The Half-Puny Priest Hopes To Retire

192 – Life of a Herbivore (1)

There was a saying used in times like this. What was it?

Should I say it’s dingy? Otherwise, should I say it is dark and gloomy.

There were many sentences that came to mind, but none of them seemed to fit the current situation.

Because the reputable were too gentle and noble expressions to express the tragedy that was filling my eyes right now.

Yes, this is it.

”It’s terribly ominous…”

Something is going very wrong.

The severe war clouds conveyed through the trembling atmosphere seemed to be whispering to me.

”Live, live, star…”

”What the hell is this…”

The other guests’ feelings didn’t seem to be any different from mine.

The absurd sighs that Dauna and Apis recited at the same time seemed to be more than mine, not less.

We arrived near the Vatican after flying for two full days on an old griffon that Big Team had difficulty airlifting.

What stopped the rapid advance was a huge black pillar spewing out an injustice that was incomparable to anything seen in the vision before.

My breathing suddenly became difficult, and my mouth became dry.

The fact that they, who had gone through all kinds of hardships and had not even blinked an eye at any major disaster, were showing such an extreme reaction meant that the black pillar contained such an absurd danger.

When I roughly estimated the distance with the naked eye, it seemed that I would have to walk for another half a day to reach the pillar.

The instincts of a living being imprinted in my skin were constantly ringing the alarm, telling me that I should not approach that thing any further.

What felt even more ominous was that I hadn’t encountered a single living person on my way here.

The phenomenon of a sudden decrease in the number of people in a place where a dungeon disaster occurred is not strange, but is completely normal.

However, it still made no sense that it would be difficult to find a single refugee from the dungeon disaster that occurred in the capital of the archipelago rather than anywhere else.

If you were attacked by a monster that crawled out of the dungeon, you would have been able to find traces of it.

However, in the villages I have passed through so far, I couldn’t find any traces of people even if I looked.

As if it never existed from the beginning.

”Let’s ask Geomdori. Hurry! Take it out quickly!”

”Apis. How many times have you told me not to rock while riding a griffon?”

”The situation is this shit, so does it matter now? You!? Make it loud and take it out quickly!”

Apis pushed her and reluctantly placed her hand on her waist.

Geomdori. That was the name of the holy sword that was recognized within the party after the uproar a while ago.

No, to be exact, it was the second name of a woman who hid herself inside the holy sword and called herself Archangel Ultima.

It was a terrible title that clearly showed intentional malice, but as the author’s actions were actions, not a single person objected to such a naming method.

Sereung.

When she took the knife out of her sheath, the blade came into view, noticeably shorter than before.

The blade, which was heavily rusted, had become noticeably cleaner after dozens of hardenings, but the length of the blade was less than half of what it first appeared to be.

A long sword that was as big as the upper body of a person turned into a small kitchen knife in just a few days.

If it hadn’t been her hero who touched her, I thought she would have felt at least a glimmer of sympathy.

”Hey. Come back. What is that?”

Apis suddenly asked a question towards the holy sword in my hand.

-Yes. Apis. That is a space that underworlders call a dungeon. As I explained before, he is the highest-ranking entity, commonly known as the Demon King, who was brought down with the power of God.

The answer to that question was a mechanical voice that you would only hear in a car navigation system.

That dry voice, devoid of a single emotion, clearly showed me how terrible a time Apis had spent with her.

What on earth did this arrogant guy, even the sound of his exhaling, end up like this?

Just imagining that series of processes for a moment was enough to make me feel chilled.

The reason I kept the holy sword was no different.

When Apis was holding the knife, it was constantly vibrating like an electric razor, so I couldn’t carry it around.

The being that tried to take over the hero’s body cannot be placed next to the hero or the Big Team that always stays with the hero.

Every time Downa got the chance, she soaked this sword in formalin to use it as a test subject, and as a result, there was no worthy owner other than me.

”Hearing what you say, I think that’s the devil. How about we stop scouting and go back?”

”I also agree with Lowville. Even if that dungeon is not a demon lord, rushing into a dungeon of that level without prior preparation is the height of foolishness.”

