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Chapter 12.2 : Meanwhile
Though Almina had never met the Goddess personally, she heard that Goddess Rena had descended in her own Holy Ground, the Holy Republic of Lenaria, when the Hero and his companions had arrived. Thus, Almina’s imagination went wild as she played several scenarios of the Goddess’s meeting with Reiji.
Her heart beat furiously with excitement at the thought that the man who was sleeping with her right now was the Hero, the beloved man of the beautiful Goddess, Rena. It might be just her arrogance but, Almina felt that she became the Goddess herself when she slept with the Hero.
When Reiji left the bed, his naked body was completely exposed to Almina. His body was tall and lean, without any excess fat; it was muscular yet not overwhelming.
Almina heaved a sigh upon seeing that figure.
I can’t get enough of seeing such a beautiful, well proportioned body 
But, that was the end of her delusion. Goddess Rena aside, Reiji was surrounded by many women, whose beauty far surpassed hers. Her time with him was extremely limited.
Almina felt a pang in her chest upon recalling that matter.
When she touched her abdomen, she could still feel the remnants of Reiji’s manh*od in her w*mb.
Though she wanted him to love her more, she knew that was impossible.
「Shall we get going?」
「Yeah, it’s about the time for us to go back.」
Upon hearing Reiji’s remark, Almina recalled the matter about the Black Haired Sage, Chiyuki.
Despite Chiyuki’s beauty, Almina heard that the former was really terrifying.
I might be a goner if she finds out about the relationship between Reiji-sama and me. I hear that she can easily demolish a rampart with her magic.
Almina’s heart was dominated by unfounded fear toward Chiyuki.
And yet, she still wished to be together with Reiji.
「
 I see.」
Almina replied with a melancholic look on her face.
She wished that her existence would remain in Reiji’s memory, even if it was only a little.
But, she felt that her wish was too much.
「Ah right, Almina. Leave the matter you talked about to me.」
Reiji flashed a refreshing smile as he looked at Almina.
He was referring to the zombie outbreak that happened the night before the festival. Almina had told him that it might be the Striges’s deeds, the ones who survived the purge.
The Striges were really powerful, that’s why she decided to borrow Reiji’s power.
This was the request of her childhood friend, Rember, too.
「Surviving Striges huh
 Don’t worry Almina, I swear I’ll eradicate them for sure this time around.」
Almina felt that Reiji’s words were extremely reliable.
◆
Temple Knight Hyllus was brought to a plain house on the outkirts of the red-light district.
That house was brimming with the smell of medicine.
「Then, I’ll leave them to you, Orua-san. As for us, we’ll go to Hero-sama’s mansion to report this matter.」
「Yah, leave it to me.」
When Hyllus heard such an exchange, he realized that he was currently sleeping on a hard board.
He couldn’t move his body.
When he looked around, he saw his comrades, his fellow Temple Knights, also sleeping on a hard board.
The men who carried Hyllus and his comrades until this place then left to continue their duty.
How did things turn out this way?
Hyllus wanted to cry so much.
He regretted his ineptitude, he should’ve blown the warning flute immediately.
But still, just who the hell was the man who defeated us in that back alley?
Though he wasn’t the strongest, Hyllus’ strength was still amongst the most powerful in the Temple Knight squad.
He wouldn’t lose in a 1-on-1 fight against Lucullus for example.
And yet, that man knocked him out in just a second.
Even though that man looked like a skinny, weak man at a glance, his movement clearly indicated that he wasn’t just a normal person.
Hyllus and co were defeated without even being able to fight back, a complete defeat.
The problem was what happened after that.
He had no idea what kind of skill was used on them by that man but, for some reason, his body and lips were numb, and refused to move. A dull pain assailed his entire body.
The incapacitated Hyllus and his companions were found by people who had passed that place by chance. They also brought them to Orua’s house, the doctor who happened to live right outside of the red-light district.
All of this happened because of Hero-sama! It’s his fault for showing off Sahoko-sama in such a risky get up!
Hyllus recalled the figure of one of the girls in the hero’s party, the girl he fell in love with.
Sahoko-sama looked really beautiful today. That costume raised her innocent look to a whole new level.
Even now, Hyllus still couldn’t forget that figure, he remembered it every time he closed his eyes.
In addition, he envied the Hero, who was loved by the Saint.
Hyllus felt healed just by standing close to his beloved Saint.
It’s not Sahoko-sama who’ll treat us, but the female doctor, huh.
The White Saint’s healing magic could heal all kinds of injury. As he started imagining what it would feel like to be treated by Sahoko, his imagination went wild when he thought of her small white hand touching him.
But back to the root of this matter, just who in the world is that man? Is he the one Sahoko-sama and that others are looking for? I have to repo–
His thoughts were cut short as the female doctor approached him.
「Kukuku, how do you feel right now?」
Hyllus looked at the woman asking him a question. He could barely see her from this position, so he had to crane his neck towards her to properly see her.
When his eyes reached her, all he could see was a black figure.
The woman wore black garments from head to toes, her eyes were also covered with a thin black cloth. Though Hyllus couldn’t see her appearance since her face was covered too, from the way she spoke, he guessed that the woman was an elderly.
He heard from the people who carried them to this place that the woman had bad eyesight and was weak to sunlight.
That’s why the only source of light in the dark house was the evening sun’s rays, it pierced through the gap between the house’s wooden walls.
「Kukuku, you guys are the knights who protect that hero, right
 to think that my preys jumped into the trap themselves.」
Hyllus became even more confused upon hearing the woman’s remark.
Prey? What the hell is this woman talking about?
Hyllus could feel that there was something wrong with the woman before him. He scrutinized her and found himself at a loss for words upon seeing the woman’s eyes, which were covered by the thin black cloth.
Her eyes weren’t human.
The eyes behind the thin black cloth were round, black pupils surrounded by yellow instead of white.
Those glaring eyes were definitely not human eyes. They looked more like an owl’s eyes.
It was at that moment that Hyllus came to a realization.
The woman before him was a monster.
「Uuh.」
Including Hyllus, the other Temple Knights who saw those eyes groaned too.
「You guys will become my pawns.」
The woman cackled, and as she did, the Temple Knights could see long canines protruding out of her mouth.
「You guys will help me destroy this damned country and that damned hero and his party, who all dared to kill my adorable daughters.」
The woman wickedly laughed.
But, Hyllus and the others couldn’t do anything, they were simply powerless in their current condition.