‘Promises’ [2]

Evelyn held Maria's hand and led her out of the church while simultaneously raising her guard against Kevin.

Although Maria knew that her sister was apprehensive of Kevin for some reason, she decided to not inquire about it right now and enjoy her time with her sister. As such, Maria lightly tugged the hem of Evelyn's blouse and asked.

"C- Can you carry me?"

"...?"

"L- Like the old days..."

Hearing this, Evelyn's body stiffened. After a while, she recovered from her shock and gave Maria a kiss on the forehead. "Of course! Like the old days, right?" She then picked Maria up and let her sit on her shoulders.

Maria smiled happily at this. Her tails wagged as she rested her hands on her sister's head and giggled in bliss.

Kevin similarly smiled at the warm scene before him. However, he eventually had to avert his gaze to the ground after receiving a death glare from Evelyn.

...

After a while, they reached the main street. Although there were many shops and food stores, Evelyn's eyes were affixed to one stall in particular.

"Mister."

The food stall owner smiled upon hearing Evelyn's words. "Yes, are you interested in my roasted chickens? Or are you more of a beef person?"

"None of that. I want to buy your peanut butter jar."

The owner's smile stiffened. Alternating his gaze between Evelyn and the jar, he sighed. "How strange... you're the second person that has asked to buy the jar from me already..."

"Who's the other one?"

"I don't know. Some girl with gray hair and red eyes."

"...Never seen anyone like her."

"I expected as much. Anyway, it's 500 Silvers."

Evelyn flicked him a Gold without any hesitation. Receiving the change and the jar, she walked toward the nearest bench. As she put Maria down on the bench, she opened the jar and dipped her finger in it.

"Here you go." Evelyn smiled. "Your favorite food!"

Unlike what she had expected, however, Maria's reaction was... strange. Although it was abundantly clear that she really wanted to lick the peanut butter right off her finger, she somehow seemed a little... frightened.

Evelyn frowned as she saw this.

'Isn't she supposed to like this? What is she scared of?'

Looking around, Evelyn finally found the source of her sister's fear... or so she believed.

'It's that human bastard isn't it!?'

Glaring at Kevin, who was timidly standing right behind them, Evelyn remembered Theodore's words: Her sister was spending months in that old dusty church with the human scum.

'I'll get rid of him later.' Evelyn vowed to herself as she patted Maria's head reassuringly.

This seemed to have worked, as Maria's frightened expression eased up and she licked Evelyn's finger with sparkles in her eyes.

Chuckling at this, Evelyn waited until Maria finished eating and asked.

"So Maria, what happened after I was... gone?"

Contrary to Evelyn's expectations, Maria wasn't gloomy. Instead, she was all smiles when she recalled her memories.

"You don't need to worry too much, big sis Evelyn. Brother Steven took care of me!"

"S- Steven!?" Evelyn widened her eyes in shock as the name she hadn't heard in years was mentioned.

"Mhm! Steven! The guy who always talked with you on the other side of the wall separating commoners and nobles! Don't tell me you forgot about him?" Maria frowned as if rebuking Evelyn.

"No! How could I forget about him!?" Evelyn rebutted her sister's words.

Steven - the human boy who had kept her company through her boring days as a noble. And he was... the only good and not disgusting human in the world in her mind. She couldn't forget him even if someone were to brainwash her. That was how important a figure Steven was to her life. However...

"But where is he?"

...Steven wasn't in the church, and she was sure of it. Although Saintess Primel could hide her presence to fool both her and Theodore, someone weaker than Evelyn like Steven would have been detected by her instantly.

"Oh... he became an Adventurer as soon as he heard the news that you were in the Hero's party— w- wait! Ah! It hurts!" Maria squealed in pain as Evelyn subconsciously tightened her grip on her head at the mention of Arthur.

Realizing her mistake, Evelyn removed her hand and apologized. "Sorry..."

"It's okay!" Maria replied with a smile.

Seeing that Evelyn was still silent and thus making the atmosphere awkward, Maria spoke up again. "To be honest, life was tough when he left... but that was only for a week. Then a group of Adventurers suddenly stayed in the same church as us. One of them was really scary, but the rest are fun to hang out with! But they suddenly left us some money before leaving the city without saying a word..."

"...What an amazing stroke of luck."

"Mhm! You should have seen Kevin's face when he discovered the money! He was afraid that the scary Adventurer would come back and beat him up if he spent the money. I had to spend hours convincing him to just use the money."

'Speaking of Kevin...'

