Aran was a city famous for the beautiful canal that ran through its vast expanse. If one crossed the castle gate and walked along the well-paved road, they would come across a lively market.
It was wise to be cautious with one’s wallet while passing through the bustling crowd. Heading toward the left side of the Lord’s Castle, the imposing, pristine white building of the Aran branch of the Telmere Church came into view—a sight that often drew admiration.
At the old-fashioned large door adorned with the image of an angel, a troubled figure stood: Priestess Emily Ridina.
She had once been a legendary priestess who transformed an entire lake into holy water, healing countless wounded soldiers during the war. Had she not relinquished her position, she might have been hailed as a saintess, with people bowing before her. But now, she sat slumped on the ground, her demeanor far removed from her past glory.
Crouched low and sketching something in the dirt like a child at play, she drew the attention of a devil, who found her current state amusing.
“Hehehehe, she was once revered as a saintess, yet look at her now,” the devil taunted.
“….”
“A devil passing by would laugh at you, Priestess,” it added mockingly.
“Well…you lived for thousands of years, tried to tempt a young man, and lost…” Priestess Emily muttered with a defeated tone.
“What? Ha, huh, what!” the devil exclaimed, “I haven’t lost yet!”
Julius, observing the devil’s flustered expression and Emily’s subdued demeanor, glanced at the devil flailing her arms, then turning his attention to the priestess, he spoke politely.
“It seems no one is inside. I’m certain they were contacted. Isn’t it strange?”
“What’s strange about it?” Emily replied with a faint bitterness. “This kind of old-fashioned nonsense isn’t worth their attention.”
“….”
“Well…that was a joke. And don’t look at me like that. It’s clear that something is wrong, so I’ll have to go investigate.”
“Then I…”
“No, I can do the research on my own. You’re probably thinking of doing something to the devil and quickly turning her into your wife.”
“… I understand.”
“Then let’s stop here. You can find an inn, get some rest, and meet me here again tomorrow. I’ll probably be back by lunch.”
Priestess Emily took a water bottle from her arms, imbued it with divine power, and drank the water that had turned into holy water in one go. She waved her hand, signaling Julius to go.
When Julius saw her like that, he didn’t say anything but simply bowed his head once. Then, without hesitation, he grabbed the devil’s delicate arm and began leading her somewhere.
“…you seems very different than usual, Rom’s child. If you’re overdoing it, you don’t have to.”
“… Overdoing it? I would rip out my heart for her to get her back. This kind of effort doesn’t even register as significant.”
The man, walking without looking back, spoke firmly.
The Nightmare, being dragged along without shaking off his grip, felt a strange emotion rising within her.
‘I am Cecil, and Cecil is me, so isn’t that affection also directed at me?’
Drunk on this peculiar line of thought, the devil’s mind wandered. She only snapped back to reality when she heard Julius speaking with the innkeeper.
“What kind of room would you like?”
A sturdy man with neatly tied blond hair and a slender woman in a black dress.
A good man and a good woman—they were easily mistaken for a married couple.
The innkeeper, grinning at Julius and Nightmare, asked again, “Well, it looks like you’re a married couple. Would you like to share one room?”
“Sure. How much will it cost?”
“Four silver a day, five silver if you plan to eat here.”
The blond heretic inquisitor took out ten silver coins from his pocket, handed them to the innkeeper, and received the key. Then without hesitation, he started walking again, pulling Nightmare along.
After a single blink, they were already in the room together.
Was it because this was a high-end inn in a wealthy city? The large, pristine white bed immediately caught the eye.
The devil stared blankly at the room, her mouth slightly agape.
Julius’s voice flowed into her ears.
“Then let’s pick up where we left off.”
“… P-Pick up? You mean here?”
“What’s the problem?”
The devil began trembling, avoiding her husband’s gaze, which seemed genuinely puzzled by her reaction.
As she glanced at the bed, memories of Cecil Lionelta came flooding back. The day she conceived Leira flashed vividly in her mind, and Nightmare made a small decision.
‘I need to run away.’
If she got caught, she wouldn’t be able to resist and would end up becoming completely Cecil again.
Shuddering at the memory of overwhelming affection, Nightmare slowly took a step back.
Julius noticed her movement and frowned.
“Why do you suddenly act like this is something scary?”
“S-So? What is this?”
The devil pointed at the bed in panic, her voice rising in desperation.
Julius shook his head and replied to the flustered woman.
“I’m trying to finish the game we couldn’t conclude last time.”
Recalling the devil’s earlier suggestion to sleep together in front of the hut, Julius stepped closer.
Of course, as the words implied, they would merely sleep together—nothing more. It wasn’t about Cecil but the current Nightmare.
“Ah, it’s still too early for this!”
“… This isn’t about you. It’s for Cecil.”
The devil’s blue eyes gradually began to regain their original color as she blushed and fidgeted.
Julius swore silently. Even if this was an unforgivable act, he would make his dream of happiness with his revived wife a reality.
He reached out to take her hand, but the devil, frightened by his determination, conjured a shadow in desperation.
A black monster’s head emerged from the floor, creating a barrier between them. Taking advantage of the distraction, Nightmare broke through the wall behind her and bolted.
Julius burned the monster’s head to ashes with sacred flames, but the devil had already vanished. The commotion drew curious onlookers, who gathered outside the damaged room, murmuring among themselves.
“… Does this devil have something wrong with her head? What exactly is she doing?”
Julius clenched his fists, inwardly frustrated. He had explicitly warned against doing anything that could harm Cecil’s reputation.
From behind, the innkeeper’s irritated voice cut through his thoughts.
“What’s all this noise? What happened to the room?”
A large man holding a key in one hand and covering his mouth with the other locked eyes with Julius.
Green eyes met golden ones for a brief moment, and Julius’s mind raced for a solution.
“… Devil.”
“What? And why is there a hole in the wall? No, what is this…”
“I am Heretic Inquisitor Julius Tapnel.”
He slowly raised his right hand, summoning sacred flames. The crowd gasped as golden fire, the mark of an inquisitor feared throughout Lyriam, flickered in his palm.
“Hey, that’s Julius Tapnel!”
“A Heretic Inquisitor!”
“What’s he doing here?”
“Run!”
The crowd dispersed in a panic.
The innkeeper, who had witnessed the display from up close, felt a cold sweat run down his back. Why hadn’t he recognized him earlier?
Recalling the mischievous boy who had once burned an entire castle gate for refusing to open, the innkeeper struggled to speak.
“… You’ll need to pay for the wall….”
“….”
“Oh, and please don’t burn the entire inn like before…”
The golden flames in Julius’s hand vanished. With a resigned expression, he took out a pouch of coins and handed it to the innkeeper.
Thus, the devil who fled in embarrassment, Cecil who couldn’t conceive a second child, Julius whose dark past was inadvertently revealed, and the innkeeper whose establishment was damaged—all became subjects in a night of chaos.
The name of this place, where no one emerged victorious, was Aran, the city of water.
The first night in Aran passed noisily, accompanied by the charming sound of flowing water.
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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