Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Beggar Gritz (9) - Famous Line
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Gray hair. Bellaria's rascal. The one who shows up whenever orphanage kids get bullied.
Grace pondered all the various nicknames like that and more, belonging to this pretty girl—or beautiful woman, at any rate.
'Hmm, looks like I've really messed up.'
Whispers here and there. Murmurs rising.
Every time she walked down the street, stopped by a shop, or even just breathed, she felt eyes and murmurs from all around.
That much was already familiar.
It was the daily routine ever since she'd been saddled with this damned title of Shrine Maiden or whatever it was.
The problem was that while it looked the same on the surface, the content was completely different from before.
"Oh, Shrine Maiden! You're positively glowing today!"
"Shrine Maiden, do you remember my face? You bought so many leather shoes from my shop for the director..."
"Come on, Shrine Maiden, try some of this. Fresh apple juice squeezed right now. The price? Oh, how could I take money from you when your blessings have let us live so peacefully!"
"Sh-Shrine Maiden, please just hold my child's hand once. I beg you...!"
"Hmph! All right, you lot! Keep giving your all to protect this city's peace today, got it?!"
People who used to avert their eyes, afraid even to meet Grace's gaze, now scrambled to exchange even a word with her.
Shopkeepers tried to shove freebies at her left and right, acting as if touching her hand was the greatest honor imaginable. The guards struck exaggerated poses whenever she was nearby and hustled about with over-the-top zeal.
If a third party had seen this, they might have clicked their tongues at the citizens' behavior.
How brazen, after all that cold-shouldering and neglect before.
But in truth, that interpretation was dead wrong.
The citizens weren't acting shamelessly out of some clean forgetfulness of the past.
On the contrary, those with the most guilty consciences flailed desperately to make amends and win her favor.
-What if Grace remembered all the crap she'd taken from the citizens and decided to get revenge now that she was the Guardian God's vessel?
The Guardian God's power didn't just apply to digging dirt and planting seeds. It extended evenly to fruits on the mountains and fish caught from the waters.
And Bellaria's main industry was primary production.
If that's hard to grasp intuitively, just imagine Grace being given free rein to set anyone else's bank balance however she pleased.
The moment she declared a +100% agriculture buff, your account doubled. The instant she turned her back on you, it rocketed toward zero—or even negative—without you lifting a finger.
They had to suck up to her, no question.
No, even if they couldn't win her over, they at least had to avoid getting on her bad side.
Those who prided themselves on their wisdom and keen ears rushed to butter her up the moment they caught wind of the spreading "rumors."
Of course, not all of them truly believed the rumors were real.
In fact, most thought they smelled fishy somewhere.
But that didn't matter.
What if the rumors were fake? Even if Grace was just a Shrine Maiden and not the Guardian God, what did they really lose? A bit of embarrassment and wasted time at worst?
Do nothing, and they could end up ruined at worst.
Do something, and the worst case was no real loss.
They made utterly rational choices. And when others saw their behavior, they started believing the "rumors" they'd heard were true.
It can't just be empty talk if everyone's acting like this.
Rumors sparked actions, and actions lent the rumors credibility.
A tale that had begun as a strict secret eventually became a truth shared by the entire city.
"No way, is this really okay!?"
Bam!
Grace slammed her palm on the table and shouted.
On the sofa opposite sat a stout oaken barrel, plunked down like it owned the place. A calm voice drifted out from inside.
"Hey, you don't smack tables or desks like that with your palm. Your parents deserve the blame for raising you."
"Yeah, the director definitely would've walloped my back first—wait, no, that's not the point!"
Grace reared back to smack the table again but flinched and stopped herself.
Gritz chuckled from inside, remarking how well she listened to him, but his laughter came a tad too early.
Grace slithered around the table like a snake pouncing on prey and grabbed the barrel, shaking it rat-a-tat-tat.
"Huh, didn't see that coming."
"What are we gonna do about this? Everyone's eyes and tone are all weird!"
"Little miss, if you want a human answer, shouldn't you stop shaking the barrel? Hm?"
"You know what I heard at the orphanage today? My little siblings asked, 'Sis, are you a goddess now?' Even Giselle went, 'Sis... no... Griz? Yeah, if you say so, sis, I'll believe you...' That wasn't belief in her eyes! It was just nodding along because you said it!"
"Heh heh heh, you little brat. Turns out you know how to let words go in one ear and out the other."
Thwack!
"Ow!"
