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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Mister Johann, this color won’t do.”
“I suppose red isn’t a good choice.”
“Not just the color, but the design… it looks like something a ghost would wear. You’re planning to put this on Saintess Karina?”
Ashley’s sharp words made me scratch my head and toss the red veil onto the reject pile.
Ashley, having seen far more high-quality items than us, had an impeccable eye for fashion, making the task much easier.
She had given us valuable advice on the latest trends, fabrics, and design considerations for veils, narrowing down our choices considerably.
“You’re quite skilled with your hands, Mister Johann. Veils are surprisingly difficult to make…”
“It’s only because you helped.”
If it had just been Sif and me, we would still be sorting through the veils.
Thanks to Ashley, who had taken time out of her busy schedule to help us, the task was almost complete.
“Then I’ll go prepare dinner.”
“Alright. We’ll finish up here.”
“Ugh, finally done…”
Sif stretched, a relieved expression on her face.
We had been sitting and sorting for hours.
I tidied up the workshop and placed the rejected veils in a wooden box.
“The leftover veils are a problem.”
“Should we sell them? Some of the designs aren’t bad. We could probably recoup about thirty percent of the cost…”
“Can you sell them?”
“Hey, I worked at a general store to make ends meet. Though I quit because they worked me to the bone without paying me properly…”
Sif’s face darkened as she clenched her fists, the memory of her exploitation still fresh in her mind.
“I see.”
“Hmph. I’ll never go back there! That damn bald pig…”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
Living at the bottom of the social ladder in this world meant surviving without labor laws or child protection laws, so her attempts to rob adventurers were understandable.
A single successful heist would earn her far more than honest work.
Though her first attempt, with me, had ended with her getting beaten up instead of getting paid…
“Enough chit-chat. Let’s clean up so we can have dinner on time.”
“Okay. We’re having a feast tonight… I should ask them to pack some leftovers for my siblings…”
…Siblings.
Did I have any siblings?
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“Johann! We’re back!”
“W-We’re back…”
“Are you done working?”
“Mostly.”
I placed the box I had brought from the workshop under the table. The veils, carefully selected by Ashley, were for Karina.
“Mostly? Are you going to work more after dinner?”
“There’s one last thing I need to do.”
“Is it going to take long?”
“No, it’ll be quick.”
“I see~”
Did she want to play with me after dinner?
I ignored Milia’s persistent questions and looked at the food being placed on the table.
Chicken steak, mushroom soup, a salad with fresh greens and tomatoes, and soft bread.
It wasn’t a lavish meal for a Saintess, but it was comfortable and appetizing.
“Let’s pray. Almighty Kalon…”
We clasped our hands and closed our eyes. The typical prayer posture. Despite everything, Yeomyeong-gwan was filled with devout followers of the Kalon Church, so we always said grace before meals.
“We give thanks for your blessings… and for the food we are about to receive…”
The prayer itself was ordinary, but the person reciting it wasn’t, so I always felt a sense of reverence during these mealtime prayers.
I might even convert to the Kalon Church at this rate.
“…Amen.”
The prayer ended, and the clatter of cutlery filled the air. It was time to eat. I took a spoonful of the mushroom soup.
The savory flavor of the mushrooms blended perfectly with the creamy soup, melting in my mouth.
I had tasted many dishes during my dungeon raids, but none could compare to the soup made by the chef at Yeomyeong-gwan.
Or the steak, for that matter.
“Delicious~”
“Eat a lot.”
“Okay!”
Milia, ever the glutton, barely adhered to the table manners she had been taught and quickly finished her soup, handing the empty bowl to the maid for a refill.
Then, she started tearing into her chicken steak with surprising ferocity.
Sif, watching her, stopped eating her own steak, taken aback by the contrast between Milia’s cute face and her savage eating habits.
I wondered how many plates she would devour today.
“Milia, eat slowly. You’ll choke.”
“It’s okay…”
“Swallow your food before you speak.”
“Miss Milia, didn’t we learn about table manners during our lessons?”
Yes, eat like Karina.
Why were you eating like you had spent ten years on a deserted island?
Even I was eating properly.
“Mmm.”
“The other students were surprised during lunch, remember? People will stare if you eat like that outside. It’ll be hard to make friends.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Okay…”
Milia started eating her steak with slightly more decorum.
Seeing Milia calm down, Karina gracefully cut a piece of her steak and took a bite. I looked at Karina, her complexion still pale, with concern.
“Karina, are you alright?”
“No. Not at all.”
It was Renny who answered, sitting next to Karina. Having finished her own plate, she said with a disgusted expression,
“I thought you were exaggerating, but you weren’t. I thought the place was going to turn into a morgue, not a church. Are all Theology students like that? They practically worship Karina. I’ve never seen such fervent devotion, even from the most devout followers.”
“I brought a solution. We’ll try it after dinner.”
“Oh, really?”
“I’m not sure if it will completely solve the problem, but it should help. If it doesn’t work, I’ll ask Principal Merlin for help.”
An Archmage should be able to cast some kind of perception-altering magic. Though I wasn’t sure if such convenient magic existed in this world.
I focused on my food after that.
At this rate, the food would be cold by the time we finished. I cleaned my plate and pushed it aside, then placed the box I had brought onto the table.
“This is the solution I came up with.”
“…It’s just cloth?”
“It’s a veil.”
“A veil… the thing you wear on your head?”
“Yes. I thought it would be the best way to conceal Karina’s face.”
I approached Karina, who was looking at the box in my hand with tired eyes, and gently placed one of the veils over her head.
A soft, translucent white fabric now covered her face.
“It’s soft…”
“This should prevent anyone from fainting at the sight of your face.”
“I hope so…”
Renny looked at Karina’s veiled face with a worried expression. Ultimately, it was Karina’s decision. She disliked being treated differently, so she might not like wearing a veil.
“Karina, are you alright?”
“Can people outside see my face?”
“Only your outline.”
“So they can’t see me clearly from the outside, but I can see clearly from the inside.”
Fortunately, Karina seemed to like the veil. She turned to look at me, the veil fluttering gently around her face, giving her an ethereal aura.
“Johann, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m your knight escort.”
I wondered what expression she was making beneath the veil.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t see through the fabric.
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Another sigh echoed through the lecture hall.
“I was hoping to see the Saintess’s face every day…”
“She’s uncomfortable with the attention. It can’t be helped.”
The Basic Theology lecture hall, two days later, was less chaotic than before.
Perhaps it was because they couldn’t see Karina’s face clearly through the veil, or perhaps they were simply getting used to her presence. Either way, it was definitely an improvement.
Even the professor, though he seemed disappointed, started his lecture without incident.
…The problem was…
“But that thing the Saintess is wearing… isn’t it pretty?”
“I wonder where she bought it.”
The veil had attracted the Theology students’ attention in a different way.
…Should I sell the rejects?
A few days later, veils became a fashion trend among the Theology students.
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