Chapter 2: Aria’s Prologue (1)

“Lucia overslept again?”

The nun greeted us with a smile as we arrived at the cathedral. The casual acceptance of this fact made it all the more depressing.

I told you to hurry…

“Aria, I’m out.”

“Hurry up and get re…”

Lucia called out from the bathroom. Startled, I turned, only to be struck speechless. It wasn’t anything complex, just… the sight before me was enough to throw me off.

“Sister?!”

“It’s rare to see you so surprised, Aria.”

“W-What are you doing?! Get dressed!”

“Aww… Aria’s being mean to me!”

Lucia was standing right next to me, clad only in her undergarments.

We’re sisters, and still young, so what’s the big deal? Some might ask. But for me, with the sensibilities of a man from another world, it was more than enough to shock me.

“Never mind being mean, why are you dressed like that?!”

“What’s wrong with sisters being like this? We used to bathe together~”

“Th-That’s different!”

Knowing my lack of immunity in this area, she would tease me like this occasionally. And honestly, it worked every single time.

She was right. We’d seen each other naked while bathing, so why did I still react this way? I could only guess it was the lingering memories of my past life as a man.

“Just get dressed, you sister!”

“Wait, Aria! M-My arm! Let go of my a… Eek!”

I grabbed Lucia’s arm, spun her around, and marched her back to the bathroom. I ignored her protests. Thanks to her, we ended up being thirty minutes later than we should have been.

“Are we very late?”

“The service is probably almost over.”

“So it’s almost breakfast time?”

“Go help out in the kitchen.”

“Whose fault is it that I have to do dishes first thing in the morning…”

“Ahaha… let’s go help!”

Lucia quickly changed the subject, clearly feeling guilty after I glared at her. Her attempts at diverting the conversation were always so clumsy. Not that I minded too much.

“Well, better to have saved time than to fall asleep during the service.”

“You’re awfully nonchalant about sleeping during service, aren’t you?”

“But it’s boring! Sister, you oversleep every time, so you don’t get bored!”

“That’s not true! I listen attentively!”

Despite her words, I suspected she actually enjoyed the service. According to the game’s lore, Lucia had admired the Goddess since childhood.

Perhaps that’s why she became the Saint.

‘And here I am, suffering because of that Goddess…’

Angelic appearance, immense holy power… the Goddess had bestowed everything upon her Saint.

While I got suddenly exploded and dragged into this world…

How could I possibly pray sincerely to such a Goddess?

‘Oh right, we’re twins.’

Except for the appearance part, I guess. And even without the holy power, Aria compensated with her exceptional talent.

“Thank goodness for this, at least…”

“Hmm? What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

If I didn’t have this talent, I wouldn’t have survived.

The talent of ‘Aria’, on par with the final bosses?

‘Maybe with this, I can change the future,’ I thought, a flicker of hope igniting within me.

“Here to help? Then start by peeling those potatoes over there.”

“…All of them?”

I stared at the mountain of potatoes, piled half as high as I was tall.

Even extraordinary talent couldn’t excuse me from chores.

“That was delicious~”

We finished our meal and left the dining hall.

The insurmountable mountain of potatoes had been mostly conquered by the kitchen lady, who claimed she was short on time. Watching her peel twice the amount we had done, in half the time, was…

…awe-inspiring.

‘If we had to clean up too…’

Thankfully, we were spared the cleanup duty, so Lucia and I headed to our next task.

“Where are we assigned today?”

“The slums next to the South Market. That’s the third time you’ve asked this morning, sister.”

“Sorry, sorry~”

“If you know, please try to remember…”

“We’re going to be late. Let’s go~”

“Sigh…”

The cathedral sent young aspiring nuns and priests on relief missions every morning. It was partly charity, partly proselytizing.

They took in orphaned children like us, providing food, shelter, and clothing. In return, most of those who received support were influenced by the church, aspiring to become nuns or priests themselves. The church would then send them on relief missions, spreading the word and gaining more followers. A classic cycle.

But sometimes, the simplest methods were the most effective. The Church of the Goddess, with its singular deity and its relief efforts, had amassed a huge following. More than half the continent believed in the Goddess, even if they weren’t directly affiliated with the church.

The most surprising thing? They were simply devout followers of the Goddess, performing good deeds for relief and missionary work. No ulterior motives.

‘Maybe this is the most fantastical part. A church without malice.’

The three major human powers in this world: the Empire, the Church, and the Great Forest. The Empire, rife with schemes and power plays; the Great Forest, isolated and secretive; and the Church, devoted to the Goddess. When players were polled on which faction was the most trustworthy, the Church came out on top.

‘Usually, churches in these kinds of stories are…’

…full of fanatics conducting horrific experiments in the name of their deity, or worshipping a god who was the true villain all along. Or just riddled with corruption. But thankfully, not here.

At least, they didn’t do such things in the name of the Goddess.

Anyway, these relief missions were practically mandatory for Lucia and me.

Lost in thought, I arrived at the entrance to the slums. Two girls were waiting for us. We were a little late.

“You made it?”

“Sorry, are we late?”

“I told you to hurry, sister.”

“No, we just got here too.”

One was Marie, a blonde girl about our height. The other was Sarah, two years younger, who looked like her younger sister.

But I’m younger than Lucia too, right?

True, but despite Lucia being born ten minutes earlier, we were practically the same age. Since we grew up together, I just went along with her insistence on being the older sister.

