The Priest of Love

"What are you doing, Pavor? W-What is that….. Everyone, stand back! Pavor had created something dangerous!"

"I didn't…. It wasn't meant to—"

"He plans to destroy us all! To destroy the world we so desperately created after losing our former one!"

"Shut up! I have no reason to do that!"

Pavor gritted his teeth and blocked off the memory from his mind. It has no relevance to the current predicament he was in now.

He scowled at the child, the one he killed in his past life. 

"That's Prince Pavor or Your Highness to you, little one." He tried to hide the venom in his tone by sounding just as sweet as him.

"But you asked me to simply call you Pavor a few months ago, didn't you? You asked me to simply treat you like a friend, and an equal." The child just kept smiling. "After all, I am not really young even when I am little. But very well, I shall call you 'my Lord'."

This was true. Though he looked young, this boy was a priest of Amore, and they were granted the blessing to live longer than most humans to heal the sick and spread the 'love' of their Goddess. 

His name, if Pavor recalled correctly, was Davien Sacramentum. 

He was born 108 years ago from this current timeline.

Even though he was technically older than Pavor in this timeline, the Lord of Dread could not help but still view him as an annoying brat that thinks he knows everything. A century of existence was nothing compared to an eternity of existence after all. 

To him, he was just like all the other sheep that were indoctrinated to believe all her lies. He was actually much worse because he spreads those lies and encourages others to fall into this same illusion that he was kept in.

But Pavor was more focused on his task at hand of not letting more slime larvae be hurt and finding the source of the mysophobia Phobodemons. 

And so, he just sidestepped the blind boy and gestured for the slime slug baby to follow after him and escape since he can't see them anyway.

"Well, I'm just doing my task as all Retaliators do, friend. Shouldn't you be healing those who were injured from the fight earlier?"

"That is why I came to you. I have finished healing all the knights that had been attacked and de-contaminated them of the Phobodemon's essence." Davien said. "But I have heard your voices and gathered that you must have been attacked as well. I have come to help you."

"That's not necessary, I'm alright—" 

Davien easily grabbed his wrist despite his lack of sight. 

"You are contaminated, my Lord." The 108 year old 'not boy' said with the corners of his lips raising up slightly. "Allow me to cleanse you with the power of Amore's love."

Pavor looked utterly disgusted, and resisted the urge to roundhouse kick this priest. Why do mortals always have to touch him!???

Whatever, at least this will serve as a distraction for the slime larva to hide somewhere. He tried to use his powers to telepathically command it.

'Go to the forest, little one. Hide!'

But the slime baby didn't seem to hear his telepathic message, just spreading its slime all over the place from its mouth as it drooled while looking at him. 

Pavor cursed internally. First he couldn't fly, and now he can't even send telepathic commands to the creatures he created. 

Does Xarian not have any useful skill he can use?

The holographic screen suddenly appeared: 

[We have detected attempts to use higher level skills than what you currently have. To unlock Telepathy, please reach Level 25 first. To unlock Flight, please reach Level 75 first.]

His eyes widened. 'Levels? What is my level then?'

[You are currently at Level 1. To gain levels, EXP must be earned. Every 1 point you gain from missions is equivalent to 100 EXP. The EXP required to reach Level 2 is 5,000.]

An EXP bar suddenly appeared, showing how he had gained 2,500 EXP from the 25 Mission Points he gained earlier. Pavor was still quite perplexed, but he was slowly grasping these strange terms that this 'spirit guide' speaks of. 

'So I do have my skills, but I need to gain these "EXP" to activate them? How troublesome. Well, this just means I need to complete missions faster.' He thought.

He was really keen on finding out what 'The Secret of the World' is.

But first things first... How does he communicate to the slime baby without Davien hearing him?

He tried to use signs, pointing at the forest then gesturing at the slime baby to go there, but Davien suddenly gripped him harder and said. "Please hold still as I perform the purification ritual."

