Chapter 309 - Sister Radi ~Beginning~
This story takes place around the time of "Chapter 8: Practicing Magic Control."
And now, a flashback to the past.
Kifrod placed a chair in the shade beside the church and was reading from the holy scriptures.
Summer was approaching, and the sunlight had grown strong, but it was cool within the shade of the trees.
As he read the scriptures, a single leaf fell into his hand.
He picked up the leaf and raised his gaze.
"It is almost noon...."
Kifrod stood up and slowly stretched his body.
He tapped his waist, took the chair beside him, and returned to the church.
When he appeared in the dining room, Radi was writing a letter.
No, upon closer inspection, it was not a letter.
What Radi was writing was a report on the ritual known as "Rite of Secret Perception [Hitankakuchi]."
The pen in Radi's hand moved not at all; she seemed to be deep in thought.
This ritual is one of the most important ceremonies for the church.
Only those chosen by the gods, possessing special aptitude, can handle [God's Miracle].
It was a very special power.
To select children with such talent, it was mandated by church regulations that all churches perform this ritual on seven-year-old children.
"You seem to be having quite a bit of trouble, Radi."
"Ah, Kifrod-sama. I did not notice."
As Radi tried to stand up, Kifrod lightly stopped her with his hand.
"Is it because it is your first time, and you do not know how to write it?"
"No, that is not it...."
When asked if she did not know how to write it, Radi denied it.
Usually, writing "There are no candidates" would suffice, but this year, she would have to write "There was a candidate."
However, while it was her first time, it was not something that should cause such worry.
"Um... I was just wondering if it would be okay to simply write 'there was'."
Radi's worry seemed to be not about the result of 'there was', but rather about the content itself.
Kifrod twisted his neck.
"I have no idea about such talents myself... Is Mika really that amazing?"
In this year's ritual, there was only one child who seemed to have talent.
Mika Noisheim.
He was an utterly ordinary boy, nothing special.
However, Radi had recently reported to him in an excited manner that Mika's talent was something impossible to imagine.
Mika had fallen through the national standards, but according to the church's standards, he had shown considerable aptitude.
Kifrod stroked his chin several times and gave Radi some advice.
"Then, just write 'there was' in the report, following the standard format."
"But, with just that, Mika-kun's rare talent would be...—"
Kifrod stopped Radi again with his hand as she began to object.
"Send a separate letter to the Bishop. You can write the details of what makes him special there."
"Is that alright?"
"It is not forbidden. If a standard, formal report cannot express it, then convey it properly. The receiving party will judge whether that information is necessary or not."
"I understand."
Radi bowed politely to Kifrod's advice.
"By the way, Radi..."
"Yes, what is it, Kifrod-sama?"
Feeling the shift in conversation, Radi straightened her posture.
"I think it is almost noon... When will lunch be ready?"
"Ah! I, I will prepare it immediately!"
"Ah... no need to rush so much. If you could, please call me when it is done."
"Yes. I am sorry."
"No, I am sorry. Something simple is fine."
Watching Radi hurriedly begin to prepare lunch with a wry smile, Kifrod headed toward his private room.
Back in his private room, Kifrod suddenly remembered something and pulled out an old diary.
"Found it, found it... This is it."
He lightly brushed off the dust and flipped through the pages.
It was a record from twenty-six years ago.
Kifrod had been stationed in this Rish Village for about seven years.
"...That was quite a time back then."
Remembering the events of that time, Kifrod smiled wryly.
Mika was not the first child from Rish Village to be marked as "having aptitude" through the church's ritual.
At that time, too, he had fallen through the national standards, but according to the church's standards, he seemed to have sufficient aptitude.
"Hehe... how nostalgic."
Muttering that, Kifrod recalled the events of that time.
■■■■■■
As Kifrod was building a new flower bed with stones beside the church, the sound of horse hooves came to his ears.
The sound of hooves seemed to be coming from the village entrance, heading this way.
The sound of hooves, which he thought would pass by heading toward the Village Head's house, stopped in front of the church.
"Kifrod-sama."
Hearing a familiar voice, Kifrod raised his face.
The young man who had dismounted from the horse was wearing a neat priest's robe.
Kifrod recognized the face of that young man, in his mid-twenties.
"Hm... are you perhaps Wagnare?"
