It looked very suspicious, to say the least.
There was a Restroom at the entrance of the Congregation Hall, and there were many other Restrooms available for Congregants inside the Church.
There was no reason for her to come all the way behind the Congregation Hall, deep into this area, just to find a Restroom.
Lucael realized only now that her excuse was clumsy, as he had been flustered by the sudden encounter.
If so, there was a high probability that the suspicious person Abellus was looking for was Iris.
Lucael, having organized his thoughts, looked up.
“If it’s someone suspicious…”
“Yeah. Since That One said it felt a strange energy.”
“I, I did just run into Miss Iris…”
As a hesitant Lucael uttered Iris’s name, Abellus’s long, sharp eyes widened.
“What? Iris? Hah, to think Iris came all the way here.”
Abellus let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. To think Iris had been right under his nose and escaped.
The fact that she ran away meant she hadn’t fallen under the Curse…
He recalled the conversation he just had with ‘That One.’
When he asked why the Curse’s effect was appearing so slowly, it said there seemed to be someone interfering near the Vessel.
Then, after staring at Abellus for a moment, it muttered, ‘Your power has been taken.’
Abellus’s eyes had widened then; he had already been worried because the Skill he gained through the necklace had disappeared.
He was surprised that ‘That One’ had noticed his condition before he even asked. What was even more surprising was what ‘That One’ said next.
“The pieces are finally fitting together. You were robbed.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The Superpower. The Vessel stole your Superpower. And someone else besides you had their Superpower stolen too. This one is no ordinary person. If left like this, the Vessel won’t come here on her own. You need a plan.”
“A plan…”
“You have to make her come here first. That’s your job. I can’t leave this place.”
To think his Superpower was stolen— he remembered how he couldn’t use the <Wondrous Perception> Skill a moment ago.
Since there was no need to use Superpowers in the Laboratory, he had noticed it too late.
But it was a shock to hear that someone else besides him had their Superpower stolen by Iris.
‘Who? Who else had their Superpower stolen… Laika? There’s a high probability that the one who stole Laika’s Relic was Iris. No wonder that guy has been inactive lately; it was because his Superpower disappeared. But his case and mine are different. He had his Relic stolen, but I still have the Goddess’s Necklace. What is it? Does she have a Skill that plunders Superpowers?’
While Abellus’s mind was in chaos, ‘That One’s’ face suddenly hardened terrifyingly.
It then glared into the air, specifically pointing to a spot higher than Abellus’s head.
Though ‘That One’ was entirely black, its eyes were blue like a human’s, and its gaze was fixed on a distant point.
As if there was something on the ceiling.
Abellus, who had been squinting at the random behavior, turned around when ‘That One’ said someone was outside.
Naturally, he saw nothing.
So, without even dreaming that the person ‘That One’ referred to was Iris, he continued the conversation.
“Are you saying the Vessel has a Skill to steal Superpowers?”
“Probably. It was so long ago that I had forgotten, but I remember now. The Goddess could also steal Superpowers using the power of the Relic. Fortunately, it seems her Superpower is incomplete because the Vessel hasn’t gathered all the Relics yet.”
“Sigh… The last Relic is here anyway, so she won’t be able to collect them all. I’ll have to find the person interfering with the Curse.”
“Yes. But the person outside… their energy was very strong. Not an ordinary person.”
“I know there are a few Superpowered Individuals within the Enrakakyo.”
“I don’t know. It was an energy I’ve never felt before. It would be good to check it out.”
“Fine. All the questions have been answered anyway…”
After finishing the conversation and coming outside, he found Lucael.
At first, he wondered if Lucael was the owner of that suspicious energy. But to think it was Iris.
Even if she hadn’t fallen under the Curse, he wouldn’t have been able to perform the ritual even if he lured her to the basement, but still…
‘Maybe, I just want to see Iris one more time.’
Even if they met, they would likely just pretend not to know anything and act elusive.
But why did he feel regretful?
