Starting today, our job is to repair the church’s statue of the Goddess. From what I’d first been told, it had sounded as though the statue was so badly damaged that it would have to be carved from scratch.
But… just how bad was it, really?
Well, there is no point speculating until we saw it for ourselves.
“Thank you all for waiting.”
“We’ll be in your care.”
A young nun arrived at the mansion to escort us, and we followed her through town. After about ten minutes on foot, we reached a small church nestled within the city. It was strange though. Despite being in such a good location, the place somehow felt… gloomy.
We stepped inside.
“This is the wooden statue of the Goddess.”
The statue certainly showed its age.
Years of wear had darkened the wood, and cracks had formed in several places across its surface.
Ao and I exchanged a glance.
After a moment’s inspection, I told her,
“I think this should be repairable.”
“…Really?”
The young nun’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked genuinely stunned, but I didn’t think the statue needed to be remade from scratch. The materials we need could probably be found in town too. It would take some time, certainly, but repairing it seemed entirely possible.
“Actually, this is the oldest church in the city. The Goddess’s statue has a long history as well.”
“In that case, all the more it’s worth preserving.”
So that was it.
I thought the building looked especially old, but it turned out to be the oldest church in town. Since we are already here, we might as well repair the church itself while we were at it. There is one more thing that caught my attention.
“Forgive me for asking, but… are you the only one serving at this church?”
“Oh, no, no. There are others. They’re looking after the children at the orphanage attached to the church. However… our Mother Superior has fallen ill and is bedridden.”
That’s a bigger problem than I’d expected. We’d have to split up if we wanted to get everything done.
“To start with, I’ll use household magic to clean the church as thoroughly as I can.”
“…Pardon?”
A brilliant light swept through the sanctuary.
*Fwoosh.*
I looked around at the now spotless interior.
“That should do for a start, don’t you think?”
The young nun stood frozen in amazement.
“S-so this… this is the power of the Lightning Chef…”
She murmured in awe.
We needed to clean the place first. There was no way to tell exactly what needed repairing while everything was buried beneath years of dust and grime. All I’d done was use magic to clean it, after all.
“Sue, could you take a look at the Mother Superior? If possible, I’d also appreciate it if you could check on the orphanage while you’re there.”
“Of course. Leave it to me.”
“The rest of you, help clean the church.”
“““Okay!”””
With Sue taking the lead, we split into two groups: one to handle medical care, the other to clean the church.
“Toria-san, could you show Ao and me where the carpentry workshop is?”
“Certainly. Right this way.”
We’ll have to buy the tools and materials needed to restore the Goddess’s statue anyways. If the church itself had suffered structural damage as well, we’d probably need lumber for repairs too.
As I followed Toria-san through the streets, those thoughts ran through my mind.
Before long, we arrived at a lumberyard and woodworking shop.
“Hmm… You’ll need wood filler. I’ve even got some made with lacquer. I’ll gather everything you need.”
The master carpenter said after hearing our explanation.
The veteran craftsman immediately began assembling the materials for repairing the cracks in the statue.
Then, after thinking for a moment, he called out,
“Hey! You lot! A few of you come with them and take a look at the church.”
“Yes, sir!”
To my surprise, he was sending some of his own craftsmen with us.
“Uhm… are you sure that’s all right?”
“Of course it is. The festival is over, so work’s finally settled down. Besides, that church is an old building. It’ll be a good learning opportunity for the younger lads to see a proper restoration job firsthand.”
The master flashed a confident grin. It was a simple smile, but somehow it made him look incredibly dependable.
With our unexpected reinforcements in tow, we headed back to the church.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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