CHAPTER 34: CH:34 THE CHAOS PRIESTESS RETURNS

Under the starry Exonory night, the temple stood in quiet reverence, its long stone hallways lit by flickering torchlight that danced across ancient walls.

Stella’s steps echoed gently as she made her way inside, her white priestess gown slightly rumpled from hours of strenuous purification. A soft sigh slipped from her lips.

"Uuugh... I seriously need a bath. I’m soaked in sweat," she mumbled to herself, rubbing the back of her neck with an awkward smile. "Purifying that whole cursed area was like scrubbing a stain off a demon’s diary."

Behind her, her four elite guards followed closely, silent and vigilant. Just as she reached a carved archway, a small voice piped up.

"Welcome back, Sister Stella!"

A cute young apprentice girl stood there, beaming brightly as she gave a polite bow.

Stella perked up immediately and returned the bow with her usual warm, cheerful smile.

"Thank you! You’re such a sweetheart~"

She gave the girl a gentle pat on the head as she passed, the clink of her staff tapping against the floor echoing rhythmically.

Despite her exhaustion, Stella’s aura glowed with grace—half divine, half "I-really-want-a-hot-bath-right-now."

As she continued walking down the hall, she whispered to herself,

"Please, please tell me the bath water’s warm tonight... Or I’m gonna throw a purification spell into the tub and call it holy steam therapy."

One of the guards behind her barely held in a chuckle.

And with that, the priestess vanished around the corner, off to cleanse herself—this time, not a village, but the battlefield of her own sweat.

As Stella walked through the grand inner corridor of the Exonory Temple, the soft flicker of torches casting golden light over the marble floors, she hummed a happy little tune.

"Hmm hmmm hmm~"

Her white robes flowed behind her with each graceful step, her staff tapping rhythmically as if in time with her melody.

But as she turned a corner near the temple’s artifact wing, she suddenly spotted two familiar figures.

Dila, dressed in her elegant yet slightly rumpled gown, was standing in front of a carved stone slab with an intense look on her face, arms crossed and head tilted slightly. Behind her, poor Sarios looked like a knight on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"My lady, please... let’s return to the castle already," Sarios pleaded, still walking behind her like a tired escort.

Dila replied coolly without even looking at him.

"Nuh-uh. I’m studying the carving. This is an ancient relic—look at the pattern in the stone."

Sarios blinked, looked at the slab, and deadpanned,

"Ancient? Dila, that thing was carved two years ago. It’s practically a toddler."

From a distance, Stella clapped a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking with stifled laughter.

"Pffft—ahhh HAHAHA!"

Her laugh burst out completely as she dashed toward them with joyful energy, all traces of graceful posture forgotten.

"Dilaaaaa~!" she squealed as she ran up and threw her arms tightly around her from behind, snuggling her like a long-lost teddy bear.

"You’re finally recovered!! I missed you sooo much~!"

Caught off guard, Dila’s eyes widened slightly, her arms awkwardly lifted mid-air as Stella snuggled tighter.

"Stella... you’re wrinkling my sleeve."

"I don’t careeee~!" Stella said through watery eyes, still smiling as happy tears welled up.

"You look healthy again! I was so worried... I even prayed for three hours straight—on my knees! Without snacks!"

"...That does sound serious," Dila murmured, unable to suppress a small smile.

Meanwhile, Sarios leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and mumbled,

"I should’ve just stayed at sword training..."

And so, under torchlight and temple carvings, the quiet evening air was filled with laughter, heartfelt reunion, and one very confused stone relic being called "ancient" before its time.

While Stella didn’t have enough with Dila.

Still snuggled up to Dila like a koala on a tree, Stella peeked over her shoulder at the two armored guards quietly standing behind her.

With a gentle smile, she said softly,

"Thank you for guarding me all the way here. You can step away now. I’ve got things from here~"

The two knights exchanged a brief glance, then bowed respectfully. And the other two guards cooperated.

