In the end, what I chose was to work.
You might wonder what kind of thoughts led me to the conclusion that I need to work just to avoid uncomfortable situations, but based on my experiences of sipping the societal water for a bit till my mid-twenties, the best way to fend off complaints from those above me was to make excuses about being busy.
Of course, it wouldn’t be good if the work was trivial. If someone else could do what I’m doing, they could simply pull me out and stick someone else in.
And above all, the most important thing is… it’s definitely problematic if the work is too difficult.
I was trying to find new work to avoid bothersome and challenging tasks, but what if this new job turns out to be even more bothersome and challenging than the existing ones? That’s what you’d call a reversal of roles.
Naturally, that was an unwelcome thing for me, who wanted to hide somewhere quiet until the power struggle between the Church and the government was over.
The problem was that the jobs I could do, being ‘Saintess’, were extremely limited.
Treating sick people in the wilderness? Just gathering the sick in one place and using my Holy Power would take less than half a day. But it felt wrong to take my time leisurely doing it. Leaving the sick in front of me just for my convenience is a bit too much, isn’t it?
…So, the first job I chose ended too blandly. I ended up treating those who couldn’t go to a hospital or treatment center, which raised my credibility too high, causing me to awkwardly rush back to the convent.
Going to the battlefield faced unexpected severe opposition from the Church. They seemed to think it would be a big problem if I went to the battlefield and encountered a witch again.
After all, all the situations where I was in enough danger to lose consciousness involved using enough Holy Power to draw blood. Meeting a witch might lead me to faint from using miracles too. No, it seems the Church thought I could lose my life like the other saints if that happened.
Setting aside the fact that no saint has ever captured a witch in the last 500 years, it’s undeniably risky. Anyway, it’s true that I have fainted, and I can’t solve everything with miracles every time.
Above all, if I drag my feet too long, I might not be able to return to the Academy even when the break ends! I’ve already lost two witches, and with one chased away after being threatened in my consciousness, it was clear they’d be cautious about trying to kill me. Just like what happened at the beach last time.
Moreover, after experiencing a sudden disappearance of demons I had infiltrated into Human Society, I was on high alert.
So, while I couldn’t go to the battlefield, I said I would treat the injured in the rear.
…And, as expected, I finished the work in a flash. Many cases involved healing injuries and then returning right back to the battlefield, so there weren’t many people who made me uncomfortable. But strangely, the number of injured people drastically decreased day by day, leading me to hear that ‘there is no reason for the Saintess to show up’ and I had no choice but to return.
Later I found out that soldiers who received treatment from me rallied around the idea, ‘We can’t bother the Saintess!’ Even in areas where they were running rather aggressive operations, the soldiers switched to tactics that minimized injuries, and with the local government’s significantly increased support, there were hardly any patients exceeding the workload of the battlefield medics.
…Well, I mean, that’s a good thing. It is, but…
It’s definitely not something that can always involve me on the battlefield. Thus, being able to resolve the issues occurring in the battlefield there was a good thing. Of course, from the demon army’s standpoint, it would be a headache since they couldn’t force the enemy’s bleeding anymore.
If the government has started to take notice of my existence and has created a positive effect, then it is definitely a good thing—
The problem, however, is that there’s still a week left in the break.
Indeed, it only took about a week and some change to resolve those two issues.
*
When I returned to the convent, there were heaps of meeting requests waiting for me.
And most of those requests were from the government.
“If you’d like, you can reject them all.”
The Mother Superior quite simply stated that.
Of course, I knew this. Just because I hold considerable power within the Church, it doesn’t mean I can say no. On the contrary, the more power and connections I have within the Church, the less I can refuse such requests.
It’s not like the Church alone supports Human Society, and obviously, it’s more convenient to coordinate with the government for large projects than to do it all by oneself.
From the government’s perspective, I’m one of the higher-ups in the Church, so they probably believe there’s little justification for me to refuse their meeting requests—
Well, I feel somewhat sorry about this. My official status within the Church was as a Saintess and Nun.
Many people outside the Church tend to see nuns or monks as lower ranks beneath the priest. For obvious reasons, the head of the local cathedral is a priest, and the nunneries or monasteries associated with it generally don’t have the authority to make demands or commands.
To the average person, nuns or monks are usually perceived as doing errands around the church or assisting the priest in the mass, looking somewhat like servants or subordinates.
Of course, that’s not entirely wrong. Except for the Middle Ages, once nunneries or monasteries began to take on the role of orphanages, they started to resemble educational institutions, creating a hierarchy between the priests who serve as teachers and the younger nuns or monks.
