Chapter 2 - Saint Charmant Monastery
At the appointed time, the person who arrived at the inn was a woman dressed in black and white.
"If you're ready, let's go."
Her tone showed neither kindness nor warmth.
She was different from Blackwell, who had treated Lawrence with nothing but respect.
"Yes. I'm ready to leave right away."
Strangely, he felt relieved.
This was how ordinary adults usually acted.
Even so, he didn't shrink back more than necessary.
Was it because he now realized he was a magician?
He wasn't sure. He just felt a confidence settling, taking root in his heart for the first time.
"Take care of yourself there, Lawrence."
"Come down to visit sometimes. At the very least, I can cook you a meal."
Those warm words made his chest ache.
Lawrence knelt down, not caring if his clothes got dirty.
"Thank you. I truly owe you so much."
"I will never forget your kindness, not for as long as I live."
After saying his goodbyes, Lawrence followed the woman.
"My name is Sister Aveline. From today on, I'll be responsible for you. Make it a habit to ask questions right away whenever you don't understand something."
"I'll bear that in mind, Sister Aveline."
"Just call me Sister—there's no need for formal titles. The same goes for all the brothers and sisters at the monastery."
"Understood, Sister."
He'd called her with respect in mind, but apparently, that was not the right approach.
"You'll be staying at Saint Charmant Monastery. I assume you know we belong to the Holy Cross Order, who serve the Goddess Belche?"
"Yes. I've heard that love and mercy are central to your beliefs."
Love and mercy were the core tenets of the Holy Cross Order. He'd heard it countless times from Edrick, who'd gotten rather drunk the night before.
"It really is a blessing that the priests came. If it weren't for them, I never would have known this feeling," Edrick had said.
He claimed he'd been reborn thanks to the teachings of the Goddess.
"We are servants of the Goddess, placing love and mercy above all else."
Was it just his imagination? Sister Aveline, who had been curt the whole time, now seemed noticeably gentler.
"Try not to worry too much. You won't be given any difficult tasks. It's just that we're a bit… no, to be honest, we're very short-handed. There's a mountain of work to be done."
"That's all right. There was plenty to do at the inn, but I adapted quickly enough. I believe I'll get used to monastery work in no time as well."
Lawrence spoke as if reassuring himself.
"Hearing that does put my mind at ease."
Not long after that, they arrived at the monastery.
Saint Charmant Monastery was enormous.
He hadn't realized it when seeing it from the village, but up close, its size was overwhelming—he couldn't take it all in with a single glance.
"If you're up for it, I'd like you to start working today."
"Yes. Just give me something to do."
Lawrence nodded eagerly.
He had to prove himself useful. He didn't know what might happen if they decided they didn't need him.
That simply wasn't an option. Now that he'd come this far, turning back wasn't something he would even consider.
"All right. Then let's visit your room first and get you settled before we start."
Aveline picked up her pace. For every step she took, the boy had to take two to keep up.
But there was something strange about her footsteps. She was moving so quickly, yet he couldn't hear a single sound from her feet.
The only footsteps echoing through the still corridor were Lawrence's. He felt as if Aveline's quiet back was silently scolding him for being noisy, and he grew embarrassed.
The embarrassment raced up to his face.
To hide his reddening cheeks, Lawrence fixed his attention on studying how she walked.
Why didn't she make any noise? They were walking together, but only his footsteps could be heard.
With every step, he became more conscious. He tried to set his feet down as softly as possible. He set his feet down as quietly as possible. Even though he was just walking, his calves quickly started to tighten.
He figured out the trick. But it was hard. Maybe because he'd never done it before, the unused muscles in his legs were screaming.
He managed to imitate her well enough that his footsteps got quieter. Now, instead of thudding, they tapped softly.
But Lawrence's heavy steps still didn't compare at all to Aveline's.
He couldn't even guess how much she must have practiced.
"This is your room. Go inside and change clothes, then come back out."
"I'll change quickly and be right out."
By the time they reached the room, the boy was acting much more cautiously toward her.
Aveline was truly remarkable. People don't need to be taught how to walk or run—they pick it up naturally.
It's not something strange. It's just what people do. Anyone should be able to walk.
