It was late at night.
But that didn’t mean Celia could go to sleep yet.
Even though her eyes were closed and her head was buried deep in the pillow, the white glow radiating from her body was like a scorching incandescent lamp.
No matter how tightly she wrapped herself, the light still seeped through her eyelids.
“This is impossible to sleep with!”
Celia turned over, feeling thoroughly irritated.
This was the price of gluttony.
In order to eat Demon Wolf meat, she’d even extravagantly used Saint Celery to purify the evil energy.
The result was that now, the Saint Celery within her body was seriously overflowing—just like overeating and being unable to digest.
Hot.
Bright.
Annoying.
……
Meanwhile, outside the Church fence.
Several dark figures were hiding in the nearby bushes, watching the Church.
“Boss, the intel was good. Should we make a move right now?”
“Look at that light shining from inside. Even from this far, my eyes hurt.”
“That’s definitely something good!”
Garr, the one called “Boss,” didn’t respond immediately.
As the leader of Adventuring Party Red Fang, he’d survived so many years as an adventurer all thanks to his caution.
During the day, that kid had taken out an exquisite piece of Magical Wolf Hide at the Association, causing quite a stir.
A rookie—how could he possibly hunt a C-rank Demon Wolf and handle the pelt so perfectly?
Someone like that walking around with treasure was like a three-year-old clutching a gold brick in the middle of a marketplace—just asking to be robbed.
Garr was certain that the kid must have someone powerful backing him.
And now, it seemed he was right.
“That kid really does have someone behind him.” Garr stared at the increasingly bright light. Years of experience told him this was anything but ordinary.
Either a powerful magic artifact was being activated, or someone was cultivating inside.
“So should we still go in?” one of the men hesitated.
“Of course! We’re already here!” Garr glared at him.
Once the bow is drawn, there’s no turning back. Since they’d tailed the kid all the way here, returning empty-handed was not his style.
“Besides, the light’s been shining all night. If it’s someone cultivating, this is definitely the critical moment—also their weakest!”
“That foolish kid is standing guard at the door, which proves the person inside must not be disturbed. As long as we take him out and barge in to interrupt the spell, then whether it’s people or treasures inside, they’re ours!”
“Move in!”
……
Elent stood at the Church entrance. He was nervous.
Not out of fear, but out of worry for the Priestess inside.
The light leaking through the door crack grew ever brighter. Every so often, he heard someone turning over inside, along with the Priestess’s low moans.
“Damn it… I can’t stand it…”
Listen to that—how much pain she must be in!
The Priestess was fighting that terrifying Glowing Disease all by herself—he absolutely could not let anyone disturb her!
Just then, the sharp sound of wind being cut sliced through the silence of the night.
“Who’s there?!”
Several figures landed before Elent.
By the moonlight, Elent could make out who they were.
All dressed in black coats, each holding a dagger or short sword.
These had to be the people who tailed him earlier that day.
“Kid, step aside. We’re only after money, not lives,” Garr said to Elent.
“There’s no treasure here!”
Elent pointed his Broad Sword at the group before him, raising his voice in an attempt to warn them off.
“There’s only a seriously ill Priestess here. Her disease is extremely contagious and even glows—you’ll get infected if you go in!”
The group froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“Glowing Disease? Hahahaha!”
Garr nearly choked from laughing.
“Kid, if you’re going to make up lies, at least make them sound plausible! What kind of disease glows? Why not say she’s hatching eggs in there?”
“Enough talk. That light’s getting brighter—it’s got to be a treasure. Let’s move!”
The group began to surround him from all sides. Elent brandished his Broad Sword and rushed to meet them.
After eating the wolf meat, he’d gained a bit of strength, but facing these seasoned adventurers, Elent quickly felt the pressure.
What made it worse was that he had to hold back, afraid of making too much noise and disturbing the Priestess inside.
With his hands and feet tied, Elent soon fell behind.
“This kid really is useless!”
Garr seized the opportunity. With a Wind Step, he darted past Elent and headed straight for the brightly lit room.
“No!” Elent tried to retreat, but was pinned down by the other two.
“Heh, let’s see what treasure’s hidden in here.”
Garr’s eyes gleamed with greed as his hand reached for the doorknob.
At that very moment, Celia’s patience inside the room reached its limit.
Noises had been coming from outside for a while now, and the temperature under her covers was high enough to bake a sweet potato…
All her irritations gathered, about to erupt like a volcano.
If she didn’t vent this energy now, Celia felt she might truly explode.
“So annoying!!!”
Celia flung open the door. The Saint Celery she’d accumulated all night found its outlet and surged outwards.
Garr, who was about to open the door, bore the full brunt. He didn’t even see what was inside before his vision was swallowed by blinding white.
“Ahhh! My eyes!!!”
For an instant, Garr felt like he was staring into the midday sun.
The intense Saint Celery not only blinded him, but the power inside also blasted him clear off his feet.
“Bang!”
Garr crashed into the yard’s wooden wall, his whole body smoking as if he’d been over-purified.
The rest of the thieves were stunned by the sudden burst of Saint Celery.
They stared dumbly at the doorway.
There stood a petite figure.
She was shrouded in terrifying light—even her hair glowed.
That radiance made it impossible to see her face; all they felt was a divine presence that made them want to kneel.
Celia stood in the doorway, squinting against the pain of the light, in an extremely foul mood.
All she knew was that it was noisy outside, she was hot, and she couldn’t sleep.
“What’s with all the racket in the middle of the night?”
“Can’t a person get some sleep?!”
The remaining intruders’ legs were shaking.
You call this a Priestess?
She opened the door and instantly took down the boss—wasn’t this the Archbishop descending in person?!
“Run for it!”
No one knew who shouted first, but the rest instantly panicked.
They scrambled over the wooden wall, not even bothering to drag Garr with them, and vanished in the blink of an eye.
The yard fell silent again.
Elent stood where he was, staring at the Priestess, his eyes brimming with awe.
So strong.
No sword, no magic—just opening the door and taking people out in a flash.
“Priestess.”
“Elent?”
Celia called to the shadowy figure in the yard.
Her own light was so blinding that tears streamed down her face; she couldn’t even open her eyes.
“What was all that noise outside just now? Were you tearing the place down?”
“No, it was just some petty thieves…”
“Oh, as long as they’re gone.”
Celia cut Elent off, then reached out and groped the air.
Those usually lazy eyes were now full of tears from the light.
“Um, Elent,” the Priestess’s voice was soft and gentle.
“It’s too bright. I can’t see anything. I want to cover my eyes.”
“Do you have any cloth or ribbons? Preferably black ones.”
Poor thing.