I’m Playing as a Nun.

An ordinary village.

A large guild building bustling with all kinds of people.

Two men stood side by side in front of a bulletin board installed inside.

“Scouting an abandoned church in Elm Forest?”

“It’s over there. A place where people expelled from the village used to gather and live.”

They were deeply pondering while looking at a request note on the bulletin board.

“It’s been neglected for a long time, so there won’t be much to see. Why are they asking to scout this place?”

“I heard some noises coming from around this church recently.”

“Ah, I heard a nearby village was recently attacked by a group of monsters and turned into a wasteland. Is it because of that?”

“It seems they posted this request to confirm that.”

In the past, it was quite lively, with people who had been expelled from the village gathering there.

However, due to continuous monster attacks and merciless plundering by thieves, it eventually became a place where people could not live.

Now, let alone human traces, it has fallen into a hideous land where no one wants to go.

“…Although I’m hesitant to go there since many things have happened, if we do this well, isn’t it a request that can be done easily?”

“Hey, Asura, it’s a creepy place that has been neglected since before we were even born.”

“Even so, it’s just a building in the end. From the sound of it, it seems like someone is living there. Can’t we go?”

“That’s not the problem. It’s that we don’t know what might be there. Even if monsters or thieves are living inside, it’s equally dangerous.”

A request with low compensation due to the simple reason of scouting.

Given that it is a creepy building that has been neglected for a long time and that it is completely unknown what lives inside, no foolish adventurer would readily accept such an unpleasant request.

However, the man intently looking at this request had a different thought.

“It’s better if thieves or monsters are living there. We can get more than the compensation written here.”

“What?”

“Look closely. This request note only says scouting. Not a single word about monsters or thieves is written.”

“So what?”

“If you think it’s a simple scouting and accept the request, but suddenly have to deal with monsters or thieves, that’s unreasonable in itself.”

“Well, that’s true…”

“If such a situation arises, we can protest with a valid basis. From then on, it becomes a price that is worth going.”

The man’s words holding the request note were quite plausible.

In fact, if something different from the content written on the request note occurred, the guild had to pay the adventurers more compensation than what was specified on the request note without fail.

“So you’re saying we should accept this request?”

“Yes. But I’m not saying we should go.”

“… Don’t tell me.”

“What’s wrong with that? The newbie is there to be used at times like this.”

With those words, the man slowly turned and intently looked at the newbie sitting tensely in front of a rough wooden table.

“Hey, Priscilla.”

“Yes, yes!”

At the man’s call, Priscilla immediately straightened her waist and stiffened her body.

She soon began to blink her eyelids quickly, even sweating profusely.

“I’ll entrust this request to you. It’s a request where you just have to scout and come back, so it won’t be too difficult.”

“Me, scouting? Am I going alone…?”

“Didn’t I just say that I’m entrusting it to you? If you just have to scout and come back, what’s the need for us to go in a group.”

Priscilla, who had just joined the guild and had no proper experience yet.

Although she barely became an adventurer after going through all sorts of hardships at the training center, it was still a burden for her to set out on her first request alone.

“Still… I’m a newbie who just joined the guild…”

“Didn’t they teach you this at the training center? Can’t you even scout alone if it’s not with many people?”

“N-No…! I can do it!”

“Yeah, that’s how you should come out. The distance isn’t very far either. If you do well, you can finish it and come back in a day.”

Under the constant pressure, Priscilla had no choice but to receive the request note.

Even at that moment, her hand trembled like an aspen leaf, but sadly, it didn’t catch the eyes of the man who only thought of making money easily.

“An abandoned church in Elm Forest…?”

“Do you know where it is?”

“No… I just found out now that there’s a church building in Elm Forest…”

“Hmm, I guess you wouldn’t know. It’s an abandoned church that’s been neglected for over 30 years. When you actually go, there won’t be much to see.”

“3-30 years?”

“I’ll tell you the details after you go and come back. For now, you should get going.”

“No matter how I think about it, it’s creepy…”

The man looked at Priscilla, who was turning paler, with an increasing displeasure.

Soon, he let out a deep sigh as if frustrated and furrowed his brows.

“I said it’s just scouting. Who told you to face monsters and come back?”

“B-But…”

“Ha, this bitch, really. If I tell you to go, you should go. Why are you talking so much?”

“Excuse me…?”

“It’s a simple scouting request. You just have to go and come back.”

He exerted a heavy pressure, suffocating Priscilla.

Since she was a newbie who had just joined the guild, she could not directly refuse the man’s orders despite the ominous feeling of the request.

“Is it really… really just scouting and coming back…?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying. It’s written like that on the request note too.”

“…I understand.”

Under the man’s heavy pressure that continued endlessly, Priscilla finally got up from her seat powerlessly.

The cheerful metallic sound of armor that rang with each step somehow made her feel more disturbed.

***

“Amen.”

That was the end of my afternoon prayer that continued without fail today as well.

I do it daily, so I am used to it to some extent now.

But I still sigh first when prayer time approaches, and I’m hiding my discomfort while feeling some inexplicable guilt.

Is it because I, who doesn’t believe in God, am pretending to be faithful?

Occasionally, a sense of self-blame rushes in, but when I think of the children who only look at me, I quickly regain my peace.

“Sister Levi, now that the prayer is over, can I read the magic book?”

“Of course. But don’t read for too long. It might be bad for your eyes.”

“Okay.”

Iris has been immersed in magic books recently.

To the point of reading for several hours every day.

I’m a bit worried that she’s too absorbed in it, but on the other hand, I feel quite proud that the gift was worthwhile.

“Levi! Can I swing my sword in the garden too?”

“I want to pray some more in my room.”

