Chapter 205
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: A Noble Guest in a Humble Place -4-
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Atra felt a great many things as she observed the adventurers in the capital branch.
This was the capital branch, which produced legendary adventurers and boasted the largest number of them.
But for that very reason, it was also home to the greatest number of those who had lost hope after crashing into the walls of their limited talents and harsh reality, thirsting desperately for any kind of stimulation.
'Everyone carries so many wounds...'
Even if such a thought might seem rude, that was Atra's simple impression.
They were all fleeing the suffocating grip of reality, leaning on something—anything—to numb themselves.
The older they got, the more they collided with the world, the less they dreamed of hopeful futures brimming with possibility, and the more they envisioned tomorrows filled with dread.
It was an inevitable pity.
The moment she saw adventurers cheering at the sight of blood spraying through the air amid brutal violence, that emotion struck the saintess first and foremost.
"Would you like to sit?"
"No, thank you. It looks like there's already a guest here ahead of me."
Atra gave a faint smile as she spotted Alice waiting for her food.
Shuel wasn't the only one who owed Roman a debt.
Roman had only offered a seat out of politeness anyway, so he didn't press the issue and turned his gaze elsewhere.
"Is the sister doing well?"
Shuel, who had been standing beside Mazella, jumped in surprise and bowed her head.
"Th-thanks to you, adventurer! I... I sent a letter to express my gratitude because..."
As Shuel fidgeted with her habit with her small hands, hesitating over her words, Roman rarely cracked a gentle smile and pulled a letter from his pocket.
"I definitely received this."
"Ah...!"
The young nun's face lit up with pure joy at the sight.
"Out of all the letters I've received from the Church up to now, this was the first one that felt like it truly blessed my path with such sincerity. Your words have given me great strength—I keep it close to me always."
It was in his inventory, so it wasn't a lie.
After all, eloquence was just a matter of choosing words that sounded good to the listener.
"S-such excessive praise...! Compared to what you did for me, it's nothing at all... I'm sorry I couldn't repay you properly..."
"Is there anything more precious in this world than a remedy that heals the spirit? If anything, I feel this letter is too generous a reward."
"Uh... um... th-that!"
Shuel's eyes spun in circles at the unexpectedly warm response from the platinum adventurer.
Atra and Mazella swallowed their own surprise, struggling not to show it.
They'd heard he'd been kind even during his hospitalization.
But to think a platinum adventurer would speak so deferentially to Shuel outside the Church as well...
As Shuel remained flustered and stammering, Atra stepped forward and bowed her head.
"I also wanted to offer my thanks to you, adventurer."
"...Pardon?"
Atra took Roman's bewildered expression in stride, grasping Shuel's hand as she continued.
"As I wander in search of those in need, there are moments when the Goddess seems to test my resolve—whether I can hold firm to my faith."
"I see."
Atra slowly moved behind the young nun, covering her ears so she couldn't hear.
Shuel, who didn't resist the gesture, simply blinked blankly, waiting for things to resolve.
"Everyone in the Church is precious, and no bond should be taken lightly. But if something had happened to Shuel that day... I think it would have led to days of unimaginable hardship that words alone can't express."
"..."
"I'd have shut myself in my room, questioning my faith and devotion over and over, pouring out laments and resentment to the Goddess."
Mazella's shoulders twitched in shock at Atra's candid words, even if they were hypothetical.
The idea of the saintess harboring grudges against the Goddess left even me a bit taken aback.
"...Is it alright for you to say things like that?"
Though her face always wore a smile, the saintess's expression now held the most genuine one I'd seen yet.
"Even if I hide it deep in my heart or keep it trapped on my tongue, the Goddess already knows. Pretending to be flawless and devout would be foolish."
Her words were hard to respond to, so I scratched my head and changed the subject.
"Sister. This might be your only chance to meet Alice. Adventurers are busy, after all."
"Shuel. When someone deserves your thanks, don't hesitate—give it freely."
Shuel bobbed her head repeatedly in gratitude before trotting over to Alice, who was waiting for her food.
Alice enveloped her with a smile tinged with relief.
The three of us watched the scene warmly until Roman broke the silence.
"The saintess looks tired now, so let's not bring up material gestures or repayments."
"..."
Atra glanced reflexively at Mazella in flustered habit.
"Honestly, the letter from the sister is thanks enough... If anything, feel free to send some consumables to the Guild later."
"Understood, adventurer."
With Mazella answering on her behalf, the matter of Shuel's absence concluded.
...
...
Shuel returned to the Church with a smile brimming with satisfaction and happiness, heading to help the other sisters with their duties.
It was time for Atra to rest under Mazella's watch as well.
Her body felt truly at its limit—she'd probably fall asleep the moment she lay down.
"Mazella."
"Yes, Saintess."
Having mulled things over on the way back, Atra stopped Mazella just before entering her room for rest.
"Does my fatigue show that much...?"
So that's what had been nagging at her on the walk back.
