No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 22

EP.22

Chapter 2

Encounters and Opportunities (9)

Ria kept a firm grip on my arm, pulling me a little further from Lee Si-yoon. The area near the Gate was flat and solid, designed to accommodate heavy equipment, so it wasn’t exactly a secluded spot. Although eyes briefly followed us, Ria didn’t seem to care.

“Hey.”

Her expression was a bit more intense than usual. Thinking back, Ria had never given off a particularly gentle vibe. Her look was sharp—she wouldn’t seem out of place among the toughest crowd in a high school setting. Given that I hadn’t exactly been the outgoing or popular type in my previous life, Ria’s gaze, coupled with her height advantage, felt somewhat intimidating.

“Wh-what is it?”

I asked, shrinking a bit. Ria shook my arm slightly as she spoke.

“What are you doing right now?”

“What do you mean?”

I replied, eyes wide in confusion, unsure of what she was getting at. Ria’s expression changed from anger to one of deep frustration. Still, this expression was better than the one that looked like she was about to explode a moment ago.

“Do you remember why you’re here?”

“To heal the injured if there are any—”

“No.”

Ria cut me off sharply.

“It’s not just because you have the ability to heal. You’re here because you’re a saintess candidate.”

“I—”

“I know. I know you don’t like being called that. But it doesn’t change the fact that, as long as you’re with the church, that title can’t just be stripped away. The power of divine power is a gift from God. Rights can be taken, but a sharp tongue can’t erase the fact of what you carry, right?”

“….”

“I know you have a lot to say, but try to hold it in for now. The reason you’re allowed to stay in the convent for an extra year is because I’m your assigned guardian. Right now, my role is to protect a Saintess Candidate. Look.”

She gestured behind her with her thumb.

The place was crowded with people.

There were Hunters who had just emerged from the Gate, and other Saintess Candidates who had hurried over to heal the wounded. Although I couldn’t see them directly, I assumed they were blocked by what looked like a group of people I guessed were the “Knights.”

“You may not know this since you’ve been in the convent all this time, but Saintess Candidates aren’t just ordinary people.”

“Um…”

“Don’t tell me you knew. Because if you did, you wouldn’t have rushed over to act so friendly with someone outside the church.”

“…”

Uh, right.

I was at a loss for words, and Ria let out a long sigh.

“Even if you don’t think of yourself as a Saintess, you at least consider yourself a Sister, don’t you? During worship, you try to help people but still keep a bit of distance.”

That much was true. Although there wasn’t an enforced physical separation, I’d usually sit a few rows back, maintaining a little distance from the people in the front rows. Even though there weren’t any full-fledged military guards like the Knights, the older clergy would keep an eye on things and ensure that no one approached the Sisters inappropriately.

“As a Sister, even casual interactions can be awkward, but as a Saintess Candidate, do you really think it’s acceptable to dash over and talk to a man like that?”

“Well…”

Damn. I had nothing to say. Sure, I’d thought about it, but it wasn’t something I could explain to anyone else without sounding completely insane. And the church already half-saw me as borderline crazy, so it wouldn’t help my standing to make things worse. Dropping my shoulders, I let out a resigned sigh, and Ria finally released her grip on my wrist.

“I’m not blaming you or anything,”

She said, softening.

“You might have something to say, I get it. Just… don’t go dashing off like that. People start getting ideas.”

“…Sorry.”

“Not that you did anything wrong.”

She sighed again, scratching her head.

“I’m supposed to be under your authority, right? Normally, a Saintess Candidate has a chaperone by her side, surrounded by a ring of Knights. Since you don’t have all that, just tell me what you want, and I’ll pass it on.”

“So if I tell you once, you’d handle the rest?”

I asked, seeking clarification.

“Exactly.”

Ria nodded.

In the distance, I could see the Mother Superior and the Father approaching cautiously. It seemed whatever commotion I’d stirred up hadn’t been as minor as I’d hoped. But then again, this was a convent—so it wasn’t surprising. I closed my eyes and exhaled heavily.

“So, what was it you wanted to say?”

