“…Is this a divine oracle?”

Felix and Sylvia were stunned into silence by the Saintess’ bombshell statement. After a moment, I managed to gather my wits and asked her.

The Saintess nodded with a small smile at my question. With a playful wink, she said.

“It’s an oracle that came down only for the two of you.”

“I-Is that possible?”

As the Saintess’s demeanor changed subtly, I remained silent momentarily, but Sylvia couldn’t hold back and spoke up.

Indeed, we’d never heard of an oracle for just two people. But the Saintess shrugged her shoulders and calmly replied.

“If it were impossible, we would’ve never been in this situation.”

Of course, that wasn’t a sufficient answer. Sylvia blinked slowly, still seemingly dumbfounded by the Saintess’s words.

The Saintess continued to look at her with a benevolent smile. I secretly chuckled, sensing that she found the dazed Sylvia somewhat cute.

“I will now convey the content of the oracle. First, Sister Sylvia?”

The Saintess, still fixing her gaze on Sylvia, continued speaking. I straightened my posture and looked directly at her.

Even through the hazy mist, she looked straight at Sylvia and continued.

“Yes…!”

“There’s no need to be so tense.”

She smiled faintly again at Sylvia’s stiff response and calmly began to relay the content of the oracle.

“Sylvia Bersche is to be appointed as the next Saintess.”

“…”

“…What?!”

When they heard the Saintess’s words, Sylvia’s eyes widened, and I couldn’t help but frown.

This too was something that didn’t happen in the original story. But that wasn’t why I frowned. I already didn’t know how far the butterfly effect caused by my existence would extend.

But even so, this was clearly an unusual event. What Siegfried had tried to do had actually come to pass.

“… Isn’t that a bit problematic?”

“I understand the issue you’re thinking of, Brother. But for now, please focus on what I’m saying.”

Unlike when she spoke to Sylvia, the Saintess’s voice was a bit colder, and I narrowed my eyes and nodded.

“I understand.”

“This is the Goddess’s message, and it has nothing to do with Siegfried, who was designated as the next Hero.”

“…But I’m not a Saintess?”

“The Church is currently preparing to announce Sister Sylvia’s ascension as a Saintess. At the same time, your awakening as one is expected to occur soon.”

The moment I heard the Saintess’ words, I finally understood what she meant.

This wasn’t a unilateral decision by the Saintess like with Siegfried. The Goddess herself had truly chosen Sylvia as the Saintess.

That realization made me feel a bit dizzy. Is Sylvia really becoming a Saintess?

“I could refuse, right…?”

“Are you serious, Sister?”

“…”

Siegfried had tried to elevate Sylvia to sainthood even at the cost of sacrificing the current Saintess. He didn’t care how much blood was shed in the process.

But this case was different. This time, Sylvia was officially appointed as the next Saintess, through the Goddess’s words and with her power.

Sylvia knew this too, which was why she couldn’t easily respond to the Saintess’s words. After a moment of silence from her, the Saintess gave a light smile.

“You have plenty of time to think, so please ruminate it thoroughly. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to come to me anytime, Sister.”

“…Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

The Saintess soothed Sylvia with a faint smile, took a steady breath, and turned her gaze to me. As Sylvia was momentarily lost in thought, I met the Saintess’s gaze, leaving Sylvia be.

“Next, Brother Felix.”

I hope, unlikely as it may be, that I don’t become the next Hero.

Whether aware of my concern or not, the Saintess continued speaking calmly.

“Brother, you will officially be appointed as an honored guest of our Church.”

“…An honored guest of the Church?”

Hearing in reality what had only appeared as a setting in a light novel, I couldn’t help but ask her again.

An honored guest of the Church was, literally, a precious guest given top priority by the Church. If the guest’s life was in danger, depending on the importance of the matter, it was a position of immense power that could even lead to the declaration of a holy war.

“Yes. The Goddess was impressed by your good deeds, Brother.”

“…I see.”

The Goddess was impressed by my good deeds?

Thinking this sounded absurd, I mulled over her words for a moment. To be honest, they weren’t easily believable.

But the Saintess was not speaking her own mind but as a representative of the Goddess. Therefore, it was a delicate situation where even doubting her words was risky.

“As a top priority honored guest, Brother, you can visit any Church on this continent at any time, and everyone will help you wholeheartedly.”

While the impact might be a bit less compared to being a Saintess, it was by no means something to be taken lightly.

It literally meant that regardless of which Church I visited, everyone would be on my side.

“…I understand.”

A top priority honored guest is literally an honored guest.

There wasn’t even a need to believe in the Goddess or do anything separately. It was a position full of rights, without responsibilities or obligations.

I couldn’t guess why the Goddess had readily given me such a position. One might think I could just ask the Saintess since she was here, but the communication between the Goddess and the Saintess was one-way, not two-way.

The Goddess only unilaterally conveyed her will to the Saintess; the Saintess couldn’t inquire about the Goddess’s intentions.

Knowing this fact well, I simply nodded silently.

Of course, if I had any questions, I could ask directly.

“…It seems our time is almost up. Do you have any more questions?”

“I… can I think about it a bit and come back later…?”

“Of course, Sister.”

Given the nature of the matter, Sylvia seemed to have not yet fully organized her thoughts. To her cautious question, the Saintess nodded with her unchanging benevolent smile.

As I listened to the conversation between Sylvia and the Saintess, I gathered my thoughts and raised my head.

The mist, which had thinned somewhat, caught my eye. The Saintess was silently gazing at Sylvia through the fog.

“Do you want to go back first? I have a few more things to ask.”

“Ah… okay. I understand.”

I gave Sylvia a faint smile as she stood up, and she nodded in agreement.

Normally, she would have waited and gone together, but now Sylvia had a lot to think about, so it seemed she wanted to go back first and do some thinking.

“Then I’ll be going…”

“A holy knight from the Church will safely escort you to the dormitory. Take care on your way back.”

Sylvia bowed politely and left the reception room with an awkward smile. As I watched her retreating figure, I carefully exhaled when the reception room door closed.

Even in that brief moment as Sylvia left, the mist was gradually thinning.

“Please ask freely, Brother. I will answer to the best of my ability.”

After Sylvia left, the Saintess finally spoke to me with a faint smile. Noticing the change in her attitude, I took a steady breath and opened my mouth.

“I’d like to ask why I was appointed as an honored guest of the Church and why Sylvia was appointed as a Saintess.”

As I asked her in a polite manner different from before, the Saintess tilted her head and answered my question.

“That is the will of the Goddess, not mine. As a humble servant of the Goddess, I cannot fathom Her mind, Brother.”

Seeing her glib response, I let out another small sigh and spoke again.

“Ah, I forgot to say.”

“…”

“Goddess.”

Through the faint mist, her black eyes seemed to pierce through me. I silently endured that gaze, just waiting for her response.

After a moment, she slowly opened her mouth, erasing the faint smile from her face.

“I see. So you already knew.”

In an instant, her voice changed.

Realizing this, I bowed my head, and her soft laughter began to be heard.

“Yes, I am the one called the Goddess of this world, child.”

What was before my eyes was not the Saintess but the Goddess residing in her body.