No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 63

EP.63 Friendship and Relationship (7)

From the perspective of a reader, descriptions aren’t particularly troublesome.

Even when descriptions are provided, people visualize things differently. No matter how detailed a novel’s descriptions may be, unless there’s an illustration, it’s nearly impossible to conjure exactly what the author had in mind.

This applies not only to character descriptions but also to buildings. Even if an author provides specific measurements and details, it’s hard to understand intuitively without drawing it out.

Of course, very few authors go to such lengths. Typically, only mystery writers, where structure plays a crucial role in the story, would provide that level of detail.

The novel I read was no exception. The author described what would happen and roughly when, but there were no precise depictions of the building’s layout.

“Do you think you can remember the structure well enough?”

“Well, it’s just a building made by humans. And it wasn’t intentionally designed to confuse people. The real issue is the security level, not the layout.”

As Ria said, the biggest concern wasn’t the building itself but its security.

In a world where combat abilities defy common sense, minor injuries are healed instantly, and people can rejoin battles on the spot. A world where someone can cleave through thick steel with a sword.

There are plenty of people capable of demolishing a building’s walls without guns or cannons.

To prevent such individuals from committing crimes, governments offer high-paying, stable jobs to keep them in check. But that doesn’t mean absolute safety. People are unpredictable, after all.

Naturally, facilities like this are built with the assumption that such abilities might be used against them. Most key government facilities follow this logic.

The Gate Disaster wasn’t just a problem with gates, after all.

“…Do you have a plan?”

Ria asked, noticing the look on my face.

“Yes. Of course, I have a plan.”

I had some confidence.

But that didn’t mean I was completely certain.

In the original novel, by the time the protagonist arrived, everything was nearly over. The crucial magic stone had already fallen into the hands of an intruder, who used its power to overpower the protagonists and escape unscathed.

As for why “the weakest hunter,” Lee Si-yoon, was present at such a dangerous location—well, isn’t it obvious?

…While not exactly an academy-based story, the novel loosely followed the typical structure of one.

Naturally, it included the classic academy trope: “An unexpected attack during a prestigious event hosted by the academy.”

Here, it wasn’t an academy but the Hunter Association hosting the event. Still, the general premise was similar enough.

This also clarified the timeline, which was vaguely presented in the original work.

But that didn’t mean I was completely certain.

The story had already deviated from its original course in some parts by the time I was reincarnated into it.

Moreover, the actions I was planning would further distort the narrative. How far would those ripples spread?

“Are you worried?”

“Well, a little.”

I let out a long breath and lay down on the bed.

“But I can’t just sit back and do nothing.”

That was my answer.

“Well, I’ll stick by your side while everything’s unfolding.”

Ria said.

“……”

Of course.

How could she make such a bold declaration so casually?

Well, come to think of it, maybe it makes sense. She was the one who trained me, after all, and we’ve already fought together a few times.

From my time in the military, I learned that it takes about a month for people to grow close—especially if they’re enduring hardships together. Though, once you part ways, you might not even remember each other’s faces.

For some reason, I felt like I would remember Ria’s face.

“Thanks for looking out for me,” I replied, feeling like I should say something.

After answering, I felt a bit embarrassed and turned to face the wall as I lay down.

...The sense of familiarity I felt with Ria—was it genuine camaraderie, like the bond between real friends? Or was it simply because I remembered her from the novel?

That, too, was something only time would reveal.

*

As I had expected, we were contacted by the Association near the end of May.

During that time, I had repeatedly gone over my notes, double- and triple-checking every detail. In a situation like this, even one mistake could have catastrophic consequences.

In truth, the Saintess hadn’t initially been on good terms with the Association.

In the novel, Anna wasn’t just a “Saintess candidate” like me—she was the genuine article, the true Saintess. By the time I had accepted my role as a candidate, Anna had already been revered as the Saintess for quite some time.

For someone like her, who was treated almost like a pope, taking action was far more complicated than it was for a mere candidate. The difference in weight was akin to a presidential candidate versus an actual president making a move.

By that point in the story, the Saintess already had feelings for Lee Si-yoon. However, she wasn’t present during the initial incident. It was only after she saw Si-yoon in danger that she defied the objections of others and rushed to the research lab.

In that regard, I had a significant advantage.

Ria and I headed to the Association in the church’s minibus, which also picked up the Association’s hunters. Most of them were still trainees, just starting their careers.

The lowest-ranked among them was Lee Si-yoon.

“Hey there!” Han Yu-ri greeted us with an enthusiastic wave.

She had been using formal speech until recently, but remembering that they had switched to casual speech in the novel, I told her it was fine to drop the formalities. I extended that same permission to the other hunters around us.

Though everyone was legally an adult, most of them weren’t far off from my age or Ria’s. Many had joined the Association right after graduating high school to become hunters. There were a few who were a year younger or a few years older, but we didn’t bother creating any unnecessary walls.

As we exchanged casual greetings, I noticed Han Yu-ri and Gloria locking eyes, engaging in some sort of silent battle of wills. I chuckled wryly at the sight.

I took a seat with Ria in the very back of the bus. There wasn’t any particular reason; I just wanted to sit a bit apart from the younger hunters. It wasn’t that they made me uncomfortable, but I didn’t feel like actively mingling either.

I didn’t want to interfere with their camaraderie.

Ria seemed to share the sentiment. She didn’t make any effort to move closer to Lee Si-yoon, who was seated up front.

As we traveled toward the research lab, I stared blankly out the window. A shiver ran through me as I felt a strange sensation creeping up the back of my left hand.

Turning to glare at Ria, I saw her smirking mischievously.

Seriously, aren’t you nervous at all?

...No, of course not.

This was just how Ria was. She had a knack for easing the tension in those around her, whether by joking, teasing, or sharing lighthearted stories to distract from the stress.

The way she was acting toward me now probably meant that, in her own way, she considered me a comrade.

“…...”

Was I steering Ria’s path in an unintended direction?

I wanted the protagonist and his childhood friend to end up together, but I didn’t want my interference to derail Ria’s future.

For now, though, it wasn’t something I could bring up.

I glanced at Ria with a blank expression, then turned my gaze back out the window.

Ria chuckled softly to herself.

*

What would be the best way to infiltrate a research lab boasting ironclad security?

If individuals could open gates on their own, the simplest solution would be to create one, steal the item, and escape immediately. But in the story, such feats were nearly impossible.

If so, the best method would involve taking on some risk.

When outsiders were allowed into the lab.

And when those outsiders were escorted into the deepest parts of the lab.

That would be the moment when the lab’s security was at its weakest.

As expected, the professor I’d seen before personally came out to greet us, and we exchanged polite courtesies.

The professor even gave me an extra warm smile and nodded slightly in my direction. He must have really liked the artifact he’d received.

The schedule began with a simple lecture, followed by a tour of the storage facility.

Of course, we wouldn’t be going into the innermost area.

The real question was how outsiders could access that deepest section—

“It’s easy enough to break through one door,” I said.

“How?” Ria tilted her head curiously.

“Magic. Oh, but to open even one door, they’d have to pour all their powerful magic into it,” I explained.

Once inside, though, everything would be resolved. The magic stones within possessed immense power.

A large explosion could easily blow the doors off from the inside.

“…...”

Ria tilted her head slightly again, seemingly uncertain, but she trusted my words.

Even if she hadn’t, things were bound to spiral out of control eventually.