My favorability with Joy exceeded 70.
I looked at that message once, closed my eyes, opened them again, and then ran a hand over my face before looking at it again.
But no matter how many times I looked, the message was still the same.
Really?! Joy’s favorability has surpassed 70?!
I wasn’t expecting it at all, so this felt like the biggest reward I could have received.
My favorite character actually likes me!
What could be more significant than that?
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Sure, her liking me probably means she sees me more as a benefactor than a friend, but who cares!
Friendship isn’t something that happens just because you want it to!
Friendship is something that naturally develops over time!
Just seeing this message made me feel like I had received enough compensation for nearly dying just a moment ago.
If I can win Joy’s heart, then what’s a few holes in my body? Nothing at all!
Feeling confident that I could smile through whatever came next, I moved on to the next message.
[You successfully endured against the Apostle of the Dark God!] [Reward: Your body has been completely healed.]
So that’s why my body was in good shape.
You lowly god, at least you take care of your toys, huh?
But couldn’t you just prevent me from getting broken in the first place?
Why do you always have to let things get messed up first?
Are you really a sadist who enjoys watching things break?
If that’s true, you’re seriously the worst.
You sadistic pervert of a god.
I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll believe that’s not the case.
I mean, no way would a god who rules over an entire world be a weirdo who claps like a seal at the sight of a girl bleeding, right?
Thinking that, I checked the next message.
This one was also from the lowly god.
[You successfully repelled the Apostle of the Dark God!] [This is an accomplishment that should not have been possible!] [The skill that played the biggest role in this achievement has been enhanced!]
...Wait a minute.
Stop!
Stoooooop!
Why are you enhancing that skill?!
Hey!
No, Armathi!
Why would you do something like this?!
I gritted my teeth and defeated your enemy!
You said it yourself, it’s an impossible feat!
So why are you trying to mess with me instead of giving me a proper reward?!
I was so terrified to look down that I couldn’t even bring myself to lower my head, but what choice did I have?
The results were already in.
But considering that I called Carl “clumsy” instead of “clumsy dog,” maybe the penalty has been reduced.
Yeah, let’s think positively.
Every time I’ve tried to think positively before, I’ve been betrayed, but maybe this time will be different.
Please. Please, Armathi.
Don’t gift your toy with any more suffering.
Praying silently, I finally glanced downward.
[Reward: Mesugaki skill penalty reduced]
Even so, I buried my face into the blanket.
Ahhh...
Thank you so much, Armathi.
This unfaithful believer has always mocked and threatened you, yet you’ve shown mercy even to a follower like me.
I’ve always doubted your intentions until now, but this time is different.
You sent all those hardships my way just so I could experience this moment!
Oh, Armathi.
I will attend church and pray every holiday from now on.
I’ll even make donations.
I’ll bring others with me to the church!
Carl? Freyr? Bishie?
Just say the word!
I’ll turn them into your followers in no time!
Armathi!
Smiling from ear to ear, I moved on to the final message.
So, what’s this one going to be?
Given my past experiences, it’s about time for some cosmic joke to show up.
There’s always that pattern where my mood soars to the sky, only to crash straight down afterward.
But that won’t happen this time.
My mood has shot past the sky, broken through the atmosphere, and soared into space.
How could anything drag me back down now that I’m in zero gravity?
[A new quest has appeared!] [Claim the top spot!] [Take first place in the Academy’s midterm exam!] [Reward: Unlock Inventory Function] [Failure: ???]
I expected a cosmic joke and read the message with caution, but the text was surprisingly straightforward, making me tilt my head in confusion.
What is this?
Isn’t this too ordinary?
Lowly god, don’t you usually enjoy being cursed at?
Isn’t your thing to smirk while listening to me spit insults?
So why are you holding back this time?
I mean, I’m thankful and all.
Really, I appreciate it.
But when someone who usually treats you poorly suddenly starts being nice, it makes you nervous, you know?
It’s hard to be sure whether this is the calm before the storm or a red carpet leading to my happiness.
I never thought I’d say this, but I would have preferred another cosmic joke.
Then I could have just cursed at Armathi while worrying about how to twist myself out of the situation.
But now I have to worry about what kind of cosmic joke might hit me next.
Damn it.
What is this?
Could it be related to the main story?
If so, that’s fine. I’ve already anticipated it, so I can handle it.
