In the end, it took us a whole day to tidy up the place. It had been a while since I exercised so much, but at least the church was presentable, and the living quarters were all set up afterward.
''Mhm~!''
Waking up on the new bed, I found myself in a daze. As I had left the window open the previous night, the room was filled with the crisp scent of salt and distant sounds of waves clashing. A glance outside gave me a color of perfect blue. Since it was autumn, the weather was nice, too.
The academy was built on a high foundation near the beach, and this church was situated quite close to the institution's main buildings. Perhaps one couldn't describe it as 'grand' or 'magnificent,' especially compared to the other churches, but I would say that its location was excellent.
Personally, I liked that it was right next to a shopping street, meaning I didn't need to go far for groceries. The academy's dormitory buildings were a little further down as well, so students would pass by our place every morning. That much alone was an immense help in advertising our religion... although we weren't really trying hard in that regard.
In this world, there were four major religions that most people—most humans—belonged to, each worshipping a different god. Most popular was The Sculptor, then The Painter, The Singer, and finally, our church's deity, The Writer.
It was said that The Sculptor built the material world from the most fundamental matters, creating the landscapes of the ancient Terranovae. The Painter colored the world with elementals and magic, fueling life from down the ocean up to the mountain tops. The Singer filled the world with winds and waves, allowing the admiration of art and culture in intelligent lives. The Writer... controlled the flows of causality, establishing certain rules and order to the colorful world.
As inferred from their unified titles and clear roles, these four gods seemed to relate to one another in some ways. Perhaps that was why their followers got along decently well, although competitions couldn't be avoided. A popular theory most scholars believed in alluded to the existence of a higher god who entrusted their power to these four, contemporarily called 'The Nameless Deity.'
I didn't particularly have a strong feeling toward The Writer or any other gods, being an atheist in my previous life. Still, even though I only became a nun to help Eugene out with his work, I had to admit that the divine lore of this world was quite intriguing.
That said, I wasn't going to give The Writer free promotions. I needed to worry about my own survival before that.
''...Well, let's make breakfast first.''
I changed into my nun's habit and went outside. It was barely five in the morning, yet Matt was already swinging his sword in the garden, his blue eyes firm.
''A little early today, Matt?'' I said, glancing at the clock.
The swishing sounds of air being torn apart stopped. Matt turned to me, wiping the sweat under his chin, ''I couldn't practice yesterday, so this is to make up for that.''
As expected, knights were a different breed. I couldn't imagine myself being so diligent.
''Sure.'' I nodded. ''We ate out yesterday, but I'll cook from now on. What do you want to eat?''
Hearing that I would prepare the meals, Matt's face brightened considerably. Back home, it was me and several other nuns who cooked alternatively each day, though it was apparent that my brother only liked my food. Since we were the only ones here... it was obvious which one of us would step up. It wasn't a problem as cooking was one of my hobbies anyway.
After receiving Matt's orders, I went out to the shopping street for groceries. The magical refrigerator was spacious enough, but buying fresh ingredients each day was essential for making tasty dishes. I had greeted most of the shop owners the day before. They were all nice people; the majority of them seemed like retired folks who settled here for a stable, leisurely life.
Although I had just one complaint...
''Uncle, wrap these up for me, please.''
''Got it, Miss!''
Their attitude toward me was quite odd. I wasn't sure if they had misunderstood something, but they treated me as if I were an incredible person. Needless to say, it was probably because of my hair and eye color. I was no stranger to this 'phenomenon.'
Among the questions I had received the most, the phrase 'Are you a noble or something?' only ranked below 'Are your hair and eye color real?', 'Is your hair dyed?', and 'Do you use contact?'. Worse, most of the time, people didn't speak their curiosities out loud, so I had no chance to correct them.
It wasn't particularly annoying or anything, but I definitely shouldn't have trusted that old man. I hadn't seen a single person with white hair here, and he said that chicks like me weren't rare.
''Hah...''
I let out a sigh. Too late to dye it another color now... I'd better finish shopping first. I couldn't let Matt starve.
Since the fridge was empty, I had a lot to buy, but I was able to come back home in time. Matt was still training intently even as the sun began to climb. I lightly greeted him and went to my kitchen.
''Now then... let's make something quick and filling.''
Putting on the newly-bought apron, I started the work. I wasn't sure if all knights were like my little brother, but Matt ate a lot. Before taste, I needed to check the quantity box first. After a brief consideration, I chose hash browns—lots of them.
Making these wasn't that hard. It only took me half an hour to serve them with fried eggs. Pour a cup of milk, and then it would be done.
I hung the apron near the fridge and went down to call Matt.
