Chapter 112: The Villain Among Us
The priest continued speaking to Johannes without noticing Iris’s strange reaction.
“Hmm, he’s definitely not an ordinary person. He usually doesn’t come to events, so it’s surprising to see him today. Since he hasn’t undergone the Appointment Ceremony yet, you won’t have a chance to meet the Sister. Strictly speaking, he’s not even going to become a priest, so he won’t be going through the ceremony either.”
“Ah, I see. That’s… a shame.”
Iris forced the words out after composing her expression.
The shock of having casually chatted with the villain destined to become the Next High Priest of the evil Enraka Church wasn’t fading easily.
The priest smiled brightly, seeming to misunderstand Iris’s comment.
“That’s what everyone says. Haha, he’s just exceptionally good-looking…”
“I see. That makes sense.”
“If your curiosity is satisfied, I’m quite busy, so I’ll be going now…”
The priest bowed politely and stepped aside. Iris, engulfed in a mix of betrayal and shock, watched Johannes still talking in the distance.
She was curious how he’d react if she called out to him right then.
Would he be surprised or just greet her casually?
Iris hesitated repeatedly, unable to summon the courage easily.
If she called out, what attitude should she take afterward?
Should she approach him with schemes like she did with other villains, or treat him coolly?
She wasn’t even confident she could fake a calm demeanor in the first place.
“No. I’ve already decided to come here often anyway… In a way, I’m already acquainted with one of the villains. That’s pretty great. No need to force an approach; it’s like the opportunity just fell into my lap.”
She took a deep breath, calming her startled heart. Now that she knew the truth, avoiding it wouldn’t help.
If she came here every week, she’d inevitably run into him.
Pretending not to know him would only delay the inevitable encounter.
As she wrestled with these thoughts, something struck her—a realization that her worries were pointless. Johannes being a villain was something only she knew.
If he knew she was a hero, he wouldn’t try so nonchalantly to befriend her.
She also recalled Senior Teresa’s words that no villain removes a hero without reason.
“Right. If he knew I was a hero, he wouldn’t act so casually. Hmm, now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever had thoughts related to being a hero around Johannes. Maybe… maybe not? Ah, whatever. It’s better to just greet him right away. Then I can casually ask about the Enraka Church while jogging. After all, I was just about to become friends with him, not really close friends yet.”
She chose to think positively.
Realizing that even if they betrayed each other, it wouldn’t hurt their feelings brought her peace of mind.
After all, how close were they? Still, she couldn’t help but feel a strange chill deep in her chest.
Resolute, Iris summoned her courage. Once decided, her hesitation vanished.
Maintaining as calm a face as possible, she quickly descended the stairs and approached Johannes, who was talking with the priest.
Johannes’s eyes widened at the sight of her, then he hastily cast his gaze downward.
It was a stark contrast from the confident way he had just spoken with the priest.
He glanced at Iris briefly, then bowed his head deeply again.
He moved his lips awkwardly, neither startled nor trying to speak, and let out a vague syllable.
“Uh…”
“Johannes, hi. Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Iris raised an eyebrow. Unconsciously placing both hands on her hips, she glared at Johannes.
Her plan to act cool was useless as anger flared inside her.
To think that Johannes—the boy she’d thought was shy but kind—was actually one of the villains filled her with a hot sense of betrayal.
Johannes’s cheeks flushed a rosy red, oblivious to Iris’s anger since she kept her expression hidden from him.
He only noticed that her voice had risen slightly.
‘Why… why is her voice higher than usual? Did she get surprised by meeting me unexpectedly?’
He was just as startled as Iris. He had completely forgotten that the evangelism priest had ordered flyers to be distributed in the building where Iris lived.
It wasn’t something the Enraka Church had explicitly instructed him to do. He felt uneasy about staying idle but was afraid of getting too close.
Still, he had taken this cautious action to justify to himself that he had done something.
He never expected Iris to actually come after seeing the flyer. At that time, anyway.
Later, after hearing about what happened with Laika, he was shocked and, thanks to his newfound courage, had made significant progress.
They’d started jogging together and could even confidently do morning calls.
With so many good things happening, he’d felt like he was walking on clouds for several days.
So he completely forgot about the small favor he asked—to distribute flyers at Iris’s house.
‘I never expected this. Iris actually coming to the Enraka Church. It feels like a dream.’
Though his father forced him to believe, he only outwardly served, still doubting the goddess’s existence.
Yet, the things happening recently were difficult to explain without the blessing of the Enraka Goddess.
Even though he didn’t truly believe, he sometimes invoked the Enraka Goddess’s name in earnest prayers, and it seemed the goddess had answered.
He had always wished to get closer to Iris.
‘Does the Enraka Goddess really exist? If she answered my prayers… maybe she does.’
From today, he genuinely resolved to serve the Enraka Goddess.
He swallowed hard, trying to hide his agitation.
But his heart, calm when talking with the priest, now raced as if about to burst the moment he saw Iris’s face.
Naturally, his efforts were useless; his tension was clearly visible.
“Iris, what brings you here…?”
“I came with my grandmother. She’s a follower here. It seemed like a nice place, so I registered as a believer too. But I didn’t expect to see you…”
Iris spoke with a hint of sarcasm, forcing a fake smile.
Johannes kept his gaze fixed on the ground as usual, so he didn’t see her expression.
She was angry but trying to hide it, which only made her unconsciously wear a more irritated look.
After learning he was a villain, her initial shock quickly turned into anger.
She no longer cared if he used mind-reading or whatever—let him do as he pleased.
‘Phew, I shouldn’t be like this. I have to control my expression…’
She deliberately lifted the corners of her mouth to conceal her true feelings.
Even if Johannes didn’t see it, the priest standing beside them glanced at her sideways.
Just as Johannes hesitated to speak, the priest stepped in.
“Johannes? Do you know this person?”
“Yes. A classmate… from elementary, middle, and high school. We’ve always been together…”
“Really? Classmate? Always together? Ah…”
The priest tilted his head, bewildered by Johannes’s sudden change after Iris’s arrival.
He alternated his gaze between Iris and Johannes, his mouth agape in confusion.
He couldn’t understand the situation or why Johannes had suddenly become so timid.
Of course, Johannes was typically shy only around Iris. With others, he made confident eye contact and conversed normally.
Though taciturn and guarded, he didn’t stammer or avoid gaze like this.
While he might treat a classmate differently than church members, Johannes had no reason to be cautious, so the priest found the situation very strange.
As the priest looked between them awkwardly, Johannes turned his gaze to him.
Then, with a calmer expression, he nodded slightly.
“Priest, let’s continue this conversation another time.”
“Ah? Ah… alright, I’ll be going then.”
It was a subtle dismissal. The senior priest, one of the few who knew Johannes’s abilities, bowed and quickly left.
Though much younger, Johannes was the Enraka Church Leader’s Son and destined to be its future center.
He was also a powerful ability user. There was no benefit in annoying him.
The priest, who cared about his standing in the church, had been trying to strike up a friendly conversation with Johannes.
This wasn’t the kind of discussion that should be abruptly cut off—not if Iris hadn’t interrupted.
They were talking about Enraka Church’s vision for the year, and Johannes had been responding well.
But once Johannes decided to end it, the priest had no choice but to follow suit.
If this had been outside the church, the priest might have scolded him for being immature or rude.
But inside the Enraka Church, Johannes was special.
As the priest hurried away, he glanced back. The small girl with glasses didn’t look extraordinary.
Would someone with Johannes’s abilities really pay attention to a girl like her?
“Friends, huh? I’ve never seen Johannes with a friend before… doesn’t look like anything more than that.”