NOVEL WEB Chapter 8
The church was enveloped in a heavy silence.
In the midst of the oppressive atmosphere, I stood motionless in front of a statue, presumably of the goddess Phaeria.
Behind me, Aizen was hunched over, his head hanging low with exhaustion.
“……”
After staring at the statue in silence for a while, I let out a short sigh with a shadowed expression.
Although we hadn’t even spent a full month together, there wasn’t a single moment when my sincerity had been fake. That’s why the complexity of the situation weighed even heavier on me.
“Please, take a seat.”
“Uh, okay…”
His voice was noticeably lower. As Aizen cautiously took a seat, the sound of his movement filled the quiet space. Only then did I slowly turn around, having been facing away from him.
“Aizen, lift your head.”
“……”
At my soft words, Aizen awkwardly raised his head, which had been deeply bowed.
His pale complexion, uneasy gaze, and the cold sweat pouring down his face made it seem as if he had sensed his own fate. Aizen fidgeted nervously, clearly anxious.
But I’m not the kind of person to get angry over the actions of a child who didn’t know any better. After all, I knew very well that his actions didn’t come from a place of malice.
“Do you still doubt me?”
When I asked, Aizen silently shook his head.
“It’s okay, Aizen. I’m not here to scold you.”
“…Huh?”
“I just want to clear up any misunderstandings. Even a small spark, if left unattended, can grow into a raging fire.”
With those words, I offered a faint smile. As someone much older than Aizen, it wouldn’t look good for me to lose my temper over something so trivial.
In moments like these, showing a compassionate and all-embracing demeanor is the only way to completely erase the doubts Aizen holds. Plus, it’s a good opportunity to level up my acting as a nun. So, instead of looking at this negatively, I decided to think positively.
“A misunderstanding…”
“Can you tell me what happened last night?”
After calming Aizen down, I naturally steered the conversation toward the main issue, trying to ease the heavy atmosphere.
Gradually, Aizen’s complexion returned to normal, and his gaze cleared. He stared at me intently, then took a deep breath as if he had resolved himself.
“Actually, last night, while I was running away, I overheard something… That demon called Levi a vampire…”
Aizen’s voice still trembled, but he managed to stay calm as he honestly recounted what had happened the night before.
It was truly admirable. Despite how difficult it must have been, Aizen bravely opened up. His actions deserved praise, but the story he told was both shocking and bewildering.
“…What?”
“Honestly, I don’t really know what a vampire is… but I’m sure it’s some kind of monster.”
“Then… why did you ask me to come outside earlier…?”
“Levi has never gone out during the day, not once since the beginning. I thought it might have something to do with vampires, so I asked.”
Contrary to before, it was now my complexion that began to pale.
Fortunately, my skin is naturally fair, so the change in my expression wasn’t noticeable. But the moment Aizen mentioned vampires, my mind went completely blank.
“You didn’t run away immediately…?”
“My legs were shaking so much that I couldn’t move for a long time… I wanted to run, but my legs just wouldn’t budge…”
I had overlooked one crucial fact.
Despite being strong-willed and active for his age, Aizen is still just a 10-year-old child. Moreover, he’s a victim of a tragic event where his parents and the entire village were destroyed by monsters.
At that moment, his legs giving out wasn’t strange at all. In fact, it was natural.
Yet, why had I assumed he would have run away easily? It wasn’t a situation where that would have been possible.
“…I see. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve run away faster…”
“No. Despite that, you still fulfilled your duty faithfully, Aizen. There’s no need to apologize.”
This incident wasn’t Aizen’s fault. It was mine for carelessly judging the situation.
How could I blame Aizen when I was the one who got carried away and blabbered on about the demons? I should’ve been more careful with my words.
“So, you thought I was a monster disguised as a human?”
“Ah, yeah… but it wasn’t true. Levi just really hates sunlight…”
What’s fortunate is that my identity, which almost slipped out, was luckily kept hidden. If I hadn’t gained the passive skill of rapid regeneration at that time, I would’ve been in an even more awkward situation now.
“So, when you were talking in the church earlier, you weren’t trying to save me but were planning to sneak away?”
“…Yeah. But I couldn’t tell Ellie and Iris. I was afraid they’d be shocked.”