Ria asked, sounding like she wanted to get the story before the others arrived.

Should I say it?

Honestly, I just wanted to tell him not to go back into the Gate. If they were following a blood trail, they could’ve gotten enough information from the first attempt. But it felt like I didn’t have a solid reason.

There was one possible approach, though—claiming it was a divine revelation.

I knew it was nonsense, and I’d never actually received any divine message, but people in this world fervently believed in that higher power, and they were dead set on following it. Besides, that entity sometimes granted real power to these people. And seeing how that presence kept appearing to me, I got the sense it wanted me to acknowledge it as well. If it hadn’t been for that intent, I probably wouldn’t have ended up here in the first place.

…

When had I ever let rationality stop me from doing something? Only a month ago, I’d told Ria that a person’s life wasn’t something to gamble with over pride. If someone’s life was on the line, wasn’t it right to swallow my pride and lie if it meant preventing a tragedy?

Resolving myself, I opened my mouth to speak, and a bright light flashed in my eyes.

“Oh, come on!”

It felt like being hit with a flashlight when you’re trying to wake up the next person on night watch. What was with the blinding glow now that I’d finally resolved to let go of my pride? And in broad daylight, no less! Just how overjoyed was that so-called god?

I couldn’t deny that it left a sour taste in my mouth, but I waved my hand to brush away the radiance of that divine power hovering before my face.

And just as I was about to speak—

“…Is it something related to God?”

Ria asked first.

I seized the opportunity without hesitation and quickly nodded.

“Ah, well…”

I glanced around, my eyes darting back to the people behind us. They seemed to have lost interest in us chatting separately and had returned to their own tasks. The hunters who weren’t injured were grouping up and heading toward the building, while the Saintess Candidates still tending to the injured were faintly visible, bathed in a soft glow. It seemed they hadn’t noticed the light that had been illuminating my face.

“Among the ones who entered the Gate today… how many Grade-7 hunters were there, do you think?”

Ria blinked at my question.

Phew, that seemed to be the right thing to ask. I figured she might snap again if I only mentioned Lee Si-yoon, so I decided to refer to all the low-level hunters instead.

“Probably quite a few? Lower-ranking hunters in large associations like this are half like apprentices, anyway.”

As expected from a proper association. I’d heard that plenty of independent Grade-7 hunters weren’t seen as “apprentices.” Despite their rank, they were recognized as hunters in their own right. Usually, belittling someone ranked lower than oneself was considered rude… though in this case, being part of an “organization” changed things a bit.

“They participate in tasks to learn the system—moving equipment and guarding supplies, for example. There’s even a base just outside the Gate, but I hear they usually set up a main headquarters deeper inside. This time, the action happened further in.”

The Hunters’ Association primarily operated with profit in mind. Even if it was risky, they’d explore as deeply into the Gate as possible with their affiliated hunters, clearing threats and securing whatever resources they could. This was why the government often outsourced Gate searches to the association—it was much more efficient than sending civil servants and mutually beneficial for both parties.

But for this Gate… much more caution was required.

And that was, of course, due to the “protagonist” and the “heroine.”

“I have a bit of a… bad feeling. Shouldn’t we consider excluding the lower-level hunters from this search?”

“You mean…”

I nodded.

But even then, I couldn’t bring myself to blatantly lie about it being divine will. Of course, if Ria was unconvinced, I’d have to say something along those lines eventually.

As I glanced again toward the Gate, I made brief eye contact with a nun who was just leaving. For a split second, I caught a glimpse of her through the shoulders of the knights standing around her. The nun’s lips curled into a slight, mocking smile.

Ah, that must be one of the other Saintess Candidates who’d come in my stead. It seemed I was indeed somewhat disregarded within the church. Well, honestly, I was glad if they ignored me.

I shrugged and looked back at Ria.

“Could you pass along my message, Knight?”

Ria, blinking in mild surprise, then chuckled and gave her chest a firm tap with her fist. If she’d been wearing armor, it would’ve looked like a solemn knight’s vow, but… well, the sight of her large chest moving made it a bit awkward to keep staring.