episode_0019

19.

“Ah, so your name…?”

“Berry Stew. I went all the way to Sister Rosa to find you, you know.”

Berry, the librarian whose perpetual arousal made her body constantly flushed, had come to the church, her face flushed with excitement.

“Ahaha…. I’m sorry. You’ve become a nun, right? I’ve been so busy organizing this church.”

She had been forced to quit being a librarian and become a nun.

However, she realized through Sey that being a nun wasn’t a job, and despite Sey’s domineering order, judging by her perception, it didn’t seem like being a nun was her occupation.

“More quickly than that…♡.”

While she knew what Berry was requesting, she had already spent time with Austi and Sey.

She decided to grant her a “Calmness” skill to somewhat counter the effect.

While creating skills was possible, removal was difficult. That was the conclusion she reached.

‘I’ll need to be a little more careful from now on…. There’s no way to completely negate it.’

Erina created the “Calmness” skill and bestowed it upon Berry!

-Her thoughts became less easily swayed.

“Anyway, that’s great. As you met Sister Rosa, you know this is our church.”

“…What am I supposed to do here?”

Berry quickly accepts the situation. While she had intended to become a nun as per Erina’s orders, she had been adrift, unsure of her duties.

Even with the calmness, she still had a lascivious look in her eyes.

“If you go to Ms. Sey, she’ll tell you the basics.”

Of course, Sey would be spending a blissful time with Austi, so she decided to give Berry other tasks.

“Understood.”

“Before that, I have a separate request for you, Berry.”

“Please tell me.”

“I’d like to ask for your help in proselytizing. But, with a limited number of people.”

“Limited… what kind of people should I recruit?”

Erina planned to quietly expand her territory for now. Without a proper foundation, an increase in numbers would only lead to chaos.

And since she was practically alone, a large number of people would be difficult to manage.

It’s better to target those with some status or social standing, like Rosa, rather than ordinary people. They are useful connections, and their inherent sense of privilege among the higher classes could prevent excessive spread. Of course, she would eventually reach out to the general public. But asking Rosa to proselytize to the ultra-high class would be difficult given their likely unwillingness to follow her teachings.

Since happiness is the foundation of her beliefs, moderation is crucial.

It’s also a lot of work to pair off each new convert, as had been done with those who joined earlier. Her body has limitations so building up high-quality personnel is a priority before making it a widespread and overwhelming religion.

Recruiting more people with talent is then needed. This is the fundamental step, high value personnel first.

And with those gathered, she would implement the Goddess’s will.

In any case, the initial proselytizing targets are simple enough.

“Ask your former colleagues who aren’t happy. No need to force them. Emphasize that the church has reopened and highlight happiness.”

“Understood. …But apart from proselytizing, what will we do afterwards? Will we gather at the church to pray…?”

“I should mention that… Tell them there will be a service next weekend, at 11:00 AM. Aim for a maximum of 10 converts.”

“Yes.”, Berry nods and withdraws.

Her thoughts were normal and she appeared ordinary, but she kept touching her body throughout the conversation.

As expected, the constant state of arousal meant complete suppression wasn’t possible. If you looked closely, you could see damp stains.

Erina decided to reward her later and currently hoped she would choose suitable new members.

‘That said, a service… huh? It’s not a nun’s job, but I have no choice but to do it.’

Originally, services were led by a priest. While women aren’t incapable of being priests, the decline in the church’s influence was partially due to this.

The last time Erina held a service was over 10 years ago.

It was a necessary step if she had followers, but she had overlooked it.

Mimicking it from memory was fine, but the content was problematic. The doctrines she’d proclaimed so far were makeshift, but to address a larger group, she needed a more solid structure.

Perfecting it with the Answer was fine, but speaking it aloud was a different matter.

‘Should I create an ‘Eloquence’ skill….’

Speaking to a large group was daunting. An ‘Eloquence’ skill would alleviate that concern, but it couldn’t be removed.

“First, let’s plan the service.”

Erina goes to her room on the third floor of the church.

Hymns… she had no one to sing them.

Prayer… this was essential. It wasn’t a problem for her, but it might feel off-putting to newcomers, so adjustments were needed.

Sermon… her least confident area. Even choosing the content was difficult. She had the texts, and had memorized the content, but interpreting and delivering it to her liking wouldn’t be easy.

Crucially, if it differed too greatly from the Pai Church’s doctrines in other regions, problems could arise.

Of course, if this church grew larger, she could overpower them with numbers, but that’s a future issue.

Happiness would be the best main keyword. It started casually but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like perfect foundational logic.

“Then I’ll base the passages on this….”

If she lost focus even for a moment, the excited sounds of Sey and Austi would be heard, so she needed to concentrate. The weekend was two days away. She had planned to visit Levy, but her work was piling up.