''Here. Wipe your sweat and come in.'' I handed him a towel. ''Since you said anything is fine, I made hash browns.''
''Thanks, Yuki.''
Perhaps he had smelled the fragrant wafting out, but his steps were quick. As we were about to enter the house, however, something in the sky caught my eye.
''Yuki?''
''No, it's just... I thought I saw a star flashing.''
Puzzled, Matt followed my eyes, ''A star at this time? Besides, what star usually flashes...''
Both of us grew speechless. After all, the star was getting bigger and bigger by the second. It wasn't a hallucination. Rather, it wasn't a star at all.
''That's... a person,'' I said blankly.
''Aaaaaaaahhhhh...!!''
Following a hysterical scream, a person fell into our garden, face-first, dragging along a trail of sparkling magic—like a river of stars. Fortunately, their neck didn't snap because they had stopped in the air just in time. The wind ceased, and the 'star' briskly adjusted their position, descending on the ground with their feet normally.
''I almost died...''
In front of us stood a beautiful girl with an energetic high side ponytail. Her hair was a dark blue, the color of space being lit by starlight, and her clear golden eyes were almost sparkling. Judging by the pure white uniform she was wearing, this person should be a student at the academy.
Her entrance was almost disastrous, but she was indeed pleasant to look at. Although...
''...Who are you?'' I couldn't help but ask.
''Ah!''
At my question, the girl hurriedly ran up to me with a smile, ''Sorry for the commotion! I'm Leila. Leila Virtus Magianova. What's your name?''
I reluctantly caught her extended hand, ''Yukina Lancaster, a nun. We just moved here.''
''Mhm, I remember this place used to be deserted. So there were new people... anyway, nice to meet you, Yukina!'' Leila deepened her smile, then glanced at Matt. ''Mister should be a knight, right? A young knight and a young nun living together... oh my, oh my...!''
'''' ... ''''
I wasn't sure if this person was casting some sort of spell. Her attitude was kind of rude, but somehow, looking at that innocently enthusiastic face made one want to forgive her.
Still, Magianova? It seemed we had met an extraordinary person. The Ducal House of Magianova was the most powerful in the empire besides the imperial family. They had a long lineage of powerful mages, including one of the few legendary archmages in history, who was still alive, by the way. Rather, Eugene told me to meet that same archmage so he could help me if I encountered trouble. I wondered when that old man met such a person.
Anyway, this Leila girl wasn't a random descendant of the clan either. Within the house, the surname 'Virtus' was only given to those with exceptional talents or those who had made considerable contributions to the family.
I thought I had heard her name somewhere, actually. Leila Virtus Magianova... right. She was the magical prodigy whose talents allegedly surpassed even those of the archmage. I saw her name in the newspaper a few times.
If so... could she be the protagonist of this 'story'? It certainly sounded feasible.
While I was lost in my thoughts, Matt had already introduced himself and cleared the strange misunderstanding Leila had. The girl was profusely bowing and apologizing.
Well, at least she didn't seem like a bad person.
''Would you like to join us for breakfast, Miss Leila?'' I spoke up. ''I made some simple hash browns.''
''Really!? Can I?!''
''Yes.''
The girl's eyes trembled with visible happiness. Her emotions were so transparent that I would be a fool not to notice her clear craving for the food inside.
So, we ended up feeding a strange girl.
Like me, Leila's bites were small, and she didn't eat much, but the way she hummed after every bite and her earnest appearance caused the illusion that she ate even better than Matt, who was wolfing down the hashes.
''Mhm...! So delicious!'' Leila exclaimed, her hair almost bouncing in delight. ''Grandpa always made me eat those boring steamed dishes, so this crunch is the first for me!''
''Eating a lot of fried food can be bad for your health,'' I replied. ''Still, I'm glad you enjoyed it.''
''No, no, I have to thank you, Yukina! Can I have your cooking sometimes? I'll make sure to return the favor!''
Leila leaned across the table, her face like a puppy's.
I didn't really mind feeding one more person, especially since her portion was quite small. Besides, even if Leila weren't the protagonist, I was sure she would be a lead character. Getting close to her only had advantages.
So, I nodded, ''Sure.''
''Yeah...!''
The girl celebrated; this time her hair did indeed bounce in delight.
''Ah.''
In the middle of it, though, she suddenly stopped, ''I have something to do! I'll catch you later, Yukina, Matthias!'' Then, Leila's starlight mana swelled up, and she flew out the window.
''...What was that?'' I blankly asked.
Matt, who had a half-eaten hash in his mouth, sighed, ''...Not sure.''
At the spot she just left, I thought I saw a lingering star, blinking as if trying to shine above others.