“Bones? Shouldn’t you lose some flesh first?”
Only Grandmother would say something like that. Iris wasn’t exactly skinny.
She was just an ordinary woman in her twenties with a normal build. Yet to Grandmother’s eyes, she apparently looked painfully thin.
As Iris fiddled with her own arm and muttered, Grandmother furrowed her brow and shook her head.
“No, no. There’s no fat to lose. If you lose any more here, you’ll turn into a mummy, a mummy. Ugh, what’s this mess? Why is the house in such a state?”
“Th-this is… I forgot to clean yesterday and ended up falling asleep…”
Grandmother stood speechless, looking around the living room after tidying the fridge.
The snack bags Johannes had given were still lying in the middle of the room, and clothes that had been worn once and taken off were scattered messily across the sofa.
Not only that, a snack bag from a few days ago was also spread out on the coffee table. Iris hurriedly ran over, collecting the trash and forcing a sheepish smile.
Grandmother clicked her tongue and began cleaning the filthy living room. Embarrassed, Iris helped her tidy up.
After a while, Grandmother glanced at the wall clock and clapped her hands.
“Oh dear, what was I thinking? The church event is about to start; we have to leave soon.”
“Oh, right. You said you were going to the church event, Grandmother. Can I come with you?”
Iris’s gaze grew serious. On the surface, Grandmother didn’t look brainwashed at all. But appearances could be deceiving.
She might look fine now, but the moment they entered the event, Grandmother could reveal the fanatic madness characteristic of cult members.
So before thinking as a Hero, Iris had to protect her grandmother as her granddaughter.
‘If I follow along and see that she’s about to do something bad! No matter how strong they are, I’ll make sure to put an end to it.’
Iris’s eyes blazed with determination. Unaware of this, Grandmother smiled warmly and patted Iris’s bottom.
Her only granddaughter wanting to join her at a religious event was a joy beyond words.
“Oh, sure. There’s no harm in that. Because of this event, all the grandmothers in our neighborhood came up here. I should go and brag about my granddaughter a bit. Everyone’s going to be surprised to see such a pretty granddaughter like you, Iris.”
“Ah… All the elders in the neighborhood came up? Facing all those old people… Wait, Grandmother. Let me get ready first!”
How much wickedness did they plan to inflict on those helpless elderly…! Gritting her teeth, Iris lowered her voice, cautious not to hurt Grandmother’s feelings by revealing the sinister truth behind the evil cult.
“Yeah. I should change out of this motorcycle suit, too.”
Smiling, Iris entered her room, her expression turning serious.
Today was the day. The day to raid Enrakakyo, one of the Villains’ strongholds.
Gathering all those helpless old folks was despicable—those Enrakakyo scoundrels were truly evil. The first goal was to rescue Grandmother from the devil’s lair.
The second was to uncover the identity of the Enraka Church Leader’s Son, one of the main Villains in the story.
‘What on earth are they planning to do to those powerless elders…! I won’t let this slide.’
Charging boldly into the Enraka Church, Iris was met with an unexpected scene. When she entered the White Sanctuary, where Enrakakyo’s insignia-flag fluttered, her eyes gleamed brightly.
But contrary to her expectation of being greeted by devils wearing wicked smiles, she was welcomed by remarkably beautiful priests.
Still stunned, a priest approached, bowing his upper body to meet Grandmother’s eye level.
“Long time no see, Mary. We met in the outskirts last time, didn’t we? And this is… Mary’s friend, I assume?”
“Oh, nonsense! She’s obviously my granddaughter! Not a friend! Ha ha. It’s a surprise to see you here, Priest.”
Grandmother and the priest seemed to be old acquaintances. Could this priest be the reason why all Grandmother’s friends had come up to the capital? Iris watched the priest carefully, trying to act natural.
“Oh, am I being rude? Mary looked so young, I just assumed…”
The blonde priest smiled kindly, his voice low. His cheeks flushed shyly, but to Iris, it seemed like a disingenuous act of flattery.
