If you think about it, that was nonsense to begin with.
'I'm not a true Saintess, so why did the hail suddenly stop?'
Besides, the timing was quite coincidental.
The crowd shouted, “If she is a true Saintess, she should at least stop the hail from falling in this dry sky.” And just as quickly as they heard this, the hail stopped.
I never thought this strange phenomenon was just a coincidence, so I took a quick look at the lion.
Because only this lion could create such harmony there.
'Judging from the reaction, it seems to be correct.'
As I chuckled, the lion rolled its eyes as if it was embarrassed, then scratched the back of its head with its large forepaw.
“I got caught.”
I clicked my tongue inward as I watched the lion grinning like an idiot.
'I told you, it's not a new feeling.'
But inside, I was sighing in relief.
Thanks to that, I was able to avoid getting my head blown off for impersonating a Saintess.
“Then, The Pope's verification will be no problem?”
I thought the lion would nod his head while hesitating.
It was only natural that he should take responsibility for what he did.
But contrary to my expectations, the lion shook its head.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tattoo Hethel’s symbol on your forehead.”
“Yes? Why?”
My expression hardened at the lion's unexpected answer.
'I thought that if someone could stop a disaster, just showing them a symbol wouldn't be a big deal.'
Even the pattern didn't have to remain tattooed on the forehead.
It just comes to mind for a moment when it needs to be verified by the Pope...
“Surely your ability doesn’t reach that level?”
My heart was racing, so I put my face right in front of the lion.
Then, the lion, with its head slightly tilted back as if it felt burdened, opened its mouth.
“That’s not it. That’s not a big deal. My abilities are much greater than you think!”
“But why isn’t it possible?”
When I asked with an expression that said I couldn't understand, the lion sighed deeply as if it felt sorry.
“Ha, what are you saying now?”
I was worried that there might really be a reason why it wouldn't work out, so I looked at the lion with a pout.
“Why are you talking nonsense now? When was the time to gossip about her, calling her a damn goddess and a fraud?”
“Ahem! That, that’s what I said in anger because Hethel didn’t keep her promise. And do you think talking behind someone’s back and touching the power of the goddess are the same thing?”
The lion with a stinging expression roared, and I, feeling frustrated, pounded my chest.
“It’s frustrating, really. Who said I wanted to become a real Saintess? I'm just pretending to be one for a little while. The lives of the believers are at stake, so I’m sure the goddess would understand that much!”
In fact, it was something that could have easily angered the goddess, but there was no other way now.
Besides, the moment I impersonated the Saintess, the blasphemy had already begun, so I persuaded the lion without paying any attention.
But the lion was surprisingly resolute.
“Well, I told you it won’t work!”
My stomach turned when I saw him tightly covering his ears with his front paws as if he couldn't hear anything.
'That stupid lion!'
When you were trying to force me into becoming a Saintess and entrusting me with your old age, why are you talking about goddess scriptures now?
Just then, out of frustration, I was about to yell, saying that if I die, your old age will also end.
'That's...'
Suddenly, I noticed brown powder scattered across the lion's cream-colored mane.
It was the remains of a cookie that the lion had just devoured in a fit of rage.
'Now that I think about it, those cheap cookies were really delicious.'
I opened my mouth wide and smiled faintly at something that flashed through my mind.
“I’m talking about the cookies you had a little while ago.”
At that moment, the lion that had been covering its ears suddenly turned its head.
The eyes that had been sunken as if they were annoyed suddenly became brighter.
I smiled broadly at the reaction that was exactly as I had expected.
“I told you, those cookies are low-quality cookies that use minimal sugar and butter to keep the price down. Plus, the main ingredient, wheat flour, is unrefined whole wheat, so the texture is also crunchy.”
“Oh, really? It was okay for my taste. It was rich but had a sweet aftertaste, and the texture wasn’t too bad either.”
“That’s because you’ve lived on moss for a thousand years, so your appetite has deteriorated. It’s not something that someone who’s about to become a god would eat.”
I clicked my tongue as if it were a joke and looked into the empty space with gently curved eyes.
“A proper cookie is made by removing the husk of the wheat and adding a generous amount of milk and butter to the finely ground flour. Then, a generous amount of white sugar is added.”
The lion's eyes gradually became blank as if my explanation had hypnotized him.
“If you bake the dough made that way in an oven at the right temperature, you get really soft, savory, and sweet cookies.”
Gulp.
My explanation seemed to have been pretty good, as the sound of swallowing resonated throughout the carriage.
“Take a bite of that soft cookie.”
I took a deep breath, put my thumb and index finger in my mouth, and covered my face with an expression of rapture.
“Ha, that’s the taste of heaven.”
The lion, still looking at me with his eyes wide open, pursed his lips.
As if I were actually eating a cookie.
