Chapter 10. Stubbornness and Arrogance (2)

It was a day off from training.

Because I was a strong candidate for Saint and was undergoing practical training with Ria, the church allowed us to go out occasionally. However, they didn’t let us act entirely as we pleased.

When we weren’t doing anything else, we naturally participated in church activities. If there was an event, we’d participate, and on days without events, we’d do routine tasks like cleaning.

The church was particularly quiet during those times. While it was bustling during prayer times, a convent wasn’t fundamentally that kind of space.

When holding a broom, only the soft rustling sound of sweeping the floor could be heard.

It was a weekend without classes at the Hunter Association. Ria and I were cleaning the backyard of the convent with brooms.

Ah, and it wasn’t just Ria around me. Of course, other nuns were also cleaning. And among them, there were two people who weren’t nuns.

Gloria was also staying at the church. Although she wasn’t a nun, she wore a nun’s habit and a veil on her head inside. Perhaps she learned incorrectly, but like Ria and me, she just casually placed the veil on her head.

And next to her was a servant who came with Gloria. He was also dressed in a nun’s habit, but he wore his veil properly. He tucked all his hair inside the white hood, ensuring the black cloth on top covered all his long hair.

Is there a similar rule in the Elf kingdom? Well, they have a similar religion there too. A religion that worships the being above. Just like the gnomes and dwarves.

There were many people, and although everyone was moving their brooms, there wasn’t much conversation.

If someone were to speak, everyone around them would probably hear it.

“Ah, you know…”

So I thought this was the right time.

It was early July. The timing was appropriate, especially considering the events within the main story.

“Hm?”

While others didn’t react much, Ria, who was mechanically moving her arms with a dazed look in her eyes, responded immediately.

I found it a bit amusing that she had an attitude of not caring as long as there was something to pass the time.

“It seems like the Dwarf Kingdom’s princess is about to be kidnapped.”

Swish, swish, the sound of the broom sweeping the floor stopped abruptly.

“…”

All eyes turned towards me.

“…Uh, so… what did you say?”

Ria asked again, as if doubting her own ears.

“I said the Dwarf Kingdom’s princess is going to be kidnapped.”

At least, that’s what happened in the novel.

Because of that, the relationship between the gnomes and dwarves worsened tremendously, and it almost escalated into war again.

In reality, there were armed conflicts, and many casualties occurred.

And then, during that time, the issue of the magic crystal overlapped, and the gnomes lost their homeland, becoming refugees and entrusting their entire race to this country.

The reason I said ‘gnomes’ was because the number of survivors on the dwarf side was not accurately estimated. The term ‘not accurately estimated’ is actually a euphemism; in reality, the dwarves in that region were simply wiped out.

Just as gnomes dug caves in the rocky mountains to avoid the hot sun, dwarves living in high altitudes burrowed into mountains to escape the cold.

The accident that occurred in that region buried the entire dwarf kingdom. Not with mudslides, but with overflowing magic, along with their civilization.

The only survivors were the very few dwarves who were in this world at the time. Moreover, they were all male politicians, making it far from enough to continue the race. In essence, the Dwarf Kingdom had perished.

…Later, dwarves contaminated by magic would become undead and invade through the gates.

“Um, she hasn’t been kidnapped or anything yet, right? I haven’t heard any such news.”

“If something like that had happened, news would have spread, of course.”

Ria said with a serious expression.

“That’s a relief. It means we can take measures before the princess is kidnapped.”

Just as the contaminated lake in the gnome region later engulfed the gnome territory, the kidnapping of the Dwarf princess must have been the cause of that situation.

The reason the dwarf undead stopped their activities was at the core, the place where the kidnapped princess was.

After the Saint, with her holy power, shattered the magic crystal, which was intertwined with the princess-or rather, created using the princess alive-the undead, who moved by piecing together their remaining parts even when their bodies were in pieces, stopped moving.

That… isn’t that a tragedy?

It must be prevented before it happens.

