“I see. Your friend must’ve worked very hard. ...Appraisal, you say?”

“Yesss, Appraisalll.”

I didn’t miss the single bead of sweat trailing down the priest’s temple. Though his expression hadn’t changed, which was admirable.

That means... her friend might end up exposing her skills. Whether we say something now or not, it’s only a matter of time, isn’t it?

I glanced sideways at the priest and confirmed that he was thinking the same thing—but even so, he still couldn’t take the first step.

It’s easy to imagine the worst-case scenario, but maybe her friend will be considerate enough to stay quiet.

“My friend is very cheerfulll, but she’s also quite the talkerrr and tends to be loose-lippeddd. That’s why the others refused her request—they didn’t want their skills spread arounddd. But for meee, I’ve already told her about my ‘Obliviousness’ skillll, and I don’t have any skillsss I’d be embarrassed about being revealeddd, so I’m not worried at allll.”

This is bad. It’s nothing but trouble.

That exchange confirmed it. The Sister is not aware of her other skills.

Three more beads of sweat rolled down the priest’s cheek.

“She might awaken a new skill, you know?”

“That would be wonderfulll. But if it turns out to be a negative skillll, I’ll be in troubleee. As a servant of Goddd, if I gain a shameful skill that doesn’t befit my positionnn, I’d be sooo embarrasseddd I might just dieee.”

At that, the priest and I both turned halfway around, turning our backs to the Sister and putting some distance between us.

“What should we do? I think it would be best if I revealed it now and purchased the skill myself.”

“That might be the optimal solution... but she’s a devoted believer. Until now, she’s been spared a lot of trouble precisely because she’s been unaware. If she were to learn that the lustful feelings of those around her were caused by her own skill... she might quite literally choose death.”

It’s easy to forget while looking at her, but this religion teaches that one must remain a virgin until marriage and uphold chastity. Divorce and infidelity are absolutely forbidden, and even sexual knowledge is frowned upon.

If we brought it up casually, the shock could cause her to faint.

“Leave it to me. I may end up asking for a favor in return, but will that be alright?”

“Of course. This isn’t charity work, so I’ll be charging a reasonable price.”

“I still have savings from my adventurer days, so don’t worry about that.”

As I thought—he used to be an adventurer. I had a hunch given his build. That would also explain why he was so friendly with someone like me, The Skill Collector.

If she’s taking the lead, I’ll sit back and see how she handles it.

“Sister, I need you to listen calmly to what I’m about to say.”

“What is it, Fatherrr?”

The priest, his smile fading, stood directly in front of the sister and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

She seemed to be misunderstanding something, her cheeks flushed as she gazed at the priest.

"The truth is, you possess a skill your parents kept hidden from you. They asked me not to tell anyone either."

"Oh my, is that so? How surprising."

She touched her cheek in apparent astonishment, but the way she spoke stripped the moment of any tension.

"The skill is... 'Sex Appeal,' 'Seduction,' and 'Charm.'

"Oh, is that so...? ...Eh?"

Her thin, threadlike eyes opened wide.

She stood frozen, her mouth agape as if the shock had paralyzed her.

"Please remain calm and listen. Possessing such a skill must have brought you many unpleasant experiences. But one cannot choose their skills. So, you should not blame yourself."

"B-but, Father! The doctrine teaches us to suppress sexual desire and live a life of chastity..."

"Indeed. God commands us to live with sincerity. But skills are talents granted by God. To be bestowed with a skill that makes others conscious of desire... means you are more blessed than others."

Blessed? She never expected such a word to be used here.

He must have a Rationality for saying that, but just how does he intend to convince her from here?

"Blessed...? That's impossible! A skill so far removed from righteousness—how could I...!"

She was visibly shaken, her usual languid manner of speaking having vanished completely.

"Please calm yourself. Listen carefully—this is a trial given to you by God. By overcoming this skill, He has granted you an opportunity to grow greatly as a follower."

"I can't believe that! You can say that because you don't possess such a filthy skill!"

"No, I too have a skill I’ve kept hidden from you—‘Lust.’"

Hearing such words gently and calmly from the priest left her momentarily speechless, her face blank with shock.

But once she snapped back to her senses, she pursed her lips and glared at the priest sharply.

"Lust is a skill anyone could have. That’s not the same as mine! It’s not!"

That wasn’t enough to calm the turmoil in her heart.

If she was that close to a breakdown, it would take more than words to convince her. If this was the extent of the priest’s persuasion, then even I could do a better job...

"Since you’re part of the Order, you must know, right? That skills have levels—a concept only visible to a select few of exceptional ability. I too am still inexperienced and cannot see levels."

"W-what of it?"

"A skill at level 5 already exerts strong influence. You’re aware of that, yes?"

"Yes, that’s… true."

"My skill ‘Lust’ exceeds level 20."

The sister’s body jolted violently, trembling vertically. Her widened eyes now clearly showed fear.

That someone with such an immense ‘Lust’ skill was a person she respected—must have been a shocking revelation that overpowered all prior unease.

"Are you afraid... of being touched by someone like me?"

"T-that’s not... and if it’s you, Father..."

Her final murmur was too quiet to hear—only I caught it.

If she’s feeling that way, perhaps even giving in to temptation wouldn't be so wrong... but I’ll keep quiet about it.

"It’s alright, that’s a perfectly honest response. I’ve done everything I can to control this desire with Rationality. I believe that resisting and overcoming it is the trial God has given me. I am still on that path, but someday, I intend to overcome it by my own will."

"Father..."

"Your path will be harsh and painful. But will you not face it with me? Don’t you want to see what lies beyond this trial? If we walk it together and reach the end, nothing would bring me greater joy."

"Father... I was wrong. If I can endure the hardship with you, then nothing could make me happier!"

She placed her hand atop the one resting on her shoulder, her cheeks flushed, her moist eyes fixed intently on the priest.

In front of the holy statue, the priest and the sister gazed into each other’s eyes.

A scene fit to be captured in a painting—but the priest, overwhelmed by the charm emanating from the sister, was sweating profusely down his back.

Now, this earnest priest will likely stop trying to sell the ‘Lust’ skill to me, taking responsibility for his own words. And so, he will live each day resisting her overwhelming allure.

Watching the values of ‘Lust’ and ‘Rationality’ steadily rise above the priest’s head, I felt, just for today, like praying to a God I didn’t even believe in.