No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 40

EP.40

Chapter 4

Escape and Service (6)

“Wait a second. Where did you get that phone? You didn’t have it when you came here.”

Knowing Ria’s personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if she smuggled one in, but I’d read the original novel and remembered some details. In the original story, Ria constantly complained about the convent having no cell phones. And the Saintess? She was hopeless with technology. She’d barely touched a smartphone her entire life.

From what I gathered, Ria’s father probably confiscated everything, including her smartphone, as part of her punishment when he sent her to the convent. And it wasn’t like it would’ve been easy to get her hands on a new one here. Yet there she was, holding a smartphone. It wasn’t the latest model, looking slightly outdated for the daughter of a hero, but it worked.

I’d never seen her use it until now.

“I borrowed it.”

“From who?”

“Lee Si-yoon.”

Hah.

Of course, he’d lend it to her if she asked. That’s just the kind of person he is. The kind of personality that makes readers call him a pushover.

Sure, the Saintess also had her fair share of naivety, but Lee Si-yoon took it to a whole other level. Still, maybe that’s why his story included a heroine-saving arc.

“When I said I wanted to treat you to chicken, he handed it over without hesitation.”

“…When do you plan to return it?”

“Oh, I’m meeting him again tomorrow. There’s still that princess matter to handle.”

“Ah…”

Assuming I didn’t know how to use a smartphone, Ria fiddled with it as she replied.

“Hm?”

Something about this situation felt off.

Nowhere in the original story had it been mentioned that the elf heroine was a princess. Sure, it was repeatedly emphasized that she was a noble, but a princess?

…Well, it didn’t seem important right now.

On second thought, Lee Si-yoon had been stationed further away at that time. His rank was still low, and he hadn’t been assigned to follow us because of his skills. It was likely because he was one of the few people close to me that could be trusted with the role.

It was probably for my mental stability. After all, divine power and magic were heavily influenced by the caster’s state of mind.

Not to mention, the elf was a princess.

The hunters near the Gate had whispered among themselves in hushed tones. And when someone mentioned a princess, another hunter had quickly jabbed the speaker in the ribs.

It was entirely possible Lee Si-yoon hadn’t heard it.

In theory, the elf should’ve been treated and sent back to her world. But something had happened beyond the Gate, causing it to disappear.

…Whether she could return to her original world was uncertain. Still, as long as she remained in this one, it made sense to hide her identity as much as possible.

Alright, thinking it through, the pieces fit.

I nodded to myself—

“Ordered.”

“Boneless fried chicken?”

“One fried, one spicy, just in case. Oh, cheese balls and fries, too… Hey, wait a second. How do you even know about boneless fried chicken?”

“…What, you think I’ve lived here all this time without eating a single piece of chicken?”

The church operates on 80% donations and 20% government subsidies. Since they use taxpayer money, they’re not entirely free from public scrutiny.

There are always those who complain if they see nuns or clergy ordering delivery food.

But still, isn’t it a bit cruel to feed growing kids nothing but church meals?

It wasn’t uncommon for the priest or the Mother Superior to use their own money to treat the children to chicken or burgers. Or when volunteers worked with the church, they’d often buy food for the kids. Sometimes, the older nuns or monks with stipends would do the same.

As I explained this with a touch of pride, straightening my shoulders, Ria gave a slightly deflated look and replied, “I see…”

Why? Was she disappointed I couldn’t grandly declare, “Ah, so this is what ‘chicken’ is!”

But her gaze that followed seemed oddly… bittersweet, like she was staring at something pitiful.

I couldn’t quite make sense of the emotions behind it.

*

Chicken, by nature, tends to be a rather aromatic food. Of course, most delicious dishes have a strong smell; the aroma is a significant part of the taste experience.

That’s why Ria and I decided to eat outside.

We headed to the backyard of the church. According to Ria, she’d pick up the chicken by climbing over the wall—although, when I saw her literally leap over the wall with the chicken set in hand, I was a bit taken aback.

“What? How else did you think I’d get over?”

“I thought you’d, you know, have me boost you or something.”

“With our heights? If one of us boosted the other, do you think we’d even reach the top?”

We both looked up at the wall and shook our heads in agreement.

Well, it made sense. Ria was a hero candidate, after all. In the original novel, she was frequently described as nimble and athletic. To survive in a fantasy world filled with fantastical threats, you’d need at least that level of physical prowess.

