My Lovely Priesthood 2 - (Original Fantasy Otome, Priest!SI)
The dome of the Royal Cathedral was a mesmerizing sight for both people first seeing it and those visiting the location frequently.
Not much the external structure, but the 'scenes' shown through the many important aspects of their religion painted upon the smooth surface while keeping in mind the sense of depth. A pretty cyan was the first layer of color over which clouds, the land, and the people and the animal developed into a canvas of reality and memories. The painter, Archelus, had been the bard of the party led by the Saintess in vanquishing the last Demon Lord. Hardly any of the sickening and disgusting brawls were displayed, with brief 'poses' used to unveil the confrontations before then culminating with the death and deification of the Saintess herself.
To the common man, this was just a beautiful sight, but to one that had studied the many books dedicated to the Saintess herself, this was always a refreshing and relaxing sight. A soothing reminder that this was a safe place for those of the clergy. Hence why, every morning as he stepped through the gates of the cathedral, Father Nicholas would stop and stare at that beautiful wonder. It was like a permanent bright sky, one that lessened the worries and made the unsavory feeling of dealing with those meant to hurt people like him. Like the canvas, Nicholas was a multifaceted being. At first glance, he was just a harmless man with short blonde hair, pale blue eyes, and a fair skin.
The red cloth tied around his shoulder and right hip, kept together by a wood-like knot of knots, was also harmless upon glancing. Yet, there was more to it than many would expect. Why? Well, the answer was quite a secret and Nicholas hardly made much of a thought about it. For the only thing that made him 'consider' the topic was the unpleasant discomfort running through his skin and beneath it while he strolled in such holy place. He merely handed a soft and curt greeting to the few brothers walking nearby, his politeness needed as he was not the same as them, but a lowly being.
In his stroll, this time unto an unfamiliar wing of the cathedral, he found himself contemplating if the High Priest had chosen right this time around or if he was going by the flow of matters. After all, as a man, it felt odd to be made assistant to an up-and-coming exorcist that had recently made it to the rumor mill. Edgar Larrat, the third son of Duke Larrat and deemed by some as the 'Ideal Zealot'. This title doesn't come just from his recent outstanding behavior against the upstart crown prince, but due to his remarkably stellar reputation and line of duty.
Nicholas was a bit impressed because Brother Edgar had been trained by Father Garland. Despite not dealing with the old and now-retired exorcist, Nicholas had met him a few times and he had been intrigued by the old man's skill to tell what he was from a mere glance. It was rare for men to be born with the right eye to see through the cover of a book without reading them, and part of Nicholas wondered if the same would extend to Brother Edgar. He didn't intend to push for it as it wasn't within his competence to be inquisitive beyond the subjects entertaining his role in the Church and as an asset of the Church.
His stroll came to an end as he finally found his destination. A small section of the library wing, a place usually restricted to him in its entirety. Not for a luck of trust, but for his own sake for the holy books could do more than just harm him. That being said, a knock on the door was met with permission to step inside. The door opened, and soon Nicholas found himself standing before Edgar as he was busy writing something, and dabbling with gears and presses. He stood there, silently watching as the dark-haired young man was quietly engrossed in his chore. An unusual activity, but one that gained Nicholas' immediate interest.
He had seen many of the brothers and fathers acquire the means to develop unusual hobbies, but one involving devices like the one that Edgar was producing was novel. The blond man stepped closer, sharp eyes focused on trying to connect dots. A myriad of possible answers, most of which crossed out as he saw the 'end result' of that tinkering. Papers, ink, and letters. Some were done right and done with precision and character unlike any other writer could achieve, and yet most had blots of dark that stained beyond the letters and ruined the fine blank papers. Silently so, Nicholas reached his conclusion, and he was stunned by the activity itself.
"A machine to write books?"
His question, driven out by a strong curiosity that made him immediately embarrassed by for the gaze he drove to him, he found soon answered before he could apologize.
"Indeed. A machine to write... books, or anything that really involves a need for mass-production," Edgar admitted calmly, his tone a lullaby to Nicholas' wary mind as he realized his 'senior' was not angry. "I thought you would have introduced yourself before going right to the first step of today."
Following the push, Nicholas nodded.
"Greetings, Brother Edgar. I am Nicholas Aberfort, your new assistant and-"
"A demon."
The sudden interjection made Nicholas pause. It wasn't an accusation, but an affirmation. And the truth. He bowed his head, but even then he was chided.
"Don't be ashamed. I have read the reports, I am just surprised you were still 'reeling' from that as if it is some sort of accusation."
...Was he serious?