"It has been a long time, Kifrod-sama."
Wagnare tied the reins to a tree branch and knelt before Kifrod.
"I have been away for a while. Thanks to your guidance, I was able to become a priest."
"What are you saying? You became a priest due to your own efforts and the guidance of the gods. I did nothing."
Kifrod washed his hands with a bucket he had prepared and guided Wagnare into the church.
In the dining room, he offered a seat and brought water in a glass.
"So, what brings you here? To be in a place like this. You aren't...."
Kifrod felt a bad premonition stir within him.
The calamity that had befallen him seven years ago.
Memories of that time resurfaced, and he furrowed his brow.
But Wagnare shook his head.
"I was assigned to the Great Cathedral of Kotontesse last month. I wanted to pay my respects sooner, but I could not find the time."
"I see... If it were you, it would not be strange if you were assigned to an even larger cathedral."
"That is nothing special. For me, it does not matter where I am."
"Hehe... yes, that is true."
Nodding at Wagnare's words, Kifrod agreed.
Anywhere is fine. It does not matter where.
Wherever it is, the teachings of the gods are within oneself, and the gods are with one.
That was something Kifrod himself had always thought since coming to this Rish Village.
"So, did you come all this way just to pay your respects?"
"Yes, that is so. ...Was it a bother?"
"It is not that, but surely you are busy with various things?"
"I was simply busy finding the time to come and pay my respects like this. Please do not worry."
Even though he had just been assigned and had much to learn.
Feeling Wagnare's consideration, Kifrod felt his heart warm.
And so, he heard the current state of the church from Wagnare, whom he had not seen in seven years.
Just listening, Kifrod could do nothing.
Still, he could not help but listen.
In the end, it seemed not very good.
The situation had worsened since Kifrod was expelled from the Great Cathedral.
Important positions were falling one by one into the hands of those who neglected the teachings.
But Kifrod could do nothing about it.
It was only natural that a priest of a remote village like Kifrod had no way to fix the corruption spreading throughout the entire church.
They talked for hours, forgetting time.
Seven years felt long, yet short.
However, contrary to expectation, the topics of conversation never ran dry.
The sun began to set, and the western sky started to turn slightly red.
"I have stayed far too long."
Apologizing like that, Wagnare, Kifrod shook his head with a smile.
"I have nothing to offer... well, come anytime you wish."
Leaving the dining room with Wagnare, they headed toward the exit.
"Yes, I will visit again next week."
"Next week? Is it alright to show up so often?"
"Yes, I will be coming for the ritual next week. I came today to convey that message as well."
At Wagnare's words, Kifrod blinked his eyes.
"...Ritual?"
"Yes. Next week, on a sunny day, we will perform the 'Rite of Secret Perception [Hitankakuchi]', so please gather the target children."
Hearing that, Kifrod smiled wryly.
"You should have said that beforehand. Or rather, wasn't that the purpose of your visit today?"
"That could be said."
Wagnare untied the reins tied to the tree and stroked the horse.
"Letters are a bit lacking in flavor. Unless we meet face to face, there are many things we cannot understand."
Looking at his face, one could tell what these seven years had been like.
Had he been smoldering in a remote border?
Or had he been facing forward earnestly, continuing his steps?
And Wagnare was the same.
Kifrod hesitated whether to say it or not.
But there should not be many people who could point this out to Wagnare.
"Wagnare."
When Kifrod called out, he knew Wagnare tensed in an instant.
"There is a bad shadow around you. Be careful."
Yes, Kifrod pointed to his own eyes, making the accusation.
The so-called "having a dangerous look."
Originally, Wagnare had eyes that were too sharp.
But what he was saying now was not that.
Kifrod was warning him of what lay deep within the depths of his eyes.
Understanding the meaning of Kifrod's warning correctly, Wagnare bowed his head.
"I will strive."
"Do that. ...Do not rush."
"Yes..."
With a serious expression, Wagnare nodded.
And so, Wagnare returned home.
■■■■■■
The following week, a sunny day.
This year, there were three children who were the targets of the "Rite of Secret Perception [Hitankakuchi]."
It had been performed every year before, but children with aptitude were rarely found.
It was supposed to be the same this year, but...
"...I feel something. A warm flow seems to seep into my hands."
