chapter 17
17 – Emily vs. Cecil (1)
If you walk up the hill where you can see Kente Village at a glance,
There is a large building overlooking the village with benevolence, as if a god was looking down upon the earth.
Church of the Telmere Church. This place, where Brukin, the protagonist of the Holy Demon War, and Emily, who was called a genius in making holy water, are priests, is the same place as the so-called hometown where Julius, Crayle, and Thalia spent their childhood.
A woman leisurely climbs a hill towards that place, breathing in the clear autumn air.
She has beautiful brown hair that goes well with fall, the season of abundant harvest, and dark blue eyes that show off a decadent charm that does not match her innocent face. Her name is Cecil.
Julius’s only wife and a high-ranking demon with whom he had made a bet, ‘The Emperor’s Nightmare’, just smiled as she climbed the hill, as if she was in a good mood.
Yesterday, after showing Julius the secret flower garden I made,
It was the first time since she became one with the devil that he called her “Hello.” She felt very good now.
Her feelings of being recognized as her wife and her sense of immorality as a demon corrupting her inquisitor are mixed.
She knew that he was getting closer and closer to being disqualified as a priest, but she didn’t care at all.
Anyway, he was originally a person who was not very religious to call himself a faithful servant of God.
She thought that since she had died and God had taken the empty space, all she could do was get her place back.
Her steps, feeling fulfilled both as a wife and as a devil, stopped in front of the large church door.
The name of the person inside is Emily Ridina.
She was such a great figure that it was said in the past that she should be revered as the next saint in the church.
This is a special species that felt skeptical about their appearance during the demon ritual and went to Brookin to take care of the children here in Kente Village.
She raised Julius from a young age, so she is virtually no different from his mother.
Cecile, who vowed that she would always be called mother-in-law from now on, giggled softly and slowly opened the door.
The reason she came to see her today was quite complicated, but her main point was simple.
She needs help later, so she wants to make an appointment in advance.
Her mother will try to punish her, but Emily, her priest, will not be able to ignore her words.
As she carefully entered the church, Cecil was greeted by a magnificent statue of the god Rom.
When she saw the statue depicting a god tearing a demon to pieces with a solemn expression, her impression was ‘absurd.’
“The problem was that that uncle Shin was too kind, but is it possible that he has been quiet lately because he was embarrassed by this?”
Cecil tilts his head and spits out blasphemy.
But she was actually a high-ranking demon who had seen a god, so she couldn’t help but say something when she saw the most terrifying-looking statue of the god.
“You’re talking as if you really saw it?”
A kind yet somewhat cold voice comes from next to me.
When she turned her head, what caught her eye was Emily, an elegant priestess with neat silver hair.
“Hello, mother. Good morning, hehehehe.”
“… I think I clearly told you not to call me mother before.”
Emily furrows her forehead and gets upset at the mention of mother.
Her Cecil covered her mouth and smiled softly, smiling with her eyes.
“He is the one who raised my love, Julius, but I can’t do that. “I will continue to call you mother from now on.”
“… So? “What brings you here so early in the morning?”
Shaking her head, Emily opened her clear eyes and looked at her closely.
She seemed less sinister than the last time I saw her, but my gut still told me she was evil.
How can I take off that mask?
Shocking words were heard in Emily’s ears as she tried to somehow find out her identity.
“Today, as a high-ranking devil, I have come to ask a favor from Priest Emily.”
“… ….”
High… Demon? What did Julius’ wife say just now?
Emily was clearly convinced that she was the devil, but since Julius was desperately trying to hide her teeth, she decided to just watch for now.
But what on earth is it that the person in charge suddenly came in the morning and revealed his identity?
Her thoughts reached her killer, and she began to emit a faint flame, drawing on her divine power.
“What offer? “Are you going to take my life in exchange for revealing my identity?”
Purple eyes flashed intensely, glaring at the high-ranking demon in front of her.
But Cecil did not react in any way and just smiled slightly.
After a moment of just looking at each other, she opened her mouth.
“There is no way I would suddenly kill her mother-in-law. “I came here today because I had a favor to ask my mother.”
“There is no such thing as talking to the devil. “Do you think that only one or two people died after being fooled by your foolish wordplay?”
