How a Former Pastor Lives in Another World

37

Priestly Ordination (3)

The cold air of dawn has not yet gone away.

After taking a bath, Ray looked around the room, which had changed significantly.

It was originally a single room, but it became larger than before and the number of pieces of furniture increased.

The room of an officially ordained priest is treated as specially as the wealth of the religious order.

“It reminds me of the old days.”

The first day of work after being ordained as a pastor is a special moment filled with excitement and tension.

I applied for a liberal arts class to earn credits at a theological college. I met Pastor Park through the correlation between Christian history and the occult, and that led to a connection that led to my decision on where to get a job.

“Uh, Pastor Kim. Congratulations on your first day on the job.”

“It’s an honor, Pastor Park. Haha. Please take care of me in the future.”

“Please be nice to me. I’ll be nice to you even better.”

Usually, pastors have a hard time finding a job once they are ordained.

After serving at a small church, I started my own church or got a job as an assistant pastor at a slightly larger church.

Excluding special cases, Pastor Kim is probably the only lucky person who got a job at a large church as soon as he was ordained.

Pastor Kim at that time didn’t know.

“Yes, our Pastor Kim. It’s a weekday, so you have time, right? Let’s go on a business trip with me for a bit. Do you like sushi?”

“Yes? Suddenly? Ah… yes, I like it.”

“Okay, let’s go to Kyoto. I’ll give you a ride, so just take your passport out of the house.”

I never thought I would go on an overseas business trip on my first day of work.

Still, he said he would like to go on an overseas trip, but Pastor Kim should have known then.

There is no unconditional favor in this world.

“Oh~ Baku-san!”

Oh, my Japanese friend. Also a gentleman owner.

huh? But is it okay for a pastor to be friends with the owner of a shrine?

Pastor Park introduced Pastor Kim to the shrine owner.

“Uh, Pastor Kim. Let me introduce myself. This gentleman here is Mr. Tsuchimikado Kannushi of Heian Shrine. Oh, you can think of Kannushi as something like a priest. You still speak Japanese, right?”

“Ah, yes. For now, I have only learned Italian and Chinese.”

At the theological college, they said they would give me a job if I learned two more foreign languages other than English, so I learned those two first.

I understand Chinese, but I’m not sure why it was Italian.

“Yes, yes, if you want to visit the Vatican, Italian is a must. Japan is a neighboring country, so we often visit each other on business, so learn Japanese as well. This is hell too.”

“yes?”

“Let’s sleep. Let’s eat before nightfall. Tsuchimikado-san~ Sushi okay? Uh okay.”

Yay~ Pastor Park, of course!

When you become the senior pastor of a large church in Gangnam, you have ties to the Japanese religious world!

I should have known then.

The ancestors of the Japanese in front of me were descendants of the famous Onmyoji lineage in Japan.

I ended up giving up on the tuna belly, which was more expensive than my monthly salary.

“Pastor Park! Pastor Park!”

“I’m busy! I’m looking straight ahead! Ugh! There! It’s breaking through! Explode the Cremore I brought from the Vatican!”

“You never said this! You never said this! Bae, bag, what?”

“That fox b*tch, Shimai, puts a gensei on the board! What the fuck are the ninjas doing? Hit the dagger with your body! Uh, Pastor Kim! Hyakkiyakyoya! Hakiyakyukya! But now you’re here and taking care of it!”

“Speak in Korean, fuck!!”

On his first day of work, the first thing Pastor Kim did when he came to Kyoto was to break the seal of a thousand years and reseal the Great Yokai that was marching with a hundred monsters.

Kyoto 100 Ghost Night Incident.

I was a little nervous when Gumiho came out.

“Whoa…”

If you think about it, the day that Pastor Kim’s life really took a turn was not the day his mother, a shaman, told him to receive God.

First day of work after being ordained as a pastor.

Eating the world’s most delicious tuna sushi in Kyoto.

This was the day when we had to stop the march of the nine-tailed great monster.

“Ahhh!

After that, I decided.

Be careful about getting a job.

At this point, getting a job doesn’t seem to be the problem.

***

There are six official Masses a week in the Holy See of the Solarion Church.

Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday.

A total of six times, twice in the morning and twice in the evening.

In terms of doctrine, weekend mass is an official mass, but it can be crowded, so if you want to come on a quiet day, you can come on that day and skip it on the weekend.

