Chapter 149: Chapter 149: To Believe

Despite her sharp perception, Iris could not detect the unknown maiden coming up behind her. She couldn't sense anything extraordinary about this maiden, but a mortal could not sneak up on her; even a Master Assassin wouldn't be able to hide from her so utterly, especially during this tense moment.

Throughout my life, I've only met Vilia who has no aura, for she . . . isn’t alive. However, though lacking presence, this lady is still alive. How can this be? Have I attracted another powerful existence, again? Why aren't you going out to deal with that evil gaze!

"Miss?" Iris mumbled. Unlike her racing thoughts, her face remained calm, her agitation suppressed. Her panic never manifested. The appearance of the maiden soothed her.

At that moment, Iris was no longer in the cathedral. She was in a peaceful jungle, sitting with her legs hanging from the cliff, listening to the sound of the waterfall, ridding herself of stress and fatigue. Even the lingering terror gradually dissipated.

This . . . this power is all-encompassing. It can annihilate me with a touch . . . but she means me no harm; she is helping me. Iris blinked, confused. Who is she? Why did she help me? My identity is merely that of a scholar.

Have I been exposed? No. If it were the case, she would have smitten me, not healed me. I don't understand.

"You’re a devoted one," the lady said. "Your effort will pay off. Let me help you through this trial. Please don't panic, even if you feel uncomfortable."

"Miss, I don't under—"

The maiden kissed her right hand and pressed it gently on Iris's right shoulder. Her delicate fingers touch Iris, infusing an invisible strain of power. Despite tensing up, Iris couldn't stop the power from merging inside her body; she could not even think about resisting. The gentleness of the touch spread to her soul and erased her worries.

This kind of influence . . . it is similar to that of Bewitch! Still, it is weaker and milder. Iris concentrated on her condition. This strain of Holy Power is different from others. Its quality is of the higher form; it is subtle yet vast, infinitesimal yet endless.

I've encountered this feeling before—it's during the Ascension. This power contains a hint of Divinity!

Iris's pupils contracted. Her eyes burned ablaze with panic, which dispersed the moment it came into existence. Another rush of relief cocooned her, messaging her body, nuzzling her heart. Fear and hysteria no longer had a hold on her.

Her mind was clear, and she could think with certainty.

"Miss, no, Saintess—"

Smiling, the Saintess, raised her right hand and pressed her index finger on her lips. She winked at Iris and shook her head. "Little One, the cathedral requires silence."

Iris rigidly nodded. A feeling of nakedness manifested in her heart. In front of a Saintess, someone who had crossed the impossible threshold, Iris's superficial disguise meant nothing. Her secrets, aside from those connected to the supreme beings, laid themselves bare.

I've underestimated the importance of the Cathedral of Deliverance. Even in this moment of life and death, my mind is still calm. How terrifying. Iris sighed. I cannot fathom her reason. Why is she helping me? Is she trying to convert me?

"Saint— Miss, may I know of your intention?" Iris said. "It is impossible to change me. After all, I am a—"

The Saintess leaned closer to Iris. "I used to be a Mage fighting for my survival. Back then, I had no faith in the Deities who watched as we mortals died in the war known as the Demonic Invasion.

"However, during the war, I've forged bonds unbreakable by time. And in the most despairing moment of my life, when all hope is lost, all effort in vain, I chose to go against my reason for once; I stepped forward and sacrificed myself, all for the friends I've met only a few weeks prior.

"It was irrational, but it felt right. At that moment, maybe the goddess pitied me, or maybe she saw something in me. She blessed me, saved me. Since then, a long time has passed. All my friends have returned to the goddess’s Heavenly Kingdom while I remained faithfully beside her throne. My task is to guide the lost souls, ones like the past me, ones like you."

The Faith inside Iris quivered, flickering, praising the devotion of the Saintess. Iris took a deep breath and channelled her azure Corruption Power. She eyed the Saintess, who remained unmoving as if unaware of Iris’s motive.

"Saintess—"

The Saintess pointed at her lips and narrowed her eyes. She signalled to Iris not to address her with such a formal, noble title.

"Miss, I admire your conviction, but I still cannot understand." Iris looked down at herself. "I, this body and this soul, am incapable of going back to where they used to be. Is it not a sin to stay stubborn before an impossible odd?"

I think I'm going insane. The Saintess's influence has turned off my anxiety and fear. Despite knowing that her anger would be my end, I still asked her that question. Iris felt bitter. No. It isn't me who is reckless. She can't be angered; she wants me to voice my questions. By clarifying my doubts, she will gradually reform my belief!

