I couldn’t blame Father Korrinn for the way he was looking at me. The things I said were suspicious, even to me, but I was guarded by the fact that I seemingly had no relation to this world. My ulterior motives, when scrutinized, would appear to be none.

In the first place, I only had a few things I needed to achieve while they were away, and I hadn’t planned to cause any disruptions. The time I had been summoned at played to my favor, as I could work without fear of anyone trying to stop me.

I would need to be wary of those left behind to focus on maintenance and cleaning, but I didn't think it would be too big of a deal. In the past, everyone in the church would go to bed by eleven or so at night. It was unlikely that any of them would end up getting in my way during the night. Honestly, it seemed Heira would end up being the greatest menace to my plan. While I only needed a day or two after they left, it was impossible to predict her need to derelict from her grace as a so-called saint.

I could save these thoughts for later though. I had a tour to take care of. Letting my mind wander too much would only make me lose out on possible information.

My first stop on my tour with Father Korrinn was the adjacent kitchen, attached directly to the common room. It was fairly average no matter how you looked at it, with a few wooden counters, a magic-powered oven, and a magic cooling device filled with water. Despite the name, it was basically just a reimagined water-cooler, with a lid at the top that one could open to dip their cups in. Not exactly sanitary, but the water was blessed every day by a priest to clean it of any possible contaminants, and it was common etiquette to clean one's hands and cup before using it. A steel pot was lying on the counter beside the oven.

Attached to the kitchen was the dining room, which only featured a long table and a few cabinets holding all the necessary tableware for meals. In a small closet to the side was the laundry room, barely large enough to fit one person where clothes were piled up for one of the priests to take outside for cleaning at the end of the day.

“Are you able to cook,” Father Korrin asked?

“Not particularly, no. I can learn if you’d like.” I thought for a second before asking, “Does everyone eat together here?”

“Of course. Would there be a need to exclude anyone from the dinner table? The more the merrier, after all.” Maybe I was a bit warped by my time at the paladin’s barracks. There, everyone ate only with those of similar ranks. “In that case, I’ll only assign room and dish cleaning for you here.” I nodded at Father Korrinn before continuing to the next room.

“This is our training room. While it’s not strictly necessary, it would be good to take a look at the end of every day to see if anything needs cleaning. While it’s expected for those using it to clean up after themselves, well, there are always those who choose not to.”

Mats were laid across the middle of the room, with a makeshift weight set and wooden bench sitting in the northeast corner of the room. I wondered how often this room would actually be used by those who lived here, but it would serve excellently for improving my arm and abdomen muscles early on at least. While I couldn’t perform every exercise that might be necessary, I could find a solution to take care of that issue with time.

“Would it be okay to use myself at that time? No, forget that. I’ll ask whoever allocates the chores that day for permission to clean it myself.”

“That would be me.” Oh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. He’s assigning everything before they actually head off, expecting us to adjust if we’re needed elsewhere. That was my interpretation, at least.

“Then would it be okay for me to be the one checking this room at the end of the day from now on?” I plainly asked. I would need to be in here as often as possible anyways, so why not take the time to do the cleaning in here as well? It was more convenient that way, since I always knew where my work would end.

“I don’t see why not. I’ll inform the others of this for you. Thank you for your willingness to speak up and help, Rain.” I cringed a bit at his grateful words. While I didn’t feel bad, I wasn’t happy accidentally giving others a positive impression of me when it wasn’t my intention.

“Don’t mention it, I just planned to build some muscle. Why not take it on myself in that case, right?” I corrected the misunderstanding, in the effort of being honest where possible.

“That’s fine, since it’ll be the last room anyways. But, should you be needed elsewhere, I’d like it if you could still help out even during your muscle training. I don’t think it should be necessary, since it’ll be at the end of the day, but it’d be better to say on the chance it happens.”

“No problem. I can do that.”

We arrived at the chapel next. It was less decorated than I would’ve expected, but considering the state of the church itself, I guess I shouldn’t have had too many expectations. It was a simple room, with pews lining both sides, creating a pathway through the middle of the door to the podium at the front. With wooden steps leading up to it, it stood slightly higher than the rest of the room, lending an air of authority to the space it sat on. On the wall behind the podium hung a banner with a large depiction of Verus. A human with the head of an eagle, carrying a potted plant in its left arm and a human child in its right. The sun could be seen behind his back, casting a bright light on him and those he carried.

Was this what High Father Teres thought Verus looked like? As the head of the Church, he had been shown a divine revelation by Him at some point in the past.

