I Became a Hero With a Lot of Experience

25 – 025: Shall We Go Meet Slowly (2)

The priest remained silent.

Silently maintaining the silence, the priest seemed to want nothing to do with me, just glaring at me with cold eyes.

Feeling a sense of dread from that eerie appearance, amid the knights swallowing their dry saliva, I stood up and looked at her.

＜Experience Acquisition: 4 individuals＞

It’s always a disappointing figure, considering the numbers. However, the aura of strength emanating from her is on par with or even surpasses Penny’s.

“Are you mute? Why did you come here?”

“… Her Majesty has commanded. Teach the use of sacred power to the knight. (Experience Acquisition: 4 individuals)”

“Do you dare to educate me, a non-virgin?”

A quite awkward situation.

Despite shamelessly coming all the way here, whether she was aware of it or not, the priest blushed.

“But Sir, you claim not to discriminate between non-virgins and virgins, so why use such words as ‘a non-virgin’? (Experience Acquisition: 9 individuals)”

“I just stated a fact.”

“If Sir doesn’t stop using that tone, it’s fine. It’s not something that happened overnight. (Experience Acquisition: 4 individuals)”

So, whether you will take the lesson or not, decide quickly, she urged me for an answer.

“I’ll take it.”

Of course, my answer was already decided.

Although I had learned how to enhance my body with sacred power, I did not know the method that had recovered my stamina on that glorious race day.

Nodding, she gestured for me to proceed, and with a sigh, she took her seat.

It seemed that she had inwardly expected a refusal.

“What are we doing here?”

“Originally, it would be better to do it in a temple filled with divine power, but since you’re not a devotee of the Courage God, there won’t be any significant effect. (Experience gain: 4 people)”

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So, indicating that it didn’t matter even here, she gestured for me to sit.

“And before we start the training, let me say… (Experience gain: 4 people)”

“What?”

“Lord Las was not chosen as a knight because of a lack of skill. It’s just that luck wasn’t on his side. (Experience gain: 4 people)”

“Bullsh*t. You talk too much nonsense.”

“…. (Experience gain: 4 people)”

Even if she didn’t understand the meaning, she seemed to grasp that it was an insult, as her expression tightened.

“Hey. Chair.”

Unable to sit on the floor like a virgin, I ordered a knight to bring a chair and sat there.

“Whether it’s a lesson or something else, tell me.”

“…Even if it’s called a lesson, there’s not much I can teach because the gods we believe in are different. (Experience gain: 4 people)”

“Then why were you sent?”

“There’s no temple in the royal capital dedicated to the Goddess of Purity. I was the best choice, considering. (Experience gain: 4 people)”

In a city so vast, not a single temple dedicated to the true goddess. Now, I might understand why the trash in this city overflowed.

“Now, let me explain the principle of generating divine power. Our priests offer prayers to the gods to prove their obedience, and the gods receive those prayers and respond to us with divine power. (Experience gain: 4 people)”

However, there is a limit to how much divine power each person can receive, so it’s not infinite.

Even if the vessel is large, there is a limit to the divine power that can be used in a day due to the simultaneous consumption of stamina during the process.

“Also, sometimes, not only divine power but miracles are granted. The day before… when you, the knight, ran away with the key, my recovery of stamina was thanks to the miracle I received. (Experience gain: 4 people)”

“Grr… (Experience gain: 5 people)”

In the midst of the story of the Sacred Capital, one knight couldn’t hold back and let out a small laugh.

The virgin priestess glared at him. He quickly erased his smile and turned his head.

“So, if you want to become stronger, you should at least pray, right?”

Before she could unnecessarily go into virgin hysteria, I forcibly changed the topic.

“Although I expressed it as prayer, it’s more accurate to say that we please the gods in the heavens. For example, the God of Courage likes courageous actions, as the name suggests. (Experience gain: 4 people)”

Elevating one’s courage in the face of the enemy, overcoming fear in battle—that pleases the God of Courage.

“So, we must please the Goddess of Purity. Our prayers will soon become their strength. That’s the case for ordinary believers. (Experience Points: 4)”

“What?”

“For heroes, it’s a bit different. (Experience Points: 4)”

Unlike ordinary believers who wait to receive divine power from the gods, heroes can manifest their own sanctity through acts of devotion to each deity.

Moreover, with the bestowed divine power, they can create their own miracles, truly embodying the power befitting a representative of the gods.

“Alright, I roughly get the idea. So, what kind of actions please the Goddess of Purity?”

