What a wretched dream.
Yes—a dream. It had to be. A good and faithful priest like me couldn't possibly be despised by God. And that thing I saw? No way that was divine. It was far too petty, too small.
"Hey! What the hell's going on!?"
"Silence, maggot. You'll speak only when granted permission. If you wish to open that filthy mouth, raise your hand and beg for the right."
Aegis spat the words at Gram, who sat bound to a chair, wrists locked in iron. In other words: shut up.
But Gram, long since used to Aegis's threats, only glared up at me with that insolent fire in his eyes. Rebellious as ever.
"Hey, Priest! You mind explaining why the hell I'm tied up like this? You think you can treat a righteous hero like a criminal?"
Tch. Loud as always.
There was always something thuggish about him—like the type who'd stab someone just for looking at him wrong. And he had, in fact, nearly killed me once already.
"...So it really is you, huh? The 'hand of the devil' he spoke of? Well, maybe that was just my dream—but I'm the type who trusts his dreams, you know? Not completely, but enough that it gnaws at me. And I don't like things gnawing at me. If crushing that unease means crushing you, Gram, then so be it."
"The hell are you mumbling about!? You high or something!?"
"Shut up! I'm not dying today, damn it!"
I raised the small Goddess statue high above my head.
"Jinganzaaaaaan!"
A pitiful scream echoed through the church and halted my arm mid-swing. Still holding the statue aloft, I turned toward the door with my practiced priestly smile.
There stood Katarina, her face a crumpled mask of tears. Our eyes met.
"Ah, my lost lamb," I said sweetly. "What brings you to my humble church?"
"Wh-why are you holding up the Goddess statue...?"
Olivier peeked out nervously from behind her.
"An exorcism," I replied, beaming.
"S-someone, hel—!"
Before he could finish, the statue came down again with divine authority. Gram went slack, eyes rolling white, and Aegis dragged him off toward the back of the chapel. I turned back to the pair.
Now then—where's Rielle?
Ah. There she is. With a coffin in tow.
"Rielle... Rielle's—she's—!"
Okay, okay, I get it. You don't have to say it. Let me guess—Rielle died protecting you again, didn't she, Katarina? Charging ahead like a fool mage, just as I warned you she would.
Honestly, I saw this coming from the start. Rielle was talented, sure, but always too busy shielding her teammates to use that strength properly.
Maybe it's time we let her rest for good.
If Gram was the kind of devil's hand that strikes from the front, Rielle was the kind that lurks beneath the bed.
"Hurry, Priest!"
Katarina shook my shoulders, her face tight with panic. Huh. Looks like they actually got along better than I thought. That's... oddly heartwarming.
Still, it's Rielle we're talking about. And a priest refusing resurrection would be... poor form.
I need a good excuse not to do it.
As I mulled it over, I nudged the coffin lid aside.
Bloodshot eyes glared up at me.
"Gyaah!? She's alive!?"
I fell back in pure shock. The very much alive Rielle smiled, her crimson lips curling upward as her blood-red eyes narrowed to slits, as if she might weep blood.
"Julius..."
I slammed the lid shut.
"Please, Priest! Rielle's sick!"
Rielle's been sick since birth, Katarina. It's terminal.
"You've brought her to the wrong place," I said flatly. "This is a church, not a hospital."
"It's not just an illness! She was attacked by a monster!"
Olivier quickly added, "We'd never seen anything like it. It was in the Velda Forest—a tree-type creature. When we struck it, it released a cloud of yellow dust. After that, she..."
Olivier's words gave me pause. Even he hadn't recognized it. A new species, then? Plant monsters and toxins go hand in hand.
Reluctantly, I lifted the coffin lid again.
"Julius..."
Her voice rasped weakly, punctuated by a wet wheeze. Her eyes were bloodshot, lips swollen and red, and faint rashes bloomed across her neck. I cast a detox spell, but nothing changed.
"It doesn't seem to be a simple poison," I said. "I've seen something similar in a hero stung by a killer hornet."
"Then how did you cure them?" Katarina asked.
"...At the time, I couldn't. We'll have to wait."
I began to close the lid, but a pale hand shot out and clutched my wrist with surprising strength.
"Julius..."
How many times do I have to tell her not to use my name? Still... she was technically my patient. I took her waxen hand in mine.
"It's all right. I know it hurts, but you'll find peace soon."
Her lips trembled, struggling for words through the shallow, ragged breaths.
"Do you want water?" I asked.
She shook her head faintly—so weak it looked more like a quiver. I leaned in close to catch her whisper.
"What is it? What do you wa—hehh—"
Something wet and slick brushed against my ear. My entire body froze, skin crawling, every hair standing on end. I tried to pull away, but couldn't.
Her death-pale hand clamped down on my arm, iron-strong.
"I want you, Julius."
Rielle's tongue slid slowly over her crimson lips.
Well. She certainly looked lively.
In cases like this, the best treatment is to let the condition—and the patient—run their course, then resurrect them afterward. Unfortunately, that takes time.
I tried to shake free, failed, and ended up closing the coffin lid with her hand still sticking out.
Maybe I really should start working out...
Notes:
• Aegis - a female red-haired holy knight in silver armor, harsh to others and herself but shows weakness to Julius, to whom she swore loyalty, leads the Secret Police Squad.
• Gram - a male thug-like hero who frequently forgets to pay resurrection fees, occasionally snaps and tries to kill Julius, yet kind to children.
• Katarina - A female adventurer known for her cheerful demeanor but cursed with a tendency to die repeatedly.
• Olivier - A male adventurer burdened by the constant deaths of his companion Katarina.
• Rielle - A female hero dressed in garish pastel colors, hopelessly in love with Julius and persistently pestering him, known for her necromantic abilities and erratic behavior..
• Julius - The Main Character.