“You did well. Since things turned out fine, there’s no need to dig deeper. It wouldn’t do any good for anyone.”
“I’m sorry for misunderstanding… I won’t do it again…”
Despite my calm smile on the outside, my heart was pounding wildly, and I was struggling to keep my composure. I had almost set not just the house on fire, but the entire mountain.
Was it luck or coincidence?—
Thanks to the groundwork I had unintentionally laid, I managed to escape a potentially disastrous situation relatively easily. But there’s no denying how close it was.
I’ll have to be more careful from now on.
– Clap!
“Alright, let’s end this conversation here. As I said earlier, I didn’t call you here to scold you.”
To lighten the mood, I clapped my hands loudly and spoke cheerfully.
“B-but… I forced Levi to be in the sunlight, even though he hates it…”
“If it was to clear up your misunderstanding, I’d do it anytime. It wasn’t a big deal anyway.”
“Still…”
“…If the guilt is still weighing on you, let me give you a punishment.”
“Huh?”
For someone as pure-hearted as Aizen, guilt isn’t easily dispelled with mere words of forgiveness.
Honestly, since Aizen’s suspicions were all true, there’s no reason for him to be punished, and I’m not in a position to punish him either. But I think this is the best way forward for both of us.
For me and for Aizen.
We’re not living together with ill intentions.
“For a short day or up to three days, I’ll be away from the church. While I’m gone, clean the church thoroughly and take good care of Ellie and Iris.”
“Why? Where are you going?”
“I’m planning to visit a nearby village to get a book on basic magic. Iris has been really interested in magic lately.”
“Ah… I see.”
At my casual response, Aizen suddenly looked relieved, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Leave Ellie and Iris to me and go comfortably. I’ll make sure the church is spotless.”
“Let me say it again, this isn’t a request but a punishment for you. Don’t think about doing a half-hearted job.”
“Of course! I’ll make it look brand new!”
“…Alright.”
It felt a bit strange that Aizen seemed so happy about being punished, but I guess the guilt of suspecting me as a monster weighed heavily on him.
Understanding his feelings, I nodded slightly in agreement.
“Oh, Aizen, is there anything you want?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Something you need, or maybe something you’ve always wanted.”
“It’s fine. Just being able to live here safely is enough for me.”
“Hmm, you don’t seem very greedy, do you?”
“Ellie and Iris probably have more things they want than me. They’re girls, after all.”
His words and actions, so unlike a 10-year-old, almost made me burst out laughing, but I quickly pinched my thigh to suppress it.
“Alright. I’ll leave right after dinner, so let Ellie and Iris know.”
“Okay! Got it!”
With that, Aizen cheerfully left the church.
Just moments ago, his face had been shadowed with gloom, and his attitude toward me had been awkward. But after clearing up the misunderstanding through our conversation, seeing him regain his energy brought me relief, and a faint smile naturally formed on my lips.
– Creak
“Ah, you’re finally out.”
“Naughty Aizen.”
As soon as Aizen opened the firmly shut church door, Ellie and Iris appeared as if they had been waiting. They immediately began scolding Aizen, who stood there bewildered.
“You’re so mean to Sister! How could you do that?”
“Sister was on the verge of crying.”
“Ah, no… I mean…”
Overwhelmed by the sudden barrage of criticism, Aizen could only stammer in response. While his flustered state was pitiful, it was also somewhat endearing, and the smile on my face refused to fade.
“Did you apologize properly?!”
“I can’t forgive you.”
“I did… I said I’m sorry… It’s all my fault…”
Although these children were brought together by a tragic event and now bear the heavy responsibility of being chosen as messiahs to save the world, I hope that, at least for this moment, they can grow up purely, free from such selfish burdens, like any other children.
And even as they grow into adults, I hope they can trust and rely on each other without doubt, moving forward steadfastly.
Because they’re good kids who deserve it.
“Alright, everyone. Let’s stop scolding Aizen and play hide-and-seek inside the church, shall we?”
“Huh? But Sister, you said playing inside the church is forbidden…”
“Just for today, it’s fine.”
For now, I’ll continue to hide my true identity, acting as a devout nun and taking care of these three children with all my heart.
Because that’s the task I believe I must fulfill in this world.
“Hmm, let’s have Aizen be the first seeker.”