Chapter: 148
Practice Mode? You think this will calm me down?
Ha. Seriously, you sloppy fool. Unbelievable. You thought I’d be happy with just any function unlocked?!
This is genuinely the most useless feature!
In Soul Academy, the practice mode is a place where you can try out new skills on a scarecrow. It’s supposed to be a feature that helps you understand how to utilize what you learn.
For newbies, this might be a welcome feature, but not for me.
Especially now that this is reality and I can’t just coast by with a handful of skills like in a game.
It doesn’t build proficiency, and I can’t meet the conditions to learn new skills by making a ruckus in there. What good is a feature that only lets me hit a scarecrow as much as I want?!
Do I look like a sucker to you?!
Huh. Huhhh…
I have so much to say, but if I let it all out, I might face some crazy retaliation, so I’ll hold back. Just know this: from the past until the future, you’re stuck with the title of sloppy god in my heart.
From now on, I won’t call you Armadi anymore. Just so you know that!
You perverted, sloppy god!
While I was clearing away the multiple windows in front of me, Phoebe opened her eyes.
She stared blankly at the ceiling, then slowly raised her head to survey the surroundings. When her eyes landed on me, she stiffened for a moment before forcing a smile.
“Lady Allen, is this real?”
‘Yes, it is.’
“As a saintess, you don’t even know that? How sloppy. Yes, this is reality. Sloppy saintess.”
We should be relieved we escaped danger, but Phoebe’s expression remained tense, not loosening at all.
What’s up with her?
‘Phoebe?’
“Sloppy saintess? Why do you look like a guilty puppy?”
“Uh, um…”
Her lips curled up uncertainly. I could see her shoulders flinch every time I’d call her a saintess.
Hmm. I want to think it’s just a wild guess, but then again, maybe it’s not so crazy… What if she’s caught on? That she hasn’t been chosen by Armadi yet?
“The title of saintess doesn’t suit me, you see.”
Guhhh…
This is bad! She figured it out!
What the hell! How did she catch on?!
There’s no one around Phoebe who could tell her besides me!
There’s no way Alsatine could spill the beans about her master’s whereabouts!
Plus, Phoebe’s power hasn’t grown strong enough to crush the church’s schemes!
As I pondered the mystery, I recalled the enemy that had been tormenting Phoebe just moments before and bit my lip.
Damn it. Nakrad. That damn jerk must have blabbed!
He’s the only one who would know that Phoebe is a fake saintess—
Things have gotten messy. Seeing Phoebe’s reaction, she seems convinced she’s a fake saintess.
That means the chances of her memories from the orphanage returning are pretty high too.
Sigh. How do I fix this?
Phoebe has been wobbling around, unlike the saintess in the game.
If she realizes her true self and past memories, her mental state will shatter.
First, comfort her.
No, keep her quiet first.
No, more importantly…
[Young lady, please calm down.]
‘How can I calm down in this situation?!’
If Phoebe, her mental state broken, asks the church about herself, it would be a total disaster!
I can’t stand the thought of losing a character I’ve grown fond of over this short time!
Before I even think about how to calm Phoebe, what am I supposed to do? Old man!
[That girl seems stronger than we thought.]
‘What do you mean?’
[Look. She seems troubled but doesn’t appear shaken.]
Now that you mention it?
Traveling with Phoebe, I noticed that she seemed different from before. She could be putting on a tough front, but even being able to do that is enough.
She can feign strength despite denying her own existence; that means her mental state is somewhat intact.
Has Phoebe grown in her way during all of this?
Her emotions would have shown on her face when we first entered the dungeon together.
[Maybe we shouldn’t worry too much.]
‘Old man, can you stand by that?’
[Of course. I'm quite confident in my judgment of character.]
Hah. Fine, I’ll trust you to trust Phoebe, then?
Okay. I’ll follow the old man’s words.
But just know, if Phoebe strays off course, I’m taking a tour through the Academy’s trash bins. Old man!
I took a deep breath and scanned my surroundings. There’s no one else here besides Phoebe and me.
But just beyond the door, I could hear the breathing of priests lurking. They’d surely hear any conversation we shared!
So, Phoebe can’t say anything about being a fake saintess. If those whispers get out, the higher-ups in the Jushin Church will react in ways I can’t even imagine!
If they act as they did in the game’s scenario, Phoebe wouldn’t last at this point.
There are so many things I want to say and ask her, but let’s save that for a safe place.
For now, I have something important to tell Phoebe.
If I say it normally, it’ll definitely get twisted by the mesugaki skill, right?
