Chapter 7
- Reira ☾⋆⁺₊✧ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁
- Nov 11, 2025
- 7 min read
・・・・・
“Welcome, Sister Isabel.”
Bishop Nikolai greeted Isabel warmly as she entered his office.
Isabel approached the bishop sitting at his desk. He was an elderly man with white hair, his face kind like that of a gentle grandfather. He extended his hand in a familiar gesture, and Isabel bowed her head to kiss the ring on it.
“Good day, Bishop Nikolai.”
“Indeed. Have you been taking good care of yourself?”
“Yes.”
“That's a relief. Everyone at the Vatican was very worried. Losing Sister Isabel would have been a great loss for the Vatican. Now, please, have a seat. Would you like a cup of tea?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine without tea.”
He had just received a fine tea and urged her several times, asking if she truly wouldn’t try it. In fact, it was closer to a command than a suggestion. The Vatican was an organisation that operated like the military, governed by a strict hierarchy.
In the end, Isabel had no choice but to accept the steaming tea with two lumps of sugar, as he had insisted.
Out of politeness, Isabel stirred her teacup with a teaspoon and took a sip. It was so rich and sweet that it could become cloying. Perhaps because worldly desires were forbidden to the clergy, they occasionally indulged greedily in the few things permitted. In Bishop Nikolai’s case, it was gastronomy.
Isabel, who disliked sweet things, tried not to grimace as she set her teacup down.
“Alright, Sister Isabel. You said you had something urgent to tell me? Go on, then.”
Isabel took the rosary with the crucifix from her pocket and placed it on the desk.
"Do you remember when you accepted my vows as a nun? You gave me this, then."
“Of course, Sister Isabel. Even if I were to lose my mind, I could never forget that time. You were the best of the elite at the Exorcist Training Academy. There were many talented trainees older than you by five years or more, but among them, you were the best. It was a great joy for me that someone like you swore loyalty before God.”
Bishop Nikolai sipped the sweet tea with a satisfied expression. Isabel quietly revealed to him the original purpose of her visit.
“Your Excellency, I have come here to tell you that I can no longer continue my life as a nun.”
Bishop Nikolai stopped sipping his tea.
"I thought it was only proper to speak directly to you, Bishop, since you were the one who recognised me the most and supported my promotion."
“May I ask the reason, Sister Isabel? Could it be because of the incident when you were dragged down by the demon?”
Isabel said nothing.
“I heard that after that incident, the Vatican’s investigative committee came to see you, Sister. You told them you didn’t remember anything. But I found it strange. The fact that they let Sister Isabel go so easily, and that someone as strong-willed as you could lose your memory from shock, just doesn’t add up. What really happened?”
Isabel looked at Bishop Nikolai for a moment. She had thought about it countless times. How much of that incident should she explain to others? In the end, she concluded that she must tell no one. Even if her intentions were pure, having lain with a demon meant she could not escape the mark of a witch.
Most people in the Vatican envied Isabel for her rapid rise and success. If they were to find out this truth, the danger she would face would be all too obvious.
Isabel needed to quickly remove her nun’s habit without arousing their suspicion. To do so, she needed the bishop’s help. But she also knew that he was not the kind of person to let such a matter pass easily.
He had long struggled with the shortage of capable exorcist clergy. That was why, the moment he discovered Isabel, he did everything he could to ensure she could take the lead in the field.
However, Isabel had no choice but to ask the bishop for help. There was no one else she could turn to. To do that, she had to be honest with him, even if she couldn’t be honest with anyone else.
“I have memories of that place, Your Excellency. I… slept with a demon.”
Bishop Nikolai stared at her blankly for a moment.
“…I-is that true?”
“Yes.”
“In exchange for your escape?”
“Yes.”
"Ah, so the safe return of those fifty children must be connected to that as well?"
Isabel nodded. Bishop Nikolai took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead.
"I understand now. It must have been to strip you of your sacred power by making you lie with a demon. Sister Isabel, have you noticed any unusual changes in your body?"
“When I touch holy water, it burns like acid. Smoke even rises. And it’s not just that. My body has grown unnaturally cold. In this state, I can’t perform exorcisms, let alone carry out any sacred duties. Your Excellency, I’m done now. My purpose has been fulfilled.”
“Give me your hand.”
