“… It’s there to ensure a fair competition.”
The devil gently covered her red face with her hand and let out a hot breath.
What on earth had happened in the carriage?
Emily became even more confused and turned her head toward Julius, who was like her own child.
Julius, an attractive blond man, simply crossed his arms with a serious expression.
“… Julius, what did you do in the carriage?”
“I just performed a ritual to vanquish the devil.”
All she could do was shake her head as she stared at his mouth spitting out the words “vanquish” and “devil” with a truly serious expression.
“… Anyway, we’ve arrived in Aran. Please don’t cause an accident like this, and let’s go in quietly.”
The sight illuminated by the shining horn from Francis’s head revealed the gates of Aran, majestically erected under the dark night.
The castle gate was already firmly closed, and the soldiers guarding the gate with a stern attitude were making noise while looking at the legendary unicorn.
“… It seems like the accident has already happened because of Francis.”
“This guy can tell jokes too.”
A black shadow clung to Emily’s arm as she tried to lightly hit Julius’s shoulder.
The priestess, frightened, swung her arms to raise her divine power, growling slightly when she saw the devil glaring at her next to her.
“Why would you do something like this when there are so many eyes watching?”
“It’s okay as long as you don’t touch what’s mine.”
The devil, who had changed attire to a black dress, stepped out of the carriage with her tongue slightly sticking out.
Emily just gave her a long stare, while Julius opened his mouth as he saw a soldier walking toward the carriage from afar.
“… First, I will show them my pass. The central inquisitor is free to enter the city at any time.”
Julius took out a small passage sign with golden wings drawn on it from his pocket.
Emily looked at him for a moment and raised her hand to stop him.
“……?”
“Leave this to me.”
Despite her current situation, she had once almost become a saintess.
The silver-haired priestess, neatly adjusting her generous priestly attire, crossed her arms and assumed a haughty posture.
Francis, who was watching from the side, gave her a pitiful look, but he had no choice but to awkwardly walk away after a quick kick and stand next to Emily.
“… What is she doing all of a sudden?”
“Priestess Emily is someone who was once revered as a saintess of the church. She is just a priestess of Kente now, but even so, she is someone the Count should personally come out and welcome.”
In response to the question from the devil, who was staring at her with a puzzled expression, Julius talked about Emily with a proud smile that was uncharacteristic of him.
“… What can I say… You’re a bit different than usual, Rom’s child.”
“Me, Krail, and Thalia have admired Priestess Emily since we were young.”
Julius smiled happily, reminiscing about the idol he had admired as a child. Seeing his expression, a faint blue light flickered in the devil’s eyes.
“… I’m glad you look happy.”
The figure who whispered softly resembled Cecil quite a lot, but the blonde inquisitor pretended not to notice, even after hearing it.
“Currently, it is curfew. Please return tomorrow when the sun rises.”
A soldier responded with unwavering adherence to the regulations, even when faced with the presence of a divine beast from legend.
Emily clapped her hands, praising the soldier.
“You must have been working hard through the night. May the Lord’s light be with you.”
“Ah, you are from the Telmere Church. Glory to God’s grace.”
“My name is Emily Ridina, a special priestess of the church. I have urgent business at the Aran branch. I’m sorry, but could you open the gate?”
“No, it is not permitted due to regulations.”
A soldier blocked Emily’s path as she attempted to approach the castle gate with a warm smile. The priestess felt the corners of her mouth twitch as she desperately maintained her composure.
“… My name is Emily Ridina.”
“What do you mean?”
“… I said, Emily. Ri. Di. Na.”
“I don’t understand why you keep saying your name, but you will be allowed entry starting tomorrow morning.”
Puh-hee-hing!
Francis, her steed with a flowing white mane, let out a sound.
Was it her imagination, or did it feel like he was mocking her? Emily glared at the soldier, her pride crumbling.
“Do you really not know?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, the name is Emily Ridina! The genius of divine artifact crafting. Don’t you know?”
“I don’t.”
The soldier’s stern expression made Emily freeze in place, and the devil, seeing this, couldn’t suppress her laughter.
“Pfft!”
Julius, noticing his idol’s ears turn red, glanced at the laughing devil before stepping toward the soldier.
“Thank you for your hard work. I am an inquisitor for the Church of Telmere.”
“Thank you. However, according to the rules, entry is prohibited at night except for special heretic inquisitors.”
The blond-haired man nodded and revealed a golden card from his pocket.
“My name is Julius Tapnel, a special inquisitor for the church. I need immediate access due to urgent work. Please understand.”
“Uh, Julius Tapnel?”
“Big trouble! Hey! Someone call that guy over here!”
“Now that I think about it, isn’t that Priestess Emily too?”
“Who let that fool handle this!”
“If this continues, we’re all doomed!”
The guards at the castle gate became frantic upon hearing Julius’s name. The guard leader quickly emerged from among the trembling soldiers, forcing the sincere soldier into a bow and apologizing profusely.
“I’m sorry! This man doesn’t yet recognize the faces of the church members. Please spare his life!”
“No, we only wish to pass—”
“Please, forgive us. This fool is my son and is too stubborn for his own good. Also… Ah! A faithful servant of the Telmere Church! Yes, that’s right!”
Julius said something, but the guard commander seemed too terrified to properly listen, his body trembling like an aspen.
The devil chuckled softly, covering her mouth as if enjoying the scene.
“Ha ha, I suppose it’s true that children wake up crying at night just from hearing your name.”
“… I only followed God’s will faithfully.”
“Oh? Then why are these poor soldiers trembling?”
“In the past…”
“Before?”
“Priest Brukin, Priestess Emily, Krail, and Thalia… we used to visit here together.”
“My husband must have been adorable when he was young. So, what did you do?”
“… I accidentally burned part of the castle wall.”
The devil’s black eyes gleamed as she turned to examine the castle wall. Initially, it had seemed imposing, but now she noticed something peculiar.
“How much did you burn?”
“… It was a foolish mistake from my youth. I arrived at night and was irritated when they didn’t open the gate.”
He had burned the entire castle gate to gain entry.
The blond-haired man calmly recounted his shocking past as he walked forward.
Although more than a decade had passed, the soldiers vividly remembered the boy’s audacious deeds. Trembling from the memory of that golden nightmare, they abandoned their posts and fled.
Under the bright moonlight, the city of Aran glowed with serene beauty.
A man who commanded flames and a devil skilled in magic had arrived in this famed city of water.
With them, the end of its peace had begun.
It was a night Count Rotani, struck by misfortune, would rue forever.
***
“So, what is this?”
“I’m trying to win the game I couldn’t achieve last time.”
A large bed was placed in front of a dazed devil who had never seduced a man before.
When she turned her head, a man with a serious expression approached her in a frightening way.
“Ah, it’s still too early for this!”
“… It’s not for you or anything like that; it’s for Cecil’s sake.”
‘I am Cecil as well!’
The words lingered in her mouth, and she couldn’t bring herself to say them. The cloudiness in her eyes gradually faded, and strange noises began to echo in her head.
[It’s time to make the second child. Let’s go back to Cecil mode quickly!]
Feeling dizzy, the devil’s eyes started to spin.
It was the advent of Cecil Lionelta, a temptress who had captured the heart of Lyriam’s greatest heretic inquisitor. But the devil that had become one with her, ‘The Emperor’s Nightmare,’ was still a beginner with no experience in seducing men.
Now, a crisis of her life loomed before her.
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Check out my other projects: Rehabilitating the Villainess, Pushover Extra Trains the Villainesses, I Picked Up an Amnesiac Witch, Transmigrated as the Butler of a Defeated Heroine, My Summons Are Special