Playing the Role of a Nun

The doubt in my mind vanished in seconds. Thanks to the constant mention of Goddess Faelia, everything seemed to make sense to the kids.

I didn’t plan it that way, but—

“…Sister, hug me.”

Just as Aizen was calming Ellie down, Iris, who had been silently watching, suddenly started acting clingy.

“Oh? Iris is being affectionate?”

“You’re leaving because of me.”

“Hmm, so you were secretly worried, huh?”

“Come back safely.”

“Of course.”

With that, I scooped up Iris, who had her arms wide open. Aizen and Ellie, who had been in the middle of a heated discussion, suddenly perked up.

“Ugh… Iris, that’s not fair…”

“Sister, your body’s cold.”

“Sister, hug me too…!”

It’s like the quiet cat sneaking onto the stove first. That proverb fits this situation perfectly.

“Ellie, I’ll hug you next time. We’ll be here all night at this rate.”

“Ugh…”

“Sorry, Ellie. I’ll hug you first thing when I get back, okay?”

“R-really?!”

“Yes. I’ll hug you for a long time.”

“Okay! Deal!”

Ellie’s pouty face instantly brightened. Her kind-hearted nature made her mood shift so quickly, which I found both refreshing and adorable.

“Alright, everyone, take care of the church while I’m gone.”

At my calm words, the kids nodded vigorously with bright smiles. Since I’d be away for more than a day this time, I spread more blood around the church than usual.

So I’m not worried about that part, but I do wonder if the kids can keep a regular schedule on their own.

I did give Aizen strict instructions, though…

“Just trust me, Levi!”

His dependable voice combined with a mischievous smile gave me mixed feelings.

“…I’ll be back.”

Well, I guess I’ll just have to trust him for now.

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.

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After being seen off by the kids, I left the church and headed toward the nearest village.

According to the information I have, there’s another village next to the one where the kids originally lived.

It’s a neighboring village, but it’s still quite a walk to get there.

My plan is to arrive by dawn, but since I have to cross through a dense forest, things might not go as planned.

If it starts to get light on the way, I’ll have to hide under a large tree and wait for it to get dark again.

Every time something like this happens, I can’t help but feel how inconvenient it is to be a vampire.

– Thud, thud

How long had I been walking?

The dark forest was still quiet and eerie, but today, the energy around me felt a bit off.

It was like I could faintly sense someone’s presence.

Normally, I’d think it was a monster or an animal, but since I was following a well-maintained path, the feeling was stronger.

Maybe it really is a person—

“H-help me…!”

As soon as I thought that, a desperate voice echoed clearly from nearby.

I reflexively turned my head toward the sound and saw a faint, hazy light flickering through the bushes.

“This guy looks like a peddler.”

“Doesn’t seem like he’s carrying anything valuable.”

“Figures. No one in their right mind would be carrying expensive goods at this hour.”

A carriage and an old man were out at an unusual time, surrounded by a suspicious group.

“……”

Bandits.

They were trying to rob the merchant who was foolishly wandering around at this hour.

From the looks of it, the merchant was also in danger of losing his life.

“P-please, spare my life…”

“Ugh, you’ve got nothing but junk. Who are you even planning to sell this to?”

“As you can see… I’m just a poor merchant… Please…”

“Take whatever’s useful and burn the rest. This guy too.”

“Eek—!!”

The leader spoke in a calm, authoritative tone, but in the silent forest, no one was going to follow his orders.

Because.

“…Hey, didn’t you hear? Burn everything useless…”

They were already cold corpses.

Sure, the merchant was wrong to be out this late with his goods, but the bandits were even worse for trying to rob him so close to the church.

If I left them alone, they might come near the church, so it was better to deal with them quickly.

– Tap, tap

After finishing the job, I tapped the merchant, who was still flat on the ground, trembling.

But despite my efforts, the chubby merchant didn’t get up.

He seemed completely out of it, muttering “spare me” over and over.

“Get up already.”

I sighed softly and spoke in a low voice. Finally, the merchant realized something had changed and jerked his body up, cautiously lifting his head to look at me.

“Huh…? A… a nun…?”

“I don’t know the details, but wandering into the forest with a carriage at this hour is practically suicide.”

“Why is a nun here…? No, more importantly, where are the bandits…?”

