As he spoke, the other priests around him revered Marius, saying, "Could it be that you have heard the call of God, High Priest!", "Oh, let’s go inside at once!" It was a ridiculous, blind faith.
Of course, there were two people hiding here who could not laugh. Yuan, who until then had been gearing up to fly into a rage, shut his mouth like a clamshell, and Gillen squeezed his muscular body tightly into the narrow space next to Yuan. Not content with that, he even cornered Yuan, who was standing at the edge, with both his arms.
Yuan glared at Gillen murderously, but Gillen just lowered his eyebrows, bit his lip, and shook his head. It was a desperate signal that now was not the ti.
Fortunately, Yuan also seed to have no intention of making a loud noise in this situation. It was just that their chests being pressed and rubbing together was extrely unpleasant, and the mixing of their breaths and the faint scent of his unique body odor and pheromones were terrible.
"Be careful, it’s dark, High Priest."
From a distance, the sound of the priests’ footsteps entering the cave echoed, tap, tap, tap. Gillen swallowed hard. Yuan could see the prominent Adam’s apple right in front of his eyes bobbing up and down.
"Hmm, this is strange. Did I mishear..."
Marius muttered as he looked around.
Yes, you misheard. Please go, please. Gillen prayed inwardly.
"But it’s impossible for the High Priest to have misheard sothing... How about we go a little deeper?"
One priest suggested, displaying exceptional loyalty. It was a truly useless suggestion. Marius hesitated as if he was reluctant, but the other priests, as if stimulated by the sycophant’s flattery, all started shouting, "That’s right!", "Let’s go further in!", "If the High Priest heard it, there must be sothing!"
’This is why I hate going to the temple.’
Gillen glared at the outside with the whites of his eyes. Not only did they have that insidious man as their High Priest, but the place was teeming with priests who were hell-bent on currying favor with the High Priest rather than serving God. Gillen shook his head.
Just then, sothing from below pressed firmly against his solar plexus. It was Yuan’s finger. Surprised, he t his eyes, and Yuan frowned and mouthed ’don’t move.’ It seed that Gillen shaking his head had bothered him.
’I’m sorry.’
Gillen mouthed.
Their faces were so close together that it felt strangely intimate, as if the tips of their noses would touch with the slightest movent. Gillen pulled his neck back as far as he could and turned his gaze upwards.
Although being close was unavoidable in this situation, it was obvious that if he was not careful, Yuan would find so fault and cause a scene again. No matter how much Yuan’s image had changed to ’a sowhat cute young brat’ in Gillen’s mind, annoying was still annoying.
Tap, tap, tap. The sound of the soles of the identical shoes issued to the priests stepping on the cave floor as they entered could be heard. Marius and his party of priests were really coming deeper into the cave.
They won’t co this far, right? This place isn’t even clearly visible from the entrance... As Gillen spun his wheels of hope, Marius happened to speak in a slightly annoyed tone.
"I’m not so sure we need to go any further in. I never said I heard the voice of God in the first place. I thought it might have been a human voice."
Perhaps Marius found it troubleso and tiring to go into a rugged cave wearing his dazzling white and flowing sacred robes. The priests, who were well aware of his finicky personality, finally realized their mistake.
"I see! It seems we misunderstood."
"It’s obviously an empty cave at a glance, isn’t it, Priest Glide."
"I-I’m sorry. I was just so impressed by the High Priest’s words that I..."
As the flustered priests mumbled their excuses, Marius put on a benevolent smile.
"Of course, I understand the priests’ hearts well. But we are looking for soone right now, aren’t we? I just want to et Marquis Hampton quickly. Shall we hurry up a bit now?"
Marius said that and went out of the cave first. The priests agreed and followed him in a group.
And Yuan and Gillen, who heard those words, simultaneously t each other’s eyes. Marius was looking for Yuan right now! Yuan’s body seed to tremble slightly, and then he let out a rough breath, "Ha...!"
Gillen’s eyes widened, and he quickly covered Yuan’s mouth with his hand. Not in here! Just hold on a little longer! With a desperate expression that conveyed that aning.
Yuan also seed surprised by the breath that had burst from his own mouth, as he clamped his mouth shut and squeezed his eyes shut. But the physical reaction that had once started did not stop easily.
Hoo, hoo... Yuan’s hot breath touched Gillen’s hand. Fine beads of sweat began to form on his smooth forehead.
