Cowardice and Bravery

To understand people's hearts, one couldn't just observe how they acted in a public setting. It was in those situations when they found themselves to be alone that their true selves would manifest.

Alpacino was a farmer's son. He inherited the kind personality of one, but he was far from a saint. Only a saint could act according to the moral ideal at all times, but Alpacino wasn't that.

He was a mere farmer's son who was recruited into serving Hocke as a warrior. He had his own beliefs and desires. Those desires were in fact held back during interactions with others, so they didn't look impressive or eye-catching. But they did exist. When the sight of society was taken off him, his hidden desires broke through his weak will and formed a terrifying abyss.

He pulled off Eirinn's linen waist sash carefully and looked around as a thief would. The coast was clear, and he saw not a single soul on the path on the plains. The rock he found was also in a rather hidden corner behind a small forest, so he was confident what he did wouldn't be found out.

That only helped fuel his evil desires even more. Alpacino carefully lifted her robe and gulped.

Though it was already night time, Eirinn's bare belly practically shone under the moonlight. There wasn't the slightest blemish on her. On her little belly was a cute little navel.

Eirinn's figure is much better than those village women's!

he thought.

He stretched his shuddering hand out and lightly touched her stomach, feeling her skin that was smooth as the surface of a boiled egg. His heart skipped a beat as his expression turned into one of bliss while he touched her in as gentle a manner he could.

"Unnnhhh…" Eirinn groaned slightly.

Alpacino froze as if he was electrocuted. He looked at her immediately and saw that she hadn't woke, just furrowed her brows.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart was beating ragingly fast in that short second. Her groan had shocked him to a start. This time around, he tried to reach out for her full breast. Though he felt it through her undergarments, he could feel how firm and springy they were.

"Eirinn?" He didn't retract his hand and called out to her probingly. After making sure that she wasn't reacting, he started moving his right hand.

""Unnn…" She groaned unconsciously once more, but still hadn't awoken.

Though it was only an unconscious vocalization, it seemed to work like an adrenaline shot for Alpacino. He was no longer able to hold on to his desires and held her up immediately to undo her undergarments.

It slipped off quite easily and two grapefruit-sized cuties exposed themselves to his vision. He looked at her pinkish buds greedily and his breathing grew rough.

Even though her face is ruined, this body… is perfect… Perfect… Why are those who own such perfect things those stuck up elites? Why can't I have any? Wait, I can, even if it's just this instant!

"Aaargh!" He let out a bestial growl and leaped for Eirinn.

The shock finally startled her awake this time. She opened her eyes hazily and was just about to ask what was going on, but a figure leaped for him and pressed her back against the hard rock. Fortunately, Alpacino didn't remove her outer garments, so her skin wasn't bruised.

"No, save me! Big Brother Leguna!" She didn't know what was going on, but she knew she was in grave danger and cried out so that others could hear her.

"Leguna… It's that Leguna again! Why? Even though I like you so much… My feelings for you don't pale in comparison to his either! But why do you only have sights for that stinking brat?!" Alpacino's welled-up feelings were completely stained by what Eirinn had just said. He had forgotten his kind and good side and wanted to become a beast that followed only its instincts.

Eirinn looked down and felt as if she had seen that person before. Alpacino was trying to pull off her skirt, but he was given a hard time by her struggles.

"Big Brother Alpacino?!" She snapped with realization at the identity of the one pushing her down with disbelief. "Big Brother Alpacino! What are you doing?! Let me go!"

He looked at her terrified face and her gentle gaze locked wit his. He was stunned for a short moment, but continued his assault on the skirt without saying a word.

"No! Don't do this! Big Brother Alpacino!" She struggled with all she had, but 13th-stratum priestess though she was, she was too physically weak. She also didn't know how to fight with the Breath, so her struggles were hardly effective.

Alpacino held down her two fair legs and tried to remove the buckle on her skirt.

"Big Brother Leguna!" She called out his name nonstop as she struggled. Fear and terror caused tears to stream down her face. She didn't understand why others wanted to harm her despite her never having harmed others. Was she simply not kind enough? Or were humans destined to harm one another?

……

She opened her eyes and found herself in a void. Looking around in confusion, she asked, "Where is this?"

"I called you here," a deep voice said, "For something like that to happen… It is an offence to me."

"Something…" She mulled it over before recalling what just happened. Alpacino was pressed on top of her and about to unleash all sorts of terrors on her.

"You… you are…" she fearfully muttered.

"I'm your faith," replied the voice.

"God! Please save the pitiful me! I… I…" The moment she heard it was Pyro, she breathed a sigh of relief and begged for his help.

"Don't be anxious, my child. Since I've descended, I will naturally help you through this trial. You've saved quite a number of lives during the past half year and spread my light among mankind. Consider it a blessing for your efforts."

"Thank you! Thank you!" She finally felt relieved.

"Then, can you tell me what punishment that person deserves? Since he dares to treat my believer like that, he's offending me personally. Do you want him sentenced to death?"

"Death?!" She said with a start, "Nononono! Almighty god, please don't do that! I… I don't want anyone to die! I just want Big Brother Alpacino to stop doing that to me!"

Pyro kept silent for a moment. "You've saved his life, helped him through a tough time, and gave him warmth and hope. Yet, he treated you like this. Are you going to forgive him for it despite that?"

"I… I've never hated anyone. I just don't want them to be hurt. I don't want others to harm me either… So please…" she fearfully replied.

"Hahahahaha! You don't want to harm others and don't want to be harmed yourself? What a cowardly answer… What a brave answer! You really believe that others won't harm you just because you don't harm them?"

"I… I don't know." After experiencing so much, she didn't know whether it was right for her to be so stubborn. But her kindness was almost a habit implanted deep in her psyche. "But no matter what others do, at leasts, I wouldn't hurt anyone else!"

This time, she didn't stammer. Even Pyro could feel her courage and unyielding will!

"Good! I haven't had a devotee as brave as you for quite a long time." He nodded with satisfaction. "Then, let me grant your wish. Repeat after me."

Pyro spoke a short, but tough-to-pronounce incantation and Eirinn repeated it obediently. A second later, she found herself back into the empty plains. Alpacino was still busy wrestling with her skirt, but a beam of light shot out of her body that instant.

The light beam hit Alpacino squarely and caused him to be sent flying by an unseen force with a cry of pain.

She hurriedly got up and hid behind the rock, carefully poking her head out to look at him.

Laughably, she was concerned whether Alpacino had been hurt by that.

But Pyro did fulfill his promise. Not long after he got up and scratched the back of his head and looked up.

"Eirinn…" The look in his eyes was no longer the lust-filled one he held before, though he remembered every detail of what just happened. His face reddened with shame. "Eirinn… Eirinn, I…"

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