Chapter 1
Ah, this is the world of an otome game.
The priest working at a shrine in a certain rural town... Clael Byrne realized this when he saw a young girl enter the chapel.
"Priest, may I pray?"
"............!"
The girl looked to be just over ten years old.
She was a shabby girl with messy gray hair that reached down to her waist.
Her clothes were dirty and her body was thin, but beautiful irises like jade sparkled in the center of her almond-shaped eyes.
It was their first meeting. He could say that with certainty.
And yet... Clael knew who the girl was.
She was Reina Laurel, the heroine who appears in the otome game he played in his previous life... 'Beyond the Rainbow Gleam.'
"No way... It can't be...!"
"Priest?"
She... Reina looked at him with trembling eyes full of unease.
Perhaps she thought her shabby appearance would get her thrown out.
"No, it's nothing. Go ahead and pray as much as you'd like."
When Clael managed to suppress his surprise and gave her permission, Reina smiled in relief.
"Thank you very much. Then, please excuse me."
Reina knelt on the chapel floor and clasped her hands together.
"............"
Reina continued to pray in silence, but after a while, something changed.
Sparkling white particles of light overflowed from Reina's body and were absorbed into the statue of the goddess at the back of the chapel.
It was a scene that could only be described as a divine miracle... but it was also a scene from the game's opening.
Reina was not an ordinary human.
She was the protagonist of the otome game, and also a 'Saint.'
Reina was the child of a merchant and his mistress.
After her mother died of illness, she was taken in by her father, but as the child of a mistress, she was terribly mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters.
Her unkempt and messy hair and emaciated body were the result of that treatment.
One year after being taken in by her father.
Reina visited the shrine to mourn her mother on the anniversary of her death, and there she performed a miracle and was recognized as a Saint.
Her prayer turned into light and was absorbed into the statue of the goddess, and that power returned to the earth as a blessing to protect the people... That was the kind of scene it was.
"So... that's my role in all this?"
Staring blankly at Reina as she prayed, Clael muttered to himself.
Clael Byrne was a reincarnator.
Born into this world as the fifth son of the Byrne Marquis family serving the Kingdom of Saintcl, he had just recently been assigned to this town as a priest at the age of eighteen.
In his previous life, he was a gamer living in Japan.
If it had the word "game" in it, he played it—mainstream RPGs, otome games, mysteries, horror, even strategy simulations.
He worked for a black company for ten years, and thanks to enduring that hellish job, he had plenty of savings.
He slammed his resignation letter down on his shitty boss's desk... and just as he was about to enjoy a relaxing life filled with his beloved games, he was struck by sudden chest pains.
Probably a heart attack or something.
When he came to, he had been reincarnated into this world.
Clael was crushed by the despair of having his long-awaited retirement ruined, but he soon faced a new crisis.
The problem was that, as the fifth son of a noble family, he would eventually have to leave the house and become a commoner.
In this country, nobles who don't inherit the family estate are demoted to commoners without exception.
Therefore, everyone except the heir and the backup second son desperately searches for marriage partners or employment while still young.
Falling from a wealthy marquis family to a struggling commoner life was unthinkable.
Just like in his previous life, he would never again work for a black company.
So Clael chose the path of a clergyman.
If he worked as a priest in some shrine, he could live comfortably off donations without doing much labor.
He attended an academy in the royal capital, worked reasonably hard to achieve excellent grades... and after graduation, was assigned to a small shrine in a local city as a priest.
(I was supposed to live a smooth and carefree life like this... I never expected to witness the birth of a Saint...)
"............"
Unbothered by Clael's presence, Reina continued to pray while glowing.
It was only now that Clael realized he was in the world of an otome game... and apparently, his role in this game was that of a mob priest who discovers the protagonist as a Saint and reports her to the Grand Shrine in the royal capital.
Because the mob priest reported to the Grand Shrine, Reina was taken away from the family that abused her and brought to the Grand Shrine in the royal capital.
She would then become the adopted daughter of a noble family and attend the academy where the story takes place.
"............"
I, the mob priest who didn't even have a name in the game, would never appear again after the opening.
This would likely be the last time I ever saw Reina, the heroine.
Clael burned the miraculous scene unfolding before him into his memory as his only opportunity.
"It's beautiful..."
He thought again... Reina, praying while radiating light, was truly beautiful.
