Chapter Two: The Church and Punishment
“By the way, Your Highness… Alicia, have you ever traveled?” I asked, barely managing to suppress the urge to slip into formal speech.
I directed the question at Alicia, who was curiously scanning the capital’s scenery. Earlier, I had treated her rather brusquely, but out here, with her perverse tendencies subdued, I found myself instinctively reverting to polite language.
“Not much,” she replied. “I rarely leave the palace, and when I do, I’m usually tucked away in the back of a carriage. So, just looking at the city streets like this is exciting!”
Alicia’s hideout was located just on the outskirts of the capital’s central district, where the palace, church, and government offices stood. Stepping out from there brought us into the bustling commercial area lined with shops and homes. It was an ordinary sight, but for a royal, it must have seemed novel. Alicia’s gaze darted eagerly from side to side.
“The town of Trill we’re heading to is pretty far, isn’t it? Are you sure you’ll be okay?” I asked.
“It’s far, but we’ll be taking a carriage, right?”
“Well, yes, but… regular carriages can be surprisingly tiring. They’re bumpy.”
I almost added that the luxurious carriages royals rode in were probably different but swallowed the words. Right now, any mention of her royal status was off-limits.
“Is that so?” Alicia said. “Still, that’s part of the ‘Commoner’s Training,’ isn’t it?”
“Fair enough.”
She had chosen this path herself, and if she was this determined, there was no reason for me to worry excessively on her behalf. Getting motion sickness or a sore backside would just be part of the experience.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a personal desire to see this thick-skinned princess complain about the hardships of commoner travel. Though she’d likely shrug off anything I threw at her, a royal raised in luxury would surely find a long carriage journey challenging—or so I thought as we boarded the shared carriage.
“So, John, you’re a wool merchant?” Alicia said to the man seated next to her.
“That’s right. I’m heading west to sell high-quality wool fabrics I bought in the capital,” he replied.
“Of course, the capital’s artisans are the best in the country. And do you bring back rare fabrics from the west to sell in the capital?”
“Ha, well done, miss! You’ve got it! Though on the return trip, it’s not just fabrics—more like ornaments and such.”
“Like ivory or peacock feather accessories? They’re so beautiful!”
“Ho, you’ve got a good eye, miss!”
“Yes, since I’m usually in the capital, I’m always impressed by traders like you.”
“Haha, I bet!”
Alicia quickly struck up a conversation with the merchant, putting him in high spirits. I suppose, as a princess, she’s naturally skilled at socializing. Unlike me, who knows nothing beyond alchemy, she’s used to interacting with all sorts of people and has plenty to talk about. Watching her, I felt an irrational pang of frustration.
Surely, she’d tire out after a while, I thought. But then—
“Phew, I’m getting on in years, and these carriage rides are tough,” the merchant sighed.
“I hear you. My backside’s starting to ache,” Alicia said. “Oh, I know… Protection!”
With a chant, a magical glow enveloped Alicia’s and the merchant’s lower bodies. The merchant blinked in surprise.
“W-what’s this?”
“Look, now the bumps don’t bother you, right? Much more comfortable!” Alicia said matter-of-factly.
“W-well, yes, but…”
The merchant’s confusion stemmed from the fact that maintaining a spell like Protection continuously consumes mana. It’s a basic defensive spell, but keeping it active for two people over the hours-long carriage ride until sunset would drain a significant amount of mana. Only a highly skilled mage or someone like Alicia, born with an abundance of mana, could manage it.
Thanks to her social prowess and sheer magical power, Alicia breezed through the two-day carriage journey without a hitch.
“Well, that wasn’t so bad,” she said, stepping off the carriage.
“No, normal people can’t use magic like that—or keep it going nonstop if they could,” I retorted.
At best, most might cast a healing spell when they get tired, though that wouldn’t do much for a sore backside.
Alicia, however, just tilted her head, unfazed.
