Chapter 84: The Saint’s Holy Water
Kailun carefully peeled the banana and held it to Vivian’s lips. “Are you going to eat this?”
She shook her head, suspecting his intentions.
“What a shame.” He sighed, resisting the urge to force-feed her.
They were still allies, for now. He would refrain from tormenting her.
He ate the banana himself, watching as Hilna struggled to complete her task.
This slow and methodical approach was the most effective. Once she grew accustomed to it, he could push her even further, making her perform increasingly degrading acts.
Eventually, she would obey his every whim, no matter how much she hated it.
He imagined her lifting her skirt with a disgusted expression, revealing her panties.
He would erode her sense of self until she couldn’t distinguish her own desires from his.
“Mmm…”
Hilna, the banana dangling from her mouth, nudged his leg with her head, signaling her success.
“Good girl! You completed such a difficult task! You deserve a reward! Come, shake my hand!” He took the banana from her mouth and placed it on the table, extending his hand towards her.
She hesitantly reached out, but he pulled his hand back at the last moment. “Too dirty. Never mind.”
She stared at her filthy hands, her heart sinking.
She wanted to cry, to bash her head against the wall.
But she had to endure. She had to have her revenge.
If only she could kill herself by smashing her head against tofu… That wouldn’t hurt.
“Can you tell me your plan now?” she asked, wiping her hands on her sleeve.
“Oh, that? I haven’t decided yet. There’s still time. If they refuse to cooperate, I’ll just kill them all. We’ll say it was Vivian’s order.” He peeled another banana, his tone casual.
“Here, open wide. Have some banana.” He shoved the peeled banana into her mouth.
“Mmm! Mmm!” She struggled, her hands slapping at his arm. She was choking!
She chewed and swallowed frantically, finally managing to force the banana down.
“Remember your place. You’re not a princess anymore. If you forget your position again, I’ll lock you in the dark room.” He wiped his hands, his voice cold.
“You might not know this, but I’ve built a special room. It’s completely dark. All you can hear is the constant drip, drip, drip of water. Trust me, you’ll go mad within days.”
He hadn’t used that room yet. It was reserved for the truly stubborn.
He added more food to the plate on the floor.
When Hilna, unable to resist, reached for it, he began stroking her hair, like a man petting a cat.
“You’re better at this than me. Why are you making me do it?” Vivian asked.
“I don’t have time to take care of every pet. And I’ll be acquiring more soon. I have to delegate. Are you up to the task?”
“Isn’t this supposed to be fun?” She smiled, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
“Indeed. Great minds think alike.”
Hilna: “…”
[Hilna despises you even more. Favorability -2. Current favorability: -92.]
[Vivian sees you as a kindred spirit. Favorability +15. Current favorability: 40.]
Later that afternoon, Kailun took Vivian shopping for some “tools” and herbs. They returned to the manor, Hilna’s eyes filled with dread.
He immediately imprisoned her in the dungeon. She was now alone, without even a fellow prisoner to talk to.
He made some special arrangements to lure Shirley back. He knew she wouldn’t be able to resist trying to rescue Hilna.
…
“You’ve disappointed me and the Saint, Harry. Years of preaching in the Xiya Kingdom and you have nothing to show for it? You’re being hunted like a dog! You’ve brought shame upon the Divine Church!” The envoy berated Harry.
They had graduated from the same academy and held the same rank, but their accomplishments differed greatly.
Harry had been assigned to the Xiya Kingdom, while the envoy had been sent to a neighboring kingdom called Malaga. His achievements had earned him a position close to that of a Yellow-Robed High Priest.
“Enough with the reprimands! Do you have any Holy Water? I need it urgently!”
“What for? It’s a precious resource. I don’t have much to spare.” The envoy, Justin, shook his head.
Holy Water was the tears of the Saint and Saintess. Their unique path granted their tears special properties, including the ability to neutralize poisons.
But even within the Divine Church, Holy Water was scarce. Each High Priest typically received only a few vials.
And the current Saintess had refused to produce any. The only source was the Saint.
“I’ll buy it! Name your price!” Harry was desperate.
Paul was fading fast. He had to act quickly.
“How much?”
“A thousand gold coins! Will that suffice?”
Justin nodded. “Agreed. Pay up.”
“I don’t have the money on me. But I can sign a contract. I’ll repay you with interest.”
After much pleading, Justin finally agreed.
But Harry, examining the vial, was suspicious.
“Holy Water is supposed to be white. Why is yours yellow? Are you trying to cheat me?”
“Why would I do that? This is genuine Holy Water, produced by the Saint himself! I paid seven hundred gold coins for it! Guaranteed authentic!” Justin patted his chest, assuring him.
“Let me test it.” Harry uncorked the vial and tasted a drop of the yellow liquid.
The flavor was strange. Slightly bitter, slightly sweet, like…
“I must be mistaken. The Saint wouldn’t use something… unholy. And this does have the properties of Holy Water.” He poured the contents into Paul’s mouth.
Within a minute, Paul’s complexion improved.
“Is this your new boy toy? I heard you had a taste for men at the last bishop’s gathering. So it’s true.” Justin chuckled, observing the scene.
A thousand gold coins! That was enough to buy several hundred slaves!
Was this boy truly worth saving?
He scrutinized Paul. “Harry, this boy is destined for greatness! Why don’t you give him to me? I’ll forget about the debt. No, I’ll even pay you another thousand gold coins!”
He saw potential in Paul. He could introduce him to the Saint and have him groomed as a potential successor. His own position would be greatly enhanced.
“Don’t even think about it. I’ll never give him up.”
“What if the Saint wanted him?”
“…I’m willing to share with the Saint.”
Justin: “？？?”
He suspected Harry had misunderstood something, but the general idea was the same.
The current Saint was preoccupied with pursuing the Saintess. He had no time for such trivial matters. If not for his desire to win her favor, they would have already arrived in the Xiya Kingdom.
But Justin believed his chances of success were slim. The Saintess had never even looked at him properly. She treated him like a dog.
“Excuse me. How many followers have you gathered?” Lodis, unable to tolerate their conversation any longer, approached them.
“Not many. Just two hundred thousand. They should be assembled by the day after tomorrow.” Justin puffed out his chest, his pride evident.
Lodis glanced at Harry and Justin, then moved closer to Justin. “You’re truly impressive, Envoy. Not only have you earned the Saint’s favor, but you’ve also managed to assemble such a formidable force in such a short time. I’m envious. Perhaps you could teach me the ways of the Divine Church?”
“Of course, of course. Once we’ve placed you on the throne, just show your gratitude with a donation of, say, a hundred thousand gold coins.”
Lodis’s face twitched. “No problem. I’ll empty the treasury if I have to.”
Harry watched, his face grim. He had anticipated this.
He would have reprimanded Lodis before, but he had Paul now. He had a chance to turn the tables.
Did he truly want to please the Saint?
No!
He would dethrone the Saint and install Paul in his place.
…
That evening, Eve and the other two knights completed their training.
Eve, remembering Kailun’s instructions, waited until everyone had finished dinner, then, with her friends in tow, knocked on his study door.
“Master, may we come in?”
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