Chapter 31

“They called it modern fantasy, but it’s not like that power was just readily accepted in this world from the get-go.”

In a world where the concept of ‘Saint Power’ has become common sense, the image of an institution called ‘hospital’ is not quite what it used to be. The image of the profession of doctors has certainly changed as well.

Those who were studying science previously had to clutch their heads in frustration. If magic and the laws of physics were completely compatible, it wouldn’t be an issue, but the thing is, magic influences the physical world while the laws are utterly impossible to explain scientifically. Likewise, alchemy is a whole different realm from chemistry.

Naturally, the ‘new fields’ and ‘existing fields’ clashed in many ways, and it seems that there was quite a bit of backlash from the higher social statuses within those ‘existing fields.’ While I didn’t feel it much myself, having lived within the Church, there were definitely protests going on, and of course, there were those who denied it all as a scam.

And those who couldn’t accept it all took the role of ‘modern conspiracy theorists.’

They argue that it’s not them who are wrong, but the world itself, claiming that all the absurd things governing the current world are merely fabrications of governmental conspiracy.

Sure, there are some stubborn folks who refuse to step into the Church even while they die and reject even the Saint Power, but most of them come to the Church when they need something and ask for magical help. In fact, the latter is the majority, so the societal image isn’t too great.

“Uh… So, you’re Anna?”

“Yes, I am Anna.”

But to my eyes, this person looked like a savior.

Because, after all, they were here to deny my divinity, right? There’s no reason to hold back.

What if a person is a bit hypocritical? I also deny that the higher being is a deity while confidently using Saint Power to heal people.

“Are you the Saint Candidate, Anna?”

Even upon having the same question turned back at me, I wasn’t annoyed.

Yeah, typically when one thinks of a Saint Candidate, they’d picture someone much more fanatical. Not someone like me, who lives freely.

“Yes, I am the Saint Candidate, Anna. This is my knight, Ria… no, Sister Maria.”

“Maria is my baptismal name, but my real name is Lee Chae-eun. Please treat me well… well, I’ll just step back and not interfere, so feel free to talk.”

Ria said this and then retreated to sit in the back.

And with an incredibly amused expression, she was grinning as if watching something incredibly funny.

…Why?

Well, it’s only natural for Ria to find this situation amusing. She definitely has that mean streak that enjoys watching me squirm.

I ignored Ria and moved back to sit closer to the lawyer.

And the expression on the lawyer’s face was a bit complicated.

“Um, Anna, do you not have any other name besides your baptismal name?”

“Ah, right?”

I usually just get called Anna, so I sometimes don’t even think about it, but to me, Anna is just a baptismal name.

In fact, thinking of it as ‘just a baptismal name’ is a bit strange too. In a culture where Christianity is quite common in the West, a baby usually receives a baptism immediately upon birth, and the name given at that time is simply used as their name. Not to mention, there are many cases where a baptismal name is the same as one’s actual name in this country too.

The reason for having a separate ‘baptismal name’ was to allow people to choose a different name when venturing into secular life. This is somewhat a result of institutional adaptation, made in response to the pushback against the established religion that emerged in a nation originally secular like South Korea.

The administration of the Church differs from that of the government. Therefore, to live as a member of this society, one must follow the Church’s administration.

In that sense, it makes sense to maintain this division.

“Is that so…”

Upon hearing my answer, she appeared somewhat sad for some reason.

…Already?

“Um…”

Seeing her reaction, I hesitated to speak, only for her to blink and smile warmly.

“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet. It’s nice to meet you, Anna. I’m Choi Soo-bin, the head of the Unified Theory Research Institute.”

As she spoke, she handed me her business card.

“Unified Theory Research Institute?”

As I read the institute’s name from the card, I tilted my head, and Ms. Choi smiled again, saying:

“Yes, it’s an institute that studies phenomena occurring in this world. We research for a common theory that connects those phenomena. It was established to properly study what people refer to as Saint Power or magic, using the theories we know.”

“…”

Uh, wait a minute.

This feels somewhat awkward.

Ah, of course, she’s still the perfect fit for my situation. She’s an atheist and someone who tries to view the world in scientific terms.

But then again.

The laws of physics and mathematics are not as ‘perfectly’ logical as most people think.

Even mathematics, which seems intuitive and logical only through numbers, reveals contradictions when you dig into it deeply. There have certainly been efforts to fix it, but I doubt any mathematician would outright deny those contradictions.

The same goes for physical laws applying mathematics: there are contradictions between general relativity and quantum mechanics. The laws governing the immensely small particles must also apply to vast celestial bodies like planets and stars, necessitating a theory that can fully explain both, which is simply not the case in reality.

Of course, scientists know the ‘fact that they don’t know.’ The laws of physics are not an entirely conquered domain for humanity, and they hold hope that by continuously researching, they might just craft a theory that could explain both.

However, they do not claim that it can be ‘completely unified.’

That is the essence of scientific skepticism.

Furthermore,

“Well… it has been established that Saint Power and magic are distinct from physical phenomena…”

Indeed, the most crucial aspects of physical laws like quantum mechanics and relativity are separate from the recent vague studies surrounding magic and Saint Power.

However, what’s different here is that the areas involving magic and Saint Power are ‘non-material’ aspects. The basic components of physical laws ‘particles’ and ‘waves’ simply do not exist. They may be visible to the eye, but when examined strictly through the lens of physics, one could say these two phenomena ‘do not exist’—and yet, they influence reality.

Scientists are slowly unraveling that mechanism, which is far more complicated than quantum mechanics. And at least ‘for now,’ there’s no theory to connect them to physical laws.

“No, that’s not true.”

But Ms. Choi cut me off and replied.

“There’s a theoretical foundation.”

“A theoretical foundation…”

That’s something I’ve heard of in real life—the numerous theories that aimed to unify the laws of physics.

But very few of those theories have been proven through experimentation. Opinions are divided even among scientists.

Even if it got some level of recognition and developed an academic foundation, research could finally emerge…

I could feel sweat beading on my forehead.

But maybe not noticing my expression, Ms. Choi continued speaking.

“I’ve heard about you, Anna.”

“O-oh really?”

I had seen Ms. Choi on TV once. The show was making fun of people like us, but technically, it was one of those ‘there are people like this in the world’ kinds of programs.

“Yes, even within the Church, I heard you’re fighting for the truth, even in such a privileged position. The incident of you sending a letter to the Cardinal has become renowned among us.”

“Ah, yes.”

I could only respond that way.

“Actually, under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for us to sit and have this conversation during the verification process. Usually, someone like a Saint Candidate could exert pressure with authority.”

That’s true enough.

Uh, wait a second. Does that mean?

“Thank you for this opportunity.”

Eh?

“Certainly, this right must be something you earned through your ongoing struggles within the Church. Therefore, we cannot squander this chance, can we? After all, who knows when the words might change and they might try to chase me away?”

Uh, no. I didn’t call for anything.

I think the Church just called me here on its own.

Ah, I think I might understand a little now.

Since the moment I became a Saint Candidate, I’ve been the same person with the same stance as I am today. There is no god, and that being above isn’t a deity.

In other words, the Church has accepted my opinion. They assigned me a ‘lawyer’ that fits me perfectly from the moment I arrived here. Like how they would assign a public defender in court.

“Now, shall we discuss your abilities, Anna? Let’s figure out if this is indeed due to ‘Saint Power’ or if it was merely a coincidence!”

Upon hearing those words, I instinctively thought something was wrong and hurriedly turned around.

But in the distance, my knight, tasked with protecting me, was looking only with a face full of amusement, grinning widely at me.