No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 95
EP.95 Stubbornness and Arrogance (7)
There were a few things that were better than I expected. For one, the dwarves had a surprisingly advanced civilization. Deep inside the mine, a proper ventilation system was installed, ensuring a steady flow of oxygen. Long tubes made of some kind of leather stretched through the tunnels, lined with countless fan-like devices that pulled fresh air in from the outside.
And thankfully, we didn’t have to walk the entire way. The dwarves repurposed exhausted mining tunnels into living spaces. For them, mining wasn’t just about extracting ore—it was urban development, infrastructure expansion. Since the underground city was vast, it wasn’t practical to travel on foot all the time. To move efficiently and transport materials, they used magic-powered trains. These weren’t exactly designed for passengers, though—more like oversized mine carts meant for hauling raw ore. The interiors were filthy, and they didn’t even have roofs.
“Ugh, pfft! Pah!”
Dust filled the air as we rode, getting into my mouth every time I breathed. I spat several times in frustration. I wasn’t the only one—every dwarf in the train was doing the same.
Since they were expanding infrastructure all at once, at least the ceiling wasn’t too low. I didn’t have to worry about smashing my head into a rock and spilling my brains everywhere.
Unfortunately, dwarves seemed to have no concept of safety measures whatsoever. I should have at least brought a helmet. Or a mask.
Sure, divine power could heal diseases, even cancer, so a bit of bad air wouldn’t kill me. But it was still annoying. With no seat belts, my body was constantly jolted around. Ria had to hold onto me tightly just to keep me steady.
“……”
By the time I got used to the rattling, to the point where I could barely feel my backside anymore, the train let out a loud, screeching halt.
My body lurched sideways, but Ria caught me. Rather than simply pushing me upright, for some reason, she held me close. Like, actually hugged me to keep me steady. Okay, sure. That was the safest way to prevent injury. And Ria’s grip was firm enough to keep me from toppling over. Logically speaking, it was the most efficient choice.
But still.
It was embarrassing.
I quickly pulled away from her grasp.
“You look like a complete mess.”
“…Huh?”
I instinctively touched my face—only to realize, a second too late, that my hands were covered in ore dust.
Ria chuckled in amusement.
I glared at her. She, unfazed, pulled something out from her nun’s robe. A disposable wet wipe. The kind they give out for free at restaurants.
“Oh, I can just—”
Before I could reach for it, Ria smoothly dodged my hand and started wiping my face herself.
“Who do you think you’re treating like a kid?!”
By the time I managed to protest, she was already done.
“Well, at least you’re clean now.”
…Why did it feel like she was treating me more and more like a child lately? If she had been an outright “mature older-woman” type, I wouldn’t even mind. But she was the one clinging to me, calling me “mama” before.
“……”
Still, I was a rational, mature, and civilized person. I wasn’t petty enough to use her past against her.
Instead—
“Hmph.”
I simply turned away with a huff, making my displeasure known.
For some reason, Ria only laughed harder at that.
*
One thing I’ll make clear:
Most of the dwarves were kind to me. They didn’t hold any ill will—after all, I was a foreigner, a new race they’d never encountered before, and I’d even heard rumors that I was somewhat of an important figure. Though I’d done a lot for the gnomes, it didn’t seem to resonate much with the common folk who weren’t nobles.
The war itself had been at a deadlock for a long time, so most of the dwarves had never really experienced battle. Only those who were near the front lines, directly facing the gnomes, might harbor any kind of resentment.
Just like in gnome society, dwarven society lacked a clear medium to convey all these stories. Concepts like ‘nationality’ or ‘ethnicity’ that exist back on Earth weren’t something the people here had developed much.
“……”
“……What are you staring at?”
As I was heading toward the dwarven temple with Ria, one particular dwarf was staring at us intently. I couldn’t help but feel a little tense as I spoke up.
The dwarf had a massive pickaxe slung over his shoulder, and his width—shoulder to shoulder—was wider than the combined space of me and Ria standing side by side. His arms were packed with unnaturally large muscles. Half of his face was covered by an unkempt, bushy beard that looked like it hadn’t been groomed in ages, giving him the appearance of a bandit or a pirate.
“How can you even dig properly when you’re this messy?”