Evelyn had completely forgotten his existence until now. Briefly glancing behind her and making sure that Kevin couldn't hear her next words, she whispered.

"Maria, did that trash do anything indecent to you?"

"What trash?" Maria tilted her head in confusion.

"The human trash that you call 'Kevin'. Tell me if he did something bad to you, and I'll make sure he suffers for it."

"What are you talking about? Kevin is Steven's brother! He would never do something like that!" Maria's face then went red as she uttered her next words. "B- But if he were to request me though... I w- wouldn't mind."

"..."

"F- Forget about that!"

Ignoring Maria's reddened face, Evelyn fell into thoughts.

'Steven's brother?'

She didn't know that Steven had a little brother! Granted, she had only ever spoken to him through the walls and gazed upon his somewhat handsome face from on top of the walls, but still, she felt like she knew enough about him to know if he had a brother.

'And even if that is the case, Kevin is still human trash. Steven is the only good human in this world.'

Although this city was mostly populated by Dark elves and Beastkins and thus, was a haven for human haters like her, Evelyn still didn't want her sister to stay in the same place that wrongly prosecuted her family, sold her and her mother into slavery, executed her father, and left her young sister to fend for herself on the street.

As such, Evelyn knelt down to meet Maria's eyes and grasped her hands.

"Maria, let's get out of this city. I found a place we can stay inside the Capital. You'll have to... live alone for a couple of months, but I assure you that I will get back to you as soon as I terminate the slave contr—"

"NO SHE WON'T!" Kevin suddenly shouted from behind.

Evelyn's eyebrows twitched. A disgusting human dared to interrupt her sentence? Worse, he even tried to keep her sister inside this accursed place! As such, she marched up toward Kevin and prepared to just cave his skull in. However...

"Stop please!"

...Maria hugged Evelyn from behind, stopping her from doing something violent.

Evelyn then slowly calmed down. 'That's right, Maria doesn't like seeing blood.' She thought with a sigh. Turning back toward Maria again, she spoke with a soft voice.

"So what do you think? Will you get out of this place with me?"

Unexpectedly, Maria shook her head. "No... I still have things left to do here."

"...!" Evelyn's eyes turned cold. 'That human trash threatened her! I'll kill him and—'

"No! It's not about Kevin!" Maria hurriedly spoke upon feeling the bloodlust that was directed toward Kevin. "Jacob... he got kidnapped."

"Jacob?"

"He's my friend. When the Adventurers left the money behind, we bought a house to stay at. However, people in black robes came and tried to take us away soon after." Maria was on the verge of tears. "B- But Jacob... he stayed behind to buy us time to escape. I- If it wasn't for him, we— we would have...!"

Maria broke into tears. She sobbed as she buried her face in Evelyn's neck.

Seeing her sister cry like this, Evelyn couldn't help but to soften her face. "There there, everything's going to be fine. I'll help you find your friend."

"R- Really?" Maria lifted her face up and looked at Evelyn with eyes filled to the brim with hope.

"Mhm. Now, let's go to the guards and file a missing person rep—"

"That won't work." Kevin suddenly interjected into their conversation. Although he was scared of what Evelyn might do to him, this matter concerned the safety of one of his friends! "We tried to do it, but the guards just told us that they are busy working on several cases of abductions that are apparently carried out by the same person."

"No one asked for your opinion." Evelyn frowned. However, she couldn't deny that Kevin had brought her useful information. "But if that was the case then why didn't they take you guys seriously? Won't they have the chance of finding another lead if they looked into Jacob?"

"That's the strange part." Kevin sighed, ignoring Evelyn's earlier rude words. "When we came into their office, it looked as if they were drinking and partying instead of actually doing their job. I suspect that the culprit is someone of high status... or at least have enough power and money to bribe the guards into not doing anything."

"I see..." Evelyn muttered.

If that was the case, then she really couldn't do anything about it. Unless...

"No, what am I thinking? There's no way in hell I'm asking him for help!" Evelyn shook her head fervently to discard such absurd thoughts off her mind.

"Big sis, what is it?" Maria asked. "Who is 'he'? C- Can he help us?"

"He can, but..." Evelyn trailed her sentence off. However, she regretted doing so almost immediately.

"Th- Then please! I'm begging you! Call him!"

'Don't make that face!' Evelyn screamed inwardly as she saw Maria look at her with puppy eyes; literally.

Eventually, Evelyn gave in and sighed. "Okay fine... I'll ask that guy for help. But I'm not sure if he will help us though."

