Chapter 11. Summer and the Sea (11)

And so, our summer vacation, which was splendid if I may say so, came to an end.

Well, we did everything we wanted to do, and if you consider that we had an adventure, there’s nothing to regret. We would have been preparing to return around that time anyway.

The real problem, however,

“So, you’re saying that Sister Anna and Sister Maria, who claimed they were going to a place with beautiful mountains and clear water for spiritual training, actually enjoyed playing in the water in scandalous attire.”

That’s right.

The problem was that the Nun Superior found out how we had played.

Fortunately, she didn’t find out about the photos Ria took.

…If she’s horrified by us wearing bikinis, I don’t know what kind of reprimand would fall if she found out we also wore veils on our heads.

“No, that’s…”

I opened my mouth to try and make an excuse.

However, someone spoke before I could say anything.

“I was the one who suggested it.”

It was Ria.

“…Sister Maria.”

“Anna never said she wanted to wear a swimsuit or anything. I wanted to go play, so I suggested it. Anna just went along with it.”

I stared blankly at Ria.

“Sister Anna?”

The Nun Superior looked at me and asked. Her expression was very serious.

I organized my thoughts for a moment.

It’s true that Ria suggested it first. It’s also true that I didn’t want to wear a swimsuit… I did say I didn’t want to. I also gave reasons, mentioning my position when I refused.

But, to be honest.

Did I really not want to go?

If I didn’t want to go, and Ria dragged me there forcefully, is this incident the result?

“…No, that’s not it.”

Although it’s a bit unfair to Ria, who bravely spoke up first, no matter how I think about it, saying that would just be shifting all the blame onto Ria.

Even if Ria is my knight and has taken it upon herself to protect me from danger, that’s going too far.

I went to the sea because I wanted to go. If I had stubbornly refused, Ria would have definitely stopped. If I had truly gotten angry, she wouldn’t have done it. Ria is a good kid.

Moreover, even though I said I didn’t want to, I helped Ria choose her swimsuit. A red bikini swimsuit with a lot of exposure, in many ways.

And I enjoyed playing in the water. Honestly, I enjoyed it quite a bit. The time spent playing with Ria and the others was fun.

For me to shift all the blame onto Ria here is no different from denying all that time.

“It was my choice. I… I went because I wanted to go play.”

“Anna?”

Ria looked at me, seemingly a little surprised.

Seeing Ria’s surprised expression, I smiled. Somehow, seeing Ria look surprised gave me a little courage.

Yeah, so what?

Are they going to kick me out? Actually, for the church, there’s no other option. Although there’s an Inquisition and related knights within the church, they don’t have the right to torture or kill me. Even though this country officially recognizes the existence of God, the criminal law hasn’t collapsed to that extent.

The most the church can do is excommunication. If I had truly killed people as a heretic, I could have received further punishment under church law, but to punish me just for being a little exposed in front of others was very out of line with modern societal sensibilities.

“No, but I was the one who brought it up first. Anna was trying to be clear about her position.”

“Still, it only became possible because I said I’d go. If I hadn’t, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

“…”

Seeing us rush to speak, the Nun Superior put her hand to her forehead.

After remaining silent for a while, the Nun Superior finally seemed to have organized her thoughts,

“…I will ask only one thing.”

She began.

“Was the reason you were there at that time because of a prophecy?”

Hmm.

Have I used it too often? Now she thinks that any danger I face is due to a prophecy.

For a brief moment, I felt tempted.

Should I just say it was a prophecy and get away with it cleanly? I was a person on the verge of becoming a Saint, so if I said that, it might be believable.

But, that still feels like going too far.

“No, it’s not like that.”

If I truly needed to survive, and if I had acted to prevent a disaster based on what I saw in the novel, I would have gladly said so. To resolve future events as rationally and logically as possible, it’s necessary to dispel suspicion.

However, this incident is all over, and it was related to my selfish desires.

…I didn’t want to exploit the being that compassionately helps people to the best of its ability in that way. This was a matter of loyalty, in a sense.

“This incident happened entirely based on my judgment, and the being above was not involved. It merely helped me defeat the monster.”

“…”

The Nun Superior’s gaze shifted slightly upwards towards my head.

A faint light was descending from there. I quickly waved my hand to clear the light, but the Nun Superior nodded as if that explained everything.

“Is that so.”

The Nun Superior closed her eyes for a moment, lost in thought, and then opened them again.

Her usual stern gaze now seemed a little sad.

…Somehow, I felt that her stern gaze from a moment ago was better.

“I cannot reduce the authority of a Saint candidate with my authority. Nor can I hold those who have returned with great achievements accountable for their sins. However…”

The Nun Superior spoke, looking alternately at Ria and me.

“Still, I would appreciate it if you could exercise a little restraint. If those who are nominally ordinary nuns frequently engage in unusual behavior, it can affect how other nuns feel.”

“…I’m sorry.”

At those words, I couldn’t just let it pass without saying something.

Ria also bowed her head with me.

*

“…It would have been fine if we just passed it off as my fault.”

That’s what Ria said as soon as we returned to the room.

And I frowned at Ria’s words.

“First, let’s make one thing clear. I don’t think it was wrong for me to play there at all.”

At my words, Ria’s mouth opened slightly.

“Do you think it’s right to be punished just because we did something that ordinary people do?”

“Uh, well, no, that’s true, but…”

“Besides, wasn’t the reason you took me with you that kind of justification?”

“…”

Ria furrowed her brow, pondered for a moment, and then spoke again.

“But, for that to be the case, you didn’t refuse the swimsuit either?”

“Well, I was embarrassed then. In the name of heaven, who would willingly do it if you asked someone who had only worn nun’s habits their whole life to wear only slightly different underwear and get their body wet?”

“…”

Ria’s expression became complex and subtle.

“Hey, wouldn’t it be better if you just said you recommended the swimsuit? It makes me sound like a pervert.”

“You wanted to admire the body of a Saint candidate changing clothes.”

“…”

At my words, Ria couldn’t continue.

Yeah, it was fun to tease, wasn’t it?

I felt a little better, like I had gained the upper hand.

Seizing that momentum, I explained a little more.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I think the convent’s policy is wrong. Every organization has rules to maintain itself. It’s not like the world will end if students don’t wear uniforms, and nothing will happen if students date or do anything more, but there’s a reason why they generally advise against it.”

Freedom is good, but the world doesn’t automatically become peaceful just by letting everything go.

“…I think we went a little too far in that regard.”

“Yeah, that’s true. And-“

“Shh.”

I held up one finger and said.

“Don’t even think about apologizing.”

“…How did you know that again?”

“The monster appearing when we went to play is simply a matter of natural disaster. It’s a matter of luck, like encountering a typhoon or an earthquake, so it’s no one’s fault.”

Actually, if you want to be precise, it’s highly likely to be ‘my fault.’

I caused a much bigger stir than in the original work and attracted a lot of attention, so it wouldn’t be strange if the other party moved much faster.

Of course, I’m not sure. That’s why I can’t say it out loud.

“So, let’s just let this incident pass as it happened.”

“…”

“Still, we got some photos, right?”

“That’s right.”

Only after hearing my words did Ria chuckle and nod.

“We got photos. Actually, I took quite a few.”

“…Uh, what?”

“I took a lot, and there are many where I was accidentally photographed by others.”

“…”

Ah, right.

Of course, the ones who took them would be Lee Si-yoon and Han Yu-ri, so I don’t have to worry too much… but the thought of Saint candidate bikini photos being on Lee Si-yoon’s phone makes me think it would cause a huge controversy later.

“…I’ll give them a separate warning later.”

At my serious words, Ria burst out laughing.