NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 41
The steps toward the professor’s office quickened.
I couldn’t predict how much time I had left. It all depended entirely on how tenaciously the possessed was holding on to the demon.
Bang!
As I roughly swung open the door to the professor’s office, Sofia Sub-priest, who was working on the sofa, turned with a surprised expression.
“Whoa…! Head Priest?!”
“Phew…. Sofia Sub-priest. I need help.”
“…What?”
Sofia Sub-priest looked stunned. I took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
“A moment ago, you were curious about what was happening, weren’t you?”
“Uh… Didn’t you say you couldn’t talk about it?”
“…Not anymore.”
Seeing my serious expression, Sofia Sub-priest slowly got up from the sofa. I nodded heavily and said.
“Follow me. I will explain the details as we go.”
* * * * *
“What, what do you mean? There’s a demon in the academy?”
Sofia Sub-priest fell in step beside me quickly. I glanced at her and replied.
“It’s exactly as it sounds. There is a demon in the academy.”
“Oh no….”
“Sofia Sub-priest. There is a demon in the academy. For now, just know that.”
“Where are those demons?”
I stopped walking and looked down at her. Tension crept onto Sofia Sub-priest’s face.
“Priest Peter and Priest Camilla. They are the two under suspicion.”
“…Huh? No, is that even possible?”
“It is.”
“How many demons are there?”
“We estimate four, but we aren’t sure.”
What was certain was that the number of demons exceeded three. The awkward reaction of Priest Camilla was evidence of that.
– The sound of dishes clattering, the crunching of something hard, the cawing of a crow…. It seemed to be these three sounds.
Three sounds. The minions supporting the chief demon are three. However, for that reason, they desperately tried to hide their leader.
Demons desperately try to conceal the fact that they have possessed someone. They are cunning and crafty. They twist the direction of events or intentionally try to erase their traces from the memories of the possessed.
However, usually, if they can’t fully dominate the possessed person’s body, it ends up being a clumsy plan.
There were flaws in my conversation with Priest Camilla. I was focused on that.
– Not the living room, but the bedroom?
– Oh, it’s the living room. Right. The living room.
The fact that there were no bedrooms in the dormitory was something that Priest Camilla, who had lived here for about a month, couldn’t mistake.
“They didn’t fully understand the structure of the dormitory.”
“What that means…”
“Yes. They still haven’t completely taken over Priest Camilla’s body.”
That meant the possession was recent. It was one of the few comforting facts.
“There is another piece of evidence.”
“Really? There’s more?”
– So…. What did it look like…?
– …Huh?
– Thinking back, I don’t think there was such a thing.
“To desperately hide the existence of the chief demon, the other demons are fiercely blocking it. There was no such thing. I must have been mistaken…”
“If they wanted to hide it, they shouldn’t have consulted you from the beginning, isn’t that too careless?”
True. If the demons that possessed Priest Camilla wanted to hide the existence of the chief demon, they shouldn’t have come to me for consultation in the first place.
However, the fact that they didn’t prevent our meeting meant:
“They are trying to insult the Lord.”
“Huh? Insult?”
“When Priest Camilla and Priest Peter left, Priest Camilla displayed an unusual reluctance to part.”
“B-but?”
The time they left the main chapel was exactly 2:59 in the afternoon.
“It was just before three o’clock in the afternoon. That is the time the Lord passed away.”
“So being reluctant to leave means…?”
“Yes. At three o’clock in the afternoon, when the Lord passed away, especially in the church. It is deeply regrettable that they couldn’t remain until that time. If they were brazenly roaming the church until three o’clock, it would have been an act insulting the Lord and the Light.”
Sofia Sub-priest seemed to get goosebumps all over her body, shuddering and brushing her shoulders. I too, was genuinely horrified by that malicious intent.
“They likely wanted to insult the Lord and the Light, yet they probably didn’t want their existence exposed. Priest Camilla’s unstable state is proof of that.”
“Even so, the fact that Priest Camilla mentioned the existence of three demons…”
“Yes. Priest Camilla is still holding on. Resisting the demons.”
