章 27: Cathedral
"She's pretty."
That was the only words I could utter upon seeing the Saint's face.
Her radiant smile, captivating eyes, delicate features - it was as if she plucked from the pages of a fairy tale.
'This 'God' really did bless her…'
Pressing my lips tightly, I muttered internally.
Even Ash Morningstar's appearance, which I considered quite attractive, paled in comparison to the beauty of the woman before me.
However, something was amiss.
She seemed… far too elegant and frail for someone who was bound to be the 'Sovereign' during her three years of study in Starfall Academy.
Sovereign is a title that is given to the strongest student in their respective year, which meant that she was supposed to be very strong.
In the game, I could know if the person was powerful by looking at the Level hovering above their head, but it wasn't possible any more.
Now, I could only guess whether the person was strong or not by their physical appearance and aura their mana exuded.
If I were to evaluate her strictly by these standards, the Saint did not seem like the 'strongest'.
I know that she has Divinity coursing through her veins, but was it really that powerful? Honestly, I have never played her as a character, so I only knew that she was supposed to take the first place in rankings every year and that's it.
"…"
I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't even notice that I was openly staring at her.
For a brief moment, our eyes met and I decided that it was time to leave.
I had come here to explore the Cathedral and not participate in a Mass. I wasn't religious, so I didn't even feel a speck of guilt leaving midway through the ritual.
Standing up from my seating row and approaching the door with leisure steps, I placed my palm on the wooden frame and pushed it.
"…!"
The wooden door didn't budge.
Confused, I tried again.
Nothing changed.
'What the hell?'
This time I tried to push harder, the muscles on my arms straining with the effort.
Unfortunately, it didn't produce much of a result.
Taking in a deep breath, I looked around to see if anyone saw me.
Luckily, everyone was too focused staring at the front to see what I was doing.
Well... 'everyone' except one person who was watching me with an amused expression.
'What's so funny…?'
I hissed internally, glaring daggers at the Saint who pretended to cough into her sleeve, most likely trying to hide her smile.
It was a shame that there was a rule that forbade using skills in the Cathedral otherwise I would have been long gone.
Whilst biting my tongue, I reluctantly returned to my seat, trying to save some of my face by remaining as stoic as possible.
'Who even locks the doors during a Mass? This doesn't even happen in the game, does it!?'
Swinging my imaginary clenched fist, I roared internally.
Unfortunately, I was unable to change anything. The entirety of the ritual took a bit more than two hours, in which most of my humanity had decayed and I became a shell of who I once was.
"Please, stay safe, God is always with you!"
As the last words of the Mass were uttered, I immediately got up from my seat and 'very calmly' marched towards the exit.
Placing my hand on the door, I applied some pressure, fully expecting it to open and…
It didn't move.
I was about to start tweaking out, when a pair of students walked past me, giving me a weird look and pulling the door.
"Ah…"
A gasp escaped my lips.
Pfff…
I suddenly felt as if I heard a muffled chuckle come from the direction of the altar, but I didn't dare to turn around.
Mortified, I quickly stepped out of the damned building, feeling my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Good job, Kai, you really showed them how competent you are!"
Cursing myself, I immediately used my skill and vanished from the scene, appearing in a street that led me towards my apartment.
The sun was already setting so it was time to head back and hit the bed and maybe myself with a baseball bat.
"…"
Tomorrow was a big day and I didn't want to oversleep.
***
"...Please, pray for the sins of those who know no better. Please, offer a minute of silence for their blindness."
Raising her delicate hands towards the sky, Cordelia spoke, her voice echoing through the entire cathedral.
She observed as people bowed their heads, offering a silent prayer to those who had strayed from the light of the divine.
Everyone seemed to be engrossed in the moment.
Well, almost everyone…
Cordelia couldn't help but notice a young man sitting in the back, who seemed more preoccupied with studying her rather than participating in the ritual.
"…"
Momentarily, his golden and her blue eyes met and the very next moment, he arose from his seat and made his way towards the door.
Unknowingly, Cordelia's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she watched him approaching the exit.
It was well known that it was disrespectful to leave in the middle of a Mass.
Was he not afraid of God?
She watched as he placed his hand on the door and then…
"…!"
An expression mixed with betrayal and disbelief crossed the young man's face.
He tried to push the door once again, but it refused to budge once again.
Cordelia had to stifle a laugh as the young man's increasingly desperate attempts to push the door amounted to nothing.
She watched his muscles tense and face flush with frustration, yet he remained clueless to the simple solution - simply pull the door.
His blatant confusion only served to amuse her further, and she quickly hid her mirth behind a feigned cough, covering her mouth with her delicate hand.
The Mass continued, but her attention repeatedly drifted back to the young man who had returned to his seat with an air of reluctant defeat.
He sat stiffly, pretending to listen, but Cordelia could see the irritation simmering beneath his composed facade.
Finally, after what must have felt like an eternity to him, the Mass drew to a close.
The faithful slowly began to stand up, and Cordelia's gaze lingered on the young man as he was the first one that made his way once more to the door.
This time, there was a determined glint in his eyes. He was ready for victory.
Click…
The look of horror that crossed his face when the door remained closed was almost too much for Cordelia to bear.
Two other students passed by, glancing curiously at the young man as they approached the door. With effortless grace, one of them reached out and pulled the door open.
"Ah…"
A gasp escaped the young man's lips. His eyes widened in sudden understanding and mortification.
"Pfff…!"
This time even the Saint was unable to conceal her amusement and a muffled chuckle escaped her lips.
What a funny young man this was.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット