“Uh… Holy Maiden, what are you saying? It’s too far away to hear clearly.”
“It’s probably some kind of greeting, I guess.”
“Does it matter if we can hear clearly? The important thing is that the Holy Maiden has appeared!”
Because they were thirty meters apart, no one could hear exactly what Truth was mumbling, but the believers still knelt down devoutly.
As news of the Holy Maiden’s appearance spread, more and more people arrived:
“Huh? Isn’t she the priest who was collecting protection fees at the tavern that night? How did she become the Holy Maiden?”
“Big brother, look! It’s that priest who robbed the Huo family’s carriage with a bunch of others!”
“Why is it always lolis? Are lolis easier to become Holy Maidens or something?”…
People who had met Truth before were all discussing her, digging up all sorts of embarrassing histories.
Some shepherds even claimed to have seen her fighting a mage in the wilderness east of Deya City.
The Black Blood Mages were everywhere, scaring the shepherds so badly that they still avoided that area.
However, after Truth was chosen as the Holy Maiden, all these scandals became rumors:
“How dare you spread lies about the Holy Maiden? You don’t deserve to be a believer. Get lost!”
“What? You say you saw the Holy Maiden taking jobs on the Black Market? Hilarious. Next time, can you at least come up with a better lie?”
“Hey, old man, come out and fight! I’ve tolerated you for too long. You’ve been saying since the beginning that the Holy Maiden beats people up and that there’s blood everywhere. Who paid you to say such ridiculous things?!”
The crowd surged again, but this time the believers were very harmonious, merely throwing out those who spoke ill of the Holy Maiden.
Truth observed all of this quietly.
“Why does everyone seem like brainwashed fans…” she thought, feeling a little overwhelmed.
She had expected it to be like a casual speech under the national flag—just say a few words and be done with it.
But if the “protection fee” thing had been overheard, the next second she probably would’ve been showered with gold, silver, and copper coins.
Then that evening’s newspaper headline was: Shockingly, the Ninth Holy Maiden shamelessly racks in profits before the Divine Selection Ceremony!
That was a bit embarrassing.
Might as well have reported that she was lecherous; maybe then some beautiful girls eager to improve themselves would have come.
Better to just show her face and leave…
Truth knew her own style and decided it was better to say less.
But just as she was about to turn and head back, she saw Tia hiding by the cathedral gate, half-exposed, signaling her:
“Hurry, say something!”
Say something… Truth gave Tia a “sorry, can’t do that” look and continued walking toward the cathedral.
But then the believers’ shouting rose again:
“Holy Maiden, where are you going?”
“Please don’t leave, Holy Maiden! Bless us!”
“We can’t have worshipped the Goddess of Life in vain, right?”
The believers were restless once more.
Truth felt that if she just returned to the cathedral, these people might rush in, which would disturb her work.
Fine. If you want me to speak so badly, then listen closely!
With a grand spin, Truth faced the crowd again.
Instantly, the scene quieted down.
Everyone eagerly awaited the Ninth Holy Maiden’s first words.
Truth cleared her throat and said:
“People… when thirsty, should drink water!”
Her voice carried far, even echoing slightly.
But the phrase was a bit too profound, leaving the believers all standing there, pondering for a long time.
After a while, the crowd burst into enthusiastic applause:
“What does this phrase mean? Could it be what I think it is?”
“Probably. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. No wonder the Holy Maiden used such simple words to imply so much!”
“Aren’t we all hearing the same sentence? Someone explain it to me!”
“Although I don’t get it, it sounds impressive, so I’ll just clap along.”
Regarding the Holy Maiden’s words, the believers could only say that those who understood, understood; no matter how much others tried to explain, they wouldn’t get it.
All they needed to know was that the Holy Maiden’s words were deeply profound!
“The water is boiled… never drink it right away!” Truth continued with another pearl of wisdom, her mouth curving into a “ω”.
“Oh… so that’s how it is!”
Suddenly, an elderly man in the crowd seemed to have realized something and looked very excited.
This made the believers around him eager as well:
“Come on, say it! What did you figure out?”
The old man only gave a knowing look—those who understood, understood; those who didn’t, no explanation would help.
If anyone really wanted an explanation, they’d have to pay a silver coin.
Then he was thrown out by the crowd.
The believers started chattering excitedly.
Some said the Holy Maiden was teaching them a philosophy of life.
Others thought it was a subtle criticism of Deya City’s unreasonable curfew policy.
And some said…
“Pfft.” Truth almost burst out laughing, covering her mouth.
Is this the power of faith? Just saying a few words can stir endless imagination.
Religion’s power is indeed terrifying.
Looks like she could try preaching sometime.
Alright, enough with these people.
Now that she was the Holy Maiden, she’d have them worship her more.
Truth decided to give them some normal blessings.
She clasped her hands and shouted:
“Happy new semester!”
That blessing was sincere enough, right?
Truth paused, then offered more blessings:
“Wishing everyone a smooth life, bright prospects, success in all endeavors, happiness and joy, happy birthdays, peace year after year, wealth and prosperity, good fortune shining upon you…”
“What’s this about, Holy Maiden?”
The believers were confused again, but this time, they actually understood what she said:
“Wait, the Holy Maiden is blessing us! I just heard her wish that everything we do matches our wishes!”
“I heard it too! She’s blessing us to have safety every single day!”
“By the Goddess of Life, Holy Maiden, please bless me with a smooth journey and safe return on my upcoming adventure!”
“Please bless my family’s harvest to double this year!”
“Goddess above, please bless me to win 500 gold coins and retire before I turn eighteen!”…
Blessings were exactly what the believers wanted to hear.
Then, in Truth’s eyes, pure white energy streamed from the believers’ bodies, swiftly gathering onto her—Faith Power.
“Hmph, why didn’t I get any Faith Power when I warned you not to drink boiling water, but the moment I bless you, here it comes? Faith in this world seems more like desire,” Truth muttered, rolling her eyes.
As the Faith Power poured into her body, Truth felt very comfortable.
But why didn’t her stats increase?
She glanced at her panel and saw the numbers hadn’t moved:
【Faith Points: 21】
It had been 21 before, and it was still 21.
What was wrong?
After carefully feeling the flow of Faith Power, Truth discovered the problem.
It was the talent granted by the Goddess of Life, “Life’s Blessing”!
All the Faith Power was being absorbed by the Goddess of Life!
Damn it! Could it be that because the believers added “By the Goddess of Life” before their prayers, all the Faith Power was directed to the Goddess?
What the hell, am I working for others?!
Although Tia had said that one of the Holy Maiden’s duties was to collect Faith for the Goddess of Life, Truth still felt she was getting a raw deal.
Usually, she was the one taking advantage of others!
Truth immediately shouted to the believers with concern:
“Everyone, when you pray, you don’t have to add ‘By the Goddess of Life’ or similar nonsense.
Only by reducing extra words can I clearly hear your prayers!”
“Huh? Really? But the Tenet says prayers must start with ‘By the Goddess of Life’!” The believers were puzzled but quickly obeyed Truth’s instruction.
After all, the Tenet also said that the Holy Maiden was the walking Tenet, the Goddess’s earthly representative.
The Holy Maiden wouldn’t deceive them, right?
Then Truth glanced at her panel again and saw Faith Points rising rapidly:
【Faith received from Terrence, Faith +1】
【Faith received from Fuller, Faith +1】
【Faith received from Todd, Faith +1】……
“Yeah, that’s more like it!” Truth nodded in satisfaction.
Who needs the Goddess of Life? Just have faith in the Holy Maiden!