Chapter 107: Goddess, Speak Up For Me!
Helen didn’t know much about worldly matters. Teachers like her often practiced a kind of “self-exile” while studying sacred knowledge.
The goal was to get closer to the true nature of the Goddess.
Only by letting divine nature overcome personal desires could they better hear the Goddess’s voice.
So she was willing to believe Victoria’s explanation. To her, this kind of thing wasn’t very important, and unless necessary, she wouldn’t look into it too deeply.
However, facing Helen’s calm attitude, Victoria actually started to panic.
Her holy cross no longer glowed. Her teacher would definitely notice something was wrong at a glance.
Even worse, her “Chosen One” identity was basically empty.
The divine light was with Peiya, she herself was just a tool.
“Teacher… do you really want to see it?”
“What? Could it be you?” Helen’s tone was very calm. If it were another teacher, they might have jumped in excitement at the thought that their student could be the Chosen One.
After all, that would be like raising a future Pope. It would be a huge honor.
The Chosen One was one of the few people who could communicate with the Goddess. In the entire church, such people were extremely rare.
Clearly, Helen’s reaction was unusually calm.
Victoria knew what kind of person her teacher was. After hesitating for a long time, she still took out the silver cross.
“Teacher… it suddenly stopped glowing. I don’t know why.”
Helen’s eyebrow twitched slightly, but she quickly returned to normal.
“You don’t feel like you are being watched by the Goddess?”
“No, teacher. I feel like the holy light is rejecting me. Maybe I’m just too weak. Maybe it chose someone else. So I didn’t think too much about it.”
Helen sighed.
“The awakening of the Goddess is not a small matter. I can’t decide this alone. I will report your situation honestly to a trusted bishop. Don’t be too nervous. No matter the result, you are still my student. I won’t let anything happen to you. Also, the church will probably pay more attention to you from now on. You might even rise higher than me. That should be a good thing for you. I remember when you first joined the Holy Academy, you said you wanted to become the Pope. Now, you have that chance.”
“Huh?”
Victoria looked confused. Was I really that ambitious before?
Besides, her role as the Chosen One was just like a messenger. The Goddess was clearly more interested in Peiya.
Everything she said herself was basically ignored!
“I was joking back then, teacher. Do you really think I’m someone who can talk with the Goddess?”
“Even though I don’t really want to admit it, I think you can,” Helen said, slightly raising her hand. “Alright, that’s all I have to say. Take care of yourself.”
“Wait…” Victoria stopped Helen, who was about to leave.
“What is it?” Helen looked at her seriously.
“Didn’t you tell me to find Peiya? But going empty-handed doesn’t feel right. Teacher, shouldn’t we show some sincerity from the Holy Academy?”
Victoria rubbed her hands together, smiling widely, almost like she was asking for money.
Helen: …
But what Victoria said made sense. Helen finally nodded.
“Alright. Give her this accessory when you meet her. It can reduce the amount of sleep she needs, while still giving the same level of rest.”
“What?”
Victoria froze. What kind of item is this? A tool for overworking people?
“What’s wrong?”
“Teacher… can you give something more practical?”
“Isn’t this practical enough?” Helen replied. “From your tone, does she need something urgently? As long as it’s not too excessive or against the rules of the Holy Academy, I can make an exception.”
Victoria shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. She really needs alchemy equipment. Teacher, don’t you have a spare set? How about giving that?”
“No. That’s too dangerous. I can’t give it to her for now.”
Helen refused immediately.
“Teacher, that’s not sincere at all. It’s just a set of alchemy equipment, not something special.”
“I’m not unwilling to give it to her. It’s just that the device started having problems not long after you left. It’s hard to repair in a short time. Also, many church activities related to holy light have been more or less affected by divine guidance recently. After I finish handling things inside the church, I will find a way to give her a set of alchemy equipment.”
“I see. Then, teacher, goodbye.” Victoria took the “overwork tool” from Helen’s hands.
It’s better than nothing.
“Don’t forget, you also have one.”
“Mine?”
Under Victoria’s surprised gaze, Helen took another pendant from her pocket.
“Yes. It’s a small device that can help stabilize your magic power inside your body. Take it. I will also write to the bishop later to discuss your promotion.”
“Alright…”
Victoria accepted the small gift a little dazed. But inside, she still felt a bit uneasy.
How did my ‘traitor’ position become more and more stable?
After receiving the gifts, Victoria did not leave right away. She stayed in the church to pray a bit longer. Only after she was sure the teacher’s presence was completely gone did she leave the church and head toward the Adventurers’ Guild.
……………………
At the same time, at the Adventurers’ Guild, Peiya finished checking her items and spoke to Maya, who was sitting in the chair.
“I’m ready. We can leave anytime.”
Maya looked at Peiya’s heavy backpack.
“We’re only going for half a day. Why are you bringing so much stuff?”
“Just in case. That’s how I always work,” Peiya said as she put the backpack on her small shoulders. “Last time I came here, I noticed signs of corruption. These are all countermeasures for poison.”
“I see. Got it. Let’s go…”
Just as Maya was about to stand up, there was a light knock at the door.
“Maya, it’s me. Victoria.”
Victoria? Why is she here at this time?
Maya frowned and opened the door with some doubt. She saw Victoria in a holy robe.
“Did you just finish praying?”
“Yes. I have something to discuss…” Victoria’s eyes moved past Maya and landed on Peiya behind her. She quickly changed her tone. “Miss Peiya, you’re here too. Perfect. I came today to deliver something from my teacher.”
“For me?”
Peiya put down her bag. Victoria quickly walked forward and placed a small round object with a moon pattern into Peiya’s hands.
“Yes. This is a special item that can restore your energy. With it, you can sleep for a short time and recover more than twice the energy.”
Victoria blinked and spoke very sincerely. Of course, she did not repeat her teacher’s exact words.
That “overwork worker item” description was just too hard to accept.
However, Peiya waved her hand.
“Sorry. Please thank your teacher, but I can’t accept it.”
“Huh?”
Victoria froze, not knowing what to say for a moment.
“I don’t have any intention of joining the Holy Academy right now. Compared to it, I prefer the free life of the Adventurers’ Guild. I don’t take rewards without merit, so I can’t accept this.”
So bright…
To Victoria, Peiya felt like a sun, too bright to look at.
Her morals were a bit too correct. It made Victoria want to “bend” her a little.
Wait… wasn’t she already bent by Elise?
Damn!
“Miss Peiya, you don’t need to be hostile toward the Holy Academy. In my opinion, you can keep a more… neutral relationship with it. That way, if someone from the church tries to harm Lady Elise in the future, you could still step in, right?”
“……”
Peiya hesitated. What Victoria said did make some sense.
After thinking for a long time, she finally nodded.
“Alright. Please thank your teacher for me.”
Victoria: “……”
So the moment Elise is mentioned, you immediately agree, huh?
Damn it… is this what jealousy feels like?
Fine. Spoil her all you want!