Chapter 288 : Return


    Around a minuteter, Alex and the goddess finally stoppedughing, and Alex settled back into his chair from which he had fallen in mirth.


    "What was the name of this priest?" Alex inquired, wiping tears ofughter from his eyes.


    "Desmond," the goddess replied, her tone shifting slightly more serious. "His name is recorded in the register of the Church of Light as the man who elevated the church''s influence to unprecedented heights but paradoxically also tarnished its reputation more than anyone in history."


    Alex chuckled at this revtion. "I would have loved to meet that guy," he said after a moment.


    "Unfortunately, the old hag killed him herself and imed his soul, so only she knows what truly happened to him," the goddess sighed. "But tell you what, if you manage to get one of her nuns in your bed, I guarantee you a reward."


    Alex considered this for a moment before nodding in agreement. "We have a deal."


    "Just be careful. After what happened with Desmond, the old hag made sure situations like that wouldn''t happen again."


    "Mm," Alex nodded, understanding the gravity of her warning.


    "Well, I think that''s all," the goddess of lust finally said, her tone shifting to one of finality. "It''s time for you to return."


    "Before I go," Alex began, "can I know your name?"


    "Not now, lover boy," the goddess replied seductively, her voice smooth and melodic, sending Alex into a daze. It was as if each syble wrapped around his mind, intoxicating him. "For now, you can call me Lust."


    Before Alex could muster another word, his vision darkened, and he felt himself being pulled back into his body.


    ***


    At that moment, as Alex was being returned to his physical form, a group of young women arrived at the Church of the Goddess of Light, located in the capital city of the Fiore Empire. This groupprised the nun Miba and her two bodyguards, Umra and Mara.


    "Finally home," Umra sighed as they were allowed entry into the church after a brief inspection.


    "Yes, we are fi—" Mina began, but her words caught in her throat when a priest approached them, informing them that the bishop had ordered their presence in his office immediately upon their return.


    The three friends exchanged nervous nces, worry etched on their faces, before they reluctantly made their way toward the bishop''s office. The atmosphere grew heavy with a strange silence as they walked.


    A few minutester, they stood before a heavy wooden door. Above it, a statue of the Goddess of Light gleamed, radiating a serene aura.


    Mina nced at the statue, took a deep breath to steady her racing heart, and decisively pushed open the door.


    The first thing she noticed as she stepped inside the office was a pair of deep green eyes fixed intently on her.


    Those eyes belonged to a man dressed in a flowing white robe that draped elegantly over his form. The fabric shimmered subtly, and the intricate golden embroidery along the edges suggested a position of great authority. He had equally deep green hair, neatly styled, and wore a calm expression that could easily be mistaken for indifference. However, the three young women who had just entered his office knew better than to believe that.


    "You have seeded in your mission," the man—the bishop—stated in a tone that was more of an affirmation than a question, as if he were assessing their worth.


    "Y-Yes, we did," Mina replied, nodding sheepishly and avoiding direct eye contact with the bishop. Her two friends mirrored her actions, trying their best to steer clear of his prating gaze.


    "The mission waspleted months ago. Why have you only returned now?" the bishop inquired, his sharp tone causing the three girls to tremble slightly.


    "Don''t you think you owe me an exnation?" he pressed, observing that Mara was hesitating to respond.


    Just then, the door swung open once again, and a man stepped through, interrupting the tense atmosphere.


    This neer wore the same white robe as the bishop, but his own was adorned with more intricate golden threads, suggesting a higher standing in the church hierarchy. Around his neck, a pendant in the shape of the Goddess of Light dangled, symbolizing his devotion and role within the church.


    The man was strikingly handsome, with long golden hair cascading over his shoulders and sapphire-blue eyes that radiated warmth and serenity behind a pair of delicate sses. Beyond the aura of holiness that seemed to emanate from him, there was an undeniable maism that made most people feelpelled to kneel in reverence at his presence. However, the most noticeable feature about him was his towering height, standing well over two meters tall, making his presence even more imposing.


    "Now, now, Kendrick, I''m sure these three have a good exnation for their absence," the man said as he entered the office, his deep voice smooth but firm.


    The moment they saw him, the bishop, Umra, and Mara quickly bowed in his direction, their voices in unison as they respectfully said, "High Priest."


    Mina, on the other hand, beamed with delight and sprang toward the man, a bright smile lighting up her face. "Fath—high priest!" she squealed with excitement, throwing her arms around him in an affectionate hug.


