Chapter: 265
“…Huh? What does that mean?”
Seeing Isabel blink at my proposal, I realized I had skipped over too much.
Ah, so now I’m picking up the sloppy god’s speech patterns, huh?
‘There have been too many summaries. Let me explain it again…’
“Ah, sorry. As a clueless perverted fanatic, it’s probably a tough story to understand. But since I’m so kind, I’ll explain it again. I’m offering you a chance to help me—someone blessed with the love of the pathetic god—in defeating that frail coward, Taliki.”
The moment my words ended, Isabel blinked like she forgot all her nobility and stared blankly at my face before quickly looking away.
She just heard something absurd about godly apostles and evil gods. She thought my previous words were nonsense, and she expected a reaction from Phoebe, the saintess of the Church of the Lord.
However, there wasn’t a hint of surprise on Phoebe’s face. She simply smiled sweetly at Isabel.
“Is this… really true?”
“I am Phoebe. I’ve decided not to act in ways that would bring shame before the Lord.”
While Phoebe’s title may be fraudulent, her faith is undeniably genuine.
She’s truly a good person, possessing a pious heart like no other. There’s no way she would lie in the name of the Lord.
Phoebe has proven this fact over many long years.
Isabel, connected with various circles related to the Church, must know this very well.
That’s why I approached Phoebe first.
Regardless of Lucy Alrn’s well-known reputation for insulting the Lord, without Phoebe standing beside me, my claims would go unheard, dismissed as the rantings of a madwoman.
But with Phoebe there, any absurdity gains a bit of credibility.
This is the difference in reputation between the saintess who repeatedly performs good deeds and a troublesome young lady!
“Lady Alrn truly receives the love of the Lord.”
With Phoebe’s affirmation, Isabel’s gaze returned to me, filled with shock and confusion.
I knew she wouldn’t grasp it right away.
After all, who is Lucy?
She’s been a madwoman disrespecting the Church for years.
Who would believe a heretic claiming to be an apostle of the Lord? Not even I would. I’d think she finally lost it.
But that’s okay. I have more than enough evidence to prove I’m the Lord’s apostle.
I’ve just kept it hidden to avoid being exposed. If I start explaining using the game’s knowledge, I can certainly convince her that I am indeed the Lord’s apostle.
I was so confident in this that I remained calm even as I watched Isabel rise from her seat and walk over to me.
“Go ahead, ask anything. No matter the question, at the end, you’ll be saying, ‘Wow, you really are the Lord’s apostle!’”
“Indeed!”
…Huh?
“Indeed! I understand! That’s why you carry the Lord’s divinity with you!”
Thud!
Isabel dropped to her knees beside me.
Tears streaming down her face out of overwhelming emotion.
Her hands clasped reverently.
Her posture of kneeling was nothing short of perfect.
Caught up in all of this, I forgot all the things I wanted to say.
…Wait. Is there a place that teaches merchants how to kneel and bow their heads perfectly? Why is it that every merchant I see has such refined posture?
While I tried to think of an escape from this awkward reality, Isabel’s praises continued unabated.
“I thought something was unusual about you from the moment we met, but who would guess you were the great apostle of the Lord!”
I appreciate that she fully believes my words, but can we not do this while sitting in a chair?
Right now, your gaze is really overwhelming, you know?
If I hadn’t come here to ask for something, I probably would have bolted right now!
“What made you think I was unusual?”
“Isn’t it obviously the divine presence you exude? As warm and cozy as the spring sun, your divinity truly feels like the Lord’s embrace!”
“Right? Every time I face Lady Alrn’s divinity, I feel as if I want to pray right there and then. But she told me not to, so I can’t.”
“Really?! How tragic!”
…Huh? Wait, wait a second.
You two? Why are you suddenly ganging up on me?
“The other standout feature is Lady Alrn’s beauty! You were already stunning enough to incite jealousy among nobles, but having the Lord’s light, you’ve surpassed the realm of humans! Even an apostle serving the goddess of beauty and the arts sings your praises.”
“What more can I say? If possible, I’d like to paint Lady Alrn’s portrait and cherish it forever!”
“Oooh! Truly a saintess! I wish I could do the same!”
Excuse me? There’s someone else here, you know?
The subject of all this praise is right next to you!
I’m glad you’re getting along, but could you tone it down a bit?
“However, it seems there’s something the Artea head doesn’t know.”
“What might that be? Please enlighten us, saintess.”
“The true essence of Lady Alrn lies within! Her steadfast heart, one that cares little for her own life and solely focuses on the salvation of others!”
Could you two stop competing over who’s the bigger pervert?♡ It genuinely makes me want to hurl!♡
It was only once I interjected that their praises finally came to an end.
Seeing Phoebe biting her lip, still wanting to say more, while Isabel struggled to mask her disappointment made me feel uncomfortable, but pointing that out just might drag the conversation on indefinitely.
‘…Am I really the problem here?’
No. I could have just thought, ‘Wow, there really are some unique people out there,’ but it’s not just one or two!
Even more amazing is that, outside of my presence, these strange people function completely normally!
[Don’t worry, young lady. It’s just that your surrounding people are the unusual ones.]
‘Are you sure that’s something I shouldn’t be worried about?’
[What could we do? This is the reality.]
The phrase “this is reality” felt too cruel and sad for me to dare rebut.
This is all because of that pathetic god. Because he’s a pervert, those following him are equally weird!
[But there is one silver lining.]
‘What’s that?’
[At least it seems you won’t have to worry about your identity as the Lord’s apostle being exposed.]
