LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 10
“Thud, thud.”
On the way to the village, I happened to meet a merchant and was able to buy everything I needed.
Thanks to that, I saved time and returned to the church much earlier than planned.
“Phew…”
As soon as I returned to the church, the morning sun slowly began to rise.
If I had been even a little later, I would have been directly hit by the morning sun—a close call.
But luck was on my side again.
Even though the terrifying morning sun was gaining speed and chasing me fiercely from behind, I calmly quickened my pace without a hint of panic.
Finally, as I crossed the threshold, I felt a sense of relief and safely entered the church.
I then placed the heavy bundle, swollen like a rock, on the ground and slowly unpacked it, leisurely organizing the items I had bought from the merchant as if nothing had happened.
“The magic book, clothes… and the doll Ellie asked for…”
At first, I thought I had bought just the right amount, but as I unpacked each item, I realized there were quite a few things I didn’t really need mixed in.
“……”
As I organized the items one by one, my expression grew increasingly serious for some reason.
Eventually, I carefully checked the materials I had stored in a leather pouch, only to realize that the pouch, which had somehow dried up, was completely empty and weightless.
“…Oh crap, I’ve been had.”
Overspending.
The situation where the belly is bigger than the stomach.
The merchant I met by chance was so skilled in persuasion, almost like a scammer, that I ended up buying everything he showed me without thinking.
As a result, my pouch was now empty, and I had a mountain of things I didn’t immediately need.
“Who would’ve thought I’d meet a sales genius in a place like that…”
At this moment, my mind was a chaotic mess of thoughts, but at least the items weren’t completely useless, which gave me some comfort.
They were things that might come in handy someday.
– Creak
While I was feeling this strange unease and continuing to organize, the church door slowly opened, and Ellie, half-asleep, peeked in.
“Huh… Sister…?”
“Ellie? What brings you here at this hour?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Ellie rushed over and hugged me tightly.
Her small, animal-like appearance was so cute that I couldn’t help but smile.
“Why did you come back so early? You said you might be late.”
“On the way to the village, I happened to meet a merchant and was able to buy everything I needed.”
“Wow, really? That’s great─.”
“But Ellie, why are you up so early?”
“I wanted to pray to Phelia. So that you could return safely.”
Ellie’s words not only cleansed my troubled heart but also made me feel strangely emotional.
To think she woke up so early just to pray for my safe return.
She must be an angel.
“Maybe it was thanks to Ellie that I met the merchant. Thank you, Ellie.”
“Mmm… That’s probably because Phelia is so kind.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
Ellie is probably the most devout follower of Phelia in this church.
Although Aizen and Iris are also devout, I’m sure they can’t surpass Ellie’s faith.
“Ellie, look at this.”
“Oh, a bunny doll!”
Although it’s not a sophisticated or elegant doll, it’s the one I thought would suit Ellie the most among the many dolls the merchant showed me.
I was a bit nervous that she might be disappointed, but fortunately, it seems to have won her heart.
“Hehe, it’s cute and fluffy. Thank you, Sister─.”
“That’s not all.”
“Huh?”
With the doll gift being a huge success, I confidently showed her the next gift.
“It’s a dress. It even has frills that flutter.”
Since the doll, which I was least confident about, turned out to be a meaningful success, this dress, which I was more confident about, would make me even prouder.
After all, as soon as I saw it, I thought it would suit Ellie perfectly.
“……”
However, contrary to my expectations, Ellie’s expression darkened as soon as she saw the dress.
It was as if she was looking at something shocking.
“…Don’t you like it…?”
“Ah, no…! No! I like it! He, hehe… It’s, it’s pretty…”
Her behavior was a bit awkward.
Seeing a drop of cold sweat on her left cheek, it seems this dress isn’t to Ellie’s taste.
“Ah… Ahaha… There are other things too, so let’s try…”
– Thud
While I was flustered by the unexpected reaction and struggling to speak, the church door opened again, and Aizen and Iris cautiously peeked in.
“Huh? It’s Levi.”
“It’s the Sister.”
The same reaction as Ellie.
I calmly explained to the two kids, who were still unaware of the situation, what had happened during the early morning, trying to maintain a composed smile.
But perhaps because I had just taken a big hit, the smile didn’t come naturally.
