Chapter 37: The Exiled Marquise is Deeply Pious 4
This must be what they mean when they say your mood can deflate in an instant.
I thought this as I watched Shara, her face slightly flushed as if she’d been running around, approach our table.
“What was with that donation amount!?”
That was the first thing she said.
“Was it too little after all?”
Both of us were startled by Erica’s apologetic tone. Me and Shara, of course.
“N-No, that’s—”
Erica’s expression told us she was completely serious.
Realizing this, Shara was lost for words.
Yeah, I get it. That feeling of confusion when dealing with someone whose common sense doesn’t align with your own.
“That’s not it! I’m saying it was too much!”
Shara slammed her hand on the table, as if involuntarily.
Then she clutched her head and looked up at the heavens.
She’s quite the busy person.
“Why does it look like I’m the one getting angry!?”
Even if you ask me that…
Still, she might actually be quite an interesting person.
Well, my first impression was of her being on the verge of death, so perhaps any change would make her seem interesting.
“If it was too much, then I am glad.”
“It’s not good!?”
Shara looked like she wanted to say, ‘What is this person talking about?’
“What kind of state do you think I was in going all the way to the Orphanage!? Even though I’m a Sister, everyone around me looked like a robber!?”
That sounds like a traumatic experience.
“You were entrusted with a donation for the Orphanage. Such preparedness should be expected.”
Erica nodded, impressed by this response, which made me feel genuinely sorry for Shara.
Though it was amusing.
“I can’t get through to you!”
“How rude. I understand perfectly,” Erica replied, clearly displeased now.
“Besides, why must I be blamed for it being ‘too much’? If I were blamed for it being too little, that would be one thing, but what does ‘too much’ even mean?”
“Think about the person carrying it! Try to consider that!”
“Precisely. Despite being a Sister, you responsibly carried it to the Orphanage, prepared to view every resident of the town as a potential robber, didn’t you? My choice in asking you was not mistaken in the slightest.”
Shara looked up at the heavens again.
That’s not it, but being praised is a little nice, which is annoying!
I understood the sentiment she wanted to scream, but could you please quiet down soon?
I thought this while sipping my water.
＊
Since we were likely about to be kicked out of the establishment, I had Shara sit down in a chair to calm her down.
Well, perhaps because it was an eatery that catered to adventurers, they were somewhat used to commotion, settling for just frowning at us.
“So, what did you need that you were looking for us? Surely you wouldn’t search for us from early morning just because the donation amount was large?”
No, actually, I could see this girl doing just that.
When we first met, she was severely injured and still tried to face the Golden Ogre.
She probably doesn’t have a meek personality.
“Well, um, that was certainly a big part of it, but…”
Shara drank the water the shop provided, moistening her lips.
“Because the amount was what it was, after delivering it to the Orphanage, I felt I had to report it to the Bishop-sama as well…”
To summarize Shara’s story, it went like this:
When she reported the donation to the Orphanage to the Bishop, the conversation naturally led to her explaining that she had been saved by an adventurer couple.
The Bishop, learning of this, was deeply impressed and told her she should lend her strength to this gracious adventurer couple.
Apparently, that’s what happened.
How troublesome.
From Shara’s perspective, we must have seemed like truly wonderful adventurers, the kind the Church loves: accepting a Little Girl’s request for free, subjugating a Golden Ogre about to attack a village, and donating most of the money from selling its Magic Stone to an Orphanage.
I had been worried that getting in the Church’s good graces might lead to designated quests coming our way.
Instead, it skipped right past that to a Sister being dispatched to us.
The Church sometimes dispatches priests or sisters to adventurers they recognize.
This is because there’s a faction within the Church that believes supporting adventurers, whose livelihood is Monster Subjugation, is a way to support the weak.
Apparently, Shara belongs to that faction.
From an adventurer’s point of view, Church personnel are specialists in magic, particularly skilled in Healing Magic.
Normally, their presence is welcomed, rarely disliked.
But combined with their condescending attitude of “dispatching” someone to help, I absolutely hate it.
And so, Shara had apparently been searching through eateries where adventurers gather since early morning, trying to find us.
“That is welcome news.”
I looked at Erica, startled.
“We were just discussing how we wanted to raise our Rank.”
She looked at me as if asking, Right? and I couldn’t help but nod.
“It would be a great help if Shara-san could work together with us.”
“Shara is fine, Madam.”
“Then please call me Erica.”
Why are you able to talk so amicably with these Church people?
From my perspective, the Church is one of the groups that stole your bright future.
“My disposition and the Church’s principles align well, you see,” she said with a cheerful smile.
Those are the allies of the people who told you to die.
“Um, Erica? Your husband is making a terrifying face… Did I do something wrong?” Shara asked Erica in a low voice.
“Please don’t mind him. He’s surely just thinking about something difficult again. Shin.”
At Erica’s voice, I lifted my head from the depths of my thoughts.
“You don’t need to think so hard that you make such a face, you know? After all, my best friend is greatly indebted to the Church. The Church is the guardian of my precious friend. So, there is no need to worry.”
Was the worry she spoke of about her own feelings?
Even so, ah, it’s no use. She’s saying it’s fine.
I took a deep breath.
Alright, I’m calm.
“If you say so, I’ll stop thinking about it,” I said, managing a smile.
“I’m Shin Longdagger. It’s nice to meet you, Shara.”
I said this to Shara, who still looked like she didn’t quite understand.