No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 51

EP.51

Chapter 5

Belief and Reality (3)

Tsk, this feels a bit unsettling.

In situations like this, doesn’t it usually turn out to be, “We thought it was weak, but it was ridiculously strong”?

It’s not exactly a “rule,” but it’s certainly cliché enough to warrant suspicion.

Well, considering that the Saintess, Ria, Lee Si-yoon, Han Yu-ri, and even Gloria all appeared properly in the main storyline, it’s probably not something overly dangerous.

Besides, we’re not alone this time. Unlike the last few dispatches, there are hunters stationed all around us—capable of protecting “individuals of high status” like us.

Not only that, but a mobile unit is on standby behind us, ready to retreat at a moment’s notice. Though this area has been somewhat explored, it’s not entirely “secured territory” yet.

The hunters moved quietly, their bodies low to the ground, and the tense atmosphere they exuded began to seep into us as well. Without saying a word, we followed close behind them, crouching low to keep up.

Step.

The hunter leading the group suddenly raised a hand, signaling us to stop.

We all came to a halt immediately.

Though Gloria was positioned in the safest spot, she wasn’t just a sheltered princess. Coming from a civilization that actively utilized magic, her skills as a mage were undeniable.

In fact, when interdimensional exchanges occurred between this world and others, it was often due to their superior magical knowledge or expertise with unique lifeforms.

…Although, I wasn’t sure what exactly this world had to offer that Gloria’s civilization would want.

“…That one.”

Gloria murmured softly.

Her voice carried a faint trace of emotion. It wasn’t fear.

Rather—

“That’s… a Gubling.”

She said, her voice filled with a sentiment that could be described as “disgust.” It was like spotting a cockroach scuttling across the room from a distance.

“A Gubling?”

One of the hunters asked, his tone laced with confusion.

The worlds beyond the Gates often felt like entirely separate dimensions. The ecosystems rarely matched ours, making it almost certain that these places were not merely distant lands.

Some of these otherworldly environments had atmospheric conditions or gravitational forces so alien to Earth that any natural resemblance felt impossible.

Of course, some argued that the worlds beyond the Gates were still just other planets, but those were fringe theories.

In any case, Gloria identifying a creature we’d “never seen before” shouldn’t have been possible.

“…Don’t worry. It’s nothing to be concerned about. They aren’t particularly strong monsters.”

Gloria replied casually, brushing off the question.

Ria and I exchanged a quick glance before stepping forward cautiously, moving closer to the hunters.

The faint rustling sounds we heard weren’t coming from us. Somewhere in the distance, something was moving.

And then we saw it—

“…A goblin?”

The word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

It had green skin and a short stature, with surprisingly toned muscles. While it was clothed, its lack of a shirt revealed a bulging belly that contrasted sharply with its developed musculature.

Its small frame and large nose were unmistakable—it was a goblin.

And not just any goblin, but the kind that often appeared in Japanese manga and anime.

…Hmm.

Considering where this story is serialized, I guess it makes sense to adhere to certain genre tags, but whether the author had planned this as part of their “world-building” or was just winging it was anyone’s guess.

After all, the world is full of eccentric authors who seem to take sadistic pleasure in trolling their readers.

Whether they call it “art” or whatever else, I have no idea.

“……”

The goblin didn’t seem to have noticed us.

It held a fairly large wooden club in its hand, its face twisted into a scowling expression. Its appearance was monstrous enough to warrant the label “monster,” but—

Crunch.

A faint sound came from beside me, and I turned my head to look—only to freeze in shock.

Gloria was holding a shard of ice in midair. The pointed tip and the cold mist wafting off of it made it clear—ah, it wasn’t just a shard; it was an icicle. An offensive spell.

“Wait.”

I grabbed Gloria’s arm and spoke.

“What are you doing right now?”

“What else? Taking care of it.”

Gloria replied, tilting her head as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Taking care of it?”

“Gublings are trash. They deserve to be dealt with.”

“……”

Wow. That was… decisive.

“What kind of monster are they, exactly?”

One of the hunters, with a cautious expression, asked her.

“They’re creatures that live in groups and survive through raiding.”

Gloria answered, her eyes narrowing.

“But the issue isn’t just the raiding. They capture women and children to use them for expanding their numbers. If left alone, they’ll inevitably cause serious problems.”

“……”

That… uh… That sounded like… well, like that.

Even though she phrased it as “expanding their numbers,” wasn’t she essentially implying they used them in that way? As in… the sort of thing you’d find in Japanese erogames or in extreme, graphic stories?

Gloria’s gaze dropped to my hand, which was still gripping her arm.

I quickly let go.

“If that’s the case, it would be best to deal with them…”

One of the hunters muttered, nodding.

Well, they weren’t wrong. Looking at it, it really did seem like a goblin. It had a vicious appearance, and it didn’t seem capable of communication either.

Logically, I knew that this was probably the right decision.

After all, I was aware of the existence of the original work.

Web novels, naturally, are heavily influenced by countless manga, anime, and movies. So it’s no surprise that many of the same tropes and concepts often find their way into these stories.

