Tutorial (4)
As mentioned before, the traditional practice of penance originally meant wandering across the world, performing uninterrupted acts of mercy. However, because most priests and nuns were neither physically conditioned nor gifted with martial prowess, countless clerics perished on their solitary pilgrimages. Faced with mounting casualties, the church had eventually relented, deciding that stubbornly clinging to archaic ways was impractical. The compromise was simple: an initiate could complete their penance by accompanying high-ranking adventurer parties as a dedicated healer.
For ordinary adventurers, recruiting a cleric capable of casting divine healing was practically an impossible dream unless they belonged to an elite A-Rank or S-Rank party. Even then, only veteran vanguards could requisition high priests; the vast majority of clergy remained stationed at regional chapels, tending to local parishioners. Consequently, most adventurers relied heavily on alchemical potions brewed by the Magic Tower. A low-grade potion at least ensured that severe wounds wouldn't prove fatal. Mid-grade potions could reduce critical trauma to minor scratches, while high-grade potions were potent enough to mend horrific injuries cleanly without a trace. Naturally, prices skyrocketed exponentially with each tier, meaning only veterans taking on B-Rank quests could barely afford mid-grade concoctions. Back when this was just a game, low and mid-grade potions were plenty sufficient, turning high-grade draughts into rare elixir-tier hoardables I seldom touched.
At any rate, even relatively ordinary adventurers below B-Rank occasionally stumbled upon a miraculous opportunity to travel alongside a genuine cleric.
That rare stroke of fortune occurred only when a cleric undertook the path of penance.
"Having a cleric along is great and all... but is this really gonna be fine? I heard she's blind and deaf."
A male adventurer with an airy, casual voice spoke up, sounding thoroughly unconvinced.
"She won't end up being dead weight, will she?" another man chimed in, harboring identical doubts.
In the game, this whole sequence felt like joining a random matchmaking lobby and embarking on a randomly rolled B-Rank quest, so I had anticipated a reception like this, but...
"Maybe we can at least use her as a pack mule."
"She's a blind and deaf cripple. How can we trust her with our gear?"
"If she can't even carry baggage, what good is she? Besides, if she were completely blind and deaf, she wouldn't even be standing here. She's probably listening to every word we say anyway."
Bingo. Spot on.
They clearly resented having some pious freeloader thrust upon their party under the personal excuse of 'penance.' Judging by the spite dripping from their tones, they intended to make my life a living hell throughout this entire expedition.
Will this really be okay?
At the very least, I needed to survive. I wondered whether I could make it out of a party like this in one piece... Still, the guild registrar had assured me this squad boasted an exceptionally high mission success rate, so they ought to handle unexpected complications competently.
No, they had to.
I stroked the glass flask nestled within my robes, reassuring myself in silence.
The quest objective was situated in a village roughly a week's round trip on foot from the capital. While not terribly far in the grand scheme of things, trekking the distance in the frail, unconditioned body of a young girl was an ordeal of penance in its own right.
"Haa... haah..."
Maintaining a continuous sweep of divine power to map out my surroundings and keep from tripping over every stray root was mentally exhausting.
And to make matters worse...
"Ah~ this is so comfortable~"
"Why'd you dump baggage on a kid when it's barely anything anyway...?"
"I gave it to her because it's barely anything~ Besides, it's not like we need healing from the likes of her."
Whether they felt threatened or were simply harboring deep-seated prejudice from never having worked with a nun before, the two female adventurers made my journey an absolute nightmare.
I genuinely feel like I'm being abused...
And finding a bizarre sense of bliss in such mistreatment proved beyond doubt that I was an absolute lunatic. Naturally, letting that show on the surface would ruin all my careful planning, so I swallowed every complaint, grimly hauling the baggage while struggling to keep pace.
This is brutal...
True to their trade as seasoned adventurers, their marching speed was incomparable to ordinary folks. Even with divine power constantly circulating through my veins to stimulate my muscles, barely keeping up pushed me to the brink, leaving me panting for breath. Honestly, managing even this much was a borderline miracle. Thanks to stacking physical demerits to hoard bonus trait points during character creation, my constitution was frail even compared to normal girls my age.
