Jingle.
The young man left behind the sound of the bell that rang as the door opened and shut.
Squelch.
The entrance to the branch stood one step higher than the street, so his step outward naturally landed in the mud with a wet sound.
[Since you've come back to the city anyway, how about at least washing yourself? Keep going around this filthy and you'll catch diseases you wouldn't normally catch.]
Meanwhile, an impudent voice rang out.
The young man pretended not to hear it.
He knew perfectly well that unless he was directly afflicted by some curse, illness had no way of reaching his body.
There was no reason to waste time on something so pointless.
[You have plenty of money too. Can't you please just wash yourself once in a while? I hate seeing you go around all filthy.]
Instead, carrying the money he had just earned, he followed the presence of Divine Power.
The city was fairly large, so it took very little time to find it.
Step by step, his body advanced toward that revolting, nauseating ground.
“Hh.”
[Honestly. One mistake there could cost you your life, so why do you insist on forcing yourself to go?]
Truthfully, entering the Temple was not an easy thing for him.
Even with his Demonic Energy suppressed so that it would not reveal itself, there remained an unavoidable reaction between opposing forces.
“Hello!”
“…Donation.”
And yet.
And yet, if walking this difficult road could become even the smallest act of atonement……
“Ah, if you'd like to…