Up close, he looked even chubbier, which threw me off a bit, but he didn’t seem like a bad person, so I felt comfortable talking to him.

He gave off a harmless bear-like vibe.

“Bandits?”

“They were definitely here a moment ago…”

“Hmm. When I arrived, there was no one here.”

The dark forest was empty, with no sign of bandits or even their shadows. The merchant looked around in confusion, his face pale.

“What on earth happened…”

“Well, whatever the case, if you don’t want to run into real bandits, you should head back to the village now.”

“…Y-yeah, that’s probably… for the best…”

The merchant still looked confused, but the bandits’ bodies were long gone, never to be found again.

Maybe their clothes would turn up somewhere.

“By the way, why are you out so late, Sister…?”

“I’m heading to the village. Unavoidable circumstances forced me to hurry at this hour.”

“Ah, I see… Maybe it’s the moonlight, but your skin looks strangely pale, almost mystical. I know it’s rude to ask, but I couldn’t help myself.”

“It’s fine. Well, I should get going.”

“Right. Sorry for the trouble.”

After a brief encounter with the old merchant, I was about to continue on my way when the bandits’ words started echoing in my mind.

“…Are you a merchant, by any chance?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. As you can see, I mostly sell small, insignificant items.”

“Then, do you happen to have any books for learning beginner-level magic…?”

“Hmm, if you’re talking about magic books, I do. I have both beginner and intermediate levels.”

The merchant’s calm reply made my eyes widen. I never expected to stumble upon such luck in a place like this.

This means I don’t even need to go to the village. I can just buy everything I need from this merchant.

“Perfect timing. The reason I was heading to the village was to buy those magic books. One of the kids I care for is interested in magic.”

“Oh, really? What a stroke of luck!”

“If it’s alright with you, could I see those magic books now…?”

Just as I was about to thank my lucky stars and buy the books, I realized I didn’t have a single coin on me.

I was planning to sell the materials I got from monsters to buy the books, but—

Ugh, talk about bad luck.

“Ah… I just realized I don’t have any money on me right now.”

“Huh? Then how were you planning to buy the magic books?”

“I was going to sell monster materials to buy them. But I haven’t reached the village yet…”

“…Mind if I take a look at those materials?”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

As soon as I mentioned the materials, the merchant’s voice seemed to rise slightly, as if he was excited.

“…What is this?”

“As you can see, it’s monster materials.”

“I can see that, but… why does a nun have such valuable materials…?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, no…! Instead of running around everywhere, why don’t you just trade with me!”

Honestly, I have no idea how much the materials I’m carrying are worth. I’ve only been around the church since coming to this world.

So I just picked out the ones that looked valuable.

From the merchant’s reaction, they’re definitely worth something, but I’m not sure exactly how much, so I’m a bit hesitant.

“Let me show you the magic books first. Just a moment.”

Before I could even decide, the merchant dove into his carriage and started rummaging for the books. Soon, he emerged with not just the magic books but also a bunch of clothes and other items.

“Here are the magic books.”

“…Why did you bring so much stuff?”

“Oh, these are kids’ clothes. Since you mentioned you’re taking care of some children, I thought you might be interested.”

Despite his warm demeanor, the merchant was quite the salesman. I didn’t expect him to try to upsell me like this.

But no way. I may look easy to persuade, but I have an objective ear that doesn’t easily fall for sales tactics.

“Well… thanks, but—”

“This dress is the latest trend in the capital. It’s not the real deal, but it’s quite popular among young girls. The frilly, flowing design is the highlight.”

“Huh? This would look great on Ellie…”

Before I knew it, the words slipped out, and the merchant immediately seized the opportunity, quickly showing off the clothes he brought.

This merchant is tougher than I thought. Even though I had no intention of buying, his smooth talk and the fact that he showed the perfect dress for Ellie first—

Cheap shot.

I’ll buy that dress, but I’m not buying anything else. That was just a lucky coincidence.

“And this outfit is perfect for a child dreaming of becoming a mage. It comes with this cute pointed hat as a bonus…”

“I’ll take it.”

That outfit was clearly made for Iris. And with the bonus hat, it’s practically a steal.

Not buying it would be a bigger loss.

“Show me some clothes for boys too.”