The forest behind the monastery was in a different direction from where I had collapsed.
It looked like an ordinary forest, but suddenly there was a rumored monster there?
“What... a ferocious monster lives there?”
“I don’t know. No one has actually seen it.”
“But why do they say a monster exists?”
“Just like I had said, there have been several cases of missing people from the monastery, so everyone assumes it’s the work of an unknown monster.”
So it’s just a rumor.
Well, it’s only natural for people to think that way if several people have gone missing.
“So, did everyone who went into the forest disappear?”
“No, only a few people. Before that, people used to pass through the forest without any problems. It was only after several incidents that people stopped going in there.”
Erica shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, it’s a story from before I came to the monastery, so I don’t know the details. Honestly, I don’t believe there’s a monster, either.”
“But if such a thing has happened, there must be something in the forest.”
“Maybe. Anyway, there’s nothing good about going in there, so I told you not to go that way when you leave later.”
She turned around.
“Well, I’m going out. Goodbye.”
As she left and I watched the closed door, I turned my gaze to the meal on the desk.
Pushing aside papers and books to make space for the meal, I picked up my spoon.
'By the way...'
Thinking back to the story Erica had just told me, it seemed like she had her own reasons for being here in the monastery. Most of the children in this monastery had nowhere else to go.
'Did she lose her family to the demons, too?'
Even after the war ended, the demons continued to wreak havoc across the continent, sometimes openly and sometimes in secret.
They slaughtered people directly, corrupted many through contracts, and, most importantly...
'The demon’s seed.'
The demons dreamt of resurrecting their Demon King.
They wanted to resurrect the monster to wither the seeds of all life on the continent and create a world only for themselves.
That’s why they were secretly looking for those who possessed the “demon’s seed”.
The ones who carried the demon king’s soul, fragmented by the Holy Sword in the final battle and spread throughout the continent, were the keys and sacrifices that could accelerate the demon king’s resurrection.
Currently, the demons were wandering around the continent in secret, searching for those who possessed the seeds.
Therefore, finding the successor was the top priority, but after that, I also planned to somehow find and secure those individuals.
Lost in thought, I began to eat my soup.
I didn’t know who cooked it, but the food was always delicious.
***
The day was bright, and Erica and Heron, who had come out to the yard, spotted Tom, who had already been out since early morning.
“Did you come?”
Tom stopped swinging his wooden sword and greeted the two of them.
He was already full of sweat and heat, making people wonder if he had been training since dawn.
“I feel great since this morning. When did you get up?”
“About two hours ago? Oh, I need to rest now.”
Tom threw his wooden sword and slumped to the ground.
Both of them knew why he was so enthusiastic.
Heron said, as if he were scolding Tom, “Just practicing without any plan is not enough. You don’t have much time left, so you should also manage your physical condition.”
The Robelgio Monastery was a fairly large monastery located in the southeastern part of Santea.
Unless it was a fairly large monastery, there were no holy knights or other powerful warriors residing in it.
Therefore, as there were many children to manage, they even selected talented individuals and trained them properly. The selection test was now only a week away.
Tom was planning to challenge the selection test to become an apprentice holy knight.
“Hey, what’s so great about managing your physical condition?”
Erica, who was folding her arms, chuckled.
Although he felt bad, Tom knew that she was not genuinely laughing at him but just teasing him, so he laughed too.
“Shall we practice fighting?”
“Good idea. But since it’s almost time, let’s have breakfast and worship first.”
As a place of faith, gathering every morning to pray was the most basic rule of life here.
Erica made a look of annoyance and picked up the wooden sword that Tom had thrown.
As she swung her sword in the air, Tom asked her, “But are you really not going to do it?”
“What?”
“I mean, being a holy knight. With your skills, you could definitely pass.”
At that, Erica frowned.
“Oh, really. I’m not doing it.”
“No... I really don’t understand. Then why do you practice swordsmanship? Hey, Heron. Do you understand what she’s thinking? Hm?”
Heron just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing.
It was a pattern that was likely to escalate and end up with Tom getting hit with the wooden sword, so he didn’t want to get involved.
As expected, Tom ended up getting hit in the back of the neck with the wooden sword.
“Ow! That hurts!”
“Be quiet. I’m just swinging the sword because I’m bored. How many times do I have to tell you that I’m going to be a nun?”
“That’s ridiculous! What kind of nun just resorts to violence whenever someone doesn’t listen and needs to be disciplined?”
Tom complained and rubbed his sore back while Erica lifted her sword again with a fierce expression. He quickly hid behind Heron.
Heron clicked his tongue softly.
