Just as Katy was reeling from her sudden teleportation, a strange sound broke the silence of the void.
“Zzz… snort, wheeze…”
It sounded like someone was fast asleep and snoring loudly.
“—Huh? Why would anyone come here at a time like this, mew? Cough, cough! Hack!”
The voice echoed directly inside her head, carrying the lazy tone of someone who had just woken up, followed by a flurried, clumsy panic.
The mysterious voice cleared its throat, attempting to regain some semblance of dignity.
“Ahem! Well, lost traveler from afar, welcome to Eden. You… Wait, why are you a member of the Demon Race?!”
Katy knelt on the surface of the boundless lake, her lip twitching.
She didn’t know who the voice in her head belonged to, but if this was the “Compassionate Goddess” who supposedly watched over the world…
Then humanity was probably doomed.
It was better to just let everything burn.
“Hey! That’s very rude, mew!”
As if it could read Katy’s thoughts, the female voice in her head snapped back with embarrassed rage.
“I manifested specifically because I felt your incredibly powerful sincerity! Show me some respect, mew!”
“…You were just wondering why I was here. Does that sound like you ‘specifically manifested’?”
Katy exposed her without mercy.
“In any case!!”
To hide her embarrassment, the voice in Katy’s head forcibly increased its volume, making the girl’s brain rattle.
“If this Goddess hadn’t reached out to pull you in, you probably would have been burned to a crisp by those fanatical lunatics in black robes out there. Am I right?”
Katy nodded after a brief silence.
It was true.
If this strange space hadn’t pulled her in, she might have actually been forced to transform on the spot to save her life.
If she had, Gray’s mind would have definitely snapped.
“Then, Goddess?”
Katy asked tentatively.
“Since you’ve manifested, don’t you plan to do something about those believers outside who are screaming to burn me alive?”
“No. Too lazy to move,”
The Goddess answered matter-of-factly, even letting out a yawn.
“Humans are such a pain… Sigh, if I’d known, I never would have agreed to that stupid host’s request to supervise this world. I thought I’d be able to slack off here, but people pray and make wishes every single day. It’s annoying as hell.”
“…”
Katy remained silent.
Though she didn’t understand terms like “host” or “supervise,” she could hear the shared misery of a fellow wage slave between the lines.
The Goddess seemed to feel that her behavior was a bit inappropriate, so she cleared her throat again.
“Ahem. There is a saying: ‘A chance meeting is fate.'”
“Since you have quite a few complaints about my followers and can’t stand the Church’s current methods, you can help me—no, I mean, you can manage them in my name.”
“Ha?”
Katy pointed at her own face, her expression one of utter disbelief.
“Me? Goddess, please look at the situation! I’m a member of the Demon Race! You want me to interfere with the Church, which practically runs the human world? If you think I’ve lived too long, you can just strike me dead right now!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine~”
The Goddess’s voice became cheerful, as if she had found a way to dump a massive burden.
“You can just say you were pitied by me and chosen to be the Saint who delivers my oracles, mew~”
“Stop saying ‘mew’! You’re a Goddess, not a cat god!”
Katy was on the verge of a breakdown.
What kind of Goddess was this?
“Is that something people will just believe? An unknown demon like me becoming the Saint? I’ll be beaten to death by the College of Cardinals and the Order of Holy Knights!”
“Oh, you’re so troublesome.”
The Goddess clicked her tongue impatiently.
“You’re afraid they won’t believe you? Fine, fine. I’ll give you a hat that can prove your identity.”
“A hat? What kind of hat—”
“Alright, go! Remember to make those guys in black robes shut up. Tell them to stop ringing those bells every day; they’re ruining my sleep!”
“Wait! Hold—”
Before Katy could finish, a massive force violently shoved her out of the mysterious space.
***
Lothric Cathedral, Judgment Square.
The blinding golden light gradually faded.
When the girl opened her eyes again, she found the entire execution ground plunged into a deathly silence.
Whether it was the Black-robed Bishop on the high platform, the Inquisitors holding torches, or the tens of thousands of citizens below, everyone’s gaze was fixed—as if drawn by a magnet—on the top of her head.
“…?”
Katy reached up toward her hair, feeling a bit strange.
It felt like something was actually there.
She touched a pointed object that felt as if it were woven from plant branches.
It hovered just above her hair, emitting a warm aura.
She looked up and saw a Crown of Thorns condensed from particles of light, slowly rotating in the air and shedding holy golden dust.
The thorns did not prick her.
Instead, it felt as though she were being crowned.
Was this the “hat” the Goddess mentioned?
Making a sinner like her wear a holy Crown of Thorns—was the Goddess trying to ensure the mob drowned her in spit?
While she was frantically complaining in her head, someone in the crowd broke the silence with a tearful cry:
“—It’s a miracle! The Goddess has truly manifested!!”