“More importantly, this is Trill, right?”
“Yeah, we’re pretty far out in the frontier now.”
The landscape was dominated by barren land, with only a fenced-in patch of farmland near the town. Scattered houses dotted the area, and in the distance, a cluster of buildings marked what must be the town center.
We headed toward it.
In the capital, roads were paved with cobblestones, but here, we walked on dirt. As we strolled along the rustic path, we reached a slightly busier district in the town center.
There, we found a building that barely resembled a church, identifiable only by the cross on its roof.
“This it?” I asked.
“Yes,” Alicia replied. “From what I’ve heard, a young male priest named Miller, about twenty years old, went missing from this church.”
“Missing?”
“Yes, he stopped showing up one day. Apparently, there have been similar incidents in this area, but I couldn’t get any more details.”
That sounded suspicious, but not enough to justify barging in from the outside.
I glanced at Alicia, wondering what she planned to do.
“He seems to have no family, so let’s say we were hired by an acquaintance to search for him,” she suggested.
A simple, effective lie. Not bad.
“Got it.”
We entered the church together. As expected of a frontier church, the building was worn in places, and the chapel held only a single priest, idly flipping through a book. He looked up as we approached.
I clasped my hands together in a cursory gesture of respect before speaking.
“Excuse me, we were sent by an acquaintance of Miller’s…”
“Miller?” The priest let out a small sigh, almost imperceptibly.
But he quickly composed himself into a solemn, priestly expression.
“We’re all saddened by Miller’s disappearance. However, since he’s vanished, there’s nothing we can do.”
“Could we at least hear more about it?” I pressed.
“I’m sorry, but I have church duties to attend to. Please leave.”
He was clearly just reading, but he dismissed us firmly. He didn’t seem particularly grieving—more like he found us bothersome.
I glanced at Alicia. A real adventurer might interrogate him or sneak into the church for answers, but how far should I go?
“I see,” Alicia said. “By the way, I’ve heard there have been multiple disappearances and troubles at frontier churches recently.”
“No, no trouble here,” the priest replied, shooting her an annoyed look.
But after a moment’s thought, he added, “Though, come to think of it, I’ve heard the church in Arshe, the next town over, has had issues. You might want to check there.”
It felt more like he was trying to get rid of us than help. Arshe, as it happened, was an even more remote town than Trill, home to Viscount Baltar’s estate, and reportedly larger in scale.
“What kind of trouble’s happening there?” I asked.
“Well, I only know rumors, but things like priests acting strangely or ending up penniless due to financial troubles.”
That matched what Alicia had mentioned.
I had more questions, but the priest’s demeanor screamed that he wanted the conversation over.
“Thank you,” Alicia said, bowing slightly. I followed suit, and we left the church.
“So, what now?” I asked outside. “It’s suspicious, but I’m no good at sneaking around or anything like that.”
“Even if it’s suspicious, we can’t just barge into a church. Let’s try talking to others,” Alicia replied.
“Fair point.”
Not everyone would be as uncooperative as that priest.
We soon spotted a young nun sweeping the ground in the church’s backyard. She looked about Miller’s age—early twenties. She might know more than the priest.
“Excuse me,” Alicia called out.
“Eek! Y-yes, what is it?” the nun yelped, startled. She must not be used to strangers approaching her.
“We’re adventurers hired by an acquaintance of Miller’s,” Alicia explained.
“Miller?!” The nun’s face flickered with a mix of fear, regret, and other emotions.
What had happened?
“Yes, we heard he vanished…” Alicia continued.
The nun started to respond but glanced nervously at the church and fell silent.
“I’m on duty right now… Could I visit you at the inn later?”
She didn’t seem busy, but unlike the priest, her hesitation seemed driven by something else.
“Sure, but we haven’t booked a place yet,” I said.
“That’s fine. There’s only one inn in this town.”
“Oh, right.”
It made sense for a small frontier town with no tourism.