Right. The three sounds that Priest Camilla had mentioned were clearly things she desperately wanted me to know while resisting the demons.
“Such a situation wouldn’t be pleasant for them either. They value hiding their identities above all, yet their existence has already been revealed. Priest Camilla did well.”
“So, are we going to perform an exorcism on Priest Camilla?”
“…It would be difficult to proceed immediately.”
Yes. There was a complication. According to church law, exorcisms must have the approval of the diocesan bishop.
And I knew someone I could contact to reach the bishop.
“I need to see the Chancellor.”
“By the way, I have one question.”
“What is it?”
Sofia Sub-priest scratched her head and asked.
“Then, is Priest Peter not in a possessed state? Do we just need to exorcise Priest Camilla?”
“I don’t initially plan to perform the exorcism solely on Priest Camilla.”
“Huh?!”
Sofia Sub-priest was taken aback. It was only natural. All evidence pointed to Priest Camilla, yet I would not exorcise her.
“Sofia Sub-priest. Demons generally desire male bodies.”
“Y-yeah…?”
“And they are malicious. Once they have been seen by me, would they just idly remain in Priest Camilla’s body? Especially with Priest Camilla putting up a fight and not being a good match?”
“What does that mean…?”
I nodded heavily. The situation was dire.
– Since I arrived here, I haven’t been able to easily fall asleep even once. I always sleep before twelve and wake up early in the morning, but…
The words Priest Peter had said didn’t add up.
Priest Peter and I had clearly walked together until dawn, unable to sleep. He didn’t remember that.
And he, like Priest Camilla, must not have had enough sleep. The reason he had seemed increasingly aged recently was that he was exhausted.
It was likely due to the influence of being possessed by a demon. He didn’t seem to have completely taken over his body yet…
“Priest Peter is also likely in a state of being possessed by the minions following the chief demon. However, the chief demon is likely in Priest Camilla’s body.”
“Well, that explains why the chief demon desperately tried to prevent his existence from being revealed.”
“Yes. It will likely move to Priest Peter. He is the nearest male and someone it knows well.”
If that were to happen, it would become only a matter of time.
Of course, it is not easy for demons to exit the possessed’s body. If the possessed desperately holds on, they cannot easily escape.
Yet, when the possessed person lacks the strength to hold on, the story changes.
“Priest Camilla has been under tremendous physical and mental fatigue for the past month. The demons will likely not be able to hold on for long before moving to Priest Peter.”
We hurried toward the Chancellor’s office. Even a momentary delay could not be afforded.
“…Lord, have mercy.”
Please let the two of them hold on completely.
* * * * *
“Hmm…?”
Priest Peter opened his eyes. The throbbing in his head was unwelcome.
His expression involuntarily twisted. Where exactly was he now?
He couldn’t remember anything. His head was pounding and dizzy.
“Priest Peter?”
Suddenly, someone spoke. Priest Peter frantically looked around.
He was in the staff dormitory of the Caldera Imperial Academy. It was a familiar sight, but something felt oddly different about the room he was in.
“Priest Peter?”
The sound came from the bed. Priest Peter’s eyes turned in that direction.
“Priest Peter.”
Priest Camilla was looking at him as she lay on the bed. This seemed to be Priest Camilla’s room. Priest Peter tried to approach her.
“C-Camilla Priest?”
Something felt wrong. What was this sense of dissonance?
The room was all red. Whether it was due to the glow of the sunset filtering through the curtains or something else, Priest Peter could not tell.
Creeeak…
“…Huh?”
Bang!
Suddenly, the front door slammed shut loudly. Priest Peter turned instinctively.
And he shivered. He felt an intense gaze from somewhere.
Priest Peter quickly looked back.
The bed where Priest Camilla had been lying just a moment ago.
“What is… this?”
There was no one there.
“Gah… huff….”
A sense of inexplicable fear choked him. Something was wrong. Sensing this, Priest Peter hurriedly opened the shut front door to exit.
No, he tried to leave.
“Priest Peter?”
It felt like abruptly waking from a dream. Hearing the familiar voice of Priest Camilla behind him, Priest Peter felt an immense sense of relief.
Just then, as he was about to turn his head.