Carrying the chicken, we moved to a more secluded spot. Both of us were familiar with the church’s hidden corners—places where even the windows didn’t provide a clear view. After all, we’d wandered through every nook and cranny while cleaning.

Click.

I turned on a small flashlight I had brought along, while Ria used the LED light on her smartphone. We angled the devices to shine on the chicken, opened the box, and—

“…Oh.”

The smell hit us immediately. It was overwhelming, but in the best possible way. Sure, the meals from the church’s kitchen included meat and the occasional fried dish, but nothing with the unapologetically indulgent calorie content of this.

The church food might be nutritious, but—

“Wait.”

Suddenly, Ria closed the box and swiftly crouched down, shielding the lights from the smartphone and flashlight.

I wasn’t foolish enough to ask why out loud.

“..….”

Footsteps.

Someone was heading our way.

Could it be the Mother Superior? Or maybe one of the night patrol nuns? Either way, if we got caught, we’d definitely have to listen to a lecture.

And frankly, I wasn’t in the mood for that tonight.

Thud.

But the footsteps abruptly stopped.

“…Ugh.”

Then came a groan of pain.

“Ugh, I followed the delicious smell and ended up tripping… What would Father say if he saw me like this…?”

The voice was unfamiliar.

Ria and I blinked at each other in surprise.

But stranger than the voice was the way this person addressed their father.

“Father”?

In the darkness, Ria and I exchanged glances again before slowly standing up, each of us gripping our respective light sources.

We cautiously approached the source of the sound—

“…Oh.”

What we found was… an elf.

Her hair, likely just out of bed, was a mess. Golden locks, tangled and twisted—perhaps curly by nature or just wavy and unkempt. And—

Those mismatched, odd-colored eyes staring up at us.

“……”

Ria and I exchanged bewildered looks, then silently shifted our gaze back down at the elf.

*

In this world, most elves are vegan.

Not for ideological reasons, of course. They just don’t like meat.

The novel explained that it was largely due to the smell.

Just as some people can’t handle the strong odor of pork or beef, elves, with their highly sensitive noses, can’t tolerate the smell of meat. Though, that did make me wonder—what about the smell of grass or plants?

This elf had just woken up and was exploring the building. She said the delicious smell from an open window drew her here. And here she was, following her nose, completely unaware.

…But, the smell that had lured the elf wasn’t the fried chicken itself.

“So delicious…”

Tears streamed down her face as she stuffed her mouth full of food. What she was devouring so fervently wasn’t chicken but French fries.

…Wait, weren’t the fries cooked in the same oil as the chicken? How was that okay?

Or maybe she was just that hungry. Hunger can make people overlook things they’d normally avoid. I once had a friend who couldn’t stand kimchi, but during his time in the military, he ate it without a second thought.

Watching her devour the fries with such enthusiasm, Ria and I ended up handing the whole portion over to her. After all, we still had cheeseballs and enough chicken to eat our fill.

Chomp, chomp, chomp.

…Hmm.

Did I look like that when eating instant noodles?

Feeling oddly self-conscious, I took smaller bites of my chicken, careful not to open my mouth too wide. It was delicious, though. On another day, I might’ve teared up from the sheer joy of it.

But no matter how good the food was, I couldn’t ignore the elf sitting beside us.

It seemed Ria felt the same way. She wasn’t even making her usual snarky remarks, too focused on observing the elf.

After nearly finishing the surprisingly large portion of fries, the elf finally noticed our stares. Startled, she froze and slowly lifted her head.

“……”

Silence.

It was much heavier than the silence Ria and I had shared earlier.

The elf lowered her hands, straightened her posture, and placed one hand on her chest with a sense of dignity.

“I am the rightful heir of the Charles royal family. My name is Gloria. I humbly accept your generous offering of such exquisite food as a guest of honor.”

Oh, right. That was her name.

…So, she really is a princess?

“Uh, excuse me.”

Ria broke the awkward moment, addressing Gloria directly.

“You’ve got grease on your fingers.”

“Eek!”

At Ria’s words, Gloria flinched and quickly withdrew her hand.

Unfortunately, the greasy fingers had already smeared oil all over her clothes.

“……”

Another round of awkward silence descended.

What was with this atmosphere, Gloria?