Looking back, the situations where they acted hypocritically were quite fun.
He wanted to taste that kind of pleasure once more. It was just that much, really.
He just wanted to experience the moment of searching each other out while hiding their true intentions.
Iris doesn’t like him. She probably never will.
They spent a night swept up in passion together, but that was all, and he quickly noticed her heart wasn’t with him.
When they parted at dawn that day, Iris’s Honey-colored eyes held only a sense of relief, rather than affection or regret.
He tended to be indifferent to the emotions of others, but he realized late that women he was interested in were an exception.
To think that he, who thought he was indifferent to others, was paying attention to Iris’s every move and remembering everything so clearly.
‘I guess I won’t be able to see that amusing side of her anymore…’
Soon, he would see Iris, who had lost her reason due to the Curse, and Iris, who would be nothing but a shell after the ritual was completed.
If that happened, he would be able to make Iris his own as ‘That One’ said, but she wouldn’t be the woman he knew.
Thinking that, a bitterness lingered in his mouth.
Of course, that didn’t mean he intended to scrap the plan.
It was something he had dreamed of his whole life.
Besides, since Iris wouldn’t truly love him anyway, he wanted to keep her by his side even in that way.
Lucael’s eyes narrowed. It was because Abellus’s reaction was strange.
It was an attitude as if he were mentioning an acquaintance he had met several times.
‘He seemed interested before, but has he met Iris in the meantime?’
Previously, when he asked for information about Iris, he had said he didn’t need it when Lucael was about to give it.
To be precise, he said he didn’t need it ‘anymore.’
At that time, Lucael was so distracted by his own situation that he didn’t notice the subtle difference, but looking at it now, he wondered if Abellus had approached her naturally through the service.
Since he had already obtained her contact information, he had no reason to get information from Lucael.
For some reason, his mood dropped slightly.
“It seems you have built a friendship with Sister Iris in the meantime.”
“…Just a little. But Sister? It seems you also know Iris.”
“Just a little for me too.”
An awkward silence flowed between the two men for a moment.
This was because the memory of having a ‘very intense’ physical conversation, rather than ‘just a little,’ flashed through each of their minds.
Along with that came suspicion toward the person who gave the same answer.
‘Surely she didn’t do the same thing with Abellus that she did with me…’
‘No way. There was plenty of time for sparks to fly between Iris and me. There’s no way she would have slept with a pale Priest guy she only saw for a moment.’
Lucael adjusted the cuffs of his Priest robes, his eyes darting anxiously.
He was suspicious, but there was no way to confirm it, and he had no right to.
He and Iris had only been hot for a brief moment that one day.
Abellus tilted his chin and pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses.
Having always lived with overflowing confidence, to the point of being arrogant, he arbitrarily concluded that Iris couldn’t have fallen for Priest Lucael.
After a short snort, he spoke. Just as ‘That One’ said, he had to find the interferer who was controlling the power of the Curse placed on Iris.
“Do you know where Iris lives?”
“That… I don’t know where she lives right now.”
“Hmm, I see. Hmm…”
Abellus lowered his eyebrows as if troubled. While he contemplated with his chin in his hand, Lucael’s eyes widened slightly.
‘That One’ had said that finding out Iris’s address was what he had to do. Perhaps, it had vaguely sensed that this would happen?
After all, ‘That One’ possessed a bit of foresight. ‘That One’s’ foresight was quite useful.
It couldn’t perfectly predict the future, but it did occasionally predict important events.
‘I’m not very keen on it… but I must find out the reason why he’s asking for Iris’s address first.’
Lucael looked directly at Abellus with a serious gaze.
“Why do you ask?”
“I need her for the completion of the Relic.”
“The completion of the Relic… Sister Iris is the Vessel, then. And probably, a Hero.”
A shadow fell over Lucael’s face. Seeing Abellus speak like this, he must be certain.
‘That One’ must have given him a hint.
To think that the Hero who would complete the power of the Relic from the Legend of the Savior was Iris.
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