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The priest of the Dion Church approached Shin Mi-rae and Park Yoo-jin.

People called him Jae-hyuk. And as you can tell from his name, he was originally an ordinary person living in South Korea under the name Kim Jae-hyuk.

In other words, he was also a victim of the Great Jeon incident, much like the two of them. However, while both of them had been in this world for less than a year, Jae-hyuk had already lived here for a long twenty years.

This was possible because the dimensional rift affected not just space but also time.

The estimated number of victims caught up in the dimensional rift was about 200 million.

They were transported to various other worlds, but that doesn’t mean there are 200 million different worlds. It’s natural for worlds to overlap, and some of them even had millions of people transported to that world.

However, not everyone transported to the same world is living in the same time period.

Although the dimensional rift swallowed the 200 million victims almost simultaneously, the timing of their arrival in the other world varied. In some extreme cases, there were individuals from thousands of years ago, who had become mere legends, among the victims of the transfer.

Therefore, even if they were transported to the same world, such encounters between the victims hardly ever occurred.

In that sense, you could say that the two were truly fortunate.

At a time when they needed an adult they could rely on, they had met another transfer student, and even more astonishingly, someone from the same country.

Moreover, that person was a priest in a world with a powerful religious authority. Wishing for a better condition than this would be nothing short of greed.

“Call me Kim Jae-hyuk. By the way, what are your names?”

Of course, two kids just over 10 years old wouldn’t have acted with such meticulous calculation.

They simply approached, letting their guard down at the long-lost name of their hometown and the kind smile directed at them.

“…I’m Shin Mi-rae.”

“I-I’m Park Yoo-jin.”

Like typical kids their age, they leaned in and approached without hesitation.

If they were in their original world, their parents might have warned them not to get too close to strangers.

However, there were no parents here.

Starved for the presence of a reliable adult, the two children clung to Jae-hyuk without any hesitation.

Just because they were fellow transfer students didn’t mean they would necessarily be friendly to each other. Among them, there were plenty of villains who used their earlier arrival in this world as a weapon to deceive other transfer students for their own gain.

Fortunately, Kim Jae-hyuk possessed a truly kind nature.

Instead of harming the two, he actively tried to help them out.

“You’re saying you’ll take these two to another orphanage?”

“Yes. Please.”

The next day, Jae-hyuk, who had decided to help the two, moved Shin Mi-rae and Park Yoo-jin to another orphanage where his influence could reach.

Orphanages run by the church generally fall into two categories.

One is a welfare facility that only protects orphans.

The other serves as a seminary, nurturing priests who will support the Church in the future. The place Jae-hyuk took the two to was in the latter category.

“This world has a very strong religious authority. It’s best for an orphan without any background to become a priest so they can live without discomfort as an adult.”

This was something Jae-hyuk personally experienced after arriving in this world twenty years prior.

He had considered all sorts of options like adventurer, mercenary, scholar, farmer, and merchant but concluded that being a priest backed by divine authority was the best choice.

Even if you don’t aim for fame, simply being part of the church would free you from most risks you could encounter in this world.

“First and foremost, survival is the most important. If you can keep surviving, someday the opportunity to return to your original world may come.”

“…Can we really return to our original world?”

“Will we see Mom and Dad again?”

“….”

At their question, Jae-hyuk smiled awkwardly, as if he was in trouble.

Whether they could return to their original world was something Jae-hyuk himself couldn’t answer. He had spent years using the Church’s information to investigate, but he couldn’t find any information about how to cross into another world.

However.

“Um. Of course. We will definitely be able to return. So don’t worry; first let’s work hard to live well in this world.”

He couldn’t bring himself to crush the budding hope in the children’s hearts. Saying this, Jae-hyuk warmly embraced the two anxious kids.

Thus, a new life for Park Yoo-jin and Shin Mi-rae began.

The fact that they lived in an orphanage remained unchanged. However, what had changed was that most of their daytime hours were now devoted to studying theology to become priests.

In the previous orphanage, they had been forced to study theology without any genuine interest, leading to little success.

But now, with a clear purpose of survival and return, and under the guidance of the trustworthy adult named Kim Jae-hyuk, they approached their studies. Moreover, since they were both still young and adapting quickly, they began absorbing the knowledge of this world like a sponge in water.

Seven years passed like that.

Shin Mi-rae and Park Yoo-jin both turned 18.

In this world, being 18 meant they were regarded as full-fledged adults.

It was also the age when they could receive baptism from the deity and be officially recognized as believers, as well as the minimum age to enter a theological university to train to become priests.

