No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 93
EP.93 Stubbornness and Arrogance (5)
Chae-eun’s dream was from her earliest childhood. A time now so distant that even the memories had faded, leaving behind only vague sensations. A time she didn’t want to forget but was powerless to hold on to, slipping further away with each passing day.
She couldn’t tell if her surroundings were bright or dark—her eyes were closed. No, even if she opened them, she doubted she’d see anything at all.
She was embracing her mother. She had grown too much—become an adult—so she no longer fit entirely within that embrace like she once had. And yet, her mother held her tightly, gently stroking her hair.
“…Mom.”
And that’s how she knew this was a dream. A moment from a past that could never exist again. She knew her mother was no longer in this world. Yet even knowing that, she couldn’t bring herself to leave that warmth.
A hero’s duty was to protect others, whether because of some imposed rule or because they wanted to. But a hero was never the one being protected. She knew—without a doubt—that she would never again feel what she felt now: being completely embraced, shielded from every danger in the world by someone’s warmth alone. She tightened her arms, burying herself deeper into the embrace— and that’s when she realized something was wrong. It wasn’t strange to feel sensations in a dream. But normally, those sensations vanished the moment you woke up. The warmth, the softness—it was all just a trick of the mind.
Yet this—
This was too real.
The warmth against her face, the softness, the slender frame in her arms… Even through the fabric of her clothes, she could faintly feel the hard outline of ribs beneath her fingertips.
“…!?”
A jolt of panic shot through her. She yanked her face away, hurriedly pulling back her arms. And when she looked up—
“Did you sleep well?”
The person she had been clinging to all night was smiling down at her.
Skin so pale it seemed untouched by sunlight. Golden hair that shimmered faintly, with streaks of red woven in like highlights. And those blue eyes—clear as still water—watching her with amusement, narrowing slightly as if enjoying the situation.
“……”
A cold sweat trickled down Chae-eun’s back. Slowly, without a word, she withdrew her arms completely. The warmth from the person’s shared body heat still clung to her clothes. The scent of alcohol lingered faintly in the air, mixed with the light, salty tang of sweat. Most of it came from Ria. Ria sat up, moving to the edge of the bed. She buried her face in her hands.
“…What did I say?”
“Hm. I don’t really remember.”
The tone of her voice suggested otherwise.
Ria flopped back onto the bed. Then started flailing her legs in frustration.
“Well, don’t worry too much.” Anna’s voice carried an air of exaggerated generosity. “I’m a very understanding person, you see. I have plenty of patience for someone who got drunk for the ‘first time ever’ and passed out.”
Ria wanted to protest. But she couldn’t find the words.
“Anyway, Ria.”
Anna clapped her hands together, as if suddenly remembering something.
“It’s about time we head out. And considering the smell hasn’t quite worn off yet… we really need to wash up before it becomes a problem.”
Then, in an overly dramatic tone, she added—
“You’re sober now, right? Because if you end up hugging me again while I’m changing—”
Ria shot up from her seat.
Anna’s eyes widened in surprise, but Ria didn’t charge at her. Instead, she bolted straight into the shower. And once inside, she scrubbed herself down with all her might. She brushed her teeth with the same intensity, making sure every trace of alcohol was gone.
*
Huh. She has a cute side too.
…
No, wait. Pretty people can get away with just about anything and still seem adorable. That being said, Ria wasn’t the type to do anything that would waste her looks.
Anna waited patiently until Ria finished showering, then took her turn. It felt especially refreshing today since she hadn’t been able to wash up the night before—thanks to Ria. Though, phrased like that, it might give the wrong impression. All Ria had done was cling to her and sleep soundly through the night.
After finishing her shower, Anna put on her undergarments and clothes, then stepped out while towel-drying her hair. Ria stood there, stiff as a board. Her face, however, was burning red. Anna considered teasing her just a little more but decided against it. At this rate, Ria might actually die of embarrassment.
*
They arrived to meet the princess right on time.
Her name was Emelie Grond. In the novel, her name had only been mentioned once, so Anna barely remembered it. Not that it mattered much—by the time the Dwarf Princess was introduced, she was already dead.
“Your Highness.”
“Sister.”
Anna lifted the hem of her dress slightly and bowed her head. The princess mirrored her gesture before leading them to a table. On the table sat elegant crystal glasses, their design so refined they looked as if they had been sculpted from pure ice.
The glasses were slightly larger than the ones they had used the night before. Maybe they were meant to hold not just liquor but ice as well. In fact, they were already filled with ice cubes. Next to them was a bottle containing a familiar amber liquid—similar to the one from last night.
Ria let out a quiet groan upon spotting the three glasses. Noticing the sound, the princess glanced at them before subtly gesturing to a servant standing in the corner. She whispered something, and the servant nodded before slipping out of the room.
By the time Anna and Ria were seated, the servant had returned, carrying a bottle filled with a completely transparent liquid.
“You Dwarves must really love your liquor,” Anna remarked.
The princess responded with a small smile.
“It is fascinating, isn’t it? Thanks to magic, even in a land as barren as this, we can grow enough grain not just to sustain ourselves but to brew fine spirits.”
There was a hint of pride in her voice—the confidence of someone who knew just how well her people could wield magic. Yet beneath that pride, Anna could sense something else.
Caution.
A quiet wariness directed at her.
“For us Dwarves, magic is indispensable. Gnomes may get by as long as they can dig up stone, but without magic, our entire society would collapse.”
“I didn’t come here to harm the Dwarven Kingdom.”
“…Our priests seem to believe otherwise.”
The princess let out a small sigh.
“I don’t know much about the world you come from, Sister. All I know is that it isn’t connected to ours—and that we believe in different gods.”
“Dwarves… worship magic itself, don’t they?”
The princess gave a solemn nod.
“Then why are you welcoming me like this?”
“Because you’re dealing with the Gnomes.”
Her voice was calm, but her gaze was sharp.
“You must be aware that our relationship with the Gnomes isn’t exactly amicable.”
Her eyes flickered toward my right ring finger. The ring, crafted by the Gnomes for us, was steadily accumulating my power. If I were to release that power at the right moment, I could potentially disrupt some of the Dwarven Kingdom’s core functions.
From their perspective, I was carrying around a ticking bomb. And yet, they still allowed us into their stronghold. The reason was clear—our power was just that enticing.
And—
“I heard there was a matter concerning my safety.”
“Yes.”
“You said… I’m going to be kidnapped.”
“Yes, that is what I was told.”
“And this prophecy… was given by the god you worship.”
I fell silent at that.
Because to me, that entity wasn’t a god.
But saying that here wouldn’t help my case. If I admitted I was acting on the words of something I didn’t even believe in, why would any Dwarf take me seriously?
"I've already prevented a dangerous situation using that prophecy before," I said instead.
“Unfortunately, that’s not something we can verify.”
The princess poured herself a drink. Even from here, I could tell how strong it was—just inhaling the scent was enough to make my head spin. To them, this was probably no different than drinking tea.
“In that case, if I present you with information you find convincing, will you listen?”
The princess’s gaze met mine.
“Of course. As long as this ‘prophecy’ can be proven to be truly supernatural.”
She took a sip of whiskey and signaled to the attendants in the room. They silently stepped out before I could even begin speaking. Of course, they might still be eavesdropping. But I wasn’t here to argue about that.
“…The Dwarven Kingdom is researching the Gates, aren’t they?”
The princess froze.
Halfway through bringing her glass to her lips, she stopped, her eyes widening as she stared at me.