But to completely change the way you walk after a lifetime of habits—and to do it so naturally you don't even think about it—that's not something just anyone can do.
He only realized this after he tried it himself Behind her calm expression, Lawrence was sure, there must have been an incredible amount of effort.
It was just like how Lawrence had put in the work to adjust to his job at the inn.
The difference was… The boy had done it out of necessity—to avoid being kicked out, to survive.
But Aveline wasn't like that. Probably every clergy member living in the monastery was the same.
Love and mercy were the core tenets of the Holy Cross Order. That alone made followers of Goddess Belche worthy of respect.
There was no time to look around the room.
First impressions mattered. He needed to move as quickly and efficiently as possible. Fortunately, finding the clothes wasn't hard.
Three sets of clothing were neatly laid out on a bed similar to the ones he'd seen at the inn.
The boy tossed his old sack aside and changed into work clothes.
"You're quick. Already finished changing?"
"Yes. You're busy too, Sister, so I shouldn't dawdle."
Aveline gave a soft snort through her nose. She didn't seem to be in a bad mood.
Lawrence felt relieved, thinking he'd made a good first impression.
"For today, I'll explain the layout of the monastery. I'll tell you about areas you need to be careful of, rooms you mustn't enter, and what to do when you meet other brothers and sisters. If there's anything you don't know, you must ask. Ignorance itself is not a sin. But if you know you're ignorant and fail to ask, that is a sin."
"I'll keep that in mind, Sister."
He followed Aveline back into the corridor.
She explained that this was the area where trainee priests or hired workers stayed.
When they had walked in, he'd just been watching her footsteps, so he hadn't noticed—but now that he looked up, he saw that identical doors continued one after another down the corridor.
At the end of the hall, they came to a junction.
There was a staircase leading to the second floor and a hallway to the main entrance.
He also saw a passage heading down to the basement and a door into the main building.
"Through that door is the chapel. On the second floor are the brothers and sisters' quarters. I'll tell you more about those later, along with the basement."
"So, the place I need to clean right now is the chapel, right?"
"That's correct. You catch on quickly. There are many things to pay special attention to in the chapel, so listen carefully to what I say."
Aveline silently pushed open the door.
Lawrence could only gape in awe at the sight of the chapel.
It was a completely different scene from the ones in his dreams.
Brilliant light poured in through the multicolored stained glass windows.
The mystery of the chapel was entirely thanks to the power of that glass.
On the glass were images of a woman reaching her hand toward the sky, surrounded by guiding little angels.
Goddess Belche.
Lawrence quickly realized this was the goddess worshipped by the Holy Cross Order.
Actually, realized might be too grand a word.
After all, right below the stained glass stood the statue of Goddess Belche, radiating grace.
"Lawrence?"
"Yes? Ah, I—I'm sorry. I was being rude."
Lawrence bowed reflexively.
He truly hadn't meant to drift off, but he'd become completely mesmerized despite himself.
"It's all right. In fact, it's nice to see you so delighted. The figure depicted on the stained glass is none other than Goddess Belche herself. It's said that the goddess ascended into the heavens, guided by a divine calling."
The words sounded difficult.
Stained something, ascension—he had never learned those terms before.
A wave of anxiety washed over him at that fact.
Even though Lawrence could read and write, it was only at the level of simple words and sentences.
"Don't worry too much. Didn't I tell you that you can always ask me about anything you don't know? As long as you don't give up, we never let go of a child we've chosen even once."
He wasn't so sure about that.
He was just an orphan who could read a little.
He could easily be replaced.
"Love and mercy are our core ideals. You know that, don't you?"
"Love and mercy…"
"That's right. From now on, you're also a servant of the goddess, so think about it carefully. It's not about what the goddess can do for us, but rather about what we can do for her."
Lawrence nodded.
Dwelling on negativity wouldn't help.
The die was already cast, and going back was not an option.
"The stained glass and the goddess statue—in other words, you don't need to clean the area in front of the altar just yet. You can take care of that once you're more familiar with the place."
"Thank you, Sister."
All the cleaning supplies were gathered in the back of the chapel.
