Chapter 33
“As I said yesterday, today we are going to the temple! Does anyone remember what the teacher said?”
“If we help the priests diligently, they will give us gifts!”
“That’s right! And it’s dangerous to go alone, so wherever you go, make sure you stay with a teacher or a priest. Understood?”
“Yes!”
We answered bravely and followed Megan to the temple.
Lopez looked around carefully to memorize the road. Bill immediately picked a fight.
“Big sister, your head is going to fall off.”
“It’s fine. A person’s head doesn’t fall off that easily.”
So the temple is across the village.
Most of the buildings along the main road are restaurants and inns…
Ah, there’s a carriage station too.
She carefully looked at it while walking, thinking about traveling to other regions in the future. Before she knew it, they had arrived at the temple.
The temple building looked just like what people usually imagined when they thought of a temple, with many white stone pillars.
Around it, priests wearing white robes were walking around.
After greeting in front of the statue of the goddess, we were divided into groups and started volunteer work.
Arden, Chester, Sally, and I were assigned to laundry duty.
Lopez walked beside Arden and glanced at him.
“Why?”
“Are you okay?”
Arden realized she was asking about what happened in the village that night and answered awkwardly.
“Ah… it was night back then.”
So this child is afraid of the dark.
Just in case, Lopez observed him carefully, but he seemed fine during the day, so she relaxed.
“Alright, hold both sides like this, shake it well, and bring it to me. Easy, right?”
“Yes!”
Only Lopez answered energetically.
All the other children here were strangely quiet for their age.
“Then let’s try working in pairs. Lopez with Arden, and Chester with Sally.”
At that moment, Sally raised her hand high and objected.
“I want to work with Lopez.”
“Me too.”
“I refuse.”
I’d rather work with Arden.
The priest smiled and clapped his hands.
“Then change partners every five pieces. Is that okay?”
Only then did Sally and Chester quietly stand beside them.
“Arden, you heard how to do it, right?”
“I’ll try.”
Good.
Facing the enthusiastic Arden, Lopez grabbed the top and bottom of the white cloth and shook it hard.
At one moment, Arden suddenly pulled the cloth strongly toward himself.
Lopez, who had been off guard, was pulled forward and fell right into Arden’s arms.
Arden instinctively hugged her, his eyes widening.
“…Ah.”
He spoke nervously.
“I—I thought this was how you do it…”
“This is right, but you should control your strength a little.”
This body is weaker than I thought.
Or maybe Arden is just really strong?
“Yes… yes…”
Arden nodded.
Then—
Bang, bang!
Whoosh!
“Ah!”
“S-sorry!”
After that, he kept pulling the cloth too strongly, and Lopez ended up falling into his arms several more times.
“…I’m not doing this on purpose.”
“Yes… yes…”
Watching them, Sally finally got angry.
“Lopez! Why are you so weak?! Switch with me!”
Sally angrily switched places with Lopez.
Then she started shaking the laundry like she was fighting Arden.
The wrinkled cloth became perfectly smooth thanks to the two of them.
Kids, the cloth is going to tear.
Lopez naturally changed partners and stood facing Chester.
First, she greeted him awkwardly.
“Hello.”
“…Hello.”
As she picked up the laundry, Chester said something.
“You might have trouble controlling your strength.”
“….”
Hearing that, Lopez tightened her grip on the cloth out of nervousness.
If the force becomes too strong, should I just let go?
Then Chester will fall backward.
No, that’s not good.
“I’m starting.”
Lopez raised both hands stiffly, and together they shook the cloth downward and stretched it out.
Then once again, the pulling force dragged her forward.
She ended up falling straight into Chester’s arms.
“Is your body made of paper?”
“If you know that, then handle me carefully.”
My arms feel like they’re going to tear off.
A small laugh escaped from Chester as he held her.
A little later, after somehow finishing all the assigned laundry, Lopez slipped away from the children who were trying to follow her and headed to the temple prayer room.
She sat awkwardly on a prayer bench and clasped her hands.
‘…I don’t think my prayer will be answered just because I try once.’
Still, it was worth trying.
Lopez closed her eyes and earnestly prayed.
‘O omnipotent God. Please tell me how I can return to my original world.’
But as expected, nothing happened. The prayer room remained silent.
Feeling disappointed, she slowly released her hands.
‘One time probably isn’t enough. In the original story, I remember the god communicating with the Pope quite often.’
But there was no way for her to meet the Pope right now.
‘Then the Magic Guild or an information broker might be my only options.’
To find information about possession, asking an information broker seemed like the best choice for now.
‘I should look for a kind priest first. If I want information, I need to start moving.’
While she was thinking deeply, the prayer room door suddenly burst open, and Bill’s loud voice echoed.
“Big sister, come out quickly! I want to go for a walk!”
Lopez politely suggested to the unexpected disturbance.
“How about going alone?”
You can start becoming independent now.
But Bill ignored her words and waved his hand impatiently.
“Come out quickly!”
In the end, Lopez couldn’t resist his urging and reluctantly left the prayer room.
Bill immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the walking path.
So my free time ends like this.
‘I wanted to ask the priests for information and look around the village by myself.’
Still, Lopez ended up walking while holding Bill’s hand.
“It feels so nice to come outside like this, right big sister!”
“Yeah.”
It would have been nicer if I were alone.
They walked around the area a few more times before deciding to head back.
When the walk ends, I’ll take Bill to Megan, then secretly leave the temple and buy a map.
While making plans, Lopez looked ahead casually and suddenly stopped walking.
An old man was lying right in the middle of the path.
“That floor looks like a person.”
“It is a person, Bill.”
The old man was incredibly tall.
His hair was gray, and he looked like someone who must have been very popular when he was younger.
Seeing the huge man snoring loudly while sleeping there, Lopez hesitated.
Should I wake him up… or not?
If she just left him there, the weather was quite cold.
But this grandfather looked strong enough to endure the cold.
After hesitating for a moment, Lopez eventually shook his body.
Well, I’ll just mind someone else’s business for once.
“Excuse me, grandfather.”
If you sleep here, your face might freeze.
She shook him hard, but he didn’t move at all.
Pinching his cheek didn’t work either.
Even pulling his impressive beard.
“Ah, I pulled out a lot.”
I’m sorry. May the beard rest in peace.
“There’s a bald spot here, big sister! It’s because of you!”
“No it isn’t.”
“Lopez pulled out a lot of grandpa’s beard!”
“Please be quiet.”
“Lopeeeez!”
…
Ignoring Bill’s shouting, Lopez let the beard hairs fly away in the wind and stood up.
It might be better to call a priest instead.
Just as she was about to turn around, Bill hurriedly grabbed her hand tightly.
They were about to leave when suddenly a large hand grabbed Lopez’s ankle.
“Ahhh!”
She screamed without realizing.
“Goodness, child. Did you swallow a train whistle or something?”
“If someone suddenly grabs your ankle, anyone would scream.”
Trying to calm her pounding heart, Lopez looked at the old man as he calmly stood up.
Standing with both feet on the ground, he was extremely tall.
She had to bend her neck back to barely see his face.
His body was so huge that standing in front of him made her feel like a dwarf in a land of giants.
“Wow… he’s really tall.”
Even Bill whispered in admiration.
The old man rubbed his chin and frowned slightly.
“Why does my chin sting so much?”
“….”
“Ah, that’s because Lopez— mmph!”
Lopez quickly covered Bill’s mouth and tried to leave quietly, but the old man followed them.
“Child, are you living well?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Well… I haven’t lived here very long, so I’m not really sure.”
After all, in this world, she was still just a child.