“Well, um… I’m not entirely sure about that. (Experience Points: 4)”

The first thing that comes to mind is protecting virgins.

However, in this accursed world, safeguarding virgins proved to be an exceedingly challenging task.

“Virgins…”

The moment that word escaped his lips, memories of the past journey flooded back.

The shabby temple of the obscure Goddess at the frontier.

Country roads emanating the scent of manure, and the fortified city.

And even the royal road.

Recalling all of it, I came to a single conclusion.

“There are no virgins, damn it!”

“Hey! There are no virgins here! (Experience Points: 9)”

“He took a hit! (Experience Points: 2)”

“hehehe―ha!! (Experience Points: 5)”

“Shut up, you immature brats!”

No, even if there were a million people, isn’t it reasonable to think that at least one person might try to maintain chastity until marriage?

I couldn’t help but sigh at the doubt that this might be the harsh reality.

But I can’t give up here. Despite this hellish world, not all paths are closed yet.

“There’s no choice. Hey, non-virgin.”

“…What? (Experience Points: 4)”

“Guide me to the orphanage right now. That’s the only way.”

The only virgin I’ve encountered in this world.

It’s only the crows and the children.

*****

“…Going to the orphanage to save a virgin? You didn’t react to Penny, and now suddenly you have that taste? (Experience Points: 79)”

“Damn it, it’s not like that.”

If asked whether I like or dislike children, I would rather lean towards disliking.

No, precisely, it’s not dislike, but discomfort.

Unlike adults, I can’t just smack them around, and it’s not easy being a being that has to endlessly yield.

But unless I go to an orphanage, it’s more challenging than plucking stars from the sky to find a maiden in this cursed world.

Even if I could find one, wouldn’t it be a daunting task to keep her in the prime due to the pretext of my sacred training?

“Umm… I’d rather start making them now. (Experience Points: 79)”

“It’s not like that?”

Whether he didn’t hear me or simply had no intention of listening, the king seemed to be concocting some thoughts again.

Approaching the throne, I flicked my finger, and only then did the king, who seemed to regain his senses, speak.

“Umm… anyway, thinking of using orphans as a source of energy to extract sacred power. Indeed, you possess a sharp wit befitting the title of a hero. (Experience Points: 79)”

“Can’t you express that a bit more elegantly? Strictly speaking, it’s not that different, and that’s more infuriating.”

“Anyway, that works out well. There’s a pile of orphans in the royal capital who lost their parents due to the demon lord’s invasion. Taking a couple won’t even be noticed. (Experience Points: 79)”

In the face of his dismissive attitude towards war orphans, I momentarily forgot what I wanted to say.

I knew that life in this world was as fragile as a fly’s life, but when the reality hit me, I couldn’t find the words to say.

“I understand what you want to say. Sitting in this position makes many things disappear. Sympathy for orphans is just one of them. (Experience Points: 79)”

The king chuckled self-deprecatingly, saying that I could understand everything if I sat on the throne for just one day.

“Anyway, I have no intention of bringing the children here. I’ll go myself.”

“Well, it might be troublesome, but go ahead. When you go, take my daughter with you. A princess and a hero personally delivering food to the pitiful orphans. Doesn’t it make for a picturesque scene? (Experience Points: 79)”

“It doesn’t matter, but if I hear rumors that a couple who promised each other’s future volunteered at an orphanage, I’ll abandon your daughter in a poor neighborhood and come back.”

“Tsk… (Experience Points: 79)”

He seemed like a cautious old man who couldn’t let his guard down; it seemed that was the expectation.

The visit to the orphanage happened in an instant, and the destination was decided.

We were headed to an orphanage operated by priests who worship the god of patience, a place that manages a considerable number of orphans, or so they say.

I brought snacks and a thin window that children might like onto the carriage.

They might not be able to wield lances, but with these small windows, they should be able to.

Even if they show no interest in the windows, I can entertain them with just this.

“… (Experience Points: 1)”

When I got on the carriage, as the king had foretold, Penny was waiting in neat attire.

He hesitated for a moment about getting on the carriage, but soon raised his head and sat across from her.

Instead, he opened the carriage door and windows wide to let out the mop smell.

“Hiing~!! (Experience Points: 3)”

With the horse’s cry, the carriage began to shake.

As the scenery changed rapidly, my excitement grew, and unconsciously, I started a conversation with her.

“Hey, non-virgin. Should we slowly go meet them?”

“What? What did you just call me? (Experience Points: 1)”

“Virgin.”

“What did you call me!!! (Experience Points: 1)”