Even though as many as five sanctuaries were built, it was crowded with people, so many believers chose weekday mass as an alternative.

“Good night! Holy night!”

“Ah~d~~ buried~~~~”

“Parents and parents sit down for a week.”

“It’s time to give thanks.”

“The baby is sleeping well!”

“aaah~~”

The congregation was immersed in the hymns of the Solarion Choir before mass.

Originally, the Solarion Choir was famous enough to be considered a specialty of the church, but today’s hymn was very different.

“Is this the first hymn you’ve heard?”

“That’s really nice to hear. Who wrote the music?”

“It seems like the conductor today is much younger than that. He’s around my child’s age?”

“I see. Someone else is doing it, not the bishop?”

The congregation was puzzled by the fresh hymns and the unusual conductor.

But those questions were soon resolved.

“Before we start mass, I would like to introduce the brother who composed and conducted today’s gracious hymn.”

The person that Director Ibella personally introduced was a young boy wearing a pure white bridal gown.

“This is Brother Ray Anderson. He is the brother who composed and wrote this hymn.”

Ray, who was introduced by Director Ibella, bowed his head and greeted the believers.

“You’re so young and you’re already a priest?”

“You’re younger than my son.”

“It’s so amazing that you even wrote a hymn!”

These days, the hymns released by the Solarion Choir are causing a sensation in the church.

People who were inspired by hymns emerged one after another, and some even performed plays.

“Brother Ray, thank you for your hard work since early morning.”

“No, it’s something that all other brothers and sisters do too.”

Director Ibella smiled warmly at Ray’s humility and patted his shoulder.

“What about the choir of our Solarion Church?”

“It was a good time. Everyone was friendly and had a special passion for music. Above all, it was a gracious time because I often received the Holy Spirit.”

“Hehe, that’s why the church’s sanctuary is unique.”

While Ray was conducting the choir, several holy spirits who came to the sanctuary watched and went.

It wasn’t just because of Ray, it seemed like they came and went on a regular basis.

‘The Church of Solarion is the holy land of the Church of the Sun. I also encounter holy spirits often.’

Ray acquired the ＜Power of Praise＞ just by receiving the attention of the Holy Spirit once.

The Holy Spirit is a divine spirit that is blessed just by encountering it. Frequent contact with them is an advantage that is different from that of local clergy.

“By the way, there are really a lot of believers. Even though it was a weekday morning mass, wasn’t there more than 50,000 people?”

“There are many believers whose wish is to attend mass at the church’s sanctuary for the rest of their lives.”

In the Diocese, there are small and medium-sized cathedrals located not only in the five sanctuaries of the Vatican but also in every corner of the alleys.

Nevertheless, with millions of people and pilgrims coming from all over the continent, it was always crowded.

“Visit not only the great sanctuaries of the Vatican but also the alley cathedrals. There are also separate tours.”

“W-Is this a tourist product?”

“Hehe, the more you earn, the better.”

And Director Ibella said that only then will pilgrims be distributed to the alley cathedrals.

Considering the overflow of pilgrims to the Holy Land, I thought it was worth it.

“Then, Brother Ray, I guess I’ll have to hurry up with my next job. Was it in the healing corps?”

“Ah, yes. Thank you so much for accepting my foolishness.”

“No. It happens occasionally that I want to think about it while carrying out my duties at other organizations.”

It is a so-called aptitude test.

Director Ibella did not hide her inner regret.

“But Brother Ray is a truly gifted choir member… I hope he will join our choir.”

“That is too much to say.”

“The choir door is always open, Sol Estella.”

“Sol Estella.”

After that, Ray went straight to the healing corps’ general treatment center.

A general treatment center is a large general hospital in modern times.

A miracle treatment center where priests and nuns with the ＜power of healing＞ are always on standby.

As a result, patients come from all over the continent and a huge building is built outside the Vatican premises to receive patients.

“Medical aid station number 13, a seriously ill patient is entering!”

“Is Senior Sister Melina here?”

“Sister Melina is currently checking on another patient.”

The treatment center was busy. Many patients came and went, and monks and nuns came and went to take care of the patients.

“Ah, Brother Ray! I heard you’re going to work in the afternoon.”

“hello.”

When Ray bowed, the nun at the front desk smiled proudly.

