No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!?

No, How Can an Atheist Become a Saintess!? – 80

EP.80 The Saintess and the Knight (4)

Though the government and the church still had unfinished discussions with the gnomes, Ria, our companions, and I decided to return to Earth. Of course, that didn’t mean we left immediately. No matter how quickly we moved, there were still official procedures to follow.

First, we informed the government of our departure. Then, we informed the church. But before we could leave, the gnome government insisted on holding one last banquet in our honor. As a result, it was three more days before we could finally return.

During that time, I took my time wandering through the gnome territories, tying up loose ends. The first place I visited was the workshop where I had placed a special order.

"I didn’t expect it to be finished this quickly..."

I had only intended to check on the progress, but Clanet handed me a finished gemstone. I had been prepared to leave the final touches to the church members staying behind in case it took longer than expected.

The gemstone was beautiful and incredibly small—much smaller than the magic stones I had seen in the archives. It was roughly the size of a diamond set into a ring... perhaps just slightly larger.

Or rather, it was already set into a ring.

"Normally, we’d have to extract all the existing magic from the magic stone, carefully purify it, and gradually refill it with divine power while ensuring the stone’s integrity."

"Right. And?"

I looked up from the ring and met Clanet’s gaze. She gave a sheepish smile.

"Well... since the lake you visited was already brimming with divine power, all we had to do was take multiple magic stones and cleanse them there. It made the selection process much faster. From those, we picked the highest quality one and refined it further."

"…..."

Ah. Right. That makes sense.

The lake was still filled with all the holy relics I had left behind. Not to mention, I had purified the surrounding area before sealing it with sand.

"Would you like to test it?"

I nodded and took the ring in my hand.

Then, I called upon my divine power.

Slowly, I felt the energy seep into the ring.

It was an odd sensation. Normally, when infusing divine power into an ordinary stone, it felt like pressing against a solid barrier, forcing energy through. But this gemstone... It absorbed the divine power like a sponge.

Not wanting to overdo it and collapse, I stopped midway.

Opening my palm, I saw a soft glow emanating from the ring. More specifically, from the gemstone set within it. There had been no resistance—meaning it could store far more divine power in the future.

Its small size and ring form were an added bonus. Easy to store, impossible to misplace when worn, and convenient to use.

"It’s perfect," I said with a smile.

Clanet nodded in satisfaction.

"Which finger would you like to wear it on? I can adjust the size right away."

"Ah, well..."

I hesitated.

Which finger do people usually wear a ring like this on?

The ring finger was typically for engagement or wedding rings. Graduation rings were sometimes worn on the index finger, but that would be inconvenient since I use firearms.

"May I make a suggestion?"

Clanet held up another ring.

"Two of them?"

"Yes. There was another gemstone that was just as good. And if there are two rings, there's only one obvious choice for which fingers they should go on."

Wait... No way.

"Uh, just so you know, I don’t have a partner or anything like that..."

"Huh?"

Clanet blinked at me as if she had never even considered that possibility. Then, she glanced back and forth between me and Ria.

...Why?

"Well, it's just that I heard—"

"—Whatever you heard was probably wrong."

Seriously, who has been spreading rumors?

Just because two women travel together doesn’t mean they’re in some kind of romantic relationship. That’s the kind of assumption only certain foreigners would make. In Korea, friends link arms all the time. I sometimes do it with Ria when necessary.

...Wait.

Was it because of the dance?

"Oh... Ohhh!"

Clanet clapped her hands together in sudden realization. Then, with visible beads of sweat on her forehead, she hurriedly said,

"I-I see!"

See what, exactly?

"But I still think the fourth finger is the best choice. On the left hand, it symbolizes engagement or marriage. But on the right hand, the ring finger represents an unbreakable friendship."

"...Not the left index finger?"

I narrowed my eyes.

I’d read about this before.

Back when I was into web novels, I saw it a lot in yuri stories—where a heroine, too embarrassed to buy matching rings, would instead buy a ‘friendship ring’ and put it on the protagonist’s left index finger.

