Chapter 126. Out in the Wild, In the Church

The Grand Cathedral of the Water City was vast, and anyone visiting for the first time would surely be struck by the overwhelming sense of sanctity in its decor.

Since it was not a formal prayer time, the hall remained relatively empty.

Aside from a few particularly devout elderly individuals without work, there were not many praying in the pews.

Clotilde had been here before, so she felt no surprise.

She decided to seek out her acquaintances first before paying a visit to the regional bishop.

She had indeed not wanted to come here before, but since Noah mentioned that someone here knew how to quickly restore magical power, she could no longer afford to hesitate; after all, it wasn’t as if her secret about the lewd tattoos had been exposed.

And now that she was here, it would be quite rude not to pay a visit to the local bishop. Clotilde, who valued etiquette and politeness, certainly could not sneak in without a proper greeting.

“Hmm? Oh, is that Clotilde? Surely it is the goddess herself who has guided you here. Is there anything I can assist you with?”

As Clotilde stepped into the cathedral alongside Noah, she was scanning for familiar faces, but it was the other party who spotted her first.

It was a nun a couple of years her senior, exuding an air of calmness and kindness that immediately struck one as ‘this nun is very composed and loving.’

The nun’s name was Belinda, with beautiful flaxen hair and gentle blue eyes, her hands clasped in prayer as she looked at Clotilde with concern.

Belinda was a senior from Clotilde’s time at the convent. Having been cared for in the past, Clotilde held a deep trust and respect for Belinda, even if they hadn’t been in touch recently.

“Ah, it’s been a while, Sister Belinda. I actually came here with this gentleman.”

However, just as Clotilde politely greeted Belinda and intended to get straight to the point, she turned her head only to find that Noah had once again vanished without a trace.

He could disappear even within this grand cathedral!?

Staring at the empty corridor behind her, Clotilde felt utterly dumbfounded.

“No one here? Perhaps you could tell me what’s going on, Clotilde?”

Sister Belinda leaned slightly, peering behind Clotilde, trying to discern what she was searching for, just like Clotilde.

The difference was that while Sister Belinda hadn’t found anything either, she was adept at reading the atmosphere and noticed that Clotilde’s emotions were off. She quickly invited her to a discreet corner where the other worshippers wouldn’t overhear.

What could Clotilde say?

She could only suppress her inner dissatisfaction for the moment and stepped into the corner with Sister Belinda, briefly recounting what she could share.

Mainly, she was tracking a certain lewd demon and dealing with a bothersome young man she couldn’t shake off for the time being.

“From what you say, that gentleman sounds quite troublesome indeed. However, I believe it would be wonderful if we could guide him to a change of faith. When we meet him, let me help persuade him to embrace the faith.”

Even with the parts about the lewd tattoos and lost magical power omitted, Noah didn’t come off as a good person in Clotilde’s account, so Sister Belinda naturally expressed her concerns.

Yet, being a professional nun, she quickly gathered her spirits after her initial sadness and was eager to join Clotilde in persuading someone to believe.

This made Clotilde feel both happy and worried.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that with Sister Belinda’s character, not only would she fail to convince Noah, but he might even make her cry.

When she voiced this dreadful possibility out of concern for Sister Belinda, the nun merely smiled gently, unfazed.

“Is that so? But I think it should be fine. After all, it’s not just the two of us here; there are others, aren’t there?”

Though Sister Belinda appeared quite reliable, Clotilde’s smile was strained, believing it to be impossible. In any case, she thought it best to find Noah first.

“Indeed, we must see him first. Ah, Father, you’ve arrived just in time! There’s a gentleman who seems to have gotten lost in the cathedral. Would you be so kind as to help us search?”

When Sister Belinda said this to Clotilde’s back, Clotilde felt no surprise.

While she knew all the bishops, not every priest was familiar to her.

Thus, she assumed Sister Belinda was simply greeting some ordinary priest from the Water City Cathedral.

Until that all-too-familiar, languid voice echoed behind her.

“It’s alright, Sister Belinda. I’m the gentleman who got lost while accompanying Sister Clotilde. Leave the rest to me; you’ve done enough.”

“!!!!??”

The moment Clotilde heard that voice, her beautiful pink eyes widened in shock.

She felt as if she were dreaming, for this was simply impossible.

But when she turned to look, well, the dream had grown even larger.

For no matter how she looked at the young man in the black clerical robe, with his dark hair, he seemed achingly familiar.

Yet this was surely impossible, for she had distinctly heard him declare himself an atheist before.

“Ah, Sister Clotilde, I know you’re surprised, but don’t be too shocked, for this is real.”

Noah, now clad in the standard garb of a priest, regarded the dazed expression of the nun before him, a sardonic smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

That was not the expression of a priest at all; however, Sister Belinda showed no particular reaction.

For Noah had used the power of the dark god to directly alter her perception.

Only Clotilde could hear his true voice; to everyone else, it would automatically transform into the voice a priest ought to have.

Of course, visually, he would also appear with the normal expression expected of a priest.

The identity of the priest was, indeed, a fabrication crafted by Noah’s dark god abilities.

But it didn’t matter; as long as Clotilde believed he was real, that was enough.

“Oh, I see! So that’s how it is. Well then, Father Noah, I’ll leave Clotilde in your care.”

To Sister Belinda, Noah’s explanation of his identity seemed quite ordinary, so she smiled and, after exchanging pleasantries, turned to leave.

Noah, too, led the nun, still reeling from shock but obediently following him, toward a room in the church.

“…Wait, wait a moment! What on earth is going on? Could you please explain in detail?”

Once inside the room, Clotilde, seemingly finally coming to her senses, pressed her hands to her head, her expression a complex mix of confusion and disbelief as she looked at the young man in the clerical robe.

“Hmm? Didn’t I say? I know someone who can quickly restore the magic you’ve lost, and that someone is me, as your priest. Well, that’s the explanation done; now, strip.”

A relaxed and mischievous grin spread across Noah’s face as he casually explained the situation that was giving her a headache, as if it were nothing of great importance.

Didn’t he say anything at all?!

Not a single word, not even a hint!

And why on earth should she strip?!

This was not a brothel, but a sacred cathedral adorned with the statue of a goddess!

“…………”

With too many retorts swirling in her mind, the nun found herself oddly calm.

After a long silence, she finally let out a deep sigh.

……Doomed, the nightmare had sunk to such depths that she still hadn’t awakened; it seemed this was no mere dream.

But she would absolutely not strip away her defenses!

The wilderness, she could endure!

But the church? Absolutely not!

……

……

PS. It’s the third update!

And I think this timing is still quite reasonable for the living world.