Chapter 14 – Lumia (2)

Ernrich Rumia.

She was proud of being a priest. Even at her first baptism in the capital, when she performed her first exorcism in the name of God, she was a priestess. Even when she treated the sick and was thanked, she was proud of the fact that she was a priest. She believed that a sanctuary was a clean place where she always did good and had nothing to do with politics or bribery.

Even when she was relegated to the country, she thought it was because of some mistake on her part or her own lack of faith. Although she tried her best to be flawless in everything, she could have lacked something, and she could have unknowingly misunderstood her prayer.

Even when she heard that the lascivious and incompetent priest whom she despised had occupied an important post in the capital because she was a relative of the saint, she did not give up her faith.

However, the hotbed of depravity that the local temples showed in their raw state made her doubtful about her strong faith.

“Come on, priest. After praying in our province, we have a simple celebration party with a glass of wine like this.”

“When you treat a sick person, of course you have to receive donations. The poor have no money.”

“That, for those who want to have some money, you just have to say a little about the devil. So you’re really crazy about buying things like holy water or relics? It is difficult to make a living because of the rising prices these days.”

“I’m trying to treat people who don’t have money. It collects donations by accumulating interest. Surprisingly, this is more salty than treating ordinary people once.”

People who were no different from swindlers were priests in the provinces and were territorial. They did not know how to read the scriptures properly and did not participate in prayer events at all. When there was a festival in the village, they sold cheap things with strange names, and tried to extract more donations in the name of helping the sick.

Rumia thought.

Something is wrong with this

As a temple that conveys the word of God, something is seriously wrong.

So Rumia tried to reform the temple and return people’s hearts. Even though the priests were ignoring their words and acting arbitrarily, or still perpetrating dirty and lascivious corruption, they tried not to lose their faith.

After a hard day’s work, Rumia prayed to her statue, hoping that her faith would not be shaken.

“No, priest. I see you are from the capital and don’t know me well. We are different from the capital. It means you can’t make a living doing it that way. Who lives on wine and bread alone? People should live by eating meat, eating fish, and eating some delicious food.”

Oh God. Forgive us the sins we committed today.

“Sir. What kind of business do you have if you donate so little? Do you think we do this because we don’t want to treat you as simply as priest? What do we become Are you saying you want to be a good person by yourself?”

You bring the lambs out of their delusion and take them into your arms. As much as your will is done in heaven, let it be done on earth.

“Sir. You must pay your allotment. Now the capital is asking me to pay my allotment. Is it because there is no choice but to trade holy things like this? That’s all money.”

Look upon the most abandoned souls.

“Sir. Do it in moderation! Does anything change when we change?”

Someday, let me come to your country and gain eternal life.

“Sir. Don’t you want to make money too? It seems that the priest has a lot of money at home, so he doesn’t need to earn money like this. We want to live a little more comfortably. The top asks you to give money, but does the priest even need to do this?”

Please reach out to me even in the darkest places of this world.

“Sir! Please! Yes? Wouldn’t it be nice to live together for a bit?”

“Under…”

Even after I finished praying, my heart did not calm down. Because her temple didn’t change no matter how hard she tried. She had to admit that she could not change the atmosphere of this shrine by her own power. It was because the nobility of a low position eventually ended with the nobility of an individual.

Without power, nothing could be changed.

Corruption in local temples was not only due to the qualifications of the priests, but also because the amount of donations collected from the capital was too large, and corruption was tolerated. The reality of a province where a temple that has not decayed cannot survive.

She only cared about her own integrity and her goodwill, and she had never thought about these matters directly. The problem that was dismissed as individual infidelity was a tragedy created by complex infidelities elaborately interlocked like a mechanical device.

“Oh God.”

Rumia thought. Perhaps it was God’s will that he was relegated to the rural temple now.

It may be an ordeal to see the cruel reality of the local temples and to rise to a higher position and reform the temples.

From then on, Rumia worked to improve her performance in the province. She cooperated with the priests to increase her donations, and paid her medical treatment to raise her income. It was because she believed that if she worked hard and was recognized for her achievements, she would be able to move up to a higher position.