“Erica, calm down a bit. He’s still the one taking the test, and we can’t just mess it up by hitting him.”
“Right, that’s a fair point. If I mess up because of you, I’ll curse you for life.”
“You should also quiet down a bit.”
Erica sighed and threw her black scarf onto the ground.
“Let’s go to the chapel. If you keep grumbling like this one more time, I’ll smash your head in.”
“Oh, scary.”
“Stop it. She’s really going to do it.”
The three of them were about to enter the building again.
“Hey, it’s Mr. Ethan.”
A man was sitting on a bench in the courtyard. He looked like he just came out of the building.
Tom spotted Ethan in the distance and waved his hand.
Ethan, too, turned to look at the three of them and raised his hand.
“He seems to be coming out to the courtyard a lot lately. Is he feeling much better?”
“I guess so.”
Tom asked Erica.
“Hey, Erica. Are you still suspicious? Do you think he’s hiding something?”
“Huh.”
“Well, to me, he seems like a kind uncle, even if he’s a bit gruff. Last time I saw him, he was helping the nuns clean up.”
Erica remained silent for a moment before answering.
“I don’t think he’s a bad person or anything. I just feel like he might be hiding something.”
“Oh, is that so?”
He had spent quite some time at this monastery, but he hadn’t talked much. They still didn’t know much about him.
“Just staying here in the monastery would be nice.”
As they passed by, a girl carrying a bucket of water interjected with a word. She was Kara, a friend of the three.
Tom turned to her and asked, “What do you mean staying here would be nice? What are you talking about?”
“Well, I mean, he’s really good-looking, so it’s easy on the eyes, right? Isn’t that right, Erica?”
“I don’t know,” Erica replied shortly to her annoying question.
Tom responded as if he was pathetic. “Tsk, so it’s just about having a good-looking face.”
“Are you the one to talk? Tom, stop squirming every time you see Sister Raya and wipe the drool off your face.”
“What? What are you talking about?!”
The girl stuck out her tongue and continued on her way.
Tom glanced nervously at Erica and made a hasty excuse. “I don’t know what that weirdo was saying. I’ve never acted like that, Erica.”
“What does it matter?”
Erica ignored Tom’s comments and turned back her gaze to Ethan.
Tom cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Anyway, when do you think Ethan plans to leave? He seems really weak, and I’m worried he might collapse on his own.”
“No way.”
“Well, what about this? If he does leave, he’ll pass by the nearby city, right? So we can at least take him there to make sure he’s safe.”
“Are you suggesting we go out to the city as an excuse? Are you stupid? Do you think the priests would allow that?”
The three people talked as they headed towards the church.
***
'I can hear everything, you guys.'
I stood up from my seat and watched as they disappeared into the building.
I also went back to my room to have breakfast.
As I passed by, I saw a priest nearby. It was Priest Tane.
“Oh, Ethan.”
He noticed me and came over to greet me warmly.
“Good morning. You’ve been out here since morning.”
“Yes, I was just taking a walk. What about you, Father?”
“It’s time for morning worship now, so I was heading to the church.”
He was holding a scripture in his hand.
He looked down at the scripture and scratched his head before saying,
“Thank you again for helping me organize the scriptures. I feel like I’m causing unnecessary trouble for you when you’re not feeling well...”
“It’s just a matter of moving the pen, so what difference does it make? And I’m almost done now.”
“Really? You started yesterday, but you’re almost done?”
He was surprised, with his eyes widening.
“Yes, I think I can finish everything by this afternoon.”
“Well... you’re really fast.”
“If there’s anything left, I’ll help you more.”
“Ah, well... no, never mind,” he said, gesturing quickly, as if stopping himself from saying anything else.
He seemed to have something else he wanted to ask or request, but was holding back.
It wasn’t as if it was causing me great trouble, and it wouldn’t have mattered if he asked for more.
“Now, I will take care of the rest of it. Thank you enough for what you have done.”
He smiled again, thanking me once more. I was about to say goodbye and move on.
“...?”
I spotted a middle-aged man walking in the distance and fixed my gaze on him.
Tane also turned his head to follow my gaze.
“Oh, that’s the Abbot.”
...Abbot? Abbot of the monastery? I looked back at Tane and the other continued;
“Come to think of it, have you haven’t met the Abbot yet, right?”
“...Yes, I’ve been mostly in my room.”
“His name is Dehod, the Abbot of this monastery. He is a person full of faith, almost like a role model for all the priests here.”
I nodded my head and looked back at the abbot.
The reason he caught my eye was for a different reason.
[Level 64]
Because the level floating above his head was by no means a level that an abbot of a small monastery would have.
