Chapter: 159
While I was deep in discussion with the old man during practice mode, I established one fundamental premise.
First and foremost, I needed to be acknowledged as the Apostle of Armadi.
Otherwise, no matter what I said, Phoebe wouldn’t pay attention to me. She would listen half-heartedly and later act however she wanted.
However, if I gain acknowledgment as Armadi’s Apostle, it changes everything.
If the true saintess sees Armadi’s Apostle before her — someone who wished to believe and receive divine love but realizes she cannot because she is a false saintess — she would take my words seriously.
As long as our pathetic, useless god doesn’t say anything to Phoebe, my words equate to divine messages.
She won’t be able to disbelieve them, right?
Of course, that means I’ll have to accommodate her whims, but if I can persuade Phoebe, that’s a small price to pay.
I’m not sure what kind of response the Mesugaki skill will bring, but if I shower her with enough “good girl” encouragement, won’t it lighten her mood?
I had this kind of scheme planned out, but when Phoebe mentioned Armadi’s Apostle, I was caught off guard.
Had she figured it out? How on earth?!
No way, that’s impossible.
Who would suspect a crazy gal calling Armadi a pathetic god would actually be his Apostle?
Am I casting holy magic?
Most people would think, “Ah, even Armadi shows mercy to a lunatic like her.”
Even the bishop who taught me divine magic thought so!
“How…”
“Pathetic saintess. How did you figure it out?”
Seriously! This doesn’t make any sense!
Did Phoebe learn mind-reading or something? Did she somehow gain a cheat skill that lets her see other people’s status windows?!
At my questions, Phoebe’s eyes widened, and her lips curled into a smile.
That delight made it clear she was now convinced I was indeed Armadi’s Apostle.
If this cocky brat over here is the god’s Apostle, then surely she must not be completely false when she calls herself a saintess.
However, the joy on her face quickly vanished.
Phoebe, who was about to say something, bit her lip, looked down, and began fidgeting with her hands on her lap.
Her typical confident and bright demeanor had vanished, indicating she was hiding something, but I didn’t rush her.
Instead, I patiently waited for her to respond.
“Well, it’s…”
Phoebe spilled out a series of lies.
However, given that she rarely lied, it was easy to tell she was fibbing.
Her voice trembled. She avoided eye contact. She didn’t know where to put her hands.
Her behavior screamed, “I’m lying!” and when I pressed her a few times, she finally spoke in a voice that seemed to fade away.
“…I heard it from Taliki’s Apostle.”
That shocking revelation from Phoebe hit hard.
She had traded with the Apostle of the Evil God!
[Well, that explains the dark magic lingering within her.]
‘…Right?’
The reason the saintess, possessing divine power befitting her title, was kidnapped by Naklad was that darkness had taken root within her.
At the time, we had no idea, but now it makes sense.
She must have made a deal with Naklad, resulting in that darkness.
[What will you do now? ]
‘What do you mean?’
[Making a deal with the Apostle of the Evil God is a serious sin.]
The old man continued, his voice low.
In the past, such a sin would have warranted immediate execution. Anyone affected would never return. We should condemn Phoebe right away.
Each word carried profound hatred. More hatred than when facing the Apostle of the Evil God.
I realized his feelings stemmed from experiences with people like that in the past.
Having no clue what happened before, it was hard for me to empathize with the old man’s emotions.
So what if she traded with the Evil God?
If it was an efficient choice, wouldn’t she choose that?
There were times during gameplay when I made deals with the Apostle of the Evil God out of necessity too.
I even boldly helped them with their concepts. Sadly, there was no story attached, so it ended up being a boring concept.
Anyway, I had no intention of condemning Phoebe.
If that’s the most efficient choice, I would also be willing to deal with the Apostle of the Evil God. That’s just the nature of being a gamer.
What shocked me more was realizing Phoebe had been struggling without me knowing.
As I mentioned earlier, she is someone who shouldn’t fall prey to compromises with the Evil God.
This only means her internal struggle was far greater than I imagined.
While I had been thinking Phoebe would be fine, I was mistaken.
Sigh. How pathetic.
What kind of veteran gamer am I?
This world is a reality based on a game.
Seriously, get out of your head and look at what’s in front of you, you fool.
Ignoring the old man’s voice, I got up and approached Phoebe.
Upon seeing me, her eyes widened in shock, then she seemed resigned, and finally terrified, squeezing her eyes shut.
I opened my arms to embrace her… but I couldn’t.
There’s no way that my Mesugaki skill would allow such a tender gesture, right?
Instead, I placed one foot on the bed, looking down at Phoebe and hiding a smirk with my hand.