“We’ll talk later, then,” Alicia said, and we left.
“Something she doesn’t want to talk about?” I wondered aloud.
“She probably knows the priest wouldn’t be happy if she spoke to us. For now, let’s secure rooms at the inn. Camping out here wouldn’t be fun,” Alicia said.
“Definitely not.”
I’d never camped out and had no desire to start.
We hurried to the inn, which, like the church, had a rustic vibe and plenty of vacant rooms. Alicia paid for two of the best rooms available, and we dropped off our things before heading to the inn’s tavern for dinner.
“Eating together like this is starting to feel normal,” I remarked.
At first, I worried whether Alicia, used to palace cuisine, could handle such simple fare. But now, she was eagerly ordering hearty, tavern-style dishes with relish.
It had only been a few days since we left the capital, yet she’d already adapted to the tavern atmosphere.
“Every town and inn has different food, and it’s all delicious,” she said.
“You’re tough as ever,” I replied.
“I just wish I could have a drink…”
She eyed the other patrons’ drinks enviously.
“Please, anything but that,” I begged.
“Mmph,” she pouted, a familiar exchange by now.
This crazy princess usually masked her quirks with charm, but what would happen if she drank? I didn’t want to imagine it.
“We can always come back,” I offered.
“I hope we get the chance…” she said, a hint of wistfulness in her voice.
Yeah, under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t have another chance like this. Watching her blow on a piece of fried chicken slathered in sweet-spicy sauce, I felt a twinge of sentimentality. Not that I’d ever drunk either, but still…
“Excuse me!” a voice called out.
A woman approached us. Though she’d changed from her nun’s habit into casual clothes, drastically altering her appearance, it was the young nun we’d spoken to earlier.
“Thanks for coming,” I said.
“No, no, it’s just… there are some complicated circumstances,” she replied.
“Order whatever you like,” Alicia offered.
The moment Alicia said that, the nun’s face lit up.
“Excuse me! I’ll have the Trill specialty sake, a sirloin steak, and the premium grilled chicken!” she called out.
Those were unmistakably high-end menu items she probably didn’t order often! And for a young woman, her choices were oddly meat-heavy!
Well, since it’s coming out of Alicia’s pocket, I suppose it’s fine, I thought—but then realized that meant it was coming from the kingdom’s treasury. As a citizen, that left me with mixed feelings.
After placing her order, she turned back to us with a slightly sheepish expression.
“Ahem, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Ellie, a nun from the Trill church.”
“I’m Magnus, an adventurer,” I said.
“And I’m Alicia,” she added.
“I never imagined someone would go so far as to hire adventurers for Miller’s sake,” Ellie said, her expression more bewildered than grateful.
What exactly had happened to this Miller guy?
“Well, it’s a job,” I replied.
As we spoke, the sake and food Ellie ordered arrived. She seemed a bit tense at first, but her face softened as the dishes were set down.
She took a hearty gulp from her mug, then let out a loud “Phew!” Clearly, she had a lot of pent-up frustration—her drinking was impressive.
She tore into the meat with gusto, and only after devouring about half of it did she notice we weren’t eating or drinking. She looked a little apologetic.
“…Sorry, I got carried away,” she said.
“No, it’s tough out there, isn’t it?” I offered.
“Exactly!” she exclaimed. “That pervy old priest is always ogling my chest with those creepy eyes…”
She glared into the air as she spoke.
Now that she mentioned it, Ellie’s chest was indeed rather… prominent—no, wait! This woman’s personality completely changes when she drinks! I started to worry if she was a reliable source.
“He thinks I don’t notice, but he’s dead wrong!” she continued. “And it’s not just that. He’s a priest, so he does whatever he wants…”
“What exactly has he been doing?” Alicia asked, her expression serious.
Ellie lowered her voice. “Well… things like indulgences.”
“Oh…” Alicia nodded, as if she understood everything.
