Voyeur? Me?

Cleric Roen was standing with a piece of darkness in his palm. The hall we were in was darker than it was before, the candles seemed to be struggling not to go out. It was as if the darkness that Roen had was abusing the light only by existing.

It was not the shadow that I was familiar with, formed by blocked light, it was the real darkness. It was part of the darkness that existed above all before the idea of light even existed, before the stars lighten the space. Never before have I been more aware of the difference between the shadow and the darkness element.

Roen waved his hand and the dark orb disappeared. Flickering candle lights returned to normal and the room lit up again. ''I'm speechless, Cleric, I don't know what to say right now.''

Actually, all I wanted to do was scream and run away. I, who considered a genius, had strong bonds with the light element, and a weaker and fragile relationship with air and water. If I am a genius, what about this unsung cleric that had two elements, moreover, strong bonds with two opposite elements.

I bit my tongue to not to say out loud my thoughts. What the hell are you doing in such a secluded town? Don't you suppose to be a ruler or commander somewhere else? Even if you want to be a clergyman, why don't you try to be a pope or something?

In a dimension like ours favored by the spirits of elements, it was not uncommon for someone to have a strong bond with an element. Even an ordinary person would be helped by the elements from time to time in emergency situations, like a mother whose child was trapped in a burning building suddenly could control the water.

However, it was considered unusual for someone to have a bond with an element and be able to communicate whenever they wanted. We called those people gifted. Bonds could be strong or weak. A strong bond would persist throughout a person's whole life, and continue to company them in later lives.

Roen chuckled, probably my reaction was something he faced often. ''If you think I'm strong, you're wrong. I'm not a fighter, I'm a clergyman. Please, you don't need to be cautious next to me.''

Yeah, sure. Unfortunately, standing next to him was enough to give me goosebumps. ''He's a cleric, you supposed to be a demonic creature. It's natural selection honey,'' the fox said.

''Can I assume you will help break the seal I was talking about?'' Roen asked.

It was ironic that it was Roen who let me in a super-secret-occasion when we should be enemies by nature. ''I know nothing but there is something sealed and we supposed to help to break it, please enlighten me,'' I said.

''Oh, yes. Apparently, the kingdom sent an army corps here because of a dungeon gate on the edge of the ice demons. So far, neither humans nor demons have been able to open the door, but one has finally managed to decipher the language on the door. In order to open, people who have a strong bond with the elements need to form a circle of magic.''

''Why would the army ask the natives for help? They must have enough resources to handle this thing on their own,'' I said.

''Ah,'' Roen stirred uncomfortably, ''Politics, I guess. Everyone can represent only one element in the ritual to be performed and it was not just the main elements, people who specialize in the sub-branches of the elements should also be in the circle. The captain doesn't have everyone in need and doesn't want to share his bone with the big dogs. He won't ask for reinforcements.''

''So there must be someone who uses lava and someone for lightning in addition to someone who has a strong connection with fire?'' I said.

Nodding, ''Yeah and more,'' Roen said. ''Will you participate?''

''Yeah. Why not?'' The offer to get a share of the rewards offered by a legendary dungeon was more than tempting. After that, Roen set me free, saying he would keep me updated.

Remembering my original purpose coming here, I didn't leave the temple to find Miran. The ominous warning of the fox was keeping to annoy me in a corner of my mind.

It bothered me even more that Miran was busy cleaning up the mess left by the wedding. It wasn't nice that my pet had other priorities than me. The thought of keeping her only for serving to me was getting more and more tempting.

''Meet me in the garden in the grove, at the pinetum, where men are not allowed,'' I said and left her to wait at the pinetum. I had to admit that the temple was large for its population and was designed by a skilled architect compared to the rest of the town.

There were two reasons why I chose to meet in the garden. First, it was more uncomfortable than being inside the temple building. Second, we would not run into Roen in the pinetum dedicated to the virgins, where only nuns are allowed to enter.

It would be nice to have her at home, waiting as my emergency food. Of course, I needed a home first. Then a regular income to meet the needs of two people plus I had to climb somewhere in the social hierarchy where it would not be unusual to have a servant.

''Or,'' I thought out loud, ''Instead of settling in this town, I can take her with me wherever I go.''

''How do you know she'll be interested in leaving with you? The girl has a life here,'' the fox said.

Frowning, I wondered if it was wrong not to think of Miran as someone with her own desires in life. But why would it be wrong? Was there anyone who could fulfill her desires better than me?

Miran came with the pastries presented to the wedding guests. Realizing that I hadn't eaten all day long, I gladly accepted the gift. ''Do you ever plan on getting married?'' The question escaped my lips, which was an echo of my thoughts before she came and the wedding theme.

''I used to, before I met you,'' swallowing a small cookie in one bite. ''I was thinking of getting married and leaving the temple was the only way to experience the pleasures the temple banned.''

Quietly, I waited for her to continue. Miran had never mentioned what she wanted out loud before. I was using my skill to see her insides.

''I now know that the only obstacle between me and what I desire is myself,'' Miran said.

''What do you desire?'' I asked.

A while ago, in the same town, in a certain hotel room, Ender was pacing up and down nervously. ''That's it. I'm sick of waiting. I'll chase her if that's what she wants.''

He brought the ribbon in his hand close to his lips and murmured the words that guide him to the item's owner unless the owner was protecting themselves from specific kind of tracking.

Minutes later, he was staring into the nothingness among the pine trees in the garden of a light temple. ''What the..? Did I misspell?''

As he was about to return, he remembered that he had recently faced the same situation and spent hours to find out he was in the right place, but the place was protected by fairy illusion.

''Coincidentally, our girl is pretty good at playing with light. Could it be?'' He pulled a custom-made ointment from the bent space of his little bag and rubbed it on his eyelids. Smiling, ''This thing works better than I expected. I'd better order some more,'' he murmured.

Candles were hanging from the wires drawn among the pines. Ender predicted that Sora created the illusion using the light of candles. She could be hidden in the shadow, but it would have no effect on someone using dark vision, which is not very rare.

''The question was, why would you want to hide your meeting with a nun?''

He was able to see two women sitting on a marble bench, one in a fur and other one in the nun veil, but he was too far to hear what they are taking about.

Ender decided to spy a little. Approaching them, he checked if there was a powerful spell protecting the temple from intruders. There wasn't.

"The temple of a small town, what I was expecting," Ender thought. Seeing Sora unveiling the nun, he paused by the guilt and excitement of seeing something forbidden.

Then, Sora kissed the petite blonde woman of the same height as she while sitting. Raising his eyebrows unintentionally, "Now, what?"