However, she made a lot of donations, and good performance did not mean that she could go to the capital. There is only one thing to see in the capital city temple. Because she was a relative of a warrior or a saint, or whether she bribed them or not.

Climbing with bribes.

Rumia didn’t want to die as much as she did. It was because she felt that if she went up to the point of soiling herself, she would also be infected with the corruption of the leadership.

So Rumia spent her time searching for her achievements.

Every day she roamed the streets looking for people who had demonic powers or who smelled like demons.

It was because extermination of demons in the temple was recognized as a great achievement. The more she defeats the stronger demon, the higher the reward, and if she defeats it alone, it is recognized as a great achievement and she can re-enter the capital.

“Ahahaha! Okay! I mean, my wife is so amazing! It squeezes people very much!”

It was Carlson who caught Rumia’s eyes. She was a shallow person and she didn’t want to mix things up, but sometimes you could see her noticeably thinner and emaciated whenever I saw her in town. Besides, she gave off a faint demonic smell from his body.

He was too weak to feel it properly, but demonic traces were clearly circling his body.

Rumia thought. This is god’s will Really, he said God help him.

*****

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

The atmosphere in the bar was chaotic. The atmosphere was so lively that even the two of them who came out of the store could feel it. It was because there were various speculations about Rumia calling Carlson. She didn’t care what cubbies the vulgar cabal inside Lumia’s tavern slammed.

The important thing for her right now was to get rid of the demon that was playing tricks on Carlson’s body. Carlson felt uneasy about this woman who was silently observing him. She looked at herself sharply because it reminded her of when she was being investigated in the capital. After she remained silent for a while, holding her head crookedly, Carlson couldn’t stand it and asked again.

“No, if I called you, please tell me. Priest. Yes?”

“You are tired.”

“Yes?”

Rumia spoke again.

“I heard rumors that you couldn’t work properly because your body was tired, and your alcohol consumption had decreased a lot.”

“Ah, that… My wife…”

“It’s not because of my wife. I’ve seen patients who came to me a few times because of excessive sex, but they didn’t deteriorate as rapidly as Mr. Carlson.”

“Yes? So, what is the cause?”

If someone else said it, it would be dismissed as nonsense, but she was a real priest from the capital. Carlson listened to her words carefully because of the words she had heard earlier about being a deposed priest, and because of the current atmosphere.

Rumia looked around her once, then lowered her voice.

“This is the work of the devil.”

“Ah, the devil… !”

Carlson tried to scream at those words, but clamped her mouth shut. It was because she raised her index finger as if Rumia was telling her to be quiet. Rumia looked around her, then she said.

“He is also very nasty and terrifying. They’re trying to suck your essence, then kill you and take your place.”

“That, like that… !”

Of course, Evan wasn’t as terrifying and strong as Rumia’s expression. Rumia was confident that if she went to her mansion right now, she would slay the demon. However, she did not receive much credit for defeating weak demons.

“You have to trust me now. I have done many exorcisms of this kind in the capital. My experience and the smell of your body tell me it’s the work of the devil.”

She had to purify a very strong and evil demon before she could be recognized enough to enter the capital.

“This type of demon continues to absorb the essence, eventually devouring an entire village. In fact, it’s still dangerous today. We need to get rid of them before they start acting in earnest.”

So Rumia exaggerated Evan’s strength. Carlson, who was dubious at first, heard Lumia’s explanation, and the more he listened, the more he felt her legs tremble. He asked cautiously.

“Then, priest. Are you saying my wife is the devil? Is she saying that the motherfucking bitch cheated on me and sucked it up all this time?”

Looking at Carlson’s face, if she nodded here, she was ready to beat her wife to death. Rumia shook her head and said.

She said, “I heard that she married a young lady from an aristocratic family. My energy is low.”

“No, didn’t she just say that she was a very strong demon?”

Carlson looked at Rumia with her suspicious face. Rumia quickly shook her head.

“…It meant that it was nothing special because I was there. Ruler! I think I’ll know more about it once I go to the mansion. We need to learn more about that demon. I’ll change my clothes and join you, so I’d appreciate it if you could wait a moment.”

And Rumia quickly avoided her seat.

She was still bad at lying.