Chapter: 122
Using a saint for purification strategies in the Soul Academy game has never led to failure.
The character of the saintess is undeniably overpowered in this regard.
That’s why veterans even go out of their way to avoid including her in their parties, claiming it’s just not fun anymore.
Knowing how a saintess, untouched at the beginning, can purify anything, I can’t help but feel bewildered at this moment that Phoebe seems to have failed.
Phoebe of all people isn’t someone who stumbles at this point.
So, this is a variable.
A variable that doesn’t exist in the game.
A variable that has tortured me endlessly so far.
But perhaps because everything that has been tormenting me has been so outlandish,
this variable just appears cute.
Right?
This time, it just means I can’t coast through easily.
It’s not like I’m facing a life or death crisis.
And it’s not like failing a quest will ruin everything for me.
I’m not at risk of ruining my reputation because of some twisted relationship with another NPC.
Actually, this is a variable I can handle.
There’s no reason to panic.
As I blocked the incoming magic projectiles with my shield, I burned the image of the dragon casting spells into my mind and asked the old man.
“Grandpa! What do you think went wrong?”
The first thing I needed to check was whether it’s possible to coast through.
If it’s just that Phoebe made a mistake, then all I have to do is hold out until she completes her prayer.
[It seems like there was a lack of faith.]
“Huh?”
The most important thing when handling sacred magic is faith.
Faith that simply reciting your prayers will bring miracles to life.
That’s why I found it easier to handle sacred magic.
Because I’m someone from outside this world.
Knowing that the results will always manifest when using sacred magic, I never once doubted it.
“Phoebe doubted the miracle?”
[From the looks of the failure, it seems that way.]
Phoebe doubted the miracle. She doubted Armedi.
She thought she wouldn’t be able to purify the dragon’s spirit.
The shock from this revelation wasn’t light.
The old man had mentioned before.
That Phoebe might be wavering.
When I heard that, I thought, of course, she’d overcome it.
That’s how she always was in the game.
No matter what crisis came, she never faltered and always ended with a smile.
However, that was my foolish misunderstanding.
Phoebe was indeed faltering.
She doubted herself.
She became unable to believe in miracles.
To think a saintess would end up like this.
What could possibly be happening within her heart?
Ah, encountering something that has never happened in the game makes my head a bit hazy.
Let’s think.
Smashing that flying lizard in the sky shouldn’t be that hard.
If coasting isn’t an option, I’ll just take the standard route.
The various tools I had bought last time to hunt that lizard still sleep in my inventory.
If I throw those things whenever there’s a chance and land a few critical hits when it drops, I should be able to take it down easily.
But somehow, that doesn’t feel right. Phoebe doesn’t trust herself right now.
Imagine trying to hunt that golem lizard without her.
She’ll think she’s just a burden, receiving rewards without contributing anything.
Knowing Phoebe, she wouldn’t take that lightly, yet I can’t believe she would fail!
So, I need to change my mindset.
The Phoebe here isn’t the NPC I know.
She’s the real Phoebe.
I don’t know what kind of thoughts she’s harboring.
The best course of action is that.
Making her overcome this herself.
Helping Phoebe to reignite the miracle.
If her self-esteem collapses now, who knows what will happen later!
It’d be a disaster if the real trials haven’t even begun yet!
Who knows if this path will be more difficult and arduous than the standard one, but it has to be done.
Well, it’s nothing out of the ordinary for a veteran like me.
The situation is already better than when I got my butt kicked by Naklad, so I have no reason to give up.
Let’s think of it as new content.
Wow, reality online is definitely updating quickly.
But hey, dear developer.
I have a suggestion.
Could you please make updates more user-friendly?
At this rate, it feels like the users might just explode from all this craziness!
Enough with the nonsense.
Alright.
How should I go about this?
The conclusion of my contemplation was quickly reached.
There’s only one way for me.
The Mesugaki way.
“Cowardly saintess!♡”
I’m terrible at comforting people.
I’m not good at instilling confidence either.
I have no clue how to motivate anyone.
But there’s one thing I’m good at.
Pissing people off.
“Failed, huh?!♡ Haha! Sounds just like the saintess of the pathetic god!♡ Isn’t it hilarious how both the god and the saintess are the same!♡ Is the doctrine of that pathetic god to be a nuisance?!♡”
“No way!”
Phoebe yelled out, provoked by my taunt.
Seeing her face turn red while raising her voice was something I had never seen before.
She might be able to tolerate insults directed at her, but she wouldn’t stand for provocation aimed at Armedi.
“Really?♡ Because from my point of view, it sure looks that way! ♡ Pathetic! ♡ Coward! ♡ A complete burden with not a single useful thing about you! ♡”
“Correct that! I might be, but Armedi is never lacking!”
