Nerd! Bam!
I don’t know the exact origin, but I know well that this word is hard to translate in countries outside of the English-speaking world. Sometimes it gets translated as “otaku,” and in some contexts, it even takes on a negative meaning like “loser.” One thing’s for sure: it almost always includes the meaning of “lacking social skills.”
Sometimes “nerd” is translated as “weirdo,” but honestly, I couldn’t relate to that much. During my school days, I was treated like a loser, and all my friends were otakus, some of whom were the classic nerds who studied well. So, I couldn’t really feel that I was a “weirdo” overlapping with that friend.
But nowadays, I realize just how much effort the translator must’ve put into translating “nerd” as “weirdo.”
“Saint!”
The new transfer student, gnome girl Roni, naturally followed me during break times, lunch, and after school without me calling her.
Well, that’s fine.
Honestly, I can’t say anything about Roni’s hobbies or preferences, given that in my previous life, I was busy watching TS yuri harem stories. I can only share that kind of stuff with fellow otaku friends; if clueless popular kids knew, they’d freak out, right?
But… I don’t know how to put this.
When I see someone enthusiastically sharing stories that I find hard to relate to, I can’t help but think of the word “weirdo.”
“I saw the witch captured by the saint!”
“Did that get approved?”
During lunchtime, Roni naturally sat close to us, tearing open a bread bag while speaking so naturally as if she had always been there. I involuntarily replied, even though I had no intention of ignoring her. You know, it’s hard to not notice when someone with foot-controlled mechanical height systems speaks up.
What’s more, the spot she comfortably occupied was actually Ayla’s seat, who usually eats in the school cafeteria during lunch. It wasn’t my spot, so I had no right to say anything, but I hoped she wouldn’t spill any crumbs. I’m really exhausted by fights.
“I’m a genius that the Central Church’s engineering department has its eyes on!”
There was absolutely no hint of humility in that proud statement. Strangely, I didn’t find it rude. Maybe because she expressed it so naturally, or perhaps it was due to her cute face, which was quite likable. I guess I’d have to spend more time with her to find out.
“Research tends to get approved for most things. There aren’t many gnomes within the church, but everyone involved is serious about developing equipment for the church’s military.”
“Then are you thinking of becoming a clergy member after graduation?”
“I’m considering it! To properly utilize holy water and blessed materials, becoming a clergy member is the most convenient!”
Is she trying to lure me in or something?
However, looking at the few gnomes who seem interested in making military weapons using holy power, it seems to me that they’re a minority among gnomes.
Plus, if she becomes a clergy member, her daily life will be quite restricted.
…By the way, I’m curious about what other gnomes would be like if Roni isn’t the typical one.
“So?”
As I asked, Roni, who had stuffed her mouth with a cream puff, blinked her big eyes at me, looking as if she was silently asking “Huh?”
“…You said you met a witch, right?”
When I pointed that out, Roni suddenly remembered, hurriedly gulping down her food before opening her mouth.
“Yes! I heard that the collar on the witch’s neck was made by the saint!”
“Yeah, I did make it.”
It was an item utilizing both Ariel’s holy power and Baal’s holy power. Anyone who could use holy power would easily control the entity wearing that collar. But, since it emits a small amount of holy power at all times, beasts and demons would be writhing in pain from the moment they donned it. I’m not quite sure if it would even affect demons.
As I pondered, Roni’s eyes sparkled.
“The explosive power of that necklace was amazing!”
And with her words, the classroom became as quiet as if water were splashed over it.
“……Uh….”
Wait, wait, hold on.
“That, the necklace having an explosion risk is an unintended side effect; I mean, no way, did you blow up the necklace!?”
All the eyes that were on Roni suddenly turned to me. I quickly shut my mouth, but it was already too late. Horror and disbelief were etched in the eyes of my classmates looking at me. No, what I created wasn’t an explosive necklace; it was a collar meant to suppress will!
Even if I explain this, it’s still creepy; that was primarily designed for humans!