I’d only read about indulgences in history books, but in simple terms, they’re supposed to let you pay money to secure a spot in heaven despite your sins. I’d say if you want to go to heaven, don’t commit sins in the first place—but maybe when you’ve got wealth and power, that’s the last thing you crave. In plain terms, it’s just a money-making scheme.
“We joined the church to help those in need,” Ellie said. “But newcomers like us can’t do anything about it. We just have to look the other way.”
“So Miller was troubled by it too?” I asked.
“Exactly! Back then, Miller-san was a righteous, passionate young man…” Ellie emphasized “back then” oddly, then took another big gulp of sake, letting out a “Phew!” Was it safe for her to drink this much?
It made sense now why the priest avoided talking about Miller—he probably didn’t want his own misdeeds brought up.
“So, what happened to Miller-san?” Alicia asked.
“We were torn,” Ellie said. “Staying at the church meant indirectly aiding that pervy priest’s schemes. But telling him to stop wouldn’t work—if he’d listen, he wouldn’t be doing it in the first place. We even thought about quitting the church altogether. One day, when Miller-san was really agonizing over it, he suddenly brightened up and said, ‘I might have found true salvation.’”
“Hmm,” I said, skeptical. That sounded awfully fishy.
“At first, it just seemed like he’d found someone understanding at the Arshe church, so I didn’t think much of it,” Ellie continued.
I exchanged a glance with Alicia. So the troubles in Arshe weren’t just something the priest made up to get rid of us.
“But then he started saying weird things, like ‘true salvation’ and ‘the Holy Mother will make everything okay.’ He began skipping his duties, spending more and more time in Arshe and not coming back. I started worrying he was being deceived. So, I finally told him to stop going to Arshe for a while. And then, with this deadly serious look, he said, ‘Ellie, be my mama.’”
“…What?” I blinked, doubting my ears.
The conversation had taken a bizarre turn.
“Ellie-san, maybe you’ve had a bit too much to drink…” I suggested.
“Who’re you calling drunk?!” she snapped, glaring at me. When I offered her water out of concern, she doubled down, chugging more sake.
Gulp, gulp, phew! “I’m not drunk at all!” she insisted.
“Oi, stop it! Your hands are shaking!” I said.
“How am I supposed to cope without drinking?!” she cried. “Miller-san kept going on about how ‘we’re all children of the Holy Mother,’ and ‘if Ellie-san could be my mama instead, that’d be fine,’ and ‘let me start by sucking on your breasts’—ugh, just thinking about it makes me sick!”
Thud!
Ellie slammed her empty mug onto the table.
“That jerk was just like the pervy priest, only seeing me for my chest!” she shouted.
“Ellie-san, please calm down,” I said, moving the mug out of her reach.
I didn’t think this was just about Miller being a breast-obsessed creep, but…
“So, what happened after that?” I asked.
“What do you think?!” she said. “I yelled, ‘Shut up, you breast-obsessed freak!’ and ‘That’s disgusting!’ He stormed out of the room… and then he was gone…” Ellie’s voice broke, and she started sobbing.
I couldn’t help but think how emotionally unstable drunk people could be. Even if Miller said something gross, she must feel guilty believing her words drove him away.
“I see,” Alicia said. “As far as I know, the faith of the Holy God Artemisia has no concept of a ‘Holy Mother.’ I hate to say it, but it sounds like Miller-san got caught up in a cult.”
A cult, in this context, refers to a group that pretends to worship Artemisia but actually follows a different deity or exploits faith for profit. Since the age of gods is long past, it’s easy to fabricate claims like “the church teaches this, but the truth is that” or “the church is lying, and the god actually said this.” Especially in times like these, when the church is corrupt.
“Oh, if only I’d accepted him… if I’d been his mama…” Ellie mumbled, still guzzling sake.
I get that she’s sad, but that’s a bit much… I thought.