Goblins are typically depicted as low-tier monsters in most web novels. They’re common targets for subjugation and, depending on the genre, are sometimes involved in the kind of… well, let’s just say, material more suited for adult stories. From what Gloria said, it seemed they played a similar role in her world.

In the original work, I couldn’t recall any instances of goblins interacting or cooperating with humanity. While it’s possible they hadn’t encountered them before the main storyline, this Gate was considered one of the safest and most stable ones managed by the Association.

So perhaps it wasn’t that humanity had never encountered goblins, but rather that they were simply wiped out after being classified as “monsters.”

The hunters who could use magic began preparing their spells. Here and there, icicles like Gloria’s or small fireballs began materializing.

The goblin hadn’t turned its gaze toward us yet. Had it not noticed us? Even if light emanated from our spells, we had camouflage barriers in place on our side.

“What’s wrong?”

Ria, noticing my restlessness, asked softly.

“Is something bothering you?”

“I… I just…”

Should I start preparing to attack as well? Surely there wouldn’t be just one goblin. If this one was part of a scouting party, it was highly unlikely to be alone.

Yes, that was the issue.

Yesterday’s monster was no different from a wild animal—a charging boar, or something similar. Since it was practically a natural hazard, we had no choice but to drive it away, or eliminate it if that failed.

However, those monsters didn’t wear clothes. Nor did they use tools.

They were simply a herd of wild beasts.

But these goblins, at least to my eyes, didn’t seem like that. They wore clothes and carried weapons—or tools—in their hands.

“……”

Ria’s gaze on me was rather serious.

“What do you think?” she asked.

What did I think?

To be honest, the thought of just “taking care” of them like this didn’t sit right with me.

It was understandable that Earth’s inhabitants had become relatively desensitized to situations like this. After all, they’d experienced countless incidents caused by Gates.

So maybe it was my perspective that was strange.

“This is an important question,” Ria said.

She didn’t seem like she was joking, nor did it feel like she was just making casual conversation. Her expression was that of someone genuinely curious about my answer, someone sincerely asking for my opinion.

“What do you want to do about those monsters over there?”

“……”

Humans are emotional creatures. No—there’s no such thing as an animal without emotions in the first place.

While we value reason and logic, those concepts ultimately exist only to complement our emotions.

And ironically, it’s often because of our emotions that we confuse reason and logic.

Most of the time, the emotion at the root of such confusion is hatred.

We declare something to be “evil” simply because it looks strange to us. We decide something is “good” because it looks beautiful or seems useful.

Even though such distinctions are meaningless to living beings.

…The reason humanity didn’t immediately drive the elves to extinction upon encountering them, the reason they didn’t classify them as monsters and expel them despite their exceptional magical abilities, was probably because the elves looked like “beautiful humans.”

Because they appeared human-like, it was assumed they had built a civilization, and thus, rational and logical exchanges would be possible.

“What do they look like to you?”

Not long ago, Ria had been explaining to me about monsters. Now, she was asking me this question instead.

“I…”

“If you have a thought,” Ria said calmly, “try acting on it. …I’ll do my best to support you from the sidelines.”

At her words, I turned my head back to the front.

“Kyaak!?”

The goblin finally noticed us.

It seemed to have caught sight of the magic being prepared on our side, even through the barrier.

Gloria and the others were ready, their magic poised to be launched forward.

What would the goblin do? Would it charge straight at us? Would it perceive us as enemies and try to attack?

No, it didn’t.

It hurriedly turned around. The weapon in its hand dropped to the ground. It seemed terrified of the overwhelming presence it could barely comprehend.

“Kyakyakak!”

It let out a loud cry.

The bushes nearby rustled, and other goblins poked their heads up.

The goblin turned around once more, yelling as it fled.

The other goblins also scrambled, turning and retreating in a panic. Among them, none were unclothed. Some were even fully dressed, complete with tops.

One of the goblins stumbled and fell.

Trailing at the very back, it stretched out its hand in desperation—

“……”

I think that was the moment I decided what to do.

“Wait a second!”

I shouted with all my might as I leapt to my feet.

Light poured down from the sky, and the magic being prepared by the others dissipated, absorbed by the divine power.

I didn’t know what kind of existence resided up above, but at the very least, it seemed to agree with my actions.

Could this, too, be part of some grand scheme to push me into a corner? After all, I had no concrete evidence that all the actions so far weren’t just pretenses.

My trust in the divine power was no different from trusting someone who showed kindness to me. If that entity up above were to change its mind now, there wouldn’t be much I could do about it.

…Unless, of course, it wasn’t that.

Perhaps that entity was agreeing with my words.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure.

“For now, let’s capture them alive!”

At my shout, the Hunters, who had been staring at me with bewildered expressions, rushed forward.

Gloria, however, remained rooted to the spot, looking at me with an expression that clearly said she couldn’t understand me at all.

Facing her gaze, I felt a surge of embarrassment.

Ah, I’ve gone and done it now.

I crouched down and buried my face in my hands, feeling the weight of what I had just done.

Still, at least my knight, Ria, stood calmly by my side.