“Are you saying we should establish a new sect ‘right now’?”
“No, I’m not really saying that.”
Starting a sect isn’t like creating an internet cafe with just a few clicks. We’d need institutional arrangements and personnel to run the sect properly. Most likely, we’d leave most of that to the Central Church, but even the Central Church, no matter how many people they have, would take a ridiculously long time if they tried to manage a major reform and establish a new sect simultaneously.
“But we need to move as quickly as possible to set it up. After all, I need to continue existing in this world.”
I calmly spoke to Turner, who had his hand on his head.
“Even if it’s not a formal sect, I need a priest serving me as a goddess. It would be nice if they had the ability to use Holy Power based on my strength.”
“I see…”
Staring intensely at Turner, he replied with an expression that looked like he was about to sigh.
“Sure, I’m a devout member of the church and have no intention of denying the God I serve. There’s no rule that says serving you as a goddess means I can’t serve other gods at the same time, right?”
“Exactly?”
I felt relieved. No matter what, I couldn’t force someone to believe as I pleased. Fortunately, it seemed Turner had no reservations about thinking of me as a goddess.
…In fact, it seems like I’m the only one who has the biggest reservations about being treated as a goddess in this world.
“And since the goddess is right in front of me, calling upon Holy Power shouldn’t be too difficult. The research on whether Holy Power is affected by the distance between God and believer is still ongoing.”
“Is that research actually ongoing?”
“Yes, of course. It’s a study that would have been unimaginable in the past, but now, since there’s a goddess living in a specific area, it should be easy to conduct research. Although, we still haven’t been able to identify the individuals who can use the goddess’s Holy Power.”
It’s not like it’s been long since the light on my face started shining, so that makes sense. And since it’s research on a goddess, they’d probably be more cautious.
“But… just one additional person won’t significantly affect the goddess’s power. We need to recruit believers as quickly as possible…”
“That’s not going to be a big problem.”
Aurora, who had been listening to the conversation, interjected.
“Just the nuns in this cathedral are practically Clara’s believers already.”
…That’s true, indeed.
In fact, if any of them had used my Holy Power first, it would be those kids. Aurora and Linea seemed to have used miracles before the Holy Power.
“If that’s the case, we can say we’ve secured at least a minimal number of personnel. However, the actual number of priests is still very low. Many nuns tend to quit once they reach a certain age. If we go to the existing priests and ask them to change their positions, that would also be an issue. It would be like asking them to give up their established positions to start again from scratch.”
I heard that many people like Kwon In-Soo were swept away with the upheaval of the Central Church, but it’s only natural to resist when someone asks you to give up your place, even if they are good people. Of course, as a goddess, I could compel them, but… no matter how much of a goddess I am, I shouldn’t do such things. No, it’s precisely because I’m a goddess that I shouldn’t be doing that, right?
“Then how about persuading newly ordained priests or deacons?”
Linea suggested as an idea.
“That’s a good approach too. Even if a new sect is formed, the Central Church mustn’t be scattered. They are all under the same religion, even if they serve different gods. Even if the sect divides into three, the ordination itself should ideally be done neutrally, and later, the priests can choose their desired place.”
“Wouldn’t that cause an imbalance between the sects?”
On my question, Turner nodded.
“That’s likely. But we still need to properly arrange the systems to avoid causing major issues. There shouldn’t be a rule against working just because it’s a different sect. They just chose what they wanted, so they shouldn’t be discriminated against for being fewer in number, nor should they be overbearing for having more.”
Getting around this issue is why the Central Church has been trying to create a sect and tear apart the institutional structures within the church to place each under their respective sect.
“But…”
That means my newly formed sect, being the latest, will be the most disadvantaged. Even if not everyone in the Inquisition under Rina becomes followers of the Demon God Baal, it’s a clear fact that a significant number will switch sects. Baal’s abilities resonate well with the Inquisition’s philosophies.
In that sense, having the Miracle Investigation Office under my sect wouldn’t be a bad choice either. My powers shouldn’t cause significant issues even when they intersect with Baal’s or Ariel’s powers. For the investigators, it would be a safe power to use.
…The problem, however, is that there’s only one Miracle Investigator.
Many of the nuns will surely leave for society at some point, so I can’t confirm any numbers, and the only institution within the sect has fewer personnel than the number of saintesses.
Of course, I’m not looking to acquire hundreds of thousands of believers. Honestly, I’d be a little glad if they would show a bit less interest in me. However, in order for me to live in this world, I need as many people as possible who can use my power instead of me. I need it desperately, even.
“Then, it seems there’s a limit to how many I can recruit.”