However, that only applied during the period of receiving education from priests. Once they mature and remain as nuns or monks, their status becomes equivalent to that of priests.
Though their political influence or social standing might not be considered on par, at least within the Church, they can’t outright be treated as inferior. The relationship between monks and priests is fundamentally separate, so it’s possible to be both.
Well, in terms of modern standards in this world, those who remain as nuns or monks after reaching adulthood are extremely rare, so it would be somewhat inaccurate to say that they’re generally below priests.
Still, a Saintess who is a nun and at the same time equivalent to the Pope is a different story.
While being a Saint or a Saintess is a status of sorts, it doesn’t mean that there are set duties for them. They are all chosen by the gods to convey the will of the divine to the world, thus the Church has stated that their actions cannot be enforced.
So, while it’s true that a ‘Saintess is an equal to the Pope’, it’s incorrect to say ‘there’s as much to do as the Pope’ or ‘there’s as much to comply with as the Pope.’
What’s more, I’m neither a priest nor a knight, and beyond being a Saintess, my only other position in the Church is that of a nun, which means the tasks assigned to me are simply at the nun level.
Therefore, the Mother Superior’s statement of ‘it’s fine to refuse’ is correct in many ways.
…But that’s easier said than done.
Because I still haven’t given up on my escape plan!
You can’t just establish a treatment center on a whim. It needs to pass verification and approval.
So even if I don’t want to be on friendly terms with the government, if I act hostile without reason, I’ll likely encounter numerous issues five years later in my social life. They might not outright stop me, but there are countless ways to make my life irritable.
I wanted to create a justification of ‘I couldn’t help it then!’
“…Sigh.”
The President, Vice President, and the Defense Minister and Deputy Minister, along with generals from the battlefield I had been involved in. Not to mention a multitude of high-ranking officials and lawmakers.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say they were all of one mind. Even if there were factions dealing internally, unlike the Church, which acts together as religious individuals believing in the same gods, the government could easily be likened to a hydra with hundreds of heads.
Without knowing the relationships between lawmakers or the backgrounds of the ministers, or how the generals rose through ranks, I couldn’t meet them carelessly. Just meeting them could entangle me in unforeseen complications.
On the other hand, the President and Vice President are transparent about what they want… In front of those slippery creatures at the top of the government, my political power in my mid-twenties is nearly non-existent. I’ve been alive in two lives, but their times in politics would still be longer than mine combined.
The problem is that the meeting requests from these people had pretty plausible reasons from an outside viewpoint.
All those related to the battlefield wanted to commend my contributions.
Naturally, the Defense Minister would also want to discuss matters related to the battlefield and, additionally, future cooperation.
Lawmakers and senior officials seemed to want to express gratitude and present me with awards pertaining to the areas they were associated with.
…But if I go, I’ll get tangled in the political factions connected to those people. I absolutely don’t want that.
However, given these outer justifications, it’s a tricky matter to outright decline.
‘I merely did what I had to.’ This excuse can only last once or twice. While ordinary people might be fond of me being humble, the expressions of those wanting to offer me something would grow colder with time.
Not to mention, the President even backtracked on what he had written in a letter and started discussing medals, so, well.
At least it was a relief that my defeating of the witch hadn’t been publicly announced yet. If that hadn’t been the case, the government would have faced backlash for not awarding me, and under the pretext of calming the furious public sentiment, they would force a medal around my neck.
“…Understood. Then I’ll keep my response on hold for now.”
Ultimately, I held back a sigh while forcing that answer out before the Mother Superior. Upon seeing my clear expression of reluctance, she smiled wryly.
I closed the door to the Mother Superior’s office and stepped outside.
“As the Mother Superior said, if Sister Clara doesn’t want to go, no one can say anything against it.”
“Yeah, you can reject them outright!”
Linea and Aurora offered their encouragement, but… I felt a bit reluctant to say that I had to be mindful of societal perceptions because I was planning to quit in five years right in front of these two.
No, it’s not that I don’t trust them… But if I told these girls that, I fear they would be utterly shocked.
In the end, I couldn’t reply to either of them, just sighed repeatedly while walking, when a piece of paper caught my eye.
“…Hmm?”
It was a dull notice filled with the usual ‘today’s verse from the Bible’ or ‘messages for the nuns’ plastered on a bleak bulletin board.
But a bright advertisement with young people and beastfolk happily hugging each other on a bright yellow background stood out prominently.