“No, Ellie-san, you’re an admirable person,” Alicia suddenly said, her voice solemn and her expression radiating saintly compassion.
As a royal, Alicia’s serious demeanor exuded more holy aura than any half-baked nun. Ellie looked startled.
“No, I’m not… I ignored the church’s corruption and couldn’t save Miller-san…” she said.
“That’s not true,” Alicia replied. “You could have gone along with the priest for an easier life, but you didn’t. You tried your best to help Miller-san in your own way. And now, you’re sharing what might have been your own mistakes with us. That alone is commendable.”
Alicia’s words flowed eloquently, encouraging Ellie. In this moment, she looked every bit the holy figure.
“But in the end, Miller-san…” Ellie started, her expression darkening again despite being momentarily uplifted.
Alicia leaned closer to the tearful Ellie. “It’s alright. We’ll definitely save him.”
“Huh…?” A glimmer of hope appeared in Ellie’s eyes.
Taking Ellie’s hand, Alicia continued with a look of boundless compassion. “The Holy God Artemisia would never abandon someone like Miller-san. He’s surely safe.”
“Alicia-san…” Ellie’s tears, which she’d been holding back, spilled over.
Ellie had likely been bottling up her frustrations, with no one to confide in, drowning her sorrows in alcohol. And now, Alicia was gently comforting her.
A princess extending a hand of salvation to a suffering commoner… it was a beautiful scene, but knowing Alicia’s true nature, I couldn’t fully buy into it. Seeing both her saintly facade and her perverse side made me feel like I’d never trust anyone’s noble appearance again.
“So, to help Miller-san, please tell us everything you know about him,” Alicia said.
“Yes…” Ellie nodded.
And so, we—mostly Alicia—listened to Ellie’s story late into the night.
“Man, I didn’t expect you to pull off that kind of performance,” I said later, after Ellie had left, bowing repeatedly in gratitude. I looked at Alicia with a mix of disbelief and admiration.
“Well, I’m neither a god nor a holy figure, so it was all just an act,” she replied.
“No, but thanks to that, we got her to open up. It was impressive,” I admitted.
Without her act, we wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much information.
As we headed back to our rooms, ready to part ways, Alicia spoke again.
“But I lied. We don’t know if Miller-san is safe. He was already acting strange, and he’s likely brainwashed.”
“You said the god wouldn’t abandon him. It was to help her, so what’s the harm?” I said.
“No, it’s not okay!” Alicia insisted, showing an odd stubbornness.
Her reaction puzzled me. To me, she seemed thick-skinned enough not to care about a little white lie for a good cause. Was she oddly principled about everything except her perverse tendencies?
“Speaking for the god’s will like that is something only holy figures are allowed to do!” she continued.
Sure, saying “the god won’t abandon him” was technically a lie, but wasn’t that just something people say? If that’s not allowed, then parents scolding their kids with “you’ll be punished for that” would be in trouble too.
“Still, if it’s to help Miller…” I started.
“No! I didn’t just want to help her—I also had my own selfish motive to advance my investigation!” Alicia insisted, doubling down on her guilt.
Why was she so fixated on her sin? It’d make sense if we later found out Miller was beyond saving, but why this obsession now?
I felt a growing sense of unease. Alicia’s stubbornness reminded me of something… Wait. Her stubbornness always showed up when—
My bad feeling was confirmed with her next words.
“Declaring something unproven in the name of the god for my own purposes… that’s a serious sin!” she said, her expression almost tragic.
My unease peaked, and her next statement made it clear.
“And so, I must be punished!”
Alicia declared it with absolute certainty, her clear, unwavering eyes fixed on me, her fists clenched tightly as if to show her unyielding resolve. I could feel the intense determination radiating from her, as if she wouldn’t budge an inch.
I was speechless. After everything, it came down to this? How could she embrace her desires so purely?
“But if it’s wrong for you to speak for the god’s will, isn’t it strange for me to punish you for it?” I asked.