"Humans aren't supposed to do manual labor, are they?"
"So, what do they do for a living then?"
"I guess they just write all day, like authors."
"But who's going to gather mushrooms if all they do is write? We can't survive on just ore, you know. We need mushrooms to eat and to feed our livestock."
“……”
The conversation quickly took on a tone that felt very much like something out of a grumpy old man’s chat, which, in a strange way, put me at ease.
“By the way, where’s your beard?”
“I’m not a man.”
“Well, I figured that out. Our women are like that too, though. More sensual than you lot, for sure.”
Looking at the princess, that seemed true, but—
“Wait a minute.”
I tapped my forehead with my finger.
“Are you telling me women grow beards too? Like you guys?”
“Of course! It grows a bit slower, but it does grow.”
“No, that’s not true. It grows at the same speed as ours.”
“What? You mean you trim it every day?”
"Since you're single, you wouldn't understand. Women always notice every little change, like the length of your beard."
“Haha... So do girls trim their beards too?”
“……What about the princess? Does she have some special treatment?”
"It's a perk of being high-ranking, they get special treatment."
When I asked, the old man seemed oddly irritated by the question.
“Honestly, it’s frustrating when people don’t stick to tradition and just follow trends or whatever.”
“I guess they don’t want to live like us common folk. It’s nice to live with a smooth face like the gnomes, huh?”
“……”
Hmm.
I had the feeling I was hearing things I didn’t need to know. Information I wasn’t really interested in…
Judging by the lack of any trace of beard growth, did the princess cover it up with makeup or manage it with magic?
I glanced at Ria, and she just shrugged her shoulders. It seemed like she wasn’t particularly interested in that topic. So, I decided to just forget that conversation. I’d probably remember it whenever I saw the princess, but for now, I’d let it go.
*
“……”
Normally, the dwarves had a strangely familiar atmosphere about them, but the priests were different.
Dwarven society hadn’t been described in great detail in the original, but it was a ‘kingdom,’ so I assumed they had distinct classes—royalty, nobility, and the priestly order.
The priests all had orange-colored hair. It was somewhere between the natural reddish-brown and blonde shades—like the color you’d associate with natural redhead tones. It wasn’t as red as Ria’s, so that was a relief.
…
Well, I’m not sure why that was a relief, but anyway.
“Saintess candidate.”
“Please, just call me Anna.”
“……Sister Anna.”
The priest who seemed to be the highest-ranked among them didn’t have the deep, low voice of the other dwarves. But it didn’t sound out of place either.
Unlike the workers I had seen earlier, this one was on the plump side—quite typical of a sedentary, overweight physique—so I felt less intimidated. Honestly, the long braided beard didn’t suit him at all.
“I heard you were introduced by the princess.”
“Yeah, I made a promise with the princess, and I’ve come to fulfill one of those promises.”
“Is that promise to convince us priests?”
“……You could say that.”
I studied the priest’s face as I spoke.
“I’ve come to help the poor in this area.”
To prove my power.
That phrase was a little vague. I’ve always thought my power didn’t exactly belong to me, and I knew the princess understood that much. We’d had a brief chat about it over drinks the other day. So, it wasn’t clear whether the princess was asking me to prove myself to the higher-ups, or if she wanted me to show that I could effectively handle any threats approaching her side. Considering both possibilities, why not prove both at once? That’s why I chose this place to demonstrate my power.
At my words, the priests exchanged looks and murmured amongst themselves.
And then, one of them spoke to me.
“Sister, do you perhaps not know what the slums mean?”
“I do know.”
I answered.
“But you don’t need to worry. I don’t intend to go deep into the inner areas. Besides—”
I looked at Ria.
Not too many people could enter this far. The train was always used to transport ores, and the conservative dwarves said they’d only allow us to board in the remaining spots, after the workers and the ores.
More importantly—
“Priests, wouldn’t it be difficult for you to protect me?”
At my question, the priests furrowed their brows.
Right, of course.
This place is a ‘kingdom.’ And that means the king has the power. The only dwarves who would dare to go against the princess’s words would probably be those planning rebellion or betrayal. Especially if a priest were to act like that, they’d be the first ones to be cut down. Watching the disgruntled priests grumble, I couldn’t help but smile inwardly.