Chapter 03
Two years ago, on the day of the Academy graduation ceremony.
The day when everyone in my cohort graduated except for me, and I was left all alone.
‘Why! My grades are the best, and my attendance is the most perfect! Why am I the only one who can’t graduate!’
Is it my fault that the request for an additional student loan was rejected because there was no one to guarantee me! Is it my fault that I’m an orphan and have no family?!
‘Why do I have to pay money to graduate in the first place!’
This damned world!
‘Be ruined!’
I was clinging to the enormous statue of the god at the Academy front gate, whimpering.
Pfft!
“… Huh?”
Suddenly, light burst from the statue.
Thud.
‘Aargh!’
The hem of the statue’s robe that I was holding shattered. By my strength.
That’s right.
That was how I came to possess this unidentified superhuman strength.
‘The problem is that touching the statue is illegal.’
The fine is a whopping 100 million Gold. 2.5 times the school development fund.
That’s why I live while hiding my strength.
If it were moderately strong, I would have used it to earn money, but right now, my strength is obviously bizarre to anyone who looks at it.
What if someone happens to suspect me?
“But why is that relevant?”
Surely they’re not making me a Magic Saintess as punishment because I broke the hem of their robe back then?
“Or, because I’m someone who broke the law by touching the statue, do they think I’d be good at stealing too?”
At my question, the dog gave me a side-glance, as if I were pathetic.
“For generations, the Magic Saintess was both a mage and a saintess. They could use both mana and divine power simultaneously, bow-wow.”
Cleansing evil with divine power, healing people, and at the same time, using magic to pick locks and outrun pursuers,
Magic + Saintess.
“But as Seraphina knows, all mages disappeared hundreds of years ago, bow-wow.”
“That’s right.”
“But Seraphina has superhuman strength to replace mana! A power bestowed by the god!”
Strength instead of magic! The Maltese panted.
“Perhaps, since that time, the god had marked Seraphina as a candidate for the Magic Saintess!”
“Aha…”
“Plus, your age is right! And your stamina is good!”
“Oh.”
[Conditions for the Magic Saintess]
• Good heart (X)
• Sense of justice (X)
• Strength (O)
• Stamina (O)
• Must not be too young (Child labor exploitation)
• Must not be too old (Elder abuse)
Well, I guess.
It would be right for someone with good physical ability to be the Magic Saintess if they have to run and jump around and live a double life where night and day are reversed.
In front of me, who was nodding in assent, the Maltese barked bravely, Arf!
“You would be using that special power for the world, bow-wow!”
“Well… The world is messed up right now.”
But.
“Still, I don’t want to.”
“Good! Huh? You don’t want to?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to.”
I carefully fixed the strap of the Maltese’s slipping bag and said clearly.
“Achieving justice is good. I like it. But is it good enough for me to implement it by sacrificing myself? No.”
Working during the day, suffering from difficult customers at the dress shop to earn money, and at night, running around achieving justice that no one recognizes. When do I rest then?
“Look here.”
I pointed to my room.
“As you can see, I’m poor. I have no family.”
If I were to get hurt or cause an accident and have a lump sum of money going out, my life would be over right there.
“So, I plan to enter the Imperial Palace to secure a pension and my old age.”
I’d have to study separately for that, so if I fail to get a job while pursuing justice, will you take responsibility, doggie?
If I continue to work temporarily at the dress shop and they stop hiring me around age forty, what then, should I go beg under a bridge? Who will recognize my life if it ends up like that?
“Sacrificing yourself for the world is something you do only when you’re sure the world won’t turn away from your devotion.”
I refuse to save the world and ruin my own life in the process.
It’s hard enough to take care of myself, so what world? I can’t even save myself right now, you know?
Re: Refusal.
Fuse: Absolutely refuse.
“Tell the people who have the means to save the world. Not people like me, who will hit rock bottom if I stumble once.”
School development fund, monthly rent for the boarding house, preparation for the Imperial Palace civil service exam, and so on.
“I’m already bearing enough burden…”
Knock, knock!
“Huh.”
What is it? I looked at the door.
Knock, knock!
“Doggie, did you call someone?”
“No, bow-wow.”
Knock, knock!
“Senior, are you not inside?”
It’s Arden!
My junior!
“No! No! I am!”
“Alone?”
“…”
Strictly speaking, I’m not alone, but with a talking dog…
As I hesitated to answer, Arden’s voice grew serious.
“Is this a situation where you can’t answer?”
“No… well…!”
“I’m breaking the door.”
“No, wait a moment! I’ll… I’ll!”
Snap!
I opened the door.
