Irene was a strict teacher. True to her slightly obsessive nature, she always wore black and white gloves and pointed out issues whenever she could.

"Junior. The garden is dirty."

"But I just cleaned it earlier..."

"Points deducted. You aren’t allowed to talk back."

"...Is there a limit to how many points can be deducted?"

"As of now, you're at -37 points."

Irene glanced at me.

"You're slightly better than a bug."

"Wow. Better than a bug, huh? That's impressive."

"Deduction. Please use proper language. Now you're the same as a bug."

"Great, just great."

I looked around the garden. There wasn’t really anything to clean.

"It's all swept up, though?"

"Isn't there a leaf fallen there?"

"It’s just a leaf?"

"It's not just a leaf. A single misplaced item can determine the whole atmosphere. Even a single leaf could label this as a 'dirty' church."

"Aren’t you going too far?"

"......"

There are those who are delighted when a pretty girl glares at them coldly, calling it a reward.

Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people. Honestly, being looked at like that is quite annoying.

I casually picked up the fallen leaf, tossing it over the wall.

"How about now?"

"Deduction."

"What is it this time?!"

"Change your tone, it’s arrogant."

"You just don't like me, do you?!"

"Another point deducted. Please use formal language, junior."

Most of the time I spent with her was during the day, and each of her words pierced me deeply.

"Junior, do you not have eyes on your face?"

"What do you think these wide-open eyes are for?"

"I assumed they were decorative. If not, you might as well get a new pair. If you aren’t able to keep up, then I suggest you leave the order soon."

"Wow, you're really something!"

The only rewarding time was when I was learning the Holy Law. True to her stern teaching style, she taught me the well-organized theory.

"Show 'Ember.' You've learned it directly from Priest Mierkant, so you should be able to do at least that, right?"

Her gaze wasn't pleasant at all. I felt a hint of contempt from her words.

Telling a newly minted Apprentice Priest to demonstrate the Holy Law—what a cheeky request. She was probably saying it just to mock me, knowing I couldn't do it.

Unfortunately for her, I could.

I struck a confident pose and snapped my fingers.

A sharp, red flame appeared at my fingertips.

"Easy. Isn’t this a little too simple?"

"......."

For the first time, she looked at me with surprise, her eyes widening. She glanced back and forth between me and the flame; her surprise quickly turned into skepticism.

"...Have you learned this somewhere before?"

"No, I just tried it, and it worked."

"...That's impossible."

"Maybe for you, it is."

I shrugged.

"With thorough preparation and review, anyone could do it, don't you think?"

"......."

Her gaze became even sharper. She loudly slammed her book.

"We'll start by teaching you the low-leveled holy spells.. If you're such a genius, handling one per day shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Of course."

I smiled brightly. This was precisely what I hoped for.

Four lower-level holy spells? That’s greatly appreciated!

"Let's move forward quickly, Senior."

Mierkant focused on his work late into the night. He was the only ordained priest left at the Branch. The sparse inspections from Cult Headquarters had almost ceased as well.

It was safe to say they had been abandoned. Yet, despite this, Mierkant couldn't let go of his duties.

The mistakes committed by the Branch he was a part of.

It was also his mission to bear the burden of those sins.

Mierkant worked diligently. He allocated the wealth Irene had acquired during her pilgrimage appropriately and generously invested in heating to survive the winter.

There were many things lacking. But it couldn't be helped. Resources were limited and perpetually insufficient. Squeezing out the little that was available to somehow make ends meet.

‘But… what else can I do? We’re lacking in every way.’

Mierkant put down his hands. He had reached the limit of borrowing resources from the local merchants.

There was no longer anywhere to borrow money from, nor anyone to rely on.

Thanks to his personal connections, Mierkant had managed to get by, but even that had come to an end.

There was no other way to get money. Soon, they wouldn’t even be able to afford the stale bread for the children.

"...Oh, God."

He hugged the cross around his neck, whispering softly.

"Please... grant us a miracle so we can take care of the children..."

Knock, knock.

There was a knock at the door.Mierkant immediately wiped the tears from his eyes and spoke as if nothing was amiss.

"Come in."

The door creaked open, and in stepped Irene, the apprentice priest with whom he had grown quite fond. Noble yet sorrowful, she was a child Mierkant cared for deeply.

He understood her situation and was careful not to approach her too hastily, always considerate of her feelings.

