Chapter 7. Favor and Calculation (1)

Chapter 7. Favor and Calculation

However, just because I said I would, it doesn’t mean my dispatch will happen the very next day.

Strictly speaking, my visiting another civilization wasn’t the same as dispatching a true diplomat.

If the church had prepared and sent a Gate assault team separately, it would have been much simpler than this, but I am a being ‘dispatched by the church through government mediation.’

On the surface, it carried no political message, but at the same time, it practically held diplomatic significance and also encompassed the church’s objective of ‘missionary work,’ making it a complex position in many ways.

“Can’t I just visit as a nun?”

After saying that, I saw expressions like ‘What are you talking about, Sister Anna…’ from many people, so I decided to just quietly wait for the situation to resolve itself.

*

Perhaps the church thought this was an opportunity to hold their heads high, so they decided to form a ‘diplomatic corps’ to accompany me beyond the Gate.

“…Are we not going to war right now?”

And the people who came as this so-called ‘diplomatic corps’ were knights heavily armed with full plate armor.

A knightly order composed of inquisitors.

For the record, it wasn’t the first time I had seen them directly, but their impression was quite different from the one that earned them the evaluation of being ‘like civil servants.’

“Sophie?”

At the very front of that knightly order was Sophie herself. Ah, Sophie wasn’t wearing armor, though. She was just accompanying me as one of the Saint Candidates.

“Don’t worry, Sister.”

Sophie smiled brightly at me and said.

“These people won’t be armed when crossing the Gate. Of course, they will carry minimal weapons for escort, and the armor will be transported separately, but basically, they will be guards dressed in ordinary clothes.”

Indeed, although they were imposing, they were all women. They all looked like they could step onto a ring and beat their opponents into shape, which surprised me a little.

Ria is taller than me, but her impression is much more delicate.

While I was flustered-

Clack.

One of the knights in front of me knelt on one knee.

I tried my best not to make a “Ugh” sound. Though I don’t think I succeeded.

Even though I eventually accepted my status, I still don’t know how to accept it when people around me praise me like this.

“I will do my best to ensure that the Saint Candidate is never harmed.”

“…?”

Even if I refused now, they wouldn’t turn back.

I had no choice but to let out a small sigh and nod.

*

After that, the knightly order stayed at our church.

The church dormitory itself was quite spacious and had many rooms, so there wasn’t a big problem. Orphans who lost their parents or were abandoned were constantly born, but not all of them came to our cathedral.

It was understandable that the knightly order stayed there, but strangely, after the knightly order began to stay, Ria’s mood seemed to have drastically worsened.

“…Why?”

Seeing Ria looking at me with a displeased expression, I stopped what I was doing and asked Ria.

What Ria was looking at wasn’t my face. To be precise, it was my fingertips.

“Do you really have to do that?”

“…?”

I looked down again at what Ria had indicated with her chin.

In my hand was a sword. It was a rather large two-handed sword, the kind that might appear in a drama set in medieval Europe.

It was a consecrated item, but not as great as if I had consecrated it myself.

I don’t intend to make it a holy relic, but it’s still good to be prepared for the unexpected.

“They are people who will go to another world following me, right? It’s good to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.”

I don’t mind going to a place where someone is injured, but I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.

Ria, and others too.

I think they would have thought the same even if it wasn’t me.

At least, if I consecrate it like this, I should be able to cut down incoming magic bullets.

“And you consecrated Ria’s sword too.”

And with affection, I poured a lot of holy power into it. I was so sick that evening.

There are more than one or two knights, so naturally, I can’t do that much.

Besides, Ria fights by receiving my holy power every time. I even made holy relics out of chocolate beforehand and gave them to her.

“…?”

However, even with my words, Ria just rested her chin on her hand and pouted.

I stopped my hands again, looked at Ria, and tilted my head.

And after a moment of thought,

“Are you perhaps jealous?”

I asked.

“Huh?”

The reaction was immediate.

Ria’s eyes, which had been looking at the sword with displeasure while resting her chin, shot upwards. Judging by her furrowed brow, it seemed like she was thinking, ‘What are you talking about?’ again, but I didn’t erase the smile on my lips.

No, I laughed even harder.

“Why? Are you jealous because your pretty friend is paying attention to someone else?”

“No, I’m not.”

Ria grumbled.