Did words from someone of platinum rank carry that much weight?
"I don't think it's anything to worry over. He just seems exceptionally perceptive."
Even hearing that, Atra felt she'd failed at masking her expression.
With a slightly pouty look, she accepted it and, as she half-opened her door, gave Mazella one last instruction.
"Wake me before you start work. Don't handle it all alone like last time."
"Of course."
That day, Mazella didn't disturb the saintess, and Atra slept straight through until evening.
With the Church figures who had brought a fresh breeze now departed.
Alice's face showed spiritual solace and reassurance from meeting Shuel.
With food right in front of her, Alice's eyes sparkled as she waited for me to speak.
"Eat up and relax while you listen. It's not anything groundbreaking."
"Yes!"
"For starters, you're good with your legs—nice and solid. And you've got pure strength enough to cover your frame."
Before continuing, I grabbed my glass, and Alice followed suit, downing her milk.
"Your form's smooth thanks to your training—not bad at all. But if I had to pick the biggest issue..."
Realizing the real lesson was coming, she perked up her ears.
"You said 'Die!' but you weren't really trying to kill, right? Same when the opponent drew his aura earlier."
"...That."
Alice blinked at my words.
Her focus had been on subduing, not killing, so she had no good comeback.
"Guild rules ban mana and skills in internal disputes, but if someone dies, it's just an unlucky accident. In that last scrap, even if you'd killed him, the Guild wouldn't have said a word."
"..."
"You've killed before, haven't you?"
"Yes."
Her adventurer records from Edelmann included plenty of subjugation quests against criminals and bandits.
"In scraps like that, unless there's a ridiculous skill gap, it's kill or be killed. Subduing without killing is way harder, so just fight full-force like you're trying to end them."
After explaining the key point, I pointed out why her vital strikes had missed; she muttered my words repeatedly, committing them to memory.
As I ate and waited, Alice stood once she seemed to grasp it all, bowing deeply in thanks for the great lesson.
"Thank you!!"
With the instruction over, she shifted back to a more relaxed, fluid tone than before.
Maybe because I'd said to drop the formality now that it was just two adventurers chatting privately.
'Quick to adapt.'
Or maybe this was her true self.
"Still, I didn't expect you'd step up and handle that alone. I figured your party mate had some guts since even he picked a fight with me back then."
"I don't know... Lately, he's gotten more timid, and his confidence seems shot... He keeps whining about missing Edelmann..."
A sigh laced with frustration.
Her expression was all puffed-up annoyance; she clearly didn't want to talk much about her namesake.
"So what was that all about anyway?"
"Um... well."
Alice's chewing slowed as she stuffed meat into her mouth, letting out a groan.
"You don't have to say if you don't want to. When creeps like that show up here, it's obvious."
"The Edelmann branch is small, so adventurers like that were rare. But since coming to the capital, it happens so often I haven't adjusted yet..."
"No need to adjust. When it's worth getting mad about, don't brush it off—get mad."
Before being an adventurer, she was a woman.
No way petty harassment or casual come-ons from idiots didn't hurt.
Her lips curved in a smile, but mentally, she seemed pretty frayed recalling all the taunts and teasing she'd endured.
"Do I... really seem that easy?"
The implication was obvious from context, but flatly denying it wouldn't convince her.
Better to make her impossible to associate with that in the first place.
"Easy? Like your weight?"
At my feigned obliviousness, her gloomy mood lifted a bit, and she giggled.
"Guys who say crap like that out loud aren't right in the head to begin with. And knowing that doesn't make it not sting for the one hearing it."
"...You're right. I was really pissed."
For the first time in her adventuring life, this felt like genuine comfort.
Alice finally voiced the ugly feelings she'd suppressed, blaming them on the job's nature, right in front of Roman.
It wasn't narrow-minded of her to stew over it instead of laughing it off—those guys were the weird ones!
Acknowledging it was natural to feel that bad brought her real relief.
-Squeak...
Tero climbed onto his master's shoulder, nuzzling affectionately in comfort.
Alice gently stroked under Tero's chin and smiled.
"Most importantly, don't blame yourself when weirdos come sniffing around. It's their insanity at fault, so vent all you want their way. Curse 'em out, beat 'em down—whatever works."
"Yes!!"
"If you can't handle them yourself, pray to the Goddess on a quest to have them die or something. If she made creeps like that, she should take responsibility, right?"
Stunned by words that would send any Church member into fits, Alice grew serious for a moment before bursting into laughter she couldn't hold back, her lips quirking up.
"I've never heard anyone say that before... I'm really learning a lot today."
"Glad I could help."
With that, Roman finished his meal, and Alice fell into thought.
As the casual chat wound down and the seats emptied—plates and glasses cleared—her thoughts solidified in one direction.
Master-disciple was ideal, but if rejected, she'd have no other approach.
Until she was certain, Alice opted to circle the edges a bit.
"In the future, if I have more questions, would it be okay to ask you occasionally...?"