The Priest Wants to Retire

Bam!

EP.215 Life is a Flower. Love is the Nectar of That Flower (2)

Meanwhile, it wasn’t just Regis and Apis locked in a desperate struggle.

After entering the dungeon, the party was divided due to an unexpected enemy assault.

In a typical party situation, immediate annihilation of party members wouldn’t have been surprising, but the seasoned warriors who had crossed countless battle lines succeeded in navigating this crisis with minimal losses.

They all subconsciously realized that the goal of those blocking their path was nothing more than to divide them. Just that, and nothing else.

If even one party member clung to maintaining their formation, it was clear as day that a significant loss would occur in the party.

Though they lacked the full power of a saint, the saint candidates possessed divine power that was comparable.

While their strength was undoubtedly extraordinary, the extremes in individual capabilities were vast, and there was no discernible intelligence to challenge each other’s power.

Thus, their choice to forcibly divide the party of heroically powerful warriors would only lead to a frustrating defeat.

Reuniting with companions could happen step by step after dealing with all the enemy stragglers.

The opposing side had already suffered significant losses just by trying to divide them, so there was plenty of reason to view this situation as a blessing in disguise.

But something felt off.

Despite the individual differences, it was evident that all party members felt tremendous unease about the current situation.

Regis had been suddenly sucked into the dungeon.

The dungeon’s strange phenomena that seemed to block their entry.

The division of the party.

All of these felt like a delay for some underlying conspiracy.

And the fundamental dread stirred by this unease was slowly but surely becoming a rust that hindered the smooth operation of the organization.

Crash! Kaboom!

As the hero’s fierce slash swept across the battlefield, an intangible transcendence emanated from the tip of Dawna’s staff, following closely behind.

A sleek blade strike with minimal unnecessary moves.

The miracle of a being who had reached the pinnacle of magical arts unleashed without reservation.

This contest could easily be called the peak of human capability.

“Dawna.”

“I know.”

The hero spoke solemnly, and as soon as the words fell, Dawna was already preparing the next spellcasting.

In the face of monochromatic death converging from all directions, they exchanged their unspoken thoughts in barely a second.

But even that was a longer time than usual for them.

Boom—!

Immediately after, the towering dust cloud that rose in the area showed no sign of blood or terrible cries of struggle.

Overwhelming. Boldly overwhelming results.

No, perhaps this was just an entirely natural outcome.

These two, boasting the highest number of monster hunts and participation rates in the hero party, were indeed core forces within it.

“………”

“Phew………”

Clunk.

As the hero calmly collected himself and slid his sword back into its sheath, Dawna also lowered her staff and took a moment to catch her breath.

Around them lay at least a dozen saint candidates, all rendered perfectly powerless, sprawled about haphazardly.

Thanks to Regis’ exhortation and the hero’s own conviction, they all retained their lives, but they were literally just hanging on by a thread, and their future was far from assured.

It was unavoidable.

The hero was not in a state where they could coldly adhere to someone else’s counsel or their own convictions.

“We must go. Dawna.”

“R-Right. Understood………”

As that bland voice turned toward her, Dawna unconsciously gripped her staff tightly.

The absence of Regis, the party’s spiritual support who underpinned the hero’s essence, was having a tremendous negative impact on the hero’s emotional state.

The hero’s mission, the fate of this world—truthfully, the hero had long since relegated all of that to the back burner.

They needed to find Regis as quickly as possible.

At that moment, the sole thought driving the hero was just that.

However,

“Detection magic still isn’t picking anything up. How is it, hero? Can you sense Lowville’s presence?”

“………”

Dawna posed the question, but all that returned was an awkward silence.

Yet, the meaning behind that was clear. Chewing her lip briefly, Dawna soon returned to her tasks in silence.

The problem they faced was nothing other than this.

Even with the hero’s extraordinary sense of smell along with Dawna’s detection magic, which should originally be used to find the dungeon’s core, they were unable to locate Regis.

