[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 204

Ding-a-ling!

───

[Facing the Weak Self]

The player comes face to face with their weak self.

◇Condition: Overcome Trauma

───

“Tiny!”

“Huh?”

When I slipped my hand into Baekseol’s armpit and lifted her up, she dangled and came along.

She’s gotten bigger.

“Why has our Pposiraegi grown so big?”

“Nice!”

My hand is really small.

When I bow my head, the ground looks way too close.

In summary, it seems I’ve shrunk.

“Baekseol needs to eat a lot. Even if she grows, she’s still small.”

“Yep!”

Baekseol scurries up my arm and slips into my pocket.

When I pull out a cigarette from the space, a cigarette pack larger than my palm pops out.

─Click, click.

“Phew─”

The cigarette, which was always short, now looks like a cigar in comparison. Maybe that’s not so bad.

“Hmm.”

Even after checking the quest window, I have no idea what it’s saying. There’s no particular trauma to speak of.

In cases like this, I need to gather information first, but the only instruction is to “overcome.” It’s too vague—there’s nothing to work with.

“Phew─”

Tall grass and trees grow around me. A narrow path, as if people have walked through, cuts through them.

For now, it seems I have no choice but to follow this path.

《The echoing thunder shows interest in the player Han Ga-eul.》

As I try to take a step, a sudden message from a divine being pops up.

Other divine beings feel more playful, but the owner of this message doesn’t seem to care about hiding themselves.

“Let’s go that way.”

“Yep!”

Ignoring the message, I speak to Baekseol, who peeks her face out of the pocket. After giving her a quick head pat, she perks her ears and slips back inside.

“Phew─”

After walking for a while, a tall, pointed building comes into view through the narrow trees.

As I get closer, the building’s shape becomes clearer. It looks like a cathedral.

It seems to be a religious building.

*Tap.*

I jump over the fence in front of me and start to sense movement in the distance.

Just from that jump, I can tell my body has weakened a lot.

In this state, forget wielding Ruyi Jingu Bang—I probably can’t even swing a toy.

“Phew─”

Smoking a cigarette, I head toward the movement and see children struggling to carry heavy laundry and hang it up.

As I stare blankly, someone approaches with quick steps.

It’s an adult standing next to the kids, arms crossed.

“You don’t seem to be from around here. Where are you from?”

A young woman with long brown hair and a plain face. Freckles are faintly visible on her cheeks.

Maybe it’s a complex, but she’s covered them with makeup.

“I got lost in the forest and ended up here.”

“Where are your parents?”

“In the sky.”

I point upward with my finger, and the woman narrows her eyes.

“Is that so?”

“Yep.”

The woman, who had been keeping her distance, smiles slyly and approaches.

*Thwack!*

She slaps my hand, and the cigarette sparks before falling to the ground.

“Did you pick that up in the forest? Kids shouldn’t play with things like that.”

“Yep.”

The back of my hand…

It’s sharp.

The kids doing laundry are grubby, but the woman’s hands are clean. Not a single nail is broken.

“Are you hungry? Follow me, I’ll give you something to eat.”

“Why?”

“Huh…?”

“Why?”

“Are you not hungry?”

“No, I mean, why are you giving me food?”

The woman’s face twists slightly.

She probably thinks she won’t be seen through by a child, but who knows how young she looks now.

Her forced smile makes the corners of her mouth tremble.

“It’s only natural to offer food to someone who’s hungry.”

“Why?”

“……”

The woman lowers her gaze without answering. A coldness lingers in her eyes.

“Why?”

“Tch.”

When I keep asking, she clicks her tongue softly.

“Why?”

“This is an orphanage run by the Santa Lucia Church. Isn’t it natural to feed a hungry child?”

“Why is that natural?”

“You’re a curious child, aren’t you?”

“This is a primitive fantasy world without even the internet. Isn’t it natural for a child to inherit ancestral knowledge and build wisdom?”

“……”

The woman makes a suspicious face.

“Almost said that. Ma’am, give me food. I’m hungry.”

The woman’s face twists again.

“I’m not a ma’am.”

“Okay, grandma.”

*Snap.*

“Huh? What’s this sound? Is it the sound of wrinkles forming?”

“……You’re quite the mischievous child. Follow me.”

“Okay.”

As I follow the woman, the kids hanging laundry throw glances my way.

They’re all grubby.

Ignoring their stares as if they don’t matter, I enter the building.

Inside, the rough touch of the stonemason’s work is palpable.

To put it nicely, it’s Gothic. To put it bluntly, it’s crudely built.

“Sit and wait.”

I plop down at the table she points to, and she approaches with a piece of bread in hand.

“You must be hungry. Eat.”

“This?”

“It’s not mealtime, so there’s no soup. Fill your stomach for now.”

The black bread is so hard it feels like it’s been sun-dried to insanity.

“If I hit someone’s head with this, they’d probably die. Is that okay?”

“You shouldn’t use such bad language. After you finish eating, go find Anna outside. She’ll assign you a room to sleep in.”

“Okay.”

The woman glances down at me once, then walks out without looking back.