The self-proclaimed beggar, who had just knuckle-rapped Grace into submission, gleamed with the fresh polish from the Cannilian head's devoted care and continued.
"If folks are reacting like that, doesn't it mean things are going according to plan? What's the problem?"
"The problem is all those rumors are pure fabrication!"
"Fake or not, doesn't matter. The key is that people believe it and see you that way."
Gritz sneered.
"That Guardian God in the sanctuary or whatever—was it a Guardian God from the start? People recognized it as one, believed it had harvest powers, and that's what made it so."
"Sure, but that Guardian God already had real powers even when no one believed! I don't have anything!"
Grace was lively, healthy, and tenacious compared to an average village girl, but that was it.
She wasn't born to a hero's lineage with elite sword training, nor apprenticed to a grand mage for spells.
She didn't know the first thing about mana, let alone any farming-related powers. Zilch.
The starting point was worlds apart—what could she do?
"Hah hah hah."
Dismissing Grace's perfectly valid point as if some mutt were barking, Gritz ignored her.
He even made her a proposal.
"Then let's test it out."
Gritz's staff pointed to a potted plant in the corner of the room.
The Cannilian household's myriad flowers were usually impeccably tended due to their strict ethos, but lately the family was in festival frenzy, so this one's bloom hung limp and wilted.
"Lay your hands on that and think: I want this flower to be healthy."
"...What? No, that's—"
"Just try it. If you trust me."
Unlike his usual self, Gritz sounded strangely earnest, and Grace fell silent.
She extended both hands toward the flower and closed her eyes, focusing.
I want this flower to be healthy. To bloom vibrantly. To be beautiful again.
Without doubting the pointlessness, just wishing fervently.
Suddenly, Grace felt a warmth flowing from her hands.
Not the direct blaze of flame.
Something more indirect, more comforting.
The gentle warmth of sun-soaked soil.
When she opened her eyes again, Grace gaped and let out a dumbstruck noise.
"Huh?"
The flower, which had been drooping toward death moments ago, now bloomed brilliantly.
A barrage of question marks flooded and vanished from Grace's mind.
Her head creaked around like a wooden doll's toward Gritz.
She couldn't see his expression inside the barrel.
But somehow, she just knew he was smirking smugly.
There is a power in this world called "blessing." It's when a celestial god takes pity on their followers and grants a portion of their authority. Priests of the God of War gain offensive powers like enhancement or destruction. Priests of the Goddess of Mercy gain supportive ones like healing or protection.
Thus, the power a priest or shrine maiden wields has little to do with their own mana reserves. What matters is how close they are to their god—and how much favor they receive.
But here's a question worth pondering: Priests and shrine maidens draw power from their gods. So where does the god itself get its power from?
Some say gods are inherently transcendent and mighty, needing no external source—they're self-sufficient in their nobility. They simply bestow power as mercy on favored followers.
At least, that's bullshit in my book.
Faith is desire. The human heart holds power in itself. One or two people's belief might fizzle as delusion, but hundreds, thousands? That's a massive force.
Of course, not just anyone can wield it. Like how sunlight is potent, but humans can't photosynthesize like plants.
Gods can, though. That's why they rain blessings on the earth, spread word of their existence, and harvest faith. In crude terms, blessings are bait products.
Too irreverent? Eh.
Sure, some gods might purely love and cherish humans. But they weren't the mainstream.
If they were, Godslayers never would've been born. The pantheon wouldn't have been shattered, leaving temples in their current ruins.
Godslayer? Skip it. Not crucial for you right now.
That thing called the "Guardian God" now was probably once a god—or a fragment thereof.
Fallen so far it forgot its origins.
Left alone, it'd have faded away. But some fool sparked faith toward it, giving it new identity and revival.
Right now, with faith limited to one territory, it plays earthly tyrant. But spread that faith wide, and it'd ascend to the heavens someday.
And you are that Guardian God's shrine maiden.
In other words, the catalyst and seed to reveal its powers to the people and draw their faith.
Until now, you were seen too much as a "sacrifice," so no power flowed. But now, they don't view you that way.
More than that—they see you as the next Guardian God.
So, you can do what the Guardian God does. The scale might differ, but...
And if the Guardian God vanishes, all that faith shifts to you.
That's how you eliminate a god while keeping the land's blessings intact.
Won't your power vanish too without the god converting faith to might? Just slay it and absorb the bastard.
You look lost on what to say.
Fine, I'll tell you. Shout this:
I am in the process of inheriting the divine seat, Father.