"You might think it is impossible, just like the past me." The Saintess took a step forward. "If you wholeheartedly devote yourself to it, the answer will reveal itself. I have faith in your overcoming the limitation of your body and soul."

"But I like the way I am. I have no desire to change." Iris gripped her chest. The warmth in her soul intensified. "To force others to share your belief, is it not sinful?”

"Please do not worry. I would never disappoint the goddess."

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"Then, why me? There are many others more virtuous than me. Which quality of mine is worthy of salvation?"

Iris shivered. Her hands gripped the pew in front of her, clenching. The atmosphere grew cold. Her words were akin to blasphemy towards the Church of Seven Virtues, especially when uttered inside the Cathedral of Deliverance, in front of a Saintess.

I might be the only Monster Girl to challenge the belief of a Transcendent in front of the divine statue of her Goddess. It wouldn't be strange if lightning descended upon me the next moment.

"Your determination and devotion resonate with me." The Saintess pressed her fingers on her chest. "If not, there wouldn't be that thing inside your soul. It is proof of your belief, that you have a heart."

Iris was about to speak when her Faith erupted with uncontrollable brilliance. Sacred energy gushed out of her soul and flooded her body, clashing with her Corruption Power.

This situation shouldn't happen if Iris were in her optimal condition. However, she had just gone through multiple crises, draining her Corruption Power and mental capability to the limit. Moreover, she had interacted with a few powerful sources of Divinity, which agitated the Faith inside her.

If she couldn’t stabilise herself, either she would die from the purification of her corrupted soul, or she would lose her Faith and fall into a critical state.

Amused, the Saintess patted Iris.

"This is an opportunity for us. If you can pass this predicament without changing your mind, I shall let you go today."

Iris raised her head and stared at the Saintess, who stared back at her. The Saintess drew back her hands and walked away. Her brown hair fluttered in the air, spreading soft, sweet fragrance throughout the cathedral. A hazy mist rose around Iris before dispersing. Though Iris detected nothing out of the ordinary, she could feel that whatever she did would not attract the attention of the passersby.

This is troublesome. Only the Deities can freely manipulate Faith; fortunately, I'm a little special. The price of my identity is immense, but the benefit is extraordinary too.

Without the Saintess's help, the Faith began to boil. As it flowed beneath Iris’s flesh, it lit her skin in golden sparks. She commanded her azure Corruption Power to suppress the glows, but her Corruption Power was qualitatively inferior to the sacred energy of her Faith.

It might be a bit presumptuous, but I'll have to try it. Iris clasped her hands above her chest, retracted her Corruption Power, and let her Faith permeate her body. She closed her eyes, yet the blinding light still leaked through her eyelids.

I will never bow down to anyone. I shall be the Goddess of my own belief. I'll send my oracles and bring hope to those who believe in me.

Even if I only have two people right now, it'll be enough. Their love for me transcends quantity!

Using knowledge gifted by the Lord, Iris guided Faith to her chest. On her back, holy light pierced through her membrane and sprung out in the form of countless pairs of feathery white wings. Her human disguise rapidly crumbled as another layer of appearance emerged.

She was a human or Slime Girl no more; she was a Goddess, so pure her aura, so beautiful her appearance.

As her divine wings fluttered, three golden halos manifested above her head. Her clothes transcended their original images, turning into pure-white dresses which concealed her heavenly charm.

Iris opened her eyes. Her vision painted the world golden, peered through all mysteries, and commanded all respect. In this state, the Saintess would pale in comparison to her. Still, she didn't lose herself in her fantasy. She lowered her head and tapped into the faint connections between her and her believers.

"My dear," Iris whispered, her voice endlessly echoing.

...

In a vacant ceremony hall, where only the highest personnel of the Church could intrude, Herrifer knelt on a rose-tinted carpet with her head lowered. As she bent groundward, she placed her hands on the soft fabric. Her eyes stayed fixed on the gigantic sculpture of the Lord.

She chanted praises for the Lord and devoted herself under the invisible, temperate gaze. Her ceremonial uniform, a long loose robe which veiled her face and hung around her body, quavered. The candles and lanterns decorating the ceremony hall flickered, dimming, shining according to her voice.

Despite her delicate figure, she exuded an aura that pervaded and commanded all. Regardless, in front of the sculpture of the Lord, she maintained her absolute obedience.

"My dear . . ." A voice echoed inside her heart. It didn't come from the outside but the within. Its intimate tone created a longing sensation in her chest.

Confused, she raised her head. It had been so long since she heard this voice, a voice which, once scornful to her, instilled warmth into her mind. The stress from the ceremonial work and her duty vanished as if a pair of caring, protective hands had caressed her tired body.

"Sis . . ." Herrifer's voice cracked. "Is that you?"

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