"Demons are a menace to society."
"So are humans. And elves, and dragons," Edgar calmly rebuked, his tone still flat as he studied Nicholas' own reaction and confusion. "That being said, I do understand your plight for the High Priest did tell me of your case. A special case at that, and one that makes me much curious."
Nicholas was about to question on what he meant with that, but he was caught off-guard even more as an object was hurled at him. He reacted accordingly, catching the item, which proved to be a ring, and then... he felt a strange feeling of calm wash upon his body and soul. His eyes widened as he looked at the ring again, his eyes mesmerized by the red gem it had- the mana in it was demonic... his demonic mana.
"H-How?"
"I have noticed an issue when it comes to handle folks like you, Brother Nicholas. The common mindset is to seal and suppress, but the truth is that such effort require tools that can be extremely expensive and thus 'unworthy' to be used upon you," Edgar elaborated, then calmly stood up and walked up to Nicholas. "Meanwhile, using a special mana gem geared to absorb demonic energy and then cleanse it before dispelling it safely is a cost-effective solution."
The blond man was stunned. Years and years of struggling as not even the Red Shroud itself could suppress most of his energy and now a ring was finishing the job. Marvelous! Truly marvelous.
"Alas, it's not a complete solution," His senior quipped once more. "A perfect one would imply relying on a quality gem of mythril which is not within our means to legally obtain without selling several limbs. So, I have several of those made. Once every two months should do."
Nicholas could only nod, disbelief forged in his face as he was handed a bag with more rings. Edgar just turned and went back to sit down, now quiet as he returned to his machine, seemingly ignoring how much this meant to Nicholas. Years and years od trying to suppress the urges, to not let the malicious thoughts claim him in the wrong moments during exorcisms or handling cleanses, and yet now he was fully under control. He- this was by far the most precious gift even given to him. So, it became so important for him to have the answer to the most honest question ever upon these circumstances:
"Why?"
To his surprise, Edgar had an answer for that.
"When I first read of you, I knew that I was being entrusted a 'difficult case'. Some have tried to handle you, thinking you had to be 'tamed', when in truth your conduct shows otherwise," The young man spoke up, his gaze however aimed at his machine. "A challenge, but one I saw no point in entertaining. It is within my interest my assistant is reliable and unimpaired to handle the risky chances we will dabble with. Of course, I don't need to explain you that, as two individuals who have never met until now, I have no reason to grant you this as a kindness of my heart."
A nod was delivered for Nicholas understood the last point. As much as this was grandiose to him and cleared his mind of the many worries that had troubled it, he still knew this wasn't done out of goodness but because there was a pragmatic gain for Edgar too. An assistant may not sound like much, but like a doctor needed a nurse, an exorcist needed an assistant in the most crucial cases. And having been there to see many cases and being damned by his bouts, Nicholas knew that a msitake can and will be fatal. Fixing that meant having someone worthy of the position for Nicholas had worked with many exorcists and dabbled with many cases - he was now driven to prove it to his newest senior.
Thus, Nicholas soon was sitting by the table, silently waiting for something to happen. Or maybe not. After all, to be finally deprived of the sickening sense of being surrounded by 'threats' meant he could enjoy the quiet and silence. His mind was devoid of malicious thoughts, and the peace around himself made for a kind enough companion. It was fair to assume they wouldn't be doing any cases just yet. Albeit demonic possessions are frequent and so was the need to deal with cursed objects, it was also true that the church was widespread and had plenty of agents constantly on the move.
So, sitting there and doing nothing was fine. Nicholas already had his own expectations blown away and he could tell it was only going to get better. Especially with what Edgar was creating. A writing machine, he could already see how things will make it easier when it comes to writing and help others.
Truly, for being a pragmatist, his senior sure had a bleeding heart mixed with his cunning.
AN
I bet you were expecting a hot bombshell to be MC's assistant, but it is indeed a 'tamed Demon'. Nicholas' origin is very murky as not many know the truth behind his past. All the folks know is that he was found and adopted by the church, and that they took him in since there is a rule of 'thou shant strike innocents' and demons are somewhat accepted since the Saintess did have a demon in her own party so... racism is not the same as in other fantasy situations. It exists, but it is not as bad or as 'entrenched'.
Likewise, demons are a mix of the average 'they can be good' and what Frieren showed: demons can be morally good and bad, but their nature makes them extremely antagonistic with all species. Only High Demons can truly harness their malevolence to an extent that they can suppress their most brutal urges. In Nicholas' case, he doesn't want to hurt people he consider part of his 'family', but his body went a bit murder time after he got smacked by puberty.