Don’t Be Holy! - Chapter 40

In response to his questioning look, Eir stammered an answer.

“This……. Earlier, I fell at home.”

“Why?”

“I told you already. I was trying to keep my promise. When Sarah tried to come in, I attempted to run away while tied up and fell.”

He gave a short laugh.

Whether it was because he found it absurd or because he found her behavior somewhat endearing, she wasn’t sure. Eir hoped it was the latter as she quickly spoke.

“I know I seem suspicious. But I just have a few secrets that have nothing to do with what interests you.”

“And what exactly interests me?”

“Well, didn’t you come to catch a witch?”

How bold.

One of his eyebrows raised crookedly. Though he had clean features, he didn’t look like a model student, and when he made that expression, he became even more frightening. Eir tried to maintain her composure while being careful not to upset Rubel’s mood.

“They say a witch created magic that could harm the Divine Empire. You should be chasing that. We have nothing to do with it.”

“Do you know what’s absolutely necessary to complete an unfinished spell?”

Rubel said something unexpected. As he spoke, he lightly brushed her bruised chin once before dropping his arm. Strangely, his touch was so ticklish that Eir roughly rubbed her chin like a young boy would.

“What is it?”

“Human blood. The bigger the spell that violates natural law, the more sacrifices it needs.”

This was all new to Eir. She only knew the old lady as a witch, and she could count on her fingers the number of times she’d seen her use magic.

“Why do you think these monsters appeared now? Think about it carefully.”

Eir’s heart began to pound loudly. Rubel seemed convinced that the ‘Magic threatening the Divine Empire.’ he was searching for was here, right at the old lady’s grave.

She had to admit everything seemed to line up suspiciously, the sudden appearance of monsters, her desperate attempts to protect the old lady’s grave, and how everything coincided so perfectly.

But he was wrong. The old lady would never do such a thing.

She was someone who would make rounds through the village on everyone’s birthdays, remembering what medicines each person needed and giving them out one by one.

Such a person would never sacrifice people for spells she didn’t even use. Besides, what would the old lady gain from threatening the Divine Empire? The Divine Empire was the very entity protecting her from other witches.

“It wasn’t the old lady.”

“I never mentioned an old lady. I’m clearly more suspicious of you.”

“Me?”

That was even more absurd. Eir let out a disbelieving laugh and stood up. Her whole body ached, probably from rolling around fighting monsters before Rubel arrived.

“It’s definitely not me!”

“Why not?”

“Well…….”

I’m a runaway priestess.

She didn’t have the courage to say that. Whether she was a witch or a runaway priestess, she’d be equally condemned either way.

As Eir hesitated, Rubel’s expression darkened further. He secretly tightened his grip on his sword. The barrier he had maintained to protect the villagers until reinforcements arrived was already wavering, making this current barrier seem like it could break at any moment.

“Huh?”

Just then, Eir’s face turned pale as she happened to turn her head and notice something. She hurriedly stood up and ran straight through Rubel’s barrier as if it didn’t exist.

Since only a witch or priest could do such a thing, Rubel’s eyebrows furrowed.

“So you really are…….”

As he turned to chase her, he saw black smoke rising from Hecate’s grave, suddenly gaining life and aggressively flying toward them.

“Ugh.”

The barrier shattered instantly.

Rubel tried to fight back with his divine power-infused sword and dodge, but it was useless.

The shadow was too fast and intangible, no attacks could affect it.

Eventually, Rubel was caught by his hands and lifted up like a criminal. Meanwhile, the woman stood there unaffected, staring blankly. Should he still believe her claims that she wasn’t a witch?

Eir looked around frantically before finding what might be the reason and shouted.

“Lord Shinote! It seems to attack when you use divine energy!”

But even after the divine energy naturally faded from his sword, the black mist still held him tightly. In fact, it seemed to be trying to devour him, pulling him toward the grave.

Eir rushed forward and grabbed his feet, struggling to pull him back, but it was useless. The sound of her feet dragging across the ground could be heard. Rubel felt more bewildered than afraid, having never expected to be caught in such a ridiculous situation.