Despite the uncertainty of Evelyn's words, it was enough to give Maria peace of mind.

"Thank you!"

***

"I'm going to dominate her so much that she won't dare to do any harm to me."

After uttering those words, I ignored Evelyn once more and went to the back rooms. Though, it was a bit harder to ignore the cries coming from Primel.

"P- Please release me!" She sobbed. "A- As a Saintess, I need to keep my purity. Please!"

Hearing her words, I halted my steps.

'Wait, I think she's seriously misunderstanding something here.'

"Evelyn, tell her tha— oh, she's gone." I sighed as I noticed that Evelyn, Kevin, and Maria weren't in the church anymore.

With my 'helper' now gone, I could only turn my attention back to Primel and spoke. "No. I won't let you go... not until I get what I want."

Primel's face paled considerably after hearing my words. Her breathing became ragged, and her eyes turned blank as she presumably passed out from shock.

"Oi, you can't pass out now!"

As if responding to my scowl, Primel's eyes regained their clarity again as she woke up from whatever that was. With a shaky voice, she stuttered. "H- Hey, I can still pleasure you in other ways, y- you know? I- It doesn't have to be p- penetration... or maybe it can be... but please not m- my holiest place!"

Something was wrong here, and I knew exactly what it was. Primel was definitely convinced that I'd rape her as a punishment, so much so that she even proposed a compromise to me. Although it would be for the good of everyone involved if I resolved this misunderstanding here, I decided not to.

'The other me resolved the misunderstanding here, so I'll do the exact opposite!'

Speaking of the other me... when Primel mentioned that she received a revelation, the memories of the other me suddenly flooded into my mind. They were the memories of Primel. Or more specifically, Primel of the future.

'Healing knights so fast that they kept charging toward the enemy's assault like they were undying zombies... how scary.'

That was the specialty of Primel. Unlike Amelia, whose healing powers were extremely potent but slow, Primel specialized in instantly healing wounds.

'I'll definitely want her in my party in the future, but I also don't want to become like the other me. Guess I'll have to make some compromises then.'

That being not doing the exact opposite of what the other me did, but staying silent and letting the misunderstanding resolve itself instead.

'The misunderstanding doesn't even matter that much anyway. As long as I say the right words in a few more minutes, I'm sure that she'll join me eventually.'

As such, I kept my mouth shut as I feigned ignorance to her pleas and brought her deeper into the church. Before long, I arrived at a wooden door. As the door creaked open, I was met with the sight of a bed with a white mattress that had a bit of stains on it.

'Fuck...' I sighed inwardly as I scanned the room. '...This room is just perfect for deepening the misunderstandings.'

And my guess was soon proven correct, as Primel widened her eyes in shock and fear as her gaze drifted toward the bed.

"N- No! Please let me go! Please! A Saintess needs to keep her purity! Anywhere but the bed!"

"So you prefer doing it on the floor then?" I inadvertently muttered out loud in frustration.

I soon widened my eyes as I realized my mistake. However, the damage had already been done, since Primel had just taken my words as the confirmation of me really intending to rape her. With her eyes now turning blank in despair, she stopped resisting and surrendered to her 'fate'.

Of course, I noticed all of this. However, I didn't even bother to say anything else as I knew I couldn't convince her right now. Placing her onto the bed, I sat beside her and stared straight at her face.

"Primel, I'll give you a chance. Do what I say and I might consider letting you go."

At my words, Primel's eyes regained their light. Still lying on the bed with a now slightly hopeful gaze, Primel stuttered. "Y- Yes, I'll do anything you say."

"Good." I stroked her hair. Removing my hand from her, I tapped my fingers on the dirty mattress and spoke. "Tell me, What's the content of the revelation specifically?"

"G- Goddess Lumaria said that a trial awaited me in this city."

"And what is your trial?"

"S- Stopping a corrupt saint."

"I see..." I nodded my head in understanding. "So that's why you attacked me despite knowing that I'm a Saint."

Recalling the memories of the other me, I spoke again.

"Saintess Primel Luminet, do you know who Apel Neviltis is?"

Primel widened her eyes in surprise upon hearing her full name. However, she soon regained her calm and answered my question immediately.

"A- Apel Neviltis? Isn't he the youngest son of house Neviltis?"

"That's correct. Do you know what people call him now?"

Primel regained her confidence; she no longer trembled every time she spoke. However, it wasn't as if she had stopped fearing me. Slowly sitting up on the mattress with her hands placed between her own thighs, she answered.

