“Shh! Don’t talk. The person we’re going to peep at now is him, Lesus Judgment! Even if it’s me, there’s still the possibility of being discovered, right? So we must be ex-tra-care-ful! Heehee!”
What? Who am I? This ah… Take a guess? Heehee～～
Alright! Alright! Stop caring about who I am already. The most important thing right now is peeping! If we don’t go soon, we won’t be able to see him in his sleep!
I seem to remember that Lesus’s room is next door to Grisia’s?
This is bad. The room is really dark. We won’t be able to see anything at all like this!
But if it is too bright, he will notice it…Just two or three fireflies should be okay, right? Let’s try it! One, two… Ahhh! Damn it, he moved! Shh, Shh～～
“Who’s there?”
Lesus flung aside his quilt in one fluid motion, his hand immediately landing on the Divine Judgment Sword by his bed. Even in the Holy Temple, he would always keep his divine sword within arm’s reach.
Fireflies? Lesus hesitated for a moment, but when he didn’t detect anything odd, he returned his sword to its original position.
Although there were only two fireflies, they were enough to light up half of Lesus’s body. He was wearing a flax-colored, sleeveless garment. Even though it was now the beginning of autumn, a slight chill wasn’t enough to make the holy knights wear long sleeves and pants.
Putting down his sword, Lesus guided the two fireflies with his hands. He chased them straight to the window and then opened it up to let them leave. It was still dark outside.
Upon seeing that they were gone, Lesus lay back on his bed, determined to rest a little while more.
Ahh, so we can’t use fireflies. But, there’s no need for everyone to worry. Soon, it will be dawn. It’ll be bright enough then, so we’ll be able to see plenty, heeheehee!
Even though everyone can only wait now, but! I can see! This insignificant darkness cannot prevent me from peeping at Lesus’s sleeping position ── so disciplined!
He’s lying so straight and stiffly on his back, with a thin quilt pulled up to his stomach. He isn’t turning over at all? Can’t you kick the blanket? Isn’t it tiring to sleep like this?
How boring! Grisia always kicks his blanket, hugs his pillow, and even talks in his sleep. Peeping at him sleeping is much more fun… Ohhh! The sky is starting to brighten! Everyone, hurry up and look!
The first ray of light shone on Lesus’s collarbone, and following that, the entire side of his face was lit up brightly. He seemed to sense it, eyelashes fluttering slightly. He inhaled deeply and opened his eyes, only bleary-eyed for about two seconds before he was fully awake.
As he had purposely arranged the bed in a place where the sun could easily shine on it, he could always get up on time.
Lifting up the quilt, Lesus had on the same flax-colored shorts on his lower body. He walked to the window ledge, where he had placed water and neatly arranged clothes the previous night.
He started to carefully tidy up his appearance. Even though there weren’t any requirements for the Judgment Knight’s appearance, Lesus didn’t tolerate the least bit of sloppiness for himself.
Soon after, he removed his sleeveless garment in a single movement, and the sun shone on his strong back muscles…
Ah── So bright! Damn it! I hate it, I hate it! It’s the same when I peep at Grisia. Now, I’m also not allowed to peep at Lesus. “You” are truly detestable!
Will you die if I take a peep? Is the flesh of holy knights that precious!? Damn it, I really want to see… What? Awaitsun? I’m tired of looking at Awaitsun already! Stone? You go remove his pants then. What does it matter if I’m only able to see his upper body?
Ah? You’ll let me see a little bit? Ah～～ I love you, Big Brother!
Lesus pulled on his pants and fastened the button. Just for a brief moment, you could vaguely see that the top of his underpants was black.
… A bit, my ass! I hate you!
The highlight is already over. Can I skip straight to the evening’s bath? Ahhh! No, there is one more thing that is very interesting to watch, I guarantee it!
Heh heh, it’ll happen today. I specially picked the day!
Come on, we’ll follow Lesus to the Judge’s Complex now!
“The witness and the evidence are all present. Do you still dare to deny your crimes?” Lesus roared sternly, both eyes burning. All the criminals that he had to personally interrogate were not pitiable even in death, and the one before his eyes should even go to hell!
Just like usual, after a full day of interrogating criminals, Lesus’s mood was so rotten that it couldn’t get any worse, even though he had especially arranged for fewer cases today. As he always had an additional task to handle on this day every week, he had to free up his time.
