Chapter 36: 35

It wasn’t until the next day that I realized I had left my things in the library.

I headed to the library early in the morning to take the books. As yesterday, Duen sat in the library.

“I’ve already packed it.”

As if he knew I would come, Duen pushed the book he had put on the desk toward me.

I smiled awkwardly and accepted the book that my senior pushed towards me. I also did not forget to thank him.

“Please return the book you rented by next week.”

“Yes.”

Lastly, I glanced at Duen, saying thank you.

This is because my senior’s eyes, which have been focused on the book I am trying to borrow since yesterday, have been bothering me.

***

“Today, on behalf of the geography lecture, a priest from the temple will come and give a lecture.”

Pardon?

It was the first time I heard it.

When I looked up at the professor with a surprised face, the professor, who felt my gaze, smiled with a benevolent face.

“I made an advance notice last week, and you all remember, right?”

I heard ‘yes’ here and there. I guess I was the only one who forgot. I nodded eagerly to blend in with the crowd.

Soon after, a priest in a white uniform came in instead of the professor. He smiled more kindly than the professor and looked around.

I hurriedly hid the book I borrowed from the library under my major book under the gaze of the priest. He’s looking at us one by one from the far left.

I couldn’t have proudly shown a book about a demon in front of the priest.

“First of all, I’m not here today to tell you the word of God.”

I nodded at the words of the priest.

As he said, there was no need for him to come here from the temple and preach the words of god.

Because people on all continents, including the empire, already believed in the same god.

God was real. The divine power that the priests received from God was evidence of that.

Of course, there are many people like me who know that God exists, yet have no faith.

“Since you are not in the arms of your parents who have been protecting you, I’m here to share with you some precautions. It’s an annual practice.”

Haaahm—

I heard Melissa yawning next to me.

The lecture, which had nothing to do with the test, seemed already boring.

The lecture piqued my interest more than any other. After the lecture, I even considered going to the priest to ask if there was a case like Liel’s.

“You know all about demon beasts, right?”

Once again, there were a lot of ‘yes’ answers from around me. Somehow, I felt like the story was flowing in the direction I wanted.

My eyes came alive all of a sudden.

“The number of demonic beasts is beyond measure. So that most of the security is outside the empire’s boundary.”

This was a story I knew.

According to the laws of the Empire, families with knights were obligated to continuously send a certain number of knights.

And as the priest said, the transferred knights guard the outskirts to prevent the demon beasts from invading the empire.

Occasionally, it was also their role to deal with demon beasts on the inside.

Of course, this was a system that was naturally established for the Holy Knights.

Thanks to them, the empire was peaceful. Unlike the chaotic situation outside.

“But thanks to so many knights and holy knights, demon beasts are no longer a threat to us.”

The priest leaned on the desk and continued to talk.

“The biggest threat to humans now is not demon beasts, but demons.”

When my most awaited story came out, my arm, which was pressing the library book, became tense.

“The reason I’m telling you this story is because there’s a demon who likes to live among humans.”

The quiet surroundings began to buzz.

“Demon beasts are easily recognizable just by looking at them from the outside. They usually have the appearance of an animal, and there are also some that appear to be an insect or a plant. But they are still different from ordinary animals and plants, so it’s obvious on the outside, but the demon doesn’t.”

The priest’s face, which had been smiling the whole time, hardened for a while.

The priest leaned forward slightly with a serious expression.

“I don’t know exactly what a demon looks like. Because they can change their appearance freely.”

“…….”

“The demon uses that point to approach humans. It turns into something beautiful and attractive and seduces humans.”

Without realizing it, Liel came to mind.

“The devil who entices humans in that way instills various desires in humans. Sexual desire, material desire, conquest, etc. The demon reaches out to a human being who falls into one of these.”

“…….”

“It’s very easy for demons to satisfy human desires.”

“…….”

“As soon as the demon holds out their hand, humans walk on the path of depravity.”

Liel was also one of the humans unintentionally entangled with the devil. He hasn’t even stepped into the corruption yet that the priest spoke of.

“It’s a sin.”

Suddenly, the priest spoke of sins.

No, you don’t have to conclude that it’s a sin. Everyone has their own reasons.

In the case of Liel, he had his tattoo since he was very young, so chances were high that he did not deal with the demon himself.

Look, there are a lot of reasons.

I felt a sudden surge of defiance. On behalf of Liel, who would be upset, I glared at the priest with a fierce look.

