I wondered how many more times I was struck by the pillow.
Having vented some of her frustration by flinging the pillow, the Saintess’s color began to return to her face.
“Are you feeling calmer now?”
“This is all your fault.”
“I haven’t exactly uttered a single untruth, you know.”
“Haa…”
Faced with the Saintess, whose expression remained stubbornly unyielding, I resolved to offer her a gift.
Rip, rip.
Taking my pen, I decisively struck through the clause in the contract that stipulated 100 hours per week.
Above it, I inscribed the beautiful number, ’52 hours’.
“Oh…?”
The Saintess’s bewilderment was palpable.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably, as if she couldn’t quite fathom what she was seeing.
“Truly… fifty-two hours is all it takes?”
“Indeed. You only need to dedicate this precise amount of time.”
In truth, I had never intended for her to work at all; thus, even fifty-two hours would constitute a significant boon.
With eyes sparkling in disbelief at the favorable terms, the Saintess meticulously reread the contract.
She even went so far as to moisten a finger with saliva and dab the paper, as if suspecting some arcane magical tampering.
“This is an entirely legitimate contract. You may rest assured.”
“Sigh… The conditions are truly this favorable?”
“Within the Baron Dayven’s household, everyone adheres to these very working hours.”
“What?!”
The Saintess’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Her reaction clearly indicated she had just heard something utterly incredible.
The Saintess’s hands began to tremble once more.
“Could it be… are you an angel?”
“Pardon?”
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a Saintess would ever refer to me as an angel.
Moreover, for a Saintess to bestow such a title upon a mere mortal…
Was this not, in fact, an act of blasphemy?
“No, it defies all logic that the working hours could be so minimal. No employer, after all, is such a pushover.”
“But it truly is the case…”
“Well, I thought you were merely a virgin (TL Note: A vulgar Korean slang term, ‘adasaekki,’ referring to someone who is sexually inexperienced, often used derisively to imply naivety or social ineptitude.), but a pushover as well? How remarkable.”
“Yet, you, the esteemed Saintess, are also a virgin.”
“A woman’s virginity and a man’s virginity possess entirely different values, particularly when it comes to a beautiful woman such as myself.”
“…”
Sensing that further conversation would only prove detrimental to myself, I deftly steered the topic elsewhere.
“At any rate, it is my turn now, is it not?”
“Yes, but do not include anything peculiar.”
“Even without your explicit instruction, I would only include perfectly reasonable provisions.”
As I, too, had several provisions already formulated, I proceeded to inscribe them without hesitation.
1. Speak courteously.
2. Engage in a morning run together daily.
3. Abstain from alcohol consumption.
These were truly impeccable clauses, perfectly aligned with the plan for the Saintess’s virtuous lifestyle!
Frankly, if she were to merely adhere to these three stipulations, the Saintess could, without a doubt, return to the clergy immediately.
Predictably, the Saintess furrowed her brows, her expression clearly signaling her displeasure.
“This is somewhat challenging.”
“Undoubtedly, abstaining from alcohol will prove the most arduous, will it not? Fear not. I shall actively assist you in conquering any withdrawal symptoms that may arise.”
“No, I had, in fact, always intended to cease alcohol consumption…”
The Saintess’s finger idly tapped against item number one.
“This, above all, will be the most difficult to uphold.”
“Pardon? It merely requires you to speak courteously, does it not?”
“Precisely. That is what I find arduous.”
Could it not simply be a matter of exercising a modicum of restraint regarding expletives?
Abandoning even the slightest pretense of decorum, the Saintess simply flopped onto the bed.
“How much hell do you think the clergy raised to correct my manner of speech? Even when they resorted to threats, curses, and even physical blows, my mouth remained utterly unyielding.”
“Wait, the clergy actually struck you?”
As the realization of her slip of the tongue dawned upon her, the Saintess’s expression immediately hardened.
“… You need not concern yourself with that particular detail. At any rate, this verbal habit I’ve possessed since childhood simply refuses to be corrected.”
“I daresay, that hardly seems like a matter we can simply disregard.”
Possessing a keen awareness of the profound reverence accorded to the Saintess in this world, I found her statement impossible to merely dismiss.
Though I had heard tell of the clergy’s corruption, to physically strike the Saintess?
Do they possess no fear of divine retribution whatsoever?
“Perhaps, from the perspective of those old men, they simply found the Saintess’s incessant cursing distasteful.”
“Even if that were the case, she is the Saintess, after all. The Saintess! What repercussions would they face should divine retribution befall them for such actions?”
“Do not harbor such grand illusions about the Saintess. She was not chosen by the Goddess; a Saintess, whose selection is based purely on the magnitude of her divine power, is merely a figurehead, a public face for the clergy.”
“…”
Considering she had once labored 120 hours per week, it became evident that the Saintess’s profession was far more arduous than I had ever conceived.
As I found myself casting a gaze of newfound pity upon her, the Saintess, appearing somewhat abashed, scratched her head before drawing a decisive line through clause number one.
“Regardless, clause number one is simply too difficult; please inscribe an alternative.”
In truth, given that my primary objective was to ensure the Saintess abstained from alcohol and engaged in diligent exercise, clause number one held no paramount importance.
Consequently, without a moment’s hesitation, I penned whatever came to mind.
[Manage the Church]
The Saintess’s eyes flickered, betraying her surprise as she gazed upon the newly inscribed clause.
“Are you being earnest?”
“Was not the conducting of worship your perpetual duty? For one of your stature, Saintess, presiding over services should prove effortless.”
“No, while it is indeed simple… I have been excommunicated, have I not? Should I, in my current state, preside over worship, the residents’ reactions would undoubtedly be adverse.”
