No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 43

EP.43

Chapter 4

Escape and Service (9)

Gloria decided to stay at the church for the time being. During her stay, Ria and I ended up accompanying her most of the time. There wasn’t any special reason for it, except that within the church, Ria and I held the highest status.

Even though this nation had become a theocracy, there was no official disparity in the rights of its citizens—there were no nobles, for instance. But as always, just because it wasn’t legally defined didn’t mean there weren’t implicit class distinctions.

Officially, both Ria and I were only nuns. But in practice, I was “the person destined to become a Saintess,” and Ria was my protector. Likewise, while Gloria was officially an elven noble, she was effectively a princess. This arrangement placed us in the ideal position to accompany her.

“We’ll need to find a way to sustain ourselves first.”

Gloria said during a meal.

At first, I thought she might be picky about her food. After all, she was a princess. She must have experienced the finest delicacies of her world—though perhaps not meat dishes.

But surprisingly, Gloria ate everything without complaint.

In fact—

“What is this fruit? It’s absolutely delightful!”

She exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she ate a simple strawberry.

The church’s meals weren’t bad, but they weren’t luxurious either. This place functioned as an orphanage, so the food was designed to provide balanced nutrition for growing children.

Even if strawberries were served, they were certainly not an expensive variety.

When we explained this, Gloria blinked in surprise.

“But… fruits like this are very sour in my country. Some are sweet, but they’re never this large.”

“Oh, I see.”

Ria nodded in understanding.

It was a matter of “technology.” When people hear the term, they often think of mechanical advancements, but it encompasses much more. The level of machinery, the quality of materials, advancements in medicine, and even sophisticated bureaucratic systems all fall under the umbrella of technology. And when it comes to agriculture, the cornerstone of progress lies in the “seeds.”

It’s not just about biological knowledge—it’s about how far one can travel to acquire a diverse variety of seeds. Without reaching the stage of exploring new continents, modern agricultural advancements are impossible.

“…I think I understand why father minimized interactions with this world. Once people started crossing over, things would have spiraled out of control.”

Judging by the fact that her father never asked for military aid even in dire circumstances, he must have wanted to avoid a situation where their nation became a colony. How much her world understood the concept of colonization was unclear.

For reference, as far as we knew—at least in the revealed world—there had been no wars of invasion between the two worlds. No large-scale migrations had occurred in either direction.

Civilizations at a certain level of development tend to approach first contact cautiously. If a group isn’t advanced enough to qualify as a “civilization,” they’re often seen as little more than beasts by this world’s standards. That said, who knows how many such “beasts” this world might have encountered.

“……”

We ate in silence. Indulging Gloria’s musings too much would only deepen the weight of the conversation.

“Anyway,” Gloria said, breaking the silence after a moment of reflection. “I need to figure out a way to sustain myself.”

“This country provides support, doesn’t it?”

“How long can that support last? My ultimate goal is to return to my own country through the gate, but who knows how long that will take. At first, people here might treat me like a princess, but what if they decide I’m no longer valuable as one?”

It was indeed a princess-like judgment.

Gloria was quick to make decisions, at least compared to most elves. Of course, there were rare moments when her pride as royalty emerged, and she’d refuse to do certain things. But in the end, she would follow Lee Si-yoon’s suggestions and work diligently.

In modern web novels, a spoiled heroine often ends up as a target of regret, ruin, or obsession. To be a viable love interest, at the very least, they needed a basic sense of propriety.

Hearing Gloria’s words, Ria shrugged lightly.

As we were about to resume eating—

“So, I was wondering if you could help me out a little?”

“…Us?”

The question caught me off guard, and I blinked in surprise.

Our late-night chicken escapade had gone unnoticed by anyone. Gloria’s friendly attitude toward me was also interpreted by those around us as gratitude toward someone who had saved her life.

“Have you spoken to the government officials about it?”

I asked, just in case. Gloria shrugged again.

“I did mention it.”

“……”

I waited, expecting her to elaborate, but Gloria just tilted her head quizzically.

“So, what you’re saying is you just mentioned it?”

Ria asked cautiously, her expression betraying her disbelief.

“Isn’t that enough to get things started?”

“And what was their response?”

“They said they’d look into it.”

