No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 45

EP.45

Chapter 4

Escape and Service (11)

Right. Let’s be honest here.

I did want to get involved with the protagonists, just a little.

After all, it’s the novel I read. I’d enjoyed it quite a bit, so much so that I’d even given the author heartfelt advice out of genuine affection. Of course, it was common knowledge that the childhood friend was the main love interest, but that didn’t mean I disliked the other heroines. I just didn’t want them to end up with the protagonist. Each of them had their own unique circumstances and charms, making them good characters in their own right. If I hadn’t read the original novel—if I didn’t know that Gloria wasn’t inherently a bad person—I probably wouldn’t have stepped forward to help her like this.

“So… um, Gloria? Miss Gloria?”

“Just Gloria is fine.”

“……”

I wasn’t sure what physical differences there might be among elves in that world. Could there be elves with different skin tones? If there were, it wouldn’t be surprising if she hadn’t seen them. After all, she’d grown up in an isolated environment where civilization had developed separately.

Still, even to Gloria’s eyes, Lee Si-yoon must have seemed very handsome.

Or perhaps—wait, isn’t her tone changing again? It was the same in the original novel too.

“Then… um, Sister?”

“Yes, Brother.”

Lee Si-yoon seemed more comfortable addressing me that way. It was probably because, beyond just being a superior, I was also a nun.

Regardless of whether or not there was a state religion, people naturally became more mindful of their words and actions when in the presence of someone associated with a religious institution.

“You’ll be spending some time with us. Is that alright with you?”

“Of course.”

I nodded.

At this point, there was no retreat. I might as well stand confidently by her side and subtly ensure that Gloria didn’t approach Lee Si-yoon in any odd ways.

Whoosh.

Feeling someone approach beside me, I quickly turned my head.

Startled by my sudden movement, Ria instinctively stepped back slightly. Given the proximity, it seemed she’d intended to whisper something in my ear.

However, something else was bothering me.

“…Were you planning to jab my side again?”

I narrowed my eyes at Ria as I spoke, and she blinked in surprise.

“Uh, no, that wasn’t my intention…”

She wasn’t holding up her fingers like before, so perhaps she wasn’t lying. But I wasn’t born yesterday. Besides, Ria had incredible reflexes—almost absurdly fast.

Right. Those reflexes were one of her standout traits in the novel.

And they weren’t just useful during battles alongside Lee Si-yoon.

In the story, Ria—well, Lee Chae-eun—was the one who stole Lee Si-yoon’s first kiss. It wasn’t what you’d call a proper kiss, more like a clumsy collision of lips or a brief peck.

But even so, a kiss was still a kiss. What reader in their right mind would argue, “It was just a light touch, so it doesn’t count as a kiss”?

I narrowed my eyes at Ria and then quickly turned away.

After a brief pause, Ria followed closely behind me. She didn’t say anything further.

*

Though the setting was modern, fantasy was still fantasy.

The association had a forge. Of course, it wasn’t the kind of forge you’d find in a medieval fantasy. Instead of manual hammering, there were automated machines, and there was no molten metal bubbling in a furnace. It looked more like a giant coffee pot. The only aspects that gave the place a “forge vibe” were the various materials scattered around.

Massive animal horns hung from chains attached to the ceiling, and the tables were covered with gemstones of all colors, radiating vivid light. The materials and ores scattered around looked nothing like anything that could have come from creatures in this world.

In the forge, a short-haired woman was working, pumping a pedal to operate an automated hammer. Her figure, while less curvaceous than mine, was still well-proportioned and far from unimpressive by real-world standards. In fact, her arms, exposed beneath a tank top, were impressively toned, a feature many might find attractive. Add to that a pretty face. The short haircut might be divisive among readers, but it certainly suited her.

“Oh, Si-yoon’s here!”

The woman greeted him in a bold, almost boisterous tone, raising one hand high before leaping up from her spot. Without hesitation, she dashed over and threw an arm around Lee Si-yoon’s neck, locking him in a headlock. It was technically a headlock, but of course, in such a position, parts of her body—like the side of her chest—would inevitably make contact with his face.

“Uh, big sis!”

Han Yu-ri, who had been standing nervously nearby, quickly stepped in to intervene, but the woman didn’t release Lee Si-yoon right away. And Lee Si-yoon—his face turning red—didn’t seem entirely displeased by the situation either.

The sight made me squint instinctively.