At that, I smiled inwardly with a sense of repentance, but on the outside, I sighed as if I felt sorry.
“But it’s such a shame that we can’t treat our Lord to those delicious cookies.”
“What? You can’t treat me? What do you mean!”
The lion asked in surprise.
It must have been so shocking to hear that he couldn't eat fancy cookies that he grabbed my shoulder with his large front paw.
'Oh, you gluttonous lion.'
I squinted my eyes at the sharp pain coming up from my shoulder and continued speaking.
“Well, if I don’t pass the temple’s inspection, I’ll die. A dead person can’t buy cookies and offer them, right?”
“Oh, you’re dying?”
“Of course. Who would spare the life of a sinner who dares to impersonate the daughter of a goddess?”
I furrowed the corners of my eyes.
“Now that I think about it, it’ll be hard for you to grow old after I die. Even though you’re the representative of the goddess, an animal is still an animal. Since they can’t let you loose, they’ll probably have to lock you up in a small cage and try to tame you.”
“What, what? Who dares to imprison me? A mere human?”
The lion, who had been trapped in his den for a thousand years and had finally gained his freedom, was furious at my suggestion that he might be trapped again.
But I just continued talking without listening.
“Oh, the person who almost became a god has lost his freedom and is now living a life where he has to eat food given to him by humans. And he can’t even eat cookies...”
“No, I have no intention of being locked up. Even if I were to be locked up, I could easily escape!”
“Even if you run away, you have nowhere to go. Even if you were to return home, all the people you knew would be dead, and the only ones left would be young children. What kind of friendship would you have with them?”
The lion's expression hardened with fear as I repeated the words he had said a moment ago, leaving his old age to me.
“No, you'll be lucky to get a favor, let alone a friendship. How the younger lions will laugh at you when you're just a silly old man who's actually being scammed by a goddess...”
'I'm not a true Saintess, so why did the hail suddenly stop?'
Besides, the timing was quite coincidental.
The crowd shouted, “If she is a true Saintess, she should at least stop the hail from falling in this dry sky.” And just as quickly as they heard this, the hail stopped.
I never thought this strange phenomenon was just a coincidence, so I took a quick look at the lion.
Because only this lion could create such harmony there.
'Judging from the reaction, it seems to be correct.'
As I chuckled, the lion rolled its eyes as if it was embarrassed, then scratched the back of its head with its large forepaw.
“I got caught.”
I clicked my tongue inward as I watched the lion grinning like an idiot.
'I told you, it's not a new feeling.'
But inside, I was sighing in relief.
Thanks to that, I was able to avoid getting my head blown off for impersonating a Saintess.
“Then, The Pope's verification will be no problem?”
I thought the lion would nod his head while hesitating.
It was only natural that he should take responsibility for what he did.
But contrary to my expectations, the lion shook its head.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tattoo Hethel’s symbol on your forehead.”
“Yes? Why?”
My expression hardened at the lion's unexpected answer.
'I thought that if someone could stop a disaster, just showing them a symbol wouldn't be a big deal.'
Even the pattern didn't have to remain tattooed on the forehead.
It just comes to mind for a moment when it needs to be verified by the Pope...
“Surely your ability doesn’t reach that level?”
My heart was racing, so I put my face right in front of the lion.
Then, the lion, with its head slightly tilted back as if it felt burdened, opened its mouth.
“That’s not it. That’s not a big deal. My abilities are much greater than you think!”
“But why isn’t it possible?”
When I asked with an expression that said I couldn't understand, the lion sighed deeply as if it felt sorry.
“What kind of blasphemy is this? You're a goddamn goddess, you're a fraud, and you're talking all kinds of shit.”
I was worried that there might really be a reason why it wouldn't work out, so I looked at the lion with a pout.
“Why are you talking nonsense now? When was the time to gossip about her, calling her a damn goddess and a fraud?”
“Ahem! That, that’s what I said in anger because Hethel didn’t keep her promise. And do you think talking behind someone’s back and touching the power of the goddess are the same thing?”
The lion with a stinging expression roared, and I, feeling frustrated, pounded my chest.
“It’s frustrating, really. Who said I wanted to become a real Saintess? I'm just pretending to be one for a little while. The lives of the believers are at stake, so I’m sure the goddess would understand that much!”
In fact, it was something that could have easily angered the goddess, but there was no other way now.
Besides, the moment I impersonated the Saintess, the blasphemy had already begun, so I persuaded the lion without paying any attention.
But the lion was surprisingly resolute.
“Well, I told you it won’t work!”
My stomach turned when I saw him tightly covering his ears with his front paws as if he couldn't hear anything.
'That stupid lion!'
When you were trying to force me into becoming a Saintess and entrusting me with your old age, why are you talking about goddess scriptures now?
Just then, out of frustration, I was about to yell, saying that if I die, your old age will also end.