Even if things get worse, I’ll find a way to deal with it.
Could it be related to my relationships?
There’s already a quest to make two people’s favorability surpass 70, so what more could there be?
Even if someone else is added, I can just focus on Arthur or Favie, so it’s not a problem.
Is it something impossible, like my reputation?
But that’s unreasonable.
If the quest demands that I earn a good reputation in the academy, I’d just give up.
If it’s about some other reputation, I might be able to manage...
As I worried, new concerns began to pile up.
If I were just controlling a character from behind a monitor, I could solve all of these issues, but that’s not the case now.
Yeah, let’s not worry about unnecessary things and focus on what needs to be done right now.
If a cosmic joke comes, I’ll figure out how to handle it when it does.
It’s better to spend my time preparing so I’m ready for anything.
Yeah, let’s start by grinding levels and skills.
According to Johann, who worked on the Allen family estate, this mace once belonged to the paladin Luel, one of the heroes who saved the world long ago.
Luel’s mace.
The weapon that vanished when Paladin Luel disappeared from the world.
For the past two hundred years, countless people searched for it, but none ever found even a trace.
Many swindlers had claimed this to be Luel’s mace, proudly boasting, only to have their heads cut off.
According to Johann, Lady Allen found this item after receiving a divine revelation.
Until today, Favie hadn’t thought much about it.
No matter how great its history, an object is still just an object.
If the gods led someone to this item, it meant there was something they needed to accomplish with it.
There was no reason to be envious just because a relic had ended up in someone else’s hands.
That’s what Favie used to think.
But lately, tiny doubts had begun to creep into her heart.
Emotions she had never felt before started to stir within her.
Why does the goddess only speak to Lady Allen?
Why does she care for her?
Why does she pay attention to her?
Why, after giving Lady Allen this gift, does she continue to share her light?
Why?
Why?
Favie shook her head and squeezed her hands together in front of her chest as if chastising herself.
She needed to repent for these dark thoughts.
Favie had become a member of the Church of the Main God according to prophecy before she even knew the meaning of worldly matters.
There were no issues during that process.
She had no family, no ties, nothing.
The only price the church paid for her was a single silver coin given to the orphanage.
Afterward, she was raised in the church as a saint.
Others might see it differently, but it wasn’t a difficult life for Favie.
The education required of a saint.
The things she had to endure.
The many tasks she had to perform.
None of it felt burdensome to her.
And so she thought that this was why the goddess had chosen her as a saint.
Favie’s only concern was that she had never heard the goddess’s voice.
Armathi didn’t have apostles, but that didn’t mean she never spoke.
Many of the high-ranking members of the church had chosen this path after receiving revelations from Armathi, as was well known.
But Favie had never once heard the goddess’s voice.
Even though she was called a saint.
Even though she was considered someone loved by the goddess.
Even though she was a person who spread the goddess’s love to the world.
Not once.
But until recently, Favie hadn’t been in a hurry.
She had always believed that the goddess would speak to her in due time.
But lately, Favie had begun to harbor doubts.
Could it be that the goddess no longer loves me?
Is she too busy bestowing her love on someone else to pay attention to me anymore?
Whenever these doubts arose, a certain person’s face appeared in Favie’s mind.
The one who held this mace.
The one who wore the necklace blessed by the goddess.
The one who smirked confidently, yet annoyingly.
The one who spoke in a mocking tone, looking down on her.
“Favie, what are you doing? This isn’t how you repent.”
Favie muttered to herself, trying to scold herself, as she took a deep breath.
Armathi, please grant me a revelation.
Guide this wavering lamb.
Help me overcome this doubt.
She prayed and prayed and prayed some more until she heard the sound of the door opening.
The person who walked into the church was...
“Hello, clumsy saint.”
The very face Favie had been fervently thinking about until just moments ago.
Favie forced a smile as she looked at her.
“Lady Allen.”
I can’t stay here like this. I can’t spend my life trembling, trapped in the past, forever indebted to Lady Allen.
That’s not acceptable.
Lady Allen will always throw herself into the midst of hardships.
To repay her, I must free myself from the past and become someone who can stand by her side when she faces those hardships.
“Lady Allen.”
That’s why Joy sought out Lucy.
She knew it was rude, but she needed one more favor.
And through that, she hoped to repay her debt.
“What is it, blockhead?”
“Please help me become stronger!”