Chapter 154

When I was young, there were many times I wanted to jump into a novel.

Isn’t that right? Usually, the relationship between the protagonist and the heroine drags on for quite a while. I mean, in romance novels, the later you start the romance, the longer you can sell the book, so it’s kind of expected.

If I were as handsome as that, if I shared as many stories and experiences with the heroine, I could just confess and start dating without all this drama.

Even though I thought starting a relationship would mean the end of the novel, I also often found myself inwardly urging them to just get on with it as I read.

But you know what?

I never actually thought I would find myself in such a situation.

Seriously. I was born as a woman in this world, and I even ended up being a Sister.

With the determination to experience sex before I die, I thought about leaving the convent, but at the same time, I didn’t really want to. It was like thinking about becoming independent but also feeling lost about how to survive after actually achieving independence; that’s how I felt now.

So, I think I made up silly excuses to stay here.

Maybe, deep down, I expected this kind of situation a little.

Well, whatever. Maybe staying as a Sister would become a reality in my future. After all, I didn’t exactly have a girlfriend in my past life. I was single up until my dying breath, so perhaps having an excuse in this world is a blessing in disguise.

…Had I lived on alone, I might have continued to convince myself to accept that.

—So, you’re saying you want relationship counseling from me?

A very serious voice posed the question.

Right. The fact is, I have no one to consult. Who around me would I turn to for dating advice?

I know the priest has been walking this path since childhood. If this church’s predecessor had been Protestant instead of Catholic, or if it were a denomination that allowed marriage like the Anglican Church, it would be a different story, but according to Catholic standards, being a priest means living a lifetime without marriage.

Dating? Sure, maybe he had some experience. He might have dated in high school before entering the seminary. But based on his standards, that feels like ages ago.

…Above all else, having a Sister seek relationship advice from a priest doesn’t even make sense. I mean, Sisters are supposed to avoid dating, right?

The same goes for the Sister Warden and the other Sisters.

—Well… you do know what being a Sister involves, right?

The voice from above seemed somewhat flustered.

Why? With that personality, I thought you wouldn’t care if a Sister dated or not.

—She’s a Sister, not a Saintess, you know?

Let’s stick with Sister.

—…Fine, I suppose. You are still a Sister for now.

No, why are you saying it like that? Saying it makes it sound like I’ll become a Saintess someday.

—Even now, you can’t really just say things like that… but okay. That title isn’t what’s important. So, shall we return to the topic of dating?

The being above said with a voice that somehow seemed cheerful.

—First of all, yes, that’s right. I don’t really mind if you all date. It’s natural to develop feelings for someone; denying that feeling would be troubling, especially as a being meant to help people.

Certainly.

—However, there’s a bit more to the complications around why clergy don’t marry, right? If marriage were to pass on power and wealth, it could lead to a host of issues.

That’s true, but I think worrying about that in modern times has taken on a different meaning.

Saint Power exists in this world. From the start, one couldn’t become a priest without being able to wield it. As far as I know, many of those who persisted with older religions often found themselves incapable of using it, and thus couldn’t hold their priestly positions.

Those people reportedly founded their own religious groups to operate elsewhere. But of course, they’re just as minor as atheists.

I’ve heard rumors that some have completely turned away from both sides to seek a new deity. If the former were considered weird or pitiable, the latter gets treated as a real cult. They are the ones who would likely get branded as ‘heretics’ by modern churches.

That doesn’t mean they can be punished too harshly, though.

—But yes, living too harshly just because one is a priest isn’t easy either. The world has changed a lot. People’s faith has changed. I don’t want to see people suffering just because they believe in me, you know?

Right?

As I prayed and blushed, the being above let out a short laugh once more.

—Still, all those changes can’t happen in an instant. I think it would be best if someone in a position to reassure others could confirm that it’s truly okay.

Well, of course, that wouldn’t be me. I’m neither a Saintess nor someone in a publicly high position at the church.

Plus, I’m not dating anyone either. Not at this moment.

If I had to be picky, wouldn’t it be better if Paina and Pertia were the ones who got romantically involved?

…

No, more to the point.

Hey, I’m actually asking about dating problems here.

—Hmm, I see.

The voice answered quite seriously and then fell into a moment of silence. Hello?

—In my opinion, love isn’t something that can be achieved by asking someone else.

…

?

—It’s more about two hearts deepening their bond, forming feelings, and then inevitably reaching a moment where they can’t hide their feelings anymore. At that point, it’s up to the parties involved to decide whether to wait for that wall to crumble or to break it down themselves.

Um, but I wanted to ask about the process of that…

—So, the world is filled with so many people and each story is different, which means it would be hasty to apply one person’s experiences to another…

Have you never tried dating before either?

Suddenly, the voice from beyond went silent.

For a long moment, it was all quiet, and I thought the prayer had been broken.

—Sadly, I was a Sister in my past life.

Now that’s an astonishing revelation. Could this person have once been human and then ascended? If souls exist, that could totally be a thing.

—You’re not surprised at all.

More to the point, we were talking about dating here!

—You really seem to have no interest in me.

Well, right. I’m an atheist after all.

When I jokingly said that, she seemed a bit sulky.

—…It’s disappointing to hear that from someone who doesn’t consider me a deity. Well, whatever. Yes, I have never dated, and neither did my two companions who shared the same room with me. They were both incredibly charming too.

Her words left me speechless.

—So, I’m sorry. Since I’ve only seen how other people date, I don’t have any advice to offer.

Seriously, you sound like you’d add a cute remark after that.

Could you possibly predict my fate? Since you’d know what I’m thinking, could you at least tell me if I’m going to have a future relationship or not?

—Hey, Anna. You do realize that’s a bit off-track, right?

…

.

With those words, I found myself at a loss for any further comments.

Well, I mean, yeah.

That kind of back-and-forth, plucking petals saying “he likes me, he doesn’t” is pointless and pathetic.

There are talks about free will and all that, so really, peering into someone’s heart and predicting must be difficult. You might be able to accurately ‘predict’ or ‘simulate’ a nearby future, given your abilities and the fact you can somewhat peer into people’s minds.

—Hmm, but I don’t think you need to worry too much about it.

The being said.

Before I could fully grasp her words, I suddenly felt a disconnect.

Um… Excuse me?

There was no response. My mind felt utterly blank.

It was then that I caught the faint murmurs around me and slowly opened my eyes.

To the usual chapel where we gather to pray.

Generally speaking, I didn’t really pray that earnestly. Even if I pray, all I get is Saint Power.

But the more I used my body to tap into that Saint Power, the easier it became to communicate with the being above. It’s like the feeling of lifting weights and building muscle.

So, I guess something like that conversation was made possible.

…

Somehow, I think I should stop trying to casually converse with the entity above. Either the Saint Power was pouring over my head, or everyone around me was looking at me.

And Ria too.

Ria was looking at me with a somewhat annoyed and incredulous expression. Her hand was directed right above my head.

Just like before, Ria waved her hand over my head, flinging the Saint Power away.

“Why, did your faith suddenly grow or something?”

Ria asked.

Um…

No, not really, but…

“Are you hoping your wound doesn’t get worse or something?”

Ria leaned her face in closer and asked in a way that was a bit scary. She was taller and her gaze was slightly sharp, which made her look mad.

But I also felt a bit happy.

Ria smelled nice. Her face was pretty.

Above all, she was doing all this because she was worried about me.

…

No, what am I thinking? Is she a walking Saint Power landmine now?

Why on earth am I having this ridiculous thought?

Having felt joy once, I suddenly entered a phase of being awestruck, covering my face with both hands.