“You, take me with you there!”

　It’s Bishi⌈¹⌋ again! As Kitora said this the thrust out her finger towards me.

“You want to come with us? Why do you want to enter the dungeon?”

　As I asked her again I got interrupted by Crescent Moon and my seniors.

“It doesn’t matter why. It’s impossible, impossible. You want to fight together with a priest of darkness?”

“That’s right. We don’t know when she might curse us, I don’t want to be turned into an undead.”

“I’m objecting to that as well. I don’t know when this priest of darkness might betray us. Since she’s not trustworthy I can’t leave my back to her as a comrade.”

　Are priests of darkness really that hated?
　Exposed to those three’s words Kitora had a strained expression.

“You’re saying whatever you want, huh? But the God of darkness isn’t equal to pure evil. Other than the God of Light’s teachings “No matter what you do you have to be just” the God of Darkness doctrine is “For your purpose the means don’t matter”. It doesn’t mean I absolutely have to do bad things!”⌈²⌋

　Mmm, it’s rather subtle though I understand what you’re trying to say.
　Though I don’t particularly want to do bad things but I wouldn’t mind doing them if it’s for my purpose, something like that.
　In any case, Bass-senpai doesn’t seem to get the meaning.
　It looked like question marks were flying around my senior’s head.

“Besides, I can use healing spells as well! There aren’t just curses and attack spells among the darkness magic!”

　Heeh, I didn’t know Priests of Darkness could use recovery spells.
　As there is no healer in our party isn’t this quite good?
　Just when I thought that Bass-senpai intervened in a hurry.

“Impossible, impossible, impossible. I don’t want to be treated by a Priest of Darkness! I’m scared that she might curse me when she tells me she wants to cure me so I just can’t!”

“You, your head seems to be quite empty. That’s why you’re going to stay an underling for the rest of your life. You don’t know anything about me so don’t messily throw in such meaningless lines”

“Wh, who’s an underling?!”

　This beautiful Priestess of Darkness has a rather sharp tongue.
　Bass-senpai got furiously angry at being called an underling he even forgot about his former fear.
　The female thief, Pick, who watched from the side secretly laughed.
　Could it be that everyone thought that Bass-senpai is stupid?⌈³⌋

“Bass, don’t get so angry. You said you were Kitora? Are you sure about entering the dungeon with us?”

“As I said before, yes! Ah, could it be that you doubt my power? Fine, I’ll prove myself.”

　As Kitora said this she turned and looked around before her eyes stopped on Drum-senpai.

“Oh my, isn’t your arm injured? Fine, I’ll cure you”

“No, I’m good. A wound like this will heal immediately. See, it’s already healing. Therefore your treatment isn’t needed”

　Now that she says it Drum-senpai certainly does have a light injury on his arm.
　It seems like a sword grazed him a little when we were fighting the skeletons a while ago.
　But it looks like Drum seriously hates this and tries to refuse her with all his might.

“I said it’ll be over in an instant! Stop rambling and come over here!”

　The beautiful female Priestess (of Darkness, though) with raven-black hair grabbed Drum-senpai’s arm with no questions asked.

“Now, let’s start the treatment. Behave yourself or you might get hurt!”

“Hiii!”

　Drum-senpai shuts his eyes tightly like a kid before it gets an injection and his whole body tensed up.
　While feeling scared Crescent Moon and Bass-senpai were watching two to three steps away though their eyes were glued to the scene.

“Here I go!”

　As she said so Kitora’s mace was surrounded by a black sphere.
　Then she started chanting while covering the wound with one hand.
　Something like black fog gradually flows out of her palm and appears to cover the wound.
　As they stood with their backs turned towards me I couldn’t see much.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

　Crescent Moon and Bass who watched suddenly jumped backwards while screaming.
　While hugging each other they looked at Kitora’s face as if they were looking at something unbelievable.
　They weren’t able to speak out of fear, but what could have…….
Just when I thought that, Kitora slowly turned this way.

“I’m don–”

“Uwaaaao!”

　I also unintentionally raised a surprised voice.
　Because Kitora’s eyes — the part which should be white turned black so her whole eyeball was shining black.
　Scary, too scary.
　This is something right out of a Horror movie.
　Pick also opened her eyes wide in surprise, only Knopf was curious and started to talk in an interested manner.

