The walls and floor were uniformly white. Inside the room, long benches were neatly arranged.

At the front stood a massive divine statue, and behind it, a stained-glass window depicted a scene from mythology.

Was it the conflict between the god of darkness and the holy god? Both were goddesses, and they fought a deadly battle over a male god of creation, ultimately leading to the world's destruction—apparently.

This world has suffered its fair share of terrible history—ruined by divine quarrels and ancient civilizations gone out of control. That is, if all of it is actually true.

Honestly, I’m not fond of the distinct atmosphere in churches. Today, I came here because the church’s priest summoned me… though the people here clearly despise me.

If you’re buying and selling talents granted by the gods, of course you’ll attract unwanted attention.

And yet, the priest summoned me in secret—taking care to avoid others' eyes, and doing so in the middle of the night.

“I apologize for summoning you so late.”

From the door in the back emerged a middle-aged man in white ceremonial robes, his gray-streaked hair slicked back.

His gentle smile was very priest-like, but his physique was anything but.

His well-trained muscles pushed up against the robes from beneath. He might be a former adventurer or from a holy knight order that made its living slaying monsters.

“No, no, think nothing of it. Merchants tend to work late by nature.”

“I appreciate your understanding. Today, I summoned you for a personal matter.”

He cut straight to the point, skipping the needlessly long preambles clergy are so fond of.

It must be quite an urgent issue. Though he wears a polite smile, Psychology reveals the anxiety lurking beneath his expression.

Still, what could such a rigid, rule-abiding priest want from me? I can’t imagine anything besides a buyback. Isn’t it their doctrine to accept and overcome even the negative skills granted by God?

I wouldn’t think he’d turn to someone like me.

“It pains me to request this, but please, keep this strictly confidential.”

“Discretion is a basic principle of my trade. Especially since most of my business isn’t something I can talk about openly.”

“Then I shall trust in your word.”

The priest let out a breath and looked visibly relieved.

Many religious types have thick skins, but this man seems sincere. Psychology detects no sign of deception.

“Well then… um, how should I say this… it’s a bit difficult to express…”

Now he hesitates? He had been so composed earlier, but suddenly he’s restless and clearly uncomfortable.

Since we won’t get anywhere like this, I decided to use Appraisal without permission.

A quick scan… hmm, nothing strange at first glance—wait, there is something. Two oddly high-level skills.

One is Rationality, which is over level 20. That certainly fits a devout cleric, but I’ve never seen someone with a score that high before.

And then… there’s a far more concerning skill.

The name of that skill is—Lust. And its level is almost equal to Rationality.

In fact, it’s not that uncommon for people to possess Lust. It’s especially prevalent among the wealthy and powerful; excess power and money tend to heighten sexual desire.

But for such a serious-looking priest to have it…

Negative skills related to desires—such as Lust—can awaken in anyone over time, so they’re not viewed as a major problem. Other well-known ones include Appetite and Sleep Drive.

Like the saying “Great men are often amorous,” many historical figures with grand legacies had this skill. Generally, the public treats it lightly, with a reaction like, “Oh, you’ve got Lust? You rascal.”

If it’s low level, it’s no problem for a man. But once it surpasses level 20, that’s serious. It means your head is constantly flooded with erotic thoughts and desire.

Normally, someone with Lust that high would be a sex offender or throwing money around to surround himself with women. This priest, however, seems to be forcibly suppressing it with his Rationality.

As a man, he’s worthy of respect.

“So, about that… how should I put this…”

This side of him isn’t very manly, but I get it—it's hard to say such a thing as a priest. I’ll take the initiative.

“Forgive me for being forward, but could this perhaps be about selling a skill?”

“H-How did you know?!”

It’s fine that he recoiled in shock, but he’s completely lost his composure now.

Why else would someone summon a collector like me?

“I’ll gladly buy any skill you wish to part with. Discreetly, of course.”

I won’t reveal that I already used Appraisal. He has his pride, and if word got out that I used it on someone from the church, it could cause problems later.

“I’ve made up my mind. Collector, I wish to sell you one of my skills. That is… um… my Lust skill!”

He must be used to preaching passionately at church—his voice echoed through the sanctuary with thunderous force.

Even now, the priest’s voice reverberates through the halls.

“Yes, the Lust skill. I get that kind of request often. It’s a very common skill.”

I make sure to emphasize that this isn’t anything unusual.

That should help smooth the conversation.

“Is that so? It’s pathetic, but though I serve the gods, my desires have only grown stronger with each passing day. I feared that if this continued… I might commit a grave sin. Just as I was worrying about it, I heard rumors of you, the Collector.”

With a level that high, the daily temptations must have been extreme.

To have endured all this time with his mind flooded with lust—he deserves recognition.

Even so, what’s really bothering me is why the “Lust” skill is increasing so much. If I were constantly exposed to sexually stimulating situations in daily life, it would make sense. But as a priest in a church, wouldn’t the only interactions be with people coming to pray?

“Now I can finally feel at ease. Until I was assigned to this town, I wasn’t affected by the skill to this extent. Ever since I arrived here, it’s as if God is testing me—day after day, something happens to stir my heart. But now, I no longer have to suffer from those temptations... There is a loneliness, like losing a part of myself as a man, but I serve God. I don’t need earthly desires, yes.”

He sounds convinced, but it’s probably just him forcing himself to believe it.

The idea of losing “lust” altogether is frightening—like losing one of your primal instincts. Of course, only the skill disappears, and natural lust still remains.

But compared to now, his interest in sex would drop drastically, like a saint.

...Wait a second. He said his “lust” increased after coming here, right? Then even if he loses the skill now, as long as the root cause isn’t eliminated, it could come back again.

I am curious about what’s troubling this priest so much, but... is it really okay for me to dig that deep?

While I was contemplating that, I approached the priest to carry out the “Trade.”