Every initial revelation given to past Popes had featured a depiction of the God that had reached out to him. Of course, there was a slight difference in that High Father Teres was no Pope, only the head of his personal religious organization.

However, there was no doubt that Verus existed in the eyes of the current Pope. Despite not being shown the revelation himself, when he received a message about what High Father Teres had seen, it’s stated that he fell to his knees immediately and began praying, tears falling from his eyes. When questioned on this later, he never gave an answer for his behavior that day.

I couldn’t understand these religious types, personally.

Saying no words, Father Korrinn clasped his hands together, closed his eyes and muttered a prayer to himself. His voice was so quiet that I almost thought he wasn’t even saying words. After a minute had passed, he looked up again, staring at the banner in the back, before looking back at me.

“I hope you won’t take this as rude, but we cannot allow someone who doesn’t share our faith to attend to the needs of the chapel. I hope you can understand.” His voice was quiet, solemn.

“It’s fine. It’s probably better that way, I can’t say I understand the importance of all this stuff anyways,” I replied. I was lying, but that didn’t matter. It was true that I didn’t believe in their God, so nothing would change either way. Nodding, he led me out, walking further into the hall.

We passed by the first floor bathrooms without any mention. I guess I wouldn’t have to do any cleaning there? I could only rejoice at this, seeing as I’d had enough of that sort of thing in the past. It wasn’t always the worst part of the day, but some days it certainly was the worst. Finally, we arrived at the last door.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Inside, bookcases lined the walls of the room, each completely filled with books. Each bookcase was tall enough to touch the ceiling if only extended an extra inch or two in height. The center of the room was home to two circular tables, with six chairs surrounding each. Beside the entrance was a counter that came up to my stomach, and on it layed a notebook with a pen beside it. Sitting behind the counter was a woman, flitting through a book. She hadn’t looked at us even as we stepped into the room.

“This is the library. You’re free to use it as you wish, just make sure to present the book to Milet and sign the carryout sheet on the table with your name and the title of the book.” Father Korrinn’s stiff expression hadn’t changed a bit the entire time we walked through the first floor, showcasing the dignity of a superior. However, looking at Milet, he had a strange expression on his face. Nervousness? Was it that hard to talk to her, or was there something I wasn’t aware of? As I was thinking, Father Korrinn spoke again. “Milet, would you kindly introduce yourself? If there’s anything I missed, please feel free to speak up.”

“Hmm.” She closed her book, taking a second to look me over. “Rain, right? Since you’re new, I’ll forgive it if you forget to return something after you’re finished with it, but don’t make it a habit. Other than that…” She placed her hands on the table.

“If I find any marks or missing pages in the books you borrow, don’t think you’ll get away with a quick apology. Turning a stupid, disrespectful bastard into the cover of a book would be kind of fun, don’t you think?”

Despite her young appearance, the back of her hands were covered in scars. I hadn’t expected someone like this to be in the Church of Prayer and Hope, of all places.

Wait. Was it strange to say that when I was here too? Ah, whatever.

Milet was someone I was completely unfamiliar with. Not once had I seen her in my time as a paladin. While I had rarely stepped foot in the church itself, and even fewer times had I been in the library, it was hard to imagine meeting someone completely new to me. It wasn’t as if she spent all her time here, right?

“There’s no need to worry about any chores here. So long as Milet has no need for your assistance, you won’t be asked to help here.” Father Korrinn spoke up after Milet finished what she had to say. I wasn’t entirely sure how I wanted to respond to her yet. I could tell she was a master of pleasant conversation, though the slight grimace on Father Korrinn’s face made me think that his feelings were a bit different from mine.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Milet. As you said, I’m Rain. I’ll do my best not to get on your bad side.” I gave a short introduction and bowed.

“Try or whatever, just don’t do it. I’m not asking for much, am I?” With a look of annoyance, she opened her book up and went back to reading. Her temperament, I thought it was pretty wonderful to have. Despite my attempts to relearn, I wasn’t used to all the pleasantries I’ve had to deal with since returning. It was nice to meet someone who simply spoke their mind.

“Well, with that…” Father Korrinn trailed off for a minute. I guess he was at a loss for words after my conversation with Milet. I wasn’t sure what the issue was, honestly. Everything seemed fine to me. “Let’s head back out. There’s only a little left for me to mention.”

Stepping out of the library, we walked to the staircase, stopping at the bottom. Father Korrinn turned to me with a regretful look on his face. His frowning face accentuated the slight wrinkles on his forehead as he began to speak. “I apologize for Milet’s harsh behavior. She isn’t a bad person, just a bit blunt. I assure you that she means no harm despite the way she speaks.”