“… He’s really similar to us. “You say things you don’t even mean to say.”
Cecil sighed and snapped her fingers cheerfully.
-Just right
In an instant, the scene inside the church became distorted, and before we knew it, Emily and Cecil were standing in a small room painted entirely in black.
She turned to Emily, pointing to a table with a steaming teacup on it.
“First, let’s sit down and talk, hehehehe.”
Emily had to silently follow the devil’s words as he performed an unbelievable magic trick.
***
“So? “What kind of favor does a devil with such great power want?”
A silver-haired priestess who throws away her elegant appearance and shows a very delinquent tone and posture.
The devil just slowly sipped at her tea that was placed in front of her and looked at her.
“First of all, let me tell you in advance in case you misunderstand. “I have no intention of harming Julius.”
“… The devil always tells the truth, but how can you trust that it is not a play on words?”
Emily responds bluntly.
Cecil looked at her intently for a moment and then continued her words.
“I am Cecil Lionelta, the daughter of a saint, and as a high-ranking devil, ‘The Emperor’s Nightmare,’ all I want is to build a normal family with Julius and share love.”
Because these are the words of the devil. All of this is the truth without a single lie.
Emily looked silently at the devil who pledged her love with a serious expression,
After contemplating for a while, she roughly shook her head as if her head was in pain.
“Well, it doesn’t seem like she’s lost her sense of self. “What on earth are you?”
“I am Julius’ wife, but I am also one of the 24 ancient demons released by the saint. “It’s a bit different from the evil demons that the church usually deals with.”
After saying that, Cecil lit a small flame in her hand and showed it to her.
“When she drank the holy water in the tavern, she was not yet perfect and died once while using the sacred flame, but now she has no problem using it.”
“… Even though it is said that demons mimic perfectly, is this possible?”
Emily looks at me as if she is suspicious.
Cecil shook her head slightly and the flame grew even stronger.
“As I said before, I am on a different level from other devils. It has been revived in the true sense, not in mimicry. Now, if I were to be specific, I am Cecil with the memories of a devil.”
This is a secret, but the higher the level of the devil, the closer he gets to the void. That’s why we became completely one with her strong desire to live.
“Then, are you really Julius’s wife?”
“I was and still am his wife.”
The expression on Cecile’s face as she said that was truly bitter and could not be described in words.
“… So? “What do you want to ask me by revealing everything like this?”
“Instead of me and Julius, I need you to go to the capital sometime soon.”
“Then should I at least pack my bags now?”
“No, I will send you to the capital on my own.”
When Cecil waved her hand once, the air began to distort and cracks appeared in the space.
After witnessing that ridiculous power of the devil again, she opened her eyes and asked.
“If you have such great power, why don’t you go there yourself?”
“Saint Erman, that is, because of a deal with my father.”
The details of the deal are that in exchange for releasing the seal and allowing us to make a deal with Mr. Crayle, Julius and myself cannot return to the capital until the bet is over.
“Why did the saint release those high-ranking demons?”
“I can’t go into detail because of the transaction, but one thing is certain: if the plan is implemented, Julius will be in danger. So we need to disrupt the plan before it gets underway.”
“… So what am I going to do?”
“There are two things I would like you to do.”
I would like to meet Priest Brukin in the capital and tell him about this, and the remaining thing I would like to ask is Priest Emily’s specialty.
“… Specialty?”
“Yes, you are good at it, right? “Demon fire sacrifice.”
The expression on Cecil’s face when she said that was so bright and neat that Emily felt disgusted with the devil laughing in front of her.
***
“… Where have you been?”
Cecil let out a small sigh as she saw Julius, who had softly whispered love to her in the cabin in the flower field yesterday, but had returned to his harsh tone as if he had never been like that before.
“I just came to meet my mother for a moment.”
“You mean Priest Emily? “What happened to the priest early in the morning?”
“Yeah, it’s nothing special. “I just told you that I became one with a high-ranking devil and was resurrected.”
After hearing Cecil’s words, Julius sat down on the sofa and literally spit out the coffee he was drinking.
She dodged a barrage of coffee and calmly wiped away the coffee scattered on the floor with magic.
