I’m not dumb enough to be a strategist, but I can be a spy!
This trick was learned from the White-haired Witch Bemore, it’s exactly what us beautiful girls are good at.
Leadership.
“You can’t. Your whole body just radiates the air of a country bumpkin. How can I trust you to introduce yourself and get into the Sheep Cleric Symposium like this?” Lady Mura tapped her ruler sharply against the ground, questioning coldly.
“I can’t help it.” Samimi pretended to tremble in fear, only muttering a few words.
Of course, this was just an act. She knew perfectly well that this was just Mura’s way of testing her, like a training instructor showing their authority up front, just to keep students in check.
Although she didn’t feel entirely comfortable, nowadays Samimi didn’t get angry at this kind of strict teacher anymore, mostly fearing that if she suddenly burst out saying she was the Pope, everything would be ruined.
Wait, that’s not right, the Pope is already dead!
“It’s fine, Lady Mura. The Pope has passed away. Is there anything we should be especially careful about?” Samimi probed tentatively.
“Don’t ask too much. Matters above us will be handled by those above us. What business does a little village priest like you have meddling in? Just do your own part well. If you really want to get involved, wait until you’ve climbed up the ranks. People like us don’t have the right or authority to interfere. We just have ears to listen and should learn well. Remember what I say, and I guarantee you won’t suffer.” Lady Mura scolded.
“Yes.” Samimi nodded.
“Then let me handle it. We’re setting off. Whether you can stay or not depends on your performance.” Lady Shaula said.
“Yes.” Samimi stood up gracefully.
Lady Mura was generally satisfied with her performance. Of course, there were still plenty of flaws, but if there were none, what would be the point of a symposium?
The two of them left the high-class residential area for Saints and headed toward [Jiali Cathedral].
Samimi had visited once before, but left in a hurry, so she never got the chance to look around properly. That place was the Kingdom’s Holy Church Headquarters.
It was located in the southeast of the Royal City, occupying a fifth of the entire city’s area—it was, quite literally, a city within a city.
Inside the Jiali Cathedral grounds were countless large and small cathedrals.
Each cathedral had its own function, but frankly, no one could say for sure what each cathedral was really for.
That’s why the church’s internal affairs had become extremely corrupted these days, all sorts of factions vying for power. Most of the clerics inside had no idea what their true roles were.
Moreover, Saints didn’t wear the brightly colored magic robes like magicians did, dressing freely, so unless you asked directly, it was impossible to know anyone’s actual position.
“Lady Mura, good morning.”
“Lady Mura, good morning.”
“Lady Mura, good morning.”
Along the way, every Saint greeted Lady Mura, regardless of their position or whether they were men or women—even those she didn’t know at all recognized Lady Mura.
As for Lady Mura, she remained distant and aloof, barely ever returning a greeting, thoroughly imposing.
Samimi silently learned from this—just like back in Sweet Melon Town, she didn’t need to return greetings from every single person.
Maybe she’d never really fit in here her entire life. Here, greeting was about checking in; back home, it was about retirement and leisure. The vibe just wasn’t the same.
She realized she’d been wrong all along—it seemed she really couldn’t tell the difference between the ranks of Saints.
The Saints had an even more strict and complicated hierarchical system than the Magic Academy, but she just didn’t know much about it.
Samimi felt like a rabbit who’d wandered into a tiger’s den, and of course, the cute rabbit was herself.
Or rather, it was more like starting work at a big corporation for the first time.
This hit right at the core of Samimi’s lack of real-world experience. As a guy who spent twenty-four hours surfing the net, he knew all sorts of random trivia, but never knew what it felt like to actually work in an office.
The layout of the Jiali Cathedral was completely different from the school gardens in light novels. There were no guides or rules in the original text—she’d just have to figure it out on her own.
They walked for a very, very long time…
Finally, they reached their destination: the fabled [Sheep Cleric Symposium].
Samimi looked up and glanced around, sweat beading on her forehead.
She realized she’d been wrong all along.
She’d thought this symposium would at most be a small, quiet group, like the Town Blessing Association or the Edge Magic Bureau—just a bunch of people goofing around on the sidelines. But when she reached the entrance, she realized it was nothing like that at all.
The Jiali Cathedral complex took up a fifth of the Royal City, and the Sheep Cleric Symposium itself occupied a fifth of the Jiali Cathedral’s territory—the largest facility in the entire church.
High walls, a proper campus gate, and inside were one teaching building after another, all for clerical training.
Put simply, this was basically a huge academy!
Western-style architecture, elegant gardens—it was just like those girls’ noble academies from fantasy and anime.
She’d never seen anything like it in her own country. In fact, she’d never even seen a girls’ academy before.
Another knowledge gap.
If she hadn’t watched anime, she’d have no idea such a thing even existed.
And those anime featuring girls’ noble academies? Eighty percent of them were yuri anime. That actually matched her own persona quite well.
No, no, no—this is not the time for daydreaming.
So after finishing Magic Academy, now she had to attend Cleric Academy too? Why not just end me now!
“What are you staring at? You country bumpkin, follow me quickly.”
Lady Mura saw Samimi standing dazed and didn’t spare the sarcasm, though in truth she rather enjoyed seeing this kind of honest reaction.
Samimi hurriedly followed Lady Mura through the gate inscribed with “Sheep”, stepping into a dazzlingly white, dreamlike land of girls—she felt like even her soul had been purified a little.
“Peace, Lady Mura.”
“Peace, Lady Mura.”
“Peace, Lady Mura.”
They passed several cleric students, each walking stiffly and greeting with a manner so formal it was hard not to laugh.
“Peace, children.”
And at last, Lady Shaula finally gave her first greeting along the way.
Samimi was sweating buckets from all this—this manner of greeting was so awkward it made her scalp tingle. Was this really a girls’ noble academy group?
Back in the Magic Academy, she lived in the dorm, where her roommates were all weirdos and misfits. Nobody cared about appearances. Even Bemore was just a socially anxious girl, but at least she could fit in.
Now, facing a whole group of girls who said “Peace” with such fake smiles? She had no idea what they were thinking. Maybe they were always plotting how to eliminate their rivals?
That was just the girls’ dormitory tea party before; this was a real palace intrigue drama.
“Watch closely and learn. You’ll have to greet people like this from now on, understood? Come on, say it so I can hear.” Lady Mura stopped in the middle of the road and lectured Samimi.
“Pe—” Samimi stammered.
All around, many young female cleric apprentices were watching. Wasn’t this just embarrassing?