Don’t Be Holy! - Chapter 184

Rubel, exercising the slightest thread of patience, asked:

“What are you doing?”

“It is the Proxy’s order. You are to wait in the Central Temple.”

“Why would I…….”

At that moment, the guards withdrew their spears and knelt on one knee, bowing in a certain direction. Rubel realized the Proxy had arrived, but remained still for a moment. Slightly late, he moved one hand to his heart and bowed, and the Proxy’s voice settled low over his head.

“Because she has brought the God’s Mirror. I need to hear where she got it from, what she went through, and what she saw.”

“Are you suggesting I would take her and run away?”

At this uncharacteristic retort, the priests who were silently bowing their heads near the Proxy briefly glanced at Rubel before looking down again. But the Proxy merely gave a short laugh.

“Wouldn’t you? Anyone can see you’re not going there as a messenger of God right now. One last piece of advice. Engage in fasting prayer in the prayer room until she arrives.”

Though the Proxy’s tone was benevolent, his content was utterly firm. Rubel remained with his head bowed for a moment. The desire to reject the order churned inside him, tormenting him.

But knowing that further stubbornness would only lead to self-destruction, Rubel finally knelt on one knee, indicating he would accept the command.

***

It took over ten days to reach the Central Temple.

As they were carrying a divine treasure, more and more nearby priests and holy knights joined them, until it became almost like a major procession.

At first, Eir thought the holy knights’ vigilance was exaggerated, but as witch attacks grew fiercer by the day, she had no choice but to agree to joining with other knight units, even if it meant a slight delay.

Of course, things proceeded regardless of her agreement.

For ten days, Eir traveled in a carriage borrowed from somewhere by the holy knights. She didn’t even need to participate when fighting witches. She just had to sit in the carriage, protected by various priests’ magic spells, alongside the God’s Mirror, waiting for the battles to end.

‘This isn’t much different from traveling with Magnus.’

Of course, there were differences—the carriage was quite comfortable, she could wash whenever needed, and food was provided—but for some reason, the feeling of tightness and anxiety in her chest remained the same.

She had expected to hear about Rubel after meeting the priest group, but she hadn’t heard anything at all.

They would whisper among themselves but stop talking whenever she passed by, as if forbidden to speak in front of her. It seemed they had decided not to share internal matters with her, likely because Eir’s identity was highly suspicious and difficult to define.

“But we’ll arrive soon. Then I’ll be able to see Rubel.”

Eir waited in the swaying carriage and finally, unable to bear it any longer, opened the window slightly to look outside.

The Central Temple was right in front of them. After a short distance, the procession stopped, and she could see the famous bridge of the Central Temple slowly lowering.

This was Eir’s fourth visit to the Central Temple.

First when her divine power manifested, once as a trainee priest, and again when she officially became a priest.

She had met the Proxy only once, when she officially became a priest. He gave a blessing to each priest, one by one, offering brief words of consecration.

Because there were so many people, it was just a brief, passing encounter, but the gaze they exchanged then was still vivid in her memory.

The Proxy had been giving the same blessings and consecrations to the priests before her, but when he came to her, he stopped. Sensing something unusual, Eir raised her head, and he quietly asked:

‘What does God mean to you?’

Eir recited the standardized answer she had learned as a trainee priest, and the Proxy placed his hand on her head and said:

‘It seems you haven’t found the meaning yet. I hope you truly return to God’s embrace.’

She was severely scolded by Priest Saia, who had accompanied her, because of those words. Saia had always resented Eir’s position as someone who, despite her lowly origins, received special affection from High Priest Magnar.

‘How faithless must you have appeared for the Proxy to say such a thing!’

Later, when she told this story to High Priest Magnar, he comforted her saying the Proxy had merely taken notice of her, but at that time, Eir agreed with Priest Saia that it was because she was particularly lacking.

‘That’s probably why I’ve ended up becoming a runaway priestess now.’

Knock, knock. Someone tapped on the carriage, and Eir stepped down with the mirror.

By then, the procession had crossed the bridge, passed through the gates, and arrived right in front of the main temple. Eir looked up at the fluttering flags marked with the Central Temple’s emblem and felt her heart beating madly.