Chapter 3. Faith and Status (2)

If only our church were located a bit farther away, the story might have been a little different.

For example, if we lived in a place far from Seoul, say, on an island that would be difficult to reach without taking a boat or plane, it would naturally have taken a few more days. Even so, since it’s not a very large country, it wouldn’t have taken an extremely long time.

But unfortunately, the church I reside in is within Seoul.

In my neighborhood, there was only one light rail transit line, and even that light rail station wasn’t that close to the church, making it a somewhat neglected area in terms of transportation, but it was still within Seoul.

“It’s amazing that you’ve never met the Cardinal, even as a Saint Candidate.”

“I wrote a letter to the Cardinal as soon as I became a Saint Candidate.”

“Ah, was that when it happened?”

Logically speaking, most people who are Saint Candidates are deeply devout. After all, there’s not much reason for those who have reached that position to fight with the church officials.

No, well, it’s not that they never fight. Since the religion’s history is short, they do fight over various decisions, and there are also instances of crimes or money changing hands within.

However, the fact remains that they share common values within the umbrella of ‘people who believe in the same God’. Even if they fight, it’s an internal conflict, not a fundamental denial like mine.

That’s right. To use an analogy, I didn’t start a fight for a legitimate reason; I just hurled an insult at their parents.

Telling a religious person that God doesn’t exist is no different from saying, ‘You actually have no parents’.

…Now that I think about it, I do feel like they had a reason to be angry, but from my perspective, that state of ‘having no parents’ was the truth.

“So, most of the support I received as a Saint Candidate was lost?”

“They didn’t even know I was still a Saint Candidate.”

I sighed deeply.

Like when we went up the mountain last time, we were in a moving car.

It’s a slightly different car from the one we rode last time. It feels like the same model as the minibus I rode when I was in the military in my past life.

It seems too ordinary for a car that transports Saint Candidates, but then again, I don’t have any special privileges left yet.

It’s fortunate that where we’re going now isn’t yet ‘confirmed’.

“What if you regain your rights or become a Saint?”

“…Well. I haven’t even thought about it.”

To be honest, I’m also thinking that if I just openly told the Cardinal that God doesn’t exist, wouldn’t that solve everything?

Hmm, it would be more comforting if there were more people who disliked me, like those nuns in our church who dislike me.

“You’re really strange.”

I couldn’t possibly answer that.

In this world, saying I’m strange is, well, not exactly wrong.

*

The Myeongdong Church looked almost exactly like the cathedral that stood in the same spot in Seoul from my previous life.

Not that it’s not true, it was one of the parts absorbed as religious views became almost unified in this world. However, unlike the cathedral I knew, many other buildings were built around it. They seemed to have tried to match the brick color or design as much as possible, but since the buildings were built in different years, there were slight differences.

The church has its own army. Of course, it was a military with a very specific purpose that could only operate in very special situations, vastly different from the ‘army’ of this country. The reason they had to use the word ‘Knight Order’ instead of ‘army’, a word that is rarely used in modern times except in fantasy novels, was for that reason.

However, it’s not that I could see those ‘Knight Orders’ right in front of me. Knights don’t walk around in armor all the time; when they’re not on duty, they wear ordinary nun’s habits, monastic robes, or priest’s robes, just like us.

“……Hoo.”

This was my first time here in this world.

In my past life, it was a religious building completely detached from my own ideology, so I never thought of it as anything more than a landmark or tourist attraction, but in this world, the Myeongdong Church is also a kind of administrative agency. Honestly, it felt a little intimidating.

As I stepped forward after getting off the bus, Ria tapped my shoulder.

“I’ll go in first.”

Is it because she’s worried I might say something foolish in front of the Cardinal?

……Well, considering the common sense of this world, it would indeed be foolish.

I stepped back behind Ria without a word.

Ria walked forward first as if accustomed to it, and I quietly followed behind her.

I could see gazes turning towards us. However, as this place in this world was more like a government office than a tourist attraction, most of the people passing by were either wearing official-looking attire or were clearly religious figures.

Just before entering the cathedral, a person was waiting for us.

“Sister Sophie?”

Unlike when I saw her on the mountain last time, the Saint Candidate, accompanied by only one tall woman wearing a nun’s habit like Ria, was standing there.

So, this person must be one of those who reported me.

“Sister Anna, I’ve been waiting for you.”

The arrogant demeanor from the last time I saw her on the mountain was completely gone. It was as if her thoughts had changed after witnessing what I did.

