The Possessor Mistook the Genre for 20 Years

43 – The Saintess Has Weak Ears.

Franz was led into the confessional by Justia.

‘So this is what it looks like.’

Franz’s eyes scanned the interior of the confessional.

He knew that such a place existed, but this was his first time entering one.

The confessional was narrow.

It was just big enough for one person to sit facing the wall and pray comfortably.

If someone else came in, maybe two more people could fit.

The cathedral was so enormous that he naturally thought the confessional would be big too, but it wasn’t.

While Franz was looking around the confessional,

“Phew-, that was close.”

Justia said, placing her hand on her chest.

She seemed worried that someone might hear them.

After all, helping with this matter was supposed to be a secret.

But is it okay if only we hide?

The cultist we captured is left outside, all alone?

No matter how much he thought about it, Franz couldn’t understand the situation.

In the first place, instead of hiding in such a place, he could have teleported outside.

Then, even if someone ran into Justia, nothing problematic would happen.

“Justia, I…”

Franz opened his mouth to convey these thoughts,

“Shh-! They’re getting closer…?! Be quiet…!”

Justia raised her index finger to her lips as if to say it was out of the question.

As she said, the footsteps outside were getting closer and closer.

They didn’t know who it was, but it seemed to be approaching them.

However, aside from that, it was a bit embarrassing to be suddenly scolded.

And what was the point of saying it was noisy when her own voice was louder?

Hmm-.

For now, it seemed best to just wait and see.

Let’s go along with Justia’s opinion for now.

Click-.

In the heavy silence that had settled over the cathedral, the sound of footsteps echoed loudly.

The two, hiding in the narrow confessional, remained as silent as mice, hoping the owner of the footsteps would pass by.

Sss-, Phew-.

In the almost clinging distance, they could hear each other’s breathing loudly.

At that moment, Justia suddenly spoke.

“Don’t, don’t, don’t breathe…!”

Franz doubted his ears, wondering if he had really heard that.

He was so taken aback that he couldn’t even think of what to say.

He could understand being told to be quiet, but not to breathe?

This was something he couldn’t let go.

Franz whispered in a very small voice into Justia’s ear.

“Not breathe? Are you telling me to die?”

“Th-that’s not what I meant…. But, could you move away a bit…? You smell like sweat…!”

Sweat smell…?

Franz thought back carefully.

Had he sweated at some point?

But nothing came to mind.

He had sweated during the battle, but not enough to smell.

If anything, it was Justia who…

‘Ah.’

Franz realized belatedly.

The smell of sweat didn’t mean someone else, it pointed to Justia herself.

Well, after using holy power for several hours, her whole body was almost drenched.

So it was enough to be worried about.

The problem was that once she realized it, she started to get conscious about it.

You know, there’s that saying.

How do you swallow your saliva? How do you blink your eyes?

When you suddenly hear such questions, even things you did unconsciously start to bother you.

Franz was in such a situation.

At first, he didn’t care at all, but after hearing Justia’s words, he started to get conscious of the smell.

But there wasn’t any particular smell.

Just ordinary? Rather, the smell of wood from the confessional was oddly pleasant.

Meanwhile, the sound of footsteps was getting closer.

Even though it was nothing special, hiding like this made him nervous.

His heart seemed to beat faster than when facing the World Tree.

Soon, the sound that had been heard near the confessional stopped.

Gulp-.

Franz and Justia swallowed their saliva at the same time.

They were holding their breath, not making a sound.

It was then.

“It’s, it’s, it’s the ghost of the cultist-!”

A loud voice was heard from outside.

They must have seen the blood-soaked cultist floating in the air.

It was unfortunate.

And at the same time,

“Huh, huh?!”

Justia let out a dumbfounded sound.

In a tense situation, hearing a loud noise seemed to have startled her.

Who would think that a saintess would make such a sound?

Among the believers, she would be nothing less than a proxy of God.

