“Gracious goddess, we thank you for calling us to this place once again….”
In the early hours when the sun had yet to rise, an elegant voice reverberated reverently throughout the entire Nun’s Building.
The sight of the nuns gathered in the chapel, all raising their voices in prayer simultaneously, was truly magnificent.
I realized for the first time that real nuns offered their morning prayers in such a manner every day.
The process was also divided intricately, which was quite shocking to me, who had previously only raised prayers in a simple way.
“Purify our hearts and grant us a humble spirit to follow the goddess’s will.”
Each prayer was short, but the meaning and content of each one were profound.
I naturally listened intently to the prayers being shared in unison by the nuns sitting beside me.
Their voices seemed to connect with each other like a single organism.
“…….”
Given the situation, I found myself naturally becoming solemn and joining in the prayers.
However, a certain lingering part kept me from fully concentrating on the prayers, like a blemish on a jewel.
Each time I was distracted, the Abbess sitting beside me shot me pointed looks and warnings.
Even though her face was veiled, it was remarkable how she could sense my distraction; I was quite stressed so early in the morning.
“Nya hahaha─!! Levi─.”
Suddenly, Binya was sitting next to the goddess statue positioned behind the chapel altar.
At first glance, it appeared that Binya was making mischief without a care in the world.
In reality, this was a situation intended by the Abbess.
Binya was currently being revered as the goddess’s messenger among the nuns.
She was in the midst of receiving our heartfelt prayers.
“…….”
It seemed that dragons were quite rare and not easily seen in this world.
When the Abbess first laid eyes on Binya, she was startled but quickly began to admire her, her eyes starting to sparkle for some reason.
The current situation was formed this way.
At first, I thought it was just an unexpected situation because it was the first time she’d seen a dragon.
To my surprise, the Abbess already knew of the existence of dragons.
“I’m hungry─!!”
Despite that, the reason the Abbess insisted on calling Binya the goddess’s messenger and made her sit next to the statue was born from her belief that there must be a significant reason for a young dragon to come down to such a remote village.
Even after explaining the circumstances of the previous events, the more I spoke, the more convinced the Abbess seemed to become that Binya was indeed a goddess’s messenger.
“Levi─. I’m hungry─.”
While pretending to pray, I had been spacing out when Binya unexpectedly drew closer to me and started tugging at my clothes.
“…….”
However, I couldn’t say anything to her.
Because the Abbess kept giving me looks from the side.
“Levi─. Leeeeviiii─!!”
Binya’s voice grew loud enough that it could no longer be ignored, and she was eventually led back to her original spot by the Abbess.
The nuns, who were desperately trying to maintain focus while drenched in cold sweat, finally let out a sigh of relief.
For the first time that day, I regretted wearing the nun’s habit.
There was no longer a need to deceive the children, and I had no reason to act as a nun.
Yet, the fact that I had continued to wear this outfit simply because it was comfortable led to this embarrassing situation.
“…….”
I let out a deep sigh and lightly tugged at the hem of my skirt.
Certainly, the nun’s habit was comfortable.
It wasn’t bad for activities, and above all, it was the best choice for blending in naturally here.
But at this very moment, I felt resentful towards this outfit.
.
.
.
7 AM.
After finishing the morning prayers, I returned to my personal room.
It was a modestly sized room that reminded me of a study lodge, but it wasn’t bad at all.
More than anything, I desperately needed some alone time.
The size of the room didn’t matter.
As long as I could avoid other people’s gazes, that was enough.
“Tsk….”
I absentmindedly fiddled with the hem of my nun’s habit as I sat down heavily on the edge of the bed.
I threw off the veil that had been obscuring my view and reluctantly brushed aside my hair, which hung down like seaweed.
“This wasn’t part of the plan….”
I placed my hand on my forehead and muttered under my breath, mixed with complaints.
The fact that I was suddenly receiving nun training in a village I didn’t even know was still absurd and ridiculous.
“Should I run away?”
At my quiet remark, Binya, who had been sitting next to me, tilted her head quizzically.
“Why?”
“No matter how I think about it, something feels off. We didn’t come here for this purpose.”
“It’s fine here. And it’s safe.”
“That’s how you feel because you’re being revered, Binya. I don’t feel fine at all.”
“Hm, well. Actually, everyone looks similar to Levi, so I can’t really tell who is who.”
“What?”
“At least it’s easier to recognize Levi since your face is covered.”
It was a somewhat random comment, but thanks to that one remark from Binya, I unintentionally realized something.
“You can’t recognize me by my face?”