“Shall we go in? Is it okay for me to guide you?”

“…….”

Ria and I exchanged a glance, and then walked behind her.

*

As it was the most symbolic place for the church in this country, there was naturally a convent inside. There would probably be a monastery a little further away.

And surprisingly, the children of this church’s convent seemed to run around inside quite well.

“Oh, Sister!”

Even though they looked no older than elementary school students, they used such terms. Well, I was also educated to speak like that when I was young.

“Hello, Sister.”

Sophie smiled gently and greeted the children lightly. The children, who had been running while waving, stopped in their tracks when they saw me and Ria.

“Ah, you don’t need to be wary. This Sister is also a Saint Candidate, just like me. Sister Anna.”

“Ah, yes.”

I took a step forward awkwardly.

Hmm.

It seems that because of the things I usually say, the people in our church didn’t want to put me with young children. It’s probably similar to keeping children away from a delinquent.

“Sister Sophie.”

One of the children quickly moved closer to Sophie.

Perhaps because the child seemed to have something they wanted to say, Sophie slightly bent her waist and brought her ear closer to the child.

The child raised one hand next to Sophie’s ear and said,

“Your outfit is strange…”

However, even though they were whispering, it wasn’t so quiet that I couldn’t hear it.

“…….”

Uh, um.

I rolled my eyes.

So… right, indeed.

Among nuns, I’m the one who uniquely wears unusual clothes.

Ria at least doesn’t wear the veil arbitrarily, but I wear clothes that emphasize my body a bit.

It might look a bit strange to children.

“Don’t worry.”

Sophie replied calmly.

“Perhaps the outfit isn’t that important.”

“No, no.”

I quickly waved my hands and stepped forward.

“Still, it’s important to teach properly when teaching. Even if it might loosen up a bit later.”

“Is that so?”

Sophie looked up at me with a surprised expression and said.

“Well… yes.”

I wanted to try to persuade her logically, but for now, I had nothing to say. After all, this outfit started because I was annoyed by what that old man who held my hand said.

“Sister, Sister.”

Another child, not that one, approached me and looked up at me intently.

“Why is your hair a different color?”

To the child pointing at the highlights in my hair and asking, I was once again at a loss for words.

“Well, maybe some tteokbokki sauce got on it?”

Ria, who was watching from the side, jumped in with amusement.

“Then, did you wash your hair with tteokbokki sauce?”

For a moment, I answered like that and then quickly shut my mouth. No matter what, fighting in front of children is a bit…

Seeing me unable to answer firmly, unlike usual, Ria grinned.

“Are you a Saint Candidate?”

Since I wasn’t openly angry, perhaps judging that there was no harm, another child also came closer.

“Then, do you talk to God and stuff?”

“…….”

I opened my mouth and closed it.

Normally, I would have answered no, but-

I am a rational and logical person, but I am not a psychopath.

I’m not so insensitive as to tell a child who believes in Santa Claus that Santa Claus is fake.

While it’s not recorded in the scriptures that Saints can converse with God, it was a widely spread folk tale. The ‘rules’ or ‘theories’ of the church are still too short in history to be considered common sense, so some people genuinely believe it.

If there was someone my age in front of me, I would have said so,

But with other children looking up at me with sparkling eyes, I didn’t know what to answer.

“……What about you, Sister Sophie?”

Unable to answer, I quickly changed the subject.

Sophie, who had been watching me with considerable interest until then, clasped her hands as if in prayer and said,

“God always shows me the way.”

It was a clever answer.

Moreover, a bright light was visible from Sophie’s hands and behind her head as she said that. Although not as much as when I used my power.

“Do you also see the way, Sister? Does it show you the path?”

“…….”

But this time, the question was turned back to me.

Ria, standing next to me, was biting her lip and trying to suppress a laugh. Judging by the movement of her eyes, it looked like she had learned this.

Surely she’s not thinking of using this later?

Hesitating with my answer, I suddenly caught sight of an old man’s face approaching from the corner of my vision.

That person, leading a group of other clergy members besides himself, wearing clothes with a slightly different design from the usual priest’s robes-

“Cardinal!”

Without realizing it, I shouted, raising one arm.

Everyone around me, including Sophie and Ria, was startled.

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, wasn’t there only one Cardinal in this country?

In terms of the church hierarchy, he is the highest person in this country.

And I had already sent him an insulting letter.

Looking at the Cardinal’s face, which was blankly staring at me, I felt beads of sweat forming on my forehead.