“Oh my, you’re such a baby, baby. The leader is in the office on the 5th floor.”

“thank you.”

Ray went straight to Director Amelia’s office.

smart!

“Come in!”

“Excuse me.”

When Ray opened the door and entered, Director Amelia, who was working, smiled brightly.

“Huh? Brother Ray! Ah, today was the training day, right?”

“Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule.”

“No, no. You learned the basic tasks, right?”

“Yes, the teaching materials are great.”

When Ray said he wanted to think slowly while carrying out his duties at other organizations, the organizations fully supported him with the teaching materials he needed to perform his duties.

They even hired a private tutor to teach him, so Ray had to think about it for a while.

“I’ve heard that Brother Ray’s grades are excellent. Now, follow me.”

“Uh, are you telling me directly?”

“Surprisingly, the position of leader is free.”

Director Amelia toured the treatment center and informed Ray of the duties he needed to perform.

“Not everyone here has the power to heal. Some of our brothers and sisters perform surgeries, and many more are into nursing.”

“What can I do?”

“Brother Ray has been ordained as a priest, so he will focus on simple surgical operations and first aid. You know what our healing corps does, right?”

The healing corps operates a large treatment center throughout the country and dispatches healers to various places, but it is clearly an armed organization.

The real work was a bit harder.

“Sometimes they are dispatched to adventurer guilds or battlefields.”

“That’s right. When local lords fight for territory, we serve as a neutral organization to reduce casualties as much as possible or support adventurers hunting monsters. This is necessary for local security and safety.”

The Church is safe because it is regularly cleaned by Holy Knights and Armed Priests, but this world is full of monsters and wild beasts.

Bandits were present in every alley and were often mobilized for war.

Ray took care of the patients under the direct guidance of Director Amelia.

“He’s a critical patient!”

Then a seriously injured patient came in. Director Amelia, who happened to be free, accepted the patient along with Ray.

“How did this happen?”

“I think I fell at a construction site. My bones are exposed and I have bruises all over my body.”

“You might need surgery. Go to the operating room!”

Ray happened to follow me to the intensive care operating room.

‘It’s a medieval surgery…’

Of course, it does not mean that surgical operations did not exist in the Middle Ages.

It is said that rudimentary surgical operations existed in ancient Egypt, and even in the Roman era, there were more specialized surgeries than expected.

‘Should I wash my hands?’

As far as Ray knows, anyone who advocated the concept of washing one’s hands until modern times was accused of diabolical tricks and had to be committed to a mental hospital.

This is the late 18th century. In other words, what happens if you insist on washing your hands in this day and age?

‘Should I just pretend not to notice?’

It was then. A nun placing a basin at the entrance to the operating room. She said.

“Everyone, let’s start by washing our hands with soap.”

“Uh, um…”

“Brother Ray, what are you doing? You’re not washing your hands.”

“Oh, no. I’ll take a shower.”

This place was very different from the medieval times he knew.

The patient’s surgery was completed quickly. This is thanks to the fact that Director Amelia, the most skilled member of the therapy team, personally performed the procedure.

At best, Ray was only learning by dressing up wounds or assisting, but the surgical team’s level of surgery was higher than expected.

‘uh? But there’s no disinfectant?’

There are no disinfectants among the medications. Even though the surgery is being completed, there is no sign of disinfectant being prepared.

“Okay, Brother Ray. The surgery is now complete. What should we do next?”

Director Amelia was good at teaching through practical training. Because this question was often asked, Ray answered without getting stuck.

“I think it needs disinfection.”

“That’s right. We need to prevent secondary infection. So, what should we do?”

“uh······.”

Ray also hesitated to answer this part.

Even if there is a disinfectant in this era, Ray doesn’t know its name.

The problem is that no matter how much you look around, there doesn’t seem to be anything useful as a disinfectant.

Then, Ray noticed that there was a small furnace and poker on one side of the operating room.

‘As expected, the Middle Ages… there are still some uncivilized parts.’

Ray answered confidently.

“It’s fire! You disinfect the affected area by setting it on fire, right?”

“······.”

“······.”

There is no answer back.

Not only Director Amelia but also the nuns who were with her had expressions of displeasure.

“W-was I wrong?”

“Brother Lei… yes, fire can also disinfect, but wouldn’t the patient be very sick if that were the case?”