“I don’t know─.”
I’m not sure if it’s because she’s still young or because dragons see things differently, but one thing is for sure: Binya doesn’t recognize people by their faces; she seems to get a general impression based on their clothing.
“You’re quite a troublesome dragon in many ways.”
“Nya hahaha─!!”
It was an awkward situation that was hard to explain.
I started to worry that if I changed my clothes, I might end up in a situation where Binya wouldn’t recognize me.
“If I say that, it’ll make it hard to change clothes….”
“It’s fine! Levi’s skin is white!!”
“I can’t expose my skin outside…. People look at it negatively….”
“Nya huh?”
Although I wasn’t keen on it, I had promised to safely bring Binya back home.
It seems I’ll have to keep wearing this nun’s habit for the time being, even if it means enduring a little trouble.
While it seems manageable based on appearance and even voice, still, it’s best to rely on something more intuitive.
– Knock, knock.
Just then, a gentle knock came from beyond the closed door.
Binya and I immediately turned our heads and stared at the door.
“Levinia, may I come in for a moment?”
The person knocking at my door was none other than the Abbess.
As soon as I heard her voice, I hurriedly put the veil back on and cleared my throat softly.
“Ah, yes….”
The Abbess carefully opened the door and slowly stepped inside.
After briefly locking eyes with me, who had sprung up from my seat, she soon opened her mouth with an expressionless face.
“You seem to have trouble focusing on prayers again today.”
“…….”
I was momentarily silenced.
It seemed she had come to scold me.
“I know that escorting the goddess’s messenger to the capital is a very tense and burdensome task.”
“…Yes?”
“However, even if you go to the capital in such a clumsy state, it won’t be good for you at all.”
“Wah, the capital…?”
“You too are called by the goddess and are setting forth on a journey, aren’t you?”
It was evident that the Abbess held Binya in high regard.
However, I had never thought that the influence would extend to me.
“Being in the presence of the goddess’s messenger and hiding your face as you are… It certainly seems you’ve been given some important mission.”
“No, as I mentioned yesterday, I’m just an ordinary nun on a pilgrimage….”
“Yes. Right.”
The Abbess’s expression shifted into a light smile, as if she was pretending to be deceived for my sake.
“No, I really….”
“I’ll only keep you for tomorrow. Within that time, I will do my best to teach you the basic behaviors of a nun.”
“…….”
As if not satisfied with that, the Abbess began to exude immense confidence.
Watching her right in front of me made my mind start to feel hazy.
“Was I that much of a mess…?”
“To be honest, your first impression was close to the worst. I even wondered if you were a clumsy spy disguised as a nun.”
“Uh….”
“However, seeing how the goddess’s messenger follows you so devotedly, it’s clear that you’re not a spy at least.”
“…….”
“You just haven’t received proper training as a nun.”
Her words were so confusing, they made me question whether they were compliments or insults.
“Nya hahaha─!! Levi is foolish─.”
“…….”
Unlike normal children, who would quickly quiet down and look tense just by making eye contact, Binya instead burst into laughter and started bouncing around.
It was the first time I felt so riled up by a child so much younger than me.
“I’ve taught quite a number of nuns until now. Even once they leave here and settle elsewhere, they will be able to live confidently.”
I nodded silently in response to the Abbess’s words.
“It might only be two days, but these two days here will be a precious time that you’ll hold dear for a lifetime.”
“Th-thank you….”
“So, I must say….”
The Abbess, who had been continuously speaking in a soft tone, suddenly flinched and her eyes darted.
The gaze that was once fixed on me slowly moved downward and landed squarely on Binya, who was standing idle next to me.
The Abbess fell silent for a moment, staring seriously at Binya.
“Levinia, could you lend me your ears for a moment?”
Feeling a bit tense due to the sudden silence, I quickly turned my head in response to the Abbess’s words.
Then, I heard the Abbess’s quiet remark.
“There is a bathing area at the end of the corridor. Please take the goddess’s messenger there and help her clean up.”
The expression of the Abbess was extremely serious.
It seemed that the various odors emanating from Binya were gradually permeating the small room, hardening her expression.
“Weren’t we walking together until now? Why is it only you who smells good…?”
“…Well, I don’t know.”
Now that saying I had only met Binya a short while ago seemed meaningless, I decided to go with the flow of the situation and respond calmly.
“Maybe it’s because Binya is a dragon?”
It had only been two days, not even a week.
That was enough for me to handle without running away.
After all, I knew I’d have to keep wearing this nun’s habit for a while longer.
“I want to join the conversation too─!!”
