‘I don’t know what happened to him, but it’s definitely a devil.’
Horrible memories from the past flashed through Priestess Emily’s mind.
‘Julius is like my son. I must stop it before he runs down a path that ends in destruction.’
Emily tried to get the woman to drink the holy water somehow, but Julius stopped them.
Cecile, who had been watching, tilted her head and quickly snatched the glass from Emily’s hand.
The two of them widened their eyes at the same time.
“…?”
“No, Cecile!”
Julius hurriedly reached out to stop her, but before he could, Cecile gulped down the alcohol that had turned into holy water.
“…”
Both of them froze at the sight.
After a while, Cecile’s face turned red.
Just as Julius’ face was about to twist, she opened her mouth.
“Ah, ahahahaha!”
“…?”
“Ahahahahaha! This! Delicious!”
Cecile, with a blushing face, grabbed Julius by the hair and started pulling him.
Julius was dragged wherever she went, not even lifting a finger.
When the villagers saw this, they began laughing again.
“Hahaha! It didn’t look like it, but you’re really weak at drinking, aren’t you?”
“If you’re that cute, it’s understandable that Jul fell for ya, hahaha!”
The serious atmosphere from earlier disappeared as if it had never happened, and the inn was once again engulfed in a noisy atmosphere.
Emily stared at Cecile, but she seemed unconcerned and unaffected.
No, that wasn’t all…
Cecile, who was on Julius’s back, started twirling her hands. And a pure white energy began to flow from her fingertips.
‘That can’t be possible…’
Before Emily could gather her confused thoughts, a spark burst out of Cecile’s hand.
The villagers were shocked as the flames grew stronger, and then, boom!
With a loud sound, they turned into beautiful birds.
White birds, blazing like flames, chirped and sang, gently perching on the shoulders of the villagers. A warm and majestic energy surrounded them, and even more excited voices began to praise Cecile.
“This is my first time seeing something like this! Not only does she have a pretty face, but she also has strong faith!”
“I’m jealous, Julius!”
“Hey! Did Thalia turn to stone?”
White birds gradually flocked to Thalia, who stood still, looking like a scarecrow in a wheat field.
Everyone burst into laughter.
At that moment, a fearful voice was heard outside the door.
“Sniff, sniff, I can feel the smell of the strong. Is this Julius? I finally found it!”
The door burst open, and the old unmarried heretic inquisitor, Ronelle, appeared, dressed in disgraceful clothes.
The villagers laughed so hard they shed tears, and then began to cry.
Priestess Emily’s heart broke at the sight of the fallen genius heretic inquisitor.
Ronelle, taken aback by the villagers’ sudden reaction, opened her mouth to say something, but before she could speak, pleasant laughter filled the room.
“Ah, ahahahahaha! Chirp! Fly away!”
The flame incarnations, sitting on Talia’s body and leisurely preening their feathers, rushed towards Ronelle.
“Huh? Wait a moment… B–”
The birds surrounded Ronelle’s body, chirping and singing. Her body began to float as the pure white birds lifted her into the sky, her struggles futile.
It was a beautiful sight.
Like a bride wearing a pure white dress flying through the air, she surely would relax a little today.
The night deepened with the sound of applause, and the village became peaceful.
If it weren’t for the fact that Emily and Julius’s worries were deepening, it would have been paradise.
***
After the grand welcoming ceremony, Julius walked slowly, feeling the warmth of Cecile on his back.
He walked along a path with fallen leaves blowing, the sight bringing him a strange sense of peace.
Cecile, who had been making a fuss earlier, had gone quiet.
‘Did she fall asleep because she was tired?’
As Julius carefully carried her, he remembered what had happened earlier.
‘She was clearly a devil, but how could she be fine after drinking holy water and use the flames in her body so freely?’
During her lifetime, Cecile hadn’t been able to properly control the power within her. But now, despite being a devil, she wielded flames like a faithful servant of God.
His mind was a mess. Now, he had no idea what was real anymore.
He opened his mouth inadvertently, out of frustration.
“…What kind of power is this?”
“…That’s the power of love.”
A voice whispered softly in his ear, sending goosebumps down his back.
He turned his head, only to see a dull blue light catching his eye.
Cecile made eye contact with him for a moment, then smiled and got off his back.
There was no sign of drunkenness anywhere on her. She gazed up at the sky for a moment, took a small breath, and continued speaking.
“It doesn’t matter whether they are devil or a human. If they drink it, they are human, but if they drink it as poison, they are a devil.”
She whispered softly.
“If you have love and change your thoughts, the world is surprisingly less painful.”
“… …”
“So accept it, Julius.”
Cecile slowly raised herself onto her tiptoes and stroked his face.
Julius’s face lowered slowly, and their lips met.
Her tongue, which had been teasing his, fell back, and she pulled away first, as if embarrassed.
Julius touched his lips for a moment,
Leaning against a tree with fallen leaves, he pondered the taste left in his mouth.
He could taste the fishy, iron flavor of red blood on her lips.
***
Inside the rickety carriage, the blonde-haired girl twisted wildly.
“How fun! Uncle, uncle! Do something fun!”
“The holy flame given by the Lord cannot be used for your momentary entertainment.”
“You usually curse at things like gods and ask them to look after you!”
Shocking words coming from a child’s mouth! Look around—who taught him such mean words?
“That’s what uncle always says!”
“Ah, Lord, look upon my sins today and forgive them.”
The child grabbed Krail’s collar, shaking him as she spoke.
She was a combination of his father’s mischievous personality and Cecile’s liveliness.
Krail sighed, dropping Leira, who had now started playing with his nose.
“Just this once. Not twice.”
“Yes, yes!”
Shaking her head, Leira clung to the window, her eyes wide with excitement.
A huge devil was running toward them from afar, with its countless red eyes blinking in rage.
‘This was not good for education.’
Krail muttered softly and flicked his fingers.
Trang!
The devil, who had been charging at them with its massive body, froze in midair.
It was an unrealistic sight, illuminated by beautiful starlight.
The child’s eyes brightened even more as Krail clapped his hands.
Crrrrsp!
Flames slowly bloomed from the devil’s body. Like a skein of thread unraveling, its gigantic form emitted white light, embroidering the sky.
“Wow, it’s pretty.”
Leira’s mouth dropped open at the beautiful sight as Krail chewed on a cigarette.
A beautiful sight, a wonderful night sky.
The coachman driving the carriage glanced at the slightly damp underside, comforting his horses.
If he had known he’d get caught up in something like this, he wouldn’t have come.
Except for the coachman, who uttered a small curse at the union leader who handed the job over to him without any explanation, it was a perfect night.