The rosary around his neck shivered violently, and its string suddenly snapped.
The cross-shaped rosary that had been hanging fell helplessly to the floor.
Priest Peter’s body stiffened. He slowly looked down at the rosary with trembling eyes.
“……”
The cross-shaped rosary was turned upside down.
An inverted cross. It was a sacred symbol representing St. Peter, which was also Priest Peter’s name.
Above it, strange footprints split into three occurred out of nowhere.
They resembled the claw marks of a beast and appeared like three writhing snakes stained in blood.
“…How daring.”
Priest Peter realized what it meant.
An unholy being was using his name, denying St. Peter, and subsequently insulting him.
“You… you beast…”
A cackling laugh echoed from behind him. Priest Peter clenched his teeth, wanting to yell at them.
However, Priest Peter couldn’t continue speaking.
“……”
An unbearable foul odor, which should not be present in that place, pierced his nose.
A sour smell.
It was as if it was the stench of a decaying corpse.
No. It also smelled like something burning…
“Ugh… ah….”
His vision blurred.
Dark spots danced in front of his eyes, as if he were hallucinating.
And then, he saw.
The blood-soaked arm of a beast appeared from behind Priest Peter, tenderly sweeping across his back.
As he followed that motion, he felt a scorching heat.
Red feathers, as crimson as blood, fluttered.
What on earth was behind him?
“Th-that…”
As the touch passed, that place ceased to move.
It felt as though the nerves in that area had vanished. In that instantaneous moment, his head spun and became dizzy.
An unbearable terror rushed in. He could hardly breathe.
“Priest Peter.”
Then, Priest Peter turned around at the sound calling him.
“Where are you rushing off to?”
It was…
“Ah… ah…”
It was the embodiment of all evils.
Large eyes that were gazing at him from the bed in the dormitory.
They glowed, crimson and swaying like burning flames.
Priest Camilla tilted her head.
Tilted it.
In an absurd manner.
That angle…
Her neck leaned.
No, it twisted.
And those eyes. Those ugly… disgusting… beautifully shining eyes… and that sweet… enchanting voice…
The immortal being was licking Priest Peter’s body.
Chewing it up.
While plummeting from the high heavens.
Harboring aspirations for redemption in heaven.
The eyes, the eyes…
Flaming eyes of vengeance.
A shooting star engulfed in flames, falling from the sky.
It watched him.
“Peter.”
A mesmerizing, sweet voice.
It felt like his heart was collapsing.
Yes. The heart, wrapped in Priest Peter’s steadfast faith, was weakening like crumbling city walls.
“Don’t go.”
Suddenly, he regained his senses.
Priest Peter’s body was precisely turned towards Priest Camilla.
Unknowingly.
The voice, that sweet and heart-shaking voice, caused his heart to constrict, making him feel like he was falling apart.
Yet, he couldn’t cover his ears.
This… this is…
This filthy beast!
The Lord protects me! The Lord…
…will He protect me?
I am Peter. A middle-ranking priest. Peter is here.
When your first offspring was conceived, I came here.
When you first enjoyed the grace of fire, I was there.
When you first set sail, gazing at the celestial guide, I was there.
And, when you first established a dynasty,
I was also there.
Peter. The one who used to stand firm like a rock. When he witnessed the glass palace, I should have hurried there.
It is a shame I could not pierce through you. Therefore, I came here.
Chisels and hammers to break the stone have all been prepared by your hands, you monkeys.
I only advised. The embodiment of all evils, the fierce dog, the cunning serpent helped me.
“Ugh, huff… huff…!”
Suddenly, Priest Peter’s vision expanded.
It was the burning eyes of a fierce eagle and a blood-soaked snake.
The moment he looked at it.
Priest Peter, Priest Peter…
No, I am…
I am…
…….
……uh.
…….
[ Peter. The 121,3946th Peter. ]
Beyond the slowly collapsing Priest Peter, the blazing eyes of the beast shone grotesquely.
[ I came here to extinguish the light. ]
Right before the last ray of consciousness faded away, Priest Peter uttered a word wrapped in despair.
“Demon…”
Yes.
He saw the demon.