No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 91
EP.91 Stubbornness and Arrogance (3)
No matter how much of a theocracy this country was, the church’s power wasn’t greater than the government’s. In fact, if anything, it was weaker. At its core, the church was responsible for handling welfare policies, but even that was limited in scope. So, while the church in this world did hold more real authority than any religious organization from my past life in Korea, it wasn’t supposed to be something that could be wielded so freely.
"If it weren't for you..."
"……."
At Ria’s words, I chose to remain silent.
Normally, I would have recoiled at being called a Saintess, protesting vehemently at the mere mention of the title. But this time, I couldn't deny it. Because I had, in fact, wielded that power.
The government had strongly opposed my request to meet the dwarf princess. As for the gnomes, they had to establish a path forward no matter what—after all, they needed to restore the magic stones that I had obliterated. But the problem was, I had opened that path too wide.
The government was supposed to be the one benefiting from the exchange, but I had become the centerpiece instead. And once they had witnessed my power, even the Gnome Church began paying attention to me. Some even suggested sending their own clergy to this world as emissaries. And others—they wanted my divine power. Considering the escalating conflict with the Dwarf Kingdom, my power would undoubtedly be useful.
"There was no other choice. If I didn’t act, the consequences would eventually reach our own world too."
"Is that really all? Or do you just want to save the dwarves too?"
"……."
I was about to grumble in response, but Ria’s words completely shut me up. I mean… what was I supposed to do? This was objectively the best course of action.
"You basically told them, 'If you don’t give me permission, I won’t use my divine power at all.' No wonder all those faithless politicians turned pale. Just the thought of losing access to your healing must have scared them. And on top of that, you even had a halo glowing behind your head when you said it."
"Unless they got seriously injured, they won’t need my healing."
"Hmm… I wouldn’t be so sure. The church is already putting you at the top of its priority list. There’s no way they’d offer their services to someone you’ve blacklisted. It’s not just the government that needs your power, you know?"
"……."
"Well, don’t worry about it. If you refuse to use your power, then that’s that. What are they gonna do?"
"There are plenty of ways they could retaliate, aren’t there? Without my divine power, I’m just an ordinary person."
"Ordinary? Maybe. But just one person? No way."
I narrowed my eyes at Ria.
"Are you saying you'd still be my knight even if I weren’t a Saintess candidate anymore?"
"Why not?"
"…If that happens, there wouldn’t be anything I could do for you."
"You think I’d be so stingy that I need to get paid just to help a friend?"
Ria’s face flushed slightly as she said that.
We were sitting in the very back seat of the rattling carriage. Even though the wheels were large, the vehicle shook violently—the road wasn’t paved with cement or asphalt, after all. Despite the ongoing war between the gnomes and the dwarves, there was at least one decent road leading in this direction.
Was it built purely for efficient troop movement? Or was there still some form of minimal exchange between the two nations?
If I recalled the novel correctly, there was indeed some level of interaction. After all, the gnomes had sent a messenger to inform the Dwarf Kingdom of my arrival.
"—Ah!?"
But, in the end, they weren’t on friendly terms, and this road was never meant for large, heavy vehicles like this carriage. A sudden bump in the road sent me flying out of my seat. The wheels must have rolled over a large rock—and right after that, they landed in what seemed like a deep pothole. Before I could even fully return to my seat, the entire carriage tilted sharply in another direction.
"Ughhh."
And with that, I toppled straight into Ria.
For a brief moment, I felt something soft and plush against my face.
"……!?"
My instincts immediately identified what it was, and I quickly pulled myself back. But as I nearly fell backward instead, Ria swiftly grabbed my waist and pulled me back into my seat. Thanks to that, she was now holding onto me, sitting in a position that looked as if she had wrapped her arms around me.
"Hey, be careful, will you?"
"……."
"And what's with that reaction? You've already touched them before while dancing, remember?"
Oh.
I suddenly realized why I had reacted so instinctively. I had already felt that sensation before, and my body remembered it.
Seeing my expression, Ria chuckled.
"That tickles."
Feeling embarrassed, I swatted her hand off my waist, but she only looked pleased. Maybe I tease her too much normally. That’s probably why, even if it was unintentional, she was enjoying this little revenge. But for some reason, it still bothered me.
