As Kanae and Edina raced for the door, a clone of Renya appeared to block their way.
"Hold on." The Renya who spoke was still sitting at the poker table. "Have you any idea how it will look if you charge into Rudo's cathedral guns blazing? Even should you succeed in rescuing your daughter, they already know she is a succubus."
"So what do you want me to do? Let them have her? That's not happening. I left her before and look what happened? As far as the deal was concerned, you were supposed to keep Teana safe. Since you couldn't, consider our arrangement voided." Kanae pushed past the clone who didn't try to stop them.
Ashamed, Renya looked away and vanished the clone.
Thedia, whose back was pressed to the wall adjacent the door to stay standing from her injuries, couldn't look Kanae in the eyes either.
"I'm sorry," Thedia whispered.
Without anything or anyone to block their way out anymore, Kanae stormed out of the Red Harpy.
"Any idea where they took her?" Edina asked, hoofing it with her shorter legs to catch up.
"First guess is Cathedral of One. Father Morgan could be in on it, and if not, at least knows where Bishop Rudo might be," Kanae said.
All this was happening because Kanae neglected Teana when he should have been protecting her himself this entire time. Arenade was right. He was a bad mother. What he did back at the goblin village was just an excuse to leave her behind.
Not anymore.
Mama's coming to save you!
The two reached the religious ward of Lograin at the height of when people were heading out to attend church. Adventurers, citizens, and clergy alike walked alongside each other, on the way to their respective place of worship.
Thankfully, knowing that it was Rudo who kidnapped Teana narrowed down the list of places they could be. Any of the churches or cathedrals that worshiped the Supreme One. The most likely place was the Cathedral of One, which Father Morgan presided over as the head priest.
Unfortunately, the Supreme One was the most prominent religion in this world, so…
"Hey, quit pushing! I'm walking here!" Edina was getting jostled around by people heading in the same direction.
One guy accidentally elbowed her in the nose.
"Alright… that's it. Summon Undead!"
"Edina, wait—"
Five skeletons materialized and pointed their weapons at the poor human man. People around them freaked out and started running away.
"Damn it, Edina. Unsummon your undead!" Kanae grabbed Edina from behind and quietly charmed her.
Unable to resist but not without groaning out loud, Edina obeyed. The undead disappeared, leaving behind a pouty squirreling. Kanae turned to apologize, but the terrified man took off running.
"Kanae, Edina?"
They spun around to find Will, descending the steps of the cathedral to meet them.
"Parishioners were rushing into the cathedral, exclaiming something about undeads attacking. I had a feeling it was you two." Will sighed with a smile.
With Will leading the way, they entered without needing to start a mosh pit and took a seat in a pew a few rows from the back. The cathedral was packed to the brim. Despite how many people there were, only respectful and quiet murmuring echoed across the main hall.
The damage done when they previously had a fight here appeared to have been repaired back to its original state.
Kanae's succubus soul was suffering quietly. Not out of pain, but out of an innate aversion for the purity of it all. He shuffled comfortably in the seat, scratching the tingling sensation on his skin from stifling holy magic that permeated the air.
"I'm surprised you two came to listen to Father Morgan's sermon. He preaches so passionately that I feel my very essence return to the Supreme One's embrace," Will explained, at the edge of his seat and eyes fixed at the podium.
"Uh, yeah… Actually, Will…" Kanae whispered to him about why they had come.
The paladin's eyes widened with surprise.
"That's terrible! I-I wish I can help, but I haven't a clue where Bishop Rudo is. He's made himself scarce in public after rumors of his involvement with the Outriders started spreading. As for Arenade… I recall seeing her in the abbey behind the cathedral this morning," he said.
Arenade had gotten close with Bishop Rudo. She might be their best bet at finding him. Or finding Teana. Kanae could only hope that she wasn't part of it. There was no way. She could never be okay with using children as tools for self-serving gains.
At least… Kanae hoped not.
"It's starting!" Will bounced fervently in his seat.
"No, Will— We don't have time for this. Bishop Rudo is planning something tonight!" Kanae exclaimed.
"We can ask Father Morgan about Bishop Rudo after he finishes giving a sermon. It would be too suspicious to interrupt him now," he said.
At the very front of the cathedral, Father Morgan emerged from a side entrance and walked up to the podium. He cleared his throat, and something— maybe magic— amplified the volume of his voice to echo loudly like speaking into a microphone or intercom.
"It is good to see everyone again," Father Morgan began. "I know we are going through distressing times, which is important to remember that the Supreme One walks alongside each and every one of us. Hold your head high, for a new day shall dawn."
This was a normal enough sermon, but Kanae couldn't be bothered to wait any longer than needed.
The priest continued. "Now, join me in begging the lord who presides over all— OH, SUPREME ONE, SAVE US! YOUR HUMBLE SERVANTS OF THIS WORLD SEEKETH GUIDANCE THROUGH THESE TRYING TIMES! DEMONS INFEST YOUR PASTURES, CRIME HAS GROWN WORSE! GIVE US A SIGN, MY LORD!"
