I Became a Fake Priest the Saintess Is Obsessed With

81 – Nightmare

“I guess you like books, Mr. Ardin?”

The woman in the white gown next to her suddenly asked a question.

Anyway, woman?

I definitely knew this woman’s name, but I don’t remember her name.

I guess it doesn’t matter. She’s just a woman, so she doesn’t really care.

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“You’re reading a book every time we meet. I thought you liked books.”

“I don’t particularly like it or dislike it. I just read it because I have nothing else to do.”

“She says she likes that.”

“… Is that so?”

Actually, reading is your only hobby, so can you say you like it?

I didn’t know if I liked books because I read it without really thinking about it.

I put down the book and made eye contact with the woman for a moment. The woman smiled brightly and turned to her window.

“I like stars. It’s fun to find the meaning of the stars floating in the distant sky.”

“So you kept that strange mortar thing at home?”

“It’s not a mortar, it’s an astronomical telescope! With this, you can look at the stars in the sky.”

“True. I don’t understand why you would ask for something like that to see stars you can’t even see.”

“How pretty the stars are. Mr. Ardin, come and look at them. When you see the stars, those protruding lips will sink in, right?”

The woman grabbed my sleeve with both her hands and tried to drag me to her window.

“Okay, okay. I’ll take a look, so put your clothes down.”

I shook the woman off and slammed her head into her telescope. Various stars are visible through the lens of a telescope. The woman sat next to me and began observing the stars.

“Look. The green star over there symbolizes the earth, and the silver star over there symbolizes the sky.”

A woman pointing out and explaining the stars one by one. I picked the one star that stood out the most.

“What about that yellow star? I think that’s the prettiest?”

“Uh… I don’t know? It’s a star I don’t know much about… Wait a minute. It’ll be written in the book.”

The woman grabbed the astronomy book next to her. The woman was turning the pages of a book. Her green eyes were shining as she pointed to a part of the book.

“Ah! Look at this, Mr. Ardin. That yellow star represents pure love.”

It’s pure love…

“It has a good meaning.”

“That’s right. Looking at the stars isn’t bad, right?”

“Well… It’s definitely not bad.”

The night sky was always pitch black, so I didn’t even know there were stars like that.

But when I actually look up at the sky, observing the colorful stars is more fun than I thought.

After laughing and chatting for a while, the woman took her eyes off her telescope and looked at the city, which was emitting an eerie light.

“Do you know that, Mr. Ardyn? If there were no mana in this world, we could observe the stars in the sky without a telescope.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Is that so? Sometimes I think about it. I wonder what it would be like if there was no mana in this world…”

“It’s the worst. I make a living by making money with magic, but what am I supposed to do when my mana disappears?”

This world lives using energy with infinite power called magical power. It is thanks to magical power that the city can shine. In everyday life, we use magic for all the little things.

If such mana disappears, it is clear that humanity will return to the primitive era.

“I guess so… But… Still… If mana disappears from this world…”

“Wouldn’t there at least be fewer people suffering in this world?”

The woman looks up at the sky. There is a kind of sadness I cannot understand in her eyes as she looks at the closed sky.

Oh, yes.

I finally remembered the woman’s name.

She was more pure than anyone else, and a stranger than anyone else.

The only ‘human’ in this world who could understand the sadness of others and truly sympathize with someone.

My sadness gave me meaning to live when I was just ‘something’.

‘Eve’ Yes, the woman had that name.

***

“……”

I woke up in a suspicious and suspicious room.

Blood stains were scattered from the floor to the ceiling, and the blood was sticky on the antique furniture and decorations.

Still, it has been well maintained, so there doesn’t seem to be any mold growing or dust accumulation. If it weren’t for the blood everywhere, the room would look like an ordinary person would live in it.

“You’re awake?”

And the woman who appears to be the owner of this room, who doesn’t look ordinary to anyone, is sitting with her legs crossed in her chair.

“Hello? Are you the one who tied me up like this?”

From the moment she came to consciousness, her legs and body were tied to the chair.

My hands were not tied, so I tried to untie the rope that was binding me, but it seemed to be a rope with a magical spell, like the rope that Poppy used, and it didn’t come off easily.

“That’s right. It’s calmer than that, isn’t it? Usually, a lot of people go crazy when they’re tied up like that.”

“Do you see it that way? In fact, I’m hiding my seething anger.”

“Oh my. Is it really because of me?”

“I fainted and had a nightmare. Rest assured, I’m not mad at you, Research Wizard.”

“How did you know? You barely recognize me when I’m disguised?”