Franz, who found her reaction amusing, burst into laughter with a “Puhat-“.

“Do- don’t laugh!”

Eustia shouted, flaring up.

Seeing her speak loudly, it seemed she no longer intended to hide.

Meanwhile, the sound of footsteps quickly faded away.

In the middle, there was a thud-, as if someone had fallen while running away.

I didn’t mean to scare her, but I felt a bit sorry for her.

Anyway, the incident was well resolved.

There was no need to hide anymore, so Franz left the confessional with Eustia.

It was suffocating to stay in the dark place, but it was much better to come out where at least the moonlight shone.

“Th- then I’ll go back.”

Eustia’s face, illuminated by the moonlight, was slightly blushed.

It seemed she was still embarrassed by what had just happened.

“Really? Since it’s already noisy, won’t someone come anyway?”

“That’s true…?”

“Then you can just pretend you were the first to arrive. It would be nice if you could explain it for me too.”

Honestly, it wasn’t comfortable talking to the clergy.

They kept looking at me as if I were some great hero who saved the world.

I really don’t like getting attention from others.

Sigh-.

Eustia sighed and leaned against a nearby pillar.

“Are you trying to make me work again?”

“Hey, saying ‘make you work’ is a bit much.”

But honestly, she was right, so I had nothing to say.

I carried her around like a purification device powered by elixir batteries.

Even if left alone, she would self-charge.

“Hehe-, just kidding. I’ll stay with you.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“But you, come to think of it, you knew there were cultists outside, didn’t you?”

“I knew. But when I tried to tell you, you told me to be quiet, didn’t you?”

“Ah…?”

Franz and Justia continued their conversation, which was a bit too unusual to be called ordinary.

A short time passed.

Clang, clang-.

The sound of metal clashing against metal came from somewhere, and soon the holy knights appeared.

They spotted Justia and Franz and approached them immediately.

“Saintess, and….”

“I am Franz Gilbert, the Tower Master.”

“Ah, Tower Master. Nice to meet you.”

The holy knight bowed his head, and Franz responded with a slight nod.

Then the knight’s gaze turned to the cultist floating in the air.

The cultist didn’t move, as if he had fallen asleep.

Sleeping in such a situation, he was quite a carefree fellow.

Well, he wouldn’t be able to sleep from now on.

“By the way, that cultist over there….”

“We caught him on our way here.”

“Ah, then we will take care of him.”

Franz released the transparent sphere that was confining the cultist.

The cultist, who had been floating in the air, fell to the ground with a thud and let out a groan full of pain.

It was no wonder he was in pain, having been hit all over and then suddenly dropped from the air.

The holy knights hurriedly restrained him and took him away.

Franz, who was watching them, whispered softly to Justia.

“Justia, by any chance….”

“Huh, huh?!”

At the short scream that burst from Justia’s mouth, everyone’s attention focused on her.

Her face began to turn red as she spoke.

“N-no, it’s nothing. Please, carry on with your work.”

Relieved by her words, the holy knights returned to their duties, and Justia shot a sharp glance at Franz.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“So, what is it?”

“I was just wondering if you found out anything.”

After all, that was the purpose from the beginning.

If by any chance he knew about the Seven Deadly Sins, the first button might be easier to fasten.

“Got it. So, are we going back now?”

“Well, we should.”

“Then I’ll return the borrowed clothes next time.”

Clothes?

Franz was momentarily puzzled, but then he remembered the coat he had lent her and nodded.

“Yeah, do that.”

Their conversation ended there.

Franz snapped his fingers and disappeared from St. Serpia Cathedral.

* * * * *

How many days had passed since then?

A letter arrived from Justia.

[Information. To the cathedral.]

That was all that was written on the large piece of paper.

Even after flipping the paper over, burning it, or soaking it in water, nothing else appeared.

Was she trying to get revenge for the letter he sent before?

Well, it didn’t matter.