Of course, not in a weird way. She was a ten-year-old girl. Clael was not a lolicon.
If he had to compare it, it would be like a giant rainbow stretching across the sky after a rain.
Her shabby clothes and unkempt hair didn't bother him in the slightest.
There was a universal 'beauty' that transcended all cultures and preferences.
"Phew..."
Looking satisfied, Reina opened her closed eyes and stood up.
The light had already vanished, and Reina didn't seem to realize what kind of state she had been in.
"Thank you very much... Thanks to you, I was able to mourn my mother."
"I see... That's good to hear... I mean, I'm glad."
Clael hurriedly corrected his tone and cleared his throat with a "Ahem."
If things went according to the game, Clael would now have to report Reina to the Grand Shrine.
Reina would be taken away from the family that abused her and transferred to the Grand Shrine.
"......Hm?"
(Wait a minute... Is that really okay?)
It's true that was Clael's role in the game's scenario.
That would be the end of his duty. His job would be done.
But... would Reina really be happy being sent to the Grand Shrine?
Though discovered as a Saint, Reina would undergo harsh training to master her holy powers at the Grand Shrine.
That training was so severe it shocked players, to the point it could be considered abuse.
Perhaps the intention was to create a Cinderella story where the heroine, after suffering in the beginning, eventually finds happiness, but the cruelty made many players put down their controllers.
(Knowing she's going to suffer, sending a girl off like that is the worst, isn't it?)
"Priest...?"
"Ah, it's nothing... If you'd like, how about some tea in the back?"
Wearing the mask of a devout priest, Clael invited her, and Reina opened her eyes wide in surprise.
"But... I'm dressed like this... I haven't even bathed, I'm dirty..."
"That's not a problem. Um, do you dislike apple pie?"
"N-No... I like it..."
"Then let's eat together. Please, come to the room in the back."
To buy himself some time to think, Clael led Reina to a room in the back of the shrine.
Bringing a minor girl into his living space might look bad, but he hoped to be forgiven since he had a just cause.
He offered tea and apple pie to the uneasy girl sitting in the chair.
"C-Can I really eat this...?"
"Yes, of course."
"Thank you for the food...!"
Reina eagerly stuffed her cheeks with apple pie.
Having been abused under her foster parents and denied proper meals, that apple pie must have seemed like a feast to her.
Even as she stuffed her mouth full, she shed tears.
"Hey now, calm down. Chew properly. There's more, so take your time."
"Okay...!"
"............"
Seeing Reina shedding tears, Clael felt a sharp pain in his chest.
(As I thought, I can't send her to the Grand Shrine. But I can't keep her in my current home either.)
Then, what should I do?
After pondering for a while, Clael came to a decision.
"Um... I haven't asked your name yet. May I know it?"
"It's Reina..."
"Miss Reina. I am Clael Byrne, a priest serving at this shrine since this month. I'm sorry for the suddenness, but... would you like to work here at the shrine?"
"Huh...?"
"Earlier, I saw you offering a prayer. It seems you have a natural talent for Holy Arts. Would you like to work here and study the Holy Arts?"
Yes... this was the clever solution Clael had come up with to resolve the situation.
First, by taking Reina into this shrine, he could protect her from the abuse of her foster parents.
Then, under Clael's guidance, she would study the Holy Arts and develop her power as a Saint.
(I'm fairly skilled in the Holy Arts. I also have game knowledge, so I should be able to help her level up.)
If this world was indeed a game, then this would be second nature to Clael.
By using his game knowledge, he could raise Reina into a fine Saint without subjecting her to the harsh training at the Grand Shrine.
Once she had grown enough to protect herself, he would report to the Grand Shrine.
As a Saint, she would be able to attend the academy.
"U-Um... Are you sure? Is it really okay for someone like me to be here...?"
Reina asked with a confused look.
A half-eaten piece of apple pie fell from her mouth.
"We need you. Won't you consider it?"
"Ugh..."
At Clael's words, Reina's face crumpled.
"U-Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
And then... she burst into tears.
Much, much louder than before.
"...There, there."
Though unsure how to handle the crying child, Clael gently patted Reina's head.
Reina clung to him and rubbed her tears and snot on his stomach.
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"...Good grief."
Even as he gave a wry smile, Clael continued to think about how to take Reina in at the shrine.