<Chapter 33>
“Hm? Sir Cesare, what did you just say?”
“Nothing at all.”
Cesare shook his head, glancing at the two knights with an oddly pitiful expression.
For some reason, it felt like he was saying, “You’re both doomed later!”
‘It’s just my imagination… right?’
“Come on, please head inside!”
“We’ll guide you.”
The two knights seemed entirely unfazed by Cesare’s gaze.
“Yes, please lead the way. This is my first time visiting a confessional.”
“Actually, it’s our first time too, to be honest.”
“But don’t worry! We preserved the original structure when we repaired it.”
“First off, we cleared all the weeds and trimmed the bushes in the garden, which used to look like a small jungle…”
The two knights, explaining in detail how they transformed the garden from a chaotic mess into something presentable, led me inside the confessional.
At that moment:
The residents of the North have repaired the confessional.
Northern faith rises. (+20)
Sub-Quest Triggered!
*Big or small, no one in the world is without sin.
Guide 10 sinners from the North to the confessional, hear their confessions, and assign penance to absolve their sins.
Reward: 1 Divine Oracle Token
[Accept/Decline]
‘Confessions…’
Come to think of it, a long time ago, the Saintess candidates traveled the world, offering two main services: healing and hearing confessions.
This new sub-quest, like the previous one, had no failure penalty. That meant I didn’t have to hesitate. I immediately pressed the accept button.
◆ Ultimate Objective: Save the World
◇ Current Objective: Raise Northern Faith to 1,000 | Confessions 0/10
*Northern Faith: 231
*Key Items in Possession: 2 Divine Oracle Tokens
▼ Replay Divine Oracle
“Here in the central lobby, we’ve brought in plenty of chairs for those waiting to confess.”
“And, as confidentiality is paramount in the confessional, we made sure it’s soundproofed so no voices escape, no matter how loud someone gets.”
“The statues here… ehem, I personally carved these out of wood…”
The confessional was filled with thoughtful touches: vases with freshly picked flowers, handmade carpets, and hand-carved statues.
I admired everything, touching this and that, and expressed my gratitude again.
“This is truly amazing. Thank you so much. By the way, if you have anything to confess, I’d be happy to listen.”
“Pardon?”
“Oh no, Saintess! It would be improper to repay your kindness by burdening you further!”
Ah, this isn’t going well.
“To be honest, when I was in the capital, I wasn’t skilled enough to fulfill my duties properly. I’d like to try it as practice… Could you help me with that?”
When I phrased it that way, the two knights eagerly volunteered.
“Me! I have so many sins to confess, I could list a hundred!”
“Honestly, I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve been arrested for drunken misbehavior over ten times!”
“Thank you. Then, let’s decide the order. One of you can step into the confessional first.”
Before heading to the opposite confessional, I turned to Kei, Cesare, and the maids.
“Anyone interested in confession? If you have something weighing on your chest, come to the confessional.”
“We can’t trouble the Prospective Duchess with such things!”
“It’s not trouble; it’s helping me. I just said so.”
At my words, Monica made a complicated face, and Kei and Cesare started glancing around, clearly bothered by something.
‘The other maids… don’t seem to have anything?’
After telling them to think it over while others confessed, I stepped into the confessional.
‘It’s bigger than I thought.’
I had imagined a narrow space barely big enough for one person, but this could seat at least six people.
However, the absence of windows made it a bit dark. Lighting a candle on the table, I turned to the wooden lattice window in front of me.
A moment later, I heard the door open on the other side.
It sounded deliberate, as if the person wanted to make their presence known.
“Have you taken a seat?”
“Y-yes, Saintess. What should I do now?”
“Hmm, do you know what a confession entails?”
“Not exactly. I just know it’s about confessing your sins before God…”
Honestly, I didn’t know much either. Recalling scenes from dramas, I nodded.
“That’s correct. By confessing your sins, I will deliver penance on God’s behalf. You’ll atone by completing the penance and thus absolve your sin, brother.”
“Y-you called me ‘brother’?”
Wait, isn’t that how it’s supposed to go? That’s what they said in dramas!