Of course, it seemed like it was hastily thrown together by someone working on a computer in the Church, leading to a somewhat shabby presentation.
[Recruitment for a Volunteer Group to Create a Happy and Equal Society]
That was the title of the poster.
As I approached and read it, it was recruiting people to engage in volunteer work in underdeveloped beastfolk residences. The tasks included not only medical activities but also cooking and serving, and thankfully, it seemed the cooking was to be done only by those with proper qualifications, while volunteers would assist.
“Ah, I thought they would start recruiting soon, but it seems they already have,” Aurora commented after reading the poster alongside me.
“Do they do this every year around this time?”
I asked, to which Aurora nodded.
“Yes, beastfolk tend to have higher body temperatures than humans. During the sweltering summer, they tend to struggle quite a bit. While most of the beastfolk are okay, those who don’t receive proper welfare benefits can find themselves struggling to survive without help.”
Listening to Aurora, Linea also nodded in agreement.
“However, many beastfolk don’t look favorably upon the Church, which means this isn’t exactly a popular activity. So this time of year, open recruitments are quite common, even sending nuns from the cathedral.”
Sure enough, although beastfolk had their own belief systems, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to turn down the Church’s help.
I hadn’t actually developed a character for the beastfolk despite planning their existence. I had a vague wish for a cat-eared heroine, but… By that time, I had way too many heroines, and it seemed impossible to manage. As a result, I didn’t even get to introduce the ones I had already created.
“Physically, it’s not overly burdensome. Since the aim is to help the beastfolk suffering from the heat, most of the activities occur in relatively cool locations.”
“Have you experienced it yourself?”
I asked, wide-eyed at Linea’s smooth explanation, and she nodded.
“Yes, due to the nature of the Knights, we often go out for volunteer work.”
“I’ve been there too,” Aurora chimed in after Linea.
“It’s generally unpopular work, so there are usually not many people available. I went just once with the Miracle Investigator.”
“Moreover, most churches will try to send the minimum number of people, so many nuns probably have at least one experience under their belts.”
…If it’s conducted in a cool location with little difficulty but remains unpopular, it probably indicates that the beastfolk’s response isn’t very positive.
Hmm.
I rested my chin on my hands and attentively looked up at the poster. The children clasping shoulders in the photo didn’t seem like they were having a terrible time… But then, considering this wasn’t the level of interaction as with the elf village, it’s likely that the purpose of the mission—evangelization—was still managing to connect in some way.
Not that the poster would display only smiling faces, as they’d have to at least pretend to be happy for the photo.
“Umm… Are you thinking of going?”
Linea asked hesitantly.
This was an unusual case for her. I was caught in a dilemma, and I appreciated that she was worried about the hardship I’d face, considering she usually followed me around without hesitation whenever I went somewhere.
“Hmm…”
I pondered seriously.
The volunteer period lasted until September 1st. Coincidentally, the upcoming week was when school resumed, so even if I left tomorrow, the volunteering time would only last a week.
“…Are there any precautions to take during this volunteering?”
In response to my question, Linea and Aurora exchanged glances and took a moment to consider.
“Hmm… Firstly, there’s the molting issue.”
“…Molting?”
I looked back at the poster. The beastfolk in the photo looked like they were cosplaying 2D animal characters. Aside from the ears, they didn’t appear to be much different from humans.
“The fur is on the head and tail too. Not all beastfolk molt at the same time, but it means that someone out there is always molting.”
If I was someone who valued the clothes I wore, I would want to avoid getting too close.
But I didn’t hold much value to this outfit. Well… it looked expensive at first glance, but I didn’t wear it for the sake of wanting to, so I guess it’s a pass.
“And what’s the other point to be aware of?”
“Like I mentioned earlier, some beastfolk don’t view the Church favorably at all. It’s common for them to refuse help from the Church, and some will even blame those who accept assistance.”
After hearing Linea’s explanation and glancing at Aurora, she nodded in fierce agreement.
“I think it’ll be tough to receive words of gratitude….”
Indeed, I understand the reason for it being unpopular.
…Ugh.
Even though I’m trying to create work for myself to avoid uncomfortable interactions, if that work is too burdensome, then that just reverses my intention. It’d be better not to do it at all.
“…Then, Aurora, just one last question,”
I said with a serious expression.
“Between the elder elves and the beastfolk, who was more difficult to deal with?”
“…”
Aurora briefly wore a blank look.
“Uh… the elder elves.”
Well, that’s a pass!
Thus, I decided on the work I would undertake during the last week of the break.
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