She was a child with a regretful past. A child who sought refuge in God, looking for a place to lean on. Mierkant poured water into an empty glass and quietly offered it to her.

"Sit where you're comfortable."

"Yes."

She gave a brief response. As always, she didn’t touch the glass.Sitting in the chair, she stared intently at Mierkant. Whenever he looked into those captivating blue eyes, Mierkant felt a strange sensation.

"What brings you here?"

"I came about the matter of a junior."

"Jahad? Did that child cause any trouble?"

"No. It's about something else."

Irene sighed. It seemed to be a deep sigh tinged with a slight sense of inferiority.

"...That child is a genius, Priest Mierkant. You could say he is blessed by Ra."

"Is it really so?"

"He’s able to learn the doctrines of the Holy Law and demonstrate them with astonishing pace. Although the execution isn't perfect... his learning speed is truly extraordinary."

Mierkant smiled broadly. Irene was not someone prone to lying. She disliked and distrusted men, yet always gave credit whenever it was due.

If the words came from her, then Jahad must indeed be blessed by Ra.It was a cause for celebration. Who would have thought such talent would arrive in this small branch?

"It's thanks to your good teaching."

"...Priest."

She hesitated as she spoke.

Occasionally, her true personality would show, so much so that even Mierkant found himself smiling a fatherly smile.

"I... I haven't taught Jahad well. I pushed him harshly."

"Why did you do that?"

"I wanted him to leave. Staying here wouldn't offer him anything good."

That was true.

Staying in the forgotten branch was akin to being on a sinking ship..

"I also spoke with him about it. But even so, it was he who insisted on joining."

"...Perhaps he was confident in his genius?"

"I don't know either. Irene, what do you want for him?"

"I don't want anything. To be honest, I don't want to get involved. But..."

With a resolute determination, she said to him,

"For the future of the Cult, I think it's right to send Jahad to the Cult Headquarters. He deserves to learn from a better environment."

"Irene, you don’t mean..."

Mierkant looked straight at her. He saw the regret in her eyes but ultimately, her gaze lowered.

"...Are you saying you would give up the chance for an Apprentice Priest to attend classes at the Headquarters, for Jahad?"

"...If I can, yes."

Her words, slightly delayed, were filled with sincerity.

"..."

"He's much more talented than me."

Mierkant knew. He knew how much she wanted to go to the Cult Headquarters, renowned for their famous Order of the Paladins.

He knew she longed to be part of it.

Yet still, she was willing to throw away her own chances for someone she’d just met.

She's a good child. A child who prioritizes the future. She was willing to put aside her own desires for the sake of the whole Cult.

It's not something people were normally capable of. Such a decision can only be made by someone with a pure and kind heart.

"...Irene."

Mierkant smiled softly. Moved by her upright mindset, he couldn’t stop the smile from rising up on his face.

"It's alright. You can afford to be a bit more ambitious, can't you?"

"But..."

"Although only one Apprentice Priest from each Branch can go to the Headquarters. But that restriction only applies once a year, right? Because you are a year older than Jahad, there shouldn’t be any issues if you go a bit earlier. Moreover, isn’t the application period not too far off?"

"I believe that Jahad would be able to achieve much more than me in the same amount of time."

"In my eyes, your potential is quite impressive as well. If it's you, I believe you can become a remarkable priest... a Paladin representing the Sun God Religion."

Mierkant took a sip of water.

"Dedicate yourself and pray. If you have faith, the light will illuminate your path."

"Yes, Priest."

"We can talk about this later. It's not something that can't be postponed."

Irene stood up. As she opened the door to leave, she took one last look at Mierkant.

"...By any chance."

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"About Apprentice Priest Beverick…"

"...Ah."

For a brief moment, a look of disgust passed over her face. Mierkant let out a small sigh.

*

Beverick. I had forgotten about him.

He must be returning soon, having completed his pilgrimage. The Apprentice Priest sent from the Cult Headquarters under the guise of a dispatch.

It seems there is about a month to a month and a half left until his return.

Irene and Beverick.

If he was allowed in the same room as her, who knows what could happen. However, because of his connections with the Cult Headquarters, one couldn’t carelessly intervene in their affairs.

Moreover, the meager support funds that we desperately need will come from him.

"Don't worry."

Mierkant gave a weak smile.

"I’ll figure something out.

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