My Goddess is Good at Pretending

Chapter 585: Seek Advice and Guidance

Under the pale glow of the moon, the Hero Party went to visit the hotel where the Elysion Chruch’s representatives stayed.

The world they had been summoned to was vast, unfamiliar, and filled with challenges far beyond their understanding. And so, they sought the one whose wisdom transcended mortal comprehension and hailed from the seemingly neutral, righteous side.

Moreover, the sacred shrine priestess truly resembled Miss Ely, the most revered and mysterious lady on Earth.

Mashiro had to get the answer from her immediately as he knew she was a ’key’ for future events. He led the Hero Party toward their destination. Once they arrived and stated their intention, the guest recipients asked them to wait as they had to request permission for their visit to the Elysion Chuch’s representatives.

Mashiro furrowed his brows in deep thought. His Hero Party might not be the only one who paid the Elysion Church a visit.

The Holy Knight Deity and the Demi-God Saint soon came over, but they asked them to wait in the waiting room and then left them alone. The entire floor was booked under the Elysion Church’s name, but the waiting room felt so quiet, and time seemed to be ticking slowly.

Just as the Hero Party’s members were getting impatient and restless, several maids entered the waiting room, bringing some evening snacks and hot tea.

"Excuse me, but may I ask when the sacred shrine priestess will be back? If our arrival is not timely, we will come at another time." Mashiro tried to probe some information from the hotel’s maids.

"Erm, please pardon us, heroes. We know nothing about the Elysion Church’s affairs as we’re only the chambermaids." The chambermaid replied somewhat nervously, but she still put on her professionalism as the servant. She put the snacks on the table without fail.

Truthfully, it already scared her to receive the task of fulfilling all of the Elysion Church’s needs during their stay at this hotel, and her fellow maids obviously felt the same way.

After all, the Elysion Church’s representatives were made up of high-rank experts, and led by several sacred figures. In addition to the mysterious yet gentle sacred shrine priestess, there was also a Deity-level knight and a Demi-God! And now, the heroes, the noble warriors of humanity, personally come to visit during their shift.

"Is that so..." Mashiro let the maids finish their task and let them go.

Even though the evening snacks and the tea were already served on the table, he and his comrades only looked at each other, not touching the dishes that the hotel’s servants had prepared for them, the guests.

"We’ve fulfilled her condition, but what if she won’t meet us? She will fulfill her promise to answer our questions, but what if we can’t meet her?" Nyla asked specifically toward Mashiro as he was the only one who got into contact with the sacred shrine priestess.

"That would be a shame, but if that happens, I will seek her no matter what. I am absolutely sure, she is the key figure to resolve all of my confusion." Mashiro sighed.

"Let’s wait for a bit longer. We can do nothing if she isn’t here at the moment. Lady Myra and Saint Daemyx wouldn’t lie to us." Katsue responded positively.

"You need to watch your attitude, Big Sis. You’ve been a bit strange since being defeated by Azra, the Shadow Assassin." Harriet couldn’t help but remind her comrade with concern.

"..." Ash and Richard just crossed their arms, waiting patiently without saying much.

Half an hour later, Lady Myra and Saint Daemyx returned to the waiting room.

However, they both stepped aside after opening the door, politely ushering the sacred lady to enter the room.*/-7

The quiet room that was filled with uneasiness soon seemed to be brightened and illuminated by the sacred aura of holiness. The revered sacred lady’s presence alone granted the serenity and measurement.

For the heroes, this was not their first encounter with a divine being, renowned figure, revered people, or a wise sage. In their original world, they had once known a figure who resembled Priestess Miko, and she was known as Miss Ely, an enigmatic holy lady revered for her background, knowledge, and mysterious power.

The resemblance was uncanny, both in appearance and in the aura of otherworldly grace that surrounded her. This parallel only deepened their belief that Priestess Miko could offer them the enlightenment they desperately needed.

Draped in white and red shrine priestess robes, her long, raven-black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her purplish-blue eyes, deep and mysterious, seemed to hold the weight of thousands of unspoken truths. Her presence was breathtaking, yet there was an unmistakable power behind it.

The heroes, each feeling the pull of her presence, immediately stood up. Her presence’s aura was entirely different upon closer observation, and they paid their respect in unison, heads bowed.

Mashiro as the Hero Party’s leader spoke to represent his group’s intention. "Sacred shrine priestess, Priestess Miko, we come before you to seek your guidance."

"Mm." Miko nodded in reply and raised her palm. She entered the room with steady steps and sat on the master’s seat.

Gabriella, Michael, and Jophiel followed closely and stood right behind her. Myra and Daemyx remained near the door, closing it slowly with no noise.

"My apologies as we were outside some time ago. Please have a seat." Miko beckoned the heroes to sit back down.