"I heard that he was an imbecile and a lecher before. However, people say that he has changed for the better. He is now doing so much good that everyone started calling him a saint. WAIT...!" Primel widened her eyes in shock. "D- Don't tell me...!"

"That's correct." I grinned. "Apel is most likely the saint that you have to face, and not me."

"B- But how can you be so sure!?"

"Let me tell you a funny story." I chuckled. "A month and a half ago, an Inquisitor gained access to Kerudark's noble's ring. She investigated the Neviltis house and found traces of heresy."

"D- Does that mean—"

"Yes." I interrupted her with a sigh. "It was Apel who committed heresy. Dozens of Dark elves and Beastkins alike were sacrificed to the Evil god, and Apel himself turned into a Void fie— no, perhaps he has already become a... Void lord."

"...!"

"If you don't believe me, you can contact the Inquisition headquarters once you leave this city, but it'll be too late by then. As we speak, Apel is probably carrying out his plans to take over this entire city."

"I- I see..." Primel nodded in understanding. She then bowed to me. "I'm sorry, Saint Theodore. I've misjudged you. A- And I beg for your forgiveness, Goddess Lumaria. To misinterpreted your revelation, I've committed a great sin!"

I waited for Primel to finish her prayers before speaking up again.

"So, what will you do?"

Determination flashed through her eyes as she heard my words. "Of course I'll get rid of him and complete my trial! That is my duty as a Saintess!"

"Good girl." I chuckled. "At least you have some determination."

"Mhm! Now I'll go and—"

"Who says you can go?"

"Wh- What— Ahh! Why are you pinning me down again!?" Primel screamed.

I ignored her and continued to hold her down; her back pressed against the mattress as I did so.

<[B- Ash veil]>

Ropes made of condensed Ashes manifested in my hands. After stretching them to test their durability, I used them to tie Primel's hands to the bed. Although Primel thrashing from underneath me definitely made this harder than it should have been, I still managed to tie her up anyway.

With her hands now bound, Primel shouted in despair. "Please let me go! D- Didn't you say that you'll release me!?"

"I never said I'd let you go. I only said that I'd consider letting you free, remember?"

Primel's face paled upon hearing my words.

Leaning closer to her ears, I whispered. "Of course, I've finished reconsidering. And my decision is that I'll... let you go."

"R- Really?" Primel's teary eyes were slightly lit up with hope. However, that small flicker of hope was soon extinguished by my next words.

"Yes. But only after I finish my business with you."

Then, Primel passed out from a mixture of shock, fear, and disbelief.

Gazing down at her unconscious and limp body, I sighed. 'Good, it's still going like how it should be.'

After mentally preparing myself for what to come, I spoke with a grin. "And by 'you', I meant you, Lumaria the lightbulb, not Primel the Saintess. I know that you're watching. Look! I even made your beloved Saintess pass out so that you can have an easier time possessing her body."

Instantly after I finished my sentence, a bright light descended upon Primel's body. Before long, Primel's eyes were opened, her hands tore my Ash ropes apart like they were nothing.

'Ah, how unfortunate. Wasted a bit of my Mana conjuring up these ropes there.'

However, I couldn't dwell on that for long, as the lightbulb, who was piloting Primel's body, sat up on the mattress and faced forward to the empty wall, not toward me.

|"Greetings, the worst villain."|

"Sup, lightbulb."

|"I see that you still haven't abandoned that disrespectful way of speaking."| Lightbulb narrowed Primel's eyes.

I feigned ignorance to her words and abruptly brought my hand out to grab her chin. Forcing Primel's head to turn to her left to face me, I stared straight into Primel's eyes and spoke with a cold voice.

"Enough pleasantries. Now tell me, why did you send one of your precious Saintesses after me?"

The lightbulb used Primel's hands to pry my hands away from Primel's chins. |"This Goddess can look at you herself."|

Now facing me, she spoke with a smug tone that was unbefitting of her pretentious self.

|"Why of course I did it to inform you of something. You ignored my warnings and interfered with the Hero of Light's heroic act in the auction house after all."|

"Oh, I didn't expect myself to be so charming that a Goddess like you would waste her divinities and pull this elaborate 'revelation' stuff just to whisper words of love to me. Now, what do you want to tell me, my love?" I grinned.

The lightbulb chuckled. |"My preparations are complete."|

"What preparations, lightbulb my darling?"

|"Haven't I told you already?"| She abruptly turned Primel's chuckle into a hateful glare. |"That I'll make sure you regret ever interfering with Arthur's growth. You will soon experience your worst despair, villainous scum."|