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Of course, I glared secretly.

“It is a sin to sell your soul to a demon after a moment of pleasure. It’s a sin serious enough for God to turn his back on you.”

I decided to refrain from asking the priest a separate question afterwards.

I will never ask. I’m not going to ask because he’s cheap and dirty.

“What I’m trying to say is that if there’s anyone who’s fallen for the demon’s trick, don’t hesitate to come to the temple.”

No one is going to visit the temple without hesitation after hearing what you just said.

“That way, we can condemn the demon who disrupts our surroundings.”

It sounded like you couldn’t be condemned otherwise. At some point, all the words of the priest were distorted and began to be heard.

“I’ll pray for the last time and end this.”

Suddenly, the priest closed his eyes and put his hands together. Subsequently, the people in the classroom took the same posture one by one as the priest.

Among them, only Melissa and I were listening to the prayer of the priest with sour faces.

I don’t know why he’s making us pray, after he said he didn’t come to preach the words of god.

***

I was on my way to the canteen after the morning lecture.

“Just because god exists, doesn’t mean you have to believe him.”

After getting close to Melissa, we always had lunch together if the time was right. It was thanks to the Academy’s support for Melissa’s living expenses.

“And who’s going to report it to him if they talk so harshly? I wouldn’t report it right away.”

“Right?”

I don’t know what Melissa is dissatisfied with, but I was dissatisfied with the visit of the priest.

And he comes every year and gives the same speech as today?

Then last year, Liel must have heard what the priest said.

He already has a tender heart so what if he’s hurt?

As I agreed to Melissa’s words with a discontented face, I suddenly had a reasonable question.

‘But Liel doesn’t know, does he? That the snake on his ankle was caused by a demon.’

He didn’t know about it in the original work, and he only realized it after turning evil.….

‘I wonder if he was hurt because he doesn’t know.’

If so, it was a relief.

“Get only a little today.”

Melissa said with a stern face as soon as we stepped into the canteen. As a result, I smiled brightly at Melissa, as I woke up from my miscellaneous thoughts.

Melissa, who noticed my insiduous smile, shook her head as if she couldn’t stop me.

Melissa hated it so much, but I ignored her advice because I knew I would eat it all if I brought a lot.

Then, as usual, I scooped up twice as much food as I ate.

Looking proudly at the pile of food, I looked around to find where Melissa sat.

Fortunately, Melissa was not far away.

“Liel?”

What caught my eye was Liel sitting opposite Melissa and a man with azure hair whom I saw for the first time.

It was my first time meeting Liel at the canteen, so I was glad to see him, as if it had been a long time since we saw each other.

My heart filled with joy as I hurriedly approached the three people.

As soon as I put down my plate next to Melissa, the eyes of the three people all turned to me.

Melissa opened her mouth in a dry voice next to me.

“Lucy, he asked me if he could sit with me, so I said he could.”

He’s your friend.

Melissa explained the situation as she added. Liel, who remembered her face, seemed to have offered to share a table.

Nodding as if I understood, I sat still next to Melissa. Then I bowed my head to the man who seemed to be Liel’s friend.

“Hello, I’m Lucy Seywint.”

After finishing the greeting, I glanced sideways at Melissa.

She was concentrating on cutting vegetables with a fork and knife. Unlike me, Melissa seemed to have no intention of greeting.

Maybe Liel had already finished greeting Melissa when he offered to join her.

I popped a big strawberry into my mouth without cutting it.

“I’m Rhode Edlock. I’m in the same grade as Liel and I also take a swordsmanship class.”

With a friendly smile, a man with big eyes introduced himself. Contrary to the passive Liel, he seemed to be a very energetic person.

Rhode’s eyes were full of mischief as if he was watching something interesting.

I don’t know why he looks at me like that, but I smile brightly after Rhode, thinking that what’s good is good.

For a while, I couldn’t even chew the strawberries in both my cheeks and just smiled at Rhode.

How long do I have to smile?

My cheeks are about to burst.

“Lucy, I……?”

It was none other than Liel who saved me.

As if to ask for attention, Liel tapped my toe with his shoe.

Wow, that’s a relief.

To respond to his greeting, I quickly mumbled and swallowed the strawberry.

“Hi, Liel.”

I imitated Liel and tapped his toe

Then, Liel’s golden eyes, which were reflected in the canteen’s light, disappeared under his gently folded eyelids.

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