Chapter 9

Everything will be fine.

Because that is the Lord’s will.

It’s small, not something you’d call a divine power,


and too trivial to be called a miracle.


I’ve never failed at cooking before.

“I just slathered sauce on the turkey, rotated it over the fire, and it cooked perfectly inside.”


“It’s crispy. Juicy on the inside.”


“It’s the Lord’s blessing. I’m just grateful.”

If I throw in ingredients in a ratio that seems roughly right, it turns out fine. When I think it’s done and turn off the heat, it really is done.

Only the possibility of the cooking turning out well is selected and made real. I don’t know why the Lord granted me this power, but He must have His reasons.

“Eat a lot, Roka.”

She’s still very shy,


but I think she’s gotten a little closer to our house wolf.

*Zoom.*

Maybe it’s just me thinking that.


But who cares?

*Glance.*

But the guy who already finished eating just poked his head out from behind his door.


He looked at me for a moment, then *whoosh*, went back in. When I went to the vegetable garden to do the dishes, he followed me sneakily. There was no well here originally, but I made one. Not by the Lord’s will, but by my own.

One of the many miracles I can wield.


A spring of water bubbled up in the corner of the garden.


The clear water didn’t freeze even in the winter cold. Spring is coming, but the nights are still chilly. Yet, when I wake up in the morning, the water is still flowing quietly, unfrozen.

As time passes, the sun sets, and even the moon wanes,


this spring will always rise clear as ever.

That’s why it’s a miracle,


that’s why it’s sacred.


Not too long ago, when I was still adventuring with Yurinel’s party, this miracle ensured we never ran out of water.

‘Should I clean up after this?’

Well, Mr. Rubelt probably gave Roka to me to handle this kind of stuff,


but in reality, with one more person, the laundry doubled, the dishes doubled, and cleaning became about 1.3 times harder. Because fur gets everywhere.

‘Where’s the slime tape?’

Slime tape, made from the adhesive slime excretes, was originally created for nobles with pets to clean up fur. Roka isn’t exactly my pet, but I can’t deny this thing is useful for me too.

*Swish. Swipe. Swish-swipe.*

Sweep with the broom, mop with the rag. It’s my house, so if I let it get dirty, I’m the only one who loses.


After dusting and mopping, evening was already approaching. I announced a week ago that the clinic would be closed today, so there shouldn’t be any issues.

‘Using this for cleaning feels like a waste of divine grace.’

The dust was wiped clean wherever the mop passed, but the mop itself didn’t get dirty.


The water from that spring is a miracle from the Lord, so it’s not ordinary water but holy water.

It doesn’t have exorcism powers like other gods’ holy water,


but it’s good for cleaning, laundry, dishes, or anything else. Of course, it’s also great for bathing. My old comrade, Lucia Western, treated her armor and weapons like her life, but even she acknowledged the efficacy of this spring water.

At first, she’d wash it thoroughly and even oil it meticulously,


but at some point, she stopped at just washing it with water.


Because she realized it wouldn’t rust, the blade stayed sharp, and it even gained a shine.

It seems trivial, and it really is trivial,


but this too must be one of the miracles the Lord has granted.

‘Almost done… Huh?’

When I wrung out the mop and stood it up,


and then turned to look at the garden,


I saw flowers blooming white on the frozen ground. Some were pure white, others slightly pink. But neither should be seen in this winter.

“Aren’t those potato flowers?”

I mean, I was planning to plant potatoes, so of course I’d recognize potato flowers.


But the problem is, I’ve never planted potatoes in this garden…

I hadn’t even seen sprouts, let alone buds,


but in the few hours I was cleaning, potato flowers had bloomed beautifully.

I bought this house in winter,


and even if the previous owner had planted seed potatoes, they would’ve frozen to death.


The fact that potato flowers grew in the corner of the garden like a flower bed was, no matter how you look at it, a miracle.


A message from my Lord to me.

‘If I don’t pick those flowers, the potatoes won’t grow well…’

But those too were not grown by me but blessed by the Lord.


I didn’t want to pluck those flowers with my own hands.