I wasn’t sure if that was an actual thing or just a trope.

Then again, do women even give each other friendship rings? Men definitely don’t. That would be a one-way ticket to being completely misunderstood.

"In gnome society, that's how it is," Clanet explained. "If the left ring finger represents unwavering love, then the right ring finger represents unwavering friendship. It’s also a practical choice. Since we use our hands a lot for work, rings are less of a bother when worn on the ring or pinky fingers. But the pinky tends to get knocked around a lot since it’s on the outer edge of the hand."

"Ah... That makes sense."

If we're thinking purely in practical terms, the ring finger really is the best choice.

"But even if it does represent unwavering friendship..."

I turned to look at Ria.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed.

...Isn’t this kind of embarrassing?

Maybe it's just because my emotional maturity is stuck at ‘adult man’ mode, but friendships do change over time. The childhood friend you once saw every day can turn into someone you only meet occasionally for coffee once life starts wearing you down.

Wouldn’t that be the same for women, too?

"...I'm fine with it. I have to hold a sword anyway," Ria said.

"Well, if that's the case, then I suppose there’s no issue," Clanet replied.

"If you’re really uncomfortable wearing it as a ring, I can make a nice necklace for you instead. After all, you’re a hero who helped us—it’s the least I can do. Wearing a ring on a chain around your neck isn’t a bad alternative."

Ria nodded at the suggestion.

I simply shrugged.

And so, the rings were chosen—both practically and symbolically.

*

"...Really?"

At the farewell banquet before our departure, Gloria noticed the ring on my hand and asked about its meaning. After hearing the whole story, her expression turned somewhat ambiguous.

"Why? Does it mean something strange in elf society?"

"No, not necessarily... It's just that elves don't place much significance on rings. What I meant to say, however—"

Her gaze shifted toward Ria, a trace of curiosity in her eyes.

"That night, from where I was watching up above, I saw—"

But she never got to finish her sentence.

Before she could, Han Yu-ri—who had somehow gotten chummy with Gloria—suddenly smacked her lightly on the arm. It wasn’t a hard hit, more like a quick intervention.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

Gloria protested, but Han Yu-ri simply grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside.

"Come with me for a second."

Then, she dragged her off in the direction of Lee Si-yoon, who was deep in conversation with the church members.

Oh, right. She did awaken in the end, didn't she?

It made sense that the knights would take an interest in her. That was probably what Han Yu-ri had noticed.

After all, every knight who had followed me here was a woman.

Seriously, so much jealousy around here.

Thinking that, I turned my head to Ria to share the thought—but for some reason, her face was bright red.

She even let out a long, relieved sigh.

...Why?

Ria had converted her ring into a necklace and now wore it around her neck. Just in case, I infused it with divine power. I planned to keep charging it every night before bed. You never know when you might need it.

When our eyes met, Ria cleared her throat and extended a hand toward me.

"…Then, shall we dance?"

I wasn’t sure if she’d run out of things to say or if she was just trying to block anyone else from asking me for a dance again.

Seeing her blush while asking me, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Ria shot me a look, but she didn’t say anything.

"Alright."

I placed my hand in hers. It was soft yet firm—undeniably warm.

She held it gently and pulled me toward her, leading me to the center of the dance floor.

Then, she pulled me in even closer.

I felt her hand settle at my waist, and I looked up at her.

She smelled... nice.

Even though we used the same shampoo and body wash.

Jeez, that's so unfair.

......

Well, whatever.

Throughout the dance, Ria couldn’t meet my eyes, her cheeks flushed a deep red.

I didn’t know why, but for once, I felt like I had won.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I had won or how I had won it—but as long as Ria wasn’t rejecting me, it probably wasn’t a bad thing.

Choosing to take it as a victory, I let myself be led, moving in time with her steps.

Maybe... just maybe... my face was a little red, too.