“From now on, it’s free time, so do as you wish. However, I’ll make you stop if you’re too engrossed.”

“Okay!”

“Yes.”

From the day I distributed weapons suitable for each of them, the children suddenly gained professions.

Although they themselves don’t seem to know that fact at all, it was very startling for me, who can see the status window.

I just distributed weapons suitable for each of them, thinking about the future.

It was absurd that their profession changed just by doing that.

“It’s like I’ve become an NPC…”

It was a small mutter in the empty church after the children left.

Although there are no significant changes for now, just thinking about the future makes my head start to throb.

Because I have no idea what changes my thoughtless actions will bring to the children.

– Creak

“Levi, someone is here.”

While standing blankly in place and dropping my head powerlessly,

Aizen, who was in the garden, suddenly called my name loudly.

“Yes?”

“She says she’s an adventurer from Erdelin. It’s a woman.”

My mind instantly turned blank at the sudden visitor without any prior notice.

It was very unusual and suspicious that someone suddenly visited this church, where not even a shadow of a person had been seen until now.

Moreover, an adventurer.

“Is she alone?”

“Yes. But she looks somewhat anxious.”

“…?”

“She also looks kind of scared… She’s been trembling severely since earlier.”

It’s an easy-to-understand explanation, but I don’t think I can properly judge without seeing it directly.

If it’s an adventurer who came directly from the village, they should have some information about this church.

Why is the adventurer scared and trembling?

I really don’t understand.

“I see. I’ll go out and see for myself.”

“She doesn’t look particularly dangerous, but it’s still very suspicious. She was secretly peeking at me while hiding in the bushes.”

“Peeking at you?”

“Yes. As soon as she was caught, she suddenly told me to run away with her, so I managed to shake her off and ran here.”

“…You did well. I’ll handle the rest well. Aizen, can you return to your room and rest?”

“Okay, got it.”

A few seconds after Aizen left the church,

I immediately moved my paused steps and headed outside without hesitation.

What on earth did she come here for?

Based on the atmosphere so far, it seems that no one has discovered that I am a vampire.

It doesn’t feel like a thief either.

If it was really a thief, they wouldn’t have revealed themselves alone.

– Creak

Soon, I stepped on the stairs in front of the church entrance with a troubled expression.

In the middle of the modest garden, a female knight was standing alone, trembling severely.

“Y-You…! What exactly are you…?!”

As soon as she saw me, the female knight fiercely drew the sword she was carrying at her waist and suddenly began to threaten me.

Breathing roughly and standing with difficulty, my questions began to deepen.

“…I should be the one asking, what kind of person are you? Suddenly coming here and threatening me.”

“I-I am… Priscilla from the Shield Guild…! I received a request stating that an unusual energy was felt from here and came to investigate!”

“Shield Guild?”

“Seeing your strangely pale skin, you’re indeed not an ordinary person as I thought!”

A somewhat slipshod appearance.

However, from the fact that a person belonging to a guild, not just an ordinary adventurer, came to this church alone, I suddenly felt that not everything that was seen was all there was to it.

Perhaps it’s a tactic to show a sloppy appearance and induce my carelessness.

“……”

“I saw earlier that there seems to be a child living here besides you…”

“So what?”

“According to the information I know, this place is a church that has been neglected for over 30 years! The environment is such that even the surrounding area has monsters, making it difficult for people to easily live here!”

A fact I didn’t know.

I learned for the first time today that this church had been neglected for over 30 years.

But that’s not what’s important right now.

“Could you please briefly tell me your business? The introduction is too long.”

“Come out from there and clearly prove that you are human…! Otherwise, I will judge you as a monster disguised as a human and cut you down on the spot!”

As expected, this woman knows something.

I thought it was suspicious from the start, but I didn’t expect her to reveal her intentions to this extent.

Is she that confident?

“I’m sorry. I don’t really like sunlight.”

Well, regardless of the situation.

I can’t do anything when the sun is shining brightly during the day.

That is the biggest weakness of vampires.

For now, I have no choice but to try to persuade her with words and send her back nicely without any harm.

“There seems to be some misunderstanding, so I’d like you to come inside the church first and calmly talk…”

Just as I was showing calmness with a faint smile while being quite composed.

“Sister Levi─. I don’t understand what this means.”

Iris, who should have been in the room, suddenly appeared and began to toddle towards me.

“Oh, Iris?!”

“Oh…?! I didn’t expect another child besides the boy from earlier…!”

As soon as she saw Iris, the female knight opened her eyes wide and furrowed her brows seriously.

Soon, she quickly blocked Iris, who was toddling towards me while holding a magic book in her arms and hugged her tightly into her own arms.

“Y-You can’t go…! You’re being deceived right now! That nun is definitely…”

– Thud

At that moment, I felt my reason suddenly snap.

I could tolerate her suspecting me and brush it off.

But I couldn’t stand her reaching out to the children living peacefully here.

“It’s better not to lay hands on something you can’t take responsibility for until the end.”

“Excuse me…?”

Standing still at the darkly shaded entrance of the church and intently staring at the face of the female knight.

Honestly, if I close my eyes tightly and erase the sensation of pain, I can walk under the sun.

Nevertheless, I haven’t moved a single step from the shade yet to give the female knight one last chance.

I could vaguely tell that she was not a bad person; she was short-sighted and clumsy.

“Please put Iris down obediently before I come over there.”

So I also decided to respond to threats with threats unless the female knight showed any unusual actions.

But-.

– Drip

The situation flows in the opposite direction of my intention.

As soon as I saw the water dripping down from the lower body of the female knight, who was now making a tearful face, I was shocked and engulfed in tremendous embarrassment.

“I-I’m sorry… Please spare my life…”