Both of them were certain that Regis was indeed inside this dungeon.

But every time they tried to gauge his exact position, an unidentified white energy disrupted their senses, causing the search to hit a snag.

Even when trying to find him through footwork, they were constantly blocked by the saint candidates’ fierce assaults.

Such overwhelming circumstances were dragging the hero closer to the depths of despair.

“Y-Your hero. The magic energy is getting all scattered. Could you perhaps tone down your murderous intent a bit….”

“Gah! S-Sorry! Dawna! I did it again!”

At Dawna’s careful suggestion, the hero hastily reined in their bloodlust.

Though the hero seemed to have temporarily regained their usual demeanor, the unnatural facade barely cloaked the fact that their limits were nearing.

Swallow.

Dawna, inadvertently letting out a hushed breath, glanced over the hero’s appearance for just a moment.

Not long ago, Dawna had been oblivious to the object of the hero’s emotions, but that was not the case now.

Now, she felt bone-deep understanding and could empathize.

Because the emotions roiling in the hero’s chest were aligned with the feelings Dawna had harbored for decades.

Sizzle. This is so stupid.

“Ugh!”

“D-Dawna!? Are you alright! Did you get hurt during the last skirmish!”

A sudden wave of intense headache hit her.

Amid the calm yet seductive voice, Dawna clutched her head and staggered.

With the hero supporting her, she barely managed to steady herself, but the overwhelming pain made merely standing a struggle.

“I-I’m fine……… Just a bit dizzy……… Ugh—!”

“D-Dawna!”

As the hero’s face grew more concerned and considerate, Dawna’s pounding headache only intensified.

In truth, this headache had persisted since she witnessed the Demon King’s emergence with her own eyes.

Initially, it was a slight, prickling sensation, but as the demonic figure grew larger, the throbbing had steadily intensified, reaching uncontrollable levels since entering the dungeon.

With an extraordinary zeal for academia, and a lifestyle devoid of sufficient sleep,

Dawna had been accustomed to just tolerating even moderate discomfort.

The only person who could reign in this runaway state of hers was none other than Regis, her long-time friend and secret love. However, due to recent circumstances where Regis was busy attending to the Saintess and the hero, he hadn’t been able to focus on Dawna.

Crackle. This is all because of that woman.

“No, it’s not─! Ugh!”

“D-Dawna…?!”

With a near-screaming shriek, Dawna clutched her head and began thrashing in agony.

Alarmed by her bizarre movements resembling a tangled marionette, the hero quickly reached for the holy water stashed away.

“Dawna! Are you alright?!”

“I-I’m fine! Fine! Ugh!”

Amid what felt like a relentless invasion upon her brain, Dawna struggled to maintain her grasp on consciousness.

What she saw was the face of a trustworthy comrade who genuinely cared about her.

Not the distorted looks of jealousy and ulterior motives she had seen enveloping her in childhood, but purely the most precious presence watching over her.

Dawna found that gaze deeply endearing.

Though she had never expressed her feelings, awkwardly and embarrassingly,

The one person who epitomized the term ‘friend’ for her was indeed the hero, and she would secretly smile about it.

The bond she shared with them was far more valuable than any scholarly pursuit she had learned thus far and far more precious than any unfamiliar knowledge—truly, she felt that way in her heart.

But—

Crackle. Crackle. If that woman weren’t here, that person would have been mine!

“Y-You, hero…”

“Does your stomach hurt? Or is it your head? Just hold on! I’ll take action right away!”

On one cold and dark night, the sordid scenes watched through the shattered crystal were enough to bury Dawna’s tender thoughts beneath crimson mud.

Kill and take it away. You deserve it!

“Run… away… from… this…”

“Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”

As not-so-normal magical energy concentrated in Dawna’s hand while she gripped her staff, the hero was gently patting the back of her suffering companion.

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