Chapter 39

It was late at night when the incident occurred.

Priest Camilla lay her body on the bed and closed her eyes.

“…….”

Since she had broken the clock last time, the room was quiet. The sound of the clock’s hands turning, which she had heard before, could no longer be heard.

After she broke the clock, the Caldera Imperial Academy did not ask for compensation. However, Priest Camilla paid for the clock anyway, even if it was reluctantly.

And that evidence is right there.

Priest Camilla sneaked her eyes open and looked at the spot where the wall clock had hung.

A new wall clock, shrouded in stillness, was leaning against the wall and remaining silent. The stillness of the clock’s hands was the reason why.

Thanks to promptly providing compensation, she managed to receive a new clock. However, every night, she would turn off the clock and place her quiet wristwatch on the nightstand before attempting to sleep.

Seeing the clock not moving gave Priest Camilla a sense of relief.

Her eyes closed again, and darkness came to her view.

Before long, Priest Camilla began to regulate her breathing. It seemed she was slowly drifting off to sleep.

– It hurts…. So much pain….

As always, that sound could be heard.

Startled awake from a shallow sleep, she grasped the blanket tightly covering her. There it was again.

For the past few nights spent at the academy, she had been tormented by this inexplicable auditory hallucination every night.

Because of this, it was not uncommon for her to remain awake with her eyes open all night, and even when taking prescribed sleeping pills, she frequently found herself unable to fall asleep until late.

There was no problem with getting into bed. The Caldera Imperial Academy’s dormitory for staff was comfortable, and the bed was cozy.

However, the problem was.

– Clatter.

“……!”

A sound came from the kitchen. It sounded like something brushing against dishware, yet somehow it evoked a chilling image of bones rolling around.

Priest Camilla sprang up. Then she dashed toward the kitchen.

Click.

The light bulb brightly illuminated, allowing Priest Camilla to see the kitchen that had been enveloped in darkness.

“…What the hell is this?”

There was no one in the kitchen.

The clean dishes were neatly arranged, maintaining their usual places. There were no signs that anyone had disturbed them.

– Clatter. Clatter. Clatter….

Then, what was this sound?

– Crackle. Creak. Creak.

What on earth did this sound mean?

“Who the hell….”

Her hand touched her nape. A rosary soaked with cold sweat pressed against her skin between her damp collarbones.

“How dare you perform such despicable plots in front of me…. Do you look down on an intermediate priest…?”

Priest Camilla’s red, bloodshot eyes shook incessantly. The pupils that had lost focus were scouring every corner of the kitchen, searching for a place to breathe.

– Caw. Caw. Caw.

Priest Camilla murmured while gasping irregularly.

“May my heart be guided by the Lord, and may the archangel Gabriel protect me…. May my heart be guided by the Lord, and may the archangel Gabriel….”

– Tick.

She froze.

Priest Camilla’s body stiffened. She could not help but doubt her own ears.

– Tick. Tick.

Stiffly, Priest Camilla slowly turned her neck.

Where her gaze landed.

– Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

It was undoubtedly where the newly received wall clock had been placed.

There, a wicked beak mimicked the sound of clock hands. It was…

It was, it was coming closer and further away, glancing at Priest Camilla as it whispered, wandering around, chasing her….

Then, it grinned, cried, got angry, glowered….

[ Found you. ]

“…Hoorgh—!”

Priest Camilla hastily sat up.

Like a person who had been holding their breath for a long time finally gasping for air, her mouth craved fresh air. Her body was damp and sticky with cold sweat.

Priest Camilla gripped her rosary tightly and slowly turned to look at where the clock had been placed.

“……”

The clock remained silent. The stillness of the clock hands was immensely reassuring.

With a wary gaze, Priest Camilla looked at it before slowly rising from the bed. Her wristwatch on the nightstand caught her attention.

The wristwatch indicated that it was three o’clock in the dawn.

Yes, it was an incident that occurred at three in the dawn.

* * * * *

I sat on a bench in the academy courtyard. Leaning my head back, the beautiful pink scent of spring came into view.

The cherry blossoms blooming profusely on the bench were bright. The sunlight filtering through them warmed my face, giving me a pleasant feeling.

“Priest Camilla, you say.”

The Priest Peter, who sat next to me, opened his mouth. I waited silently for him to continue.

“Lately, she seems to have become very sensitive.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Since coming to the academy, it seems she can’t easily fall asleep. I wonder what’s going on….”

“Is it possible that her sleeping arrangements are uncomfortable?”

“I asked the same question, but…”

Priest Peter shook his head slowly. I shrugged and asked him.

“Are you uncomfortable with your sleeping arrangements, Priest Peter?”

Priest Peter shook his head slowly and answered.

“I’m fine. Since coming here, there hasn’t been a night I couldn’t easily fall asleep. I’m always asleep before midnight and wake up early in the morning….”

He said the sleeping arrangements were not uncomfortable. Did she have a nightmare, perhaps?

“So, it’s not uncomfortable…. Exactly what is the problem?”

