a smirk, getting a confused look from the Axis Priest. "Michael isn't some common Paladin. Nay, he's a Dark Paladin with a great power that compliments my own."

Cecily blinked a few times, before her wide happy smile returned now with a teasing edge.

"A Dark Paladin? You mean those knight who want to do good while hiding it behind self-interest. Rejecting the goddesses because they didn't want to be subordinates to either, but follow their teaching anyways because it's 'efficient'. Oh my Lady Aqua, to think I would meet a guy my type whose also an actual tsundere!" Cecily exclaimed.

"What?" Michael shouted in horror.

"Oh my Lady Aqua, I hit the jackpot!" A hungry look entered Cecily's eyes. "You know what, forget about the future? What do you say we have kids right now!"

Darkness covered Schwanhild's eyes, while she looked unsure to be happy about the harassment in front of her, or protest it.

Michael sensed that he was in danger. Not from Cecily, because despite everything, he couldn't help but feel that she's a fellow prankster and was screwing with him. At least partially. No, the real danger was the glares he was getting from the adventurers around him. If things continued like this, not only his reputation, but people might start planning his assassination out of jealously.

It's not like his life would actually be in danger, but it would definitely be annoying.

"Aqua, help me!" Michael immediately pleaded, when Cecily wouldn't be pushed off his gentle prodding.

"Oh Lady Aqua, I beseech you, let me keep him." Cecily asked with greater fervor than Michael.

"Hmmm," Aqua was in deep thought. "Well, it's my cute follower, earnestly asking me for a favor, I can't just dismiss her wish out of hand. What kind of goddess would I be otherwise." And the attempt at keeping Aqua's identity under wraps was thrown out the window. Conversely, Cecily didn't react to Aqua's words in the slightest.

"Dammit, Aqua, don't encourage Cecily, just because you're from the same order." Megumin walked around and started to actively try to pull Cecily off Michael, which just made Cecily wrap her arms around the Dark Paladin's neck and hug him tight.

"Noooo~. Lady Aqua approved. You can't stop our love!" Shouted Cecily, to Michael panic.

"Dammit, Aqua, if you don't help Megumin and get her off, I will increase your water powers that everything you drink becomes water. Even just holding a cup of something turns it to water." Michael cried out, to Aqua's wide-eyed terror at such a threat.

"Oh my~ Wanting both Megumin and Lady Aqua to 'get me off' and join us on our honeymoon night." Cecily shouted out with a happy smile. "How devious~! Yet, I'm absolutely okay with this!"

"W-what!" Said Megumin with a blush.

"WHAT!" Shouted Yunyun.

"That," Darkness panted. "Michael really is leagues above Khara. To think he would corrupt a Priest and his own party members like this!" Darkness looked on with such a heavy blush, one might be worry she might pass out soon.

"What? Whose getting married?" Schwanhild, still having her eyes covered by Darkness, asked unable to follow what's happening.

"W-wait, Cecily, maybe you should stop bothering Michael for now." Aqua began actually trying to defuse the situation. "Come on, forcing love is never a good thing, and I don't want to lose my booze privileges after finally getting them back!" Aqua cried out.

It was a chaos of Megumin trying to pull Cecily off Michael, with Yunyun trying to pull Megumin away from Cecily, and Aqua tentatively helping for the sake of her booze.

All the while people around Michael's table talked and whispered about what's happening, and by the end of the day, the Dark Paladin will be known to require the sacrifice of multiple female Priests to slake his lust.

You know what, fuck you, Murphy. This can't get any worse. Michael challengingly thought.

"Michael Chaser!" The guild's door opened to reveal the Swordmaster Hero, Mitsurugi Kyouya. "This time, I finally found you. Now let us talk and settle things between us once and for...all..." As soon as Kyouya saw who occupied Micheal's table he paled.

Cecily's eyes widened in recognition and shined ever bright in joy.

Kyouya looked at Michael to see him mouthing the words 'Help me!' in desperation.

"Ah, I see you are occupied. As a gentleman, it's imperative that I act in a cordial manner and reschedule our confrontation when you are available." Kyouya turned to dignifiedly walk away. "I will leave you hangout with your friends without any interruptions."

"Oh you fucking coward!" Michael shouted.

"IT'S THE HANDSOME MAGIC SWORDSMAN! OH MY LADY AQUA, NOT JUST TWO LOLIS, BUT A DARK PALADIN, AND ALSO THE MAGIC SWORDSMAN! LADY AQUA'S LOVE IS OVERFLOWING UPON ME TODAY. IT'S FINALLY HAREM TIME FOR ME!!"

Cecily jumped out of Michael lap to grab Kyouya before he escaped for the sake of her perceived harem.

In response, the Brave Hero Kyouya, bravely ran away.

"Aqua, give Cecily a boost in Luck and Speed." Michael deadpanned.

"Blessing! Swift Up!"

And so Super Cecily dashed with her goddess's support and blessing on her husband hunt.

Was Michael being petty for giving Cecily a leg up, because Kyouya didn't help ? Yes, absolutely.

Those who break the Bro Code (even if they aren't bros yet) aren't Heroes and deserve scorn.