A Monster That Cannot Pray

After that, there were various other procedures, but… in any case, after safely completing the baptism ceremony by having blessed alcohol poured on my head instead of holy water, I…

“…The smell of alcohol won’t come out. Damn old man.”

“Ahem.”

Flapping the veil that had become thoroughly soaked with the smell of alcohol again, I glared at Bernard, who was clearing his throat while turning his head away from me.

“So— I did it because you told me to, but why suddenly a baptism ceremony?”

I understood that I needed to do this to be able to stay here, but… since I hadn’t grasped the exact meaning behind it, I asked Bernard.

“Isn’t it obvious? Others like Mia aren’t direct hunting targets of the church, so they can get away with it vaguely. You can’t do that.”

At that, Bernard picked up a small bottle he had set aside earlier—containing what was called holy water—and twirled it in his hand, plopping down under the altar.

“No matter how much you try to hide… unless you gouge out your eyes and burn them with fire so they can’t regenerate. You’ll definitely be discovered someday.”

Rather than that, it’s better to openly reveal it from the start, he said.

“So, here— partly thanks to me. In this city of Yulentina, which is relatively friendly to those with abnormal forms compared to other cities, we’re starting from here.”

By proving that I’m a clergyperson belonging to the church… even if I encounter church people when he’s not around, at least I’ll be able to avoid dying on the spot, he said.

“Well, now that it’s come to this… work hard, Novice Nun Frey.”

At Bernard’s figure, smiling wickedly while handing me a mountain of books.

“…I don’t like studying.”

“It’s better than dying, isn’t it?”

“Ugh.”

I stepped back with a sour feeling, but… at his next words, I had to resign myself in the end.

“Well then— shall we start right away?”

And so, my first task as Novice Nun Frey…

Unfortunately, began with learning the church’s scriptures and proper conduct as a nun.

* * *

I’m not sure if I should be thankful or regretful that I had no problem reading and writing in this world’s language as well.

“100 points. Not bad, Frey.”

“Even so, this is too blatantly a children’s problem.”

I really wish he’d consider my feelings a bit for being made to solve problems at an elementary school level in my original world.

“If you’re just over a year old since birth, you are a child.”

“…Eh?”

Wait a minute. Me, who was 26 years old… am only 1 year old here?

“Hmm… you don’t seem to know, so I should explain.”

Bernard, who had been kindly explaining various things to me unlike his appearance, watched me for a moment as I was surprised by the words “1 year old”…

“Listen carefully, Frey.”

After erasing the contents of the blackboard where he had been writing problems for me.

“The ones the church specifically refers to as monsters are basically not so much living things as… that’s right. If I had to compare them to something, they’re like phenomena.”

Pointing at me with the small stick in his hand, he began explaining that they just happen to look similar to humans in appearance.

“…I’m human.”

Feeling somewhat unpleasant from the start, I grumbled with my cheeks slightly puffed.

“That’s why I said ‘if I had to compare them’.”

Bernard scratched his head with a troubled expression.

“Anyway, even the church doesn’t know exactly about their ecology yet… but one thing that’s clear is that they don’t born, but appear from somewhere.”

He said that the monsters that appear like that eat people as if it’s natural.

“Moreover, every time they eat people, their bodies grow and they become more cunning. That’s why we hunt them as quickly as possible as soon as we discover them.”

“Then, there could be more monsters like me…”

“No— except for you, absolutely not. I can assert that much.”

Bernard shook his head firmly.

“I hope it doesn’t happen, but… if you see them too, you’ll surely understand, Frey.”

At Bernard’s words saying that this was something I wouldn’t understand unless I encountered them directly.

“Wait a minute. That story, could it be…!”

I hurriedly stood up and looked down at my body, but.

“Yes. Unfortunately, you won’t grow any further from that form.”

If the day ever comes when my body grows, that will be the last day of my life, he said.

“…Hiccup.”

At the fact I couldn’t even imagine, I blankly repeated hiccups.

“Well— then, let’s wrap up today’s study here. Shall we eat something?”

“Oh. Food…!”

So, looking at the sky outside the church that was gradually darkening.

“Follow me, Frey. The kitchen is this way.”

“Okay…!”

I followed Bernard with a smile I couldn’t hide at the thought of eating proper food for the first time since becoming this body.

“Is there anything you want to eat?”

“…I’d like meat if there is any.”

Carefully, I told him what I wanted to eat most right now, worried that Bernard might think it strange.

“We always have plenty of meat. It’s perfect for drinking snacks.”

Fortunately, he didn’t take my desire to eat meat in a different way, and as I stood behind Bernard, who was skillfully rolling up his sleeves.

“…Pseudo-priest.”

