ALL NOVEL Chapter 115 – The Elder Priest
The elder priest Matthias stood there in front of Ann, Laura, Allen, and Faye. His appearance carried an air of wisdom that was tempered by the passing of time, with grayed hair and beard as well as how he held a cane to help him to walk with ease.
“E-Elder Priest Matthias! What have brought you here so suddenly?” Laura walked forward to greet the elder, her admiration towards the elderly priest was clear.
Ann slightly frowned looking at the eager Laura.
Why is my bestie this eager to welcome such an elder man? Is that her taste?! So all this time…?!
…No, the questionable one should be your line of thought, Ann.
The elder priest Matthias’ escorting young priests looked like they were nervous yet happy at the same time, just like Laura.
Even the strict and harsh-looking Debienne’s face turned similar to Laura’s nervous yet eager expression as well.
Allen raised his brows, intrigued by how this old and frail looking man garnered such respect from the temple people here.
Based on his thought process, such a person should be someone wise or influential enough. Then, was his coming here not just a coincidence? Could he possibly be of help in his wife’s case?
If this old man could really be of any help to Ann’s case, Allen thought that he would be willing to try to anticipate and welcome the elder priest’s presence with much delight and anticipation just like Debienne’s.
The whole room remained in hopeful silence and obvious anticipation as they were waiting for the elder priest to answer to the saintess’ question.
Faye tilted her head in wonder as she didn’t really understand what was happening. But judging from the situation and how the elder man that was escorted here looked important, she had more or less a guess.
Then, after a short while that felt like an eternity to the people who were waiting in anticipation…
“This humble one received God’s oracle last night and visited this temple in a hurry,” Elder Priest Matthias spoke slowly.
“Oh… But the purification ritual’s finished already. Elder Priest is still a bit too late…,” Ann blurted out the first thing that popped in her mind, thinking that the elder priest had rushed off to make it in time for the purification ritual.
Laura shot dagger at her dense bestie.
The elder hasn’t finished talking yet!! Ann!! You said that the body you possessed was that of a villainess’, so please show some more consideration before you’re really deemed as a villainess!!
Actually, perhaps Ann would be deemed as an ignorant young lady who showed little respect to the elder…
Contrary to the priests surrounding him who were looking at Ann with a dirty look, the elder priest chuckled, “I know. You must be the target.”
“Target? Me?” Ann scratched her head in confusion. Whatever does he mean??
“Target for the purification ritual. The one we’re holding the ritual for,” Laura quickly explained. Ann, pleaaaaseee! Use your brain to its maximum power, now!!
You are in front of THE Elder Priest Matthias!!
Unfortunately, it slipped Laura’s mind that Elder Priest Matthias’ fame was only known throughout the temple organization. The elder priest wasn’t someone who liked to gain attention from the public, he always said that it was the grace of the gods that he was able to do something at all, and refused any form of recognition that others might want to get.
As such, it slipped her mind that the non-temple members in this place viewed and treated the elder priest as an ordinary elder.
“Oh… Yes, that’s me,” Ann nodded as she gave two thumbs up in her mind to her living dictionary, Laura.
As expected of my bestie who’s been here for more than a decade!
“The ritual has failed, yes?” Elder Priest Matthias asked.
“Yes… Wait, Elder Priest Matthias, how did you know that?” Debienne nodded in a sullen look before she realized that nobody had told the elder priest anything, not even the fact that there was a purification ritual at all!
That could only mean one thing…
“Then I am not too late for anything. The oracle has told me of the circumstances and this is exactly the correct time and place I should be present at,” Matthias smiled solemnly.
“Oracle… What does the oracle say?” Ann asked.
Matthias smiled like a benevolent elder, but no matter how long Ann waited, the elder didn’t open his mouth, causing Ann to sweat in nervousness.
Earth to the elder…?
As Ann stared at the elder in wonder, it seemed like the elder avoided her gaze. So, Ann tried to move to where the elder priest’s gaze was directed at. But again, the elder priest quickly looked to another direction, causing Ann to get more engrossed in this game of ‘get into the elder priest’s field of vision!’
Eventually, the elder priest’s gaze landed on the figure located the furthest from them all.
Ann followed his line of sight, wondering what caught his eyes. Faye?
“That bird…,” the elder priest finally spoke.
Is it Faye?!
“Little girl with the bird, can you bring the little bird closer?” Elder priest Matthias gestured to Faye.
Hmm, if the little girl refers to Faye… Ah, I see. The little bird must be Birdie.
Ann finally came to an understanding.
Faye was surprised when the elder priest suddenly reached out to her, but she obediently stepped forward along with Birdie, who was happily chirping on Faye’s shoulder.
When they were within an arm’s reach, the elder priest Matthias extended his hand towards Birdie—
“Ah, Elder Priest, be careful. She might peck at stranger who tries to pick her the first tim—Eh?”
Ann widened her eyes in wonder as Birdie meekly let the elder priest pick her up and examine her.
