Chapter 66 – Confession

Ŕéád̈ ̀ö​n̈ ̃K̃ãt̂Ŕéàd̀ì​n̂g̈Ćäf̀​ë

Andreina’s sermon, upon learning the circumstances, raged like a storm.

Of course, Miao was the only one caught in the storm.

If you think about it, I was in the victim’s position, and Yuika… her position is a bit ambiguous, but she only caused the mishap while trying to prevent damage, so it should be considered as extenuating circumstances.

“Please be careful in the future, Yuika.”

“I’m reflecting on it…”

Still, she received a warning. Miao quickly received treatment at the cathedral, and nothing happened, but it was a dangerous moment regardless.

I turned my head from Yuika, who was drooping and bowing her head, and looked at Miao.

“Huu…”

She’s completely lost her mind over there. Well, Andreina’s sermon was fierce.

She quoted the contents of her own scripture and hammered into our ears for dozens of minutes on why it’s bad to play with life. No wonder Miao tried to escape with the excuse that she remembered an appointment.

The amazing thing is that Andreina grabbed her with force and made her sit back on the chair before continuing the sermon.

Actually, isn’t Andreina a paladin instead of a saintess? As I was thinking that to myself, Andreina, who had finished talking with Yuika, sighed deeply and said.

“Now that I’ve talked this much, I believe both of you understand.”

“I believe… of course, I believe…”

“Haha… I’m sorry for the late hour, Andreina.”

Yuika, giving an awkward smile, answered while looking at Miao, who was muttering in a soulless voice.

“No. You can come anytime you need help. That’s what I’m here for.”

Andreina was speaking with her usual benevolent smile, but there was a hint of fatigue.

Well, she had been talking non-stop for dozens of minutes, so it would be superhuman if she wasn’t tired. It was time to leave the cathedral for Andreina’s sake as well.

Yuika, who seemed to have the same thought, prodded Miao, who had melted limply on the chair, and started talking.

“Yes. Well, it’s late, so we’ll be going now.”

“Please go safely, both of you. And Mari?”

“Yes?”

“Mari, stay for a moment and talk with me.”

Wasn’t I okay?! I was naturally trying to stick to the two and leave, but I was surprised by the sudden sentence, and Miao, who seemed to have remembered something belatedly, made a sound and said.

“Ah, right, Mari. Are you free tomorrow?”

“Yes, yes? Uh, I don’t have any big plans…”

Actually, the only plan is going to the dungeon.

“Then come to the store leisurely around lunchtime. I’ll be waiting.”

“Yes?”

“What are you planning to do?”

It wasn’t just me who was questioning the sudden suggestion. Yuika asked with a curious face, and Miao grinned and said.

“It’s a secret.”

“Eek. Where did that come from?”

“If you’re curious, Yuika, come then too. Then you’ll naturally find out. Anyway, Mari, you got it? Lunch tomorrow?”

“Yes? Ah, yes…”

“Then, Saintess, we’ll be going now, so have a good time.”

“What are you saying to Andreina…? Anyway, we’ll be going back now. See you tomorrow, Mari.”

“Goodbye…”

As I was blankly watching Miao’s back as she left with a bright smile even while being scolded, I heard a short sigh from the side.

I flinched at the sigh. It felt like she sighed because of me.

No, maybe it was really because of me. She let the two go back and told me to stay, so…

What did I do wrong recently? As Andreina said, I ate regularly, and I came to get treatment whenever I felt unwell.

And… um, I can’t think of anything.

“Mari.”

“Ah, yes…!”

“Why are you so surprised? Anyone would think I’m going to eat you.”

Hehe- Her smiling face didn’t seem that bad. But just in case. I was cautious and asked carefully.

“Um, Andreina. You said you had something to talk about… If there’s anything I’ve done wrong lately, I’ll correct it right away…”

“Yes? Why are you saying that suddenly…? Besides, what do you mean by doing wrong?”

Oh, really not? As I looked at her with a puzzled expression, Andreina chuckled and said.

“Don’t tell me you thought I kept you here to scold you?”

“…Isn’t that it?”

“Of course not! I just wanted to have dinner with Mari, so I told you to stay. It’s a bit of a personal story to tell in front of the other two.”

That’s what it was. That’s a relief. As I was relieved, Andreina gently stroked my head and continued.

“Of course, if Mari has anything she wants to confess, I can give you a confession.”

“Ah, no. I definitely haven’t done anything like that…!”

Maybe there was, but it’s safe because I can’t remember. As I hurriedly shook my head, Andreina smiled faintly and held out her hand.

“That’s good. It’s important not to do anything that requires atonement in the first place. Shall we go inside then?”

“Yes.”

–

…After holding Andreina’s hand and going inside like that, I came out the next day at noon.

Somehow, just eating dinner and going back turned into a story of staying overnight, and I was full and too lazy to go back, and I had a promise with Miao, so I agreed.

Actually, the biggest reason was that I thought I had declined Andreina’s invitations too much recently.

Besides, I was worried that if I kept declining, Andreina might get disappointed and stop inviting me altogether.

When you think about it, being able to stay overnight like this is only possible because Andreina invites me, but if I ask if I can stay, that’s just being a pervert!