And sure enough, as I was narrowing my eyes at the woman, she noticed and looked directly at me.

“Huh?”

The woman widened her eyes at me. Did she think I was picking a fight by narrowing my eyes?

She immediately let go of Lee Si-yoon and walked straight toward me.

For a moment, I nearly panicked. But seeing that her expression wasn’t particularly hostile, I stood my ground—though someone else stepped in between us before I had to.

“……”

“Ria?”

Oh, right. Of course.

Inside the church, no one would directly attack me, and most people I interacted with here had already met me at least once.

More importantly, few people dared approach me so assertively. If someone like Lee Si-yoon, Han Yu-ri, or even Gloria had approached me with such a stern demeanor, Ria would’ve stepped in just as she was now.

“Ria, it’s okay.”

I gently tapped Ria’s back as I spoke. Ria flinched slightly at my touch and turned to look at me.

“There’s no need to react like that. Nobody here would harm me.”

“But still…”

“If there truly were someone like that, Ria, you would’ve already sensed it and drawn your sword, wouldn’t you?”

At my words, Ria hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Was this her way of showing that she remained vigilant while protecting me? It made sense. Despite her usually cheerful demeanor, Lee Chae-eun’s character was always diligent when it came to her duties.

When Ria finally stepped aside, the person who’d been blocked looked a little flustered, glancing between the two of us before cautiously speaking.

“So… uh, it’s okay to talk to you, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

I considered making a light joke about the situation but decided against it. Ria might find that uncomfortable. I gave a small nod, and the woman quickly approached me, clasping my hands in both of hers.

“Thank you so much.”

“…Pardon?”

While I hadn’t sensed any hostility from her earlier, her reaction still caught me off guard.

In truth, I’d been the more suspicious one between us, making her earnest gratitude even more perplexing. I only knew who she was by piecing together the novel’s descriptions with the current situation. If I hadn’t read it, I wouldn’t have had the faintest idea who she was. Hearing “thank you” as the first thing in such a situation was unexpected.

“If you hadn’t been there that day, Sister, my younger sibling wouldn’t have made it back alive.”

“Oh…”

I see.

So that’s how it was.

It’s possible her sibling might have survived even without me. Even if they’d lost an arm or a leg, as long as they could receive divine power, survival wasn’t out of the question. Judging by the circumstances, there must have been a Saintess or at least Saintess candidates nearby as well.

…But if some internal organs had burst out or been torn, or if their aorta had been damaged, causing excessive blood loss, the situation would have been entirely different.

“That’s fortunate.”

I nodded.

Her expression of gratitude wasn’t dependent on such hypotheticals. It meant that her sibling had directly received my help and survived because of it.

Though I didn’t remember the person in question, that wasn’t surprising—I couldn’t possibly remember everyone I’d healed.

Still, at least one life had been saved. And there was someone who felt grateful for that fact.

If so, wasn’t that enough?

*

Thinking about it, my influence was far greater than I had initially assumed. I’d only considered my status, but the people here were all present near that gate back then. Some had family members saved, like the woman earlier. Others had survived themselves. To such people, I was literally a benefactor.

“……”

While I didn’t expect thanks when helping others, receiving gratitude was never unpleasant. I was petty enough to let such recognition influence my mood, after all.

“Sister Anna, you’re amazing…”

Han Yu-ri said with a mix of admiration and awe as she observed how many people stopped to praise and thank me wherever we went. Even though she’d been there during the event, seeing me receive such appreciation was a different matter entirely.

The fighters, focused as they were on combat, wouldn’t have had time to notice how injured others were or how they were saved.

Even Gloria widened her eyes as she looked at me, perhaps revising whatever mental image she had of me.

Hmm.

Honestly, it didn’t bother me that the people expressing their gratitude weren’t calling me a “god” or anything along those lines. If anything, it was refreshing.

By the time we’d finished a full round inside the Association’s building, my mood had significantly lifted.

…

Wait, what was I trying to do again?

Ah, that’s right. I was supposed to be keeping an eye on them.

…

Well, it doesn’t seem to matter anymore. Gloria seemed more focused on me than Lee Si-yoon at this point.

Han Yu-ri, for her part, was too preoccupied marveling at me to create any sort of romantic atmosphere with Si-yoon. That was something they could sort out between themselves later.

“……”

Only Ria seemed to look at me with a slightly different expression from the others.