“I don’t know the details, but it seems clear that Priest Camilla has experienced something unpleasant. She even mentioned out of nowhere that she wanted to meet the head priest…”

“Me?”

My eyebrows involuntarily twitched. Wanting to meet me? Isn’t that a bit sudden?

“Yes. She said she felt a strange presence, that she heard auditory hallucinations…. Even after I recited prayers and asked if there was anything uncomfortable, there was no progress. I feel helpless, and I’m just frustrated.”

Priest Peter sighed deeply. Once again, his bent back appeared pitiful.

Even in his mid-40s, why does he look so haggard?

“I know it’s an impertinent request, but could you meet Priest Camilla just once at your earliest convenience?”

“Hmm….”

“Please. And if possible, I would like to accompany you.”

It wasn’t a difficult task. I thought if I could just meet her for a short consultation, she could solve it herself.

I wasn’t keen on facing her again, but still.

“Well…. I’ll try to make time soon.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes. More than that….”

We didn’t meet to talk about Priest Camilla. I went straight to the point.

“How is your finger?”

“My finger….”

Priest Peter sighed again. What was the issue this time?

“Actually, there are quite a few problems regarding that.”

“No….”

A sigh escaped me. These people came out on a mission from the Holy Empire, and rather than solving anything, they ended up increasing the work. It was utterly frustrating.

“Huh… What’s the problem now?”

“At first, I tried to purify the finger. However, there was nothing to purify on the finger.”

“Then can’t you just take it back to the Holy Empire?”

“Unfortunately, the papal states won’t grant us permission.”

Suddenly, the memory of Head Priest Giovanni, who had vanished with the dawn’s light, came to mind.

The aura I felt then was undoubtedly that of a demon. Though it has since been resolved, I still remember the chapel’s wooden door rotting away, corrupted into a dark red.

Demons aren’t just fragile beings that disappear upon seeing sunlight. I know them all too well.

“Priest Peter, as Chancellor Damian’s letter mentioned, I personally witnessed the corrupted entity stemming from that finger. And if I was not mistaken, it was certainly something devilish.”

“…….”

“All I need now is certainty. Please tell me. Was that what I saw, Head Priest Giovanni?”

Priest Peter’s eyes trembled anxiously as he took a moment to gauge his surroundings. I waited calmly for him to speak.

“Silence is golden. The head priest must know that too.”

“I won’t disclose it, so please, speak.”

After a deep breath, Priest Peter made the sign of the cross. I did the same and waited for him to speak.

“…The stories circulating about Head Priest Giovanni, who is wandering around the academy, are somewhat true.”

“Just as I thought…”

“But the story has been slightly distorted.”

Priest Peter looked at me. I had an inkling of what he meant.

“Are you saying it’s the group of priests that came from the Holy Empire?”

“Yes. Priest Camilla and I have gathered information spreading within the academy. Amongst the students, it is circulating that the priests who visited the academy back then harmed Head Priest Giovanni.”

Daniel and Vivian’s faces were the first to come to mind. I had been planning to give them a piece of my mind when I saw them again, but I guess I’ll need to pay them a visit soon.

However, this part puzzled me. If that’s the case, why did the priests claim to be from the Holy Empire come all the way here?

“They were not just priests.”

“Then….”

“They were exorcist priests dispatched directly from the papal states.”

“…….”

I couldn’t understand his words. The priests who had come to meet Head Priest Giovanni were…

“Exorcist priests…?”

Priest Peter nodded heavily. I could hardly contain my confusion.

“Then, Head Priest Giovanni….”

“Head Priest Giovanni has been possessed. He requested aid from the Holy Empire to confront the demon hidden within, and the papal states secretly dispatched the exorcist priests.”

If Daniel and Vivian heard this story, they would likely be overly excited and rush towards me. But this was a matter of great importance.

Priest Peter continued,

“At that time, the demon that had possessed Head Priest Giovanni was not just one. According to the record left by the exorcist priests, there were three.”

I lowered my head with a serious expression. If what Priest Peter said was true, it meant that Head Priest Giovanni had been wandering around the academy even until now.

“Are those demons still possessing Head Priest Giovanni’s corpse?”

Priest Peter swallowed hard.

“…Yes. To be precise, it would be correct to say that Head Priest Giovanni has trapped them within his own body.”

“What the hell….”

“And Priest Camilla and I have been tasked with exorcising those demons. Simply retrieving the finger won’t do; the demons will remain in the academy.”

“Then, why are those demons looking for the finger?”

“…I don’t know.”

It seemed that a bit more time was needed.

“If you need my help, feel free to summon me at any time. I have experience leading the exorcism rites.”

“Thank you, Head Priest.”

“It’s nothing.”

After finishing our conversation, we stood up from the bench as if nothing had happened and began to walk our separate paths.

I glanced at the receding Priest Peter and clenched my fist tightly.

I thought the incident related to the finger had been resolved.

However, the students of Caldera Imperial Academy were still in a perilous state.