Isabel extended her hand. The bishop gently held it. Her skin was truly as cold as ice.
"But, Sister Isabel, these symptoms may only be temporary. There is research on the physical changes that occur in those who have lain with demons. If there is no continued contact, the body can return to its natural state. There are also several papers on it.”
"I’ve also read those papers. But Your Excellency, the demons in those cases had the appearance of monsters with goat horns or black wings. They were low-ranking demons. The one I lay with wore the face of a human. From his appearance, he was of the highest rank. According to a paper Sister Veronica wrote over 20 years ago, the higher the rank of a demon, the stronger its power to corrupt humans, and the longer its influence lasts. Ten years, twenty years, or perhaps even fifty."
Bishop Nikolai wiped the sweat from his forehead once again.
"And personally, I can no longer do this. Even if the situation was beyond my control, I cannot forgive myself for betraying my vow to God and surrendering my body. My hatred for evil still burns, but with a defiled conscience and broken loyalty, I cannot continue this work.”
The bishop fell silent, lost in thought. Isabel now only awaited his judgment.
“Sister Isabel, I have staked my future on you. I believed that in about twenty years, you would be sitting in this very seat, managing tens of thousands of paladins, thousands of clergy, and dozens of exorcist priests. Someone like you is a rare gift from God. I still cannot let go of that hope. Sister, remain in the clergy. This is an order.”
“Your Excellency, but I’ve lost much of my sacred power because of that. Even if I went into the field, I wouldn’t be of any help.”
“Of course, you won’t be able to work in the field as you did before. For a while, focus on performing exorcism rituals. That work can be done with perseverance and mental strength alone, even without sacred power. While doing that, let’s see if the symptoms remaining in your body disappear.”
To Isabel, it was absurd. Even if these symptoms disappeared, how could she continue her clerical duties after having already lain with a demon? It would be nothing short of blasphemy.
“I understand, Sister Isabel. I know that your conscience will not allow this. But someone like me looks at loyalty to God more broadly. You could say I see the forest rather than the trees. What happened to your body is, in fact, a minor issue — it’s your personal matter. Right now, we are in the midst of a crucial battlefield.”
“...”
“The demons continue to rise, and countless people are being drawn into the armies of evil. We must protect humanity and bring about God’s victory in this war. That is why every exorcist clergy is so precious, especially someone like you. Even if you were to lose your power and be defiled, it would all be part of God’s grand plan.”
“But what if God’s plan is for me to leave the clergy?”
“That’s impossible. You are a person chosen by God. The power that countless prophets and warriors of God possess is also within you. God would never cast aside someone like you so recklessly.”
Isabel thought for a moment. Perhaps he was right. Her conscience might be worth nothing under God’s grand plan. As he said, her sacred power might be restored.
Perhaps she could continue working as an exorcist nun. She was needed here. If she could deceive others for just a while and buy some time, she might be able to return to the way things were before.
But something still weighed on Isabel’s heart. Strangely enough, it was the promise she had made with the demon who had freed her. His actions had been a malicious kidnapping and a crude hostage scheme, yet he had kept his promise: he had released her and returned the children to the world.
Isabel couldn’t bring herself to break her promise to him.
“I made a promise to the demon: that I would give up the clergy in exchange for returning alive.”
“Sister Isabel, that is precisely why you must remain in the clergy. What good would it do to keep a promise made to a demon? They are our enemies — meant to be deceived, used, and destroyed. Now, forget about that matter. Forget it, and from next week on, focus on the confidential exorcism requests coming in from the Vatican.”
As if signalling the end of the conversation, he pushed the teacup in front of Isabel aside. Isabel sighed. It was over. As long as a high-ranking clergyman like Bishop Nikolai blocked her, it would be impossible for her to remove her habit, unless she died or ran away.
Isabel rose from her seat and started to leave the office.
“Sister Isabel!”
At the door, Isabel turned back. He was holding the rosary crucifix she had left on the desk.
Isabel went back and took the rosary from him. As she did, Bishop Nikolai grasped her hand.
“You are someone with God by your side. Don’t forget that.”
Translator's Corner:
Thanks for your patience, everyone! This is the end of chapter 2. I ended up splitting it across 3 chapter uploads for readability since the latter half got a bit long. Take care and see you all (lurking) around! >^<
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