“Ah, Uncle!!”

After finishing his business at the temple, Jae-hyuk visited the orphanage after two weeks. The moment he entered, Park Yoo-jin, who had been waiting after hearing the news, rushed over.

“It’s been a while, Yoo-jin. Have you been well? Did you study hard?”

“Wow, seriously! You come after two weeks and start nagging before even saying hello?”

“I’m worried since the college entrance exam date is just around the corner.”

“Don’t worry, I’m doing totally well! I can discuss theology with the head nun all day long!”

“Haha, really? The head nun here is a university researcher, so it looks like you’re really working hard!”

Having found success in studying since his time in the original world, Park Yoo-jin excelled in theology as well. Influenced by his interest in history from his past, he demonstrated a depth of understanding in religious history that could stand up to university students.

Though he had thrown himself into the priesthood to survive, it was a bonus that he could enjoy it as well. Jae-hyuk smiled contentedly and asked Park Yoo-jin.

“How’s Mi-rae doing? Is she also doing well?”

“…Mi-rae is working hard too. However, I think the exam date is looming over her, and it’s putting a lot of pressure on her. Just yesterday, she was locked in the prayer room all day, praying.”

“All day…?”

Jae-hyuk’s expression flickered with a moment of worry at Park Yoo-jin’s testimony.

Though it was not something a priest should say, to him, the priesthood was merely a means of survival.

As such, he only practiced his faith at the necessary minimum level. Other than that, he devoted his time to gathering information to return to his original world or researching academic pursuits unrelated to faith.

He had taught the two kids his values regarding this too.

Survive using religion, but never get too deeply immersed in it.

Certainly, having strong faith can have many benefits. For example, once you become a priest and begin to wield holy magic, a strong belief directly correlates to your capacity to wield divine power. If your faith is robust, it becomes easier to become a high priest.

However, just like it’s not good in reality to be overly absorbed in religion, the same should apply here. Especially since this was a world where gods truly existed and had direct influences, faith should be approached with even more caution.

The residents of this world had a strong tendency to base all value judgments on religion. As someone from modern society, Jae-hyuk instinctively felt a rejection towards the residents who depended excessively on religion.

At least he had become an adult in his original world, so he was thankful he had already formed his own values.

Park Yoo-jin and Shin Mi-rae had come to this world as mere ten-year-olds. Naturally, they would be strongly influenced by religion as they formed their values.

Concerned about this, Jae-hyuk always warned the two not to become overly immersed in religion.

Fortunately, apart from her extensive theological knowledge, Park Yoo-jin clearly drew a line between religion and herself. On the other hand, Jae-hyuk was always worried that Shin Mi-rae seemed to be going down the path he feared.

“Is Mi-rae still in the prayer room?”

“Probably. I told her you were coming soon, but she didn’t come out. Usually, she stays that way until dinner time.”

“Then I’ll go greet her for a moment.”

Jae-hyuk patted Park Yoo-jin on the shoulder and headed towards the prayer room where Shin Mi-rae was.

-……. ……. …….

Inside the chapel adjoining the orphanage, familiar voices were emanating from within the prayer room, surrounded by wooden walls.

The desperate cries calling to the gods were unmistakably Shin Mi-rae’s. The content of her prayers matched his expectations perfectly. “Please calm the anxiety that hangs over my eyes, grant me the strength and wisdom to overcome this adversity…”

“Mi-rae.”

-……!!

As soon as he arrived at the prayer room door and called out to her, the prayer noises from inside stopped.

-Click.

Moments later, Shin Mi-rae opened the door and peeked out. It seemed she hadn’t been sleeping well these past few days; her fair skin was marred by dark circles.

“You said you’d come, so I expected you’d be here. I came to see you—was I in the way?”

“…No. I’ll finish up soon.”

Shutting the door behind her, Shin Mi-rae prayed a bit more for about five minutes before exiting the prayer room.

“It’s been a while, Uncle.”

“…Yeah. It’s been a while.”

Seeing Shin Mi-rae bow her head in greeting, Jae-hyuk couldn’t hide his worried expression.

Compared to Park Yoo-jin, who had a healthy build, Shin Mi-rae looked quite frail, with an all-too-visible lack of health.

Her skin, so pale it seemed she had never seen the sun, looked clean to the point of being heart-wrenching.

Having grown up in the same orphanage, but showing a stark contrast to the robust Park Yoo-jin, it was clear that the anxiety weighing on her heart had a significant impact on her appearance.