‘Honestly, she acts more like the younger one…’

“Thinking something strange again?”

“…No.”

“What’s with the suspicious pause?”

“Let’s go. The South Market is this way, right?”

She was always sharp when it came to these things… I ignored Lucia calling out from behind.

Relief work for the cathedral was simple. Go to the designated area, set up, and announce the start of the activity.

People would gather, falling into two categories.

Those who couldn’t afford potions came to be healed by the trainee nuns and priests. Those struggling with basic necessities came for the food distributed by the church.

Thankfully, only a small number needed healing. Otherwise, I would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.

“We will now begin the relief effort! Those in need, please line up one by one.”

“We have plenty of food, so there’s no need to rush!”

“Those who need healing, come this way!”

We set down the sacks of food and made the announcement. People began to gather.

Perhaps because this slum was next to a sizable market, the number of people seemed quite large.

“Hey! This is cutting in line!”

“What? Got proof?”

A commotion erupted in the crowd. Judging from their words, it seemed to be a fight over line-cutting. But there was no need to worry. The church wouldn’t send trainee nuns to a place with poor public order without some form of protection.

“What’s the commotion?”

“Oh, uh, that is…”

A man appeared beside the brawlers. His ornate armor and the symbol on his shoulder clearly identified him.

“If you continue to cause a disturbance, we will consider it interference with church activities and arrest you.”

“It’s nothing.”

The men immediately scurried to the back of the line. The church’s paladins were clearly intimidating.

‘Or is it just the Church backing them up that’s scary?’

Everyone knew the Church’s authority; challenging their paladins was unwise. Even the Empire treated high-ranking church officials with caution. Otherwise, public opinion would plummet.

‘Not my problem. Best to ignore it.’

“Aria, how much food do we have left?”

“Hmm… about this much?”

Lucia approached me and Sarah, who were distributing food. I held up three fingers in response.

“Three? Not much left?”

“Not three pieces, sister. Three sacks.”

“They must have given us a lot since this is a large area, Lucia.”

“Oh…”

Lucia groaned. If this much work tired her out, how would she manage her duties as a Saint later on? Duties she’d willingly take on…

“Thank you so much.”

“Thank you.”

“You saved my life.”

People expressed their gratitude as they received food and healing.

I smiled outwardly, but inside, I couldn’t bring myself to smile. Because most of these people wouldn’t live to see the sunrise.

‘There were no survivors where the Demon King’s army marched. Cities were engulfed in flames, littered with the corpses of soldiers and demons, the ground stained with blood.’

‘But in one city, a single cathedral, those within were saved by the Saint.’

That’s what the description of Lucia’s past said. These people in the slums were doomed, and I, knowing this, couldn’t do anything for fear of altering the future. All I could do was distribute food, suppressing my guilt, pretending everything was alright.

Who in my past life said all lives were equal? If so, was sacrificing these lives to prevent the world’s destruction the right thing to do? What if I did this, and the world still ended? Then I…

But as if by the god’s cruel joke, such thoughts were short-lived.

“Excuse me, miss.”

“Yes?”

A voice called out to me, interrupting my mechanical motions. A young girl stood before me, hesitant, but determined to speak.

“My parents are sick and couldn’t come, could I have one more, please?”

“…”

Her words stole my breath. My mind went blank, a chill running through me as if I’d been plunged into ice water. My face froze.

“S-Sorry! I’ll just…”

Misinterpreting my silence, the girl apologized and turned to leave.

“Wait.”

She stopped at my words. I reached into a sack and pulled out a loaf of bread. The girl watched, a mix of anxiety and hope in her eyes. As I offered her the bread, her eyes lit up.

“We still have plenty. Here, take another one and share it with your parents.”

“Thank you, miss!”

The girl bowed repeatedly, her face beaming, clutching the bread. I waved as she ran off, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

“Gasp…ha…!! Ha…”

Only then did I realize I’d been holding my breath, as if I’d forgotten how to breathe. I gasped for air, struggling to regain my composure.

“Aria, are you okay?”

“It’s nothing.”

Lucia, noticing my distress, came to my side.

“If something’s bothering you, please tell me.”

“…Okay. Next, please.”

If that god who dragged me here was listening, I prayed that he’d spare that girl. It was hypocritical of me, having already gambled with the lives of so many, to make such a request. But still…

“It’s already 5 pm. We need to hurry back for dinner, sister.”

“Aria…”

“I wonder what’s for dinner tonight?”

“Aria.”

The nun mentioned a special dinner for those leaving on expeditions today. Hopefully, there would be plenty of meat…

“Aria!”

Lucia snapped, a hint of anger in her voice.

“…”

“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

Despite her occasional childishness, Lucia was perceptive, especially when it came to me. She’d noticed my unusual behavior all day.

“It’s nothing. Just feeling a little unwell.”

“Aria, I’m your sister.”

“…”

“Even I can tell that’s a lie.”

Lucia’s expression was serious. But just as she knew me, I knew her.

Behind that serious facade was a deep concern for me.

I couldn’t tell her the truth, but if even a lie could ease her worries…

“Sister.”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“I…”

Everything I was about to do would hurt Lucia, both externally and internally. Not just hurt, but tear her apart.

Perhaps this was just a selfish lie to make myself feel better, to lessen the burden on my heart. But if it could give Lucia even a few hours of peace…

“It’s really nothing, sister.”

“…Alright.”

“I’m hungry, let’s go.”

…it was the best comfort I could offer.