Chapter 37: The Priestess Is Forced to Answer the Church Deacon

“I’m saved!”

In the lounge backstage, Celia slumped completely into a chair.

“Priestess!”

Elent leaned in.

On stage just now, Celia had kept her mouth tightly shut, her face pale, and her body slightly trembling. To Elent, this was clearly a severe backlash from that bottle of Strong Potion.

“Are you alright? Has your internal injury flared up?”

Elent reached out, wanting to steady the girl’s trembling shoulders.

Celia didn’t have the strength to swat his hand away; she only made a gesture for him not to come over.

Then…

“Belch—”

A long, loud burp erupted from the girl’s mouth.

The sound echoed in the cramped lounge, lasting for several full seconds.

Yuna, who was tidying her clothes, stopped what she was doing.

Lynn, still in a state of tension, widened her eyes.

Only Elent, this Hero Candidate, saw his expression shift from worry to horror.

“Priestess, hurry and spit out the stagnant qi!”

Elent tried to help Celia and delivered a palm strike to her stomach.

The strike was heavy and powerful, enough to shatter a rock.

“Pfft—”

Celia was nearly knocked straight to the ground by the strike. The gas that had already been evacuated was forced out of the bottom of her stomach by the impact, bringing up a lingering chocolate flavor that hadn’t finished digesting yet.

“Cough, cough, cough! Are you trying to kill me?!”

Celia clutched her chest, her face red from coughing.

“I—I wanted to help you smooth out your breath.”

“That was a burp! It’s carbonation, not stagnant blood!”

Celia sprang up from the chair, wanting to give this idiot a kick, but the stockings on her legs caught on the chair leg, and she almost tripped again.

“Is this the legendary Black Dragon’s Roar?”

Yuna leaned against the vanity, twirling an eyebrow pencil in her hand with a look like she was watching a play.

“It seems the kick from that bottle of Extra Strong Happy Water really is quite strong. Even our cold and aloof Priestess broke character.”

“Shut up.”

Celia slumped back into her chair, feeling as if her body had been hollowed out. Fortunately, the gas that had been stuck in her throat was finally cleared, and she felt alive again.

Just as Celia was considering whether to change out of these shameful clothes before settling the score, there was a knock on the lounge door from outside.

“Who is it?” Elent immediately became alert, blocking the doorway.

If it was Catherine bringing people for revenge or guards coming to make an arrest, there was only one exit, and the situation would be troublesome.

A voice that was respectful to the point of nearly trembling came from outside the door.

“Saintess, may I come in to listen to your teachings?”

It was that Deacon from before.

Trouble had arrived.

“I won’t see anyone.” Celia just wanted to change her clothes and then go eat.

“Even if it is just one sentence, please, you must guide me through my confusion!”

“If I do not see you, I shall remain kneeling and refuse to rise until I have washed away the sin of offending you just now!”

Is this guy made of sticky flypaper?

Celia rubbed her temples. If she didn’t get rid of this guy, she wouldn’t be able to get out of this door today.

“Let him in.”

Celia sat up straight, tidied her slightly messy skirt, and grabbed the empty Happy Water on the table.

Elent opened the door.

“Saintess…”

“I am not a Saintess; I am a Priestess,” Celia interrupted him. “And an improper Priestess at that.”

“That look in your eyes, a look as if you were looking at trash! Ah, that is the most ruthless lashing of the secular world! Saintess, those few minutes you were silent on stage were simply deafening! Please, you must tell me, what exactly were you thinking at that time?”

The Deacon was so moved that his eyes filled with tears. He seemed not to have heard a word Celia said, and he pulled out a small notebook and a pen from his robe, posing as if he were about to record a divine oracle.

The creed supporting her heart?

Celia glanced at the empty bottle in her hand.

At that time, the only things supporting her were the pain of wanting to burp but not daring to, and the obsession with finishing quickly to go eat a Cheese Tart.

But she couldn’t tell the truth.

Celia swirled the glass bottle in her hand. A tiny bit of black liquid remaining at the bottom sloshed under the light.

“You want to know?”

“Yes, please grant me your wisdom.”

“Look at this.”

Celia shook the bottle, looking at the murky black water inside, and spoke nonchalantly:

“Look at this water; it is black.”

“The human heart is also black.”

“Drink it down and let it explode in your stomach. Even if it hurts so much you want to vomit, you must endure. Until finally—”

Celia gave a smaller burp.

“Exhale that waste gas. That is called detoxifying.”

After Celia finished speaking, she tossed the empty bottle into the Deacon’s arms.

“Do you understand?”

The Deacon caught the bottle and stared at it for a long time, then reflected on Celia’s words. His pupils gradually dilated, and a look of sudden enlightenment appeared on his face.

“I understand now!”

The Deacon recorded in his notebook:

[First Quote: Face the abyss of desire, swallow it, digest it, and finally transform it into nihilistic turbid air to be discharged.]

“Thank you for your guidance, Saintess. This bottle… may I take it away to be enshrined as a Relic?”

“Take it and go.”

The Deacon kowtowed to Celia three times, then retreated with the empty bottle, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

Silence returned to the room.

Yuna watched this scene dumbstruck, the eyebrow pencil in her hand falling to the floor.

“Celia, with your ability to bullshit people, it’s really a waste for you to just be a Priestess.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

Celia stood up from the chair, feeling even hungrier.

“Since the trouble is resolved, it’s time to talk business.”

Celia held out her hand to Yuna.

“Where are the things we agreed on?”

Yuna pulled a stack of coupons from her bag and slapped them into Celia’s hand.

“Plus my Shop’s Supreme VIP Card. You have priority tasting rights for all new products and free meals for life.”

“Also, the tips from this runway show were already sent to the Church by Aunt Colton just now. It’s enough for you to buy ten of those Iron Cabinets.”

Celia pinched the stack of coupons, her fingers quickly counting through them. The cold aloofness on her face melted instantly.

The performance at this Fashion Festival was truly a huge profit.

“A pleasure doing business.”

Celia stuffed the coupons into her chest. Although there was very little fabric there, there was at least a lining.

“Now, I’m going to change my clothes and then go eat.”

“Also, Hero.”

Celia looked at Elent, who had been standing to the side acting as background scenery.

Elent was currently staring blankly at Celia’s action of stuffing the coupons away. Hearing his name, his gaze shifted to the ceiling.

“Help me undo this.”

Celia pulled at the Collar on her neck.

“I can’t reach it.”

Elent stepped forward, his fingers touching the metal clasp.

The distance was very close.

So close he could smell the fragrance on the girl and see the faint red mark the Collar had pressed into her fair skin.

Elent’s fingers were a bit stiff, and it took quite an effort before he finally unfastened the Collar.

Celia rubbed her neck and let out a sigh of relief.

“Finally, I’m free.”

“I’m hungry now. I heard the night market tonight has huge grilled meat skewers. I’m going to try them.”