成人本色

“Wife, it’s okay…”

“It’s not okay!”

The Countess cried out in a weeping voice.

“Oh, no! What should I do, honey? I can’t believe that mother-in-law is coming all of a sudden! After turning to religion, she had no interest in family affairs.

“That, well, I also don’t know why wife.”

“Maybe it’s because of the succession issue? Ah! Then I’m sure she’ll be asking me how I raised my kids!”

“Come on, wife. It went too far. My mother is not like that…”

“Are you going to take your mom’s side in front of me?!”

The Countess was shaking with tension at the announcement of Cattleya Gillette’s visit, the terrifying and stern matron of the family.

(Note: I will not address her as Elder Madam, because she’s a widow. I will also not use Dowager (it’s actually the right term) because it’s often related to royalty, it’s too formal. Nor Matriarch, because she already passed the duties to the Count.)

The Vatican.

A sanctuary in which the pope, the ruler of the Church, resides, and the supreme political body responsible for the legislative, administrative, and judicial affairs of the Holy Country of Elpenheim

However, in the depths of this Vatican, there is a slightly distinctive facility.

It was an orphanage.

The orphans there were specially selected from orphanages all over the country. This is because all of them received stigmata at a young age and awakened their divine power.

In the denomination, these children were collectively called ‘Sacred Sheep.

At first glance, they seemed to be nurtured and raised like flowers in a greenhouse, but in reality, they were undergoing intense combat training.

For example, when the children became adults, the place they would belong to was scheduled to be the Heresy Bureau of the Prosecutor’s Ministry, the most vicious ministry in the Vatican.

From the point of view of pious parents, the Sacred Sheep was like a gifted education institution affiliated with the Vatican.

Failing to resist the excitement of parents to test their child’s potential, the Vatican even held an event to openly recruit children on certain holidays every year.

And a week later that holiday would be held, the ‘Sacrifice Day’.

“It’s already crowded with people.”

“Well, how many of them are going to get in? I don’t think there’s anyone with divine power.”

“It’s weird to awaken it at our age. In the first place, we didn’t awaken the normal way… Hey, take this away. Aren’t you going to take it away?”

A fuss started as Ephael had his arm on Hestio’s head.

Thesilid, ignoring the commotion of his roommates, put his right fist to his chest and closed his eyes.

Ephael and Hestio stood still.

“What, are you praying?”

“You want all of them to pass?”

As always, Thesilid brought Hestio and Ephael’s attention to him. Hestio said first while wiping his black hair angrily.

“Hey, Thesilid, there’s nothing more pointless than praying for a blessing to the public. Not everyone can win the lottery.”

“Leave it alone. It’s all self-satisfaction. How can you pretend to be good with cheap prayers, God is the one who loves it, how happy must it feel?”

Hestio’s harsh criticism and sarcastic remark were familiar, but today’s Thesilid had an uncharacteristic urge while seeing the children holding their parents’ hands.

A reply came out without realizing it.

“It’s the opposite.”

“What?”

“Because I prayed that they would all go away so that they could go back home.”

“……”

For a moment, there was a somber atmosphere between the three children. Soon Ephael and Hestio were embarrassed and corrected their words.

“What. You. Aren’t you a little annoying today?”

“I know. Did he hit his head hard?”

It was a moment when there was a slight positive change in Thesilid’s friendship.

But he had to pay the price right away.

The stigmata engraved on Thesilid’s left wrist warmed up, and a voice that only he could hear rang out.

[‘We evaluate your unclean words and actions according to the discipline of the Seven Virtues and the Seven Sins. It is judged that there are elements corresponding to ‘pride’ and ‘envy’ among the Seven Deadly Sins, and the divine power of ‘Order and Goodwill’ is slightly reduced.]

‘Hah…..I can’t even speak anymore.’

It was at the age of twenty that Thesilid awakened his regression ability. But he also had a special ability even when he was but a ten-year-old.

The unique ability of Thesilid Argent in this world, ‘The Commandments of the Seven Good Virtues and the Seven Deadly Sins.’

Thanks to this, he was given superior divine power among the stigmata, but there were restrictions that made his life tiring.

If he practices humility, benevolence, kindness, patience, purity, temperance, and diligence, the divine power will be strengthened.

‘Order and Goodwill’ was worthy of its name, so it evaluated Thesilid’s words and deeds in a cold way.

Therefore, he was forced to live a faithful and good life, and as he grew older, he became a pushover free pass who was treated like a doormat.

‘Until the Aura is awakened… No, even after awakening the Aura…’

‘The Commandments of the Seven Good Virtues and the Seven Deadly Sins’ was something too powerful, it was almost fraudulent, so he had to give up on living a comfortable life.

