No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 13

EP.13

Chapter 1

Candidate and Candidate (13)

Ah, of course, it wasn’t as if Ria had just casually laid a gun down in front of me in the church. We were at a shooting range.

For now, both Ria and I were still nuns. If everything went according to Ria’s plans, we’d eventually leave the convent behind once the stalker issue was fully resolved. But until then, as part of the convent, we were expected to act accordingly. Just slipping out of the convent without a word would be difficult. Some nuns occasionally tried to sneak out, but with the numerous CCTV cameras around the high walls, they’d get caught almost every time.

However, nuns did get chances to go out on official business now and then—mostly for volunteer work. Typically, we were sent to hospitals or shelters run by the church. But since we were young, attractive, and, more importantly, “young,” there was always the chance that some strange person might try something inappropriate.

Even though this particular church hadn’t been around for too long, most of those in positions of authority had served as clergy before. They were aware of the potential risks in volunteer work.

So, we’d mostly end up doing simple tasks like cleaning. It wasn’t that hard; after all, we already did the same around the convent and church. Technically, we weren’t supposed to go out and buy things on volunteer trips. Still, you couldn’t always control energetic young nuns, and some of them occasionally sneaked off in groups to buy personal items. I’d managed to do the same from time to time, blending in with the group to pick up whatever I needed.

Where did you think I got the dye for my hair?

Weekend outings were a thing too, but those were short, and where we could go was restricted. There was always a nun supervisor nearby, which made it tricky to buy anything too daring.

Not that I expected any of this would lead to me being handed a handgun.

I stared at the gun in front of me, then looked back at Ria.

Yeah, I’d wondered when we’d ended up in a place that didn’t quite scream “volunteer work.” Not that we hadn’t done any, technically.

I glanced over to the Mother Superior, who was standing near Ria.

“I did get permission from the Father. I said that you had a desire to try shooting.”

“Wait….”

I didn’t say I wanted to try. I said I had suggested it and been turned down.

“…Is this really okay?”

“It’s technically against the rules.”

The Mother Superior said, glancing around.

This was indeed a shooting range. It reminded me of the one I’d seen during reserve training. So, this was what she meant by “private property.”

A massive underground range like this, attached to an equally impressive house… it had to be Ria’s family’s property. Or, maybe, one of their houses.

“It’s my uncle’s place.”

Ria said, a bit bluntly. She seemed eager to clarify that she hadn’t yet made peace with her father.

“And the gun’s his too. I’m not giving it to you, just letting you try it out once to see if you’ve got any talent.”

I turned back to Mother Superior, who looked distinctly uncomfortable. Still, her being here wasn’t strictly prohibited. I’d seen nuns using public transport in my previous life, so I knew they could leave the convent when needed. Perhaps they had more autonomy than the younger ones like us.

“It is against the rules, but I can’t say that this never happens. … Sometimes, nuns from certain families will stop by their homes on the way, like this.”

I mean, that sounded plausible.

Well, then.

I looked at the handgun again. In theory, I knew how to load it—I’d seen it done in games and movies, and I had memories of playing with toy guns. But actually firing and hitting a target? Well, I wasn’t so sure. Could someone like me, who’d never held a real handgun, really manage that?

“Uh, so, is there anything else besides this?”

“Besides this?”

Ria tilted her head, looking curious.

“No, I mean, I’ve heard that handguns are harder to handle than they look.”

Ria stared at me, making me feel a bit embarrassed.

“Do you have a license?”

“A license?”

“Handguns of a certain caliber or below can be carried without a special license in registered shooting ranges or beyond the Gates. That’s why some people who mainly use other weapons still carry a small handgun for self-defense. This one’s in that category.”

She tapped the gun lightly, and I noticed it was indeed small enough to fit snugly into a woman’s hand.

“But if it’s a rifle, the rules change. Those are considered military-grade. Even Hunters are required to hand them over to police or registered shooting ranges when returning from beyond the Gates; private possession is illegal. And since there’s no shooting range in the church, you wouldn’t have a place to train with it even if you had one. Besides, that would definitely be illegal.”

Wait, was it really that complicated? Now that I thought about it… the heroine from the story had only used firearms beyond the Gates. And she always maintained them at the shooting range within the Association.

“My uncle said it’s fine for you to fire a few rounds, but to make sure it’s done safely. So, the only gun you’re getting access to is this one here—the Bodyguard 380. It’s purely for self-defense and has a small caliber, so even for a first-timer like you, it shouldn’t be too hard. Go ahead and give it a shot. I’ll act as the safety monitor.”

With Ria sounding so official and thorough, I really couldn’t argue. Still, this entire situation was utterly surreal. How had my passing comment led us all the way here? Was Ria—no, was Chae-eun—always this attentive to details in the original?

Well, come to think of it, she did remember and avoid ingredients that the protagonist hated when choosing places to eat. The tsundere heroines in recent web novels all seemed to display at least this level of care, as if it were necessary to survive as a character type.

…Even so, wasn’t this going a bit far? I wasn’t aiming to become a Hunter or anything. If anything, I was considering a position as a receptionist at the Association—

I glanced at the Mother Superior again. She’d already moved some distance away, wearing noise-canceling headphones, looking as if she’d fully signed off on this situation.

