Peevish Sara Lorojin (1)
Joseph opened his eyes at lunchtime the next day. That was how long it took for the divinity to fully settle into his body. Until then, Joseph and Balt had remained at the temple.
"Joseph! Are you coming to?"
"Dad...?"
"That's right! It's your dad, you rascal!"
Color had returned to Joseph's face now that his eyes were open. He looked just like a boy groggy from a long sleep. Mana poisoning itself was a condition that vanished the moment the unstable mana coursing through the body stabilized. There was nothing strange about it.
Balt pulled Joseph into a tight embrace and wept noisily again. Joseph, who had been asleep the whole time, seemed not to grasp the situation and could only stare in bewilderment at his crying father.
Joseph only understood what had happened after meeting Lenoir later. To cure his mana poisoning, Balt had converted and prayed without fail every day. Those prayers had reached Sara, transforming the mana that was killing his body into divinity. It wasn't something a twelve-year-old boy—who had spent more than half his life asleep in bed—could immediately comprehend.
Still, he wasn't entirely baffled. Joseph was a remarkably bright child. Even without grasping the exact mechanism, he quickly pieced together the flow of events and realized whom he needed to thank.
"Thank you..."
He expressed his gratitude to Sara and Lenoir. Though the vitality surging through his body felt unfamiliar and left him dazed, he didn't forget that one thing.
To the boy, Lenoir said, "You may take your time accepting it. The path ahead for you will give ample opportunity for reflection in due course."
"You bet! Hurry home with your dad and have some hot soup! Uncle Balt's gonna lose all that beer gut at this rate!"
To Joseph's eyes, Lenoir seemed like someone of exceedingly high station. Sara looked noble too, but she had a far more approachable air. He resolved to remember their faces and names.
With their farewell, he returned home and sat down to a meal across from Balt.
"Whoa, Dad, your cooking's gotten way better!"
"Heh heh, tasty, right? I've been studying my butt off just to cook for you once you got better, kid! And after you eat, you gotta pray proper. This life's a gift from the goddess, after all."
"Yeah, Dad."
The shabby hut in the slums echoed with laughter. It was the warmth born from the golden light of those who had witnessed a miracle.
A follower had awakened to divinity. Those who inscribed proof of their faith and offered the purest prayers had emerged.
Whatever their ultimate path, the fact that people with the devotion of priests were already appearing delighted Lenoir to no end.
He discussed the results with Sara.
"How does it feel? Any changes in your body?"
"My pockets are lighter, so my body's lighter too... Sara Lorojin's gonna turn into a sheet of paper at this rate..."
Her plan to get the three gold coins back had failed, leaving Sara in a thoroughly dejected state. Even though she had chosen to let the now-happy family have the money for their celebratory feast, the regret wouldn't fade.
Lenoir let out a sigh. At any rate, it seemed there were no notable changes yet.
His hands were quite busy. One stroked the wilted Sara's hair to perk her up, while the other jotted notes on a scrap of paper.
As Sara gradually revived, squinting in enjoyment at the touch, she asked, "Hmm? What's that?"
"If Joseph returns here, these are the things I shall teach him, prepared in advance."
"An apostle? You haven't said he's one yet."
"Who knows. I believe the boy will choose this path of his own accord."
"Why's that?"
"Because none who receive miracles reject faith without some other motive."
It was, in a way, a profoundly dual nature.
"Greed, or fear. Or awe. The same phenomenon elicits such varied attitudes depending on how it touches them. It speaks to how readily humans bend to their circumstances."
"Um..."
"In all likelihood, he will soon come seeking the rank of apostle."
Sara still didn't take Lenoir's words seriously. Whether Joseph became an apostle or not, she seemed utterly indifferent. It showed just how purely she had wished for his recovery.
"At times like this, she truly is a heartwarming child."
"Huh? What?"
"Nothing."
These days, such thoughts came to him. 'Praise her too much, and she'll get all full of herself.' Perhaps he needed to be a bit stricter in her education. His worries were mounting day by day.
In any case, the very next day arrived.
"What do I need to learn to become an apostle?"
"C-Could I become a priest too?"
Father and son appeared side by side at the temple, declaring their devotion to the faith. Sara gaped and looked at Lenoir.
Joseph and Balt had discussed their future the night before. Balt did most of the talking, while Joseph listened.
It wasn't parental pressure. Though Balt's conduct had been far from upright, he was a fine father who truly considered his child's future.
For a slum boy, joining the church was an enormous stroke of upward mobility. The Goddess's faith wasn't widely known yet, but it was backed by immense wealth. The Pterin Merchant Guild stood at its pinnacle as sponsor, and being a new organization, it lacked complex doctrines or factional strife—making its atmosphere easy to gauge.
Above all, there was much to learn. Being employed in an important role meant being taught to read and write, and in this era, literacy opened doors to jobs anywhere, even if the church's fortunes waned later. A thoroughly worldly reason, yet eminently rational.
Before Lenoir and Sara, Balt said, "I figured trying it out wouldn't hurt. My motives ain't the purest, but I thought I should be honest... And no matter what, I'll stick it out as a priest to the end! Even if I'm a no-good gambler, I'm no ungrateful beast! You saved my boy's life, so if you want my head, it's yours...!"
"Confessing that is purity enough. And the Goddess's church does not demand the blood of its faithful. Refrain from such words."
"...Thank you."
Balt's heart pounded. Sara's easygoing vibe made talking to her simple, but Lenoir was different. People had an aura about them. Balt had never seen the king in person, but he doubted even His Majesty exuded such solemnity. He was sweating bullets.
Lenoir's gaze turned to Joseph. "I have heard your father's words in full. Now, I ask your own will."
Balt tensed. He hadn't coached Joseph on what to say.
"Do you yourself wish to devote to this faith?"
Gulp. Balt swallowed dryly.
Joseph met Lenoir's eyes with clear resolve and said, "I have a question."
"Speak freely."
"If I join the church, is the work I do a good thing?"
A glint sparked in Lenoir's eyes at the question. Balt was shocked that interest—or even favor—could flicker across that impassive face.
"Ho?"
"I kinda get how I woke up. There was Dad's prayers, and the goddess's mercy. My heart felt that warm."
Shyly, a bit disjointedly. He added with a smile.
"If my job is sharing that warmth, I'd do it my whole life."
The boy chose his path with the purest goodwill. Lenoir was deeply satisfied with the answer.
"At times, the isolation that breeds ignorance becomes fortune. Your detachment from the world has been a blessing."
Lenoir rose. "You shall be employed in the noblest of works. So long as your will holds, your devotion shall be repaid in greatness."
"P-Please take care of me!"
"I shall oversee your education myself. From time immemorial, grooming apostles has been the surrogate's duty."
"Yes! Then... Master...?"
"Call me as you will."
Lenoir then fixed his gaze on Balt. "At the end of the hall, turn left to a particularly ornate door. Knock and enter; you will find a woman with sky-blue hair. She is the church's chief steward. Learn your duties from her."
"Y-Yes...!"
"First, return home and gather your household goods. There are quarters for priests."
"Y-You mean housing too?"
"The temple is the faithful's home. You ask the obvious."
All prior words fled Balt's mind. Loyalty took root in his heart.
"I'll serve you for life, milord!"
"Serve the goddess, not I."
Balt bowed his head low. As they left the room, he met Sara's sparkling eyes.
"Did it work?"
"It did! Er, yes it did!"
"Aw, speak casual! We're family now! Yay~!"
Sara raised her open palms high, and Balt grinned as he clapped them.
"Yay... yeah!"
Thus, the once-gambler middle-aged man became the first priest of the Goddess's church.