Moreover, the main enemy of the current Serentra Continent was demons who want to invade using the dungeons as a bridgehead. Divine power is a must-have counter in the war against demonic energy.

“Ha…….”

Unless he throws out his sense of duty, he has no choice.

Next to him, Hestio and Ephael had a conversation while looking out the window with their necks stretched long.

The tone was more subdued than before.

“How can such weak children come in and help? They would want to go home, scream they miss their mom and whine loudly.”

“Yes, Hestio, without a home a mom or a dad, we are stuck living in a place like this. Man, this is sad.”

“But when are we going to go outside the Holy City? Only when we become an adult?”

“We may not be able to go out forever. One day, there might be a dungeon burst in the Vatican! When it explodes, what would matter?”

“Hey, Ephael! Are you calling that a joke?”

“Huh, dear supporter, are you scared?”

Watching the roommates’ foolish pranks, Thesilid smiled a little. He did not foresee the fate that would befall them.

✠

As always, the start of the day’s work was an early morning prayer.

The gods of the Transmigration Bureau, who had been out of contact for a while, were reconnected as soon as they finished the system update safely.

After communication, there was a lot to say, so the 53rd quest completion message appeared, but the story continued.

“So, alchemy has reached level 9, and more than 20 kinds of potions and food pills that can be sold right away have been developed. If the business is successful, I will do a lot of good for the cash shop.”

[‘The world-building God’ smiles warmly saying it’s a fortunate thing.]

“On the other hand, I wonder if there is any need to work so hard in business. There’s an easier way. As it turns out, the best way for people who know the future is to make money from those events. There is an episode in which a plague occurs in the original story, wouldn’t it make a lot of money if I get herbs in advance, grow them, and make a cure?”

I save people quickly and make a fortune, a just cause and personal interests coincide.

[‘The world-building God’ says it’s a very good idea and supports you.]

“But there is a problem. I couldn’t find any herbs used to treat it.”

The main ingredient in the treatment of plague is the roots of Elephantipes.

In the original story, it was said to be a weed that grows in the Vatican, but it is not currently distributed.

It seems that all sprouts have been pulled out to beautify the scenery, but it is unfortunate that it takes at least three years for Elephantipes to take shape properly.

“I think the best way would be to go there and do it myself with my cultivation ability, but now I have a limited range of action.”

During the tutorial, I can only work inside Count Gillette as a balancing of having the survival difficulty adjusted to F. I tried to leave the area once, but I returned to my original position again.

[‘The world-building God’ pondered for a moment and said that it would be enough to save people after the original work started.]

“Yes. There is quite a bit of time before the plague occurs. I can ask for it later when I meet the main character.”

If I show our pushover free pass a little kindness first, it will be easy to request to remove weeds from the Vatican by type.

Then, suddenly, an idea popped into my head.

“As for the main character, what is he doing now while I am working so hard?”

This is the tutorial period. This is the point before the start of the original, a terrible infinite regression. In other words, the protagonist has not yet awakened to infinite regression and is only an ordinary child who has no idea that he is destined to have such power.

What is the daily life of a young little doormat? I hope he’s not the only one who’s filming a childcare ropan, right? I’m curious.

[‘The world-building God’ implicitly asks if you want to meet the main character.]

“We can’t meet anyway. I’m in the middle of a tutorial, so I can’t leave here, and he’s been locked up in the Vatican, receiving education for the gifted.”

I gave up and started stretching when I heard an unexpected answer.

[‘The world-building God’ says that there is a way to get out and come back for a while if you use the power of this god.]

I was sober at once.

“Really? Is it okay for the gods to intervene recklessly?”

[‘The world-building God’ says that the principle is true, but there are tricks]

“I see.”

[‘The world-building God’ says that this is not something that just any god can do, but a god who is as good as himself.]

I held out my thumbs with both hands.

“Wonderful God, please tell me quickly and in detail.”

[‘The world-building God’ says that you can generate quests by using probabilities.]

I listened to the explanation that followed.

In a nutshell, it meant that if there was a sufficient probability that I had to go to a place, God could wield public power in private affairs.

However, the problem was that it was difficult with normal probability to go to a great place like the Vatican.

[‘The world-building God’ says that if you bring any cardinal you know, he will take care of it.]

“…Well, God. You do realize that I transmigrated in a powerless commoner little maid, right?”

How do I make a connection with a cardinal all of a sudden? That’s too much.

Fine. I’m done. It was time to inflate my cheeks full of resentment for giving only unnecessary expectations.

[‘The world-building God’ points behind you so you don’t have to look far away.]

Behind?

“…I didn’t expect this place to be so clean.”

“Oh, my!”

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, I turned around.