I'm Playing as a Nun.

"Sister, Sister."

"Yes?"

"What did you do this afternoon?"

"...Nothing in particular."

"Did you get a good rest?"

"Hmm, I wonder?"

On the path to the forest while holding the children's hands.

Ellie, hopping along with a mood quite different from the morning, asked me.

"Why are you suddenly asking that?"

"Just because. I hope you got some good rest while we were gone."

It was a slightly puzzling response that seemed to hide something while revealing a strange anticipation.

"Is that so?"

I smiled slightly while pondering Ellie's words.

I tried to respond calmly, as usual, without showing much reaction. Still, seeing Ellie's sparkling eyes, I couldn't help but let a smile escape.

"Sister! From here on, you have to keep your eyes tightly closed!"

"What?"

"You must keep them closed until I say you can open them!"

"Why?"

"Actually, there's a terrifying monster living ahead, and if you don't keep your eyes tightly closed, you'll turn to stone immediately!"

Seeing Ellie speak so craftily, I maintained my faint smile and tilted my head slightly.

"If everyone closes their eyes, how will we move forward?"

"We'll be fine. The monster only turns adults to stone."

By this point, even if I tried to pretend not to notice, I could roughly guess what the children were planning.

The claim that they couldn't build the base camp was probably a lie to lure me, and their real purpose was likely to take me to a specific location?

"Ah, I see... That was a close call."

As soon as I reached this near-certain conclusion, I began hiding my expression by slowly pursing my lips.

To think they would make such an adorable plan behind my back...

So that's why they went camping without me...

"You can't peek. Understand?"

"Yes~ I won't open them even if the sky falls~"

The one who probably pushed this plan forward must be Aizen.

He must have thought of it on the spot this morning.

Because Aizen was the first to mention wanting to go camping, the children's reactions followed were quite natural, unlike now.

Until then, they probably didn't know what Aizen was planning.

"Hehehe..."

"Why are you laughing?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

Though quite thorough and elaborate for a plan made on the spot, the children were still too young to perfectly deceive an adult.

Especially far from fooling my keen eye─.

But since this was the children's first surprise gift for me, I decided to follow along quietly while hiding my expression as much as possible.

At times like this, if you act well in pretending to be fooled, both the preparers feel satisfied, and the recipient feels pleased, creating a mutually good situation.

"Sister, we're here—"

"You can open your eyes now."

We arrived at our destination after walking while lost in all sorts of fantasies.

Ellie and Rune's hands that I had been holding tightly naturally moved away, and the children's whispering voices grew louder around me.

"Can I open my eyes?"

"Yes."

My lips are still tightly sealed.

My heartbeat also quickened.

With such high expectations, I carefully and slowly lifted my closed eyelids.

At that moment, a completely unexpected scene miraculously unfolded before my eyes.

"Gasp!"

All sorts of tools were scattered messily here and there around where I stood.

Completely crushed firewood unrecognizable in form and bizarrely torn tents.

Trees with only stumps remaining and broken equipment were strewn about everywhere.

A desolate place spread out where only cold air flowed drearily without a single flame.

My body instantly froze at the sight of this complete mess.

"...?"

I had prepared to act surprised with my hands neatly placed over my mouth.

But when a completely different, miserable scene from what I had expected unfolded before my eyes, I could only blink my eyelids in bewilderment.

"Sorry, Levi... We tried to build it somehow, but being our first time, it didn't work out well..."

"We couldn't even make the bonfire properly... How do you start a fire...?"

An overwhelming disappointment rapidly rose from deep within my heart.

I was momentarily lost for words.

"What's wrong, Levi...? Are you disappointed because we did so poorly...?"

"......"

At Aizen's very careful question, I quietly lowered my hands from my mouth.

"No... I expected this more or less...."

"I'm really sorry..."

What exactly had I been expecting?

The children had really called me because they needed help.

When I didn't know anything, I thought it was fortunate just to be able to go camping with the children....

But when such an unexpected situation confronted me, I couldn't hide the rapidly rising disappointment.

"W-well.... Let's start with making a bonfire...."

However, I couldn't express my disappointment directly to the children.

Because this was my own misunderstanding.

How could I blame the children when I had expected and become disappointed?

"I'll help you, so let's try hard to build it again...."

"Thanks...."