Hold on, if it explodes, the witch’s head will get blown off!
…Or maybe just her upper body. Either way, it would end in death.
“Oh, of course, I didn’t blow up the necklace on the witch’s neck. How could I do that to a witch I specifically captured? Besides, I didn’t have enough holy power to trigger an explosion with that necklace!”
Only after hearing that did I breathe a sigh of relief. If the witch had died, I would’ve received a report about it. The witch was being strictly contained at the Central Church in Area 1, so if there were any attempts on her life, Roni would have likely been captured before coming to this school.
“So how exactly did it explode?”
That brings up the next question. Upon further reflection, it would take a large amount of Ariel’s holy power or a focused application of Baal’s holy power to explode that necklace. And a standard clergy member wouldn’t be able to do either.
I could confidently say that there’s no one else among clergy members who could use as much holy power as I, and only Rina and I among the clergy could make proper use of Baal’s holy power.
“I soaked it in the holy water left behind by the saint!”
“…….”
Looking at Roni with a bright smile as she said that, I suddenly lost the words to reply.
Not just me; even the other kids listening to our conversation looked just as baffled.
“That was meant for healing the wounded, you know?”
After a long moment of searching for words, I finally spoke. Roni nodded.
“But thanks to that, I discovered a new way to utilize the device made by the saint! If we can kill more demons and beasts at once, we can reduce the number of injured!”
“…….”
Well, sure, that’s one way to think about it.
But how on earth did she extract the holy water, who did she receive one of my bracelets from, and where exactly did the explosion take place? I’m really curious if any basic safety precautions were followed.
So, I guess I understand now.
Whether it be holy power or explosives, gnomes really seem to enjoy blowing things up!
*
“In that sense, why does humanity not utilize all the weapons in the arsenal?”
“What weapons are you referring to in the arsenal?”
Roni came to talk to me even in the duel club, somehow knowing I was part of the extracurricular activities. She at least had enough sense to not interrupt while I was dueling with Rina.
Well, it wasn’t really a bother. It was slightly annoying that I couldn’t predict where the conversation would lead, but she didn’t seem to have any malicious intent behind it.
Moreover, she had a strangely captivating way of making me want to keep listening even if it was a topic I didn’t particularly care for.
“For example, hydrogen bombs.”
“Nuclear bombs…?”
Wait, why are we talking about nuclear bombs all of a sudden?
“Yes, looking at their beautiful efficiency, isn’t it odd not to use them?”
“Efficiency…?”
“So, you see…”
Roni started counting out with her fingers.
“When compared to regular bombs, they have strong explosive power relative to their size, are not too difficult to make, and there are still plenty of materials available. There’s also a lot of stockpile that hasn’t been used since before the war.”
“But using them contaminates the surroundings.”
“Eh, it’s not like we’re blowing up a power plant. Nuclear radiation doesn’t last as long as people think. For nature to be destroyed by radioactive materials, those materials must constantly leak for a long time, but a nuclear bomb goes off once, and that’s it. On the other hand, a place dominated by demons that have been excessively exposed to magical power would require a massive removal of residual magic to ensure survival, so a nuclear bomb, which can revert itself in several decades once the half-life ends, could be considered much more environmentally friendly!”
“…….”
Hah.
“Moreover, the nuclear bomb’s core can be made from the waste produced by nuclear power generation, making it an excellent way to utilize nuclear waste! Since our enemies cannot use nuclear weapons against us, we would have no issue using them, right?”
“Uh….”
Sure, I get the point she’s trying to make. I understand, but…
“However, you do know that basic physical force doesn’t eliminate magic points, right?”
That’s right.
Even if you could wipe a specific area with a nuclear bomb, the magic points that were there would remain. Demons and beasts generated by those magic points, being subjected to the laws of physics, could be burned away without leaving a trace, but many pure magic points, as crystallized forms of magical power, wouldn’t be influenced by physical threats.