As time passed while dodging and blocking spells, the dragon closed its mouth and opened its wings again.
A moment of respite before the next pattern would follow.
I can’t keep arguing with Phoebe when aggro could turn at any moment.
“Then prove it!♡ Prove you’re not the pathetic god’s pathetic saintess! ♡”
The word “prove” made Phoebe pause.
To stop talking in the middle of being angry shows just how unsure she is of herself.
No wonder she failed the prayer.
“You can’t, can you?♡ You’re lacking confidence, aren’t you?♡ Right?♡ You’re just a cowardly saintess!♡”
“I….”
“The saintess is in this state, so imagine how the god feels! ♡ They must be an immense coward ♡ A piece of garbage keeping silent out of fear before the Evil God! ♡”
“Shut up! Lucy Alrn! I can do it!”
Yeah, that’s it.
If she lacks confidence, just kick it into her!
Ah, wait, is this more about evil or guts?
What’s the difference, really?
As long as the result is good, it doesn’t matter.
I looked from Phoebe’s direction to the dragon that was trying to open its mouth again.
So, is it time for me to toy with the boss of this dungeon?
“Hey there, you pathetic lizard!♡ You’ve got no brain and it seems your eyes are gone too! ♡ How can you not land a scratch on us? ♡ You’re truly a total loser! ♡ A piece of trash! ♡ How can this be a boss when even the Academy professors are lacking in judgment?!”
*
Oh dear, there’s no way someone who has been chosen by Armedi could act like this!
There’s no way one who claims to be selected by that god would dare to insult them!
I’ve heard that Lady Alrn has gotten much better, but not at all!
She’s just the same as when she caused a ruckus in the church!
How could she disrespect Armedi by calling her a “pathetic god?!”
Phoebe bit her lips tightly.
Just a moment ago, Phoebe had failed to deliver her purification prayer.
It wasn’t so much a matter of lacking holiness or the spirit being of higher caliber.
It was fundamentally because Phoebe doubted whether the miracle would happen that the purification prayer fell apart halfway.
Until now, she had never once doubted that Armedi would work miracles.
It was too natural for a god to perform miracles, after all.
And as the chosen saintess of that god, it was her duty to succeed in performing miracles.
Maybe that’s why Phoebe was so fragile against the rising doubt within her heart.
Having never confronted it before, she couldn’t prevent the cracks from spreading.
So after her failure, she was drowned by a wave of dark emotions.
Guilt towards the party members who had brought her this far.
Disappointment in herself.
Doubt over whether she truly deserved the title of saintess.
All of these feelings coalesced into a thick, black mass weighing her down.
And just as Phoebe was about to collapse under the burden of self-recrimination, Lucy called out to her.
And then she provoked her.
By insulting the name of her god.
While she might tolerate insults directed at herself, she could never disregard slurs against her god, causing her to erupt in unprecedented rage.
When she regained her senses, she found herself in a position where she had to prove herself.
Yet, Phoebe didn’t think it was strange at all.
Her heart colored by the anger turned red as she stared ahead.
I must do this.
I absolutely must.
I need to successfully complete the purification prayer and flatten Lucy Alrn’s nose!
She needs to recognize the greatness of our god instead of being arrogant with His love!
Phoebe shouted internally, pulling her hands together.
Yet in that instant, doubt flashed through her mind.
Can I do this?
I just failed a moment ago.
What makes me so sure this time will be any different?
The red hues in her heart began to be overrun by black.
Learned failures can easily push one into despair.
As the strength in her clasped hands began to wane a little,
“Hey you, burdening saintess!♡ Are you done yet?! ♡ So slow and useless! Just like that pathetic god!♡”
Clack.
Once again, her heart turned red.
This isn’t about whether I can or can’t.
I absolutely have to succeed so that I don’t dishonor the name of Armedi!
With renewed determination, Phoebe tightened the grip in her fingers and closed her eyes, reciting the prayer inwardly.
She was astonishingly proficient.
The purification prayer was something she had repeated dozens, if not hundreds of times.
There was no way she would feel alien to a prayer she had memorized long ago.
‘The reason the dead remain on the earth…’
As she prayed with the sole intention of smashing Lucy’s nose, she witnessed a small girl hovering around, teasing the dragon in the sky while laughing.
“What are you aiming for?♡ Is the ghost after me?♡ Eek!♡ I’m scared!♡”
How can someone act like this in front of a great dragon that could squash them with one hand?
Does that person even know fear?
Phoebe bit down on her teeth as she watched.
If that person can act so carefree against the dragon, what would happen if I were to fail one more time?
I absolutely must not fail this time.
Failure is not an option.
I will prove that Armedi works miracles!
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