Chapter: 148
Practice mode? Is this what you think will soothe my anger?
Ha. Seriously, you pathetic god. Do you really think I’ll jump for joy just because you unlocked some random feature?!
This is honestly the most useless feature ever!
The practice mode in Soul Academy is just a place where you can try out new skills on a dummy.
It’s supposed to help you figure out how to use abilities every time you learn something new.
Sure, it’s great for newbies just starting out, but not for me.
Especially since the real world isn’t like a game where I can rely on just a few abilities to get by.
It doesn’t even build my proficiency!
And just flailing at a dummy won’t meet the conditions for learning new skills either!
So, what use is just being able to hit a dummy repeatedly?
Do I look like some easy target to you?!
Ugh. Ughhhhh.
I have so much to say, but if I let it all out, I’d have no idea how you’d retaliate, so I’ll hold back for now. Just know this.
It’s been true before, and it’ll be true again—you’re forever stuck in my heart as that pathetic god.
From now on, I won’t call you Armadi.
Just so you know.
You masochistic, pathetic god!
Just as I wanted to clear my mind of those thoughts, Phoebe opened her eyes.
She stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before slowly raising her head and looking around. Upon spotting my face, she stiffened for a second, then tried to muster a smile.
“Alrn Young Lady. Is this really reality?”
‘Yes, it is.’
“Seriously? A saint who can’t even tell that? You really are pathetic. Yep, this is reality. Pathetic saint.”
She should’ve been relieved since we escaped danger, but Phoebe’s expression remained tense.
Why’s she acting like that?
‘Phoebe?’
“Pathetic saint? Why do you look like a dog that did something wrong?”
“U-uhm…”
Her hesitant smile and her quivering shoulders.
Hmmm. I can’t believe it, but maybe she’s caught on?
She realized she hasn’t been chosen by Armadi yet?
“The title of saint doesn’t suit me.”
Gaaaaah.
This is bad. She’s figured it out.
No way!
How on earth did she catch on to that?
There’s no one around her who could’ve told her, except me.
There’s no way Nakrad, who was used as an experiment back in the orphanage run by the Church of the God, would leak that information.
And Phoebe’s powers aren’t strong enough to suppress the Church’s schemes either.
While I was lost in thought, Nakrad, the scumbag who harassed Phoebe, popped into my mind, and I bit my lip.
Damn. That bastard Nakrad definitely blabbed.
No one else would know Phoebe is a fake saint—except that jerk who was used as a test subject at the orphanage run by the Church.
Things have gotten tangled up. Given Phoebe’s reaction, she’s convinced she’s a fake saint.
This probably means her memories from the orphanage have returned.
Ugh. How do I fix this?
Phoebe has been swaying back and forth, unlike the saints from the game.
If she realizes her identity and past memories, her mental state will shatter.
First, I need to comfort her.
No, shut her up first.
No, even better.
[Hey, girl. Calm down.]
‘How am I supposed to calm down in this situation?!’
If Phoebe, now mentally broken, starts inquiring about herself with the Church, it’ll be a total disaster!
I don’t want to see a character I’ve grown fond of disappear after all this time!
With all those thoughts, I send a mental message.
Come on, grandpa!
[That girl seems stronger than we thought.]
‘What do you mean?’
[Look closely. Though she’s troubled, she doesn’t seem shaken up.]
That’s true, isn’t it?
Having spent time with Phoebe recently, I’m aware she’s different from before.
She might be putting on a brave front, but just being able to pretend means she’s holding on.
Her sense of self worth is being challenged, yet she can still act strong—that means she’s holding it together.
Maybe she’s grown through all the experiences she’s been through?
Back when we first entered the dungeon together, her emotions were all over her face.
[It seems like worrying too much might not be necessary.]
‘Grandpa, can you guarantee that?’
[Of course. I pride myself on my ability to read people.]
Ugh, fine. I’ll trust what you say.
But just know, if this backfires on Phoebe, I’ll start a soul academy tour from hell!
Taking a deep breath, I glance around. Right now, it’s just me and Phoebe in this room.
But beyond that door, I can hear the rustling sounds of the Church’s priests. They can also listen to our conversation here.
So there’s no way that Phoebe can talk about being a fake saint.
If that conversation slips out, we know exactly how the Church’s upper echelons would react.
If they follow the scenario from the game, I doubt Phoebe can handle it right now.
I have so much to say to Phoebe and so many questions to ask, but I’ll have to save that for a safer place.
What I need to tell her right now is clear.
If I just say this plainly, my Mesugaki skill is definitely going to twist it.
