Chapter 40 Coffin Dance Arc Part 2

Coming up to the deck of the church tank, Michael, Yunyun and Schwanhild could see Aqua calling and gathering the rambunctious Axis members around. Megumin opted to go to home as she didn't want to interact with more Axis worshipers that day.

"Ah, are these your party mates, Lady Aqua?" A steady serene voice with a demure tone asked. The woman who spoke wore a typical nun clothes, although it was form fitting thus showed a very voluptuous body. However, the thing that stood out most about the black haired female Priest was--

"Oh, are you the one? The one who put a large deepgash into the town walls, with long, hard, sharp sword?" Another female blonde Priest dashed forward, getting up in Michael's face.

"...Yes." Michael sighed and answered. He hoped that this one isn't some sort of sex maniac. She also wore a Priest outfit, but her version was much more risque.

"Please excuse the stabbing enthusiast," Another girl stepped up, grabbing the blonde Priest's face and pushing her aside. "Are you the one who found this Divine Artifact?" The third girl looked rich. Her clothes were neat and clean, but she didn't have that feel of nobility Darkness had, although her fetishes hide that aura of nobility pretty well. Rather, this orange haired Axis member (her eyes had that same excited manic look some Axis follower tend to have), looked more like a merchant's daughter.

"Yes. No, I mean, it's not a Divine Artifact--I'm sorry, did you just say stabbing--" Michael's eyes started to widened, as he heard something a bit more worrying than a sex maniac.

"Oh no, nothing of that nature," The saucy Priest waved her hand. "I'm just an admirer of swords, arrows, spear." Her eyes glazed over, as though she's fantasizing about something far away. "Tall and hard sharp metal that pierces smoothly and thoroughly into a surface. Leaving an eternal mark upon it. Creation making pure destruction." She shivered in a way that reminded Michael of a certain masochistic Crusader. "How wonderful to witness."

"Oi, Cassey, Elina, let the man breathe a bit." A wide shoulder man, that looked like he walked straight out of a circus came up. "Yo, names Jacob, heard that you're the guy that wiped up this awesome church for us. Man, you much be one hell of a builder." Jacob brought his hand up, and Michael shook it.

"'Built it', yeah right." Cassey rolled her eyes. "You just want to hog him for yourself, to build you those stupid carnival shops."

"Oh, I would never try to bother our guest, and Lady Aqua's companion. Although I would love to see how this church can fire ammunition. What would it look like?" Elina moaned. "I truly wish to see it."

"They're not stupid, it's a legitimate business opportunity!" Jacob let go of Michael's hand and brought out some paper with blueprints for carnival games on them.

Just from a quick look, Michael could tell all those game would be rigged to 100% make the customers lose.

"Yeah, sorry that's not my expertise." Michael easily lied. He knew how to convincingly lie when he needed to. "Aaaand, I'll get back to you on that." Michael said to Elina. "Out of curiosity, where's Cecily?"

"Oh, she's in the tower with Albert, ringing the bell," Said Elina.

As if on cue, the church bell rang again.

"Cool," Michael said.

"Oh did you wish to speak to her? She has been talking about making children with you, and do--"

"Yep, please, I would love to see that good ol' Priest...that I know." Michael gave a fake smile and nodded.

"Right away~." Elina turned and walked with a sway that no clergy should be moving with.

"Come on, surely there's something you could do." Jacob believed him, but pushed on anyway, hoping Michael would just figure something out anyways. "This is a building, these are buildings in a sense, they're practically the same and need the same skill sets."

"That's like saying a sculptor can just paint since both are 'art'." Michael argued back.

"Exactly!" Cassey said. "And besides, he wouldn't know how, because he's an explorer. Not an architect."

"I told you, we built it!" Aqua injected.

"See, Lady Aqua says otherwise!" Jacob joined in.

"Lady Aqua, seriously I'm grateful that you found this structure and invited us all here, but come on, how could you two have built it so quickly?" Cassey said, being skeptic.

While Aqua and Cassey argued, Michael looked around to see how his two other teammates are doing.

"Ohh, to think we would have a loli in our Order."

"Just think of the advertisements we can do now!"

"Hmph, hmph," One of the Axis guys crossed his hands and nodded firmly.

"Commoners," Schwanhild spoke with a light scowl. "While you may admire my presence, do no crowd me."

"Aaah, an Ojou-sama."

"Even better!"

"Imagine how many suckers--I mean new converts we can reel in with a cute girl, doing cute things."

It looked like the four guys were...Welcoming? Examining? Schwanhild. She was probably fine, and didn't seem to mind the attention, despite frowning. Michael knew she would have been very expressive if she minded.

