NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 25
“And so, the hero and the saint lived happily ever after─.”
“Ooh….”
By the faint moonlight seeping through the window.
I read a fairy tale in a low voice to Ellie, who lay quietly in bed.
The story was a cliché tale of love between a hero and a saint.
But for Ellie, who was destined to become a saint, this overused story might resonate as more than just a simple fairy tale.
“Sister, does the saint have to marry the hero?”
“Not necessarily. Unless you’re a noble, there’s no need to force a marriage.”
Normally, Ellie would have fallen into a deep sleep by the time I was halfway through the book.
But perhaps this fairy tale wasn’t the kind to lull her to sleep.
Ellie’s eyes sparkled even brighter than before she lay down.
“Then, can’t the saint become the hero?”
“Hmm, I wonder. Maybe it depends on how you think about it?”
“If I think I’m a hero, can I really become one?”
“Of course. Being a hero doesn’t always mean wielding a fancy sword and fighting.”
“Heh─.”
As soon as she heard my answer, Ellie immediately turned her head and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Her small, doll-like figure was so adorable that I couldn’t help but smile.
“Ellie, do you want to be a hero?”
“Yes. It sounds cool.”
“What about being a saint?”
“Being a saint seems a bit too plain for me.”
“A saint…?”
“It’s not that I dislike it, but it just feels a bit too modest.”
Ellie wasn’t entirely wrong.
From a normal perspective, her thoughts were understandable.
But in my opinion, a saint is just as important and dazzling as a hero.
A saint not only brings hope and healing to people but also holds a powerful force that maintains the balance of the world.
“That’s not true, Ellie. A saint is just as important and glamorous as a hero.”
Above all, the attire and aura of a saint are incredibly beautiful.
The emphasis on holiness evokes infinite reverence from people.
If I were to choose between being a hero or a saint, I’d probably pick the saint, as it offers a more secure future.
“Plus, having a guaranteed job even after defeating the Demon King is the biggest perk.”
“…Do other jobs become useless after defeating the Demon King?”
“Ah, no… It’s just that things get a bit ambiguous. Defeating the Demon King means peace has returned to the world.”
“Hmm… So, Sister, you prefer being a saint, huh?”
With that remark, Ellie began staring at the ceiling again.
It seemed like she was deep in thought, but I didn’t press her further.
“Alright, it’s time to sleep now.”
“Okay─.”
I quietly blew out the faintly burning candle on the small dresser.
Ellie’s room immediately plunged into darkness, so thick you couldn’t see an inch ahead.
But Ellie wasn’t scared at all.
“Goodnight, Ellie.”
“Goodnight, Sister─.”
I quietly left Ellie’s now-silent room, carefully closing the door so as not to make a sound.
Click.
“Phew….”
The night corridor was eerily quiet and cold.
Even the sound of my footsteps faded softly, leaving no trace of my presence.
After confirming everyone was fast asleep, I slowly made my way back to my room.
As I approached my room at the far end of the corridor, a strange sense of relief and comfort washed over me.
Click.
When I finally arrived, my room was much darker than the others.
Though there was a window, no moonlight seeped through.
“Ugh… I’m so tired….”
As a vampire, I should be more energetic at night, but for some reason, I felt unusually exhausted today.
It was probably due to the recent series of unauthorized invasions by the Demon Tribe─.
The aftermath seemed to linger.
“I guess I’ll just sleep today….”
Muttering softly to myself, I closed my heavy eyelids completely.
My already drowsy mind grew fuzzier, and I could vividly feel my consciousness drifting away.
Soon, my consciousness naturally flowed into the realm of dreams, slowly dissipating into the quiet night.
.
.
.
The next morning.
Despite being a vampire, I woke up early and diligently began my daily routine.
Day by day, my life as a nun felt more and more natural.
Who knew living a virtuous life could feel so fulfilling and satisfying?
For some reason, I felt proud of myself.
“Aizen, it’s morning.”
“Ugh….”
First, I woke up Aizen, who was always a heavy sleeper in the morning.
“Iris, time to wake up.”
Next, I woke Iris, who was also a heavy sleeper.
“Ell….”
Finally, it was time to wake Ellie, the most diligent of the three.
But for some reason, Ellie was nowhere to be seen.
“…….”
However, I wasn’t worried.
Ellie often woke up earlier than me to diligently offer her morning prayers.
Step, step.
With confident steps, I headed straight to the church.
