Kamisama Shop de Cheat no Kaori

Chapter 180. The Bumpy Family And The Square Priest

“Merhes… you say?”

“Yes, the god of commerce, Merhes. Oh, maybe it’s a goddess.”

The square-faced male priest wore a slightly troubled expression.

“I’ve been with the church for a long time. I’m familiar with all current religions and even the names of ancient gods no longer worshipped. But among them, there’s no deity by the name of Merhes.”

Well, of course. Now, how should I explain this? I glanced at Eutis, who also seemed intrigued. Naturally so…

“Ah, I’d like to keep this confidential if possible, but, uh… the truth is, Merhes is a newly born goddess…”

“……”

The priest, who had been maintaining a strained smile, finally let his expression harden.

“I know it’s hard to believe such a sudden story, but—”

Wait, what? Pilatus accepted this pretty smoothly, so I assumed this time would be no problem either. Now that I think about it, what I’m doing feels a lot like spreading a new religion to an established temple.

“Ah, um… you see…”

As my words became jumbled with panic, the usual voice echoed in my head.

-A support quest has been issued. Deliver the letter to the priest of Heoris Church. An item has been added to your container.-

What… the heck?

Pretending to rub one eye, I opened the menu to find “Merhes’ Letter” added to the container list. No new items were added to the SHOP list, though.

Since rubbing my eye forever wasn’t an option, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the “Letter of Merhes,” then handed it to the priest.

“Here.”

Unsure of what else to say, I left it at that.

“And this is…?”

It was a luxurious, ornate envelope—completely unlike the usual girlish, playful ones. If they could produce something fit for a noble, why not use this standard all the time?

“It’s… a special edition of parchment. Please open it.”

“Very well…”

Right in front of the still-confused priest, I carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a folded, thick piece of paper. It was adorned with a decorative border, reminiscent of a wedding invitation. For some reason, though, I couldn’t read the text on it. The usual auto-translation wasn’t working?

“This is…!?”

The priest’s narrow eyes widened dramatically as he stared at the letter.

“This… no, it can’t be… impossible… But the format is…”

The priest gripped the letter with trembling hands, devouring its contents with bloodshot eyes. His transformation bordered on madness.

After rereading it several times, the priest finally looked up, his face haggard and seemingly aged by ten years.

“This… we cannot accept this at our church. I will contact the main temple immediately, but… Akira… sama, I humbly beg you to wait.”

The square-faced priest bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the floor. Wait, did he just call me an apostle? Damn it, what did that lousy god write!?

“Ah, I don’t mind waiting, but… do you have any idea how long it might take?”

“The main temple of the Heoris Church is in the Imperial State of Atlandia. At the fastest, it will take about a month…”

A month… seriously?

“Even if you use that rumored griffon courier service?”

I wouldn’t mind covering the cost if needed.

“No, we’ll use an even faster method, but it will still take about that long.”

Faster than flying?

“…Understood. I was already planning a long stay here, so I’ll wait, but depending on circumstances, I might leave before hearing back.”

“If possible, we’d be happy to cover all your expenses during your stay. And I assure you, we will provide accommodations rivaling those of any noble!”

The square-faced priest seemed desperate to keep me here.

“No, I have things to take care of. For now, I’m staying in a rented place in the West Slums.”

“What? That won’t do! You must move to this church immediately. If you have companions, we can accommodate up to fifty people.”

Fifty people? What am I, leading a caravan? Well, maybe it’s not far off.

“Your offer is generous, but I have my own tasks to complete, so I must respectfully decline.”

“Tasks for the apostle, you mean? Please allow our church to assist you in any way!”

Hold up. Did he just outright call me an apostle again? I’m not anything like that, damn it!

“No, I have my reasons. For now, I’ll continue on my own. Ah, but…”

Wait a minute. If I can use their resources, there’s one thing I’d like to ask.

“In that case, may I ask one thing?”

“Of course! Anything. Our church will commit all its resources to assist you.”

His reaction was a bit over the top, but this might solve my issue faster, so I won’t complain.

“Actually, we’re looking for a way to restore a woman who became a vessel. Do you know anything about this?”

“A vessel… you say? Could it be—?”

“Yes, a woman transformed by goblins.”

“Hmm…”

The priest paused for a moment before speaking slowly.

“I would prefer this not to be widely known…”

“A church secret? I promise not to leak it.”

“No, it’s fine if you keep it to yourself. Those who know already are aware.”

So, rare information, then?

“There is a secret elixir produced only at our church’s main temple. If it works, perhaps…”

What!?

“Is it possible to obtain this elixir?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t promise it will work, and obtaining it is exceedingly difficult.”

“I see…”

“But! I’ll include an inquiry about whether the elixir is effective for vessels in my communication with the main temple!”

The priest offered an alternative, but I doubted it would solve the issue. It didn’t seem like something I could easily acquire in large quantities.

“Ah, no, for now, please just ask whether the elixir works on vessels. I have other avenues to explore.”

“Other avenues…?”

Oops. Did I say too much?

“There are… various options.”

“Various options.”

Best to play it off.

“All right. I can wait up to a month, so please contact me. I plan to visit Lake Rel and the Elven Kingdom soon, and I expect to stop by the main temple afterward anyway.”

“I see…”

“Apologies, but I have a packed schedule, so I’ll take my leave. I’ll check in occasionally for updates.”

If I stayed longer, they’d force me into their church. I stood quickly, giving no room for rebuttal.

“Understood! If you wish, we could station a priest near your residence—”

“Now is not a good time. Honestly, it would hinder my work. Please keep contact minimal.”

“…Understood.”

“Then, excuse me.”

I took Eutis by the hand and half-dragged her out of the church. Dealing with people in power is such a hassle.

I looked up at the sky and sighed.

“Um… Akira…?”

“Hmm?”

Eutis spoke, her face slightly flushed.

“Um, your hand…”

I realized then that we were still holding hands tightly.

“…Sorry.”

How embarrassing. Truly ridiculous.