“Those eyes are amazing”

“Aah, this? Wait a minute”

　As Kitora said this she slowly closed her eyes and held her hands over her eyelids for a bit.
　After waiting a bit she slowly opened her eyes again and the original beautiful Priestess (of Darkness though) stood there.

“About this, this is kind of like a side effect of having signed a contract with the God of Darkness in particular.”

“Side effect?”

“Right. Even though I say it’s the God of Darkness there isn’t just one. There are many Gods. Among them, I’m serving Gladis also called “the God of War”. You see this ball, right?”

　As Kitora uttered this she raised her Mace and showed us the ball which was attached to the handle.

“This stone is called hematite and symbolises the God of War Gladis. It’s also known as “Blood Stone“. And the same thing is embedded here–”

　While saying this she pointed at her own forehead.
　A gem with a black lustre was certainly displayed there.
　So it is embedded?
　Didn’t that hurt?
　By the way, it’s absolutely impossible for me to get a piercing.⌈⁴⌋

“This Hematite is the proof that I made a special contract with Gladis. My power is greatly strengthened by this contract. Additionally, thanks to this I’m able to use some spells even if I don’t have a ball at hand⌈⁵⌋ . On the other hand, when I’m using spells they make my eyes look like hematites. It’s only temporary, though”

　After she finished explaining to Knopf she turned towards me.

“You asked me why I want to enter the dungeon, right? There are two reasons.”

　She put up her index finger after she said this.

“Firstly, there’s a new dungeon and it’s an S-type so there should be various types of monsters inside, right? If I find a good one there I want to make it my familiar as a substitute for my skeleton. As you’re the ones who broke them you’ll naturally cooperate, right?”

　After she teasingly laughed after finishing her sentence she put up the next finger.

“Secondly, I can’t tell you the details now but I want to investigate something. This might be involved in your own investigation. How is it, do you think you would lose anything if you take me with you?”

　Yeah, her healing spells are surely attractive.
　That spell is slightly scary if I think about having to watch her eyes turn black every time.
　But, well, normally she’s just a book girl, normally that is.

“Akatsuki~ stop it. I’m kind of crept out. It’s just……that.”

　Crescent Moon said so while looking towards Knopf for an instant.
　Looks like she’s still bad at dealing with Knopf.
　Unexpectedly Crescent Moon seems to be bad with things like that unlike what her image makes one belief.
　Although she’s someone who likes to mess around with people she herself is actually bad with this kind of stuff.

“That’s right, Head, it’s like big sis said.”

“I will follow your decision, Head. She skilfully cured the wound.”

　Bass-senpai objects and Drum, well, I guess he reluctantly agrees.

“What about Pick?”

“Anything’s fine. Something like a Priest of Darkness serving “The God of War”, honestly, that sound pretty cool”

“Oh my, thank you. I wonder if you still have hope.”

　Pick doesn’t actively agree nor oppose, huh?
　Though she looks like a little girl but she’s still a female thief, she got guts.
　What about Knopf?

“I think this would be good. The effects of her magic got confirmed just now and from what I’ve heard she seems to be skilled as well. There are various things I want to ask you about dark magic.”

“As I thought you understand it. I like girls of the intellectual type.”
Even if you call her girl aside from her appearance Knopf is actually 30 years old on the inside.
　Well. Let’s keep silent or she’ll get angry if I say it.
　Besides, I don’t even know the actual age of this beautiful priestess.

“Then it’s decided by majority vote. Kitora, we are in your care.”

“Akatsuki-san, right? Likewise, I’m in your care.”

　Kitora picked her Goth loli-like skirt’s hem and greeted us elegantly.
　She isn’t only good looking she’s an amazingly beautiful girl.

“Hey, Akatsuki, are you serious? I don’t think she’s up to anything good.”

“That’s right, let’s stop here, Head”

“As you are stupid, be silent.”

“You, who are you calling stupid?! The person calling someone stupid is- -“⌈⁶⌋

　Good grief, they are noisy.
　Like this, a Healer joined out party.
　Now, shall we go to the dungeon?