No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 69

EP.69 Kindness and Calculation (3)

If I were to list a few perks of living as a nun, the first would be the stability of my living arrangements.

Although the order was a relatively new organization, the church itself was a longstanding Catholic one, a cathedral that had been around for quite some time.

Of course, there had been renovations. Modern convents and monasteries are not just places for devout religious individuals; they also take on roles like being daycare centers. On top of that, they serve as religious administrative facilities.

However, the biggest advantage was that, as long as the religion itself didn’t collapse entirely, there was no risk of being kicked out. That might be one of the reasons I found myself wanting to stay longer.

Living there meant I could go on without much thought.

That "not having to think much" applied not just to the housing but also to meals and clothes.

Meals were provided, and I just had to eat what was served. As for clothes, I simply wore my nun habit. It’s said that old monastic robes were intentionally uncomfortable, but if someone did that today, they'd be called out on a social justice program. The habit I wore was essentially comfortable workwear.

And I also liked that I could wear that same attire for official occasions. I didn’t have to worry about what design to choose or deal with stylists pestering me.

For men, a dark suit would suffice, but the variety of "women’s suits" was too overwhelming, wasn’t it?

"Well, at least you didn’t fall asleep."

"I don’t always fall asleep, you know."

Ria teased me a little as we sat through the event without any nodding off, and I protested.

The only class I fall asleep in is the theology class. No matter how much I showed my grades or shared my knowledge, Ria always seemed unable to believe that I was a rational and logical person.

Well, I didn’t fall asleep, but still, it couldn’t be helped that it was boring.

The people from the church, including myself, managed to stay awake, but the hunters who had followed us from a distance were all nodding off. They were all people who had come along to protect me, and most of them knew Ria.

It was also a sign that the church was mindful of the government, as it wasn’t just soldiers or police who were assigned to follow us.

The elderly Gnome leader’s voice, which contrasted with his appearance, was a deep baritone, making the already dull speech even more tiresome.

The atmosphere also felt strangely authoritative. The Gnomes, dressed like early 20th-century capitalists, seemed to live as though they truly embodied that image.

"...I’ve rambled on long enough. Let’s end this boring talk here."

The Gnome finally concluded his speech with those words.

"Now, let’s begin the welcome reception for the Saintess candidates! Please feel free to relax and enjoy yourselves!"

Some people, startled by the clapping, woke up with a start, and I couldn’t help but smile softly.

*

This was something I could never say to the person herself, but I was really glad to have Ria by my side.

Ria was not only a friend but also my official bodyguard.

Even though a knight order had come to protect me, they couldn’t all be glued to my side.

Having someone I knew well standing right next to me made everything much more comfortable. What’s more, Ria was doing an excellent job fulfilling her role.

If anyone I didn’t recognize tried to speak to me, Ria would subtly step forward. She didn’t fully block the person’s way, but her presence created just enough of an unapproachable aura to prevent anyone from taking me lightly.

But at the same time, because the one creating that sense of unease was "Ria," someone I was close to, I didn’t feel threatened by it.

It wasn’t just the Gnomes who tried to talk to me.

The knight order gathered in the distance, only occasionally glancing over at the two of us. From time to time, Sophie would bring over a knight and strike up casual conversations with me. Most of it was small talk, so it wasn’t too bothersome.

However, a few government officials who had followed us were rather persistent with their questions. At least they didn’t ask about my personal life, but there were subtle hints about my views on the church that made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

Sophie, although she was also a candidate for the Saintess position, had already seen my abilities and even recommended me to the church. Despite her gentle demeanor, she certainly wasn’t someone you could easily manipulate.

On the other hand, I, who appeared somewhat carefree and even openly defiant toward the church, probably looked like easy prey in many ways.

Well, it wasn’t just the government— even the Hunter’s Association had approached me, attempting to recruit me.

As I began to feel more uncomfortable with the persistent questioning...