Wagnare, with a serious expression, pressed his lips together.
Standing opposite Wagnare with her hands stacked, Kifrod stared at the girl, unable to hide his surprise.
"Re... really, can you tell, Radi?"
"Yes, Priest-sama."
"Kifrod-sama, it is still in progress...."
"Ah, no... s-sorry."
He had spoken out of surprise, but the ritual was still in progress.
After that, it seemed they tried different ways of channeling magic several times.
Sometimes she answered with a lack of confidence, but Radi got everything right.
And then...
"...God's Miracle?"
Sitting Radi in a chair in the chapel, they explained about [God's Miracle] itself.
Normally, healers are only found in the Great Cathedral or large city churches, and children who have seen [God's Miracle] are almost non-existent.
Speaking strictly of this Rish Village, it would be fair to say there are none.
Even among adults, while they may know of the existence, those who have seen it are rare.
Matching the gaze of Radi, who was sitting in the chair, Wagnare crouched down.
He explained that Radi had higher magical sensitivity than ordinary people and seemed to have aptitude according to the church's standards.
Normally, the explanation to the selected children during the ritual comes later.
First, speak to the parents, and discuss what to do as a family.
Although he fell through the national standards, the church might be able to nurture that aptitude.
However, Radi had some circumstances, so they decided to tell her personally on the spot.
The reason was that Radi's parents were already deceased, and she was currently being raised by her grandparents.
And it seemed that these grandparents and Radi were not getting along very well.
She used to be a child who smiled often while living with her parents, but since being entrusted to her grandparents, she had stopped smiling so much.
Nevertheless, they first needed to wait for the country's final measurement.
Wagnare explained that if she ultimately fell through the national standards, there was the option of the church.
However, at this point, the conversation took an unexpected turn.
"I will go to the church."
Radi had decided to go to the church right there on the spot.
Kifrod was also in a great panic over this.
"Now, wait, Radi. What is going on? Where are you planning to go?"
Kifrod stopped Radi and had her sit on a chair in the chapel for the time being.
Radi looked troubled but spoke honestly.
"I intend to go to a convent."
"A convent!?"
At that moment, Kifrod realized immediately.
It seemed she had overheard the conversation with Wagnare yesterday.
"Radi, why do you want to enter the church so badly?"
Kifrod knew that she was not getting along well with her grandparents.
So, he asked the Village Head and others to probe a little.
What he discovered was slightly different from what Kifrod had imagined.
Kifrod thought Radi was not getting along with her grandparents, but the reality was different.
Her grandparents were also at a loss with Radi.
Since the death of her parents, Radi had become completely withdrawn.
She used to talk a lot before, but now it seems she can only manage the bare minimum of conversation.
Kifrod also knew that Radi, who used to be a cheerful child, had stopped smiling so much.
Her number of words had decreased drastically as well.
The death of family members is a painful thing.
However, believing that time would eventually heal her, he had chosen to just watch over her.
"Radi, will you talk to me?"
When Kifrod asked again, Radi hesitated but spoke haltingly.
Thoughts she had never told anyone before...
"...I want to go to where my father and mother are."
Just those words spilling from Radi's small mouth made Kifrod realize he had been fatally wrong.
"I have been asking for so, so long... I want to see my father and mother."
Radi had wished for nothing but that since the death of her parents.
Even before a year had passed since her parents died.
"But, if I do that, they said I can use 'God's Miracle'. They said I have that aptitude."
Radi thought this was the guidance of the gods.
It was slightly different from what she desired, but surely this was "proof that her wish reached the gods."
"When I received the ritual, I felt something very warm. It felt so, so good. I thought this was the love of the gods."
Speaking with such straight eyes, Radi, Kifrod could not help but shed tears.
(What... what was I looking at...!)
He had not noticed the suffering of this little girl even a little.
Why had he not reached out his hand to a girl who needed the salvation of the gods so desperately?
His ignorance, his powerlessness, his insensitivity were simply unbearable.
"Priest-sama...? Why are you crying?"
Radi looked at Kifrod with a puzzled expression.
Wiping his tears, Kifrod let out a deep breath.
"...I am sorry, Radi. I never noticed how much you were suffering."
And so, he patted Radi's head.