There was a limit to how much one could flatter. Calling a grandmother with snow-white hair ‘Mary’ — and then shamelessly asking if the younger woman beside her was a friend — made Iris doubt whether this was a priest or just a sparrow pretending.
Grandmother visibly enjoyed the attention, playfully tapping the priest’s shoulder.
“Oh, you’re being harsh!”
“How can I help it if that’s how you look to me?”
“Ha ha, ha…”
Iris forced an awkward smile, responding just enough not to interrupt their cheerful conversation, all the while scanning her surroundings sharply.
She had seen one bald priest with a Bewitching Skill during a performance and assumed all Enrakakyo priests looked like that. But that was foolish, having judged the whole by a part.
That ugly bald priest probably got accepted because of his Bewitching Skill. The interior of the Enraka Church was a near-equal mix of water and handsome men.
Thinking of the Bald Priest with Bewitching Skill, Iris squeezed her eyes shut. She absolutely had no intention of using the Soul-Draining Divine Art on him.
Were there no capable men among these handsome priests? She itched to try out the Soul-Draining Divine Art, but touching a priest recklessly might get her labeled a weirdo.
So for now, she simply salivated over the prospect.
‘Do they appoint priests based on their looks? Why are there only handsome priests wherever I look? It’s a clever tactic for spreading religion…’
Looking closely at the congregation, Iris noticed a variety of people: grandmothers, middle-aged women, girls her age, and even children.
Occasionally, she spotted blushing men. The cult was seducing everyone—men, women, and children alike.
Recruiting mostly handsome men to captivate the congregation was a ruthless, underhanded strategy by Enrakakyo!
Falling for such an obvious sales pitch would be unworthy of a Hero. She would remain vigilant, ready to act the moment Enrakakyo revealed their corrupt nature.
Thanks to the Hero App’s suit, no one would recognize her, so knocking out those evil priests wouldn’t be a problem.
Having arrived early before the event began, it was lunchtime. Iris headed to the church’s dining hall and lined up with Grandmother for the meal.
No matter how many times she resolved to focus, the handsome church staff volunteering there didn’t help.
A kind-faced volunteer with brown hair and eyes, giving off a puppy-like impression, flashed Iris a smiling eye and served her food.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“Y-yes…”
Despite her resolve, a meek response slipped from her lips. Surprised, Iris stared into her food tray as the puppy-faced man tilted his head and gave a bright smile behind his transparent mask.
“If you want more, just ask.”
“Well… then, could I have a little more, please?”
“Of course.”
Had she been bewitched already? Without thinking, Iris had asked for more food, wanting to keep the conversation going.
The word ‘of course’ felt directed just at her, making her heart flutter for a moment. She secretly wanted to ask for something other than food.
Iris shook her head vigorously, trying to snap back to reality. But the challenges kept coming.
Beside the puppy-faced man were a cool, handsome man, a warm, handsome man, an intellectual-looking man with glasses, and so on—a parade of handsome men.
Swallowing her desire for something else to eat, she slowly moved along the line.
Before she knew it, her tray was piled with far more food than usual. Maybe others felt the same as her, as everyone moved slowly like sluggish beetles despite needing to move quickly after getting their food.
Moving slowly like the others, Iris’s mind raced furiously.
‘…There might be a capable one among them. No, there definitely is. I shouldn’t just stand still—I have to actively scout for abilities. Yeah, that’s what a Hero does.’
So this wasn’t selfish desire, but a mission as a Hero. Opportunities to gain Skills were everywhere, and to reject them might disappoint the Chastity Belt.
She could ask to learn Skills, but that was only in special situations and often not feasible. Since Enrakakyo was a Villain stronghold, taking Skills by force would be a more just path.
The thought of mingling with the skilled priests made her smile wide. She forced her fingers to pull down the corners of her mouth, cleared her throat, and steadied herself.
Judging by how her thoughts turned lewd, she might be slowly getting influenced by the Chastity Belt itself.
After all, the evil spirit dwelling in the Chastity Belt seemed nothing but a Lewd Spirit.