Chapter 69

If I were to list some good points about living as a nun, the first would be that my housing is stable.

The order is a relatively new organization, but we use almost the same buildings as the previously established Catholic Church, so we call them cathedrals.

Well, they did renovate a bit. Modern convents and monasteries aren’t just places for devout religious folks; they also take on the role of childcare facilities. Plus, they serve as religious administrative offices too.

But anyway, as long as the entire religion doesn’t completely collapse, there’s no chance of being kicked out, which is a huge plus. That might even be one of the reasons I wanted to stick around a little longer.

Living inside, I can just go about my business without a care.

That ‘without a care’ concept includes not just the living space but also meals and clothing.

As for meals, I can just eat what’s provided, and for clothes, I simply wear my nun’s habit. They say the old habits were intentionally uncomfortable, but in this modern age where we carry on with the role of a childcare center, doing that would land us on an expose show. The habit I wear is basically a comfortable outfit for activities.

And it’s nice that I can wear such an outfit to formal events. I don’t have to think too hard about what style to wear, and there’s no one pestering me like those trendy people.

For guys, a suitably dark suit will do, but women’s ‘suits’ have such a wide variety of designs, don’t they?

“At least I didn’t doze off.”

“Come on, it’s not like I’m always falling asleep.”

Since I managed to stay wide awake throughout the event, Ria teased me a bit from the side, and I countered.

I only really doze off in theology classes. No matter how much I show my grades or share my knowledge, Ria just doesn’t believe that I can be a rational and sensible person.

Well, I didn’t doze off, but it was still unavoidable that it was boring.

The church folks, including myself, were barely hanging in there, but off in the distance, the hunters who had followed us were nodding off. They were, of course, there as my escorts, most of whom were acquaintances of Ria.

Having non-military personnel follow us is proof that the church is quite aware of the government.

The voice of the old gnome, contrary to his appearance, was very low and baritone, making the already dull speech feel even more tedious.

On top of that, the atmosphere itself was oddly authoritative. The gnomes looked very much like capitalists from the early 20th century, and their lifestyle seemed to fit that image.

“…I seem to have rambled on. Let’s wrap up this boring story here.”

Finally, the gnome seemed to be finishing his speech when he said that.

“Now, we’ll be starting the welcome party for the Saint Candidates. Please feel free to enjoy yourselves!”

I noticed a few people jump awake at the sound of applause, and I let out a small laugh.

*

This was definitely a conversation I could never have with the person involved, but I was really glad Ria was by my side.

Ria is not only a friend but also my official knight escort, right?

Even if the knight order came to escort me, they couldn’t all be right next to me.

Having just one person who is both familiar and right next to me is quite a comforting scenario. Plus, Ria was handling her duties exceptionally well.

Whenever someone new approached to talk to me, Ria would subtly step forward. She wouldn’t completely block them, but she radiated an aura that made them not want to underestimate me.

However, since that imposing presence is Ria, who is close to me, it didn’t feel too intimidating.

The ones approaching me weren’t just the gnomes.

While the knight order was huddled together a distance away, looking at us, Sophie occasionally brought a knight over to chat with me about various things. Most of it was chit-chat, so that was fine.

But a few government officials following us were rather persistent in their questions. They didn’t pry too much into my personal life, but it was somewhat uncomfortable when they subtly inquired about my thoughts on the church.

Even though Sophie is also a Saint Candidate, she had already recommended me to the church after witnessing my abilities. Although her demeanor is gentle, there’s a vibe of not being easily swayed.

On the other hand, I probably appeared as an easy target in many ways, looking somewhat carefree and even openly rebellious against the church.

…Well, I mean, even the Hunter Association had tried to scout me, so.

If I started feeling a little uncomfortable with such conversations—

“Hey, look over there.”

Ria lightly tugged at my arm.

As if a clueless friend was interrupting the conversation.

“Those muffins look like mushrooms.”

Ria said that and led me to a table piled high with muffins.

“…Thank you.”

“Huh? For what?”

When I spoke quietly to Ria, she casually replied as if she hadn’t thought of me at all and picked up a muffin that looked like a mushroom.

…

Wait, is she really that clueless? Given her usual awareness, it seems like she’s actually helping me out.

“Oh, this is tasty. The sweetness is exquisite. It even has a mushroom-like flavor.”

Seeing Ria say something I would say, I couldn’t help but chuckle and picked up a muffin.

Its outside was fluffy like bread, but oddly firm on the inside. For dough, that was quite strange.

“That’s a real mushroom.”

A gnome nearby chimed in with a smile, joining our conversation.

He was much shorter than me, perhaps even shorter than the old gnome I had seen earlier.

He looked somewhat youthful, but given that he was a gnome, it’s hard to gauge his age accurately. With a dress that seemed fit for the Victorian era, it didn’t seem like he was anyone’s daughter.

As for his appearance… what can I say, he was a pretty boy. I’m not sure if it’s even okay to say that. I don’t really know the gnome’s aesthetic sense.

“It grows nearby… um, if I had to say, should I call it a bread mushroom? That’s how it can be described in human terms.”

Actually, it’s not exactly human language but ‘Korean,’ and the word ‘bread’ is an outright loanword, but since the gnomes only interacted with Korea, there’s nothing to nitpick.

“Is this a mushroom?”

For the first time since the banquet started, I genuinely felt curious and asked.

“Yes, there are even places that cultivate it. Usually, the wild ones taste much better, and this one is from the wild. We also eat things that can be called bread, but this one has its own flavor.”

Well, if there were no bread, it probably wouldn’t have been named ‘bread mushroom’ in the first place.

“Ah, sorry for the late introduction. My name is Clarnet. I’m the eldest daughter of the Stram family, which specializes in gemstone processing.”

“Ah, yes, I’m Anna, the Saint Candidate.”

“I heard you gave a rare treasure as a gift. Thank you so much. It’s a great honor for our family to be able to touch that treasure directly.”

“Um…”

Should I just say that I can create it? Or not?

I chose to keep my mouth shut. If I mentioned I could make it, people might start asking me to create it for them.

As the conversation shifted in that direction, Clarnet noticed my sudden discomfort and laughed awkwardly.

Then she quickly changed the subject.

“Do you two not dance?”

“Dance, you say?”

“Yes. You might not be familiar with our gnome religion, but we celebrate by dancing joyfully during sacrifices. Of course, the mood differs a bit from dancing here, but that doesn’t mean our religious folks avoid dancing at banquets.”

Saying so, Clarnet turned her gaze.

At the end of her gaze, a gnome lady dressed similarly to others was spinning joyfully holding hands with a gnome gentleman.

A silver necklace sparkled around the gnome lady’s neck. It moved around, and while it was hard to see, something that looked like a symbol was hanging from it.

So, that means she’s a gnome priestess.

While I was blankly watching that scene, I felt someone gently nudging my arm.

“….”

I somehow understood who might be looking at me with a certain expression.

When I turned to look, a pair of red eyes was gazing at me happily.

With that mischievous smile on his lips, it felt like he was about to say, “See, I told you so.”

…Now that I’ve found a reason, there’s no escaping dancing with Ria.

Feeling a strangely expectant gaze from Ria, I enthusiastically shoved the bread mushroom into my mouth.