“No, this is a punishment I’m imposing on myself as a lesson. And if that’s not enough, the god will surely deliver further punishment,” she replied.
Her logic almost made sense. Damn, she always had a silver tongue when it came to justifying her kinks.
“Also, I thought Miller-san was a little gross!” she added.
“That’s fine, I thought so too,” I said.
“No, it doesn’t matter if others feel the same—it doesn’t lessen the sin!” she insisted.
If she was going to go that far, she could just punish herself and leave me out of it… I started to say, but swallowed the words. Telling this runaway princess to “do it herself” could lead to who-knows-what. At worst, she might do something dangerously reckless.
If that’s the case, maybe it’s better if I handle it… No, wait, but still…
“Very well, I leave it to you,” Alicia said.
“Uwah!?” I yelped.
Before I could finish wrestling with my thoughts, Alicia grabbed my hand and dragged me into her room. Sure, this wasn’t a conversation for the inn’s hallway, but still.
Once inside, Alicia lifted her skirt and thrust her backside toward me. Despite her slender, delicate frame, her hips looked soft and inviting. Raised in the palace, her skin was as flawless as ever, but I noticed red marks on her rear—bruises, perhaps?
Wait, were those from when I spanked her before? Had she been carrying those marks this whole time—during the carriage ride, while talking to Ellie?
As I processed this, Alicia pressed on. “O God, I confess my sins. Now, deliver my punishment!”
Damn it, she’d backed me into a corner. I had no choice but to act.
Besides, the matter of the “holy power” flickered in my mind. I’d been thinking about it since we arrived in Trill, but I hadn’t mustered the resolve to do this again and had kept putting it off. Of course, I was curious to witness the “holy power” with my own eyes.
“Fine… I’ll give you your punishment!” I said, steeling myself and raising my hand high.
Smack!
“Ahh! ♡” Alicia’s delighted voice echoed as my hand struck her soft backside. Just moments ago, she’d been listening to Ellie with such solemnity, and now here she was, revealing her true, perverse nature.
“Yes, this is it! ♡ I’ve been waiting for this! ♡” she exclaimed.
“It’s supposed to be a punishment, not something you’re waiting for!” I retorted.
Smack!
“Ah, ah, aaahhh! ♡♡” Her body trembled with pleasure, her hips quivering enticingly.
Smack!
“Ah, ah, aaahhh! ♡♡” Again, she shook with delight.
To think she’d take pleasure in this—she was a pervert to an almost refreshing degree. But…
Smack!
“Ah, ah, aaahhh! ♡♡”
Smack!
“Haa, haa, nnnn! ♡♡”
Something was off. There was no sign of the holy power manifesting.
Alicia seemed to be enjoying herself immensely, but compared to the first time, she didn’t seem completely lost in ecstasy.
“Haa, haa… ♡ Magnus-san’s punishment is truly wonderful… ♡” she panted.
“You still seem to have some composure,” I noted.
“S-sorry! It’s just, last time, Magnus-san was more… ferocious, more wild, and compared to that…” she trailed off.
What’s that supposed to mean, you pervert? I almost snapped, but then it hit me.
Back then, I was reeling from Wendy’s betrayal, my heart in tatters. When Alicia barged in, I might have taken it out on her. Now, the shock of the betrayal had dulled somewhat. That should be a good thing, but…
As I stood there, confused, Alicia clapped her hands as if struck by an idea. “By the way, Magnus-san, you’re skilled at Simplified Transmutation, right?”
“Well, yeah…” I said warily.
Normally, transmutation takes time, but I developed Simplified Transmutation, a technique to instantly transmute materials into the desired form. But her bringing it up now only filled me with dread.
Confirming my suspicions, Alicia smiled, her cheeks slightly flushed. “You could use it to make something like a whip, right?”
“Well, I could, but…” I stammered.
Spanking her was already irreverent enough—using a whip on a princess’s backside was unthinkable.
