Chapter 1. Candidate and Candidate (7)

Although Anna’s reputation wasn’t exactly stellar due to her tendency to spout strange things within the convent, it was clear that Anna was not at fault in this incident.

It was Chae-eun who openly grabbed her wrist and dragged her, and it was Chae-eun who openly asked in front of that person.

The Nun Superior looked back and forth between Anna and Chae-eun.

Anna had a smile that seemed like she had achieved enlightenment. To be more precise, it was an expression as if her soul had departed somewhere.

Chae-eun thought that smile might be a form of defense mechanism.

Seeing Anna like that, the Nun Superior sighed deeply and said in a soft voice.

“Sister Anna, please return to your room first.”

“Understood, Abbess-nim.”

Anna replied somewhat stiffly and walked with equally stiff steps towards the dormitory.

The other nuns nearby moved aside, their expressions showing they didn’t know whether to laugh or worry.

“And… Sister Maria.”

The Nun Superior glared at Chae-eun and said.

“…Follow me.”

At that voice, the other nuns held their breath, but Chae-eun did not.

To be honest, Anna’s reaction wasn’t entirely irrelevant to her, but somehow, she also felt a sense of relief.

Anna was fundamentally an interesting person, but she also had an atmosphere of being too lost in her own world.

The place the Nun Superior headed was the counseling room, which Chae-eun had visited before.

After offering Chae-eun a seat, the Nun Superior brought out teacups and tea, just as she had done last time.

She placed one cup in front of Chae-eun and then sat facing Chae-eun with a cup in front of her own seat.

“Sister, may I ask what prompted your actions just now?”

“Um, well.”

Still unfazed, Chae-eun said.

“It’s like this. Since she’s making strange judgments and thinking strange thoughts, isn’t it necessary to correct her once?”

Chae-eun could immediately recognize those scouts.

She didn’t know their faces, but such people have a distinctive aura. Although they hadn’t directly approached her to scout her, some of her classmates occasionally received offers from such people and actually joined. In fact, Chae-eun had a few friends who were already being trained as members of an association.

“Sister, do you remember the conversation we had when you first entered the convent?”

“I remember.”

Chae-eun let out a light sigh.

“You said that if I could change the mind of the Saint Candidate and make her want to stay in the church more leisurely… you would speak well with my father and help me leave the convent.”

Hero Candidate.

While the church wanted to secure such talent, in reality, even Heroes rarely became official members of the church.

After all, living as a nun for life is, for most people, a bit difficult. Conversely, it was the same for the position of a monastic or a priest.

To live a life of abstinence while earning so much with such good abilities, it’s much easier to manage one’s affairs by living as an outsider, even if connected to the church.

If a ‘Saint Candidate’ in this cathedral had truly acted devoutly, the church might have tried to secure Chae-eun through that Saint Candidate.

The problem is that this Saint Candidate- that is, Anna- doesn’t seem to see the church as anything more than a tool for her own use.

Even if it’s temporary, she’s someone who will leave in a year or two, as she said herself.

Until now, the position of Saint Candidate or Saint Candidate was a very attractive one. It’s true that from the moment one holds that position, they live a life of abstinence, but in the first place, someone who possesses such divine power must be devout from the bottom of their heart.

Is there any reason why someone who believes with unwavering faith wouldn’t accept the positions of Saint and Saint?

Yet, Anna, the first ‘Saint Candidate’ to emerge from this church, has already uttered words denying the existence of God multiple times.

She heard such rumors. That the Cardinal, furious, tried to excommunicate her himself, but many people intervened to stop him.

There were also rumors that this church had a nun with divine power capable of saving even someone on the verge of death.

It also seems there was a person who testified to having seen God.

However, most of that information was fragmented and had many ambiguous aspects that made it difficult to ‘piece together.’ She looked like someone who would openly have fun, denied God, and yet, her divine power, which requires strong faith to use, was the strongest among all Saint Candidates?

Hunters value information and train diligently to filter out useless information. In front of monsters, a single piece of incorrect common sense can lead to the loss of a head or limbs. And from Chae-eun’s perspective, that information was simply ‘completely useless’ information.

But Anna, whom she saw in person-

“But… if she herself so firmly dislikes it, is there any reason to keep her in the church?”

After meeting Anna several times, Chae-eun’s thoughts changed a little.

She said strange things, bothered her with flimsy logic, was sometimes a bit noisy, and lived as she pleased, modifying her nun’s habit or dyeing her hair.

She didn’t seem particularly impressive. Although the light of the God she didn’t believe in sometimes shone around her, Chae-eun had seen that much light from other Saint Candidates.