“What?” Ann unconsciously blurted her thought out loud.
The Birdie that she knew would try to peck someone who’d try to pick her up the first time. Even when they became familiar with her, she might let them or might not let them pick her up, depending on her mood. But basically, Birdie was the embodiment of a free bird who had a big personality.
So, when Birdie became like a very tame domestic bird in front of the stranger who they had just met shortly, Ann couldn’t believe what she was seeing. So much that she forgot that the elder priest had averted his gaze from her and not answering to her question.
“Elder priest Matthias is really something else. No need to be that surprised,” Laura said to Ann, as if she understood what went through Ann’s mind, as her gaze turned into a nostalgic look, reminiscing the old days.
She had only seen this elder priest once before this, but he had left a strong impression in her memories.
As she gazed at Ann, she was reminded of the elder priest’s words to her alone when she met him during when she was officially declared the saintess.
“Longing for another place, aren’t you? Don’t worry, something dear to you will return in the future. You being here—as you are now—is something that’s been predestined.”
At that time, Laura hadn’t told the elder priest anything but he suddenly said those words that addressed her concerns.
Back then she wasn’t able to understand his words.
Now, she does.
“Pray tell, what’s this bird’s origin?”
Elder priest Matthias’ voice snapped everyone’s wandering mind back to the place.
“Uh… I was just hanging out in the town when the stray bird landed on my table, bit me, and…,” Ann recounted as she scratched her head.
Oh crap! Right! She forcefully made me form a contract with her, and I can’t dissolve it because apparently… this little blob of pink furball is my master in this contract?!
Ann was too preoccupied with the larger issues at hand that she had forgotten how her pride had been hurt by the small pink bird…
“And forced you into a contract with it?” Matthias asked.
“H-how…?” Ann looked at him in surprise. How does he know? He couldn’t have read my mind, could he?
“The god’s oracle has given this old one some insight, young one. Worry not since this humble mortal can’t read anyone’s mind,” Matthias said as he could tell with a single glance what was on Ann’s mind.
B-but you just read my mind, didn’t you?!
Ann shuddered in horror.
Must… not… think of… intrusive thoughts… or lewd stuff… in front of… mind readers!!
Ann’s worst fear was to meet a mind reader during when her imagination ran wild, after all…
“Wait, oh elder Matthias, does that mean you know something about Birdie?” Ann asked.
“It’s Elder Priest Matthias, Ann! And, let’s save that for later. What’s more important is the ritual. Elder Priest Matthia—”
Before Laura could finish her words, the frail-looking elder suddenly rushed off in a hurry, leaving the room.
Everyone that was in the room was startled.
First, without any rhyme, the elder priest suddenly strode off from the room. Second, the frail-looking old man could walk so quickly!!
“W-w-wait, Elder Priest Matthias?!” Laura was surprised since she was about to ask for the elder’s help when he suddenly strode off like that.
Have I offended you in any way?
No way…!
“A-ann, you must’ve offended him, q-quick…,” Laura’s brain froze.
“No, Laura, I don’t think that is the case…?” Ann was really puzzled by the eccentric man’s behaviour the whole time she was acquainted with him.
“The elder priest has run away!” The young priest blurted out.
“Was he after the bird?! I mean, the bird is cute and all, I also want one, but…,” the youngest female priest who had come to escort the elder priest commented.
“Bird? Wait, what?! Did he just kidnap my Birdie?!” Ann gasped as she realized that Birdie was gone along with the elder priest.
“Ann-sama, can’t you just call Birdie back?” Faye asked when she noticed Ann started to panic.
“I mean, Birdie is a wilful little one, right? If she is free, she will definitely come here. Anyway, what’s that stupid bird doing, being so obedient when the elder priest grabbed her, and now she’s like a powerless little worm that’s taken somewhere else by the big man…,” Ann was also puzzled by Birdie’s odd behaviour in front of the elder priest today.
Did that elderly Matthias brainwash or hypnotize Birdie or something?!
“Birdie, wait for me! Hey, bird kidnapper, come back here! I know my Birdie is the cutest and one-of-a-kind! But I don’t care if you’re an elder priest, a young priest, a baby priest or what… Return my cute pink bird, ah!” Ann quickly bolted towards the direction Matthias went to.
“Ann, I’m coming with you!”
…Followed by Laura, the saintess.
It was then that Debienne and the other priests snapped out of it and chased after them in a hurry.
The elder priest, kidnapping a bird? No way!
But… why did he do that, then?!
Their minds couldn’t keep up with the sudden turn of events, so they could only pray that their legs could keep up with an elderly man’s speed.
Faye was left in the room dumbfounded, along with Allen who was impressed by how things had taken a very drastic change from earlier.
…At least they weren’t gloomy anymore because of the failed ritual, but more importantly…
Why is that elder priest that’s so esteemed and admired… behaving so oddly?
And what exactly is happening right now?