Pavor grumbled mentally. He thought about knocking out this priest too, but that might be too hasty. Davien may not look like it but he does have enough wisdom from living all these years, he'll figure things out if Pavor was not careful. And then he'll tell everyone and it will be harder to complete these missions.

He thought about it, then suddenly had an idea. 

"Davien, stand back!" He exclaimed, pulling his hand away from him and pushing him off. 

Davien's unseeing eyes remained empty, and he tilted his head. "What is it?"

"There is a Phobodemon near us!" He looked at the slime baby, trying to make it play along. "Do not fear, I will protect you!"

He tried to remember what it was that Xarian used to summon his blade. He chanted:

"Amor Vincit Omnia."

A sword suddenly appeared in his hand, materializing out of a rose gold light that emanated from his body. But there was something odd about that light, as it seemed to have shadows around it too.

And the sword that came into his hand was not gold, but obsidian black with the emblem of a crow, the Lord of Dread's symbol.

"Truly strange. I do prefer this appearance more." He said as he examined the blade. 

Even with their fortunes reversed, why does he remain more or less the same? His appearance was the same, his skills were also the same, and even the way his powers manifest…..

So many secrets. He was thrilled to unravel them all.

"Begone, foul, slimy beast!" He brandished his sword and swung it to the slime larva.

The slime larva was first confused, then aggravated. Why was this man suddenly attacking it now right after it saved it just moments ago? It's unfair!

Though the slime larva still treats Pavor differently from other humans, it was displeased by this sudden change. It gave out a loud roar, trying to intimidate Pavor into stopping this act just like a dog getting into a disagreement with its owner.

"I said, begone! You are not welcome here!" Pavor yelled sternly, goading the slime larva to back out into the forest. 

The slime larva was slowly backing out with its pseudopods leaving splotches of green puddles on the ground. "Auuuurrrrrr... Rrrrrr….."

Davien seemed to hear and sense it enough to believe that they were truly attacked. "Do you want me to call for assistance, Pavor?"

Pavor spoke through his gritted teeth. "No need. I will end its life."

With a heavy heart, he moved closer to the larva and whispered to it under his breath. 

"I apologize. Papa has to do this."

He then used his sword to stab at the side of the slime larva, slicing off one of its pseudopods!

"AURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" The baby slime monster let out an earth-shaking wail, causing the ground to rumble. 

Out of fear for its life, it moved faster and escaped to the forest. 

Pavor sighed, turning to Davien. "It's dead. It can't harm you anymore, friend."

"It's not." Davien simply said. 

"It is—"

Davien suddenly put a finger to his own lips, and said "Shhh."

Pavor blinked in confusion. The priest then went towards him, taking his wrist again. The sword disappeared from Pavor's hand.

"It is alright, it will be a secret just between us. Besides, isn't love supposed to be a merciful force? You have shown the creature mercy, and I will show you mercy by treating like this has never happened."

He then chanted some words, and rose petals suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They fell onto Pavor's head like falling leaves, and he was bathed in a vibrant pink light. 

Soon, all the slime fluid that covered his body was gone. But it was more than just cleaning him externally. He was truly purified, even to his bones.

Pavor could feel it, the essence of Amore seeping into his blood, inner organs and even his heart. 

And he felt disgusted by it, much more disgusted than being covered in mucus. A shiver ran down his spine, and he quickly yanked his wrist away from the small boy….. No, the small man that tried to cleanse him.

Davien just smiled again. "Now…. I must attend Duke Vanus once more, my Lord. I had been sent here to treat his condition after all, and so I have responded late to the battle with the creatures."

Pavor's raised an eyebrow. "Duke Vanus, you say? What is his condition?"

"Well….. It is better if you see it yourself, my Lord."

Pavor still does not know what to feel about this priest's invitation. He distrusted and loathed him after all, but... 

Duke Vanus must be the source of the mysophobia Phobodemons. 

And so, he followed the blind priest back into the castle, and into the room of the sick noble.