She didn’t know if Berry would be able to recruit 10 people. Even if she did, it would be more of a prayer meeting than a service, but she needed to establish a framework to get used to it.

Just in case, she decided to create the “Eloquence” skill if things went wrong. For now, she started drafting the script.

A successful service was crucial for moving to the next stage. The service would be a stepping stone to building trust.

…

..

“Greetings, everyone.”

On the day of the service, Rosa, Austi, Violet, Ubel, and Berry (whom Erina had directly converted) and the four converts Berry had recruited were gathered in the multi-purpose room on the third floor.

Using the large sanctuary would leave too much empty space, which might inspire distrust in the new converts.

With a trembling heart, Erina begins the service.

“…Everyone has the right to happiness.”

“……Happiness comes easily. The more you think it’s difficult, the further it gets.”

“…Feel it in your hearts. Relax. Our scriptures contain these words:”

“……Serve your neighbors. You are all extraordinary people.”

“…Pray. Give thanks for the ability to serve.”

The service went smoothly. The effect of Erina’s Domination skill was evident.

However, she subtly adjusted her words as she checked the state of the new converts with her Perception skill, but she couldn’t cater to everyone perfectly.

Harmonizing everyone’s moods was extremely difficult and tiring. Therefore, even the influence of the Domination skill didn’t reach the deepest parts of their minds.

While she could choose not to accommodate them, she didn’t have the luxury of that choice right now.

She needed to prepare the best possible foundation.

Their faces were all quite pretty. Their ages were in the prime of their youth: early to late 30s. Women of this age truly have matured.

Their body types were varied. One appeared quite heavy, one had a moderate build. One was slightly taller than Aries. One was quite muscular.

She planned to have individual interviews later.

“Now, let us all pray.”

“…Almighty Goddess, watch over us, and grant us bodies capable of bearing healthy children.”

“Grant us the joy to always serve. Thy servant Erina humbly begs this of Thee.”

Light—the moment Erina finished the prayer, a halo shone behind her.

A true miracle. It was not a trick Erina had performed. It was undeniable proof that the Goddess was supporting her.

“Aa…”

Witnessing the miracle, everyone present could only develop blind faith in the Pai Church and Erina.

She wasn’t just a nun, but a saint. Everyone had to conclude that.

Even Erina hadn’t expected the Goddess to help her in this way.

It was simply light shining, but it possessed an undeniable, immense holiness that everyone would recognize.

‘This is surely the blessing of the Goddess…. It’s a sign that this is the true path I should follow….’

Her confidence soared. For a religious person, receiving divine recognition was an immeasurable honor.

The service ends perfectly. A service that took about 30 minutes.

Erina subtly implants the idea that happiness = service during the service.

Next comes the enjoyable gossiping session.

With Sey’s help, she’d prepared refreshments. To be honest, she did it because she wanted to try it out, but there’s no woman who dislikes gossip.

Holding the service in the multi-purpose room was part of this plan.

“I was surprised… by that light.”

“Me too. Berry suddenly became a nun, but there was a definitely reason for that…”

“Oh my, really. The nun was a great speaker…”

“I hope you enjoyed it.”, Erina smiles brightly.

“Oh my, I’ve never had such an experience in my life.”

“Um, could I also help here somehow?”

“Me too.”

“Thank you. As you can see, we’re short-staffed for the size of the place.”

Erina gently gathers everyone’s hands and strokes them. The emphasis on service had paid off.

“First, we’ll start with a formal baptism.”

Baptism is normally done with holy water, but she planned to use extraordinary holy water♡.

It’s not just splashing water but a ceremony meant to create a bond. It’s a good way to make them fully aware that they’re now congregants.

She could do something special like what she did with Levy and Austi, but if they’re all obsessed with sex, it would just be a repeat performance.

She already roughly grasped the four women’s characteristics through Perception. She could give them their tasks during the individual interviews.

Laughter continues as the women gossip.

“By the way, you said… Erina? How does Nun Erina manage her figure?”

“I’m… curious.”

“Your names are Custard and Dorothy, right?”

Not only those two, but everyone present focused their attention on Erina. It was a more passionate gaze than they had during the worship service.

“Hee hee. You all seem very interested. Alright. It’s a bit of a different topic, but I know a massage technique that can help with that, shall I do it?”

“Is that possible with massage?”

“Of course. Austi is a witness here♡”

“It’s true… Definitely… My, my breasts did get bigger after the massage.”, Austi who hadn’t participated in the gossip but had been quietly sipping tea in the corner answers.

“They definitely have more volume than when I first saw her.”, Levy nods.

“””Do it now!!”””

“Hee hee. I only have two hands. What are your schedules, everyone?”

The congregants submitted their schedules.

This completed the preparations for the individual interviews.