“If you’re not careful, you could die from shock.”

Ray had no choice but to keep his mouth shut at the shocked expressions of the nuns.

“Hmm, the answer is to cover the affected area with s*xual power…”

Then, Director Amelia poured out holy power from her palm and covered the affected area. I’m not sure, but it seems like doing that will disinfect the affected area.

‘Is it fantasy in this regard?!’

I overlooked that this place was ‘medieval’ and ‘fantasy’.

“You can use honey and tallow, but it is difficult to completely sterilize it with just that. If there is a healer nearby, it is best to sterilize it with as much holy power as possible.”

“I see.”

“Brother Ray, I haven’t seen it like that, but it’s a bit barbaric… oops, you have a tough side.”

“······yes.”

Modern people being told that medieval fantasy inhabitants are barbaric.

Ray felt unfair.

“Well, it is still a ‘last move’ that can be used in an emergency. Although the probability of death is higher.”

“Ugh…”

Ray felt aggrieved and pointed his finger at the poker.

“Well, then what is that? They’re openly using fire…”

“That’s for heating and sterilizing surgical equipment.”

“ah······.”

Ray learned a lot.

Another day has passed like that.

“But Brother Ray. The work looks more familiar than I thought? Wasn’t today your first time practicing?”

“Oh, I often had to take care of patients in the village I was in.”

‘It’s not a skill that can be explained to that extent, is it?’

Director Amelia’s questions were natural.

Ray was thorough in hygiene standards that were not yet familiar on this continent, and even though it was a minor surgical procedure, he seemed familiar with the skill of sewing up wounds.

‘Because I have been dispatched to conflict zones several times.’

It’s not because they are attracted to stupid things like being kidnapped in Afghanistan, but it is common for pastors to go overseas to volunteer in modern Korean Protestant churches.

Naturally, places like travel bans are avoided and the main targets are Southeast Asia and India.

There, I connected with medical organizations such as the Red Cross and did volunteer work.

In particular, in the case of Pastor Kim, he was often dispatched to Africa, so medical knowledge that could be used in the field was essential.

“But the treatment is more serious than I thought.”

“Why? Because I had the power, did you think I could solve anything with my power?”

“Yes… a little bit.”

Director Amelia grinned and her hands glowed. ＜The Power of Healing＞. It was also a very powerful light.

“The power of healing is the power to greatly increase a patient’s recovery. So the healthier the patient, the greater the effect.”

‘Do you mean activating the regenerative ability of cells?’

If so, it may be applied differently to internal injuries, even if it is a simple trauma.

If you even cure cancer cells with your power, the patient will die.

“There is a separate power to remove internal malignancies, but this also needs to be distinguished depending on the study, so I do not use it unless it is certain. Above all…”

Director Amelia mentioned the most realistic problem.

“There are too few people with power. Outside of the Church, you wouldn’t be able to find so many people with power.”

“In short, the church’s goal is to expand healing centers across the continent.”

“That’s right. For him, we will build medical knowledge and, if possible, establish it through education. That’s the way to save more people.”

Ray was honestly impressed by Director Amelia’s explanation.

Although they possessed the miraculous power of authority, the Church did not fall into the arrogance that they were the only chosen healers.

Rather, the goal is to spread general medical knowledge and ultimately bring about a medical revolution.

Of course, the effect may be minimal due to the limitations of the times, but this was a great project with a view to 100 or 200 years.

“It’s hard work, but it’s rewarding. Don’t you think so, Brother Ray?”

“It’s really… that’s right.”

“Then, sign the membership document…”

“I’ll think about it some more.”

“Hing…”

Director Amelia did not hide her disappointment, but respected Ray’s thoughts.

“In fact, to experience the Healing Division as an armed organization, an external business trip is really necessary…”

“Captain Amelia! Urgent report! Urgent report!”

At that time, a nun came running towards Director Amelia.

The news she delivered was simple.

“Saint Iris. draft call. We want to dispatch the first class of Holy Knights, Armed Priests, Healers, and Choirs. Urgent matter.”

“uh······.”

Director Amelia asked, turning her gaze towards Ray.

“Practical learning. You might be able to do it faster than you think. Would you like me to lend you a cane?”

“Then thank you.”

Can I take the Holy Gloves and the Bible too?

Ray decided to make the most of his internship as a special recruit.