”No, who is running at me? I know. That’s neat. I was just asking. Anyway, don’t worry about buying it.”

Normally, it wouldn’t have been surprising if a fight broke out right after this.

The reason I went out of my way to follow the two people who said they were going to do preliminary reconnaissance was because I wanted to mediate between the two people, who never knew when or how they might fight.

But now, the usual tense atmosphere was nowhere to be seen among them.

”Okay then, let’s go back to base camp. Warrior. I’ll be worried.”

”Okay.”

The sight of two people in harmony, coordinating each other’s opinions without even a trivial argument, was extremely unfamiliar to me.

Even when sharing a side of beans, the Apis and Dauna that I knew were pointing arrows and sticks at each other’s faces.

‘I don’t even have time to fight. Is this what you mean…’

It was a moment when I realized again how serious the situation was.

◈◈◈

”You’re back. Priest Raiges. The meal preparation has been completed, so eat it before it gets cold.”

”Yes. Thank you Sister. Of course, the saint too.”

”Hmph!”

As soon as I opened the door, what greeted me was a nun in an apron and a saint with puffy cheeks.

From the looks of it, it looks like he waited until I came again without eating.

I told you so much that it was okay to eat it first.

Even though he has become much more mature in recent years, the stubbornness that remains here and there has not changed.

”Sorry. Wellna. Are you very angry?”

”Are you mad. I was angry about 10 times, about an hour.”

”·····”

Is this also the aftermath of the personality returning?

Recently, when I get angry, I do it systematically.

The more clever she became, the easier it was for her to deal with her, but her happiness outweighed her honest despair.

”Anyway, no matter how empty the house is, is it okay to use someone else’s house like this?”

”There won’t be any big problems. This is an emergency situation, and I left a small amount of money for when the owners return.”

”And indeed…”

As I saw the nun lifting the bag of gold coins from her hand as she spoke, the words of concern that were about to come out were drowned out.

What we are currently using as a base camp is a rather large mansion on the outskirts of the village that we found on our way to the Holy See.

Of course, it would be much better for me to live in a comfortable home like this than to sleep out on the streets.

I felt very uncomfortable because I felt like I was a petty thief because I was using the daily necessities of an unowned house without permission.

”Anyway, where on earth have the people here disappeared…”

”Well. Horse and carriage. Valuables or clothes. Looking at the various daily necessities provided, it does not seem like he left voluntarily. However, there are too few traces to say that it was attacked by something.”

”Aren’t we all playing hide and seek together?”

”Oh, how did you come up with such a genius idea!? There is also a talent for detective work! As expected, we are well!”

”·····”

After being able to accept the nun’s treatment without any emotion, she became slightly afraid.

”What do you think, Sister?”

”Okay. In my opinion…”

After hearing my question, the nun was deep in her thoughts.

The series of movements was as calm as a rippleless lake, and there was not the slightest disturbance.

The nun in my memories. It was just like that.

That he is unnaturally turning his back on me. Except for one thing.

”Sister… If you don’t mind being rude, can you look here and talk…?”

”Sorry. For a moment, I got a lump in my throat…”

As I gently tried to close the distance, the nun’s angled head suddenly twisted.

What to do with words.

From that day on, I never saw her nun’s face.

No. Let alone her face, she couldn’t even see a frontal shot.

In fact, there was something worth mentioning between the two of us, and it was something that I found difficult to say while looking at her sister’s face.

No matter what, every time I was faced with something like this, and that kind of cold response came back, I couldn’t help but pay attention.

Fortunately, there were no problems with communication, but it was virtually impossible to apologize for what happened that day because the nun would run away at full speed like an experienced runner at the slightest mention of it.

If this continues, I guess she won’t be able to see the nun’s face until the end of her life.

These days, the concerns that started as mere farmland were becoming quite serious.

”Anyway, how are you and the hero lately? I heard that your relationship has become somewhat awkward.”

”Huh? Brother. Did you fight with a dog?”

”Oh, no! It’s not like we fought… Just…”

”Only?”

”It’s just that it’s a little uncomfortable to meet face to face due to reasons I can’t talk about…”

”········Isn’t that a fight?”