The only reason I hadn't collapsed miles ago was that I continuously circulated divine power through my body, refreshing my fatigued cells in real time. But combined with an inherently fragile physique and an oversized load of luggage, divine power could only stave off exhaustion for so long.
Eventually, my trembling legs gave out, and I pitched forward into the dirt.
"Khhk... haah... haah..."
The heavy bundle strapped to my back slammed down, crushing me against the ground. A suffocating, utterly delightful wave of pressure knocked the wind straight out of my lungs.
"Huu..."
"If you can't even carry that much, what good are you? Crawling out on some fancy penance when your body is this pathetic... Tsk."
The woman's contemptuous scoff drew a secret smile from the depths of my heart. The harsher their insults, the better I felt. A delicious shudder of euphoria rippled across my skin.
To think I was out on a dangerous quest, enduring humiliation and physical abuse in a frail, broken body stripped of sight and sound. Playing the role of a proper, pious nun every single day back at the cathedral had bored me to tears, but this? This was divine.
Haaaa...
In all fairness, their reaction was entirely reasonable. Just as she sneered, having a useless deadweight tag along on some lofty spiritual journey was bound to make anyone uneasy. This wasn't just a nuisance—their lives were on the line. They naturally despised having a sheltered greenhouse flower, who had spent her days doing nothing but murmuring prayers in a cozy cathedral, thrust into their ranks.
In short, they feared my incompetence might get them all killed.
Well... I do feel a little bad for them, but...
I happened to know this quest inside and out from start to finish. I hadn't seen their actual combat performance yet, so I couldn't guarantee they would clear it without a scratch.
However...
If everyone comes out unscathed, that's a problem in itself.
Where was the dramatic flair in a boring, flawless victory?
Fingering the glass flask hidden in my chest pocket, I smirked inwardly. They were just going to have to suffer a little bit for my sake.
After all, I would make sure none of them actually died.
Just because we were near the capital didn't mean the roads were free of monsters. Slashing through the occasional ambushing beast, the party made steady headway toward our destination. Carrying the luggage slowed down our overall pace slightly, but not enough to cause any serious delay. That didn't stop them from complaining that I'd make them get home late, though.
Well, if you hated it that much, you shouldn't have dumped your bags on me in the first place~
Thanks to their pettiness, I got to indulge my masochism while perfectly laying the groundwork for what was to come.
Before long, darkness fell, and it was time to make camp for the night. Once a suitable clearing was secured, the fire lit, and the two women began preparing dinner, I quietly approached the male adventurers. They looked somewhat taken aback, clearly not expecting me to walk over.
"What is it?"
At first glance, his tone sounded cold and dismissive, but underneath lingered a faint trace of concern and pity. In truth, even those women probably weren't truly wicked people. Sure, you couldn't call them saints either, but that was just how most adventurers were. I was actually relieved they were an ordinary, neutral bunch—neither paragons of virtue nor villains.
"[Excuse me... were you hurt anywhere...?]"
Cracking open the guarded hearts of such pragmatic people might be tough, but nestling into a corner of their conscience was surprisingly easy.
The man gave me an odd, bewildered look before waving his hand dismissively, saying he was fine. It was a pity, but the crucial point here was not to press any further.
"[Is that so...? What a relief.]"
Offering a gentle nod, I quietly retreated to my corner.
Dinnertime arrived, but because one was forbidden from partaking in food during penance, I had to skip the meal entirely. Why on earth did penance require complete fasting anyway? Beats me...
As the night deepened and the time came to decide the watch rotation, I volunteered to take the night watch once again. Everyone wore skeptical expressions, but deciding that having another guard paired with me made it safe enough, they turned in for the night.
"..."
In the end, I found myself sitting alone before the crackling campfire with the burly, muscular swordsman I had asked about injuries earlier.
Mmm~
I secretly hoped it would have been someone else. Well... plenty of opportunities remained.
I clasped my hands together and bowed my head in silent prayer. Setting the proper mood was paramount at moments like this.
It definitely wasn't because the silence felt awkward.
...
Really.