That’s basically a polite way of saying, ‘Don’t do anything until we’ve decided,’ isn’t it?

Suppressing the urge to hold my head in my hands, I forced myself to respond calmly.

“Sister, you hold a high status here. Besides, didn’t your father send you to this world specifically to ensure your safety?”

“That’s not the problem.”

Gloria replied, lightly shrugging her shoulders.

“I was an exceptionally skilled mage back in my kingdom. And besides—”

She tilted her head slightly as she looked at me.

“You’re the person I have the closest connection with in this world. Aren’t you a Saintess candidate? Not just a candidate, but someone on the verge of officially ascending to that position.”

“……”

Following her gaze, I saw Choi Soo-bin, the so-called Devil’s Advocate, sitting there.

Gloria must have picked up that information during her conversations about this world, even if it wasn’t directly from her.

She was a princess. And if she’d received even the minimum education required of one, she would understand the importance of mapping out the relationships of those around her. From that perspective, someone poised to become the leader of a prominent religion was unquestionably a figure of great significance.

“So… you want me to cooperate with your plans?”

I asked, seeking clarification.

“If you cooperate, I can provide significant support on my end.”

Gloria declared confidently, placing a hand on her chest as if swearing an oath.

“Support?”

“For starters, I could help you ascend to the position of Saintess. I hold a certain level of influence in my kingdom—let’s call it considerable. Once I return to my world, I could even build a church in a prominent location for you.”

Gloria spoke with the kind of assuredness one would expect from a princess of an absolute monarchy, promising support befitting such a system.

The problem was, her offer wasn’t particularly enticing to me.

I wasn’t sure how religion worked in her world, but—

“…Wait a moment.”

I put down my fork and knife, fixing Gloria with a steady gaze.

“Does the incident that happened in your kingdom have anything to do with your world’s religion?”

“……”

Gloria’s smile deepened, as if my question had hit the mark.

“I’ll share the details once we’ve established a cooperative relationship.”

…So, it’s a hundred percent true, then.

If even minimal contact had occurred, it would be almost impossible for the religion of this world not to have reached hers. While the royal family might have limited exchanges and restricted information, it wouldn’t be surprising if information about a “foreign nation” (if not an entirely “different world”) had leaked out.

After all, even in an absolute monarchy, the king’s power is never truly absolute. Especially in a setting akin to medieval Europe, noble influence cannot simply be ignored.

“That won’t work for me.”

I responded, rejecting her cleanly.

“……”

Gloria stared at me unblinkingly, her expression suggesting she wanted to hear my reasoning.

“Accepting a church would mean your kingdom is seeking a proxy to challenge the dominant religion there, wouldn’t it? That’s not exactly beneficial for us.”

“Participating in a war could be beneficial.”

Ria interjected, having listened quietly until now.

“That’s just because you’re assuming we have little to lose.”

Gloria nodded at Ria’s remark.

“My father would surely oppose it, though,” she added.

If her father was a king resolute about not relying on foreign powers, it made sense. The moment external forces were brought in, it would lead to unending headaches in trying to expel them later.

In fact, more often than not, expelling them might prove impossible.

“Either way, our dynasty is already in a position where it’s bound to fall this generation, isn’t it? This rebellion is proof of that.”

However, if her father and family were already dead, the story changed entirely.

If the goal was purely revenge, such a choice could become viable—no longer for the sake of preserving the dynasty.

It was chilling, really.

“…But there’s a catch.”

Ria said, fixing Gloria with a pointed stare.

“Even if this country managed to suppress your kingdom’s rebellion, political reasons would prevent them from ‘occupying’ your land. Isn’t that right? There are various treaties to consider.”

“……”

This situation was, at the very least, something the government of this country was aware of. And chances were high that other governments were already in the loop as well. If word got out that this country had invaded and occupied another, the repercussions would be catastrophic.

“And more importantly,” Ria continued, her gaze icy as she looked at Gloria.

“She probably already knew that she wouldn’t go along with something like that. Seriously, though—are you really suggesting that using the person who saved your life is the right thing to do?”

In the end, it seemed Gloria was still an elf—one of the nobility, no less. If the political intrigue was to dissipate, it would likely require Lee Si-yoon’s intervention.