“You need not trouble yourself with such concerns. Our domain, after all, exists in a state of semi-isolation from the wider world, meaning no one here would recognize the Saintess’s countenance. You may simply impersonate a nun and competently guide the church.”
The influence of the Goddess’s faith was so pervasive that it could be said, without exaggeration, that every single resident of this world adhered to its tenets without exception.
Yet, owing to the confined nature of our domain, no clergy existed to preside over worship services. Consequently, the residents maintained their spiritual lives by gathering haphazardly at the church each Sunday to offer their prayers.
The presence of a single cleric to conduct worship within the domain would undoubtedly elevate the residents’ overall satisfaction with life.
Should anyone in the village suffer injury, they could seek succor and treatment at the church.
Upon hearing my proposal, the Saintess paused, appearing to ponder whether she truly ought to assume responsibility for the church, before ultimately offering a nod of assent.
“Yes… I will endeavor to do my utmost.”
****
Dayven Academy, the sole educational institution within Baron Dayven’s domain.
“Ugh…”
Dani, a red-haired girl, was once again sprinting across the playground today, her face alight with an unburdened smile.
Given the exceedingly small size of the domain, Dayven Academy employed a mere four instructors, rendering it utterly impossible to supervise all students without leaving blind spots.
Having cunningly slipped away from the instructors’ vigilant gaze, Dani revelled in her newfound freedom, darting across the expansive playground.
To a child, every facet of the world invariably becomes an object of boundless curiosity.
As Dani, an inherently curious girl, observed a prominent tree situated in the very center of the academy’s playground, a sudden surge of inquisitiveness regarding the vista obtainable from its lofty branches seized her.
After swiftly surveying her surroundings and confirming a distinct lack of onlookers,
“Ugh…”
She commenced her ascent of the colossal tree, grunting with effort.
Had she been a boy possessing even a modicum of physical strength, she might well have managed to scramble up the tree.
But Dani was merely a frail girl.
When she had ascended approximately one-third of the way up its trunk,
“Oh dear?”
Her grip failed, her strength giving way, and she plummeted with a heavy thud to the unforgiving ground below.
Initially, a rush of adrenaline prevented Dani from experiencing any significant pain, prompting her to attempt standing as if nothing had happened.
However,
“Oh?”
Dani discovered that her leg refused to obey her commands.
Despite her mental directives, her leg remained unresponsive.
The first instinct for a child in distress is invariably tears.
“Waaah!”
Dani’s cries echoed throughout the academy as she wept inconsolably, pleading for help.
“What’s wrong?”
“What happened?”
Hearing Dani’s wails, nearby students and instructors hastily rushed to her side.
The instructor responsible for the children’s physical education examined Dani’s leg, his expression growing grim.
“This… it appears her leg is broken.”
In this era, a broken leg was a far more serious affliction than one might assume.
It often led to permanent disability, and in severe cases, could even result in death due to infection.
Dani, being a young girl, faced an even greater peril.
“Waaah!”
Well aware of the grave dangers associated with a broken leg, Dani continued to weep torrentially, her cries filling the academy.
“We’ll go to the infirmary, Dani.”
“Waaah!”
The instructor hoisted the profusely weeping Dani onto their back and sprinted towards the domain’s sole infirmary.
Receiving basic treatment at the infirmary would significantly reduce the likelihood of long-term complications.
The instructor arrived at the infirmary’s entrance, panting heavily.
Their heart sank upon finding the door firmly shut.
Recalling recent events, the instructor vaguely remembered hearing that the healer in charge of the infirmary had been bedridden of late.
“What am I to do…?”
Children are surprisingly perceptive beings.
They can easily detect adult distress.
With a tear-streaked face, Dani cautiously inquired,
“Instructor… will I always be in pain?”
“…”
The instructor remained silent, unable to bring themselves to utter a falsehood.
They felt a profound regret at their inability to do anything for little Dani.
“Oh? Is a child injured?”
As the instructor stood despairing before the infirmary, an elderly man happened to pass by and addressed them.
“Yes… it appears her leg is broken, and with the infirmary closed, I am at a loss as to how to proceed.”
The old man thoughtfully stroked his white beard for a moment before speaking.
“Then, why not try the church?”
“Pardon?”
“A nun recently arrived at the church, and they say her divine power is immense. Why not ask for her assistance?”
“Hmm… Thank you for the information, at least.”
The instructor, who had lived their entire life in the small village and had never encountered divine power, tilted their head in puzzlement yet, clutching at straws, set off for the church.
The old church stood at the very center of the domain.
‘Oh? Something feels different.’
Upon reaching the church, the instructor immediately sensed a change.
Outwardly, there was no significant difference, yet a subtly sacred aura seemed to emanate from it.
The atmosphere was markedly different from the boisterous gatherings of villagers who typically offered their prayers each week.
“Excuse me…”
Cautiously pushing open the door and stepping inside, the rumor of a nun’s arrival proved true: a young, silver-haired beauty knelt at the altar in the center of the church, deep in prayer.
Though reluctant to interrupt her devotion, the urgency of the situation compelled the instructor to approach her hastily.
Sensing their presence, the woman slowly opened her eyes.
“Oh dear… you are gravely injured.”
The woman’s gaze fell upon Dani, who was still on the instructor’s back, and she gently touched Dani’s leg.
Hummm.
As the rumors suggested, a brilliant light erupted within the church.
As the light subsided, Dani’s leg was miraculously and completely healed.
“Th-thank you!”
The instructor, witnessing divine power for the very first time, was momentarily speechless before bowing deeply in gratitude.
The woman, clad in a nun’s habit, offered a benevolent smile and spoke,
“Offer your thanks not to me, but to the Goddess, who orchestrates all these miracles.”
Behind her, as she spoke in a benevolent voice, a potent divine energy emanated.
Observing this, the instructor thought,
‘A Saintess has appeared in our domain.’