Feeling a little deflated, I said, and Turner nodded.
“You are in a more advantageous position to gather believers than any gods that have existed, but whether you can keep up with the speed of recruiting priests compared to the increase in believers is a separate problem. Just looking at this cathedral, it’s packed with people every day. And isn’t the amount of light reflected from your goddess face strengthening day by day?”
“Yes, that’s exactly why I wanted to form the sect…”
“Ahem.”
As I answered with a somewhat drained voice, the Pope, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, cleared his throat softly.
“Goddess, if that’s the case, I have a good suggestion. Would you like to hear it?”
Nodding my head, the Pope smiled warmly and said,
“Then, how about I become your believer?”
“Excuse me…?”
“Despite how it may appear, I hold significant influence within the church.”
Well, that’s true. He’s the Pope after all. The Pope is determined by votes within the College of Cardinals. While the opinions of the cardinals don’t perfectly reflect the will of the believers, it means that the person who becomes Pope was the most supported candidate by the priests at the moment of their election.
“So, if I publicly declare that I am your believer and will support the establishment of your sect, some priests will surely follow. While it may be difficult to change the opinions of existing cardinals, I might be able to sway the minds of the newly ordained priests.”
“Uh…”
I mean, it sounds awfully convincing.
The issue, though, is an uneasy feeling inside me shouting that this isn’t just a good idea. I had no solid evidence, but it felt like accepting this idea might lead to a giant problem down the line.
What kind of problem, though?
“Wouldn’t the sudden announcement from His Holiness have an impact on the believers as well?”
I first pointed out the issue that popped into my head, but I still felt uneasy. It was a feeling like turning on the computer to do something only to forget what that something was as soon as it booted up—extremely unsettling.
“I won’t make a large announcement like that. I promise to act cautiously so only the priests within the church will know.”
“Okay…”
I replied like that while glancing at Aurora and Linea.
“I think it’s not a bad method.”
“It would be good to receive the Pope’s assistance to quickly increase the number of priests in your sect.”
The two of them voiced their opinions.
“Wouldn’t it be a bit uncomfortable for older people to come in beneath two people younger than them?”
I asked that, and then,
“…Doesn’t the current situation already reflect that?”
“Isn’t this something we shouldn’t be discussing now?”
An immediate rebuttal came to my statement.
…Well, I had no counter-argument. To be honest, just looking at the people present, both Turner and the Pope were older than me anyway. Furthermore, from the perspective of Aurora and Linea, there are certainly people under the saintesses who are much older than the combined ages of the two of them.
As I waited for Aurora and Linea to discuss their opinions, the Pope, sensing my internal acceptance, immediately continued,
“In addition, it would be a good opportunity to fill the vacant Miracle Investigation Office’s personnel. Currently, it only has one member, but if we look up past records, we should be able to find organizational charts from when it existed as a group. Since it’s a gradually shrinking institution, I believe we can rebuild the Miracle Investigation Office with minimal friction by increasing the numbers based on the reversed history of its reductions.”
“…”
However, even after hearing that opinion, the unsettling feeling still lingered. The problem is that I didn’t understand why I felt that way.
Is it the fear of everything escalating? I have faced that several times already. To be honest, I had some expectations for this one as well. I thought it was an unavoidable choice if I wanted to stay here in the future.
Honestly, there’s nowhere left to climb above being a goddess, right?
“Then, it seems that would be a good course of action.”
Eventually, unable to pinpoint the source of that unsettling emotion, I accepted the Pope’s suggestion.
Well, I still didn’t have a proper scripture, so they could declare whatever god they wish to follow as their own. Just because I told them not to do it wouldn’t mean people would just stop believing.
“Thank you! In that case, I will devote this body entirely to your request!”
“Just don’t overdo it to the point of harming your health.”
As I said that, the Pope looked very moved.
And I could sense Turner watching me intensely.
…What’s up with you, mister? You’ve already had plenty of fun, haven’t you?
*
People don’t often take the phrase “change comes day by day” literally.
Honestly, it’s rare to find something that visibly changes that much each day. Even young children, often cited as examples of rapid change, grow so much that it’s hard to gauge their height day by day. Similarly, if you’re not working inside a construction site, it’s hard to notice what has dramatically changed over time.
To truly feel how things are changing little by little in the neighborhood or among people we live with, a longer time is required.
So, if something were to change dramatically in just a day, how many people would have to work hard for that change to happen? If that change is a positive one, those driving that change would indeed deserve respect.
“…This is… quite impressive.”
I said while turning on the shower.
Didn’t I mention that the facilities in this cathedral were so old that if I turned on the shower while using it, the water would only trickle out? That issue has been resolved overnight.
