When a fairly large knight stepped forward, the high priest seemed very small.
"Please do not obstruct the young master's path. If the young master dislikes something, it means he dislikes it,"
Devan said, revealing his loyalty like a faithful dog.
"You, who are you! This is the decree that will shake the Melian Empire! How dare you attempt to defy the will of the gods!"
The last words sounded like a scolding directed at me, not Devan. It seemed to have the same effect on Devan's ears. He spoke coldly,
"The young master saved my life, sacrificing himself in the process. So, from the moment I came back to life, he is my god. If you, Reverend, try to go against his will, I'll do my utmost to stop you."
I wasn't sure where or how this misunderstanding started, but it didn't matter. I quickly hid behind Devan. Devan placed his hand on his side where his sword was. He wouldn't really harm those old folks, right? Despite my concerns, there was a strange excitement as I somehow felt Devan might win. Suddenly, a warm hand reached out from behind and grabbed my arm.
"Now! Run!" It was Alan.
Without any hesitation, I grabbed Alan's hand and ran. The priests shouted something from behind, but Devan seemed to be blocking them.
Alan led me out through the rear gate of the temple. There, we caught a passing carriage. Only after the carriage door closed and the horses started running did Alan let go of my hand. Using his divine power on my hand, Alan asked
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No"
I replied, breathing heavily. Alan's usually neat hair was all messed up on his forehead. We waited a moment to catch our breath. I examined Alan's face, which was gradually calming down over time, and asked
"Why did you bring me out?"
Instead of answering immediately, Alan stared at me intently.
"...You said you didn't like it. That's the reason."
After saying so, Alan leaned back against the carriage seat. It was the first time I had seen him take such a relaxed posture since we met. I looked at him a bit surprised.
Alan chuckled softly. "Priests are accustomed to discipline. They are people who follow the word of God and restrain themselves. As a result, some...quite a number of priests tend to impose the same on others, using the name of God."
He seemed to wear a self-deprecating smile as he spoke, as if he couldn't believe his own words.
"They call me the god's favorite, but how can I be a favorite when I only find flaws in my fellow priests?"
Alan took off his glasses and covered his eyes with one hand, looking distressed. He wasn't regretting taking me out, but rather blaming himself for hating the priests. As I listened to him, I... couldn't believe it. You, the supposed god's favorite, masturbate in front of a sleeping person? Why would you feel so guilty instead of that! I wanted to expose him, shout at him, but I restrained myself, taking a deep breath. I had a gut feeling that revealing I was awake could lead to irreversible trouble.
Instead exposing what he had done, I pointed out another aspect. "First of all, them calling you the god's favorite is all mocking, isn't it? They are the ones begging for favors first, so naturally, they see flaws first. Shouldn't a god deliver divine punishment to bad guys, especially those who dare to defy?"
Alan removed his hand from his eye area. He looked surprised, his eyes wide open. It was a face that seemed to say he had never heard such irreverent talk before. "Honestly, what those bastards were trying to do to me earlier was all bullshit. I said I didn't like it, and they were trying to criticize me saying it's the will of the gods!"
"Criticze..?"
Alan muttered, shocked. I, excitedly jabbing my finger into the air, continued, "Those old bastards are so obsessed with building achievements for their temple that... they want to make me a saint without my opinion. How malicious is that?"
Alan, hearing my curses, quickly covered his mouth with his hand. It looked like he was about to vomit, so I stared at him in surprise, "what if he vomits on me"?. Suddenly, he lifted his head, letting out a refreshing laugh. It was so hearty that for a moment, I thought Khan Alexis's soul had possessed his body.
"They are also excellent priests. There are corrupt ones, but overall, they are on the good side."
Alan, still with a trace of laughter, said.
"Still, there were harsh moments for me. Despite feeling resentment and loneliness, I often found myself disappointed in my own actions... But, hearing Narcissus's words, I realize how foolish I've been."
"You even curse lukewarmly when your annoyed..."
"Haha. I'm satisfied with Narcissus getting angry on my behalf."
As I pouted and grumbled with a twisted expression, I shivered at Alan's ominous words. I didn't really get angry on behalf of Alan, but at that moment, a notification appeared above Alan's head.
[Alan Bate's favorability has increased by +3!]
[Alan Bate's favorability has reached 20 or more, triggering the 'Fortunate Flirt' event!]
"Oh, darn it..."
I was about to curse, but suddenly, the carriage stopped. Alan got off the carriage, paid the coachman, and pulled my anxious hand.
"This is the Riart Orphanage. I often come here to volunteer."
The orphanage looked almost like a collapsing ruin. Even considering it was an orphanage, the conditions seemed excessively harsh. Seeing my disgusted expression, Alan added as if to excuse himself.
"The road in front of the orphanage is a bit noisy because of the main road, but the security is not bad as it is on the main street."
Apparently, he thought I, as a noble, was worried about my own safety. Though it was due to the pitiful children living in this orphanage, I nodded quietly, afraid that mentioning it might earn me more favor.
"Shall we go in?"
Alan opened the orphanage door without hesitation and walked in. I leaped over the threshold of the opened iron gate.
Yes, leaped over.
The threshold of this shabby orphanage's iron gate was almost as high as my knees. Being relatively shorter than Alan, I gave a little effort to jump over, causing me to lean forward naturally, like flowing water.
"Uh, uh?"
I waved my hands and caught onto something in front of me. However, it couldn't support me, and I tumbled down to the floor.
Tumbled?
I stared at what I had grabbed with my hands. A white, fluffy fabric.
I looked up blankly. In front of me, Alan, with his priestly robes torn apart like covered himself with both hands, just like Venus in the painting. Through the torn fabric, a dazzling divine figure was revealed.
Alan turned his face sideways, covering his chest with one hand and the area near his navel with the other, pitifully avoiding eye contact with me. As a result, he looked even more like the Venus goddess.
[Fortunate Flirt event effect: Alan Bate's favorability increases by +5!]
"Narcissus..."
Alan's trembling voice was moist and teary.
"I know it's embarrassing, but don't worry about the accident. I'll... change into some clothes and come out in a moment. Please wait here."
Without waiting for my response, Alan hurriedly jumped into the orphanage building. I, still lying on the ground, held the torn priestly robes and slowly stood up. As I released my grip, a piece of white fabric fluttered away somewhere.
Who exactly benefits from this 'Fortunate Flirt' event? I waited for Alan while absentmindedly smoothing out my clothes with a puzzled expression.
Then suddenly, I realized. I was standing here alone, and there was no one around to see me. If I had to run away, now was the opportune moment.
I swallowed nervously and glanced around. There was truly no one in sight. I cautiously approached the iron gate, pressing my back against it. I waited to see if someone would shout, "The most beautiful man in the world is running away!" But the orphanage remained silent.
This time, I carefully lifted my legs and crossed the iron gate, stepping outside. Still, nothing happened.
I counted to three one last time. One, two, three. Yet, neither Alan nor any of the kids from the building came out.
Damn it. Now's the time!
I abruptly turned my back and ran towards the street on the opposite side of the orphanage. Although people glanced at the handsome guy running in a fur coat with curiosity, no one tried to stop or catch me. I was truly escaping now! It was surprisingly easy!
Suddenly, there was a thud right behind me. The sound of horses whinnying followed, and when I turned around in surprise, I saw a carriage toppled over. One of the carriage wheels seemed to have come off. The attention of the people around instantly shifted to the carriage, and a crowd began to gather.
That's when I realized this was my chance. I slowed down my pace and vanished into the crowd.
(Alan's appearance after his clothes were torn)