"When you clean the benches where the brothers and sisters sit, first sweep the floor with a broom and then wipe it down with a cloth. The well is outside the cloister, so draw water with the wooden bucket and bring it in."
"Yes, Sister."
Honestly, he felt relieved.
It was basically an extension of the chores he'd done at the inn every day.
If the tasks had required more advanced reading or writing, his shortcomings would've been exposed right away.
"There are three other people besides you who clean the monastery. I'll introduce you to them later... For now, let's go meet the steward."
The two of them headed to a small room behind the altar.
"Steward. It's Sister Aveline."
A reply came quickly.
A familiar man appeared from within the room.
"May the goddess's blessing be with you. You've been working hard, Aveline."
"May the goddess's blessing be with you. Compared to your efforts, Steward, this is nothing at all."
After their brief exchange, it was Lawrence's turn.
"Come in, Lawrence. I'm relieved to see you looking well."
"May the goddess's blessing be upon you, Steward Blackwell."
When Lawrence greeted him with the order's words, Blackwell's expression softened.
"May the goddess's blessing be with you. Do you think you'll be able to adjust to life at the monastery?"
"If it's the work I've been taught so far, there's no problem."
He wasn't lying.
The work hadn't changed—only the setting had.
"That's a relief. I have high hopes for you."
The conversation with Blackwell was brief.
He seemed to have a lot of pressing duties waiting for him.
Aveline then led Lawrence to the basement.
In the basement, there was a dining hall and a bathhouse.
Meals were served three times a day.
You could only eat during the designated times, so if you didn't want to go hungry, you had to stick to the schedule.
As an employee, Lawrence was not allowed to use the bathhouse, but he was told to pay special attention to cleanliness.
In that regard, it was actually a relief.
Lawrence disliked smelling bad, too.
Maybe it was because of the memories of rolling around in trash bins, but he truly enjoyed washing up.
No matter how cold it got, he would stubbornly scrub himself clean and remove all the dirt he could, for precisely that reason.
On the second floor were the clergy's living quarters.
It was a space similar to the first-floor corridor where the staff lodged.
The difference was that here, every door had a nameplate clearly indicating whose room it was.
Unlike at the inn, where the staff had to clean the guest rooms as well, Aveline explained that here, all he had to do was tidy the hallways.
"Understood? Don't enter the rooms without permission."
Beyond that, most of the other areas were dedicated to studying doctrine
There were four employees cleaning the monastery, including Lawrence.
Lawrence was the only boy; the other three were all girls.
The oldest was Joan, who was eighteen.
Then there was Edith, aged seventeen.
And Marjorie, who was thirteen, the same age as Lawrence.
What was unusual was that, despite all being commoners, they could read.
Lawrence didn't even have to ask.
Edith asked him from their very first meeting.
"You can read, can't you?"
"Huh?"
"Reading. Can you do it?"
"Yes. A little, at least…."
Sadly, all three of them were better at it than Lawrence. Even Marjorie, who was the same age, was already comfortable with reading and writing.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed.
But he knew all too well that this was just how the world worked.
Complaining wouldn't change anything. Instead of stopping to lament, he had to keep running along the path ahead.
The first meal Lawrence had at the monastery was excellent.
For dinner, they were served potato soup and oat bread. And, unbelievably, they even got a whole cup of milk.
Lawrence was amazed.
In Hilton Village, milk was unheard of.
There was no ranch to begin with. Aside from barren wasteland, there wasn't enough farmland to cultivate, let alone a pasture where livestock could graze.
Naturally, Lawrence had never tasted milk until this day.
Still, he tried to eat his meal as nonchalantly as possible. The other girls were eating without a fuss, and Lawrence didn't want to look like a country bumpkin by himself.
After the meal, he asked and learned that the milk was delivered regularly from a ranch run by the Order.
As expected, the Holy Cross Order really was something else.
Lying in bed, Lawrence felt fatigue washing over him.
He'd finally been given a nice room for once.
But he was so exhausted that he didn't even have the energy to look around.
The feeling of a bed, something he'd never experienced before, was sweet and comforting.
Changing his clothes haphazardly, the boy fell asleep instantly, as quiet as a mouse.
He had a dream for the first time a week later.