But Alicia’s face lit up. “Then please use that!”
“Huh?! What are you talking about?!” I protested.
No matter how perverse she was, whipping a princess was out of the question.
“But since we came so close with just your hand last time, using a tool is the natural next step, isn’t it?” she argued.
“No, but…” I faltered.
As I hesitated, Alicia’s expression shifted to a mischievous smile before returning to solemnity. “I see. Magnus-san is saying I should assume a form more befitting repentance.”
She reached for her clothes.
“Hey, what are you doing?!” I shouted.
“For true repentance, I must bare myself, right?” she said, her fingers moving to the buttons of her blouse.
“What?! Don’t do that in front of a guy!” I protested.
It felt hypocritical after everything, but seeing her undress was a different kind of boundary.
“It’s fine if it’s Magnus-san,” she said, her face flushed as she began unbuttoning.
Damn it, there was no time to hesitate.
“Wait, stop! I’ll use the whip, just don’t undress!” I yelled, feeling like I was being blackmailed.
“Understood,” she said, half-pleased, half-disappointed, as she let go of her blouse.
Was she actually half-serious about wanting to strip?
To think she could be so shameless with that innocent face… What would Ellie, who revered Alicia like a saintly mother, think if she saw this?
“Damn it… Simplified Transmutation: Cloth Whip!” I muttered, transmuting the softest material I could manage.
Materials floated from my pocket, forming a whip in my hand. It was a flimsy cloth whip, but it would still hurt. Damn, I’d never used anything like this before.
“Wow, what a wonderful whip… I mean, technique!” Alicia exclaimed.
Simplified Transmutation was a fairly impressive spell, but her praise was the least sincere I’d ever heard.
“Your true intentions are leaking out!” I snapped.
“S-sorry!” she said, positioning herself against the wall and thrusting out her hips again. “I’ve committed another sin. Please punish me!”
Damn her, turning everything into fuel for her kinks!
She kept going on about repentance, but she clearly felt no remorse!
And she was stealing my sleep in the process!
Fueled by impulse, I swung the whip.
Crack!
“Aaaahhh! ♡♡” A sultry cry escaped Alicia’s lips.
Her voice was different now—more intense. It was as if the pain, or perhaps the pleasure born from it, was drawing out some paradoxical emotion from her.
“Haa… ♡ It’s incredible… ♡ I can feel you, Magnus-san, so much more intensely than when you used your hand… ♡” she gasped, her breaths heavy, her soft hips trembling slightly.
Even though I’m already doing something forbidden, watching her breaths grow ragged and her soft ass quiver faintly makes me feel all the more like I’m committing an even greater sin.
“Hah! Sorry! ♡ I had impure thoughts again! ♡” she said.
Damn it, the more I thought about it, the deeper I’d sink into this mess.
Right, I should just fill my head with anger at her instead. Spouting all that nonsense just to satisfy her desires!
“You keep talking about sin while enjoying this, you hypocrite!” I shouted.
Crack!
“Ah! ♡♡ Nnnnn! ♡♡♡ Sorry! ♡ Sorry for having impure thoughts! ♡♡” she cried, her face alight with joy.
My anger simmered hotter.
“You say sorry, but you’re not remorseful at all! You’re the one who started this repentance nonsense!” I yelled.
Crack!
“Ow! ♡♡ Aaaahhh! ♡♡ Yes! ♡ I’m not remorseful at all! ♡ So please, give me stronger punishment to make me repent! ♡” she pleaded, her breaths growing ragged, her eyes glinting with a strange allure.
My rationality was fading.
“You get more excited the harsher the punishment, don’t you?!” I snapped.
Crack!
“Aaah! Nnnnn! ♡♡ Yes! ♡ I’m a pervert who gets excited by harsh punishment! ♡ Sorry for being such a pervert! ♡♡ Punish me more! ♡♡” she cried.
