Chapter 138 The Convent Ddo-Buddy Factory Project ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I had come to Canarias Cathedral¹ to obtain permission for outsourcing work to the monastery. At the very end, Archbishop Trantestar had presented the instruction of a Sacred Artificer² as a condition. As I sat there deliberating, he pressed the matter further.
”Well, there’s still time before she gets here, so just meet her first and then think about it,” the Archbishop said.
This is bad, this is definitely a honey trap… Looking at the Archbishop’s usual smirking face, I felt certain of it. I get it; there’s no reason not to exploit a man who likes women. Anyone would do it. I would do it too.
And sadly, that tactic would undoubtedly work on me. If it were some obvious honey trap—someone who looked like they were explicitly trying to use their feminine charms—that would be one thing, but it probably won’t be like that.
A female Sacred Artificer coming earnestly to learn magic item crafting, a field similar yet handled differently from her own. I have full confidence that I would absolutely spoil someone like that. I’d end up teaching her everything she asked for.
That’s why I should turn this down right now. However, this was a partner I wanted to maintain friendly relations with, and someone who would help out my struggling production department. I couldn’t just turn them down easily.
”Even if you ultimately refuse to take her in, I’ll still have them cooperate with the production of the goods. All I’m asking of you is to at least meet her face-to-face,” the Archbishop said.
”No, even if you say that…” I replied.
”Now, now, for today just understand that such a proposal exists. Alright? Then, it’s settled!”
The Archbishop said this with a deeper smile than usual, forcibly bringing the conversation to a close. I felt like I had been skillfully talked into it… or rather, I was completely played, but after being told all that, I suppose there was no helping it.
Besides, I was also a little interested in ‘Sacred Gears’³ and wanted to hear what a Sacred Artificer had to say. A ‘Miracle of God’ operated on a different principle than magic. It was also referred to as ‘Sacred Art,’ but the ‘Sacred Gears’ produced through these ‘Miracles’ sometimes displayed effects even more nonsensical than magic items.
In particular, ‘Holy Relics’⁴—Sacred Gears made with lost technology—were plausibly rumored to allow one to gallop across the heavens like a horse, enable dialogue with someone far away, or even revive the dead.
How much of that is true and how much remains to this day is unknown. But there’s no way the Church isn’t researching it.
If it’s a professional Sacred Artificer, she might know a thing or two. There should be some benefit to my own magic item crafting as well. Thinking of it that way, accepting the Sacred Artificer wasn’t a bad deal. Though, still…
”Sorry, the number of girls might increase again…” I muttered.
”Ah, haha… Well, the Archbishop and the Saint are at fault this time. Besides, it won’t necessarily turn into that kind of relationship…” Sister Amelia said.
As I apologized to Sister Amelia after leaving the Cathedral, she gave a strained laugh. While she said it ‘won’t necessarily turn into that kind of relationship,’ her eyes were darting around, so it seemed she didn’t trust me at all.
”A-Anyway! We got permission for the product manufacturing at the monastery, so isn’t that great?” Amelia asked.
”Yeah, well, let’s look at it that way… Uh, can I head straight to the monastery after this?” I asked.
”Yes, I told Mother Marian that I would bring Kento-san over as soon as the talk was finished,” Amelia replied.
”Then, lead the way,” I said.
”Yes!”
With that, we began walking toward Canarias Monastery⁵. For Amelia, it was the same as her own home, but this was actually my first time visiting the monastery.
It was partly because whenever I spoke with the Church, we usually met at the Cathedral, and partly because I was bad with Mother Marian following that whole ‘Tremble-Ddo-Buddy’⁶ Inquisition mess.
That person is just kind of scary. Since the heresy charges were cleared, there’s no reason to be at odds, and she’s actually quite cooperative, plus I love sexy older sisters, but still…
How should I put it? Her aura of absolute resolution is terrifying. It’s like she lives by a completely different set of values, or like I have a premonition that I’ll step on a landmine somewhere.
In that sense, I feel more of a kinship with the Archbishop, who is like a merchant of sorts. Of course, he’s someone I should be careful of in a different way…
”Did the Mother say anything about this matter?” I asked.
”Eh? Let’s see, I think she only mentioned that it’s a good thing to be able to self-supply tools for training. Also, increasing the monastery’s operating funds would be appreciated, though we are the Ascetic Faction⁷, not the Salvation Faction. We don’t need that much money,” Amelia replied.
”Salvation Faction?” I asked.
”Oh, you weren’t aware?”
Amelia looked at me at my question and gave a brief explanation about the monastery along the way. Apparently, there are three main factions within the monasteries of the Church of Demon-Subjugation⁸.
One is the ‘Ascetic Faction’ to which Canarias Monastery belongs. As the name implies, it’s a faction that embodies faith by elevating oneself through asceticism. I have my doubts about that ‘asceticism’ being edged self-pleasure, but in my previous world, it would be close to the general image of an ‘ascetic monk.’