We cannot determine how much resistance the beasts and demons would have against radiation, but regardless, just as I mentioned before, the effects of nuclear bomb exposure aren’t permanent. Even in Chernobyl, which was much more heavily contaminated than most epicenters due to a nuclear accident, plants continue to grow and animals survive.
“So, we desperately need the saint’s help,” Roni said, looking serious.
“We want to create an explosion much larger than the one you’ve shown us with your holy power. If we can trigger another massive explosion on top of where the nuclear bomb has cleared, we might be able to eliminate those magic points!”
“…….”
So, it seems she’s thinking of my binding device as something like a nuclear material that causes holy power exposure.
“In that sense, we also need the help of Higgs!”
With that, Roni suddenly grabbed Rina’s hand, who was sitting next to me, looking surprised as if she hadn’t expected this turn.
“Uh, um?”
Yeah, she definitely looks taken aback.
“I need the holy power of the demon lord! In the future… the church leader? The head of your faction? Anyway, we desperately need the blessing of the one who may become the chief of demon kind in the church! Oh, and of course, we’ll need a lot of the saint’s holy water too!”
“…….”
Rina’s expression gradually turned peculiar as she listened to Roni and ultimately shifted her gaze back to me.
So, uh, this too is something that resulted from me pulling Rina into the mix.
Though there are other complex reasons, but…
“But, you mentioned that I came to this school because of a sample I brought? What does that mean?”
Eventually, feeling a pang of conscience, I awkwardly changed the subject, and surprisingly Roni didn’t seem bothered. In fact, she let go of Rina’s hand and excitedly rummaged through her smartphone, eventually finding a photo to show me.
What I saw was a thin layer of skin that resembled a mix of dark brown, light apricot, and crimson guts, cultivated on a petri dish.
And on that thin and damp skin, there were tiny, thin spikes growing densely, resembling the one that had stabbed me.
“Ugh.”
A word slipped out involuntarily as I found the photo utterly disgusting.
“I only got it to grow this much while cultivating. Since I can’t use magic power directly from demons, I had to rely on the magic power from humans. But even at this level, it’s enough!”
“……Isn’t it too small to use as a weapon?”
Rina said, but Roni shook her head vigorously.
“Even being that small, they can be razor-sharp enough to pierce through steel. Once embedded, they lose sharpness, making them unusable again, but if it’s purely for ‘one-time use,’ it’s more than enough!”
Roni said with a beaming smile on her face.
“Imagine making a ton of these and cramming them into grenades or big bombs; how much lethality could be increased!”
“…….”
“…….”
Looking at her talk about these deadly concepts with such joy, Rina and I found ourselves utterly speechless.
Thinking about it, gnomes were originally beings who lived in a different world. They lost their homeland due to the demon lord and his subordinates and were pushed into this side, so it’s natural for them to find joy in wiping out the demon army.
But somehow, it feels more like she’s obsessing over bigger explosions, greater devastation, and amplifying lethality and damage.
Well… as long as all that research is aimed at the demon forces, I guess it’s all welcome.
After Roni finished explaining, she looked at us, wearing a face full of anticipation as if waiting for some response.
Uh… so…
“That’s great?”
“Right?”
Answering like that, Roni beamed like a carefree child.
Seeing that smile, I couldn’t help but shiver unnervingly.
It felt like my sample had become some kind of enormous turning point, but I couldn’t quite grasp that yet.
…Should I have just buried it at that spot?
“The first bomb will be named to honor the feats of the saint: ‘Saint Clara Anderson’s Holy Bomb…’”
“No, I’ll politely decline that.”
*
Extra Episode
~Believing~
Saint Clara Anderson is simple.
She has much more wealth than her peers, and although the income she has is overwhelmingly high, she doesn’t bother to use that money to decorate herself.
If you say she saves money… well, you could say that, but in reality, she doesn’t seem to care much about whether she receives money or not. She might show joy at the thought of having a lot come in, but that hasn’t changed her lifestyle. Snacking at local restaurants or cafes is her main expense, and even then, she doesn’t often indulge in overly expensive things.