The Alicia who had been so serious, so pure, so full of compassion for the commoners, was now consumed by ecstasy, directing a blissful expression at me. Ellie would never believe this was the same person.
“Damn it, acting like a saint outside while being such a pervert!” I shouted.
Crack!
“Aaaahhh! ♡♡ Sorry! ♡♡ Sorry for acting like a saint while counseling a nun as a pervert! ♡♡” she gasped.
“That’s right, you pervert! What would Ellie think if she saw this?!” I demanded.
“Ah! ♡ No! ♡ Imagining being seen like this… ♡ It’s so exciting! ♡ Something’s welling up from deep inside! ♡♡” she moaned.
Her body began to glow faintly with magical energy.
The whipping itself was exciting her, but imagining being seen by others seemed to be the biggest trigger. For someone forced to maintain a perfect facade as a royal, this must be a significant release.
“Haa, haa! ♡ Just a little more! ♡ Please! ♡” she begged, sensing the power about to awaken.
Her ecstatic expression was practically melting.
Fine, if a little more would awaken the power, I’d finish it. I reluctantly raised the whip.
“It feels like just a little more will make me feel even better! ♡” she gasped.
Damn it, think about the “holy power” for once!
But her pleasure and the power were likely linked. For the sake of awakening it, I had no choice.
“You’re always thinking about your own pleasure! Take this!” I shouted, channeling my frustration and desire to end this into one final swing.
CRACK!
“Sorryyyyy! ♡♡♡” Alicia’s scream of joy echoed through the room.
“It’s amazing! ♡♡ So intense! ♡ My hips are throbbing! ♡ Something’s overflowing from my whole body! ♡♡” she cried.
As she spoke, a white light poured from her body.
It was brighter than when I’d spanked her by hand before—much brighter. Unlike last time, it didn’t fade but continued to radiate.
The light, especially intense from her hips, enveloped the whip I’d just used.
“What the hell is this?!” I exclaimed.
In the next moment, the whip, bathed in light, began to sparkle.
It was just a flimsy cloth whip I’d transmuted, but now it gleamed like a magical sword forged by a master blacksmith.
Could this be the legendary “Blessing”?
“What… what’s this?!” Alicia, still basking in the afterglow, widened her eyes.
Then she spoke softly. “Yes, this is the glow of the Blessing! ♡”
“Seriously?!” I asked.
The shock of witnessing the legendary Blessing firsthand mingled with disbelief that it was triggered by such a perverse act.
“Yes, the royal blood in me confirms it! There’s no mistake! ♡” she declared.
Royal blood, my ass—she was just a massive pervert moments ago.
The thrill of seeing a legendary power clashed with the horror of defiling the Blessing I’d admired since learning of it. Gregorio was probably furious, his righteous anger at the oppression of the people by the Evil God now tainted by this perverse excitement.
But the power itself was blameless. The whip in my hand shimmered with holy light.
“This whip is now stronger than a decent magical sword forged by a skilled blacksmith,” Alicia said.
“Yeah, it seems so,” I agreed.
Infusing a weapon with magic is difficult, but when successful, it greatly enhances performance. If the magic is from the holy power, it’s even more potent. For a flimsy cloth whip to outshine a master-forged sword—blacksmiths would weep.
Alicia looked at me with sparkling eyes. “To think we’d succeed so well on the second try! What incredible things await us in the future?”
“…” I was stunned. She was already talking about the future?
Was she going to force me into even more perverse acts? This felt like harassment, though a royal doing this to a commoner wouldn’t be called that.
Exhausted, I contrasted sharply with Alicia, whose face glowed with satisfaction.
“Well, shall we get some sleep? Good night,” she said.
“G-good night…” I mumbled.
“Hehe, thanks to this, I’ll have sweet dreams tonight,” she added.
I didn’t want to be dragged into her dreams too. Fleeing to my room, I collapsed onto the bed.
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