Chapter 29
A friction sound, as if someone were scratching deep inside my ear with a thin needle, made my body reflexively shudder.
*Gulp.*
Perhaps the worshippers in the prayer room felt the same; they were all huddled with their gazes fixed on the door.
*Thud!*
As if aware of our anxious waiting, the door opened quickly.
Even I was tense, not knowing what was happening.
“…Huh?”
The one who had opened that heavy door was…
“Tete?”
My small, precious baby cat?
I felt inexplicably deflated, and the tension drained from my body.
‘But how did it manage to open that heavy door?’
No matter how powerful a “meow-meow punch” is, its physical force should be zero.
‘Did it open by the wind?’
It was spring, so the wind wasn’t particularly strong, making me tilt my head in confusion.
That was the moment.
“Kyaaaah!”
Several worshippers who had been accusing me of being a fraud all screamed in unison and slumped to the floor.
Moreover.
“Meow.”
“Gasp!”
At the utterly peaceful meow, they gasped as if about to faint and frantically pressed themselves against the edges of the prayer room.
The other worshippers were acting strangely too.
‘Huh? Why are they all moving away from Tete?’
Normally, wouldn’t they find it so cute they’d want to bite it and try to approach?
But apparently, the worshippers didn’t think so. I even heard strange words like “wolf” and “baby tiger” scattered about.
Tete paid no attention to the murmuring worshippers and gracefully walked towards me.
Occasionally, it twitched its nose.
“Kyaaaah! A t-tiger!!”
“Blood, blood! Ugh, s-save me!!”
Seeing that, they were crying and seemed on the verge of breaking down.
Some worshippers even rushed out the door in a panic.
*Murmur, murmur.*
Due to the unexpected situation, the hall became chaotic in an instant. I couldn’t hide my bewilderment either.
How should I accept this absurd situation…
‘No, more importantly, is it okay to just let them leave? They’re still worshippers, right?’
*Ding.*
[Arte puts down a bag of popcorn with a nonchalant expression.]
[User Arte has donated 10 Florins!]
[Eung, it’s fine. I don’t trust those who just ran away. They seem like frauds? ╮(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)╭]
‘There were more frauds???’
How can you say that so casually now!
Despite my dumbfounded expression, Arte just sent a shrugging emoticon saying “Omnyomnyom.”
‘Ha, haha. The inner workings of this sect are really something, really something!’
I let out a hollow laugh, feeling bleak about the reality, and while I was momentarily dazed, the worshippers who had been whispering while looking at Tete seemed to have finally realized something and clapped their hands together with a *clap!*
“Gasp! That appearance of freely changing its form! It’s undoubtedly a divine beast! Arte-nim has sent us a divine beast too!”
One worshipper pointed at Tete and shouted in an excited voice.
In an instant, sparkling gazes focused on Tete in a rush.
I couldn’t wave my hands at the worshippers and say “No.”
‘Tete, a divine beast…?’
Even I found it hard to be sure!
It was true that Tete had peculiarities.
There was Envy’s suspicious words before, and Arte also strangely seemed to lose only to Tete, didn’t she?
There was also that time the child from my room suddenly appeared in the reception room.
“Hup.”
Before I knew it, Tete had reached me, and I scooped it up.
“Meow…?”
Tete tilted its head, seeming puzzled that I was holding it and making eye contact instead of just being held.
‘See, it’s too smart.’
Is it normal for a cat to understand human speech this well?
I narrowed my eyes, suspicion in my gaze.
“…Meooow.”
Finally, as if realizing its mistake, Tete avoided my eyes and smoothly covered its face with its front paw.
*Ahem.*
Regardless of anything else, that was just too cute!
Without realizing it, I softened and, *heh*, started to laugh with my mouth open before snapping back to my senses.
Oh no. I almost fell for Tete’s beauty—no, its subtle charms.
‘I have no choice but to…’
Should I ask Arte?
*Ding.*
[Arte covers their face with their hands.]
……Arte-nim, you’re not cute, so it’s no use!
I shook my head side to side and held Tete securely in my arms.
“Ooh……!”
For some reason, the worshippers looked at me with envious eyes.
Then, a strong sensation came.
‘This is it!’
The moment to make the worshippers completely believe I’m the ‘Saintess’!