*Thud!*

The old wooden door closes with a loud noise.

“Hmm.”

*Crack. Crackle.*

As I put pressure on it, a sound that should never come from bread echoes.

It crumbles into pieces, completely devoid of moisture.

Looking at the cross-section, it seems to be made of rye and various grains.

*Chk, chk.*

*Whoosh.*

“Whoa.”

When I light the bread with a lighter, it burns better than a flare.

“Phew—”

I use the burning bread to light a cigarette, and when I stomp on the remaining bread, sparks fly spectacularly.

They’ve turned food into a blunt weapon. Clearly the work of a skilled alchemist.

As the fire in the bread faded, I retraced my steps and left, noticing the kids still gathered at the laundry spot.

“Whew—”

*Click.*

I crushed the cigarette and approached, and as if sensing my presence, the kids all turned their heads in unison.

“Who’s Anna?”

“Huh? Me…?”

A particularly tall girl among the kids stepped forward. Her face was tanned, likely from being under the sun for too long.

Her fingertips were covered in eczema, itchy and raw, and her clothes were so worn-out they looked like they’d crumble at the slightest touch.

“New recruit, huh?”

The kids finally swarmed around me.

“Are you new here?”

“Yep.”

“Wow. Your skin’s so fair.”

As soon as one kid spoke, the once-curious eyes of the others filled with wariness.

“Are you… a noble?”

“Nah. I’m untouchable.”

The wariness didn’t seem to fade.

“Ta-da!”

“Wow!”

I pulled out Baekseol, who had been wriggling in my pocket, and the kids’ eyes sparkled as they rushed over.

“So cute!”

“Is it a rabbit?”

“It’s like a snowflake!”

“Yep. It’s Baekseol.”

Baekseol, dangling from my hand, twitched her front paws at the kids.

“She’s so cute. Can I hold her?”

One kid hopped over eagerly.

“You’ll have to ask her.”

“Oh! Right. Hey, bunny, can I hold you?”

Baekseol, perking up her ears, twitched her paws again.

“Yep!”

Her innocence, still untouched by the world, shone through.

“She says it’s okay.”

I handed Baekseol to the kid, who carefully cradled her, unsure what to do.

“Whoa… so fluffy.”

“Baekseol’s a brave bunny, so she’s naturally fluffy.”

“Wow!”

I was glad the kids liked her.

“Anna.”

“Huh, yeah?”

“Let me see your hand.”

Anna slowly approached. She was the tallest among them, but she still looked like a first or second grader.

“I-I’m the older sister…”

If even a kid like her saw me as younger, I must’ve shrunk a lot.

“I’m older than I look. Let’s be friends.”

“Umm…”

“Just give me your hand.”

Anna glanced around nervously before cautiously offering her hand.

As I’d noticed earlier, her hand was raw and covered in small wounds, likely from hard labor.

**〈Heal〉**

Light burst from my hand and seeped into Anna’s, instantly healing her wounds.

“Wow, you’re…”

“I’m Ga-eul. Han Ga-eul.”

“Yep. Your name’s unique. Are you a mage, Ga-eul?”

“I’m a Supporter. It’s similar.”

“I see.”

Anna examined her hand and broke into a bright smile. Finally, she looked like a kid.

That expression suited her much better than the cautious glances she’d been giving earlier.

“Kids, gather up.”

As soon as I spoke, a white cotton ball leaped out from the center of the circle of kids and landed on me.

All their eyes turned to me.

She looked completely drained.

“I’ll make something tasty, so let’s eat till we’re full.”

“Wait, hold on. You’re cooking?”

“Yeah.”

Anna’s expression hardens again as she looks around.

“You shouldn’t eat anything other than the rations.”

Anna’s voice, whispering softly, trembles slightly.

“It’s fine. Let’s eat in secret.”

I take out a piece of candy and pop it into Anna’s mouth. Her eyes widen.

“Good, right?”

Anna nods her head slightly.

I give candy to the kids who are watching with wide eyes, and their cheeks puff up in unison.

“Shh. It’s our little secret.”

I put a finger to my lips, and the kids giggle, copying me.

“Shhh!”

***

“You can sleep here.”

“Thanks, Anna.”

“Yeah. You’ll be alone today, is that okay? Want me to stay with you?”

“It’s fine.”

“Alright.”

Anna nods and leaves the room.

—Click, click.

“Phew.”

I open the door and check, but Anna seems to have already left.

Creak.

The old wooden floor creaks with every step as I walk outside.

As I keep walking, a faint light from what looks like a candle flows from the end of the hallway.

『··········』

Along with the light, a faint voice can be heard.

『·····Tone·····Noble·····Fortune』

『·····Holy Water』

My body seems weaker than I thought, as I can barely hear the voice.

From the few words I can catch, I try to piece it together.

“Hmm, a monster?”

[Trauma recognized]

As soon as I recognize the enemy, I hear something shatter in my head, and my vision slightly heightens.

It seems my body has grown a bit.

I’ve regained a little strength too.

—Click, click.

“Phew—”

『·····Quickly』

“Then I guess I’ll have to die, huh?”