Instead, I’ll just speak like a mesugaki myself.
“Hey, sloppy saintess♡ Do you think I care about your sloppy, dumb opinions?♡ I’m going to call you what I want, got it? Shoddy saintess?♡”
Phoebe, I don’t know how much you heard from Nakrad, but I’m sure you heard something about me.
You probably know I’m connected with Armadi. So, you know; I’m calling you a saintess.
Don’t waver. Don’t think too much about it.
“Lady Allen? What do you mean?”
“Curious?♡ Are you curious?♡ Haha♡ But what should I do?♡ I’m not planning to tell you right away!♡”
“What?”
“Dumb saintess♡ Don’t you understand even if I make you wait?♡”
Just trust me and wait.
Before long, I’ll solve your curiosity.
I’ll tell you that you’re the saintess Armadi chose.
What if the sloppy god thinks differently? Who cares?
If you’re unhappy, why don’t you come down and tell me who you think the saintess is?
Originally, silence is a form of agreement, right?
‘See you later.’
“Later you say? Well, I’ve got places to be. Unlike you, shoddy saintess, I’m busy!”
“Wait, Lady Allen! I still have so much to say to you. I didn’t even get to thank you before you leave!”
Phoebe urgently tried to rise, but Lucy opened the door even faster.
The people from the Jushin Church, including the bishop waiting outside, were shocked to see Phoebe standing there.
“The saintess has awakened!”
“What a miracle!”
“Armadi! Thank you!”
“Lady Allen, thank you so much! Thanks to you!”
“Enough, step aside. You shrimp priests. You smell disgusting and it’s making me feel sick.”
The genuine look of contempt made the church people step back rapidly, creating a gap through which Lucy slipped out.
Several priests and the bishop hurried to follow her, expressing their gratitude, but Lucy didn’t even acknowledge them.
As if to say she didn’t help Phoebe for that reason.
“Saintess, are you alright?”
“How’s your body? Is there anywhere you feel unwell?”
“Aren’t you thirsty?”
Phoebe, staring blankly at Lucy’s retreating figure, reassured the priests around her that she was fine.
After a while, the bishop returned and the situation was mostly resolved, leaving Phoebe alone to reflect on what Lucy had said before leaving.
Lady Allen kept calling me a saintess until the very end.
That powerful figure, a saintess of Armadi!
Did she really not know that I was a made-up fake saintess?
There’s no way she couldn’t distinguish between the real and the fake, being chosen by Armadi herself.
Lady Allen must have known everything and still told me that I was suited to be a saintess.
I can’t say her tone was pleasant, and while I felt a flicker of anger during such touching words…
I couldn’t help but feel moved by the realization that even in my lacking, I was acknowledged by someone who was equipped with the authority of Armadi’s apostle.
Ruel, you were right. Lady Allen may sound rough, but she’s definitely a beautiful person.
Phoebe wiped her tears from the bedspread, now spotting the stains.
Trying to be as stoic as possible, but still not shaking off the emotional shock she faced.
The realization that all her childhood memories were false.
Having spent her life trying to be someone worthy of being a saintess while actually being a manufactured fake saintess.
These two facts were enough to shake the very foundation of who Phoebe was.
She was never a saintess, so it made sense she didn’t measure up.
There was no reason for her to hate her flawed self.
Even if she consoled herself that she could become a more righteous person in the future, how could that shock fade away easily?
Yet, thanks to what Lucy said before leaving, Phoebe found salvation.
Because of that, even now, as tears flow uncontrollably, she can assure herself that it’s okay.
She gained the confidence that she could get better.
After a while, Phoebe finally stopped crying and sighed as she looked at the bedclothes soaked in tears and snot.
Maybe it felt a little better to have cried out just once.
…Lady Allen told me to wait for her before leaving.
I’m sure she must have a lot of questions and things to say, but it means to wait.
Not to act on my own whims and to wait for her.
If that apostle of Armadi says something, it must hold significance.
Originally, I thought about moving on my own…
But yes, I’ll wait. If the great Lord Jushin wishes it. If Lady Allen has a plan, then I must follow her since I’ve been saved.
So what could I be thinking in the meantime?
Hmm. I think I’ll think about how to express my gratitude to Lady Allen?
What would she like? That’s definitely a question worth pondering.
I should consult Joy for some advice.
I want to prepare a present worthy of thanking Lady Allen later.
Imagining Lucy stammering and turning red while thanking me made Phoebe laugh lightly, as if she hadn’t just cried a moment ago.
I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’ll make an effort!
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