Just like that, Samimi and Niubao spent several days living together in the Sweet Melon Town chapel.
But soon, Samimi discovered a major and very troubling issueโฆ
She was broke!
As a local nun, she received a meager stipend each monthโbarely enough to support herself.
Feeding a second mouth made things tight.
Not to mention that Samimi dreamed of renovating the entire Sweet Melon chapelโand even expanding it to build her own grand estate in this fantasy world.
Every time she looked at the vast empty land surrounding her, her heart ached.
She had the space, but not the money to build or decorate.
Sighโฆ Forget building for now. Let’s focus on getting enough to eat.
Her job was to serve as a priestโhealing the townsfolk and earning a little income.
But the problem wasโฆ Sweet Melon Town wasnโt some remote countryside village.
It already had its own doctorโs clinic.
Unless someone had a serious wound requiring healing magic, there was little demand for a nunโs services.
And the food left by the old nun was almost gone.
โSo expensiveโฆ No, the real issue isโIโm just too poor.โ
Samimi and Niubao went shopping at the local general store.
Every item was carefully compared for price and value; Samimi scrutinized every purchase down to the copper coin.
โIf youโre gonna buy, hurry up. If not, move along.โ
The shopkeeper grew impatient with their penny-pinching behavior.
But he was already kinder than most.
At least he didnโt kick out the “penitent nun” and the little beastkin outrightโhe still sold them some supplies.
In fact, most other stores in Sweet Melon Town refused to do business with Samimi.
The black blindfold she wore over her eyes marked her as a sinnerโand people kept their distance.
Even though she walked confidently without stumbling, with just a cane in hand, people didnโt believe she was really blind.
She looked more like someone pretending to be blind.
Still, dislike was one thingโno one dared actually provoke her.
She was a penitent nun, a feared figure out of old legends.
It was an ancient form of punishment, and now that a real black-cloaked, blindfolded nun had appeared in town, no one wanted to be the one to mess with her.
โMiss Nun, please wait.โ
Just as they left the shop, Samimi and Niubao were stopped by a well-dressed middle-aged man, followed by several kingdom knightsโclearly someone important.
โGreetings, Iโm the mayor of Sweet Melon Town. Sorry for not welcoming you sooner,โ the man introduced himself.
โIโm Samimi, the new local nun. Iโll be in your care,โ she replied politely.
โLikewise, likewise.โ
The mayor forced a smile.
Thenโฆ awkward silence.
It was obvious the mayor didnโt welcome this new “penitent nun.”
To him, she was a destabilizing presence in town.
But she had been sent by the central church in the capital.
No one had the authority to remove her.
โIf thereโs nothing else, weโll take our leave. If anyone gets injured, feel free to come find me. Iโm a priest,โ Samimi said.
โYes, of course,โ the mayor replied with a stiff smile.
After exchanging pleasantries, Samimi and Niubao returned home.
As they walked away, the mayorโs smile vanished completely.
Though the conversation had been polite, he hadnโt felt the slightest bit of respect from the penitent nun.
But after thinking it through, he decided to let it go.
She hadnโt caused any real trouble.
As long as she stayed quietly in her remote little chapel, she wouldnโt interfere with the townโs business.
No need to stir things up.
Heโd heard rumors that she had healed a beastkin slave and brought her back to the church.
People feared she might be using the slave as a test subject.
But the girl walking beside her just now was probably that slave, right?
She looked plump and healthy, with no signs of mistreatment.
If anything, it was the penitent nun who looked haggardโtoo poor even to buy a proper cane, just using a random stick from the ground.
โMayor.โ
Suddenly, Samimi returned with the little slave girl in tow.
โIs there something else, Miss Nun?โ the mayor asked.
โThis is a bit embarrassing, butโฆ do you know of any jobs where I can earn some money?โ Samimi asked bluntly.
โUhhโฆ Let me think.โ The mayor was dumbfounded. So she really is dirt poor. Just like I thought.
โMayor, weโve received reports from multiple caravans that a pack of wolves is roaming the nearby forest,โ said the kingdom knight captain beside him.
โWeโre about to mount a subjugation. If we had a priest with us, it would help.โ
โOh, right! I was attacked by wolves on my way into town too. I even treated a coachman,โ Samimi chimed in.
โThen letโs do that,โ the mayor said. โMiss Nun, Iโd like to hire you as our expeditionโs priest. Iโll pay according to the Adventurersโ Guild ratesโyouโll be fairly compensated. How about it?โ
โNo problem. Iโm ready to go now.โ
She turned to Niubao.
โTake the supplies and go home first. Iโm heading out on a mission and will be back soon.โ
โMiss Nun, please come home safe! Donโt leave me behind!โ
Niubao obediently took the bag and key, and headed back to the chapel on her own.
Seeing this, the mayor and the knights suddenly found their assumptions about the penitent nun shattered.
Turns out, she was just another ordinary person working hard to survive.
โLetโs move out.โ
Samimi joined a small unit of kingdom knights and left Sweet Melon Town, heading toward the forest where the wolves had been sighted.
This kind of mission was practically a genre clichรฉโfifty percent of all isekai protagonists probably go on a wolf-hunting quest as their first job.
As for the kingdom knight squadโthey were the townโs permanent garrison, maintaining local peace and order.
In modern terms, they were like sheriffs guarding a frontier town.
Their authority was substantial.
Eliminating local threats like wild beasts was their duty, but for truly dangerous monsters, the mayor would hire professional adventurers with guild backing.
Blades flashed and swords clashed in the woodsโthe rampaging wolves were all cut down by the knights.
Honestly, the mission didnโt even require Samimiโs help.
It was an easy victory.
No one was injured.
The wolvesโ fangs couldnโt even scratch the knightsโ armorโit was a one-sided slaughter.
โCaptain, thank you for including me,โ Samimi said sincerely.
She knew full well they didnโt need a priest for this job, but the captain still brought her along so she could earn some pay.
โNo need to thank me. That stingy mayorโs been hoarding cashโtime he forked some over,โ the captain waved it off.
โCaptain, bad news!โ
Suddenly, one of the knights burst out of the bushes, stammering in panic.
โTh-th-thereโs a b-bigโฆ!โ
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