"Oh, look over there."

Ria lightly tugged on my arm.

It felt like an oblivious friend jumping into a conversation.

"The muffin looks like a mushroom."

With that comment, Ria led me toward a table piled high with muffins that resembled mushrooms.

"...Thank you."

"Hmm? For what?"

When I quietly thanked Ria, she casually responded as if she hadn’t thought about helping me at all, picking up one of the muffin-like mushrooms.

...Was she really not thinking about it? Considering her usual sharpness, it seemed like she was indeed trying to help me.

"Oh, this tastes good. The sweetness is unique. It even has a mushroom-like taste."

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief at Ria, who seemed to be saying something I would normally say, and then picked up a muffin myself.

The outside was fluffy like bread, but the inside was oddly firm—strange for dough.

"It’s really a mushroom."

A Gnome, who had been nearby, joined in our conversation with a smile.

She was much shorter than me—possibly even shorter than the elderly Gnome I had seen earlier.

Her appearance was youthful, even though she looked younger than me, but it was hard to judge since she was a Gnome. She was wearing a fancy dress, probably something from the Victorian era, so she didn’t seem like the daughter of someone accompanying us.

As for her looks... well, I’d say she was gorgeous. I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to say that, though, considering I wasn’t familiar with Gnome aesthetic tastes.

"It’s a mushroom that grows nearby... Hm, you could call it a ‘bread mushroom,’ I suppose. That’s the closest equivalent in human language."

Actually, it wasn’t "human language" but "Korean," and the word "bread" was a foreign term. But, since the Gnomes had only encountered Korea, there wasn’t much to argue about.

"You’re saying this is a mushroom?"

For the first time since the banquet began, I found myself genuinely intrigued and asked the person in front of me.

"Yes, there are even places where it’s cultivated. Usually, wild ones are much tastier, and this one is a wild variety. We also eat something that could be called bread, but this has its own unique taste."

I suppose if there were no bread, it wouldn’t have been called a ‘bread mushroom.’

"Oh, I should have introduced myself earlier. My name is Clanet. I’m the eldest daughter of the Stram family, a lineage specializing in magical stone processing."

"Ah, yes, I’m Anna, the... Saintess candidate."

"I heard you brought a precious treasure as a gift. Thank you so much. Our family had the honor of getting to touch that treasure ourselves."

"Uh..."

Should I just tell her I can create it myself or not?

In the end, I chose to keep my mouth shut. If I casually mentioned I could make it, I might end up with people asking me to make one for them too.

As the conversation drifted in that direction, Clanet seemed to notice how uncomfortable I was becoming. She gave me a wry smile and quickly changed the subject.

"Do neither of you plan to dance?"

"Dance?"

"Yes. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the religion of us Gnomes, but we celebrate our deity with joyful dances during our rituals. Of course, the atmosphere of those dances is quite different from what you’d see at an event like this. Still, we religious folk don’t shy away from dancing at banquets either."

Clanet shifted her gaze as she spoke.

Following her eyes, I spotted a Gnome lady and a Gnome gentleman dressed much like the other Gnomes. They were holding hands, twirling around in a lively circle with cheerful expressions.

Around the Gnome lady’s neck, a silver necklace glinted in the light. It was hard to make out the details since it kept moving, but it seemed to have some sort of symbol dangling at the end.

So, she must be a Gnome cleric.

As I stared blankly at the scene, I suddenly felt someone lightly tapping my arm.

"…..."

I didn’t even have to look. I had a good idea of who it was and the expression they’d be wearing.

When I turned my head, a pair of crimson eyes gleamed with delight as they met mine.

Judging by the mischievous smile on her lips, it seemed like Ria was seconds away from saying, "See? What did I tell you?"

...Now that she had a perfect excuse, I wouldn’t be able to avoid dancing with Ria.

Feeling the strangely expectant gaze from her, I focused intently on stuffing the bread mushroom in my mouth.