The children stood weakly with slumped bodies around the devastated area.

Perhaps the most deflated now wasn't me but Aizen.

"We were planning to make it again in another place because this one was too ruined...."

"Don't feel so down. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes...."

"But your expression looks so disappointed, Levi...."

"I'm just a bit tired today. Don't worry about it...."

The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

At times like this, I should be patting and comforting the children as their guardian.

I don't know why I feel so lacking in energy.

For some reason, my eyes feel a bit moist, too....

"The place we chose is up ahead...."

"Alright. I'll help you and then return to the church, so don't feel too down and enjoy your first camping trip."

After saying those words, I took a deep breath and picked up the firewood scattered messily on the ground.

While most were too devastated to reuse, some seemed usable enough.

"No, you don't have to return to the church."

Just then, Aizen's low words suddenly reached my ears.

I was picking up firewood but immediately perked up my ears and gently raised my head toward Aizen.

"What?"

"So even you get disappointed?"

Aizen's words, whose meaning I couldn't understand, puzzled me even more.

Moreover, he had clearly been wearing a depressed expression with a slumped body until just now.

Not only had he straightened his back, but his expression had also changed to become playful.

"Actually, we've already finished everything."

"...Huh?"

"You should have noticed by now. The lights are clearly visible over there."

When I carefully turned my head in the direction Aizen pointed, several lights I hadn't noticed before began faintly appearing beyond the dark undergrowth.

As we approached those lights, a place quite well-decorated, completely opposite from the first location we encountered, unfolded miraculously and splendidly.

"W-what is all this...."

This time, I was lost for words for a different reason.

The place exuded a comfortable atmosphere, more like a rest area for forest bathing than a base camp for camping.

A bonfire was set up in the middle of the ground with long logs on either side.

Various foods were beautifully arranged on the tent, spread widely like a blanket on the ground, and small lanterns around it gave off subtle fragrances, making the atmosphere even cozier.

While there were some rough and crude parts.

Nevertheless, it was a very well-made space that was hard to believe was created just by the children.

"The place you first saw was the workspace for making this!"

"......"

"I made the bonfire and installed the logs. Ellie recooked the preserved food we brought."

"......"

"Iris lit the bonfire, and Rune made it fragrant using herbs!"

"......"

"It's Levi's rest space that we made ourselves for you, who always works hard for us!!"

Ultimately, what I had initially expected turned out to be exactly right.

I should have said something to the children while unable to contain my admiration, but for some reason, no words would come out of my mouth.

Whether it was because of the twist upon twist or because the children's pure hearts were conveyed directly...

With my mouth wide open, I could only stare at this amazing scene in bewilderment.

"We really worked hard on this! Our hands turned all black!"

"For once, Aizen made a good plan."

"I was a bit confused at first, but I feel proud now that it's finished...."

Seeing the space the children had prepared so thoughtfully for me, I couldn't dare know what to say.

Emotion and joy came rushing simultaneously, and enormous gratitude grew in my heart.

"I-I'm really touched... And I didn't even know this...."

"I predicted Levi would probably figure it out on the way here. So we had no choice."

The children, all looking rather grimy, smiled broadly.

Ultimately, they were genuinely proud that the result they had all created together was for me.

"We have one more gift prepared for Sister."

Just then, as I was desperately swallowing my words and painfully holding back the emotions welling up.

Wearing a confident smile among the cheerful children, Iris suddenly raised her hand and spoke softly.

"Please wait here for a moment."

Leaving those words, Iris went straight into the undergrowth.

I watched her and tilted my head while staring at that spot for a moment, but,

The children seemed to already know what it was as they clapped individually while maintaining the boisterous atmosphere.

"...?"

After about a minute had passed like that, a silhouette slowly emerged from the undergrowth where Iris had entered.

While all the children clapped increasingly faster in anticipation of Iris.

The identity of that silhouette surprised everyone present in a completely different direction from what was expected.

"Ta-da. The other gift Iris prepared for Sister is me─"

A strange man carried Iris like a bundle over his shoulder as she flapped energetically like a live fish.

His appearance alone was quite suspicious, and to make matters worse, he was squinting, which made me frown even more.

"This isn't what I prepared─!!"

To top it off, pointed horns obviously attached to both sides of the man's head.

Anyone could see he was a demon.