So instead, I’ll just talk like a Mesugaki myself.
“Pathetic saint♡ Do you think I care about your dumb opinions?♡ I’ll call you whatever I want, got it? Pathetic saint?♡”
Phoebe, I don’t know how much you heard from Nakrad, but I’m sure you might’ve learned something about me as well.
You must know related to Armadi that I’m involved. So I’m saying I’ll call you a saint.
Don’t waver. Don’t hesitate.
“Alrn Young Lady? What do you mean?”
“Curious?♡ Are you curious?♡ Hahaha♡ But what am I supposed to do?♡ I’m not sharing anything just yet!♡”
“Wha—?”
“Pathetic saint♡ Are you too dumb to catch on?♡”
Just trust me and wait.
It won’t be long before I resolve your curiosity.
I’ll tell you that you’ve been chosen by Armadi.
You think this pathetic god might disagree? Who cares?
If you’re not satisfied, just descend yourself and say who you think the saint is.
They say silence is a form of agreement.
‘See you later.’
“Catch you later. Unlike you, I’m pretty busy, so I’m off now.”
*
“Wait a second, Alrn Young Lady. I still have so much to say! I didn’t even get to thank you before you left!”
Phoebe hurried to raise her body, but Lucy was faster in opening the door.
The Bishop and the Church’s members outside stared, wide-eyed, at Phoebe’s upright figure.
“The saint has awakened!”
“What a miracle!”
“Thank you, Armadi!”
“Alrn Young Lady, thank you so much! Because of you.”
“Enough! Step aside, loser priests. You stink enough to make me sick.”
With genuine scorn on her face, the Church members hurriedly backed away, creating an opening for Lucy to exit.
The Bishop and a few priests hastily followed her, expressing their gratitude, but Lucy pretended to ignore them.
As if to imply she was helping Phoebe without any expectation.
“Saint, are you alright?”
“How do you feel? Is there anything uncomfortable?”
“Aren’t you thirsty?”
Staring blankly at their retreating figures, Phoebe told the priests she was fine.
After a while, the situation was resolved by the returning Bishop, leaving Phoebe alone to lean against the wall, reflecting on Lucy’s final words.
Alrn Young Lady called me a saint until the very end.
That person, who is a disciple of Armadi.
Could it be that he really didn’t know I was a fake saint?
There’s no way that could be true. There’s no way the one chosen by Armadi wouldn’t be able to distinguish between real and fake.
Alrn Young Lady knew everything and still spoke to me as if I were worthy of being a saint.
Even though her tone was far from flattering, I felt a mix of anger and admiration for that touching sentiment.
It made me feel inadequate compared to Lucy, the disciple of Armadi.
Ruel, you were right. Alrn Young Lady may have a rough way of speaking, but she’s clearly a wonderful person.
Phoebe wiped away the tear stains on her bedding.
Though she attempted to remain stoic, such efforts couldn’t erase her emotional shock.
The reality that all her childhood memories were a lie.
The fact that she had lived her whole life trying to be someone deserving of the title “saint,” only to find out she was actually a fabricated one.
These two facts were enough to shake the very foundation of Phoebe’s existence.
Since she wasn’t even a saint to begin with, it was only natural she wouldn’t measure up.
There was no reason to feel self-loathing over her flaws.
Even if she comforted herself by believing she could become a more faithful person, how could that overwhelming shock just vanish?
However, after hearing Lucy’s words before she left, Phoebe felt a sense of salvation.
That’s why even now, unable to contain her flowing tears, she could reassure herself that it was okay.
That she could surely become better.
After quite a while, with her tears finally subsiding, Phoebe stared at the mess of stained sheets and sighed.
Crying out loud felt somewhat better.
…Alrn Young Lady told me to wait.
That probably also means she has a lot to say and many questions herself, but it’s an instruction to wait.
Don’t act recklessly on your own. Instead, wait for her.
If Armadi’s disciple says it, surely it carries weight.
I had originally planned to act on my own… but yeah, I should wait. If the great god desires it, if Alrn Young Lady has a plan, then I must follow him.
What might she be thinking during this time?
Hmm. Perhaps I should think about how to express my gratitude to Alrn Young Lady?
What does she enjoy? That’s certainly worth pondering.
I should ask Joy for advice.
If possible, I want to prepare a gift that would make Alrn Young Lady genuinely feel appreciated.
Imagining Lucy shyly mumbling her thanks made Phoebe smile lightly, as if she hadn’t been crying at all.
I don’t know if it’ll turn out like that, but I’ll give it my best shot.
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