“Johann! I’m back!”
“Y-yeah, welcome back…”
“Did you finish your work?”
“Most of it is done.”
I placed the box I brought from the workshop under the table. These were the veils to be given to Karina after the meal. Specifically selected by Ashley’s discerning eye.
“Most? Are you going to work more after eating?”
“I have one last task to tackle.”
“Busy, huh?”
“No, it’ll be done soon.”
“Oh, I see—”
Maybe she wanted to play with me after eating. I nonchalantly brushed off Millia’s persistent inquiries and surveyed the food spread on the table: chicken steak, mushroom soup, fresh greens, and a salad with tomatoes, alongside some soft bread.
While it might not be lavish for a saint’s meal, it was easy to eat.
“Then, I’ll pray. Almighty Kalon…”
We all held hands and closed our eyes. The typical praying posture. After all, Yeomyeong-gwan was filled with Kalon Church believers, so when it was mealtime, they would pray before starting to eat.
“…thank you for giving us our daily bread…”
The prayer itself was ordinary, but with such extraordinary speakers, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of reverence during the pre-meal prayer. I began to wonder if I might really join the Kalon Church someday.
“…Amen.”
With the long—or short—pre-meal prayer finished, the sound of utensils clinking began to resonate all around. It was time for the main meal. I picked up a spoon and took the first bite of mushroom soup.
The savory flavor of the mushrooms mixed with the slightly thick soup melted in my mouth. During my explorations of the untouched Dungeon, I had tasted various foods, but I confidently declared that no one made soup as well as the chef here at Yeomyeong-gwan.
Of course, the steak too.
“Delicious~”
“Eat a lot.”
“Okay!”
The greedy Millia tried her best to follow dining etiquette while wolfing down the mushroom soup, and she handed her empty bowl to the maid, signaling for another serving. The maid behind her smiled as she took Millia’s bowl away.
In the meantime, Millia eagerly tore into her chicken steak with fork and knife—not quite the behavior one expected from someone with such a cute face. Even Sif paused in her eating to glance her way.
How many plates will she demolish today?
“Millia. Chew slowly. You’ll choke.”
“I’m fine…”
“Swallow what’s in your mouth before talking.”
“Millia, you learned dining etiquette with me during class, remember?”
Yeah. She should eat demurely like Karina. Why does she eat like she’s lived on a deserted island for ten years? I’m trying to eat properly myself!
“Ugh.”
“Remember how the other students were shocked during lunch? People will give you weird looks if you eat like that outside. It’ll make making friends hard.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Ah, I see…”
Millia started to eat her steak more decorously compared to before.
Seeing that Millia was behaving, Karina took a piece of steak elegantly and placed it in her mouth. I worriedly looked at her pale complexion, still concerned.
“Karina, are you okay?”
“No. Not at all okay.”
The response came from Renny, who was dining beside Karina. After finishing her plate, she wore a face that said, “I can’t believe this.”
“I thought you were exaggerating, but it turns out you weren’t. If we don’t come up with some countermeasure, it’ll be a morgue not a sanctuary. Is it because they’re all seminarians? They seem to have almost deified Karina. I’ve never seen such fervent believers before.”
“I’ll bring a solution, so let’s try it after we eat.”
“Oh, really?”
“I don’t know if it will eliminate everything, but I expect it should help at least a bit. If it doesn’t work, I’ll ask Principal Merlin for help.”
After all, a grand wizard should be able to use some sort of magical camouflage. Or at least, I hope there’s such a convenient spell in this world.
With those words, I focused back on my meal. At this rate, I’d probably finish when the food was cold. I polished off my plate and pushed it aside. Then I grabbed the box I had set beside my chair and placed it on the table.
“This is my proposed solution.”
“…It’s just a cloth?”
“It’s a veil.”
“A veil… is it the kind you wear on your head?”
“Right. I figured a veil would be the best way to cover Karina’s face.”
I approached Karina, who was gazing tiredly at the box in my hand, and placed one of the veils on her face. In an instant, a sheer white cloth covered Karina’s features.
“It’s soft…”
“This way, at least nobody will faint just from looking at your face.”
“Well, that’d be a relief…”
Renny continued to look at Karina’s veiled face with a concerned expression. It was really up to Karina to decide, after all. If she was uncomfortable with special treatment, she might not like wearing a veil either.
“Karina, are you okay?”
“Can you see my face outside?”
“I can only see a silhouette.”
“Then you can’t see me outside, but I can see you guys inside.”
Fortunately, Karina seemed to be quite pleased with the veil I made for her. She turned to me, and as she did, the fabric fluttered and created an enchanting aura around her.
“Johann, thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I’m your knight.”
What kind of expression is Karina making beneath the veil?
Sadly, I couldn’t see through the veil to find out.
————-
I heard a familiar sigh that seemed to echo around me.
“It was my wish to see the saint’s face at least once a day…”
“But the saint feels overwhelmed. It can’t be helped.”
The basic theology classroom, which had become less chaotic after two days, was quieter this time. I wasn’t sure if it was because I couldn’t directly see faces due to the veil or if I had simply gotten used to it, but it was definitely better than the first day.
The professor walking in seemed disappointed, but he stood normally on the podium and began the lecture.
…The problem was…
“But that veil the saint wears… isn’t it pretty?”
“Where can I buy one?”
In another way, it sparked the interest of the seminarians.
…Should I try selling the failed ones?
A few days later, the trend of veils began to spread like wildfire among the seminarians.
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