In the end, I stayed a little sulky for the next few hours on our way to the Dwarf Kingdom. And seeing my reaction, Ria only kept laughing, which made me even more annoyed.
*
I didn’t meet the Dwarf Princess right away upon arriving in their kingdom. But at the same time, the government didn’t try to take control of negotiations like they did before, either. In fact, there were almost no high-ranking officials from the government in this delegation. Right now, they were too busy managing relations with the gnomes. Since the gnomes and dwarves weren’t on good terms, the government probably didn’t want to draw too much attention to this visit.
Most of the people here were more like inspectors—a handful of low-level bureaucrats, nothing more. That meant, among the delegation, I technically held the highest status. But that didn’t mean I was on the level of a head of state. After all, I wasn’t even an official Saintess, just a Saintess candidate. And even if I did become a Saintess, my position in the church hierarchy would still be ambiguous. The Pope was the highest authority in the church, and even in Korean churches, the most powerful figure was usually a cardinal. My title was mostly ceremonial, meaning it could be interpreted however one wanted. So, even if I was the most prominent Saintess candidate, I still wasn’t on the same level as a king or even a princess.
After our arrival, we exchanged brief greetings and then took some time to rest. Spending hours in a bumpy vehicle on uneven terrain had left my back and hips sore. And near the end, we even had to walk part of the way. At least we weren’t at an altitude high enough to cause mountain sickness—small mercies.
"They say there are places where it’s really high enough to cause it, though," Ria commented with a shrug.
"But the higher you go, the harder it is to keep warm. And if there’s a landslide, you’d get buried before you could even react. That’s why the most important people tend to live on the lowest floors."
That was good news for me.
"And if a war breaks out, the lowest levels are the most dangerous, right? So, I guess they justify it as some kind of noblesse oblige thing."
"That sounds like a pretty flimsy excuse."
Hearing my dry response, Ria let out a short laugh, her shoulders shaking.
"Haha, I had a feeling you'd say that."
Lying face down on the bed, I turned my head toward Ria and stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because no matter what position you're in, if something happens, you'll rush in without a second thought."
"……."
What kind of person does Ria think I am, exactly?
"If you're tired, why don't you get some rest? I'll wake you when it's time."
Ria spoke after noticing my expression.
"…What about you?"
"I'm still fine. It's not like we just finished a long march—if I got sleepy from this, that'd be a problem."
I nodded at her words. It made sense. Someone capable of wielding a sword while carrying a girl their own age through the sky wouldn't tire from something like this.
"Still… let's take turns sleeping…"
"Yeah, yeah, got it. I'll stand watch, so just rest. We’ve got a few hours left."
"…Wake me up in the middle, okay?"
"I said I got it."
I drifted off to sleep as I listened to Ria's amused voice.
She didn't wake me until all those hours had passed.
*
Like the gnome city, the dwarven kingdom was carved into the mountains, but the interior was far more luxurious than I had expected. The ceilings stretched high above, their polished surfaces gleaming as if they had been buffed to perfection. The walls—whether chiseled from the rock itself or constructed with carefully placed stone—gave the impression of being inside a grand palace rather than a cavern. It was a sight straight out of a classic Western fantasy.
"I greet His Majesty, King Grond IV of the Dwarves."
Following the etiquette I had learned in advance, I lifted the hem of my nun's habit slightly as I spoke.
The dwarven king, his face half-buried in his thick beard, gave me a solemn nod.
"Welcome, Sister Anna, Saintess Candidate of the Otherworldly Church. May you find comfort during your stay."
His deep, resonant voice suited his imposing appearance perfectly.
I subtly shifted my gaze toward the dwarf princess seated slightly to the side. She was small, slightly plump, but undeniably beautiful. Just as described in the novel, she appeared to be a few years younger than me.
Among the dwarves, she was known as the one with the greatest mastery over magic—capable of storing and wielding immense magical power.
As our eyes met, the princess gave me a soft smile, though there was a hint of wariness in her expression.
…It was likely because of my divine power.
A bad feeling crept over me. Something told me things weren’t going to go as smoothly as I had hoped.