"..." Nyla looked at Priestess Jovee with complicated feelings.

This extremely beautiful lady was truly attractive and charming, and easily sparked emotions to capture anyone’s attention with that seductive beautiful appearance.

She originally thought Priestess Jovee was the Elysion Church’s high priest or the saintess, but Priestess Miko held the higher status of such a figure. And she could understand why Priestess Miko was more terrifying. Despite one’s angelic presence and beauty, this sacred lady also possessed unfathomable might.

As Mashiro said, this sacred lady only exuded the 0th Rank strength, no stronger than a commonfolk, but Priestess Miko radiated a divine-like aura!

"You shouldn’t try to probe deeper, or it will hurt you. Sacred Sakura Saintess isn’t someone you can scan and measure at will." Gabriella threw out a little reminder, but it sounded like a warning instead.

"..." Nyla meekly nodded in reply. She tried to do a divination secretly, but she buried the idea right away. Miss Gabriel, the Elven Valkyrie, was a mesmerizing noble elf of nature, but that strict expression told her to follow the rules or she would suffer.

"So, what brings you here?" Miko leaned back and made a steeple of her fingers.

"Sacred Sakura Saintess..." Mashiro muttered under his breath as he recalled about it, and Priestess Miko once mentioned the Sacred Sakura in their previous encounter.

Nevertheless, he returned to the current topic as there was a more pressing matter that demanded the answer. "As you already know, we were summoned to this world, far from our own, to fight for a cause of humanity we barely understand. We have faced many trials, but the path ahead remains unclear. We humbly ask for your enlightenment."

Miko did not respond immediately. She watched the six summoned heroes in silence. Her gaze swept over each of them as if she tried to read their minds, hearts, fears, and desires.

Finally, she spoke with a soft yet resonant voice. "You seek guidance, yet you already know the path you must walk."

The heroes glanced at one another, unsure of Priestess Miko’s meaning.

Nyla, the most intelligent one in the Hero Party, soon added. "Sacred Priestess, we were brought to this world arbitrarily to fight the demons. But, we still don’t understand far too many things. What is our true purpose in this world? We might die anytime, but do we really only have one path? The empire is playing secrets to us and always avoids the topic."

"Purpose..." Miko emphasized it as though the word itself was too simple for the complexity it held. "You were not summoned here by mere chance. The threads of fate have woven your paths together for a reason. The purpose is not something that is given, but it is something you must discover within yourselves."

"So, you’re saying we have to figure it all out on our own?" Richard sighed, asking with a hint of frustration. "That’s not exactly helpful."

Miko’s gaze remained serene, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Impatience clouds the mind. You are not here for easy answers. Each of you carries a burden from your past, a lesson and a task yet to be understood."

"But how do we confront what we don’t yet fully understand? There’s so much at stake, and we’re running out of time. The hero expedition will depart in five days, and I somehow feel the Glorious God and the Council of Gods are less reliable and trustworthy." Katsue spoke next, but she softened her voice in each sentence like a terrified cat. She was afraid to die, but she still had to face it all.

Miko nodded slowly, and her expression became gentle. "You are right to fear the unknown variables. However, you are stronger together than apart. Do not let fear drive you down separate paths. At the end of the day, you are still the Glorious God’s heroes. As the Sacred Sakura Goddess’ followers, we should not interfere in this matter too much."

"What of the darkness we must face, Sacred Priestess? Many evils are stirring in this world, the forces we cannot yet comprehend. But, humanity’s enemy this time is the Demon King of Extreme Evil. How can we hope to defeat him? There’s basically no useful information about him." Ash who had been silent until this moment finally spoke with his deep voice.

He might be a battle frenzy, elated to fight against the strong, but he wasn’t foolish enough to dig his own grave, dying as a mere pawn.

Miko’s gaze darkened slightly, and her tone turned somber. "The darkness you face is ancient, older than you can imagine. It is not something that can be defeated by mere strength. You’re bound to fail if you follow the ordinary route."

The six heroes felt a chill run through them at her words.

"Sacred lady, if I may ask, how much chance of victory do we have?" Mashiro gulped his saliva, asking nervously.

"Fifty-fifty, that still depends on you all." Miko replied, and the heroes fell silent for a few minutes, deep in thought. She then added. "Does that enlighten you?"

"No, wait please, there is still something I urgently want to clarify. Upon your previous promise, please answer me honestly, sacred lady." Mashiro hurriedly raised the pressing matter that he had to get an answer for.

"I’ll give you three chances, so please carefully choose your questions." Miko kindly offered as she felt the summoned heroes were pretty pitiful.

They had to fight the demons without knowing many things, and it was also awful to be summoned to another world against their will only to be used as the demon-slaying warriors. Or worse, the heroes were summoned to entertain the Glorious God and his Council of Gods.