“Wow─!! It’s a book with magic written in it!”
“What’s with all this stuff? Most of it’s clothes.”
Iris immediately grabbed the magic book and jumped around in joy, while Aizen looked bewildered at the mountain of items.
“I… bought some clothes… but I’m not sure if you’ll like them…”
My confidence had already hit rock bottom.
The dress I thought they would like the most had already been a huge failure, so now, showing the clothes I picked to Aizen and Iris, I felt more nervous and shaky than ever before.
“Ugh!! Gross…”
As soon as I showed the clothes with a tense expression, Aizen immediately frowned and opened his mouth wide.
I heard something, but Ellie, who was standing next to him, quickly moved to cover his mouth, so I didn’t catch it properly.
“Let’s try these on…! The Sister went through so much trouble to get these for us…!”
“Huh? But didn’t you say earlier that you met a merchant on the way to the village?”
“Iris, shush─!”
I was being teased.
There was no malice, but I could clearly feel the implication that I had no eye for clothes.
“We’ll try these on and come back…! Thank you, Sister!”
By now, my spirit was completely crushed, and I couldn’t hear anything Ellie was saying.
My expression had melted into gloom, and I was staring blankly at the pile of items in front of me.
.
.
.
“…”
“…”
“…”
A few minutes later.
The kids reappeared in front of me.
They were trying their best to look happy in the clothes I had bought, but the awkwardness hidden beneath was still faintly visible.
However, that was just the beginning.
What made me even more flustered than the kids’ awkwardness was something else entirely.
That was─.
“Huh…?”
The wrong sizes.
Ellie’s dress was somewhat okay, but Iris’s dress was so large it dragged on the floor, and the outfit I had imagined would make Aizen look like a cool knight was way too small.
“This… is weird… I thought they’d at least somewhat fit…?”
At this point, I couldn’t help but understand why the kids had such awkward expressions.
I had no eye for clothes, and my sense of sizing was the worst.
“I’m sorry, Sister… I don’t think I can walk around in this…”
Even Ellie, who had been struggling for my sake, seemed to have given up and cautiously spoke up.
I was so disappointed in myself that I felt like crying, but if I actually shed tears, my dignity would be completely ruined, so I bit my lower lip hard and held it in.
“…I’m sorry, everyone. Just trying them on is enough, so please change back into your original clothes now.”
“But we’re really happy…! Because you picked these out for us…”
“Next time, let’s go shopping together. That way, it’ll be better for everyone.”
The atmosphere had become heavy due to my ridiculous mistake.
If only I hadn’t bought the clothes, it would have been a pretty successful gift─.
“…Oh right, Aizen. I thought you might need this, so I bought it.”
In the solemn atmosphere, I carefully handed Aizen something I thought would suit him best.
“Oh? What’s this?!”
It was a steel sword.
A suitable weight and size for a 10-year-old to wield.
It wasn’t an expensive item, but it seemed like something Aizen would need, so I bought it immediately.
“I was just thinking I’d need one of these…!”
“What’s this, Aizen? Yesterday you said you didn’t need anything.”
“I thought you wouldn’t buy me a sword if I asked. This is really great!”
I think I should focus on buying practical items rather than clothes from now on.
The reaction is so different from before that I don’t know whether to be happy or sad.
“Ellie, this is a staff. Iris, this is a wand.”
“A… staff…?”
“A wand!”
I also gave Ellie and Iris weapons that suited them perfectly.
From what I’ve observed so far, Aizen is obviously a knight who primarily uses a sword.
Ellie, who is more devout than anyone here, seems destined to be a priestess, and Iris, who shows interest in magic, is likely to become a mage.
With their aptitudes so clearly defined, there was no reason for me not to buy them weapons.
“I think it’s time for all of you to develop your abilities according to your aptitudes.”
As I calmly spoke those words, trying to regain my composure─.
────────────
【Aizen】- Messiah
[Race] Human
[Class] Knight
[Level] 1
────────────
────────────
【Ellie】- Messiah
[Race] Human
[Class] Priestess
[Level] 1
────────────
────────────
【Iris】- Messiah
[Race] Human
[Class] Mage
[Level] 1
────────────
The kids suddenly changed classes.