A Monster That Cannot Pray

The next day.

“Frey. Did you pack your things well?”

“Yeah. There’s not much to pack anyway.”

We, who had briefly explained to the people of Yulentina, including Miss Mia, that we would be leaving the church for a while.

“Senior. Aren’t you going to ask me?”

“…Are you a child?”

“I’m not a child either!”

We were preparing to set out on our journey, each having packed the necessary things for travel.

As for me… well, I only had clothes to wear, so I was done with just my usual nun’s habit and a small bundle on my back.

“Mia agreed to take care of the church while we’re gone, so we don’t need to lock the doors.”

“…We’ll have to bring back lots of gifts when we return.”

“Yes, of course. Let’s bring back plenty, Frey.”

Bernard, wearing a large brown cloak over his priest’s robe, carrying something long wrapped in thick cloth along with a bundle almost as big as my body.

Alice, similarly wearing a cloak like Bernard’s over her priest’s robe, with a bundle about the size of a large backpack tied to her waist like a scabbard.

After we finished our preparations,

“Frey, take care on your journey!”

“Father Bernard! Please take good care of Frey!”

“Sister Alice! Take care and come back safely!”

Leaving behind the people who were seeing us off with bright faces.

“You’ve come.”

We met the guards, Uncle Wigo, and… Mr. Leon, the mayor of Yulentina, who were waiting in large numbers at the city entrance.

“What’s the occasion? For you to come out to a place like this.”

“I heard a citizen of the city was leaving due to unreasonable circumstances. Did you think I would just sit by?”

“Well. That’s just like you, Leon.”

So, Mr. Leon, who exchanged greetings with Bernard with his characteristic stern expression.

“Frey… may I call you that?”

“…Yes.”

“Well, Frey. These are the words of an incompetent adult who has to send you off like this now, but please remember. Even if the church doesn’t recognize you as human, you will always be a citizen of Yulentina.”

He knelt on one knee in front of me, made eye contact, and patted my head with an awkward smile.

“Priest Bernard.”

Then, getting up from his seat and brushing the dirt off his knees.

“Yes.”

“Don’t overdo it.”

“…Alright.”

Finally, he patted Bernard’s shoulder a couple of times… and then left without looking back.

“He’s still the same. Mr. Leon too.”

So, Alice, who hadn’t even properly made eye contact with Leon, let alone greet him, scratched her head awkwardly at the same time.

“Well, he’s always been like that, hasn’t he?”

Bernard chuckled and slapped Alice’s back hard with his palm.

“Ah, really… Senior!”

“Stand up straight, kid. How are you going to manage if your back is already bent? We haven’t even started yet.”

“…Ah.”

Only then could I realize it. From now on, yes… from now on. The moment I cross that city gate, I will once again face gazes full of hatred and hostility.

“It’s okay, miss. You don’t need to be scared already.”

Right after, with a shadow falling over my head as if covering the sky… Uncle Wigo’s voice was heard.

“Let me give you one piece of advice.”

Uncle Wigo, who had been standing guard even after Leon left.

“Don’t forget that what you really need to be careful of is not hatred and hostility, but unfounded kindness. Be suspicious of everyone who approaches you. Even those two aren’t perfect.”

As if protecting me from the world, he carefully adjusted my veil that had become disheveled with his huge hand, then pulled it to cover my arms thoroughly before stepping back.

“It’s going to be tough. The world is much crueler than you think to those of us who are different from others. If it gets hard, you can come back anytime. We are the guards to protect citizens like you.”

He waved quietly with a smiling face.

“Let’s go, Frey.”

So, I… wrapped my body in a wide veil to ensure my deformed arms wouldn’t show.

“Okay.”

For the first time in this world, I set out on a journey.

* * *

Hmm… hmm… so…

“Somehow… it’s quite different from what I thought…”

I sat down with my companions in a suitable clearing for camping. Looking alternately at the star-studded indigo sky and the crackling campfire in front of me… I quietly shared my impressions of the first night of the journey.

“Huh? What exactly did you think?”

“Hehe. Travel is usually full of boring things, you know.”

As Alice said, all we had done all day was just walk on bumpy dirt roads.

“No, I mean… when you say travel, I thought we’d get caught up in events or something…”

“What. Did you want to see bandits or night raiders?”