「■■■■ ■■! "You came again today."
"Did you like it here? Is that why you came back to play?"
Today, he didn't just spend the time playing aimlessly.
He was starting to realize that dreams didn't simply end as dreams.
Lawrence sat down in the meadow alongside the fairies.
"Aren't you going to play? Aren't we playing today?"
"Let's play. Come on, let's go have fun! If we don't do it now, we'll miss our chance!"
He turned down the whining fairy's invitation.
Playing was something he could do anytime.
But the chance to use magic was different.
Beneath the tree, he reached his hand out toward the darkness cast by the shade.
Shadow.
Just like he thought—not just a trick of his sleepy mind—the shadow stretched out long before him.
Seeing it made him smile.
So it hadn't been his imagination after all.
The sharp pain in his chest—the ache pulsing through his head—were both still there.
But the magic his friends from the dream had taught him stayed by Lawrence's side.
"Is that what you want to do today? Is that how you're going to play?"
"Just say the word if you want to play! We can do anything you want!"
He played with the shadows only for a short while.
A fresh wave of pain naturally made him lower his hand.
It must have lasted nearly five minutes.
Compared to the short time he'd managed in the storeroom, this was a big improvement.
It even felt like the pain was less severe somehow…
But was that just in his head?
… ...
Life at the monastery wasn't much different from living at the inn.
Wash up, clean, eat, clean some more.
He repeated this routine from morning until bedtime.
If anything, the reason his body didn't grow weary was thanks to all he'd endured working at the inn.
Because of that, he could carve out time every night to practice his magic.
No matter how tired he was, he never skipped his magic practice.
He simply enjoyed manipulating the shadow.
It was fun to watch it move just as he imagined.
He also took delight in how he could maintain it for longer and longer periods.
Still, whenever he used magic for too long, two unwelcome guests would show up.
Out of the two, the headache was more of a problem than the pain in his chest.
At first, it was manageable.
But if he ignored the warning and kept practicing magic, it started to feel like bugs were crawling around inside his skull.
It was a truly agonizing pain that wiped his mind completely blank.
When it got that bad, he couldn't even think straight, let alone attempt any magic.
The headache was a clear warning not to cross a certain line.
From then on, no matter how much he practiced, Lawrence never pushed himself to the point where the headache kicked in.
If his work was affected, that would be a problem.
As someone barely scraping by at the monastery, he couldn't afford for that to happen.
A month had already passed since Lawrence arrived at the monastery.
By now, he'd gotten so used to the cleaning that he could sneak in a little shadow magic here and there while he worked.
He was glad his magic wasn't flashy enough to draw attention.
Since most of his chores involved scrubbing filthy, out-of-the-way corners, darkness and shadows were always hovering around him.
He hated the cold, but darkness didn't scare him so much.
Maybe that was because Lawrence had spent so much of his life in back alleys.
Just as he was getting comfortable with dark and quiet places, an amusing idea popped into his head.
Maybe I could pull the Shadow out from within the darkness?
It wasn't just some wild fantasy.
That's exactly what happened the first time he used Shadow in his dreams.
There was another fairy by the lake, and after wondering how he could play with his new friend, he ended up making a bridge out of shadows.
There was no need to just play inside the shadow. He realized that the real purpose of Shadow was to step out from within and affect reality.
The thought that it was possible quickly became a conviction.
Magic has no limits.
At least, that's what magic meant to Lawrence.
"Let's go eat lunch, Lawrence."
"Already?"
He snapped out of his thoughts.
It must be about time for a meal—Marjorie had come looking for Lawrence.
"It's not 'already.' Everyone's at the dining hall except you."
"So you came to get me, huh."
He realized the upper part of the window he was cleaning was sparkling. His arm felt a bit stiff, and it definitely wasn't just his imagination.
"Yeah. That, and— And there's another reason, too."
"Another reason?"
"It's nothing. Let's go. We're having meat soup today."
"Really? I shouldn't be wasting time, then."
Lawrence climbed down from the ladder and put away the cleaning tools. If he didn't hurry, there might not be any meat soup left.
The boy left the chapel with Marjorie.
Before he knew it, Shadow in the darkness had vanished without a trace.