And this time too, without making eye contact with me, she quickly turned her gaze sideways.

Huh.

She’s a bit cute. Annoyingly so.

I wonder if it’s right to have such an evaluation of someone taller than me, but well, I have no intention of saying it out loud. If Ria catches my weakness, she’ll immediately bite me with it again.

“…?”

A faint light permeated the room during the brief silence. The last sword among the knightly order’s swords was consecrated by my hand. The blade emitted a faint, subtle light.

“Hoo.”

I let out a light sigh.

Fatigue was slowly creeping in. It wasn’t like collapsing from pouring out holy power all at once, but still, I felt like I would sleep very deeply tonight.

“Or maybe.”

As I stood up holding the sword, Ria opened her mouth.

“Did you receive some revelation again?”

At those words, I looked back at Ria.

“Huh?”

“Are you preparing in advance like this because you think something will happen again?”

Does it look like that?

…Maybe it did.

If I hadn’t mentioned prophecy, she wouldn’t have suspected anything, but after it came true once, she couldn’t ignore the possibility.

“…?”

What will happen?

Of course, something will happen.

But it wasn’t something that was supposed to happen at this time. In the first place, I didn’t even know I would be meeting the gnomes so soon.

“It could be.”

Therefore, I opened my mouth cautiously. As carefully as possible.

Ria’s gaze turned towards me.

“How much can you tell me?”

“…?”

I don’t know about that.

Would it be good to tell everything? However, there were still many limitations to the knowledge I possessed. Ria wasn’t the type to blab about other people’s secrets, but there’s no harm in being cautious.

Prophecies are better controlled as variables when fewer people know about them.

As I remained silent, Ria let out a light sigh.

“If it’s a truly dangerous prophecy, tell me in advance. That way, I can protect you.”

“That…”

“You’re not going to say that it’s better for you to sacrifice yourself alone and for others to survive, based on numerical calculations, are you?”

“…?”

I firmly closed my mouth.

Ria let out a hollow laugh as if it were absurd, then jumped up from her seat.

She approached me and looked down at me.

Her head was up, and only her gaze was lowered, giving off an intimidating aura.

An superhuman who can cut even bullets with a sword if I just give her holy power. ‘Hunters’ and ‘Heroes’ were beings who far surpassed human abilities in the world I knew.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“You know, I’ve been the daughter of a hero since I was little.”

“That’s right.”

“So I know. I’ve seen people who think like that often.”

“…?”

Ria took another step closer. My head tilted up further, and Ria looked down at me even more.

“Do I look like that?”

“…If such a situation arises, you’re the type to willingly do it. You’re a rational and logical person, aren’t you?”

Ria’s face came a little closer.

As if to intimidate me.

“But you know, if that moment comes, I’ll be in danger too, right? If there’s something dangerous, I wish you’d tell me in advance.”

“Ria.”

I smiled slightly at the corners of my mouth.

Ria blinked at my expression. Her intimidating expression seemed to crumble a little.

I gently placed my hand on one of Ria’s cheeks.

“Ria. You don’t scare me at all when you talk like that.”

“Huh?”

“We’ve been sharing the same room for so long and sticking together like this, do you really think I can’t tell the difference between when you’re genuinely angry and when you’re pretending to be angry?”

…Because I saw it in the original work, she knows how to worry about others.

But, even so, I was a little happy.

Ria’s face flushed slightly.

Ah, damn.

She’s cute.

Annoying.

“So don’t worry. If something like that happens, I’ll tell you first.”

“Ah, uh, yeah. Really…?”

It’s not a lie.

At least, I won’t let Ria die because of me.

But.

Still, if I have to choose between subtracting ten thousand from a hundred thousand and subtracting one from a hundred thousand, I’ll choose the latter.

And that one, naturally, is the person who should take that place.

And that one doesn’t necessarily intend to die in that situation.

Subtracting ten thousand from a hundred thousand, and making it ten thousand minus zero, how rational and logical is that?

“And.”

I said, bringing my face close to Ria, who was staring at me blankly.

“Your face is completely red. Are you that embarrassed?”

“…!?”

Ria quickly pulled back.

Seeing Ria like that, I laughed out loud and turned away.

…

The sensation of touching her hand was soft and squishy.

Who is calling whom a glutinous rice cake hamster, anyway.