At least, it should be much easier thanks to the thorough purification of the gnome region previously.

“…”

Ria lifted her head and looked up at the sky.

The weather in early July still seemed endlessly clear. The rainy season hadn’t arrived yet.

“Was that… a prophecy?”

“Yes.”

Ria, who had been calmly looking up at the intensely shining sun, lowered her head again and looked at me.

“No…”

Ria muttered.

And then, soon, she raised her voice a little higher.

“No, if you’re going to talk about prophecies, at least set the mood first. Don’t just blurt them out like casual conversation!”

Gloria and her maid were staring at us blankly with their mouths agape.

Through the pouring sunlight, the light bestowed by the being above enveloped us.

As if to vouch for my words.

The nuns around us quickly moved away as if fleeing.

Ria, with an angry expression, waved her hand in front of my face to dispel the holy power.

…Hmm.

Did I bring it up too suddenly?

No, but then how am I supposed to bring it up?

*

There’s a reason I deliberately brought it up where Gloria could hear.

It would be helpful to get the sincere cooperation of someone who knows how to use magic.

Yuri is a good kid, of course, and skilled too. However, she fundamentally prioritizes Lee Si-yoon’s existence.

Lee Si-yoon ‘awakened’ after eating the chocolate infused with my power last time.

I don’t know if it was because she already had such talent or because her faith was so purely deep. In fact, if the condition was to receive holy power and awaken, she should have awakened when I treated her.

Well, I’ll look into that later, but thanks to that, Lee Si-yoon, who suddenly received the spotlight, has made me a bit edgy.

She seems to be under the delusion that ‘He only liked me…!’

Well, having the two of them together is one of my goals.

But they can’t be left out this time. Since both of them were quite active when they were with me last time, they will probably be included in the party.

I decided to place the two of them in appropriate locations. It would be best to place them where they can protect civilians. I just need to give them plenty of gems and chocolates made by gnomes infused with holy power.

On the other hand, I want Gloria to go with us.

“The power to open a gate?”

Ria made a subtle expression.

“Yes, possibly. It’s only a possibility, though.”

Is it possible to open a gate with human power?

Ah, of course, that’s not a normal thing. It’s ‘usually’ impossible. It was described that way in the novel too.

A large-scale natural phenomenon whose cause cannot be identified. A disaster that humans cannot control. Like a tornado that appears in an open field.

However, the Dwarf Kingdom’s princess had managed to do it.

Although it wasn’t with her own power-she merged with the magic crystal, and without her will.

There is no gate directly to the Dwarf Kingdom in this country. In the first place, when the gnome refugees came over, the gate to the gnome region was closed by this side at that time.

However, the invasion of the dwarf undead army occurred through a gate. Just like when the Gate incident happened in the very early stages.

In the original work, there is no description of the Dwarf Kingdom’s princess creating such a thing. It is only described that the dwarf undead were under the control of that magic crystal.

But thinking about it now, that gate-was probably created by the princess.

At least, the princess’s power would have been necessary.

“I think it’s worth investigating, what do you think?”

To my serious question, Ria sighed deeply after staring at me for a while.

“Well, whether there’s a possibility or not, you intend to save the princess from the beginning anyway. And the dwarves too.”

“…”

“Do I not know you? Well, it’s not like we’ve known each other our whole lives, but you’re the easiest person to figure out among the people I’ve met.”

“That’s not a compliment, is it?”

As I asked with a frown, Ria looked at me intently once more.

“Why?”

To my question, Ria chuckled.

Then, placing her hand on my head, she said.

“No, it is a compliment.”

“…What kind of compliment is that?”

“It’s a real compliment. At least, it means you never stand by and watch someone in danger.”

“…”

I have no idea how to respond to this statement.

As I looked at Ria with a slightly bewildered expression, Ria grinned and ruffled my hair vigorously.

“Aah!?”

Even as I let out a protesting scream, her hand didn’t leave my hair for a while.