*Swoosh.*

I was staring blankly at the flowers when I suddenly felt a gaze. I turned around, and sure enough, Roka was staring at me again.

Fidgeting, restless. When our eyes met, she hid again.


My first thought was, ‘Is it already mealtime?’

‘Is it time to eat?’

Even if she’s hungry, she can’t tell me,


but her fidgeting is familiar by now.

‘It’s not time to be hungry yet, is it?’

We had a big lunch, and it’s only been about three hours, right?


Maybe not even that. I checked the clock in the living room, and sure enough, it hadn’t been that long.

*Sneak sneak.*

The door opened, and Roka came out. She crept closer, then stepped back.


We’ve lived together for a month, so I know that’s not her signal for food.


My next thought was, maybe she’s sick.

‘Is something hurting?’

My gaze turned to the kitchen candle, the Sanctuary’s candle.


Even if it looks unremarkable, that too is a miracle. A power granted directly by the Lord.

As long as the candle burns, this house is a sanctuary. Impure things cannot approach, illness cannot penetrate, and no matter what lurks outside, we can sleep peacefully.

Even if you’re on the brink of death, as long as you’re in the Sanctuary and not dead, your condition will keep improving. Getting worse is impossible. At least, according to my understanding.

‘If something powerful enough to breach the Sanctuary was lurking, I would’ve known.’

And even so, if she were in pain, wouldn’t she say so? I’ve been in pain before, and when you’re in pain, you can’t think straight.

When treating people in pain, getting cursed at is a given. I know those curses aren’t directed at me, so I don’t mind.

If you’re really in pain, you can’t keep your mouth shut.

*Rustle.*


*Thud.*

Huh? It happened in an instant.


Roka appeared right in front of me. Then she gently bumped her head against my hand. Before I could even be surprised, she got more startled and quickly retreated, keeping her distance.

‘Could it be…?’

Her anxious gaze brushed past my face.


Gathering courage, the girl approached me again and rubbed her face against mine. Carefully, slowly. When I gently patted her head, she flinched and backed away. But only for a moment.

The girl approached me very slowly, her ears trembling.


Her tail was stiff, clearly showing she was nervous. I didn’t move, just smiled and reached out my hand. Roka approached my hand again but flinched and retreated. Still, I didn’t pull my hand back, and Roka didn’t retreat further.

If she’s ready to come to me,


she’ll come without me doing anything.

If she’s not ready yet,


then I’ll just have to wait a little longer.

Until she’s ready to open her heart.


Until she thinks she can trust me.

Now, did she finally believe I wouldn’t hurt her? Roka approached again. This time, she tightly hugged my outstretched hand and rubbed her face against it. When I hugged her back, she leaned her face against my chest and took a deep breath. Tears had already formed in her eyes.

“It’s okay. You can cry. Don’t hold it in.”


“Hic… Sniff…”


“Roka. You’re human. You can cry when you want to, act spoiled when you want to, and lean on someone when you need to.”

Just seeing that she was sold as a slave at a young age, I can guess.


How much sorrow she must have endured.


How much sadness she must have faced.

Behind me, my Lord watches over me, but behind this child, there was nothing.


Truly, nothing. No god, no human, no one to protect her.

“You don’t need this for a human. Roka, you’re free.”

I touched the unused collar and unlocked it.


This is treating a person like livestock. It goes against the Lord’s will.


I took the slave documents from the drawer and held them over the candle on the table.

“In the name of my Lord.”

The Sanctuary’s candle burned the paper, turning even the ashes to nothing.


Slave certificates are enchanted, making them hard to tear or burn,


but those flames belong to the Lord, so it was only natural they burned away.

“You, Roka, are now free.”


“Sob… Hic… Sniff… Waaah!”

As the child hugged me tightly, I hugged her back.


The Lord, my godparent, guided me,


prevented me from straying into evil paths,


and gave me peace when I was lost.

This foolish human, who can’t even grasp a fraction of the Lord’s greatness,


now has the chance to share a bit of the grace I’ve received with this little girl.