That single cry was like a spark hitting a powder keg.
In the next second, a mountain-toppling wave of cheers and prayers drowned out the entire square.
The citizens who had just been screaming “burn the witch” were now striking a pose of worship, as if they had seen the sun itself, surrounding the girl on the platform wearing the crown of light.
“The Goddess has forgiven her! The Goddess has sent a miracle!”
“Praise the Goddess! Long live the Goddess!”
Katy knelt where she was, struggling to keep her face from showing any signs of disdain.
‘Sigh, humans.’
One second, she was a sinner to be sent to the pyre; the next, she was an object of worship.
This change of heart was faster than flipping a page in a book.
‘It really is better to be a demon. At least we’re bad to the bone, with absolutely zero chance of being redeemed.’
On the other side in the guest seats, Gray slumped into his chair, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.
He watched the girl on the stage bathed in light.
His heart was still pounding violently, but the corners of his mouth were curling upward uncontrollably.
‘Katy really is an Angel favored by the Goddess. She has created a miracle that no one has achieved in hundreds of years!’
The pink-haired mage stared intently at the Crown of Thorns, the exquisite baton in her hand creaking under her grip.
Her nails dug deep into the flesh of her palms, drawing blood.
“How is this possible…”
Lobelia stared at the Crown of Thorns, her nails sinking deeper into her skin.
‘Damn it, damn it! I was only one step away from killing that little bitch! Why did the Goddess have to manifest now?! Is she blind—’
Lobelia bit the soft flesh inside her mouth hard.
The sharp pain allowed her to barely regain a sliver of her sanity.
Katy had simply gotten lucky this time.
She was a high-ranking official of the Church and an A-rank Mage who was expected to become the youngest Cardinal in history.
She had countless ways to deal with this wench.
“Congratulations, Gray. Your girl has been chosen by the Goddess.”
Lobelia turned her head and forced a fake smile.
However, she immediately realized that Gray, who had always questioned the existence of the Goddess, was currently pressing his hands together in prayer, muttering words of gratitude to the deity.
A metallic taste filled her mouth; she had likely bitten herself hard enough to bleed.
***
Half an hour later, Lothric Cathedral, Bishop’s Hall.
As a luxurious sanctuary accessible only to those of the Bishop rank or higher, the room was covered in soft, long-pile carpets and decorated with exquisite silver tea sets.
The air was thick with the scent of expensive whale-oil incense.
Katy sat on a velvet sofa, clutching a cup of hot tea.
Her entire body was stiff.
In front of her sat the Black-robed Bishop who had been so arrogant and sentenced her to death earlier.
Now, his head was bowed low, his attitude so respectful it was as if he were facing a true Saint.
“Miss Katy.”
The Black-robed Bishop’s voice was still raspy, but the coldness was gone, replaced by a humble yet dignified piety.
“I apologize for my previous offenses. It was our lack of insight that prevented us from recognizing a pearl covered in dust.”
“However, as an Inquisitor, maintaining the purity of the Church is my duty. Even if time were to turn back, I would still uphold the decision of the trial until the moment the miracle descended. For this, I do not ask for your forgiveness. I only hope to accept whatever punishment you decree in the Goddess’s name.”
Katy’s lips twitched.
Was this the legendary executioner of the Church?
If he were a sycophantic coward, he would be easier to handle—she could just punish him heavily.
But these religious zealots were the hardest to deal with.
What was she supposed to do?
Tell him, ‘Actually, the Goddess you serve is a lazy dog with a weird verbal tic’?
“Ahem. It’s fine. The Bishop was only acting for the sake of the Church. I won’t blame you.”
Wishing to end this awkward situation as soon as possible, the girl shook her head with a smile.
“I thank you for your mercy.”
The Black-robed Bishop stood up, his eyes still downcast.
“Regarding the news of the miracle, I have already sent word to the Holy See in the Imperial Capital via the highest level of magical communication. The College of Cardinals and the Order of Holy Knights take this very seriously. If nothing unexpected happens…”
The weathered man paused and looked up, a fanatical light shimmering in his clouded eyes.
“You will become the first officially consecrated Saint of the Duchy of Navel in 100 years.”
“Pffft! Cough!”
Katy nearly sprayed a mouthful of black tea across the room.
‘Are you serious, man?!’
‘I am a Calamity Pillar, the former master of the 13th Dungeon, Noctiluca! And you want me to be the Saint of the human Church?’
‘Have the bishops and knights in the capital lost their minds? Have they not considered that this might be a plot by the Duchy of Navel to usurp the Church’s power?’
‘It’s one thing for the Goddess to be unreliable, but is the Church following suit?! This Human Union is going to fall apart sooner or later!!’
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.