It was then.
"Ah, I’ll just be a mont..."
A young priest said that and then started walking back into the cave with quick steps. As the footsteps grew closer, Gillen pressed his body even closer to Yuan. Yuan held his breath altogether. Otherwise, it felt like his uncontrollably urgent breathing would echo throughout the entire cave.
Tap, tap, tap! The priest’s steps beca faster and faster.
"Phew..."
The sigh the priest let out was heard right nearby. He was now right in front of the cave wall where Yuan and Gillen were hiding. Gillen’s tense body stiffened up. Yuan even grabbed Gillen’s hand that was covering his mouth and pulled it up to cover his nose as well.
But soon, a strange sound was heard.
Shwaaaa... pitter-patter... pitter-patter-patter...
Yuan’s and Gillen’s eyes t once again.
Is that brat taking a piss in here right now?
A look of bewildernt crossed both their eyes.
"Ughhh..."
The young priest shivered and groaned as if in relief. Yuan rolled his eyes in annoyance. Gillen bit his lip hard.
"Priest Tay! What are you doing, not coming!"
From far away, soone called for the young priest.
"Ah, yes! I’m coming now!"
The young priest answered hurriedly and then ran outside in a flurry, saying, "Ugh, it got on !" As the sound of footsteps completely disappeared, Gillen took his hand off Yuan’s face. Yuan also let go of Gillen’s hand that he had been clutching. And...
"Pfft... Puhaha! Hahaha!"
"Hah... honestly..."
Laughter erupted at the sa ti. At first, only Gillen roared with laughter while Yuan just snickered, but later, they were both shaking and leaning against the wall, laughing their heads off.
"How absurd, really... Oh, my stomach."
Gillen gasped for breath, clutching his stomach.
"Keuk..."
Yuan tried to hold back his laughter belatedly, but it did not work well. In the end, the two of them laughed their fill until tears welled up in their eyes.
"The sll of piss is getting stronger, so shall we get going too?"
Gillen said in a voice full of laughter. Yuan grimaced but then laughed again, "Pfft."
"You’re much more handso when you laugh, why don’t you smile more often?"
Gillen said as he ca out from behind the cave wall. Yuan looked at Gillen with a coy glare.
"You’re making passes at every chance you get. It’s really tireso."
"No, I... phew, alright, alright."
Gillen let out a dry laugh and waved his hands. He no longer had the energy to correct him.
The two of them walked through the long cave in silence for a while.
"By the way, can I ask you sothing?"
It was when they were not far from the exit that Gillen threw out a quiet question.
"What is it?"
Yuan, who he had expected to say ’No,’ as sharp as a knife, surprisingly asked back agreeably. Gillen hesitated before bringing out the guess he had been harboring inside.
"The fact that you get anxious or have trouble breathing, it’s all related to the High Priest, isn’t it?"
"..."
Yuan remained silent. Gillen quickly added.
"Of course, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I was just—"
"That’s correct."
Yuan replied frostily.
"I was imprisoned and tortured by High Priest Marius when I was young. Of course, if we were to fight now, I would win, but I can’t help it that this kind of reaction appears."
His tone was haughty, but the content was nothing short of shocking. Gillen stopped in his tracks, his mouth agape, and stared at Yuan.
"Imprisoned? Tortured? B-by the High Priest?"
"Yes."
"No, when you say you were young, how young were you? Don’t tell , when you were five?"
Marius had said that he had brought the five-year-old Yuan to the temple to teach him the doctrines of the Retin faith. Gillen had just assud it was similar to how priest apprentices live and study at the temple. But was that not the case?
"Yes, to be precise, from when I was five until I was eight. For three years."
Three years was by no ans a short ti. Moreover, three years in one’s childhood would have felt like an eternity.
"No, isn’t this sothing that should be reported to the imperial family?"
As Gillen muttered in shock, Yuan scoffed.
"How can I report it when there’s no evidence? And until I beca a marquis, I was nothing more than a commoner mage. That man, Marius, is the High Priest who holds the highest position among the priests of this empire."
Of course, the imperial family would side with Marius. No matter how bad their relationship with the temple was, that much was self-evident. Gillen could not refute that either.
"Recently, there have been things that remind of the torture, and I’ve had to run into Marius, so it’s only like this. I’m not usually this weak. So please, mind your own business."
Yuan said that and went out of the cave first.
Reviews
All reviews (0)