I laughed awkwardly at Arden, my junior, who was frowning beyond the door.
“Hello?”
Arden, who scanned me up and down, snapped.
“Why are you talking so loud alone? It’s past midnight. I thought someone had broken in.”
“Sorry…”
“Why did you open the door so late?”
“Oh, a dog got into my room!”
“A dog?”
At that, Arden’s expression stiffened, and he turned his gaze into the room.
His light green eyes landed on my cramped boarding room, the books scattered everywhere, and the dog on the bed.
The Maltese, who was being watched, played dumb, pretending not to speak, and panted.
Then suddenly.
“A-roar.”
“…”
“…”
This is driving me crazy.
Arden’s rough expression as he stared at the dog. The dog’s uneasy eyes. And me watching it.
“Krr-aang!”
Stay still, please!
Arden, frowning, slowly opened his mouth.
“A pig…”
“A pig?”
“You live in a pigsty.”
“…”
“Clean up your room. Humanely, really.”
“…”
Is the mess in my room a bigger problem for you than the dog saying ‘A-roar’?
“A dog would enter because your room is a mess.”
“Yes. I’ll clean it.”
“Clean your room and wash the dog too.”
“Yes. I’ll scrub it clean.”
“Are you going to keep that dog?”
“No, it has an owner. I was just about to send it away.”
“While you’re sending it away, throw out those things scattered on the floor. At this rate, cockroaches will enter, not dogs.”
“This building already has lots of cockroaches… No, I mean, sorry. I’ll clean up.”
But why did you come?
“Did you come down because you were worried someone might have broken into my room?”
I asked without any particular meaning, but Arden took a serious tone.
“I wasn’t worried. I came down because trespassing is a crime.”
“Oh.”
“I’m not the type of person to worry about others. I have no blood or tears.”
“I see.”
“Even if someone is dying right in front of me, I absolutely won’t worry, understand?”
“If someone is dying, please worry…”
“Anyway, be careful. The world is so dangerous these days, why do you open the door so carelessly? Without even confirming who it is.”
“I opened it because it was you?”
“You trust me?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“…Should I still be careful?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
I promised, nodding my head, that from now on, I would punch anyone who showed the slightest sign of being suspicious!
Arden didn’t leave, although he seemed to have no more scolding to do.
Hesitating, Arden took out a portable quill pen from his pocket.
He kept his body far away and only stretched his arm toward the bed. The extended tip of the quill pen scratched the top of the dog’s head.
Scratch, scratch.
The dog tilted its head.
Are you petting me? It stepped forward a little with questioning eyes. Then Arden quickly backed away.
“…”
“Take this.”
Arden handed the quill pen that had touched the dog to me and left the room without regret.
Thud.
“…”
“…”
The Maltese, whose head fur was sticking up, asked.
“What kind of strange human is that, bow-wow?”
“He’s my Academy junior…”
He lives right above me. I’m in room 206, and he’s in 306.
I don’t know why he still lives here even though he’s become an Imperial Knight. It’s far from the Imperial Palace.
‘Does he also have no money like me?’
How could he have no money when the Knights salary is so much? He should stop buying so many handkerchiefs. Tsk tsk.
“Academy junior? Is that all, bow-wow?”
“What else would there be?”
I said, turning around, but the empty bed greeted me.
The window that had been opened creaked.
“What, did the Maltese leave?”
Leaving without saying goodbye.
‘I thought he would try to persuade me more.’
He gives up quickly, bow-wow.
“Ughhh!”
I’m tired.
I stretched and left the boarding house.
Normally, I crash right after work, but I went to bed late yesterday because of the dog, so I’m still sleepy.
“I’m thirsty! But I should drink water after I get to work!”
Earning money while drinking water.
“I should wash my face after I get to work too!”
Earning money while washing my face.
“Ugh, it’s cold.”
It’s almost spring, so why is the weather still not warming up? I grumbled and buttoned up my collar.
“I want to wear new clothes.”
I’ll buy one when I get my diploma and pass the Imperial Palace civil service exam.
I made a resolution and walked for exactly 30 minutes to the dress shop, washed my face, and changed into my uniform.
Reflected in the mirror was the common sight of a dress shop employee, one you could see anywhere.
‘Right. This is my reality. Not some Magic Saintess from 950 years ago.’
I mocked myself internally and went down to the first floor to prepare for opening.
“…?”
But the atmosphere was strange.
“What’s wrong, why is Ellie crying?”
Ellie, the youngest employee, was sobbing, and the colleagues around her were fidgeting nervously.
Just then, the manager, who handles the employees, appeared from behind.
And.
“What? Fired?”
Why!
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