“Captain Judgment.” Metal walked in. As usual, he felt embarrassed and hung his head, hardly daring to look at his own superior.
Lesus nodded at him. On the contrary, he didn’t have any particular feelings. After all, he had been doing this for ten years. This usual practice had long since become natural for him.
Leading the other, he walked to a specially arranged torture chamber. Moon was already waiting inside and was leaning against the torture rack. The moment he saw Metal, he immediately drew out his whip and gave the other’s calf an incomparably accurate hit. Metal muffled his groan.
“How slow. Come here and stand properly!”
Metal obediently walked to the side of the torture rack. Moon put away his whip and tied him to the torture rack with a sense of practiced ease. After that, he turned his head and asked excitedly, “Captain Judgment, how about we play with something different today?”
Moon, have you become addicted to beating him up? Lesus grudgingly arranged the torture instruments that cluttered the table. Of course, they were specially prepared ones. He wouldn’t reuse the torture instruments used on those criminals’ bodies on Metal’s body.
Lesus lifted an iron rod and looked thoughtful as he asked, “Metal, how about we use the branding iron today?”
Metal’s eyes shone.
“Branding iron?” Moon asked in astonishment. “But, those aren’t easy to heal and fully recover from, right? Is it really okay?”
Lesus responded indifferently, “Don’t worry, Sun gave me ten rose beads, and he still owes me eighty of them. Even though he is paying me back all the time, I don’t think the number is likely to fall.”
Moon shook his head, saying, “What the heck is Sun doing? He also owes me five of them!”
“He owes me ten,” Metal interrupted.
Ahhh──
The hot red iron was branding his lower abdomen. Having been in the Judge’s Complex for many years, Lesus was well aware of where branding was the most painful.
The smell of scorched skin and flesh arose, along with the shrieking of his companion. Even though it was impossible to know for certain, Moon sometimes suspected that after being in the Judge’s Complex for many years, their Captain Judgment had actually already turned into a sadist.
“Captain Judgment, don’t you feel like puking?”
“I’m okay. Metal is a lot cleaner than criminals,” Lesus said calmly.
The real problem is whether or not they’re clean? Moon was a bit speechless.
“And he’s not suffering at all,” Lesus muttered in a low voice.
“Not suffering? Metal, Captain Judgment says you’re not in pain.” Moon laughed as he flicked his hand and whipped him, purposely whipping across the wound that had just been branded by the hot iron. He didn’t expect that it would cause Metal to shriek.
Moon panicked and exclaimed, “Is it t-too painful? Captain Judgment, where are the beads? Hurry and heal Metal!”
However, Lesus remained calm as he queried, “Metal? Do we continue?”
Metal was in so much pain that he shuddered for a long while before he raised his head, saying hopefully, “Can we continue?”
Lesus nodded. “As long as the condition of the wound is kept within the healing range of the rose beads.”
The whip immediately lashed out, and Moon said angrily as he whipped him, “You yelled out so loudly, scaring me into thinking you were truly in pain! Bastard, if I don’t beat you until you cry this time, then my name is not Vival!”
In the midst of Metal’s anguished wails, Lesus continued to heat up a piece of iron. He estimated that if he didn’t heat the branding iron up too much, perhaps he could burn him three more times…
Sitting in the bathroom, Lesus decided to wait for only a minute, as he didn’t have anything to do. Unexpectedly, his wait was actually successful.
Sun walked in. The moment he saw Lesus, he said in amazement, “You aren’t vomiting? Ah, was your last job today beating Metal?”
Lesus nodded his head. “Today, I used the branding iron on his lower abdomen.” He knew that Sun liked to ask, so he simply said it first.
“Branding iron?” Sun blurted out, “Isn’t that too much?”
“Not at all. The rose beads can heal it completely.”
“… The rose beads that I make by hugging my Divine Sun Sword and exerting my utmost efforts, a treasure that even the king desires, you guys actually use it to play S&M?” Sun nearly vomited blood.
“Only once in a while.” In fact, Lesus also felt that it was a bit wasteful, but Metal had been doing a lot of work recently and had finished it all very well, so he should occasionally reward him.
“How about this? I’ll lend my Elaro to you to heal him. Each time takes the place of one rose bead.”
Lesus flatly refused, “He is still young. He shouldn’t see scenes like brutal beatings.”
