saint ch23

Class (5)

Yenisa Lofflin.

She thought she was living a pretty successful life for a commoner.

Considering she was born as the child of an ordinary tenant farmer in a village that was practically the countryside, she had her own cozy house in the Imperial capital, and she was even a professor at the Loven Academy, recognized for her cooking skills, so anyone would say she had achieved a self-made life.

Of course, she felt sorry when comparing herself to the real professors within the Academy, and she was in a position where she was just floating around with others in a similar situation, and there were countless twists and turns, more than hundreds of pages could contain, to get to this position, but wasn’t the result what mattered anyway?

She had pride in her life.

She also had faith in Orion, who had looked after her until she reached this position.

If she hadn’t found small comfort through the teachings of the Church whenever things were difficult and painful, she wouldn’t be where she was now.

She was a model believer with a sound faith, going to church every week and faithfully donating.

She had a slightly sly ulterior motive of hoping that her steady faith would be rewarded someday and she would become even more successful.

Was this a punishment for that sly desire?

Or was it Orion’s own mercy for the faith she had offered?

“W-w-well then, let’s begin the class.”

A voice that anyone could tell was trembling came out, but fortunately or unfortunately, Yenisa’s appearance wasn’t noticed by the few students in the classroom.

Because the gazes of everyone in the classroom were directed at one place.

Yenisa tried hard to ignore it, but she couldn’t ignore the sight of the novice Saint in the very corner of the classroom, and she still couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.

Why? Why on earth?

Was that course registration form not just a pipe dream, but real?

How could that be?

Was she still not fully awake from her sleep?

This shouldn’t be happening, she had to go to work because it was Monday morning.

“From today, we will be learning about fried dishes using local specialty fish from each region.”

Even while mechanically reading out the prepared lesson materials, Yenisa felt the urge to strangle her past self for preparing such a dish at a time like this.

Due to the Empire’s inland location, fish was a relatively rare ingredient, and without using magic, it wasn’t easy to apply heat at a uniformly high temperature, so fried food was also considered a high-end dish.

Yenisa’s cooking subject was nominally named ‘Basic,’ but the curriculum was largely centered on the dishes she wanted to try, and naturally, it consisted mainly of luxurious or hard-to-come-by dishes.

That wasn’t really a problem.

In the first place, there weren’t many students taking this subject, but the few students who did were more interested in these kinds of dishes than in steamed dishes or egg dishes with spices that they could easily encounter in their daily lives.

Her personal desires were positively affecting the students.

Until now.

People who came all the way to the Academy to take cooking classes and learn to cook in earnest wouldn’t care, but fish basically had a strong fishy smell.

As it was a meat dish, gutting was essential, and for frying, batter had to be made separately.

Not to mention the oil splattering when coating the fish with batter.

In short, the cooking process they were about to learn was very laborious and messy.

It wasn’t for nothing that noble families had novice cooks or handymen who only handled the dirty work in the kitchen.

However, this was a subject opened to learn cooking.

From such trivial parts was the beginning of cooking, and if someone else did it for them, what would be the point?

Yenisa, who had a strong pride in cooking, usually had such a theory, but she wished for such assistance now more than ever.

The students who had been diligently following the class were already used to such chores, so it wasn’t a problem.

But the problem was that the novice Saint of the Orion Order was now participating in the class, not just observing.

“Then, first, we’ll learn about gutting the fish we’ve prepared today.”

Yenisa, who desperately turned her body completely towards the blackboard to block the Saint’s gaze, started spinning her eyes wildly.

The Saint, who probably had never held a kitchen knife in his life, let alone seen an ungutted fish, gutting fish…!

“This species of fish is characterized by its rich juice, so to emphasize this, we’ll make a chewy batter…”

The Saint, who probably didn’t even know what starch was, making batter…!

The more she spoke, the more Yenisa felt like she was committing an outrageous act of blasphemy.

Yenisa, who felt like she was about to collapse just from explaining the cooking process, cautiously turned her head and looked at the novice Saint.

She would have preferred him to have a bored expression.

She would have felt relieved if he was looking elsewhere with an uninterested expression.

If the Saint was uninterested, she could give him some convenience and not make him do anything, and nothing would happen.

Even though the Saint was reluctantly taking this class, did it make sense to make the Saint prepare and handle the cooking ingredients, no matter what?

Yes, there must be some incredible secret that a commoner like herself couldn’t even fathom.

She should just pretend she didn’t see anything and proceed with the class as usual.

Yenisa, filled with her own wishes disguised as rational judgment, came to a conclusion and made eye contact with the novice Saint, who was looking at her with enthusiastic eyes.

“…”

If she wasn’t mistaken, he seemed to be taking notes.

Several seconds passed as she froze after making eye contact.

The novice Saint, tilting his head, gave Yenisa a small smile.

It was an appearance that was far from words like coercion, conspiracy, disinterest, or boredom.

In the meantime, Yenisa, who felt a little relieved by the novice Saint’s smile, smiled back as if possessed and turned back to the blackboard, thinking.

This is definitely wrong!!!

Orion, I’m sorry! But it’s not intentional! I have no intention of making the Saint do such a thing! Please forgive me, a sinful person!

Yenisa Lofflin, a current Academy cooking professor’s silent scream echoed in the classroom.

* * *

I couldn’t help but reflect on myself for having easily dismissed it as just a job.

Yeah, in a world where magic engineering carriages that rival the ride of a car roam around, and armor that stretches to match even when the wearer suddenly transforms into someone over 2 meters tall, there’s no way that a job would be primitive.