Kanae and Edina sat there flabbergasted, their lips pursed and minds empty, as they were being screamed at with the force of a tornado. To their right, Will was in tears and lost in the fervor of religious zeal. In fact, so was everyone else in here.
"I remembered why I stopped going to church," Edina said.
"Can you feel?" Will asked.
"The spit on my face from Father Morgan yelling so much?" Kanae asked in return.
"The Supreme One! It's as though he is in this cathedral with us!"
Passionate was right. Maybe a little too passionate.
"I, uh… I got the urge to leak out some holy water. Edina, bathroom?" Kanae turned to his only other sane companion who nodded in agreement.
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They quickly crab walked down the pew to leave.
"Excuse me. Where are you two going?"
Kanae and Edina froze.
A pair of nuns in white and gold habits had stopped them near the entrance.
"Oh, we're just—"
Kanae slapped a hand over Edina's mouth.
"Is there a private room we can speak in?" Kanae asked, charming the nuns into his service.
"That's one way to deal with them," Edina said while being helped into one of the nuns' habits by her undeads.
The small office made for a nice hiding place, and Father Morgan's continued screaming prayers masked the sounds these ladies had made. Both nuns, a human and elf, were stripped naked, sitting on their knees, and panting at Kanae with lustful gazes.
"Can we have more, Mistress?"
"Please, make me cum again…"
"Maybe later if you come by the adventurer's hall. For now… Do you know where Bishop Rudo is?" Kanae asked.
Both of them traded glances.
"I'm afraid we haven't seen the bishop all day since this morning. If there is anywhere to check, it's the abbey," the brunette human woman said.
"How do we get there?"
"Go left along the wall. There will be a door that leads into the courtyard. The abbey is where our dormitory is located," the other answered
After patting each of them on the head which they leaned into, Kanae compelled them to stay and keep the door locked until nightfall. He and Edina returned to the main worship hall, where people were still deep in prayer.
This time, dressed in the habits, other clergy of the cathedral paid them little mind other than a greeting. The clothing was also surprisingly lightweight and comfy, like being enveloped in a cloud of wool.
Kanae started tugging around the chest area. It was a little suffocating.
"What's wrong?" Edina asked.
"It's kind of tight on my chest," he said.
Edina didn't say anymore and simply glared at his chest.
They exited the cathedral and into the back courtyard. Even out here, Father Morgan's voice was still annoyingly loud and clear. The beautiful garden sported exotic flowers and plants, trees and bushes landscaped into the image of the Supreme One and holy symbols, and benches for some clergy to rest on.
"Maybe Renya was onto something. This place is in dire need of a different kind of religion." Kanae shuddered, unable to get the head priest's screaming out of his mind.
Always begging for the Supreme One or The Many for help. No wonder people were scared. Even without receiving an answer to their prayers, they somehow dive harder head-first into it.
"What if I started a sex cult?" Kanae asked aloud to himself.
"Say what now?" Edina squinted at him.
"N-Nothing!"
The abbey was a T-shaped building across the courtyard. One of the nuns called it their dormitory. If Arenade was around, then she must be in there.
As they made their way across, Kanae stopped in front of an adjoining cabin buttressed up against the abbey. It looked like a toolshed, the dark oak wood worn by time and windows haphazardly boarded up from what might have been past break-ins.
"We're almost there. What's the hold up?" Edina asked.
"I-I don't know. Call it intuition, but I think… Teana's inside this shed," Kanae said.
The sliding door was held closed by a rusted iron padlock. They weren't getting in without a key. Or…
Edina summoned an undead minion, wielding a warhammer. One good hit shattered the lock from the door. They glanced over their shoulders to make sure no one saw, then opened the door with bated breath.
Sitting at the center of the room, trapped in dog-sized cage—
"Mama!" Teana cried, her short and stubby arms sticking out between the metal bars.
"Teana…" Kanae choked up and ran inside to hold her little hands. "Teana! I'm so sorry for leaving you. I don't even deserve to be your mother."
The little goblin succubus cooed and pinched Kanae's cheeks with both hands.
"I still can't believe you popped this cute thing out of that slutty womb of yours," Edina teased.
"Ha ha—?!"
A powerful yank ripped Kanae out of the shed and crashed into the ground next to Edina, who had also been dragged out in the same way. Strong roots and vines held them bound in place.
Looking up, they saw Arenade standing over them.
"Let us go, you bimbo elf!" Edina growled.
"Arenade, what are you doing?" Kanae cried. "Teana's in there! Bishop Rudo kidnapped her!"
"I'm… sorry," Arenade quietly whispered.
"Oh, she knows," Bishop Rudo said, emerging from the abbey with his hands behind his back and smirking. "She is the one who told me about it after all. Good work, Sister Arenade. The Supreme One smiles upon you this day."
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