‘Phoebe, did you think I wouldn’t know?’
“Puhaha! Pathetic saintess! Did you think I wouldn’t realize? You’re such a fool to be tempted by the Apostle of the Evil God!”
In her laughter, Phoebe opened her eyes.
The daze in her gaze conveyed her surprise.
‘It’s okay, Phoebe. Everyone has moments of wavering.’
“What can I do? Being a pathetic saintess? It’s only natural you’re dumb!”
“What do you mean?”
‘No matter what you’ve done, you are still my saintess.’
“Haa. Can’t you understand? I don’t care about that stuff. You’re still a pathetic saintess.”
With the Mesugaki skill, I poked Phoebe’s forehead a few times.
I didn’t intend to go this far! But if my intentions are clear, isn’t that a relief?!
As I waited for Phoebe’s response with my arm resting on my knee, tears began to well up in her eyes.
Oh no.
Huh?
No, wait.
“Whaaa!”
All her usual grace and poise were gone, making her resemble an emotional high school girl, and I couldn’t help but feel perplexed.
What’s going on? Why is she suddenly crying?!
I didn’t say anything bad, did I?!
I told her I believe in her, so why on earth is she crying?!
[She’s probably touched. She was ready for condemnation.]
‘Right?! I didn’t do anything wrong!’
I was genuinely surprised, thinking I must’ve said something I shouldn’t have.
While I was calming my racing heart, the old man sighed as if to say, “You need to hear this.”
[You really intend to forgive her? Someone who betrayed her teachings and traded with the Apostle of the Evil God? ]
‘Yes.’
Unlike the old man, stuck in the past, I’m in the present! I understand Phoebe.
Even if she wavered once, she’s capable of upholding her beliefs once more.
So, I have zero plans to condemn her.
Honestly, I don’t even know what her wrongdoing is.
So what? If it’s necessary, she can trade with the Evil God too.
[…Is that your intention? Or the intention of someone who believes in you?]
The old man asked in a lower voice.
He wanted to know if what I just said was the old man’s nonsense or my true intention.
Old man, are you that dense? That choice is already made.
‘What I wish for is Armadi’s will.’
If that pathetic god was as petty as I thought, he would have immediately stopped me if I did something he didn’t like.
In whatever manner.
So, if that pathetic god isn’t saying anything, it means he’s approving of my actions!
My will is the same as the cowardly god’s will!
Do you understand?!
When I boldly laid that out, the old man was momentarily speechless before he chuckled.
[Heh. Exactly. You are indeed the Apostle of Armadi who has never existed before. It was foolish for a mere follower like me to dare criticize your will.]
‘Old man?’
[Ah, after sleeping for so long, I’ve become no different from the church idiots. Puhaha! Such a shame it makes me want to laugh so badly.]
Standing before me was a weeping Phoebe with her eyes swollen, while the old man laughed in my head, leaving me completely unsure of what to do.
…Maybe I shouldn’t have kicked that dizzy fox out. If she were here, it might have provided some peace of mind.
*
After some time, Phoebe finally stopped crying and went to the bathroom to wash her face.
Her eyes were red—an unimaginable sight for the usually composed Phoebe.
Ah, I could have taken a screenshot and posted it titled “The Fallen Face of the Elegant Saintess.” That would have surely generated some wild reactions in the community.
The saintess squad would likely go into a frenzy, screaming, “How dare they mock our saintess with such photos!”
Their reactions would have been amusing, making it worth the torment.
Of course, that all vanished when Soul Academy turned into a ruined game.
“I-I’m so sorry, Lady Alrn!”
Phoebe’s voice had become hoarse from her loud crying.
‘It’s fine, Phoebe. It’s completely understandable.’
“Puhahaha! What a pathetic and hilarious face! You should never get caught like that again!”
“U-uhhh…”
Realizing how ugly she looked, Phoebe’s face flushed bright red.
If I push just a bit more, she might explode.
Watching the serene saintess’s face change so dramatically was amusing.
I briefly entertained the idea of teasing her a bit more, but I refrained.
If I did, she might truly break down again, and I wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Also, I still hadn’t even started the important conversations I needed to have with Phoebe!
First of all, I need to tell her that she’s destined to become a true saintess, so she shouldn’t crumble and should keep trying!
I want to comfort her about the church’s actions even if she doesn’t like it, until she gains enough strength!
And I also need to talk about her past.
Thinking about it, I had so much to say!
If I made her cry again in this situation, I would need all night to finish my discussions.
So, I’ll save the teasing for later.
“Phoebe…”
“Hey, pathetic saintess. From now on, I’m about to get serious. Listen up.”
“Yes.”
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