It has been three months since that fight with the goblins, I have gone on a few more hunts but they yielded so very little experience that it is pitiful. It seems that I have to hunt bigger game to level up now. Maybe wolves? Or a lone orc? Various monsters swirl in my mind.

However, Tom interrupted the hunting plan I was constructing with a bombardment of questions. Apparently, he sees me as this fighting genius after the last several hunts. While flattering, I told him to cut it out. However, that backfired in that his fervor was further strengthened by my apparent “humbleness.” I swear one of these days, he is going to utter the words, “Sasuga Nicolas-sama.” On That day, if anyone hears those words, I will silence them to preserve my dignity.

Until he is satisfied, he will keep asking so I just answer him to the best of my ability as a former office worker and nerd. Most of what I say to him sounds like bullshit to myself but he seemed to get something out of whatever random quote I think of off the top of my head. This amount of admiration that poured out from him may drown me soon enough.

In other news, it seems like Tom got an underling. A little bug man named Beep is the only one here more innocent than Tom. He looks like a stickbug if it had a human form. Also, he is as dumb as rocks. If you asked him what two plus two was, he would answer with fish. Due to his intelligence, or lack of which, he seemed to have been tricked into being a lackey of a group of less savory children. He just saw them as friends. Thankfully for this young one, Tom did the standard hero protagonist thing of standing up to the ring of exploiters and made fast friends with Beep. Nice to see him with friends but my situation has gotten even more uncomfortable. After Tom espoused my alleged greatness to Beep, Beep now looks at me with the same eyes as Tom. The weight of their worship is suffocating.

During the afternoon roll call, the turtle snapper appeared himself, Father Vlad. A feeling of dread engulfed the room as he opened his mouth, “O’ holy little brats, I bring news today. The trial shall be held in nine months. What is this trial you ask?” He would giggle a bit before continuing. “A death battle of course! The Church cannot have any herbivores, we need predators! It is a law of nature that the hunter subjugates the hunted as ordained by the earth mother! Some of you might die, but only means you were just toothless prey, no use to the Church.”

The good-natured Tom flinched at the later half. The conflict between his loyalty to the Church and his morals played out openly on his face but thankfully only I noticed. Anything other than total obedience will get you a corporal punishment like a whipping. Beep did not even listen to whatever the turtle snapper said, going by the absent look in his eyes. Beep will be Beep.

The Father Vlad quickly exited with a grin as the children reacted. Some felt scared. Some felt excited. Some did not care. As for myself, I am shitting myself. This fucking sadistic demon of a priest. He is going to pull out some high mid-tier monster going by how he is, something I would be turned into a red mist by if I dared stand against them. I wish I could get off this cultist island already. If I get the chance, I am going to choke that motherfucker until he passes on to his beloved goddess.

During afternoon freetime, Tom came to me to ask another question with a conflicted and lost face. He mumbled, “Killing people is bad but the Church is always right. I do not know what to think. Am I a sinner?” With the heavy question being shot at me, I could only sit in silence for a moment. What do I say? How do I console him without sounding treasonous?

But, the appearance of tears upon Tom’s face, my thinking stopped. Who would leave their friend in silent tension waiting for an answer to a very emotional question? I am a shit friend. Tom’s expression would turn to utter bafflement as I slapped myself. I dragged him to an empty area behind some nearby buildings. I clapped my hands on both his shoulders and sternly said, “You are right. They are in the wrong and you are in the right. Do not doubt yourself, you are not a sinner.” For a moment, a silence held before wailing was heard. He must have thought himself evil for his thought crime against the Church. It was eating him up inside out. Being told that he was not a vile heretic must have been a very welcome relief to him.

Gaining a hold on himself, he would stifle his tears and snort. With watery eyes full of thanks, he would leave to train himself, leaving me by my lonesome.