No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 31

EP.31

Chapter 3

Faith and Status (5)

In novels, “modern fantasy” often glosses over details, but in this world where such concepts are reality, that power wasn’t readily accepted from the beginning.

With the idea of divine power becoming common knowledge, the perception of institutions like “hospitals” was no longer the same. Naturally, the image of the profession of doctors had also shifted.

Scientists struggled to reconcile these changes. It would have been easier if magic fully aligned with physical laws, but magic influenced the physical world without adhering to scientific explanation. Similarly, alchemy operated in a domain distinct from traditional chemistry.

Inevitably, this clash between “new disciplines” and “existing ones” caused friction, particularly from groups with high social status in established fields. Although I didn’t feel it much while living within the church, protests had been common. Some outright rejected it all as fraud.

Those who couldn’t accept these changes became the “modern conspiracy theorists.” They claimed that the world wasn’t wrong, but rather, the system dominating it was—a government conspiracy fabricated all these absurdities.

Some staunchly refused to step foot in churches or accept divine power, but most people ended up using the church or seeking magical help when it suited them. Since the latter was the majority, their social reputation wasn’t great.

“Um… so, Anna?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

But to me, the woman in front of me seemed like a savior.

After all, wasn’t she here to deny my sanctity? Why wouldn’t I welcome her?

So what if people are contradictory? I deny that the higher being is truly God, yet I have no qualms using divine power to heal others.

“Are you Anna, the Saintess candidate?”

Even as the same question was repeated, I didn’t feel irritated.

Sure, most people probably imagine Saintess candidates as devout zealots, not someone like me who dresses as she pleases.

“Yes, I’m Anna, the Saintess candidate. This is my guardian knight, Ria… I mean, Sister Maria.”

“Maria is my baptismal name, but my real name is Lee Chae-eun. Nice to meet you. Don’t mind me—I’ll just stay back and keep quiet. Feel free to talk.”

With that, Ria stepped back and took a seat. She was grinning like she’d found something hilariously entertaining.

…Why?

Well, knowing Ria, she was probably just enjoying the situation. She had a habit of teasing me for fun, so her reaction wasn’t surprising.

I ignored her and turned back to face the advocate. Her expression was a little hard to read.

“Excuse me, Anna… do you have any other name besides your baptismal name?”

“Oh, right, not really.”

I often forgot, since everyone simply called me Anna. But yes, Anna was just my baptismal name.

It felt strange to say “just” a baptismal name, though. In Western Christian cultures, infant baptisms often included names that became the person’s primary identifier. Even here, many people used their baptismal names as their actual names.

The reason we specifically kept “baptismal names” separate was to allow for secular names when stepping into the outside world. This system stemmed from a compromise when the Republic of Korea, originally a secular state, adopted an official religion.

Church administration differs from government administration. To live as part of society, one had to adapt to its rules. That’s likely why they maintained this dual system.

“I see…”

Hearing my answer, the advocate looked unexpectedly somber.

…Already?

“Um…”

As I opened my mouth to speak, puzzled by her reaction, she blinked and then broke into a gentle smile.

“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Anna. I’m Choi Soo-bin, and I’m the director of the Unified Theory Research Institute.”

With that, the person handed me a business card.

“The Unified Theory Research Institute?”

I tilted my head as I read the name printed on the card. Seeing my reaction, Soobin Choi smiled again and explained.

“Yes, it’s an institute that researches the phenomena occurring in this world. And it’s dedicated to finding a common theory that connects those phenomena. We focus on researching things like divine power and magic, and our goal is to study them using the theories we already know.”

“……”

Wait a second.

I felt a bit uneasy.

Of course, this person was exactly the kind of person I needed right now—an atheist who wanted to view the world scientifically.

But…

The thing is, physical laws and mathematics aren’t as “perfectly” logical as most people think.

Mathematics, which seems entirely logical and intuitive since it’s made of numbers, also has its contradictions when you dig into the details. There are efforts to patch up those inconsistencies, but there’s no mathematician who outright denies them.

The physical laws based on mathematics are no different. For example, the theory of general relativity and quantum mechanics are fundamentally at odds with each other. The laws governing the microscopic world of particles should, according to physical laws, apply to the macroscopic world of planets and stars. There should be a unified theory explaining both, but reality doesn’t align that way.

Scientists acknowledge that they don’t have all the answers. he physical laws governing the world are far from fully understood, and there’s hope that, through continued research, a theory explaining both realms will emerge. But they don’t claim that it can be completely unified.

This is the essence of scientific skepticism.

Moreover…

“Well… divine power and magic have been proven to be phenomena separate from physical laws…”

That’s right. Magic and divine power had only recently begun to be studied, and their relationship to physical laws was still up for debate.

But, fundamentally, magic and divine power didn’t deal with “material” things. There were no basic “particles” or “waves” in physical terms. They were visible, but, from a scientific perspective, those phenomena technically didn’t “exist.” Yet they still had a tangible impact on reality.

Scientists were slowly uncovering the more complex mechanisms behind these phenomena, far more complicated than quantum mechanics. And, at least for now, no theory had yet bridged them with physical laws.

“No, that’s not it.”

However Choi Soo-bin cut me off with a confident response.

“There is a theoretical foundation.”

“A theoretical foundation…”

I had heard this phrase before in real life. There had been countless theories attempting to unify the physical laws.

But almost none of them had been proven through experiments. There was a lot of disagreement among scientists.

Even if a theoretical foundation existed, it would need to be supported by substantial research and recognition within academic circles to move forward. Without that, there was no solid foundation for research.

I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead.

But whether she noticed my unease or chose to ignore it, Choi Soo-bin continued speaking.

“I’ve heard about you, Anna.”

“Oh… have you?”

I had seen Choi Soo-bin on TV once before. Admittedly, the program wasn’t flattering—it mocked people like her. It was one of those shows where it would highlight “these kinds of people” in a somewhat mocking tone.

“Yes, even within the church, it’s known that you’re fighting for the truth, despite being in a position of privilege. The incident where you sent a letter to the cardinal is a famous story, even among our circles.”

“Ah, yes… that.”

I could only respond with a simple acknowledgment.

“Actually, under normal circumstances, there wouldn’t be a situation like this, where we’re sitting and having a conversation. Typically, someone like a Saintess candidate might use their authority to pressure others.”

That’s true.

Wait, hold on. Does that mean…?

“Thank you for inviting me like this.”

What?

“I’m sure this right to speak with me was something you earned by continuing to fight within the church, right? In that case, we can’t waste this opportunity. Who knows when my words might change and they’ll try to push me out.”

Oh, no.

I didn’t invite anyone here.

I’m pretty sure the church arranged for this to happen.

Ah, now it’s starting to make sense.

Since I became a saintess candidate, my stance has been consistent. I don’t believe in God, and the one up there isn’t a god either.

So, the church accepted my stance. From the moment I came here, they likely assigned me a ‘defender’ who would fit my position—just like how a public defender is appointed in court.

“Now, shall we start with a discussion about your abilities? We’ll see if it truly comes from that ‘divine power,’ or if it was merely a coincidence!”

Upon hearing this, I felt like something was wrong, and I quickly turned around.

But there, at a distance, my guardian knight—the person supposed to be protecting me—was just smiling at me with a mischievous look on her face, as if she was enjoying the situation.