Chapter 89

Chapter 10: Stubbornness and Arrogance

It seems that having a mentor or not can really affect one’s growth in skills.

Until now, I’ve never had such a person; someone who could tell me, “Well done.”

The Priest was a good person, but he was also just an average clergyman.

He knew his stuff when it came to theology, but outside of that, he was just an ordinary guy. Not exceptionally skilled in swordsmanship or magic, or anything like that.

That said, I’ve never excelled in theology either. I never really had much interest in it from the start.

The Sister Warden was… well, a good person but also strict. Her main concern was making sure the sisters acted like sisters, educating each individual to stay on the straight and narrow.

She was indeed knowledgeable about theology, but like the Priest, she wasn’t some dazzling expert in other areas.

“And I’ve never really talked about my worries with anyone else.”

After taking a sip of water, I spoke to Ria, who was sitting next to me.

“It seems my biggest concern comes from not believing in the concept of a god. Now that I think about it, I might have been pretty stubborn.”

If I had known I would be a Saintess candidate, I might have lived a bit more submissively. Not that my relationships would have changed completely, but perhaps I would’ve had less stress.

“And… not talking to others about it made me think I didn’t take my own talents seriously either.”

In the original story, the Saintess knew how to fight. It wasn’t super obvious since the person right next to her, Lee Chae-eun, was the knight protecting her, but she definitely had some skills with a weapon.

Still, I never wanted to become a Saintess in the first place; I was thinking of leading a normal work life like everyone else, so maybe my thoughts were slightly askew.

“Hmm…”

Maybe it was because I suddenly brought up something so heavy. Ria squinted in thought after hearing me.

We had just swung our swords at each other a moment ago. I wielded a large riot shield and a slightly longer wooden sword than a dagger while Ria swung the same-sized wooden sword that mirrored her usual one.

The result was my complete defeat. I only managed to hold on thanks to Ria going easy on me.

But I wasn’t discouraged. Just as Ria said, my skills were steadily improving. At least I’m confident I won’t go down easily if a low-level monster suddenly pops up in front of me.

Whether Ria won or lost in our spar, fighting in a nun’s habit under the warming sun wasn’t an easy task. Even Ria’s face was drenched in sweat.

Her fair neck glistened with perspiration, causing me to quickly avert my gaze. That might’ve been why I couldn’t focus all that well today.

“Ha.”

Deep in thought, Ria exhaled.

Then, scratching her head, she said, “Well, I’ve felt something similar before.”

“Something similar?”

“Yeah. People have expectations of me. I’m the daughter of a famous hero. Not just any famous hero, but one of the first heroes in this country. When the Gate incident broke out, my dad stepped up, and now I’m the daughter of a real hero, not just some paper-registered one, you know?”

That wasn’t bragging; it was just the truth.

Even now, the heroes on record are called “heroes” because back then, when society was on the brink of collapse, and there was no system in place, people referred to those who acted during that time as “heroes.”

Back when hero wasn’t even a proper noun, Ria’s dad was already being called a hero.

“And my mom was incredible too.”

Ria didn’t elaborate further. That memory must be painful for her.

“So, everyone around me has always had expectations, right? My dad, my uncle, and even the kids I hung out with. They thought if I became the greatest hero, they’d get to benefit from it too, you know? Well, not that they became my friends just for that, but it’s natural to have some expectations.”

“…”

In the original story, Lee Chae-eun didn’t often express feelings of pressure.

There were a few instances where she said she hated others’ expectations, and that she disliked living a life dictated by others.

If Ria’s story had progressed, that probably would’ve been a topic.

How immense that pressure must be—growing up under such expectations from childhood. I can’t quite imagine it.

“Coming here… I haven’t really wanted to talk about it because it’s embarrassing, but yeah, I whined a bit to my dad. I just became an adult and wanted to try some things, but Dad told me to become a hero.”

Ria said this with a wry smile.

“And not just any registered hero, but a real one. Ugh, hearing him talk about chastity and all that stuff felt like it’d make me sick.”

I knew Ria had fought with her dad. That was a story from the original too.

The things Ria yelled at her dad out of anger.

“He told me to live piously. Even though I’m registered, I need to get close with the church folks to have a solid backing. And since we live in a world where gods exist, being devout would really help, apparently.”

“…That’s a bit brutal, isn’t it?”

I cautiously offered that assessment. It’s someone else’s dad, so I couldn’t say too much. You know how it is—it’s hard to hear someone trash-talk your sibling.

Plus, Ria’s issue was a legitimate complaint; it wasn’t some sort of insult.

“Right? So I fought back a bit.”

Ria said that, resting her chin in her hand as she pondered for a moment.

“No, it wasn’t just a fight back.”

She corrected her expression.

“…”

Knowing what she had said, I stayed silent.

“I blurted out, ‘Did my mom die because she didn’t believe in God?’”

I was left utterly speechless, unsure how to respond.

If the other person was a strong believer with a religion, I would’ve just told them; I could also say a few kind words about wishing her soul to rest. That’s a common decency.

No matter how much of an atheist I am, I wouldn’t be a psychopath to refuse such sentiments in front of someone who lost a dear person.

But somehow, it seemed Ria didn’t want that.

Ria’s mother passed away long ago, having saved countless lives. And Ria said something like that about her. Emotions must have gotten the better of her.

She probably just needed someone to vent to.

“…”

The reason Ria’s dad put her here. And why Ria ended up hanging around the “Saintess candidate.”

“…Ah.”

Ria’s face, which had been heavily submerged in silence, turned pale.

“Oh, um, that’s not what I meant to say. I just wanted to tell you not to feel too pressured, you know?”

“Ria, it’s okay.”

I placed my hand on Ria’s arm as I spoke.

It’s a common mistake.

In the world, there is a ‘norm of normalcy.’ The personalities of all people living in the world are different, so everyone has their own stories. Yet, there are also overlapping parts.

Regardless of what kind of personality your dad or mom has, if you think on average, there are probably more people who have lived normal lives with parents than those who haven’t. Particularly when considering a country with stable security like this.

I’ve seen copyists make mistakes at work.

It’s unavoidable for a person to see the world through their own eyes. Until you hear from someone else about what their life was like, you often don’t know at all.

A story from a normal person can sometimes hurt someone who hasn’t lived such a normal life.

In this world, I don’t have family.

Well, I’m okay, I guess. I had family in my past life.

Honestly, my family used to say harsher things than Ria’s dad ever did.

“It’s okay, Ria. You can tell me.”

I said, giving a slight smile while holding Ria’s arm.

“We’re friends, right?”

“…”

At my words, Ria stared blankly for a moment.

Ever since the last time, Ria had been wearing a friendship ring on her hand. I had always done so as well.

People sometimes looked at us like we were strange, but no one said anything. I mean, what would it even mean to say something?

Friends tend to share things they can’t tell anyone else. It may not solve the problem, but it can lighten the heart.

Ria looked at my face, struggling to find her words, before finally turning her gaze away.

“…Well, still.”

Ria muttered, unable to look me in the eye.

“I’m glad someone like you is here.”

At those words, I smiled brightly.

I turned my body, trying to look at Ria’s face, but she ultimately didn’t show her face.

I can’t keep up with those quick movements, that’s for sure.