A man asking a woman if he can stay. It wouldn’t be strange to be called crazy.

Of course!!! Since I look like a normal girl on the outside now, Andreina wouldn’t call me crazy even if I said that.

But my mind is still that of an adult male who came to age!!! As long as I don’t lose this identity, I will never bring up that kind of thing first.

That’s deceiving my conscience…!

“But you’re already deceiving a lot…”

Right now, my gender has changed, and I still haven’t cleared up the misunderstanding that I’m not from the same home country as Yuika.

Actually, the latter was more malicious because I didn’t hide it but rather let them misunderstand. I should have told Andreina when she said she would listen to my confession yesterday.

But I didn’t think of it then, and if you think about it differently, it means I didn’t think it was wrong, so it was even worse.

Miao wasn’t the one who should have listened to the sermon yesterday, it was me. As I was holding my head and feeling self-reproach, Andreina, who had fully armed herself in saintess mode, asked with a puzzled voice.

“What’s wrong suddenly, Mari?”

“Andreina… please give me a sermon…”

“Yes? A sermon?”

Andreina was noticeably embarrassed. It was only this morning that she was full of energy and woke up refreshed, but she was suddenly requested to give a sermon, by Mari no less, so it was natural to be embarrassed.

I knew that my current state was abnormal, but I couldn’t stand it.

“Andreina… can I have a confession now…?”

“It seems like something you want to confess has come up.”

“To be exact, I remembered it…”

At my words, Andreina erased her embarrassed expression and sat facing me with a saintess’s appearance and smiled.

“Feel free to talk. There’s only me and you here, and the Lord who is always in me.”

“Well, I’m strangely nervous because I heard that God is listening too…”

I’m worried that I might get struck by lightning while talking. As I swallowed my saliva and got nervous, Andreina chuckled and said.

“It’s okay. The Lord is merciful. Everyone who has been summoned here has been given a chance to avoid a predicted future of destruction thanks to his mercy, right?”

“That’s… true. Now that you mention it, if you don’t mind, can I ask you something…?”

“Yes, please.”

I fiddled with my fingers and barely squeezed out a voice.

“The people who have been summoned here… what is the criteria for summoning them?”

This was a question I had since I was summoned here. It didn’t make sense that I, who was no better than anyone else who had been summoned here, was chosen to be here, to stop the destruction. If it weren’t for Andreina’s and U.P. ‘s help, I might still not be able to hunt properly.

Then Andreina was silent for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.

“What criteria… Actually, I don’t know the answer to that question either. The Lord didn’t tell me that.”

“Oh, that’s…”

“However, if I dare to guess his intentions, wouldn’t it be their heart?”

“Heart…?”

That was the question. Even I, who is not a kind-hearted person, was summoned here. But unlike my thoughts, Andreina smiled and said.

“Yes. The Lord values harmony above all else. And the most important thing in harmony is a good heart. So maybe that’s why.”

“I see…”

“That reaction, it’s like Mari doesn’t think she’s a kind person.”

“Ugh, th-that’s…”

As I shrugged my shoulders at the words that hit the nail on the head, Andreina leaned forward slightly and said.

“It seems like you’re going to confess for the same reason, is that right?”

“That’s right…”

As expected, I can’t hide anything from Andreina. I sighed and slowly told the story.

Of course, it’s not about my gender. I thought it was too early to reveal that, no matter what.

So I only talked about the misunderstanding with Yuika about my nationality.

And after listening to the whole story, Andreina said with a dumbfounded face.

“…Is that all?”

“Yes… what should I do now…?”

Is it a sin so great that even confession can’t fix it? I became gloomy at Andreina’s reaction.

Andreina squeezed her eyes shut and covered her mouth with her clasped hands.

After shrugging her shoulders like that for a long time, she took a deep breath and said,

“Huu… First of all, why don’t you talk to Yuika?”

“Talk to her… what if Yuika gets disappointed? I don’t want to see that…”

“I guarantee you, she will never be disappointed. Maybe she already knows.”

Maybe she already knows?

I looked at her with a puzzled expression, but Andreina only smiled with a mysterious smile.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading today too…!

I had planned to include a scene of Andreina and Mari bathing together here, but…

The story context for that scene got way too heavy!!! So I went “NOPE!!!!!” and axed it completely.

This last-minute change made me super late posting!!! I’M SO SORRY!!!!

(You’ll probably read this in the morning, but still—I failed to deliver on time!!!!!)

THIS COUNTS AS BEING LATE!!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Author’s notes… yeah I did put those in too.

It’s a strange thing to do considering most other translators don’t bother with it, but I got my reasons…?

At first I was thinking of doing it solely for the purpose of interacting with the author (one-sidedly), but it was a dud, since most authors either don’t talk much or even use the author’s afterword (Novelpia feature) at all!

So… I’ve been putting it aside lately, but seeing as this novel and some others still have a kind enough author (Not that the authors who don’t say anything aren’t kind, bless them for writing a story!), I’d decided to put more effort into them, so expect them to be read with… more emotion? 

Like you know, since a person wrote it and such?

The novel is also written by the same person so why go to such lengths? Well…

My preferences, okay?!