‘Arte’s Shop!’
*Diri-ring.*
[Oh my! It’s so bright I thought it was daytime – <Arte’s Halo>]
[Item Description: A halo containing a faint trace of Arte’s healing ability.
Effect lasts for 5 minutes.]
I had bought this item while browsing the shop in the carriage, thinking it might be useful.
Of course, using divine power alone could solve the problem, but…
‘Originally, situations like this need to be flashy and dramatic!’
And, it’s a halo. It’s the classic Saintess cliché; I had to try it at least once!
*Fwaaaah—!*
As the corners of my mouth rose, a bright halo shone brilliantly.
It was an intense light, bright enough to dazzle even me, who had my back to it.
The dim prayer room became as bright as a summer day under the scorching sun.
“Aah, aah……!!”
“Arte-nim……!”
Sounds of people slumping to the floor could be heard here and there.
‘It’s too early to be surprised yet, worshippers.’
For the perfect finish, I slowly drew up my divine power.
Even though I had done this quite a few times, I felt nervous. It was probably because the target wasn’t just one person but many this time, unlike before.
‘I can do it, I can do it.’
*Hooooo*, I let out a big breath and recalled what I learned in the Envy Sect’s “Application of Divine Power” class.
Gather the divine power enveloping my body and channel it as much as possible towards my heart.
Transfer the divine power that has become mine through resonance to my hands and manifest it!
*Fwaaaah!!*
Instantly, a cascade of pure white light poured from my hands.
The white light harmoniously blended with the golden halo, enveloping the worshippers.
‘This is it!’
The sacred light filled the prayer room like a great tidal wave.
“……!”
The worshippers didn’t utter any exclamations. No, it’s more accurate to say they couldn’t.
Perhaps because the divine power had swept through the prayer room once, the robes they were wearing came off.
The worshippers I saw like that were all crying.
‘Huh? Huh……?’
I hadn’t anticipated it would go this far.
While feeling bewildered, I also became dazed by the emotions I could feel just by looking at them.
*Ding.*
[User Arte has donated 1 Florin!]
[Most of the children who come to me are those who want to grasp even the last thread of hope.]
Arte added that people with incurable diseases, those who had suffered great wounds from the ongoing wars, and those abandoned by doctors and pushed to the brink gathered here.
In the prayer room, where only silence had lingered, there were now crumpled exhalations and sniffles everywhere.
Some because the pain that constantly tormented them had vanished, others because their deadened bodies were sprouting anew.
Some simply because they could live their lives.
Seeing all these scenes filled me with a new sense of emotion.
Even though my own incurable illness remained the same, I couldn’t help but smile brightly at their happiness.
“It’s truly a good thing that gods exist.”
Suddenly, that thought came to me.
Because they can make the impossible possible. Because those living in unhappiness can become happy…
Because there exists a being here who can create such miracles, it’s truly a good thing.
At that moment, I realized for the first time, “So this is happiness.”
The warmth of happiness, felt for the first time, was both surprising and unfamiliar.
***
I couldn’t bring myself to say something insensitive like, “Alright, I’m the Saintess, right? Shall we now lululala and pull back the curtain?” to the worshippers who were crying uncontrollably with joy.
I simply waited quietly for each one, letting them collect their emotions.
How much time passed like that?
“Saintess, thank you!”
“Really, really thank you. Saintess, truly……”
Putting aside their joy for a moment, I shook my head slightly at the worshippers looking at me with sparkling eyes.
“I merely delivered what Arte-nim wanted to give you all, that’s all,” I said.
So, the one they should be thanking is Arte-nim, not me. Plus, it aligns with the sect’s identity.
‘Besides, it feels strange to be praised for just using borrowed power.’
But.
*Ahem*, “Saintess!”
“An angel, you must be an angel…!”
*Ding.*
[User Arte has donated 520 Florins!]
[Waaahhh, Cierra T_T T_T Why are you so kind T_T T_T Why are you so unbearably kind T_T T_T]
‘Huh?’
It seemed both the worshippers and Arte-nim had different thoughts than me.
“Meow.”
Even Tete looked at me and rubbed its cheek against my hand.
‘They seem to be evaluating me too highly.’
Despite all this, I have a history of being an irredeemable delinquent villainess.
Everyone is just too naive; it’s a problem.