…Although she was offered this when she first came here, honestly, whether she accepted it or not, her rigid father would likely remain sulky for a long time. Therefore, she thought it would be less boring and better to help Anna live as she pleased.

As for the scouts…

Clergy members who can heal the injured immediately are in demand everywhere. And if she’s a Saint Candidate, she’s a talent on a different level from ordinary clergy with minimal ability.

If such talent is about to be lost, they have no choice but to rush in. Those people would have heard the rumors too.

“……”

However, the Nun Superior, after hearing Chae-eun’s words, lifted her teacup, took a sip, and delayed her answer slightly.

“Sister.”

After a long pause, the Nun Superior finally opened her mouth.

“I don’t particularly like expressing myself this way either… but Sister, you haven’t even been with Sister Anna for a week yet, have you?”

“Yes, that’s true, but…”

Nodding to Chae-eun, who shrugged her shoulders as if it were no big deal, the Nun Superior spoke in a slightly more serious voice.

“I’ve known her for 15 years. And I’ve seen what Anna has done and what she can do.”

“……”

If she said that much, Chae-eun had nothing more to say.

It was a story that was hard to believe just by looking at her, but what could she say when someone who had been by her side for 15 years spoke like that?

“I believe. Sister Anna has a more devout heart than anyone I know- yes, even more than Father-nim or myself. For some reason, she keeps denying her heart.”

This story, too, was something that was hard to believe until she saw it in person.

“So, recently, I even tried talking to her in a half-threatening manner. Either stay, or leave immediately… It wasn’t very effective.”

In fact, the reason Chae-eun was assigned was not because the Nun Superior or the priest fully trusted Chae-eun- but because of her father’s request.

He said she needed to correct her manners, so she should be placed next to someone as devout as possible.

Chae-eun’s shouting at that statement and her reluctant acceptance of the Nun Superior’s request were all for that reason.

“If you say so, I’ll try my best.”

Chae-eun sighed deeply.

“She’s so stubborn… You know that, right?”

The Nun Superior smiled bitterly.

There was no more conversation to be had.

After all, they both had something they wanted, but there was no other way.

As the two people sipped the remaining tea in silence-

Knock knock.

A little too hastily, someone knocked on the door of the counseling room.

[Abbess-nim!]

The voice was also urgent.

It wasn’t Anna’s voice.

[Abbess, it’s an injured person! An injured person on the verge of going to God’s side!]

Upon hearing that, the Nun Superior immediately got up from her seat. Chae-eun also got up following her, albeit hesitantly.

The Nun Superior walked quickly to the counseling room door and flung it open.

On the other side was a young nun, out of breath, as if she had run all the way here.

“Sister Anna-“

“She’s already on her way!”

“Understood. I will go as well. Sister, please return to your room.”

“Ah, yes!”

After sending the nun back to her room, the Nun Superior turned and looked at Chae-eun.

“Sister Maria. This is a good opportunity. Would you like to go and see what Sister Anna can do?”

Chae-eun blinked.

*

It was the first time Chae-eun had seen the Nun Superior run.

Although it was a speed that Chae-eun could easily catch up to with her own running, it was likely the Nun Superior’s best effort.

It probably meant the situation was that urgent.

The direction they were heading was deep into the church. This ‘deep’ also meant physically deep. It was literally a path leading underground.

By the time the Nun Superior and Chae-eun arrived there, Anna and the priest were already by the patient’s side. And probably some older nuns who helped move the patient, and some people who seemed to be colleagues of the injured person.

The patient wasn’t as bloody as I expected.

Although the clothes were torn and the ends were stained with blood, the wound itself was surprisingly clean. Seeing it wet, it seemed to have been washed with holy water, but the wound was already rotting black.

Although she had never seen it directly, Chae-eun knew the cause of such wounds from her studies.

Among the gates, there were not only those with high levels but also types that led to places filled with all sorts of wicked toxins.

It would be good if one could feel the ominousness from the scene visible beyond the gate, but the gate is, after all, a door to another world. The space beyond is usually as vast as Earth.

Therefore, it is common to discover new caves or forests beyond and enter them, only to end up in such a state. This often happens to exploration teams.

Seeing the wound, Chae-eun thought.

Ah, this is not going to work.

The rate of rotting was visible to the naked eye. Even though holy water had been poured, the wound showed no signs of healing. It was clear that within an hour, this injured person would be unrecognizable.

If the wound were in one place, it could be treated by extreme amputation, but the man had sustained stab wounds all over his body.

“You were lucky. You’ll be alright.”