"As you wish, Sister Stella."

Their polished boots echoed faintly as they turned and walked down the hallway, leaving the trio in a softer, quieter moment beneath the golden torchlight.

Once the guards were out of earshot, Stella let out a dramatic sigh and dropped all formality at once.

"Whew! I can finally breathe. Those guys don’t say a single word unless it’s ’yes, Sister’ or ’right away, Sister.’ I was starting to feel like a highest god priestess or something."

"You are a priestess," Dila said plainly, brushing off her sleeve where Stella had wrinkled it.

"Yeah, but I’m still me!" Stella giggled, spinning once with her arms out.

"The me who chases after Dila because I missed her, not the one who says things like ’cleanse the foul energies from the sacred ground’ with a straight face."

Sarios raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

"You did say exactly that this morning before you leave and go to your purification, though."

"Sarios!" Stella pointed dramatically.

"Snitching on me already?! I thought we were teammates!"

He laughed, holding his hands up.

"I’m just saying. That’s how you sounded."

"Hmph," she pouted, sticking out her tongue before turning back to Dila with a cheerful sparkle in her eyes.

"Anyway, now that you’re walking again and out of bed, I demand we spend the rest of tonight catching up. You owe me three weeks’ worth of stories. At least!"

Dila sighed quietly, but there was a softness in her voice as she replied,

"Only if you promise not to cling onto me the whole time."

"No promises~!" Stella beamed.

The three walked deeper into the temple, leaving behind the echo of footsteps and formalities. The torches flickered in rhythm with their laughter, as the bonds of friendship glowed warmer than any sacred flame.

As the warm torchlight flickered across the temple walls, Stella leaned in with a sly sparkle in her eyes and whispered mischievously,

"Hehe~ Sarios, would you mind guarding here and leaving us alone for a bit?"

Sarios squinted suspiciously.

"Wait. What are you two up to this time?"

Stella casually stretched, interlocking her fingers behind her head.

"Nothing shady! Just me and Dila heading to the big bath... you know... for a nice long soak~"

Sarios blinked.

Dila blinked.

Then Dila’s ears turned red—bright red. Her eyes widened like she’d just been thrown into a battlefield with no armor.

"W-Wait, bathing? As in... together?!?"

She froze on the spot, stiff like a statue under a curse, steam almost literally puffing from her head.

Sarios turned his head away, coughing into his fist, his face going red too.

"Right. Final suffering of the day begins. Leaving Dila alone with Stella the Chaos Priestess... Yeah. This is how I die."

"You’ll be fine," Stella said sweetly, already dragging Dila by the wrist.

"We won’t be that long. Go take your brooding hero bath later, mister sword-boy."

"Deal..." Sarios muttered, sighing as he leaned against a marble pillar, already regretting every decision that led him to this moment.

Meanwhile, Dila was in full internal panic mode.

Her mind: docking crisis protocol.

Head: down.

Thoughts: scrambled.

Soul: screaming.

☆ "Calm down, Master," Nari whispered in her mind with her usual delicate tone. ☆

☆ "It’s not the end of the world just because you’re going to bathe with another girl." ☆

"BUT IT IS FOR ME!" Dila screamed internally.

☆ "Yeah well," Nari replied lazily, ☆ "not my problem. Good luck!" ☆

Then she made a little chime sound like she just clocked out of work: ■••••

Dila looked up at Stella, who was already skipping toward the bath entrance humming happily, a towel folded over her arm.

"Why... is this happening..." Dila muttered, dragging her feet behind like she was being taken to the execution chamber.

But Stella turned around and gave her the biggest, brightest smile.

"Come on, Dila! You’re gonna love it! The steam, the calm, the girl talk~! It’s totally safe. I won’t bite... much."

She winked.

Dila’s soul momentarily left her body.

And so, the high priestess and the reluctant elf princess vanished into the temple bath halls, leaving behind one emotionally bruised hero and a trail of internal screaming.