For that reason, she looks no different from her peers on the surface, but the more one gets to know her, the more it aligns with the evaluation of ‘Saint’.
That simplicity extends to the place where she lives, too, as she still uses the old faucet in the shower without complaint.
Naturally, Clara goes first in showering while Aurora and Linea wait, a routine that has become completely established.
This gives rise to natural moments where the two can spend time together when Clara isn’t around, and a part of that routine includes talking to pass the time.
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
Aurora asked, noticing Linea sitting cross-legged on her bed with her eyes closed. It wasn’t any different from Linea’s usual demeanor, but keen Aurora picked up that Linea was contemplating something.
In moments like this, hiding it was meaningless. Although Aurora rarely pried too much here, she would likely come back to ask about it later, as if she suddenly recalled it.
This was a side of Aurora that Clara was unaware of.
“I was thinking about the wounds that Clara and her sisters suffered on the battlefield last time.”
“Oh.”
Aurora fell silent.
Clara herself said she was ‘fine.’ But no matter how you look at it, being punctured multiple times by something that can pierce even thick armor in a place that sharply reduces mental strength can’t possibly be fine. That’s something highly detrimental to her mental health, aside from the pain.
What’s more, wasn’t she nearly killed? Although it was said to be an ‘unexpected’ situation, they almost lost the one and only saint to appear in decades.
“For hundreds of years, we have lost saints and saints on the battlefield.”
“Are you saying it could have been the same this time?”
Aurora queried.
Truthfully, neither of these two had any particular fault. They didn’t even go out to the battlefield. However, even if they were being dragged there, they ultimately couldn’t have reached out to help.
Moreover, objectively speaking, it was Clara, as the saint, who was rescued after being dragged in; if Aurora or Linea had been taken instead, they would have certainly not come out unharmed. Even if they barely survived and were rescued.
“Do you know why the church let saints and saints die on the battlefield?”
“Because what the saint and saint say is the will of the gods. To destroy the demonic forces and save humanity. Do not waste your faith.”
“……But ultimately, those are merely words borrowed from the saint and saint.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Aurora tilted her head, curious.
“It means that even if the saint and saint expressed their thoughts, the church would have believed it anyway.”
“…….”
Aurora’s face stiffened slightly but then relaxed with a small sigh.
“Wouldn’t it be problematic if someone associated with the Inquisition were to say such things?”
“Are you planning to report me?”
“Ha. Ha.”
Aurora replied in a tone devoid of humor, like reading a textbook.
“I just had that thought. Every action of the saint is a proxy for the will of the gods, so we merely believe and follow, ensuring we don’t obstruct their path. The will of the gods is too broad and deep for us to perceive, so we shouldn’t bother to guess and should just follow along, fulfilling their will. I was taught that way.”
“…….”
“However, if they were to say that they are going to sacrifice themselves, what should one do?”
“…….”
Aurora crossed her arms, falling into thought. At first glance, it seemed like she was pretending to be serious, but Linea knew well that this expression meant she was genuinely pondering.
“I think I would do as I believe.”
“You mean believe?”
“Yes. If I want to protect, I’ll protect; if I want to fight beside them, I’ll fight; and if I want to sacrifice, I’ll sacrifice in their stead.”
“What if that is opposing the will of the gods? What if that sacrifice is necessary for humanity to survive, and the saint has chosen it for themselves?”
At Linea’s question, Aurora shrugged lightly, answering with a smile.
“Well, the only real way to know if it was opposing the will of the gods or not would be to meet the gods in person, right? Whether that sacrifice had any significance may only become clear with time.”
“…….”
“And the reason I act that way is due to everything I saw and heard growing up. If the gods have allowed me to stay by Clara’s side even knowing I would act that way, it means they think it’s okay for me to do so.”
Aurora replied confidently, striking a victorious pose!
“My faith starts with my belief. I will act as I believe.”
“Is that so….”
Linea gazed up at Aurora for a long while.
Finally, after the sound of water turning off in the shower, Linea nodded.
“I see.”
As if making some kind of vow to herself.
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