Chapter 2: Companions

On the Magic Continent, the Temple of Light holds a status that surpasses that of the Royal Family.

More than two hundred years ago, the Temple of Light led Humans and Elves to unite and drive the rampant Dark Creatures north of the Desperate Forest, establishing seals to completely isolate them, thus solidifying the supreme authority of the Holy See.

However, the good times did not last long. Shortly after the Dark Creatures were sealed within the Desperate Forest, a new type of Demon emerged—Inner Demons. They are formless and shadowless, able to inhabit the bodies of strong-willed Humans, granting them the powers of the Demon Race, but at the same time, they corrupt the human heart, causing individuals to lose their humanity and degenerate into true Demons. The seals can block the body, but cannot shield the heart.

As the number of Demons corrupted and parasitized by Inner Demons increased, even the Holy See began to struggle to keep up. In response to the Inner Demons, the Temple of Light developed the Sacred Sigil, a tool capable of suppressing demonic forces, recruiting Humans already parasitized by Inner Demons but not yet fully lost to their humanity into the Holy See, using the sigils to control their demonic corruption, allowing them to battle against Demons and use the power of Demons to fight Demons.

The emergence of the Sacred Sigil greatly bolstered the manpower of the Holy See, restoring a relative balance to the struggle between Humans and Demons.

Arabella strained to recall what this Inner Demon was, but she could not remember any connection to herself.

In her memory, she awoke naked in the wild land outside the town, her mind blank. Dazed, she walked into town, having just stolen a piece of clothing to wear when she was almost beaten to death by weapon-wielding villagers.

Dorian, the Priest, was well aware of what happened next.

"The Church of Light protects all its people. No matter the sins of the past, once you join the Holy See, no one can hold you accountable. For you, forgetting the past and starting anew may be a good thing," Dorian said as he arranged a comfortable corner in the carriage and carefully lifted Arabella to lie down.

The girl was not clothed, and her wounds had begun to crust over, painful and itchy, indicating that she had not lived well in the past.

With bandages soaked in medicine covering her eyes, Arabella could see nothing, and her severely injured body remained unresponsive, allowing the Priest to handle her like a puppet. The thought of being completely exposed in front of a strange man made her stiffen, and even her breathing became rapid.

The Priest beside her appeared unfazed, as if accustomed to such situations. After settling Arabella's bedding, he took out a bottle of healing ointment and began to apply it over her body.

She had used this medicine yesterday, but the sudden turn of events and overwhelming pain had left her with no thoughts to ponder. Now, with her consciousness restored, the process of application felt agonizingly long, like a form of torture. The ointment seeped into her body, cool and gentle, alleviating all her pain, while maximizing the awareness of the Priest's fingers.

Arabella could distinctly feel Dorian's fingers gliding over every inch of her skin: her neck, chest, lower abdomen, and even between her legs. The strange pleasure brought by the ointment instinctively made her want to resist, but her body was completely immobile; she could only tremble and accept Dorian's light caresses, biting her lip tightly to keep herself from moaning.

Not knowing how much time had passed, the Priest finally finished applying the last bit of ointment to her skin and gently covered Arabella with a blanket. Arabella sighed in relief, but before she could collect her thoughts, she felt something approaching her, a gentle breath brushing against her face, followed by a warm kiss on her lips.

"Mm…" The girl's surprised cry was muffled by the sweet liquid that flowed into her mouth. The liquid kept coming, forcing her to swallow, and by the time her lips were finally released, she felt slightly breathless. As the liquid slid down her throat, her body, having not eaten for days, quickly regained some strength, and her hunger subsided a bit.

"You cannot eat right now; this will help replenish your strength." The Priest's voice came again, and he covered her lips once more.

This time, Arabella completely gave up on struggling, obediently allowing the Priest to feed her the special potion from the Holy See. The air was filled with the man's scent, fresh and carrying a hint of a soapy fragrance.

Though she could not see what Dorian looked like, she felt he must be a clean person, as his long hair occasionally brushed against her face, making her feel a bit itchy. His movements were gentle and restrained; aside from feeding her the medicine, he did not venture any further. Arabella could not help but extend her tongue, tentatively probing into Dorian's mouth, brushing against his slightly parted teeth and intertwining with his warm tongue.

This time, the Priest paused in surprise at her little action. He gently bit her as a form of punishment, and Arabella immediately retracted her tongue, not daring to make any further movements. Once she had swallowed all the medicine, the Priest released her lips, tucked her blanket in, and instructed her to rest well.

The carriage carried the two of them toward the city of Sis. For most of the journey, the injured girl lay there, drowsy, feeling the white-clad Priest quietly sitting beside her, occasionally accompanied by the sound of turning pages. Due to her limited movement, Arabella needed the Priest to help apply ointment, feed her, and even assist with her bodily functions. The embarrassment of having to resolve her physiological issues in front of a man made Arabella feel utterly ashamed, leading her to cover herself under the blanket, wishing to be unseen.

"The duty of the Holy See is to represent the God of Light in protecting His people, and caring for the injured is a mandatory lesson for every Clergy." In a common and calm tone, Dorian explained to the girl, pulling her blanket down to prevent her from suffocating.

Arabella imagined the members of the Holy See feeding others with their mouths and felt the image was too beautiful to look at directly. "You Holy See are indeed a… thoughtful place…" She thought about how it might also be a good thing for her to collectively support the weak. 

Dorian was usually not talkative, but he answered every question diligently. Once Arabella's strength started to return, she began to bombard him with questions about the Temple of Light, the Inner Demon, and her future. As the air outside the carriage began to feel humid, she could finally eat on her own.

The blood scabs on her body began to fall off, revealing the tender new skin underneath. The newly formed skin was soft and sensitive, making the process of applying ointment feel increasingly intimate. When Dorian's wet fingers grazed over her nipple, the electric sensation made Arabella let out an involuntary groan, and warmth surged between her legs. Arabella's face flushed deep red, and in embarrassment, she grabbed Dorian's hand, "I can do it myself…"

The Priest said nothing more, placing the medicine bottle in Arabella's hand before stepping down from the carriage.

Outside, faint sounds of bustling voices could be heard; they had entered the territory of Sis City and were heading toward the Sis Holy See. When the Priest returned, he was holding a set of women's clothing.

Although she had already gained a preliminary understanding of the Temple of Light's status during the journey, Arabella could not help but marvel at the Holy See's financial power, as the clothes the Priest bought were made of high-quality materials. Though she had no memories of the past, the completely unfamiliar texture made her feel as though she had never worn such clothing in her life.

With her eyes still covered by the bandages, Arabella struggled with the maze of complex ribbons, prompting the Priest to finally step in. He took the clothing, put it on the girl, and skillfully tied the ribbons for her. Arabella suppressed her urge to ask Dorian if the Holy See also trained how to dress women. The carriage shook lightly and came to a stop.

"We have arrived."