That’s… But, that’s what I anticipated when I told Isabel!
Oh damn! I don’t know! As long as it all works out in the end, that’s what matters!
“Ahem.”
While I was silently screaming inside, I noticed Isabel, having tidied up her expression, clear her throat.
“I apologize for causing a commotion. I was taken by surprise.”
“I understand, Lady Artea. I felt the same way.”
“Thank you. Regardless, if Lady Alrn truly is the apostle of the Lord, that means we must defeat Taliki.”
“Of course, it’s true. I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes.”
Had their odd conversation bonded them? Phoebe, who had been hanging back earlier, now stepped up to lead the discussion.
“In that case, we should request the Church’s cooperation.”
“No, Lady Artea. That won’t work…”
“Oooh! To extend a hand of salvation to even those who have strayed! You truly are the Lord’s apostle!”
Well, at least it seems like things are rolling along smoothly. Isabel’s shining eyes suggest she’s eager to accept my request for cooperation.
Yeah. Let’s think positively. If I can sell my dignity for hundreds of platinum coins, it’s still a win for me, right?
“I understand the situation.”
After everything was said and done, although I couldn’t quite pinpoint what had moved her, Isabel took out her handkerchief and wiped away her flowing tears before nodding her head.
“I, Isabel Artea, have been searching for ways to repay the grace received after being saved by the Lord in the past. Therefore, I wish to cooperate as much as possible. However, I have just two small requests first.”
‘What might those be?’
“What is it, perverted fanatic?”
Requests? I don’t know what they’ll be, but given the situation, it seems she’s doing me a favor. If it’s something I can repay without a hitch, I’ll try my best.
As long as it’s not some wild, perverted request.
“One is that I would like you to leave behind a miracle from the apostle in this crystal.”
Isabel pushed the crystal toward me, explaining that because of Artea’s security magic, it cannot be leaked to other places and would be used only for private collection.
Well, that, I could handle. It’s not a difficult request at all.
Later, I’ll need to confirm the authenticity of what Isabel said, but if it really is only for private collection, I’ll do my best to record it securely.
‘Okay, so what’s next?’
“The perverted fanatic even has voyeuristic tendencies? How could I understand your weird preferences? How about another request?”
“I’m so grateful! The other thing is, before you leave, could you leave behind your divine essence?”
Leave behind my divine essence? When I tilted my head, perplexed, Phoebe helpfully chimed in with an explanation.
“It’s about leaving behind the essence in a sphere, accompanied by a blessing from a clergyman. It’s something commonly done during visits to noble households.”
Oh, so that’s what it is? I thought Isabel was popping some odd request, but it’s a normal thing after all.
In that case, there’s no reason I should refuse. Given all I’m about to receive, I can do that simple task.
Seeing me nod, Isabel jumped up and dashed out of the reception room.
A short while later, she returned with her disheveled clothes, ready to present me with a small sphere.
“Please do it here.”
Hmm. So I just need to imbue it with my essence?
With that thought, I reached out to the sphere, but Phoebe stopped me.
“No, Lady! You need to pour your heartfelt prayer into it and then bless it with your divine essence!”
A heartfelt prayer? To whom? That sloppy god?
You want me to sincerely pray to that perverted bastard?
‘Can’t I just skip that part?’
“Why is the saintess being so picky?”
I mean, it genuinely makes me feel unwell, but can’t I just toss my essence in and go?
Even though I pointed this out, Phoebe shook her head firmly.
“Given how much he has given, it would be only right to do it with care.”
[What the child says is correct. After receiving so many gifts, even this little bit should be done properly.]
That makes sense. It’s true.
Ah, damn it. Fine! Just do it, right?
Taking a deep breath, I clasped my hands and closed my eyes.
A heartfelt prayer, huh?
I’ve never really done something like that, but I just need to thank that god and hope for Isabel’s future, right?
…Well, I don’t see why I shouldn’t.
Sloppy god—no, Lord Armadi has indeed helped me a lot along the way.
If it weren’t for His help, I wouldn’t be here right now.
Sure, He might have put me in the line of danger numerous times, but He has also put forth an effort to take responsibility.
As long as he kept his taboo behavior to a minimum, I could certainly show my gratitude.
Honestly, it’s an easy choice to wish for Isabel to do well too.
She might seem a bit eccentric to me, but she’s a decent person. The amount of money she makes translates to a lot of charitable actions.
If she does well, many people will be saved, so I don’t mind blessing her future.
…No matter how much I think about it, this doesn’t feel like a proper prayer.
Whatever. If it doesn’t work out, so be it.
As I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was a warm light filling the room.
Panicking, I looked around, only to soon realize that the source was me.
Seeing Phoebe and Isabel kneeling beside me in prayer, I instinctively understood what was happening.
Oh. If I’m not wrong, does that mean my prayer worked?
Then I just need to fill this sphere with my divine essence, right?
In a daze, as I moved my essence into the sphere, the surrounding light flowed toward it, filling the room with warmth.
– Ding!
[Hidden Quest Activated!]
[Daily Quest: Apostle of the Lord]
[The Lord is touched by your heartfelt prayer! If you perform a ‘morning grooming’ ritual and offer a prayer each day, a special reward will be given!]
Oh, Armadi. I understand that I’m happy to pray due to never having done it before, but…
Why emphasize the part about ‘morning grooming’?
Is this coming from some unholy intention?
…
Hey! This pathetic perverted god! The reason I can’t feel this reverence is all your fault!
You’re the one who keeps messing things up—just stay calm for once!
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