The Martial Arts Tournament (1)
Recently, Sister Bertina had been in an exceptionally good mood. Was it because a substantial donation had finally arrived at the convent after so long? No. Had the flowers in the garden she so carefully tended finally bloomed? No. Had her stubborn belly fat finally vanished? That wasn’t it either. The true reason was the transformation in the girl she was responsible for.
Elia. A lazy, playful girl who tried to cut corners in everything she did. Falling asleep during prayer services was routine, and she frequently zoned out during lessons or slipped away the moment an opportunity presented itself. Yet that same Elia had changed.
“Good morning, Sister.”
It was the morning prayer service. Elia approached with a gentle smile and offered her greeting. The girl who had always arrived last and claimed the very back seat now appeared first each day and sat in the front row. When Bertina first witnessed this, she genuinely wondered if the sun had begun rising in the west.
‘Elia? What’s gotten into you? Are you feeling ill?’
She had even pressed a hand to the girl’s forehead in concern. People said that if someone changed overnight, it meant they were about to die. But for over two weeks now, Elia had behaved like a model student—diligent, attentive, and sincere.
Had some profound shift occurred in her heart? Bertina couldn’t say for certain, but it was undeniably a positive change. At last, the girl was taking the path of becoming a nun seriously. Bertina felt pure, unfiltered joy.
“Yes, good morning to you too, Elia.”
Bertina took the seat beside her. “You’ve come out early again today, I see?”
“Yes. I woke early and was offering my prayers first.”
Elia clasped her hands together and smiled sweetly. What a commendable child! Bertina’s heart swelled with emotion. All those tireless lectures and gentle scoldings had finally borne fruit. Now… perhaps it was safe to ask.
Bertina decided to voice the question that had been weighing on her mind. “Our Elia has been such a delight to watch lately. But tell me, what suddenly inspired this change?”
At the question, Elia scratched her cheek with an adorably bashful expression. “I had a dream.”
“A dream?”
“I was flying through a blue sky. Swimming and playing among the clouds when a voice called out to me from somewhere.”
Bertina listened with rapt attention.
“I instinctively knew it was the voice of the Heavenly God.”
“My goodness…”
“The Heavenly God said to me: ‘My daughter, I cherish you deeply. Convey my voice. Become the wind of purification. Become the lantern of salvation.’”
“Oh, heavens…”
Bertina clasped her hands together as though in prayer.
“When I opened my eyes and began to pray from my bed, a warmth filled my chest and joy flooded through me.”
Elia placed both hands over her heart. She closed her eyes gently, as if reliving that exact sensation.
“After that, I resolved to devote myself to God with all my sincerity.”
She opened her eyes into soft crescents and smiled. Morning sunlight spilled across the side of her face, rendering the moment so beautiful it seemed worthy of being preserved in a painting.
I had no idea I was this good at acting.
To earn points with Sister Bertina and the other nuns at the convent, I had been playing the part of a perfect, well-behaved child. It was occasionally cringeworthy enough to make my skin crawl, but if it meant gaining entry to the martial arts tournament, I could endure it. I modeled my behavior after the Saintess from my memories—modest speech, graceful movements, pious demeanor. I even borrowed stories I had once heard to move the nuns to tears.
Thanks to that performance, I had successfully reinvented my image in just two weeks. It was about time to broach the subject.
After theology class ended, I wandered the chapel in search of Sister Bertina. I found her polishing silverware and approached quietly.
“Sister, let me help you with that.”
“Oh my, how kind of you.”
I picked up a silver plate and began rubbing it vigorously with a dry cloth. After polishing four or five pieces, I slipped in the request as casually as I could.
“Sister.”
“Yes?”
“There’s something I’d like to ask of you.”
At the word “ask,” Sister Bertina’s eyes narrowed slightly. The look clearly said, I knew there was a motive behind all this.
“What sort of request?”
“I’d like to go do volunteer work.”
“Volunteer… work?”
She blinked rapidly, as if the answer had come completely out of left field.
“Yes.” I nodded. “I heard there will be a martial arts tournament held in Brizra Town next month. That’s the event where people compete to see who’s stronger, right?”
“That’s correct.”
I tilted my head with an innocent expression befitting my current age. “Then… there will probably be people who get injured, won’t there?”