Having witnessed countless miracles since coming to this world, the majority of which I’ve caused myself, this one felt the most miraculous of all.
The announcement for the renovation of the aging water pipes went up, and just like that, the water situation improved dramatically in just one day.
Although I don’t have much knowledge on that front, I know enough to understand that for pipe repairs, you would typically have to dig through the ground. And modern urban soil is mostly covered in concrete, asphalt, or cement. So, this is no easy task.
Moreover, with winter approaching, it seems they’ve also repaired the boiler, as warm water was coming out quite nicely. Before, warm water would sometimes turn cold unexpectedly when I let my guard down.
…That they changed all this without my asking means they’re quite attentive to my needs within the church.
In truth, I could’ve easily had them do it if I had just asked. But every time I showed my discomfort when they tried to do something for me at the Central Church, they likely opted to keep things as they were till now.
“If I had known, I would have asked for the changes sooner.”
Upon reflecting, fixing the plumbing and the boiler would benefit not just me. Everyone living here in the convent would surely enjoy the advantages. Since these girls are still growing, it would be better for them to stay in a good environment.
Feeling great after showering, I stepped out, and Linea and Aurora, who had been waiting, stood up.
Initially, the excuse for the two of them to shower separately was that if we all showered together, the water would not work properly, but there’s no need to change that pattern now. No matter that I’ve lived in this body for several months, I wasn’t at the level of comfortably showering with the girls.
“It seems the water pipe repairs were really effective. They must have replaced the boiler too. Should we send a thank-you note to the church?”
While I was pressing the towel hard against my hair, Aurora replied right away.
“Oh, I heard that this wasn’t done by the church.”
“What do you mean it wasn’t done by the church?”
As I widened my eyes a bit, Aurora nodded.
“Yes, actually, while the plan was indeed from the church, the execution of this renovation was under the local government.”
“Maybe there was some influence from the central government.”
As Linea took off her combined dress-like nun’s outfit, I quickly averted my gaze. While I had gotten somewhat used to changing clothes, I wasn’t bold enough to openly stare.
“They probably thought it would gain them points if they repaired the cathedral where the goddess resides.”
It was intriguing how the government took such a bold action, considering how cautious the church had been towards me.
So, did the government take charge of promoting this repair? That made the rapid conclusion of the project understandable. Of course, the earth that was dug up for construction was likely still curing.
“Was it effective?”
Aurora asked playfully, and I could hear the sound of her skin brushing against the fabric, indicating she was probably changing as well.
“Uh, yeah, it’s well within a good level of perception.”
As I responded a bit smugly, both Linea and Aurora chuckled softly.
After squeezing enough water from my hair, I sat on the bed and grabbed the hairdryer. Looking into the small mirror beside the bed, my face was clearly reflected.
Indeed, the Pope’s plan had worked.
Of course, there still weren’t enough priests to match Ariel’s sect, and the number of believers was still on the rise, so the light radiating from my body hadn’t completely vanished. It was likely impossible for it to disappear completely. Thinking about how Ariel’s face shone golden when she descended to this land, I was grateful for this much.
Faint white light was spilling from behind me. My wet hair sparkled in the light. While that sounded like it wouldn’t show my face well in backlighting, my face also shone faintly like a halo. Thanks to that, it appeared as if my face had been brightened through a photo-editing software after taking a picture in the backlight.
It’s like receiving that charming glow effect every time elves appear in The Lord of the Rings, so to speak.
Most of the newly joined priests in my sect were brimming with zeal, just recently ordained. Naturally, they willingly used the Holy Power that came from their prayers to help people, and thanks to that, the light radiating from me gradually decreased, and the research results on my Holy Power were showing up much faster.
My Holy Power hasn’t fully matured yet. Unlike Baal, who can explosively utilize his magic, or Ariel, who refined her powers for maximum effect with minimal mana usage, mine is not designed for any of that.
In fact, I don’t even know how to precisely design it.
Therefore, it seems my Holy Power generally has poor efficiency. There are hardly any great effects equivalent to the Holy Water I directly created, and usually, it’s limited to reviving wilting plants or healing minor wounds.
Well, for now, I plan on leaving it in this ‘underperforming’ state.
If my efficiency declines, I assume the stored power within my body will deplete faster as well.
The sound of the shower room door opening and closing reached my ears. I turned on the hairdryer as I heard that.
While I could handle the fire that had dropped at my feet…
What was that uneasy feeling I felt then?
“…Eh, I’m probably just overthinking it.”
I mean, it’s already nearly December, and if I haven’t had any issues so far, I probably won’t have any in the future.
…Right?
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