The second is the ‘Salvation Faction’⁹ that was mentioned earlier. This faction apparently shows faith primarily by providing relief to the poor. Their work involves running almshouses, providing soup kitchens, distributing clothes and blankets, and giving alms.
The third is the group called the ‘Pilgrimage Faction’¹⁰. They aim to approach faith by visiting sacred sites in various regions, or simply deepening their faith through various experiences during their travels. However, due to their nature, they don’t settle down, so their monasteries take the form of travelers’ inns.
Well, it seems each faction just prioritizes different things; the core isn’t that different. For example, even an ‘Ascetic’ monastery provides alms and travels. ‘Salvation’ monks might travel and, of course, they train. ‘Pilgrims’ also train during their travels, and helping those in need is considered a high-virtue act.
However, as she said, unlike the ‘Ascetic Faction’ who only need to support themselves, the ‘Salvation Faction’ often needs money for their relief efforts. Because of that, many of them are busy collecting donations or conducting some kind of business like this time.
”By the way, there are similar factions among the priests who don’t belong to a monastery. Besides these, the ‘Theological Faction’¹¹, which explores faith academically, is also famous,” Amelia said.
”Heh, so maybe the Soi-professor who came during the ‘Ddo-Buddy Trial’ or the Sacred Artificer coming this time belong to that ‘Theological Faction’?” I asked.
”Probably so. There are also those of the ‘Saint Faction’¹²… Oh right, Archbishop Trantestar is actually a bigwig in the ‘Salvation Faction,’ despite how he looks,” Amelia replied.
Yeah, that’s not surprising at all… I don’t know if ‘Salvation’ or money is his primary goal, but he’s clearly the type of clergyman who’s good at raising funds… If it turned out he was more devoted to faith than anyone else, I might respect him. No, that would just make things more troublesome.
I felt a bit conflicted, but Amelia continued to teach me various things without seeming to mind. If we went into further detail, each faction could be divided even more finely, and practically speaking, there are also political factional divisions.
”But for me, I want to believe the theory that each was an important act for repelling ‘evil.’ The ‘Ascetic Faction’ to increase power to fight monsters, the ‘Salvation Faction’ to help people suffering from monsters, and the ‘Pilgrimage Faction’ to search for a peaceful land while defeating monsters. The names are different, but the goal is the same,” Amelia said proudly.
As she spoke, Amelia puffed out her chest. There were plenty of points to nitpick, and the Church seems to be in a long period of decline past its prime, but even so, the people living for their faith have a corresponding pride and dignity. I thought that I could honestly respect that.
Well, I’m about to teach those very people how to make ‘Ddo-Buddies’ now though…
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Summary:
Kento is coerced by Archbishop Trantestar into meeting a female Sacred Artificer under the guise of an educational exchange. While leaving the cathedral, Kento apologizes to Sister Amelia for the potential increase in his ‘harem’ and learns about the various factions within the Church. They head toward the Canarias Monastery, where Kento feels uneasy about meeting the resolute Mother Marian again. The chapter concludes with Kento reflecting on the dignity of the Church members he is about to teach to manufacture adult goods.
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Character Insight:
Kento displays a mix of self-awareness and resignation regarding his susceptibility to ‘honey traps,’ yet his genuine curiosity about the technical aspects of Sacred Art shows his identity as a craftsman remains central. Amelia’s pride in the Church’s factions highlights a naive but respectable idealism that contrasts with the Archbishop’s pragmatic, almost mercenary approach to religious leadership. The mention of Mother Marian’s ‘different values’ suggests a deeper cultural or spiritual divide that Kento finds more threatening than simple political scheming.
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Behind the Scene:
The author uses this chapter to world-build the ecclesiastical structure of the setting, moving beyond the ‘corrupt church’ trope by introducing nuanced factions (Ascetic, Salvation, Pilgrimage). The name ‘Ddo-Buddy’ is a localization of ‘Otinp-kun,’ maintaining the brand identity established in previous chapters while adhering to the technical requirements for SFX and terminology.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Trantestar – The middle-aged man Archbishop of Canarias and the initiator of the current trial. He is an alleged ally of Kento but remains suspiciously neutral.
• Amelia – The Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating, who usually buys from Kento, has light blue hair.
• Marian – A ‘Mother’ and supervisor from the Church of Demon-Subjugation. Her appearance and demeanor defy the Church’s purported ‘chastity,’ instead she has wavy purple long hair, busty, black nun, tear mole under eye, and monroe walk. She has arrived with a clear purpose: to confront Kento about the ‘Devil’s Stick.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
• Soi – An old professor from Ajire seminary, the first to raise a question. Looks like wizardly.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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