‘Ahh, whatever.’
“It’s customary here. Now then, brother, can you see the statue in front of you?”
“Y-yes! I carved that myself!”
“God must be pleased. Now, think of God watching you and confess your sins.”
“Uh, w-well…”
The knight hesitated, mumbling his confession.
“Actually… my scheduled turn was tomorrow. But since I knew the Saintess was coming today, I rigged the lottery…”
“Really? How did you do that?”
“I switched my ticket with the one drawn for this time slot… If I hadn’t done that, someone else would be here instead of me…”
His voice grew quieter, guilt weighing on him as he spoke.
‘Phew, it’s not as serious as I feared.’
I’d worried someone might confess to something overwhelming, but this was manageable.
“God will forgive you for your sin. However, you must confess to the person you deceived.”
“Y-yes, I’ll do that!”
“And don’t just confess. Seek their forgiveness until they’re satisfied.”
“Yes! I understand!”
“Any other sins to confess? If not, we’ll conclude this confession.”
‘That should suffice.’
Confess the sin to God and assign penance for atonement. That’s all I knew about the process.
◆ Ultimate Objective: Save the World
◇ Current Objective: Raise Northern Faith to 1,000 | Confessions 0/10
*Northern Faith: 231
*Key Items in Possession: 2 Divine Oracle Tokens
▼ Replay Divine Oracle
‘That’s weird. Why isn’t the count increasing?’
Could it be that the system only registers completed penance?
“Alright, please step outside and ask the next person to come in.”
“Understood, Saintess!”
The next knight confessed that he’d been silently swearing at the Duke during rehabilitation training because it was too difficult.
I debated whether to make him confess directly to the Duke but quickly dismissed the idea.
‘He’d never finish that penance.’
It’s natural to complain about superiors in any workplace. Even I had silently grumbled countless times while smiling outwardly.
Besides, I wanted to test how the system worked.
With a forgiving heart, I decided to absolve the knight.
“As the swearing was only in your heart, you can also apologize silently. Do it now.”
“R-really? That’s all I need to do?”
“Yes, that’s enough. Apologize quickly.”
“I can’t believe I cursed someone I pledged loyalty to… I’ll never do it again…”
Wait, was he actually cursing him instead of just swearing?
‘What on earth did he say?!’
As I wondered about the details, a notification popped up.
Achievement Unlocked! <First Confession>
The first resident of the North has completed penance. As a reward, you have received 1 Divine Oracle Token.
◆ Ultimate Objective: Save the World
◇ Current Objective: Raise Northern Faith to 1,000 | Confessions 1/10
*Northern Faith: 231
*Key Items in Possession: 3 Divine Oracle Tokens
▼ Replay Divine Oracle
I checked the divine message window and saw that the numbers were properly updated, and the divine oracle tokens had been credited as well.
‘So, I really have to complete the penance as well.’
Should I assign easier penance tasks from now on?
‘Only those with minor sins will come if I do that.’
I spoke to the knight standing beyond the wooden screen.
“This concludes today’s confessions. Are there any among my maids or guards who wish to confess?”
“Yes, there is. Shall I send them in immediately?”
*‘Huh? Who could it be?’
Shortly after, I heard the door open and close twice, followed by the sound of someone sitting in the chair.
“Greetings, brother.”
“Ah, um… it’s Kei, Prospective Duchess.”
“There’s no need to reveal your name in this place.”
Kei. Kei, of all people.
Now that I think about it, he did look like he had something weighing on his mind earlier.
‘Could it be that he feels guilty about how he acted when we first met?’
Back then, he had apologized while bowing deeply, and he’s been doing well ever since, so there’s no real need for him to apologize again.
‘But if he confesses about that, I can assign him an easy penance.’
With a bit of anticipation, I said to Kei, “Now then, brother, please confess your sins before God.”
“Well, you see…”
Beyond the wooden screen, Kei hesitated, fumbling with his words before taking a deep breath and finally speaking.
What came out of his mouth was a story I never could have imagined.
<To be continued>
Brought to you by Gourmet Scans
Translator: Japchae
Editor: Maize
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Oh, that took me by surprise.