However, Anna, kneeling beside the injured person, said something that defied common sense.

Chae-eun blinked.

Ah, perhaps she’s comforting someone who is about to pass away? To allow them to be at peace even in their final moments.

But Anna’s next action was the complete opposite of what Anna had shown Chae-eun until now.

Anna, kneeling reverently, extended both hands forward.

Looking again, Anna wasn’t wearing a veil on her head. Had the veil she had casually placed on her head fallen off?

She had run so much that her temples and the back of her neck were wet with sweat, and her hair was stuck to her skin.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be able to recover, Brother.”

Anna said calmly, her voice even containing a hint of a smile.

And-

And, there was light.

Many people consider divine power to be proof of God’s existence. And this was a correct assertion. Although God never called himself God directly, the closer one feels to God’s existence, the more effectively they can use that power.

Anna- the Saint Candidate who had poured out words denying God- was now using such power.

It wasn’t just a simple proof; it was an intense light that instilled a sense of certainty just by its presence, a level of power that even Chae-eun, who had met countless clergy members, had never seen before.

Such light illuminated every corner of the somewhat dark basement. For a moment, Chae-eun felt as if she were standing under the bright summer sun.

The light slowly faded.

As if returning to where it belonged, the light that faded into Anna’s hands disappeared completely, leaving even Chae-eun feeling a slight sense of regret.

“……”

Silence descended in the room-

“……Huff!”

The patient, who had been on the verge of death just moments ago, took a breath.

Only then did Chae-eun realize that there were no wounds left on the patient’s body.

“……Thank you.”

Someone muttered that.

“Thank you.”

“Oh, God.”

A voice that sounded like a quiet prayer.

“It will be alright now.”

Led by Anna’s voice, Chae-eun lowered her gaze again.

Anna, with her body recovered, was speaking while placing her hand on the shoulder of the injured person who had not yet fully regained consciousness.

“…Saint-nim.”

“……”

“May God’s blessings be with you, Saint-nim.”

“……And with you, Brother.”

Seeing Anna say that, Chae-eun’s mouth fell open blankly once more.

Anna stood up as if her work was done.

Most people in the room were kneeling on the floor, offering prayers.

Prayers of gratitude to God.

Because the power Anna used was God’s power.

……

Chae-eun felt something strange.

Anna slightly bowed her head to the Nun Superior standing behind her. The Nun Superior also clasped her hands together and bowed her head towards Anna.

For a moment, Anna and Chae-eun’s gazes met.

Anna shrugged her shoulders as if it were nothing. Even though her forehead was thoroughly drenched with sweat.

And then, passing by Chae-eun, she left the basement.

Once again, Chae-eun felt a sense of dissonance.

As if possessed, Chae-eun turned and followed Anna out.

“Wait a moment.”

And then, she grabbed Anna’s arm as she reached the top of the stairs and stopped her.

“Yes?”

To Anna, who turned back with a slightly surprised expression, Chae-eun asked point-blank.

“You said you don’t believe in God.”

“Uh… To be precise, I think the being above isn’t God, but well, it’s somewhat similar. I think the concept is vague too.”

At Anna’s answer, Chae-eun let out a hollow laugh as if incredulous.

“Then, what was that just now?”

“It’s probably the power of the being above.”

“……”

Chae-eun stared at Anna blankly for a moment.

“Why?”

“No, why, you ask…”

With a confused mind, Chae-eun thought about it back and forth, and then finally managed to open her mouth again.

“Your thought… that is, after openly saying you don’t believe in God like that, why did you save that person? Until now, you’ve been swatting away the light that shines from above your head with your hands.”

“Well, yes. This thought of mine is also a kind of pride. It’s also a sense of self-esteem.”

“And then?”

“And then?”

Chae-eun tilted her head again, as if not understanding why Anna was asking such a question.

“If it’s pride and self-esteem… the reason for doing such a thing.”

“If you take pride in yourself, does the person’s wound heal on its own?”

“……Uh.”

“If I endure a little, I can save a person’s life, so what’s the big deal? Pride isn’t some expensive item.”

Chae-eun couldn’t say anything.

“Ah, again.”

As light shone on her own face, Anna scrunched her eyebrows and waved her hand.

When Chae-eun let go of her hand, Anna turned around again and headed towards the dormitory.

“Ah, really…!”

As light began to emanate directly from around her head, Anna stopped in place and spun her head around as if doing a ribbon dance with her hair.

Objectively speaking, it was a comical sight-

Chae-eun couldn’t bring herself to laugh at Anna like that with a light heart.

She finally understood what the Nun Superior had meant.