With a mace to the face likely. Michael thought.

Looking at Yunyun, he saw her talking with the black haired Priest with red eyes.

"Um, excuse me," Yunyun started.

"Ah," The woman seemed to draw in on herself, as she talked to Yunyun. In fact it looked like she and Yunyun had the same withdrawn but polite pose. "My name is Roza. An Arch Priest for the Axis Church." She gave a polite bow.

It's like the meeting of the timids. Michael held back a chuckle.

"I'm Yunyun," Michael noticed Roza didn't react with Yunyun unusual name. "An Arch Wizard in the party Aqua is in." Yunyun gave bow in return.

"I see, it's truly nice to meet Lady Aqua's comrades." Roza gave a small smile.

"Ah, yes. Thank you." Yunyun said back. "Um, your eyes, are you..."

"Ah, yes," Michael noticed that Roza seemed to copy a lot of Yunyun mannerism while talking. He saw Yunyun relax in this conversation faster than she usually would in new situations. "I was born in the Crimson Demon village. I once bore the name of 'Mimiru', but after my conversion into the Axis Order, I picked up a new name to focus on my task as a humble Arch Priest of the Goddess Aqua."

"Wow, you're very dedicated," Yunyun smiled.

"My, you're too kind." Roza smiled back.

Michael however noticed something odd. Roza called herself 'humble'. Crimson Demons never do that when introducing themselves.

He wanted to test a theory.

"How has it been partying with Lady Aqua, Miss Yunyun?" Roza asked.

"Oh it's--"

"It's great." Michael cut into the conversation. "After all," he stood next to Yunyun and placed a hand on her head.

"Eh?" Yunyun blushed at the sudden affectionate gesture.

"She's the greatest rival of the greatest Arch Wizard in the Crimson Demons Clan, and the one destined to become the Chief of the Crimson Demons." Michael said with a smile, focusing more in Roza reaction to Yunyun. "So her contributions are immense. Why they are nearly uncountable."

"Um, M-Michael, I, I, that's just..." Yunyun's face heated up from all the praise.

"I, I..." Roza seemed to shake as she lower her head.

"Still, to think I would meet a humble Crimson Demon Arch Priest. Truly it's such a rare thing." Michael focused on Roza.

"I am..."

"Hmm? Is something the matter, Miss Roza? Do you need anything from our Great Arch Wizard?" Michael said with a seemingly kind smile.

"I am..." Roza's shoulders shook.

"A complete average, normal and absolutely ordinary Crimson Demon, hmm truly an unexpected thing. Of course, if you help from our Great Arch Wizard, well, what do you say, Yunyun?" Michael turned to his teammate with his amusement restrained from showing on his face.

"Eh? Michael, um, I don't want to trouble Miss Roza," Yunyun turned to the Axis Arch Priest. "B-But if she needs any help then--"

"I am Roza!" Roza shouted, startling Yunyun.

"Aaaand there she goes. Couldn't keep it in." One of the Axis guys said.

"Born with the name Mimiru," Roza dramatically held up her fist and closed her eyes. "I cast it aside after joining the Axis Church so I can become the Greatest Axis Recruiter among all the Crimson Demons!" Roza spread her arms as she looked to the sky. "And the one who will make the Axis Order the number one religion in the world!"

"Yeah!" Aqua pumped her fist up in support upon hearing Roza's declaration.

Michael removed his hand from Yunyun's head, while trying to hold back a snickering. His theory was right, Roza was trying to subtle hide her nature as a Crimson Demon in order to lure people into the Axis Church.

"Oh, um, that's great." Yunyun complimented, while slowly moving away from the Axis Arch Priest. Michael also noticed the sigh of her exasperation. Like she was hoping Roza wasn't like a normal Crimson Demon, but resigned after seeing she was like everyone else.

"I see, good for you." Michael stopped holding back his grin.

"Ah..." Roza seemed to realized what's she's done. "Aaaaaaaaaah!" She crouched down on her knees and held her head. "Nooooo, I did it again. I should have held back till she signed conversion papers." Yunyun looked Roza with sympathy in the beginning, before being nervous at the Arch Priest's intent to slyly get them to convert to the Axis Church.

"There, there." Aqua came over and patted Roza's shoulder. "You just have to try harder next time." Aqua made a guts pose.

"Y-yes, I won't fail you, Lady Aqua!" Roza stood up with a guts pose mirroring Aqua, her eyes glowing in excitement.

The other Axis followers also cheered, pumping their fists in the air.

It was at that moment that it sunk in for Michael.

Ah, these people are gonna be living next to me from now on. 

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