Story 50. The Person I Love (6)

Chapter 85

The Virtuous Priestess wants to rule? What a crazy idea. She was a mere woman who knew nothing except seducing a man.

Fatima tried to continue, “The priestess…”

I interrupted her, “What? Are you going to tell me that there were times when that woman was wise and charismatic? Maybe she became addicted to the drug, and that is why she is the way she is now? Are you feeling sorry for me because I remind you of her? Don’t tell me that some sab story like that really exists! Gosh…”

I made up a stupid story to shut her up. Perhaps I was right. What else could it be?

However, I was wrong.

“My Innocent One…” Fatima held up the lantern closer to her face and told me something scary, “The drug from the harem… It only works on men. Only men become excited and lustful by it. It has no effect on women.”

“… that can’t be. You’re lying.”

I said to her angrily, but I stayed, listening to what she had to say. If I found her words unavailing, I planned on leaving this place and going to the Goddess’ warrior. I would then ask him to kill me right now.

Fatima continued, “It only works on men. Before the Goddess’ warrior came to Minurd, there was no one in the harem, so the priestess had full control over the place. She may have been a young woman with no useful skills, but she was still able to rule many men.”

“What? How? Are you telling me that she seduced them?”

“… I knew the Innocent Ones were simple men, but I am still surprised at how naïve you are.”

“Hey!”

The girl continued quickly, “Do not interrupt when a woman is talking, my Innocent One. You know nothing. You don’t even know the condition of your own body, and you can’t even remember the time you saw someone who was just like you.”

What she told me sounded frightening.

The girl put down the lantern between us and turned around. She said to me, “Everyone in Alincha is bound by the Goddess’ laws. That is why even those affected by the drug didn’t dare to enter the harem, although they had wanted to make it happen. Some of the Innocent Ones were talking about barging in and raping us, right?”

“…”

“The strange thing is that whenever something like this happens because of the drug, one to two out of ten men become attracted to other men. Even if there is no one like this in the first ten men, these men who become interested in men will appear eventually since the effect of the drug would spread over a large group. These men would have hidden their true feelings all their lives, but the drug makes them come out. The drug prevents these men from having control over their feelings. These men… They end up volunteering to be the ‘women’ for all the other men in the selamlique.” Fatima looked at me with an ugly expression and continued, “In the past, the priestess would give the drug to men who did not obey her. After some time, these men would become addicted to each other, lusting after one another until they become weak and ill. They end up destroying themselves. You have met these men before, I think. They are probably all dead by now, but they used to raid the people traveling to Minurd from the capital. They are the ones who have been exiled from Minurd and went mad because of the drug.”

“W-what! Those creatures….!”

Of course, I knew. I tried to stand up, but my legs gave in, and I fell on the ground again.

Those people… I was the one who killed them all.

The barbarians.

I caused a landslide and killed them all. Until now, I never wondered about who they were and where they came from. Now… I have become one of them.

Fatima added, “But what is happening to you… It is not because you are a bad person. It was an accident, right? Right now, Minurd is peaceful, and you are a kind person, so I couldn’t let you just die.”

Suddenly, she reached out and turned off the lantern. I was surrounded by the darkness, and the only light that existed was the one near the ceiling. When I looked up, I saw that even the light that came from the ceiling was flickering. There wasn’t much hope left. I screamed, “An accident?! Are you kidding me? You… You women…! If you didn’t give me the drug, none of this would have happened! So why? If you knew this would happen, why did you still do it!? Why?”

My words echoed throughout the cave. I wanted to grab that woman, but no matter how hard I stretched and moved my arms out, I couldn’t find her. I couldn’t reach her. I couldn’t catch her. I was blind and deaf.

And if I was thrown into a group of men again, I would gladly give myself to them.

Dammit.

I could still hear her voice, but she was circling me, and because of my bad ear, I couldn’t tell where she was.

Fatima said to me, “Of course, we had to do it. We are weak women, after all. Once the men become addicted to lust, they are unstoppable. We, the women, have no choice but to give what they ask as long as it does not go against the Goddess’ laws too much. All we have to do is wait for these men to destroy themselves. It’s just a matter of time.”

“I…!”

“Can you really argue that this is not the will of the Goddess? This will happen over and over again. It happened many times before, and it will continue to happen in the future. You’ve seen those men before, right? The barbarians? Are they really all dead?”

Iztal Manar and Iztal Nairim… They were all dead. This woman here… She was a monster, but unfortunately, I couldn’t kill her.

“Ahhhhh!”

I thought I was done crying, but I guess I still had some tears inside of me. All the past memories overwhelmed my brain, and I wondered if it was karma. Whatever happened to me, whether I end up in hell, heaven, of my old life… Did I truly deserve it?

I sobbed uncontrollably on the floor. Slowly, the light came back, but by the time I could see, Fatima was gone. Instead, the mad prophet in the cage began to chat again, “But Acamille very kind said… He will learn to fight and teach Hawaki. Future plan. Make women strong then no need for the drug anymore. Fight men so men can live. So women don’t have to destroy men. I am suspicious, however. The warrior’s woman. The warrior loses to men… Will it be possible to really change this situation? The way of life?”

That’s right. I remembered the prince telling me how he wanted to teach the priestess how to fight. He wanted her to know how to use a sword, but what was the point of that now?