“Yours is the one who is still young. Mine has just turned eighteen…”
“…” Lesus was unable to retort. Indeed, he had briefly thought of Hungri’s age, but even Hungri should be setting foot in the Judge’s Complex soon. “But are you sure that Elaro can take that sort of scene? He’s very kind-hearted.”
Sun chuckled as he said, “You underestimate my Elaro too much.”
Lesus frowned for a moment. According to his observations, the young Sun Knight was truly a kind-hearted and good child. I don’t understand. What does Sun mean by saying, ” underestimate too much?”
“Your expression says that you don’t believe me? My head of the nursery is definitely not the head for nothing!”
When Sun finished speaking, he actually felt a bit depressed. Every time he saw Elaro mingling with the other young knights, he would wonder “Why in the world is he such a good father?” and feel like spitting blood.
Lesus fell silent. When he thought of Hungri, he truly couldn’t refute Elaro’s title as the head of the nursery.
“Anyway, I made an appointment with Elaro to work on documents together.”
Lesus was stunned and looked at Sun in disbelief.
“My head of the nursery is not a pushover…”
When he thought about correcting documents, Sun lurched as he walked out, his mouth muttering a bunch of grumbles that Lesus couldn’t make out.
That’s right! Hurry up and leave! I don’t want to watch the two of you chat! Because after this, Lesus is going to… Heehee!
Lesus stood up. After he finished passing judgments, he would return to the public baths to bathe, as was usual. If he went in and out of the Judge’s Complex twice in one day, he would even bathe twice.
In fact, everyone knew that he was a little mysophobic. Therefore, before the criminals were dragged out to be interrogated, they would have already been washed clean. This was actually inconvenient and not very necessary, because after the interrogation, those criminals would only be dirtier and messier. However, Lesus had never been able to do anything about it.
Walking into the public baths, there wasn’t a single person inside, as usual. This was the exclusive public bath of the Twelve Holy Knights. Only Grisia didn’t come here, and at this hour, the only person who would come here to bathe was Lesus.
Lesus took off the black robes of the Judgment Knight. Underneath it, he wore black pants that were fairly tight-fitting and easy to move in, and the same colored short-sleeve shirt. As there was the robe to cover them up, Lesus had never paid particular attention to his inner clothing—the outer black robes were already hot enough, so of course the simpler and more convenient his inner clothes were, the better.
After taking off his robe, Lesus felt a lot more relaxed, and hung his robe by the side as he passed by. Then, he started to remove his shirt…
The highlight, the highlight—
“Judgment!”
Lesus turned around and promptly put the clothes he had half taken off back on. Unexpectedly, the person who had opened the bathroom door was Sun. He was a little surprised. Sun never used this bathroom.
“Has something happened?” Lesus couldn’t help but frown as he took down his black robes that were hanging by the side. He probably wouldn’t have time to bathe.
However, Sun froze and said blankly, “Actually it isn’t a big problem. Why did I feel like I must come and find you? How strange… It’s just a small matter. I can resolve it by myself.”
Lesus frowned, but said, “I’ll help you.”
“Hm?” Sun initially wanted to say that there was no need, but he saw that something was not quite right with Lesus’s expression. “What’s wrong?”
Lesus’s brows were deeply locked together as he said, “The entire day today, it felt like there was someone closely watching me. It’s the same even in here.”
After he said this, he glanced around. There was obviously no one in the bathroom—that was apparent to him—but he simply felt that something was not quite right.
Unexpectedly, Sun said with understanding, “I also have that sort of feeling occasionally, but in the end, nothing happens. It is probably the God of Light closely watching us during those times!”
The God of Light? Lesus couldn’t think of any other explanations and could only nod his head in agreement. “Then, you can go ahead. I’ll continue bathing.”
“No!” Sun said, “I think you should still come with me.”
“You also feel that something is not right?”
“I only feel that the God of Light wouldn’t be watching you bathe.” Sun’s expression was rather strange. “If you feel the gaze on you even in here, then maybe it’s not Him. Maybe it’s… Cough! In any case, you wouldn’t feel too uncomfortable going without bathing for a day, right?”
I would! Lesus was silent for a long while, but eventually gave in to the uneasiness in his heart. For once in his life, he made the rare decision not to bathe on this day. He put on his black robes once more, and followed Sun out of the bathroom…
… Grisia Sun!
As my spokesperson, you actually wrecked my exciting moment!
You are dead for sure. I’ll never be finished with you──