The woman smiled as if it was fun.

Her identity is a stooped research mage who helped with experiments as an assistant to Shuler at the Magic Tower.

Her hair color turned red and her eyes became so lively that I almost didn’t recognize her, but her overall impression and magical power were completely the same.

“Does that matter? I’m more curious about why I’m tied up here.”

“You’re so cold~ You’re curious about my name, right?”

“Well… I’m not sure what to call you, so please tell me your name.”

“Of course.”

The woman jumps up from her chair, lifts the hem of the red dress she is wearing, and bows in an old-fashioned way.

“Nice to meet you. I am the second chair of the Demon God Cult’s Hianhwa meeting. I am Riley Akidd of the Red Hianhwa.”

Riley… Akid… ?

She

I guessed she was a vampire because of her appearance and the smell of blood that filled my nose. Was she really from the A Kid family?

From Noble mtl dot com

However, the Aikid family is passed down in a direct line with no branches, so there would be no other members… ?

“Is that her real name? If she were A Kid, she would have definitely been excommunicated from the noble family…”

“Huh? Ah, that’s right. Come to think of it, you were the one who brought down the Akid family, right? Then you might be curious.”

“Please don’t say anything strange and tell me your name properly.”

“I told you. Riley A.K.D. Ahahahaha! But you look like you don’t know?”

Her lady throws her head back and lets out a loud laugh.

What on earth am I laughing at that I don’t know?

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry~ Your dumbfounded expression is so funny~”

“……”

“It’s scary because it’s quiet~ Anyway, I’m a vampire who has been living before the Empire stabilized Akid as a noble family. Even if the Empire or something like that excommunicated Akid from the noble family, I’m still Akid.”

Riley wiped her eyes with her handkerchief.

“…Does that mean you are a vampire who has been living for at least 1,000 years?”

“That’s right.”

“As far as I know, vampires were exterminated in a temple several hundred years ago…”

“There were a few surviving comrades. The first head of the Akid family you know somehow escaped from the temple, and I somehow survived and have been wandering around doing bad things until now.”

A vampire who must have lived for 1000 years… There is a monster in front of me.

I recognized that I was in a serious crisis, but my mind was calm.

At least if you can communicate with the other person, you can either bide your time or run away.

“Okay, Mr. Riley. Now, please explain why you kidnapped me.”

Riley shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t know.

“I don’t know either? Our boss told us to bring you back in good condition, but he didn’t tell us why.”

“If he’s in good condition, at least his limbs won’t be cut off…”

“I mean~ I wanted to taste your internal organs and study them thoroughly, but it’s a shame.”

… I’m really glad. I don’t know if I will have a long life to live, but if I don’t have any limbs, it will be difficult until I die.

“From my perspective, capturing you meant a lot of loss? I had to throw away the wizard status I had so easily obtained. Now I can’t even lead the rift between the northerners and wizards.”

“Is that my fault? It’s your boss’ fault for kidnapping me.”

“Still, if you hadn’t come to the Magic Tower, another Pianhua would have come forward. So I have to vent my anger too.”

“Are you taking your anger out on me? You said you had to take me back in good condition?”

“No, no~ Do you just look at me as a sadist who likes to torment people?”

I think that’s right…

With that thought in mind, Riley pulled out a pack of cards on the table.

“Do you like poker?”

“…Suddenly?”

“Don’t ask the question, do you like poker?”

“Well… I’m amazed.”

“Then that’s good. I’m going to play a few games of poker with you to vent my anger.”

I was taken aback by this method of expressing my anger, which was much more peaceful than I expected.

What kind of person in the world wants to play poker to vent their anger?

Riley handed out the cards without paying any attention to my reaction.

“Even if it’s just a way to vent, it’s a game in name and name, so there has to be a wager, right?”

Riley smiled subtly.

“If I win, I’ll take one of your fingers. If you win, I’ll let you out of here. Oh, and of course, since you’re a prisoner, I can’t change the bet.”

“I’m fine…”

“You just have to win the game, right? You’re not scared, are you?”

I can’t believe you stopped talking… He is a self-indulgent person. Ah, isn’t it a person?

Anyway, I got a chance to escape. If you are going to be dragged away without being able to do anything, it would be right to accept the bet.

I nodded without saying anything.

[Subquest: Win]

Reward: Survival

※If you fail, you will lose the index finger of your right hand.

Ha, it’s a very simple quest.

‘Don’t worry, goddess. If it’s gambling… ‘Because I don’t plan on losing.’