    The high priest chuckled softly, immediately returning the embrace. Due to the significant difference in height between the two, their hug appeared almostical—Mina looking like a small child clinging to her long-lost father. But neither of them seemed to mind the unusual sight.


    "How have you been, my child?" the priest asked warmly as he gently released her from the hug.


    "I''m doing great!" Mina replied enthusiastically, her previous nervousness from when she entered the office nowpletely gone.


    "I''m d to hear that," the high priest smiled kindly, his tone genuine. "And congrattions on sessfullypleting your first mission," he added with a nod of approval.


    Turning his attention to Umra and Mara, he continued, "Congrattions to you two as well, Umra and Mara."


    The two women exchanged proud smiles, their eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Thank you, High Priest," they both replied gratefully.


    "You three have certainly earned a reward," the high priest began, "so, tell you what, after you''ve had time to settle in, I''ll—"


    "This cannot be allowed," the bishop abruptly interjected, his voice sharp. "You can''t start giving out gifts to them just forpleting their mission, especially when you''ve never done that for the other nuns."


    The high priest paused, then nodded thoughtfully. "Mm, I see your point, Kendrick," he acknowledged, his expression calm. "You''re right. It might cause dissatisfaction among the others."


    He then bent down slightly and ced a gentle hand on Mina''s head. "He''s been working here for years without receiving any special gifts, so I imagine he would be the one to feel left out if I did. But don''t worry," he whispered softly in her ear, "I''ll give you your giftter."


    Mina giggled and nodded, "Thanks, High Priest."


    Straightening up, the high priest feigned a downcast expression. "It seems I can''t offer you anything right now, little one," he said, his voice carrying a note of mock disappointment.


    The bishop snorted, but chose not to argue further. Instead, his attention shifted back to Mina, and his tone grew stern again. "Now, would you care to exin why it took you so long to return?"


    Mina turned to the bishop, her demeanor unexpectedly serious. "We were kidnapped on our way back by the Night Bandits group."


    "What?!" Both the bishop and the high priest eximed in shock.


    "Yes, it happened when we tried to rescue a vige that had been attacked by them," Mina exined, proceeding to recount the events of their capture and subsequent rescue by Alex and his group.


    Once Mina finished her story, the high priest sighed deeply. "It seems you three have had quite the ordeal these past weeks."


    Even the usually stoic and easily angered bishop nodded in agreement, his expression softening ever so slightly.


    "Well, thanks to all of that, I made a new friend!" Mara said, her excitement evident.


    The high priest smiled at her enthusiasm. "If the opportunity arises, I would like to meet this friend of yours and personally thank her for—hm?" he stopped mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing as he looked closely at Mina. After a long pause, he frowned and asked, "Where''s the ne I gifted you?"


    Mina smiled sheepishly, her eyes dropping to the floor. "Well... I didn''t have anything valuable on me, so I gave the ne to the ones who rescued us as payment."


    At her words, the color drained from the high priest''s face, turning deathly pale.


    "L-Little one, y-you''re joking, right?" the high priest stammered, his voice quivering.


    "No, I''m serious," Mina replied, blinking in confusion. "Why? Was that ne valuable?"


    "Valuable, she asks," the bishop muttered under his breath, his hand clenched into a fist. It had been a long time since he felt the urge to curse, but this was one of those rare moments. Not only curse, but also beat the living daylights out of someone.


    "E-Everything isn''t lost," the high priest said, his voice shaky as he struggled to maintainposure. "Do you at least know who you gave the ne to? I promise we can find something even better to offer him in exchange. So, do you know who he was?" His eyes pleaded desperately for hope.


    Faced with this overwhelming pressure, Mina looked at the ground, her voice small as she replied, "He was wearing a mask. I don''t know who he was or what he looked like."


    "Ah," the high priest exhaled shakily, "I-I see."


    Those were thest words he managed to say before his legs gave out beneath him, and he copsed to the floor.


    "HIGH PRIEST!" the four others in the room rushed toward him to check on his condition.


    After a tense few seconds, the bishop finally sighed in relief. "He''ll be fine. He just fainted."


    "I-I don''t understand," Mina stammered, her voice full of confusion. "Why would he react like that just over a ne?"


    The bishop red at her before letting out a weary sigh. "That ''ne,'' as you call it, is one of the three most powerful relics of the entire church... and you just gave it away to some random guy."