The Clumsy Nun and the Magician of the Old Library 5
Hinata’s situation report began once more. So far, they had been handling the task Ui had entrusted to them without much trouble.
I was debating whether to look for the water-moss glue first or the restorative medicine when a sudden loud noise rang out. Gunshots followed right after, so I ran straight toward the source. There was cake, yes, but I thought it was better to help someone in trouble first.
When I arrived, I found Suzumi-san of our academy’s Vigilante Crew fighting a group of delinquents who introduced themselves as the, um, Roly-Poly Gang.
“A Vigilante Crew? That’s an unusual one. And Roly-Poly? What kind of old-fashioned name is that?”
“Club or not, that student named Suzumi is clearly a righteous soul!”
Gregor shrugged, and Don Quixote immediately raised her voice in excitement. The footage began to play. Inside it, white-haired Suzumi stood surrounded by roughly thirty delinquents. Sensei ordered Hinata to stop the fight first; she nodded and charged into the chaos.
The result was all too predictable.
“Cough, cough, hack… You said we’d win this time?!”
“How were we supposed to know something like that would show up?!”
“She’s not even treated like a human anymore…”
Just as Ishmael said, Hinata was no longer regarded as human. The person in question, who had just finished sweeping the delinquents aside alongside Suzumi, wore a face so pitiful it was hard to believe she was the same girl.
“F-fighting is wrong! Please stop, everyone…! Let’s talk this out peacefully…”
The delinquents (and the Sinners watching) had long since lost any sense of reality. When one of them complained that it was a little late for that, Hinata answered:
“Th-that was… I had no choice if I wanted to stop the situation…”
“…I think our basic mindsets are completely different.”
Sinclair let out a long sigh.
“You saved me. Thank you. And beside you is… Sensei?”
Suzumi, who had been thanking Hinata, flinched when she spotted Sensei. The man simply smiled and waved.
“Any injuries?”
“No, thanks to you… But why are you here?”
After hearing Sensei and Hinata’s explanation, Suzumi’s expression softened, as if of course Sensei would volunteer for something like this.
“Honestly, if everyone in the world were like Sensei, my life would be so much easier.”
“I received help myself, so I’d like to return the favor. Could you tell me what you’re looking for?”
When she heard “water-moss glue” and “old abandoned building,” Suzumi sank into thought again.
“I’ve never heard of that item, but an old abandoned building… I think I know a few. You notice them one by one while on patrol. There’s definitely one around here…”
As Suzumi prepared to leave, the Roly-Poly Gang suddenly stopped her.
“That building you mentioned… Don’t tell me it’s our hideout?”
“…? It is, but…”
“Are you insane?! You’re going to demolish our hideout?!”
“No, how did you even get that idea—”
The Vigilante girl tried to explain, but the delinquents’ flood of grievances cut her off. Those grievances soon turned into full-blown self-pity.
“You think we live like this ‘cause we want to?! Huh?! Uwaaah…”
“Why are you suddenly crying? We’re not demolishing anything…”
“Let’s hear them out to the end first.”
It was absurd, but following Sensei’s words, Hinata and Suzumi decided to listen to the Roly-Poly Gang’s story.
…That was what happened.
After watching the footage and reading Hinata’s notes, they learned the delinquents’ story: poor grades, no money, nowhere to live, so they squatted in a rundown building and made a living by shaking people down. Even when they tried to find honest work, their criminal records got them rejected at every interview.
“Weak-willed. People like that will never succeed anywhere.”
Outis spoke with clear disapproval. While Sensei and Suzumi were still wondering what to do, Hinata—who had been quietly listening—made a suggestion.
“…If it’s all right with you, perhaps our side could…”
“Hinata?”
“?”
“You…”
Every gaze turned to the nun at once. Hinata offered a gentle smile and spoke to the Roly-Poly Gang.
“If you’re willing to take on work at our cathedral… would you leave that part to us?”