“Mi-rae, I’ve heard you’ve been diligently praying in the prayer room lately. Do you have any worries? If it’s okay, I can listen.”

“…No, I’m okay. I just pray about my worries to the gods.”

“Of course, prayer is good. Still, I believe worries should be shared with people. They say teamwork makes the dream work, right? I’m a priest, so wouldn’t you feel comfortable confessing your worries to me?”

“Is that… so?”

At Jae-hyuk’s words, Shin Mi-rae seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking to him with a troubled expression.

“To be honest, I don’t even know what I’m worried about. I just feel anxious all the time.”

“What’s making you anxious? Are you worried about not being able to return to your original world?”

Shin Mi-rae nodded. But at the same time, she held back words that tumbled to the tip of her tongue.

It was true she had some anxiety about not being able to return to her original world.

However, what loomed larger than that was a deeper anxiety about the very god she believed in.

The gods in this world were not absolute beings commonly described as ‘omnipotent’. However, as their standing as gods increased, they began to resemble omnipotent beings more closely.

And the god of the Dion Church they served, Dion, was one of the strongest gods, corresponding to a deity.

His domains were war and the sun. Accordingly, many followers of the Dion Church exhibited aggressive traits. Sometimes this aggression targeted non-believers or followers of other gods, leading to problems.

The source of Shin Mi-rae’s anxiety stemmed from this very aggression of Dion and his followers.

The three of them had plunged into religion for the sake of survival. While it wasn’t uncommon for cases like theirs, it was hard to claim that it was rooted in good intentions.

Thus, Shin Mi-rae felt unsettled.

What if the other followers found out about their circumstances? Or what if their deity, Dion, discovered their intentions?

They might condemn them as heretics trying to use the sacred religion as a means of survival.

In reality, radical factions within the Dion Church often voiced their demands to oust secular and moderate priests like Jae-hyuk. While Jae-hyuk himself adeptly maintained his position without being targeted by radicals, he couldn’t guarantee that they wouldn’t direct their arrows towards them someday.

To quell that anxiety, Shin Mi-rae desperately clung to her prayers. However, the more she prayed, the more her anxiety intensified.

After all, Shin Mi-rae’s faith was not genuine; it was a faith based on running away from fear.

Deep down in her heart, being from the modern world, she harbored an instinctive rejection of religion and faith, just like Jae-hyuk and Park Yoo-jin. No matter how much she tried to cover it up with visible prayers, her roots as a modern human would never change.

…If only she could drop everything and sincerely believe in the deity.

If she could do that, at least she wouldn’t face the scorn of not having true faith.

“…”

However, she couldn’t reveal her inner thoughts to Jae-hyuk.

Even if she did, he would surely just tell her to brace herself and endure, saying that someday the day would come when they would return to their original world.

“But when will that be?”

Can I return before they discover I’m a phony believer? What if I get exposed beforehand and receive divine punishment, ending up in hell instead?

“Mi-rae. You don’t need to feel too anxious. We will definitely be able to return. You need to believe and endure. If you endure and keep enduring, that day will surely come.”

Just look at her; she’s expressing how anxious she feels, yet he’s merely spewing unfounded optimism.

Even though Jae-hyuk was equally anxious, he offered hopeful words for little Shin Mi-rae. However, that consideration only intensified her anxiety.

She was scared. Scared that people would learn of her sins.

She was scared. Scared that the god might punish her.

-Clutch.

Shin Mi-rae clasped her hands tightly in uncertainty about the future and closed her eyes.

Ah, O Great and Strong Father Dion.

Please take me as your servant instead.

I’ll become a loyal servant without any thoughts, free from anxiety and fear.

Please save me by making me such a faithful servant.

Shin Mi-rae prayed earnestly to the unseen god.

Naturally, there was no response. Hearing the voice of a god was a privilege reserved for a select few priests.

‘Right, no matter how much I pray, the god won’t reply to me…’

At that moment, a small thought flickered through Shin Mi-rae’s mind.

‘But if I rise to a high position in the Church, I would surely be able to hear the answers from the god…?’

If I study hard and climb to a high position.

Bow down and worship before the god.

Confess my sins in detail.

I will repent and submit.

If I sincerely say that and ask to be made into a faithful servant, and if the god answers me, then perhaps this anxiety and fear I feel would finally disappear.

That fleeting thought that crossed the mind of eighteen-year-old Shin Mi-rae became a catalyst that would significantly alter her life and the lives of Park Yoo-jin and Kim Jae-hyuk as well.