I added a worried frown, as though the thought already pained me even though the event hadn’t begun. My performance must have been convincing, because Sister Bertina smiled warmly.
“Are you worried about them?”
“Yes…”
Simply declaring that I wanted to go would sound stubborn. I needed to clearly explain what I could contribute. On the battlefield, the knights I respected most were never the ones who simply declared “I can do it” or “I can’t.” They were the ones who could articulate exactly what they were capable of and how they could be of service.
“I’m not an official nun yet, so I can’t use healing magic… but I can still help the sisters. I could carry supplies, hold people’s hands, or even blow on their wounds and tell them ‘don’t hurt, okay?’”
By adding these childlike touches, I made it clear that my desire to volunteer came from pure, innocent motives rather than any hidden agenda. Sister Bertina gazed at me with the same tender expression one might give an adorable kitten.
“I can’t give you an answer right away. I’ll need to speak with the Mother Superior and obtain her permission first.”
I already knew that. So please put in a good word for me.
“I’ll bring it up with her.”
“Thank you.”
Sister Bertina reached out and gently stroked my hair. “As I said this morning, our Elia has become such a lovely sight. Seeing you earnestly strive to become a proper nun truly moves me.”
I smiled sweetly in return. No need to be that moved. It’s all so I can enter the tournament.
The next day, Sister Bertina informed me that the Mother Superior had granted permission.
“Really? Thank you so much!”
I cheered wildly inside my head. The first major obstacle had been cleared. Now that my goal was secured, I could have dropped the good-girl act, but I decided to maintain it until the tournament was completely over. After all, people’s hearts could change on a whim.
“The Mother Superior also recognizes how kind and diligent you’ve become, Elia. That’s why she made a special exception. So you must continue behaving this way from now on, understood?”
Ouch. The words stabbed at my conscience.
“Of course.” I brushed it off with an appropriate smile.
The carriage rattled and shook. The ride was terribly uncomfortable—the road was uneven and the cushion beneath me was rock-hard. Still, the girl looking out the window—Elia—appeared to be in high spirits. In truth, she was. Her heart was pounding with excitement. They would reach Brizra Town soon.
“Is this your first time visiting Brizra Town?”
“Yes.”
Bertina, seated beside her, struck up conversation. There were four people total inside the carriage: Bertina as guardian, Elia, and two additional girls from the convent. Since the local chapel in Brizra Town was already responsible for medical duties, not every nun could attend. The organizers had initially claimed they had sufficient personnel and no volunteers were needed, but the Mother Superior’s earnest pleading had secured permission for their group of four.
“Brizra Town is truly a magnificent place.”
Bertina spoke in a tone meant to spark excitement in children leaving home for the first time. She began explaining about their destination.
The City of Wind, Brizra Town. A place where winds of every season danced in vibrant colors. Twelve giant windmills rose around the city like towers of a magic spire. Long known as a haven for adventurers, the city had developed a thriving tourism industry. This martial arts tournament was simply one more summer attraction for visitors.
The carriage sped across green fields. An endless expanse of plains stretched in every direction. After traveling for some time, the windmills finally appeared in the distance.
…It’s been a while.
Gazing at the windmills, Elia fell into old memories. Long ago, she had visited this place with the hero. A report about fiends had come in, but the hero’s attention had been completely stolen by the rows of street stalls lining the roads.
‘Master! Look over there! The meat is enormous!’
‘Whoa… Did you see that? He just swallowed a sword!’
‘Master! Stop drinking already!’
A small chuckle escaped her. He had done whatever he pleased, yet he would grumble about her drinking a few glasses. And after only five mugs of beer, no less.
They passed the windmills. People began appearing in earnest now—families enjoying picnics around the bases of the towers, carriages like theirs racing toward the city. The crowds were already thick and lively.
They entered the city proper.
““Wowww!””
The two girls pressed their faces to the windows in wonder, eyes wide at the festive scene before them. Elia carefully observed their reactions and joined in at the appropriate moment.
“Wow…!”
That guy looks pretty strong. Is he entering the tournament too? Hmm… a double-handed axe. Interesting choice of weapon.
Of course, her interests were entirely different from the other girls’.