“Cathedral? Cathedral work?”
“You’re a Sister?”
At the delinquents’ questions, Hinata tilted her head in genuine confusion.
“Y-you didn’t know? I mean, just look at my outfit…”
As if inviting them to inspect her properly, Hinata set down her bag and spun in a full circle. Everyone present—and every Sinner watching through the PDA—got an unobstructed view of her violently ample chest and springy hips. Sensei and Suzumi both turned red. The Roly-Poly Gang wore expressions of pure disbelief.
The Sinners reacted in every possible way: faces flushing, or simply stunned by that pure, bold innocence. Meursault, of course, showed nothing. Ryōshū appeared unmoved, yet Sinclair flinched at the killing intent he felt from her.
“No no no no, that’s impossible. Looking like that and calling yourself a Sister is ridicul—mmph!”
“You’re a real Sister? I thought you were just a copycat following our style. You know, a Trinity Sister cosplayer… a knock-off flashbang…”
“Cosplay… hahaha…”
…Thankfully, even by their standards that outfit is abnormal. Somehow I feel like I’ve found a kindred spirit.
Seeing the uneasy look on the delinquent who had just covered her comrade’s mouth, Dante ticked. He immediately sent a message to Hinata.
Back in Kivotos, Ui jabbed her index finger at Hinata’s face and launched into a fierce interrogation.
“Hinata-saaan?! What on earth does that mean? Proactive? What did you do to cause this misunderstanding?!”
“I-I just wanted to show them I was a Sister, so…”
“And?”
“I spun around so they could get a proper look…”
Ui’s sanity fled the premises. She smacked her forehead again and flung both arms wide.
“You’re good at everything else—why do you have zero self-awareness about your own appearance?!”
“U-Ui-san, what are you even saying…”
At that moment another message appeared in the book. From the distinctive word choice it was clearly Ryōshū, and as expected it was extremely aggressive.
“Uuuugh… now Ryōshū-san is threatening to murder me…!”
Ui could say nothing. After all this, the same girl who had blushed at the legendary “resolve outfit” Sakurako once wore… Ui simply gave up trying to understand this side of her friend.
Once the commotion settled, the footage resumed.
“I really am a Sister of the Sisterhood. I understand your circumstances now. I’m sorry, sisters. I had no idea you were in such hardship…”
Hinata’s form of address for the Roly-Poly Gang had changed. She turned a warm smile on the delinquents.
“As for work, we’re always looking for people to join our volunteer activities. We can’t pay a daily wage, but we can provide room and board. After a month of service, the cathedral will issue a letter of recommendation that should help you find other part-time jobs.”
“It might be a little hard… but please allow us to help you, sisters.”
The smile on the girl’s face was pure, without a single speck of calculation. The delinquents asked what possible benefit there was for her side, but Hinata simply answered that the Sisterhood prayed for the peace of Kivotos, and if this chance could bring the Roly-Poly Gang peace as well, that alone would be joy enough.
Hearing those words, the delinquents were so moved they broke down sobbing, asking if they could finally quit this life and get real jobs. Hinata delivered one last triple combo:
“We’ll work up a sweat, take a refreshing bath, and eat together!”
To the delinquents kneeling and wailing, she soothed them with “There, there. Thank you for opening your hearts.” Sunlight happened to fall behind her like a halo, making her look for all the world like a true saint.
“For a second I thought I saw a halo… was that just me?”
“Miss Hinata is a genuine nun. To possess such a kind heart…”
“The disconnect between above the neck and below it is still enormous, though…”
…Well, either way, the glue problem seems solved.
And so we obtained the water-moss glue as well. Before we left, Suzumi-san expressed her thanks. I told her that helping people who lose their way or face difficult choices is something someone has to do, and that I was that someone. Then she said something that still stays with me even now.
“What did she say?”
At Dante’s question, Hinata smiled as she recalled the moment.
She said it was, well… a rare and pleasant thing to hear.