It’s just that the difference between the high and low points due to the gap between the rich and poor is enormous.

All sorts of magic engineering equipment plastered to create facilities no different from a modern kitchen, and all sorts of cooking methods developed accordingly.

And even strange ingredients that are similar to modern ones but slightly different.

With this level, wouldn’t it be possible to make food that would satisfy even modern people who are used to stimulating tastes with all sorts of seasonings and spices?

I just chose a subject to avoid danger, but I felt quite happy as if I had unintentionally found a hidden gem.

“Was the class worth listening to?”

The Princess approached me after I came out of the first cooking class and asked me that.

“It’s a very solid subject.”

“Is that so…”

I told her with sincerity, but the Princess didn’t seem to agree.

She looked like she wanted me to take a different subject instead of this one even now, but having taken the class, I was even more determined not to change my mind.

I lightly changed the subject.

“Is there any need for the Princess to wait outside like this just for me? It must be troublesome.”

“That is the duty of a bodyguard. You don’t have to worry about it, Saint.”

Even for me, it felt resistant to make the Princess wait outside throughout the class.

The cooking professor was in a panic, so I cast the holy magic that I showed during the welcoming ceremony when she looked at me, but if she knew that even the Princess was waiting outside the classroom, she would have fainted.

I could have cast it earlier, but then there would be no meaning.

You have to seize the opportunity.

If she felt a sense of stability while looking at me, whether it was due to external factors or not, there is a high possibility that it will lead to affection for me.

It’s a basic human psychology famous as the shaky bridge effect.

There’s no harm in building goodwill with the professor who I will have to take classes from in the future.

Isn’t it these small parts that come together to solidify my grand position as a low-margin, high-volume commoner Saint?

“By the way, the child who always attends to the Saint is not visible.”

“Are you talking about Celia? I told her not to focus on attending to me as much as taking Academy classes, but to take subjects that would be helpful to her.”

Of course, that help to her will be help to me.

“Then who will attend to the Saint…”

“In the first place, there’s no problem living without being attended to, right? Even Azelia doesn’t have anyone attending to her.”

How many people among modern people have experienced living while being attended to by others?

At least, it wasn’t me.

It was nice to have it, though.

“I have to perform the Saint’s bodyguard duty, so that’s why. I also receive attendance usually.”

“I’m not such a great person that I need to be attended to in the first place.”

Well, this is just me being humble.

But it’s obviously better to do even a face-saving gesture than not to do it.

There’s a saying that you can repay a thousand nyang debt with a single word for a reason.

“The Saint is really…”

Seeing her showing a liking while also saying that she couldn’t stop me, it was as expected.

Even though I decided to distance myself from the powerful, the Imperial family and the Princess are different.

Besides, ironically, the reason I decided to distance myself was the Princess, but because she was the Princess who showed such great abilities, I decided to stick to her even more.

The super strong bodyguard I wanted so much.

I won’t let go until I save someone else.

Especially to avoid being stabbed to death unexpectedly!

“Then, shall we go to the next…class?”

The Princess said that to me as I made that decision.

Hearing the Princess’s trembling voice, the next subject naturally came to mind.

Farming.

Um…honestly, I never imagined that I would learn farming in this other world.

I’ve never even had a rural experience in modern times.

“Saint Ronan. If you ever feel like giving up, you must tell me at any time.”

Why are you scaring me so much?

Farming may be difficult, but I think it will be much better than the martial arts-related subjects that the Princess was trying to make me take.

“Don’t worry, Azelia. I’ll tell you right away if I feel overwhelmed.”

I said that, but the Princess, who still didn’t seem relieved, earnestly urged me again, and we moved our steps towards the vegetable garden where the farming class would take place.

This time, we weren’t entering a classroom with clearly defined boundaries, so as we were walking together towards the designated place, I could see people who seemed to be gathered to take the farming class in the distance.

“I’ll be back.”

“Be careful.”

I’m just learning farming, you know.

It’s like I’m going to a battlefield.

I saw the Princess off with a smile and was about to move my steps towards the place where people were gathered when.

“Hey, young Saint! You came just in time! It’s this way!”

A voice that echoed loudly around the surroundings was heard from among the people.

It was a very familiar voice.

The Princess, who was about to turn around and leave, also froze in that state and turned her gaze towards the place where the voice was coming from.

“What are you doing! Aren’t you here to take the farming subject?”

A person who was hidden by the gathered people because of his small stature pushed through the people and started waving his hand.

I stared at the scene and the Princess alternately with a bewildered look.

“…”

Even the Princess was shaking her head, beads of sweat trickling down her face.

So, she doesn’t know anything this time either.

“…Gorg, why are you here?”

In the end, the obvious question slipped from my lips.

There, standing with an imposing air, was a dwarf.

The Captain of the Steel Anvil royal guard.

The leader of the dwarven priest order.

His self-proclaimed epithet was “Pulverizer.”

Again! It was Gorg.

Is this guy my next-door neighbor or something?

I’m starting to get attached.

If we’re just talking about the lodgings, being next-door isn’t exactly wrong, but…

The people standing around me seemed to sympathize with my question, while also looking at me as if to say, “Are you really the one to talk?”

Hey, I’m walking the natural path of a Saint candidate who’s friendly to commoners, okay?

He wields that terrifying iron hammer, can grow his body into a giant over 2 meters tall if he doesn’t like something, and is an inflexible man…dwarf who won’t budge an inch when it comes to faith! I’m different!

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like my gaze, filled with my suppressed feelings, was properly conveyed.