In the end, I picked up the earmuffs lying next to the gun. Seeing that, Ria put on her own set.

“Can you hear me?”

“Uh, yes.”

I replied, a bit surprised at how clearly her voice came through the headset.

“Good. Now, pick up the gun.”

With no other choice, I reached out, following Ria’s instructions.

I fired a total of twelve rounds, which meant two magazines. Since it was a small handgun meant for self-defense, it didn’t hold many bullets. Ria was surprisingly strict with her instructions, which I guess is understandable when handling firearms.

Although I’d heard that it had a low caliber, there was still a basic recoil. Unlike firing a rifle braced against my shoulder, keeping my arm straight was tough, no matter how much I tried to steady it. After the shots, the smell of gunpowder hung in the air—sharp and not exactly pleasant, though I could see how some people might be into it.

After the final shot, Ria had me put down the gun, empty with the slide locked back. She then took it, performed a safety check, removed the empty magazine, and placed everything back down.

“Well, pretty average─”

She said, taking off her headset and examining my target sheet.

“─But with practice, you could get much better. Maybe eventually even handle a higher caliber.”

“Wait, hold on!”

I waved my hands, quickly stopping her.

“Are you telling me you actually want me to start training with firearms?”

“You caught on fast. You said it yourself—swinging a sword or a mace is nothing special.”

“And why, exactly, do I need this kind of training?”

I asked, bewildered, and Ria shrugged.

“You need to know how to make a living after you leave the convent.”

“And when did I ever ask you to teach me that?”

“No, you didn’t.”

She admitted.

I put my hands on my hips, stepping closer to her until we were almost face-to-face. Only then did she back up a few steps. With an irritated expression, I made my point clear.

“I appreciate the gesture, but I have absolutely zero interest in becoming a Hunter.”

“Really? Even though it could come in handy?”

“What?”

“You probably haven’t fully realized this yet, but you do have a stalker.”

“I’m aware.”

“Look, maybe this stalker is coming after you with… let’s say, a ‘romantic’ interest. But what if he’s after you because of your abilities?”

“Excuse me?”

“Your divine powers aren’t offensive, right? You even told me yourself—your abilities alone won’t be enough against monsters beyond the Gates.”

“…”

“And people can be just as dangerous as those monsters, you know? What would you do if someone tried to kidnap you?”

“So what? You want me to just shoot this guy?”

I asked, half-joking.

“That’d be difficult, given that handguns aren’t legal to carry around here.”

She replied, raising a finger as if to cut off my argument before I could make it.

“This country has pretty strict gun regulations.”

I opened my mouth to argue again, but Ria raised her finger higher.

“But I’m not just going to teach you to fire a gun. I’ll teach you how to defend yourself in close combat too. Even if you don’t have a gun, using something similar as a blunt weapon could be helpful.”

“And why exactly would you be teaching me that?”

I asked, skeptical.

Ria sighed, mirroring my stance by placing her hands on her hips.

“Hey, I have a conscience too.”

“A conscience?”

“Look, it doesn’t sit right with me to send you out into the world defenseless. Honestly, if you got snatched up and sold off somewhere, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.”

“And how is that any of your business?”

“It is my business.”

She said firmly.

I clamped my mouth shut, unsure how to respond to her words. I mean, how was I supposed to reply to something like that? In my previous life, I’d lived in a relatively peaceful country, and more importantly, I’d been a guy. Most guys don’t really hear things like that. If anything, you’d say it to a girlfriend.

“Hey, it’s not like I’m particularly like of you either, you know? You have quite a few annoying traits.”

Ria snapped.

That comment made my blood boil again.

“Then why—”

“Aren’t you the same?”

I blinked at Ria’s words.

“You don’t even believe in God, yet you plan to use your divine power however you like. But if someone were in danger right in front of you, you’d rush to help, even for free.”

“That’s—”

“Yeah, well, pride doesn’t save lives, so fine. I’ll admit, I was a bit impressed.”

Ria tapped her chest with her fist and spoke confidently.

“But here’s the thing: it’s the same for me. I’m going to be a hero. And a hero’s job isn’t just about getting paid to kill monsters. Even if it’s inconvenient, a hero helps out the injured people in front of them, too.”

“So, you’re saying I could be like that too?”

I asked skeptically.

“Well, from what I’ve heard, I’m guessing you might have taken a few hits to the head.”

She replied with a smirk.

“Hah.”

I rolled my eyes, too mad to find the right words.

“Anyway, this hero-in-training right in front of you is offering to give you some guidance. Because if I just let you loose outside the church, it’s obvious you’d get taken advantage of, and all your savings would get stolen in no time. It’s going to be a hassle for me, sure, but hey, the world doesn’t just sort itself out if I ignore it.”

Hah. Hah. Hah. I couldn’t stop myself from sighing in exasperation, which only made Ria stand a little taller, like she’d won.

“Don’t worry. If you ever show me you can handle yourself without my help, I’ll back off. No problem.”

“You won’t regret that, right?”

I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Why would I? You think that day’s coming anytime soon?”

I gritted my teeth, shoulders shaking.

“Just you wait. I’ll make you regret it.”

“Good luck.”

She said, sticking out her tongue ever so slightly.

Forget it. Take back everything I thought about her having a sensitive side. I’ll make sure she regrets this, no matter what it takes.