'That's...'
Suddenly, I noticed brown powder scattered across the lion's cream-colored mane.
It was the remains of a cookie that the lion had just devoured in a fit of rage.
'Now that I think about it, those cheap cookies were really delicious.'
I opened my mouth wide and smiled faintly at something that flashed through my mind.
“I’m talking about the cookies you had a little while ago.”
At that moment, the lion that had been covering its ears suddenly turned its head.
The eyes that had been sunken as if they were annoyed suddenly became brighter.
I smiled broadly at the reaction that was exactly as I had expected.
“I told you, those cookies are low-quality cookies that use minimal sugar and butter to keep the price down. Plus, the main ingredient, wheat flour, is unrefined whole wheat, so the texture is also crunchy.”
“Oh, really? It was okay for my taste. It was rich but had a sweet aftertaste, and the texture wasn’t too bad either.”
“That’s because you’ve lived on moss for a thousand years, so your appetite has deteriorated. It’s not something that someone who’s about to become a god would eat.”
I clicked my tongue as if it were a joke and looked into the empty space with gently curved eyes.
“A proper cookie is made by removing the husk of the wheat and adding a generous amount of milk and butter to the finely ground flour. Then, a generous amount of white sugar is added.”
The lion's eyes gradually became blank as if my explanation had hypnotized him.
“If you bake the dough made that way in an oven at the right temperature, you get really soft, savory, and sweet cookies.”
Gulp.
My explanation seemed to have been pretty good, as the sound of swallowing resonated throughout the carriage.
“Take a bite of that soft cookie.”
I took a deep breath, put my thumb and index finger in my mouth, and covered my face with an expression of rapture.
“Ha, that’s the taste of heaven.”
The lion, still looking at me with his eyes wide open, pursed his lips.
As if I were actually eating a cookie.
At that, I smiled inwardly with a sense of repentance, but on the outside, I sighed as if I felt sorry.
“But it’s such a shame that we can’t treat our Lord to those delicious cookies.”
“What? You can’t treat me? What do you mean!”
The lion asked in surprise.
It must have been so shocking to hear that he couldn't eat fancy cookies that he grabbed my shoulder with his large front paw.
'Oh, you gluttonous lion.'
I squinted my eyes at the sharp pain coming up from my shoulder and continued speaking.
“Well, if I don’t pass the temple’s inspection, I’ll die. A dead person can’t buy cookies and offer them, right?”
“Oh, you’re dying?”
“Of course. Who would spare the life of a sinner who dares to impersonate the daughter of a goddess?”
I furrowed the corners of my eyes.
“Now that I think about it, it’ll be hard for you to grow old after I die. Even though you’re the representative of the goddess, an animal is still an animal. Since they can’t let you loose, they’ll probably have to lock you up in a small cage and try to tame you.”
“What, what? Who dares to imprison me? A mere human?”
The lion, who had been trapped in his den for a thousand years and had finally gained his freedom, was furious at my suggestion that he might be trapped again.
But I just continued talking without listening.
“Oh, the person who almost became a god has lost his freedom and is now living a life where he has to eat food given to him by humans. And he can’t even eat cookies...”
“No, I have no intention of being locked up. Even if I were to be locked up, I could easily escape!”
“Even if you run away, you have nowhere to go. Even if you were to return home, all the people you knew would be dead, and the only ones left would be young children. What kind of friendship would you have with them?”
The lion's expression hardened with fear as I repeated the words he had said a moment ago, leaving his old age to me.
“No, you'll be lucky to get a favor, let alone a friendship. How the younger lions will laugh at you when you're just a silly old man who's actually being scammed by a goddess...”
“What, what did you say? You stupid old man?”
“Ah, I guess you'll just grow older and older, being laughed at by those much younger. Alone and lonely. Ah, our poor lion. There won’t even be cookies in the forest...”
As I wiped my tears with my sleeve as if I was dying of pity, the lion's face completely rotted away.
“Stop, stop! You’re really cursing, you’re cursing! Why don’t I just let you pass that test!”
Finally, the lion raised his voice and said what I wanted.
“You should have done that a long time ago. Since we’ve left our old age to each other, we’re basically a community with a shared destiny.”
As I shrugged my shoulders with a grin, the lion, who had been pounding his chest in frustration, soon let out a deep sigh.
“Well, Hethel owes me something. I’ll explain it to her later.”
“Yes, the compassionate goddess will forgive everything.”
I nodded unconditionally and extended my hand to the lion.
“Yes, then let’s do better from now on.”
Then the lion, who had been looking at me with tired eyes, reluctantly grabbed my hand.
It was the moment when my relationship with the lion was first established.
“But how many cookies do you give out? Of course, you give them out more than once a day?”
“...”
It was the formation of a truly petty fraud group consisting of a few cookies.
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