"I understand. I will make arrangements so you can go to the convent."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I promise. But the journey is dangerous. Do not go alone."
"...I understand."
Pouting slightly, Radi stuck out her lips.
He felt he had seen such age-appropriate gestures from this child for the first time in a long while.
"In that case, you can live here until then. It will be practice for life in the convent."
"Practice?"
"Yes, that is right. You cannot suddenly enter a convent and say 'it's too hard, I quit', can you? Knowing a life following the teachings of the gods, even if it is slightly different from convent discipline, will be useful."
"I understand."
Seeing Radi nod firmly, Kifrod nodded as well.
(...Things will get a bit busy from now on.)
He had to speak with Radi's grandparents and the Village Head, and arrange for the convent to prepare for her acceptance.
While they would accept her if he suddenly showed up, it was a fact that there would be various troubles.
More importantly, he had to teach Radi properly about the teachings of the gods and what to be careful about in daily life.
(Still, it is not such a big deal.)
Atonement for not noticing this girl's suffering.
A warning for his own clouded eyes.
Thinking of that, this level of trouble was nothing at all.
"It is quite difficult, you know? Living according to the teachings of the gods. Can Radi do it?"
"She can do that much."
Radi replied cheerfully, and Kifrod resolved to face her seriously.
When he asked Wagnare to arrange for the convent, Radi was to be sent to a somewhat distant convent.
It seemed there was also corruption in the convents, and there were few convents Wagnare could trust.
And so, after living with Radi for about a month, they prepared to send her off to the convent.
Radi followed Kifrod's teachings properly, and although it was only one month, she learned the rules of life enough so that she would not be troubled immediately even in the convent.
For the journey, they arranged to move by the church's carriage.
Since the church sometimes transports letters and luggage independently, they decided to ride in that carriage.
"Well then, Radi. Be strong."
"Yes, Priest-sama. Thank you very much."
Radi, who was riding on the horse Wagnare was mounted on, greeted cheerfully.
Among the villagers who came to see her off were Radi's grandparents and the Village Head.
"Well then, Kifrod-sama."
"Yes, I am counting on you, Wagnare."
He could not accompany her to the convent, but it seemed someone trustworthy from Wagnare would specially look out for her during the journey.
"It is the path you chose yourself. If you come back saying you hated it, I will lecture you."
He thought she would be fine, but added that sternly.
Radi also nodded with a serious face.
And so, Radi set off from Rish Village.
...Twenty years later.
"I can no longer endure it. Living with those people is unbearable. From today on, I will live here as well, so please take care of me, Kifrod-sama."
Saying that, Radi suddenly appeared one day, leaving Kifrod dumbfounded.
■■■■■■
Knock, knock, on the door.
"Kifrod-sama, thank you for waiting. Lunch is ready."
The door opened, and Radi came to call him.
"Oh, thank you. I will go right away."
Kifrod placed the diary in his hand on the desk and turned toward Radi.
And so, he could not help but gaze at Radi.
"...What is wrong, Kifrod-sama?"
Radi asked with a suspicious expression.
To that, Kifrod shook his head.
"No, nothing."
The girl who taught him his own immaturity was always by his side.
Quite a bit of time had passed since then. Had he been able to grow a little himself?
Had he become able to notice those who needed the salvation of the gods?
Thinking such things, Kifrod left the room.
【Author's Note】
How was the story of Sister Radi's birth?
It was an episode where you could catch a glimpse of the reasons why Radi became devoted to faith and her relationship with Kifrod.
The draft for this story was written even at the conceptual stage of this work.
I had intended to incorporate it somewhere in the main story.
However, unfortunately, only fragmented content appeared, and I could not write it properly.
It is truly a pity.
So, I am satisfied that I was able to write this story that had been shelved in the form of an SS.
Now, as usual, a promotion.
The first volume of the book version "I Don't Believe in Gods, But I'll Pass Around [God's Miracle]" is currently on sale.
It contains newly written episodes and additional elements.
Here is the URL for the Earth Star Novel special feature page.
You can also see the beautiful illustrations by Yū Sakagawa.
https://www.es-novel.jp/bookdetail/168kaminokiseki.php
Depending on the bookstore, there may be bonus SSs, so please check the special feature page and purchase if you can.
Thank you very much.
Well then, everyone, let's meet again.