“Haha. That’s not exactly wrong.”

I denounced the pseudo-priest who had been reeking of alcohol all day long… but since he laughed saying it was correct, I lost my words.

Sizzle— Bubble bubble.

Meanwhile, the fragrant smell and appetizing sounds spreading through the kitchen filled with a warm atmosphere.

“Whoa….”

It was a familiar sight you might see in any household, but perhaps because it wasn’t so for me.

I started wandering around the kitchen like an idiot, going “Whoa” and poking at things here and there.

So, while I was going around the kitchen for quite a while, touching various things and smelling unfamiliar ingredients.

“Is it that fascinating?”

“…Uh.”

As if my behavior of poking around the kitchen was quite amusing. With a face that seemed to be involuntarily smiling, Bernard called out to me.

“It’s good to be curious, but. First, we should eat.”

Apparently, the dinner preparations were already finished. Looking at Bernard’s hands, who was even wearing a white apron that didn’t suit him, I saw he was holding a pot full of steaming stew.

“Wow….”

As I marveled at the savory aroma filling the kitchen.

“It’ll get cold and taste bad, so bring the bread basket and meatloaf over there and follow me.”

“Okay!”

Following Bernard’s instructions, I hugged the bread basket from the corner of the kitchen with two arms.

Holding a plate of appetizingly prepared meat dish—meatloaf—in each of my remaining two arms, I headed to the dining room with quick steps.

“Here, this is the dining room. Remember it well.”

“Ooh… it’s spacious….”

So, in a large dining room that seemed to have space left even if over a dozen people sat down.

“Originally, sharing communion after mass is one of the church’s duties.”

He said that now, since he’s the only clergyman left in the church, he occasionally holds mass with the help of people like Mia.

“Now that you’re here too, people will gather quite a bit more than other times.”

Bernard handed me a plate full of stew that he had ladled from the pot we had brought along with the prepared dishes.

“Why me?”

“…Ah. You must not be aware.”

As I received the plate of stew but tilted my head, not understanding what he meant.

“Well— you’ll see later.”

Bernard brushed it off, saying it was too bothersome to explain.

“Wouldn’t people run away seeing me instead?”

“I told you you’ll see later. Prepare for the prayer before the meal.”

At Bernard’s urging, who kept smirking at me as if mocking, I reluctantly clasped my hands together following him.

“But, should I clasp all four of my hands…?”

—No. To be precise, it was the moment I was about to clasp them.

Zap—!

“…Huh?”

“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”

Even though I hadn’t fully clasped my hands—suddenly, a tingling sensation pierced through my whole body from the top of my head.

“N-nothing… Gyaak—!?”

“Frey!”

Thinking it might be my imagination, as I clasped my two upper arms on both sides again at the same time.

Thud!

Feeling pain as if my whole body was being burned by fire, I fell backwards along with the chair.

“…?”

What just happened…?

“Frey! Are you alright!?”

Looking at Bernard’s face as he hurriedly rushed to me.

“Uh, uwah… ugh… it hurts…!”

I wrapped my whole body with my four arms at the belated pain.

“What suddenly… Frey!”

“Ugh, why… Hiyak!?”

Right after, I let out a strange sound in surprise as Bernard suddenly tried to grab my nun’s habit collar and take it off… but before I could say what he was doing, I saw it.

“…What is this?”

Burn marks spread all over my body as if I had been burned by fire.

“O-old man… why did I become like this…?”

I hurriedly asked Bernard, unable to understand the situation at all, but.

“……”

Bernard also seemed equally unable to understand this situation, only remaining silent with a serious face.

“Ugh, it hurts….”

So, as I curled up waiting for the burn marks to heal and disappear quickly.

“Frey.”

“W-what…?”

Bernard, who had carefully picked me up and set me upright, opened his mouth to me again with a serious face.

“…It seems we have a problem. There’s something called the power of priests. That is… holy power.”

Apparently, I seem to have the talent I should least have—talent as a priest, he said.

“No, usually it’s something that barely accumulates even if you focus with all your nerves…!”

If it’s to this extent just from pretending to pray by holding hands, it means I have at least the talent to become a high-ranking priest, he said.

“Anyway, that holy power, you see. When it touches monsters… I can’t fully explain it to you in words, but it has an amazingly effective result.”

The reason he deliberately used alcohol instead of holy water during the baptism ceremony earlier was because I might have burned to death if I touched holy water, he said.

“…In summary, I could burn to death just by pretending to pray?”

“…Probably.”

Looking at Bernard nodding with a serious face, I sighed.

“Haa… really. This is too much….”

This was.

Despite having to live disguised as a clergyperson.

The story of a monster who cannot pray—

One who might burn to death all over if they pray.