Chapter 9
I'm riding in front of the priest, swaying on horseback.
"You're Noah, then."
"Yes."
"At the church, you'll first learn the teachings of God. But that's not all."
The priest continued quietly, still facing forward.
"You'll learn to serve God through your daily duties. Cleaning, laundry, farm work—no matter how small the task, consider it all training."
After a brief pause, he spoke in a low voice.
"Even those who can use Heal are no exception. Everyone must undergo the same training at first."
"It won't be an easy path. Even so, only those who fulfill their duties can draw closer to God."
Lowering his voice slightly, the priest continued.
"Besides—you could bring dishonor upon me, the one who discovered you, depending on how you conduct yourself. Keep that in mind."
"Yes."
Though I was already fed up inside, for now I gave him an obedient answer.
"Chris-sama, you're a high-ranking priest, aren't you? It's amazing that you go out of your way to visit the villages."
I turned around and looked up at the priest as I said that.
Chris seemed like the type to have a high opinion of himself.
It would probably be easier to draw information out of him if I flattered him a little.
"Visiting the villages and finding talented children like you is an important duty, too. But now that I've brought you back, I have a responsibility to look after you properly. I probably won't be able to leave town for a while."
There was a note of excitement in Chris's voice.
"It's rare for a child your age to be able to use Heal. Other priests may try to rely on you or give you orders on their own. If that happens, tell me right away."
His tone was gentle, but there was a sharp edge to his words.
"Understood."
I see. Sponsoring a talented child would improve his standing within the church.
Considering Chris was touring remote villages, he probably wasn't very high-ranking.
Once I joined the church, I'd have to figure out which faction to side with.
As I was thinking about that, the bushes beside the road rustled.
"Stop."
Roy's low voice rang out from the front of the group.
Jake raised his shield and stepped in front of Agatha.
Roy drew his sword right there.
Three wolves emerged from the brush up ahead.
"Three of them. Agatha, take the one on the far right."
"Understood."
"—'Flame Arrow.'"
The flaming arrow Agatha fired struck the rightmost wolf in the head.
It crashed to the ground and lay still.
The remaining two wolves fixed their sights on us and charged.
Roy dodged one wolf's bite and slashed at its neck, while Jake slammed his shield into the other wolf's skull.
A dull thud rang out, and the last wolf tumbled to the ground.
The fight was over in a flash.
Their teamwork was seamless.
They'd clearly been through their share of dangerous situations to be entrusted with guarding the priest.
Jake tossed the wolf carcasses into some nearby brush, keeping the smell of blood away from camp.
They resumed their formation as if nothing had happened and set off down the road again.
The rest of the journey passed without incident, and we reached a place to camp before sunset.
As I watched Roy and the others efficiently set up the tents, a merchant-looking man who had already made camp came over to us.
"You look like a priest. Actually, my horse hurt its leg. Could you take a look at it?"
As he spoke, the man held out a small pouch to Chris.
Chris weighed the pouch in his hand, tucked it away, and gave a slight nod.
"Noah, give it a try."
Following his order, I approached the merchant's wagon.
The merchant followed behind me, looking puzzled.
A sound like a child softly sobbing came from inside the sturdy-looking covered wagon.
"I travel through poor villages, taking children in."
The man explained this to Chris, but Chris showed no interest at all. Instead, he watched my every move closely.
I examined the horse's leg.
It was awkwardly holding up its right foreleg.
I touched it gently.
I felt swelling and warmth beneath my hand.
It was broken—there was no doubt.
I channeled mana into it.
"—'Heal.'"
I made sure to say the spell out loud.
A faint light spilled out, and the broken bone knitted back together.
The swelling quickly went down.
The horse stamped its hoof on the ground a few times, as if testing it, then rubbed its muzzle against my head as though relieved.
Chris's gaze, fixed on me, grew fervent.
The excited merchant hurried over to Chris.
"He's incredible! If you don't mind, would you let me take him in? I can even offer gold coins. It'd be a good deal for you, Priest."
Chris slowly turned to look at the merchant.
"I have no intention of giving him up. In accordance with God's will, I will watch over this child."
His tone was gentle, but his refusal of the merchant's offer was unmistakable.
The merchant sighed and let his business smile fade.
"...Understood. Then perhaps another time."
The merchant glanced at Noah, greed and a trace of irritation in his eyes.
When I returned to the tents, Agatha spoke to me.
"Not bad. You handle mana in a way I wouldn't expect from a five-year-old."
I shrugged and smiled innocently.
"Thanks. But Chris-sama was watching me the whole time, so I was a little nervous."
"We'll be counting on you if anything happens."
Roy said jokingly.
"All right, let's get dinner ready. We have an early start tomorrow."
Jake came over carrying a pot.
It was a simple stew with nothing but dried meat in it, but I helped a little, too.
In my previous life, I was in the hospital all the time, so experiences like this were new to me.
The next morning.
I crawled out of the tent and stretched.
The sun had only just risen, but our group was the only one left at the campsite.
"That merchant from yesterday left in an awful hurry."
Roy, who had taken the last watch, said in a hushed voice.
"His horse was injured. He probably couldn't make much progress."
Jake replied casually.
"Still, stay alert today, just in case."
"Understood."
Roy and the others began taking down the tents.
They efficiently gathered their belongings and hoisted them onto their backs.
I rode in front of Chris as we left the campsite.