“Hmm? It’s no issue. I’m not even sure why you’re apologizing. She just cares about her books, right?” I scratched the back of my head as I replied. I truly couldn’t fathom why he was apologizing for her. If it was someone important, sure, I could see his reasoning. Though, at the same time, I’m sure he would’ve corrected Milet in the moment instead of waiting until now.

“Thank you for understanding, Rain. Your magnanimity is a blessed thing to have in these turbulent times.”

I was incredibly confused, to say the least. “Father, you really don’t need to apologize to me. I’m an absolute nobody with no affiliations in the entirety of this world. Save your apologies for those in power who may end up offended.”

“Is that your perspective? Well, I can understand why you’d think that way, but please look at it from mine. You are the one summoned by the Saints of Verus. How could I not place importance on you and your feelings? What if you turn your back on us due to emotional distress caused by one of our members?”

Was that how he saw me? Or was he putting on airs? Just earlier he looked at me with such suspicion, and now he says that I’m important, that he couldn’t bear to offend me.

Maybe I was exaggerating it in my head. Was there really any suspicion on his face earlier? It could’ve just been blank curiosity. “Fair enough. Then, I’ll just say that there’s nothing you all could do that would make me turn my back on you. I mean, this is the only place I’ve got to go, so” — I let out a laugh that even I felt was a bit hollow — “I can’t go and get bothered about something like that. Besides, I understand Milet. I really hold no qualms with her impressive diplomacy skills.”

His expression finally lifted a bit. My interactions with Father Korrinn always felt a bit cumbersome. I hoped I could improve my relationship with him enough to where he would trust me implicitly someday. Cutting down on interactions like this could only lead to more time for my training, after all.

“Thank you. Your words are far kinder than I deserve.” It’s really not that big of a deal, seriously. This guy, he needs to learn to relax. Is this a workaholic’s mindset?

“The last thing I should mention is, regarding the paintings and windows, they are assigned based on experience. As such, it is highly unlikely that you will need to clean them for the first week or two. I will assign a knowledgeable priest to assist in teaching you the proper procedure for both.” He stopped for a second to think. Breathing in, he continued, “The High Father’s office is also off-limits for cleaning personnel, as he handles the cleanup himself. I hope it didn’t appear more cumbersome than it truly is. Despite the church’s size, cleanup rarely takes more than five hours.”

I gave a short nod before looking up to the staircase. Feigning a thoughtful look, I turned back to Father Korrinn before asking, “What about the third floor?”

“Seeing as it’s only used for storage, we don’t do much cleaning there. I wouldn’t worry about it for now.” He was more dismissive of my words than I expected. I needed to lead the conversation in a certain direction, but I wasn’t sure how to manage it now. Hoping to elicit some reaction, I pressed on the matter.

“That may be so, but too much dust buildup might cause issues with the items stored in there. Wouldn’t it be better to at least have someone clean it up a bit? Conveniently, I—”

“Stop. While I acknowledge what you’re saying, it isn’t worth the time that would be spent. There are other more important matters for our members to take care of, and the items stored up there would easily take several hours to clean on their own.”

“Okay, sure. So why not just let me do it? I don’t mind, I need to work on my stamina a bit. A bit of work goes a long way, you know?” I pressed further. I knew I was pushing my luck, but I needed to try.

“Rain…” Father Korrinn had some sort of frown on his face. I’m sure I was displeasing him a bit, but I needed to push the matter. I needed a plausible reason to go to the attic, even if I ended up annoying him with my stupid questions. “There is no need.”

“Do not go to the attic, no matter what. In the first place, it would be hard to allow you to be the one to clean the personal items that are stored up there; if anything were to happen to one of the memorabilia the Saints keep stored, it will be hard to guarantee your living situation. Please, I hope that you understand.” Father Korrinn’s frown had deepened. He was dead-set on keeping me out of the attic.

I would abide for now, but I wasn’t sure what I would end up doing in the end. In the same way that I will play my part to reach the future I desired, I would make sure others played the parts I laid out for them. Father Korrinn, please understand.

“I understand, Father Korrinn. I’m sorry for being so pushy. I’m just thinking too much, please ignore me.”

I will get what I want. What I need.

“I am grateful that you care so much about the safety of others, but the attic is somewhere that we don’t go more than once or twice a year. Spending manpower to clean the dust buildup isn’t worth the time when we can simply take proper safety measures when entering.”

No matter what it costs me.

“Yes, I understand. I won’t worry about it in that case. Thank you for your candid answer.”

I will make certain that nothing happens to any of you.