“Please tolerate such pranks from this morning. “We are going to live in a house together while raising our second child, Ray, and it would be difficult if we already dirty it.”
“Are you crazy now? “Do you really not know what will happen if it is revealed that you are the devil?”
Julius stood up, grabbed Cecil by the arm, and shook her.
She turned her head to the side and pursed her mouth.
“Tch, try skinship like this on a regular basis. “You are only active in situations like this.”
“… Yeah, I was so excited.”
Julius calmed down and thought deeply about her words.
He said that he had revealed to Emily that she was a demon, but she didn’t seem to be particularly upset, and Cecil’s body wasn’t hurt anywhere.
“What did Priest Emily say?”
“Yes, you said you wanted to see your grandchildren as soon as possible?”
“…? “You really said that?”
“Of course I am your wife, but am I also a devil? “I can’t lie anymore.”
As Cecile said that, she sheepishly opened her eyes and touched Julius’ chest.
“So, please accept it with the spirit of filial piety. “Do you think Ray would want a younger sibling?”
“… Has this devil had a magic spell on his head since morning?”
Julius, who glanced at her, shook his head and walked out of her.
Cecil stared blankly at his back for a moment and hurriedly followed behind him.
“Really, really? Priest Emily hopes, Mr. Cryle hopes, Rayra, everyone hopes. “All you have to do is change your mind!”
She should have tried it yesterday when the atmosphere was good at the cabin, but Cecile desperately tried to persuade him, blaming herself for falling asleep after falling in love with Julius treating her like he used to.
“Don’t talk nonsense, there’s no way I would do something like that with you.”
“When are you going to make an effort to accept her as your wife? Are you tired of me already? I did it wrong. “Don’t throw it away!”
Cecil grabbed Julius’ waist and pulled him, but his steps did not stop, and the rumor that Julius was having an affair grew among the people on the way to the church.
.
.
.
“So, did you really say that?”
After the small transaction with Cecil, Emily, who was praying in the morning to calm her distraught mind, opened her eyes and looked behind her when she heard the voice of her disciple, who was like her son, in her ears.
Julius asks himself a question with a serious expression, and a demon clinging to his waist… A demon?
A brown-haired woman clinging to her waist, looking at me and desperately showing her mouth.
Emily narrowed her eyes and studied Cecil’s mouth.
‘With my husband in secret.’
In the morning, she asked herself why she was doing such a strange thing.
It was indeed such a plan.
When the silver-haired priest saw the devil, he let out a small laugh and looked back at Julius.
“Hmm? Isn’t it Julius? “What are you doing all of a sudden at this early hour?”
“I came because I wanted to ask you one thing. “She…”
“Did she really hear that she was the devil? “Yeah, I heard that. He was pretty nice when I told him.”
“… Is that really all there is?”
“So you’re saying I have to boil your wife? Of course, I thought that was the case at first. Well, I think I’ve changed my mind. Just figure it out on your own.”
Julius tilted his head with a puzzled expression, and Cecil, who was clinging to his waist, also let out a sigh of relief.
“…Can I ask you one more thing?”
“Hmm, what do you mean?”
Emily smiles as if she is a mischievous child, and Cecil shakes her head desperately when she sees her like that.
Julius looked at them for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“Did you say you really miss your grandchildren?”
No answer came back.
Instead of opening her mouth, Emily just took something out of her pocket and showed it to Julius, who was just shocked by the writing she showed him.
[Please read this out loud.
“I hope to see many of her grandchildren as soon as possible.”
Thank you for reading. -Cecil- ]
Julius frowned at this and suddenly realized that his back was empty and looked back.
When I looked back, the large door of the church was already wide open, and all I could see was Cecil’s back as he hurriedly ran away over the hill.
“… I told you not to do anything that would tarnish your sister’s reputation.”
Gritting his teeth, Julius bowed his head slightly to her priestess Emily and started running after her.
Emily, who had been staring at the devil and the Heretic Questioner who had been saying ‘catch me’ since morning, blurted out a word without thinking.
“… Isn’t that just the kind of person your wife is?”
To her words, the black bird perched on the steeple above the church responded with a joyful chirping.
It seemed like the insignificant creature also knew that its owner was that kind of person.