Honestly, there wasn’t anywhere else she could be besides the Nun’s Building.
Click.
Without hesitation, I opened the church door and calmly walked in.
And then─.
“…Ellie?”
“Ah, Sister!”
Ellie’s figure, comfortably sitting on a long wooden bench and doing something, caught my eye first.
Contrary to my expectations, Ellie wasn’t praying but was instead busily working on something else.
Seeing her grinning at me, it didn’t seem like she was up to any mischief.
“What are you doing…?”
“Hehe, I’m making a gift for you, Sister.”
“For me? All of a sudden?”
“Yes!”
Hearing Ellie’s words, my expression grew even more puzzled.
What kind of gift could she have been preparing so early in the morning?
“Can I take a look?”
“Yes! I just finished!”
Half excited, half nervous.
While I was inwardly looking forward to the gift, an inexplicable sense of unease began to creep in, making me feel increasingly strange.
“…What is this?”
As I approached Ellie, I tilted my head in confusion at the mysterious object placed in front of her.
All I could see with my eyes was that it was a long piece of black fabric.
“I found a discarded nun’s habit while cleaning the Nun’s Building the other day.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yes! It was so dirty I thought about throwing it away, but I decided to wash it and keep it just in case.”
“But why are you bringing this up now…?”
“You said it last night. That you wanted to become a saint.”
“Ah, last night’s conversation. I did say that….”
As I continued speaking nonchalantly, my mouth suddenly froze.
No, to be precise, my mind suddenly became chaotic, and my focus began to blur.
“…What?”
Thinking I might have misheard, I asked Ellie again.
But her clear and firm answer only left me even more bewildered.
“I’m trying to make your wish come true. That’s why I’m making a saint’s outfit for you.”
“M-me? A saint…?”
“Yes!”
“When did I….”
Something had gone terribly wrong.
I never told Ellie I wanted to become a saint.
I only said that a saint was just as important as a hero.
How did it get misinterpreted as me wanting to become a saint?
“Look at this. Isn’t it pretty?”
Despite the confusion and embarrassment plastered all over my face, Ellie paid no attention and proudly showed off the saint’s outfit she had made.
“I’m sorry, Sister, but I had to cut up the clothes you bought me to make this.”
“…Ah.”
No wonder some of the decorations and fabrics looked familiar.
So, this was how she repurposed the clothes I bought for her.
“Are you going to scold me…?”
“Ah, no… Of course not… It’s much better than just leaving it unused… Good job….”
“Hehe, thank you!”
My feelings were a bit complicated.
I had noticed early on that the kids didn’t like the clothes, but I never expected them to be repurposed like this.
And into a saint’s outfit that I would have to wear, no less.
Is this what they call poetic justice…?
“Can you wear this for the whole day today?”
Ellie’s shocking request.
Not just for a moment, but for the entire day.
It felt like a double blow to me.
“Ah… The whole day…?”
“Yes. I worked really hard on this since dawn.”
“I-I see… It looks like you put a lot of effort into it….”
“I’d be really happy if you wore it all day!”
I knew she meant no harm.
Ellie had simply prepared this early in the morning to make me happy.
Though the design was a bit rough and messy, it was originally a nun’s habit, so wearing it for a day wouldn’t be a big deal.
For Ellie’s sake, I decided to endure the slight embarrassment.
“Hehe, I’m looking forward to it.”
As soon as I carefully picked up the saint’s outfit Ellie had made, I immediately turned into a pale, smiling statue.
“Uh, uh…? Why is the skirt split so much on the sides…?”
“I think a saint who’s too modest isn’t very appealing.”
“Since when did you think like that…?”
“This way, it’s much prettier, don’t you think?”
The long skirt that reached my feet was now deeply slit on both sides, revealing my legs in a rather embarrassing design.
Even I didn’t have the confidence to wear this without hesitation.
This was clearly a torturous prank disguised as a gift.
“Do you not like it…?”
“N-no, of course not… It’s a very special outfit you designed and made for me….”
“You like it?!”
“Yes… Very much….”
Despite my inner turmoil, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything negative to Ellie.
Though I hated it to the point of trembling, I forced a smile and pretended to like it.
“I’m so happy….”
Afraid that my words might cause immense hurt….
I felt like I was somehow trampling on Ellie’s pure heart, so my tightly closed lips refused to part.
“Please cherish it!”
Ellie was sincere.