“…Ugh.”

It wasn’t exactly that… but still, isn’t there supposed to be some romance to it?

“Anyway, Senior, really… It’s Frey’s first trip ever, couldn’t you go along with it a bit?”

“That’s right, that’s right!”

“What do you mean ‘that’s right’… The best thing on a journey is for nothing to happen.”

In the end, Bernard got up with a smile and messed up my hair, ending the conversation.

“…Is my hair some kind of toy?”

So, as I was grumbling while fixing my disheveled hair.

“Frey, come here. I’ll fix it for you.”

Alice called me, patting her lap as if telling me to sit on it.

No matter what, as a man, I have my pride, sitting on a woman’s lap is a bit… Lately, I’ve been treated like a child so much that I feel like my head is getting soft.

“Now, take off your veil for a moment…”

…When I came to my senses, I was already settled on Alice’s lap.

Squish.

That’s right. It’s this chest that’s bad. It keeps bouncing and tempting me…

“Frey. It’s hard to fix if you lean like that, can you lift your head a bit?”

“…Okay.”

Come to think of it, Miss Mia and Alice too… Most of the women around me are tall and have good figures.

“Looking like that, it’s just like taking care of a daughter, hey.”

…I had similar thoughts, but I didn’t particularly want you to say it out loud.

“Senior. That’s rude. At least say sister or something.”

So, at Alice’s gentle touch, who was glaring at Bernard while subtly kneading my cheeks.

“Ey… Stop it…”

I pressed down on Alice’s arm with my two left arms as if pushing it away… but true to her title as an executioner, Alice’s arm didn’t budge an inch.

“I’ll just touch a little, Frey. Is that okay?”

When else would a grown man have the experience of having his cheeks kneaded like this?

“This isn’t okay…”

In the end, all I could do was… tightly hug my veil with my two lower arms. With the remaining two upper arms, I expressed my wish for her to remove her hands quickly.

“Ugh… my cheeks hurt…”

“Ahaha. I’m sorry, Frey. The texture was just so nice…”

…She said she’d only touch a little, but she kneaded for nearly 30 minutes.

“If you’re done playing, let’s start preparing dinner.”

“By the way, Senior… Weren’t you the type to just eat boiled water and jerky before?”

“Huh? How can we do that when there’s a child? Children need to eat well to grow well.”

I’m pretty sure I heard from that same mouth that he’d kill me if I grew, though.

“Old man. Didn’t I say I wouldn’t grow?”

“Not the body, but the heart. Generally, when food is plentiful, the heart becomes generous, and only with a generous heart can one become a great person. Frey.”

It was an unexpected statement. I thought he was just saying it to create that kind of mood.

“Oh… Indeed. You’ve become a bit more priest-like, Senior.”

“Hmph. This is what you call experience.”

It would have looked quite cool if he hadn’t said that last part.

“…Well, that’s just like you, old man.”

“Frey, what did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Anyway, after saying that, Bernard, who had left Alice in my care and was busily moving alone.

“Frey! Absolutely, absolutely don’t let that Alice touch the ingredients!”

As if he was still anxious even while moving, he kept glancing at Alice and shouting at me.

“Yeah. Don’t worry. I won’t let her get anywhere near them.”

“…Aren’t you treating me a bit too harshly?”

I think Alice’s poor skills might be the harsh thing here.

“No, that tea yesterday was really a mistake… I can at least do simple cooking, you know?”

Right after, as Alice was about to get up from her seat, rolling up her sleeves as if upset.

“Alice. The inside of my throat is still sticky.”

Having no choice, I made eye contact with her while bringing up yesterday’s incident.

“……”

Alice sat down quietly, sweating profusely.

…Was I a bit too harsh?

“Alice. Can I sit on your lap?”

“…Of course!”

Everyone has something they’re not good at, so I decided to sacrifice myself here to boost Alice’s spirits.

Squish.

It’s absolutely not that I’m using this body to legally enjoy Alice’s chest.

So, as I was quietly closing my eyes while resting my head on Alice’s natural cushion.

Bubble bubble….

Before long, a savory smell along with the thick aroma of boiling soup began to waft around.

“Hey― Get ready for dinner.”

“Shall we go then, Frey?”

“Yeah!”

The first night of the journey was filled with a truly warm and familiar scent.