Sanctuary's Grace
When I returned to the Curse Room, it was almost time for morning wake-up. Some kids were already up, and Marie had just woken too, rubbing her eyes and looking around. Our eyes met, and she came over.
“Teresa? Where'd you go?”
“...Oh, uh, to the bathroom.”
“The bathroom? In that outfit?”
Marie pointed out that I wasn't in pajamas.
“Something's off... And you're covered in sweat, aren't you?”
“This is... well, you see... the bathroom was urgent, so I kinda ran.”
“Hmm, really?”
She narrowed her eyes and stared at my face for a while, then nodded for no reason and turned away without another word.
“Yeah... well, when it's urgent, what can you do.”
She busied herself with something else, heading back to her spot to tidy her blankets. I hurried back to mine to prepare for the day.
...
..
.
Breakfast was simpler than lunch or dinner. Warm soup, a chunk of coarse-textured bread, and a single egg. A few kids grumbled softly in complaint, but I ate mine just fine.
Still... meat would've made it better.
Finishing first, I cautiously asked Marie, who was still dipping her half-eaten bread into her soup next to me.
“What's next? More classes?”
“No, after breakfast, we have morning mass.”
“Mass?”
I paused at the word.
“It's boring, but they don't make it as long as formal mass. Just reading scripture and praying.”
After eating, I followed Marie and the other kids to the west main building. We arrived at a heavy stone structure lined with thick pillars, exuding a solemn aura. Standing there to greet the children was the nun named Vanessa, whom I'd met for the first time yesterday.
Spotting me, she called out.
“I was waiting for you. Forgot to give you this yesterday. Here, take it.”
She handed me a thick book emblazoned with Restia's emblem on the cover. I took it and slowly headed inside the chapel.
Restia's Blessing state activated.
Restia's Blessing effect: Soul Hunger Mark effect temporarily halted.
“...Huh?”
I froze mid-step, staring blankly at the message floating in the air.
No way... for real?
Something tight eased in the center of my chest. My breath caught, a chill and heat racing down my spine together. Unbelieving, I checked the message over and over.
“What're you doing? Standing in the doorway?”
“...Huh?”
Marie peeked out from behind, looking worried. She gently tapped my shoulder.
“You okay? Something wrong?”
“...No, it's nothing... sorry.”
I nodded and stepped inside. Blending into the group, I sat quietly, but my eyes stayed glued to the notification in front of me.
Restia's Blessing effect: Soul Hunger Mark effect temporarily halted.
It didn't seem like I was seeing things.
Let's check.
Careful not to disturb the service, I quietly opened my status screen and checked the trait details page.
Soul Hunger Mark (Passive / Unknown)
Status: Paused
Category: Unknown
Detailed Description: An unidentified mark imprinted not on the body but the soul. Cannot be removed by ordinary means.
Beings bearing this mark are perceived as 'prey' by monsters, inducing a persistent spiritual hunger in nearby monsters.
→ Monsters within range strongly gravitate toward the user.
→ Some monsters lose reason and obsess over the target.
→ Certain monsters detect the mark and become wary or fearful.
→ Mark effect intensifies over time.
It had definitely said 'Active' last time I checked... but now 'Paused' was clearly written there.
It can pause the trait?
In other words, I wasn't attracting monsters right now. And the reason was obviously the Restia's Blessing buff I'd received upon entering the chapel.
But how long does this blessing last? It won't just vanish the moment I leave, right?
I scrolled down the status screen.
[Status]
Restia's Blessing (Sanctuary)
Category: Blessing
Effect: Rejects all unclean things. (Duration: Within sanctuary)
Detailed Description: The goddess of light blesses all within her domain.
Malnutrition
Category: Debuff
Effect: Stamina -1, Strength -1
Detailed Description: Low stamina and muscle mass make basic body temperature maintenance difficult; stamina drains very quickly.
Underweight
Category: Debuff
Effect: Stamina -1, Strength -1
Detailed Description: Smaller build than peers; power transmission is impaired.
Under Contract's Influence
Category: Unknown
Effect: Unknown
Detailed Description: Unknown
'Within sanctuary'...'
So, the blessing ends the moment I leave the chapel.
Tch.
Monsters couldn't approach the monastery anyway thanks to the barrier, so pausing the curse only inside the chapel... what good was that?
But even so... it wasn't meaningless. This could be the key to solving the biggest problem binding me right now.
...
..
.
When mass ended and I left the chapel, the blessing vanished as expected. The Soul Hunger Mark reactivated, of course.
With my mind a whirlwind, I headed to the next class and sat through it in a daze. Before I knew it, lunchtime had arrived.
Even standing in line for food, I stared blankly at my status screen, lost in thought.
I have to find a way to fix this somehow...
The monastery was safe from monster attacks... but I couldn't live here forever.
“Teresa...”
A familiar voice came from behind.
“Yeah?”
“Teresa... you okay? You've been weird today.”
“Me?”
“During mass, you kept staring into space. In class, you even got scolded by the teacher a few times...”
Only then did I pull my eyes from the status screen and turn to her. Marie's blue eyes gazed at me with worry.
“And this morning, you were drenched in sweat. You're not sick or anything, are you?”
Marie stepped closer cautiously and placed her hand on my forehead without hesitation. Her cool yet warm palm conveyed her genuine concern.
“Hmm... no fever... that's strange. Stomach upset? Dizzy?”
I smiled faintly at her needless worry and shook my head.
“I'm fine, really.”
“For real?”
“Yeah, just had a lot on my mind. This morning... I did some early training before coming back.”
“Training? You snuck out for morning exercise? You didn't go outside the monastery, right?”
I shook my head.
“No, I didn't leave the grounds. But... is that a problem?”
“Hmm... not sure. The monastery's strict, but they might understand... or maybe not. They do say no leaving the dorms after lights out...”
“I see...”
“Anyway, surprising. I never pegged you for an early riser who trains. And you're so frail-looking. Have you been doing this every day?”
“Yeah.”
Marie grabbed my arm suddenly.
“Really training every day? You're all bones!”
“...Just started recently, so...”
Chatting with Marie, our turn came up. Lunch was herb-scented vegetable stew, black bread topped with cheese, and a glass of warm milk. Still no meat.
Really craving meat now...
Taking my tray from the serving nun, I scanned the dining hall and sat at an empty spot in the center. Kids around my age were nearby, glancing at me repeatedly. I recognized some from class.
What?
I ignored them to eat, but the girl closest piped up.
“You're the one from yesterday, right?”
“The one...?”
As I hesitated, not knowing who she meant, Marie jumped in proudly.
“Yep, this is Teresa. The one who put those Marco jerks in their place yesterday!”
“For real!? This scrawny kid took down Marco!? No way!”
“I saw it! Marco just burst into tears in front of her and ran off like a coward!”
“Whoa! You're amazing! How'd you do it?!”
“...Ah, haha...”
For some reason, without even introducing myself, I already felt like a celebrity.