Chapter 2: The Church of the Water God
Furina found this whole situation rather absurd. She, a person who just yesterday was lying in a garbage heap gnawing on her own martial soul cake, was about to become a charlatan preacher today. No—the Pope of the Church of the Water God. That sounded a bit more impressive, but essentially, still a charlatan.
The three members of the "Salon Solitaire"—Madame Hevmayer, Mademoiselle Chevaleyda, and Lord Usher—drifted about around her, looking even busier than she was. Madame Hevmayer surveyed the surroundings with her condescending, bubble-like gaze, as if assessing whether this slum was worthy of her investment. Mademoiselle Chevaleyda's crab claws clicked and clacked, seemingly itching to tidy up the scattered trash along the roadside. Lord Usher, meanwhile, adjusted his nonexistent bow tie while peering into a filthy puddle, muttering about "what a disgrace."
"Alright, alright, you lot, tone it down," Furina waved a limp hand. "We're here to start an enterprise, not run a sanitation and etiquette inspection."
She found a slightly cleaner wall corner, drew a deep breath—and nearly choked on the dust—then began her performance.
"Come, come! Gather round and take a look!" Her voice wasn't loud, a bit feeble, lacking confidence. "A blessing from the Water God, free to taste! Eating it will... will fill you with boundless energy!"
A white light flickered in her palm, and another fresh little cake appeared. Its milky fragrance stood out starkly in the air thick with the smells of mildew and sweat.
Several sallow, gaunt children hid in the distance, staring fixedly at the cake in her hand, practically drooling, but they didn't dare approach.
Furina forced her most kindly smile, as she imagined it, and beckoned to them. "Come on, it's free, really."
One slightly bolder little boy, thin as a bean sprout, shuffled over timidly. Furina handed him the cake. The boy snatched it and wolfed it down, barely chewing before swallowing. Then he gazed at her hopefully, licking his fingers with lingering relish.
"Was it good?" Furina asked.
The boy nodded vigorously.
"Then... do you know who you should thank?" Furina tried to make her expression look a bit more holy.
The boy stared at her blankly.
"It's the great Water God!" Furina prompted. "Come, repeat after me: 'Thank the Water God for this blessing.'"
The boy mumbled the line in confusion, his voice as quiet as a mosquito's buzz, his eyes still fixed on her hand, hoping she could conjure another one.
*[Ding! Harvested a wisp of weak faith thought +1. Current Points: 1. Host, please keep up the effort!]* The system's notification chimed.
Furina: "..." Just one point? How long was she going to have to keep this con going?
But seeing the longing in the boy's eyes, the discomfort in her heart suddenly eased a little. She sighed and produced another cake for him. "Eat slowly. Don't choke."
And so it went. Furina, using her (for now) inexhaustible cake martial soul, began her "alms-giving" on the street corner. What started with only a few children gradually drew in some sallow-faced adults who hesitantly shuffled closer. Everyone who received a cake was half-coerced, half-bamboozled by Furina into reciting the line, "Thank the Water God for this blessing."
Her points crept up bit by bit, at a heartbreakingly slow pace.
Until the man called Old John arrived. He was a woodcutter. He'd injured his arm chopping wood the day before. It was badly swollen, but with no money for a doctor, he could only grit his teeth and endure. Hearing that there was free food here, he'd come with the thought of getting a small handout.
Furina gave him a cake. He finished it in a few bites and, out of habit, was about to recite the slogan, but grimaced in pain instead.
Furina looked at his swollen, shiny arm, and a thought suddenly stirred in her mind. The faint soul power within her body seemed to be tugged by something. On an impulse, she produced another cake, but this one seemed... a little different? It looked fluffier and gave off a faint, comforting aura.
"Here, have another one," Furina handed him the new cake. "Try it. Maybe... it'll make you feel better?"
Old John was skeptical but took the cake and ate it. Almost the instant he finished, he let out a surprised "Huh?" To his astonishment, the alarming red swelling on his arm was visibly receding at a rate visible to the naked eye! It wasn't completely healed, but the excruciating pain was significantly relieved!
"Miraculous! Truly miraculous!" Old John nearly jumped up in excitement, waving his much-improved arm. "Young lady... no, a living deity! You are truly a living deity! Thank you! Thank the Water God! Thank the Water God for this blessing!" This time, his cry was wholehearted and booming.
The onlookers were all stunned.
[Ding! Harvested sincere grateful faith +10! Detected that Host's actions align with the doctrine of the 'Church of the Water God,' successfully aiding a believer in alleviating suffering. Reward: Automatic condensation of the first soul ring for martial soul 'Cake'! Soul skill generating...]
Furina felt a surge of warmth suddenly well up from deep within her body. Invisible energy from the surroundings converged madly toward her, and a ring of light glowing with purple radiance abruptly rose from beneath her feet, pulsing rhythmically!
A thousand-year soul ring! Even if it was a freebie from the system, it looked thoroughly impressive!
A somewhat embarrassing incantation automatically surfaced in her mind. Looking at the shocked, longing, and faintly reverent gazes around her, she cleared her throat, steeled herself, pointed at the sky (mainly to avoid eye contact), and loudly shouted the spirit incantation:
"Thus saith the Water God—Let there be milk! Ah, no—!" Nerves nearly made her blunder. She hastily corrected herself, bellowing with all her might the correct, but equally toe-curling, incantation:
"—A pious heart washes away all pain! Have a... erm, a Healing Buttercream Cakelet!"
A flash of light, and a cake radiating a soft white glow and a rich milky aroma—looking utterly delicious and healthful—appeared in her hand.
Silence fell upon the scene.
Then, with a whoosh, everyone surged forward! No longer were they testing the waters or looking for petty gain—now they came with genuine fervor and hope!
"Lord Water God! Save my mother!"
"Master! Give me one! My legs have ached for years!"
"I want to believe in the Water God too! Cake! Give me cake!"
Surrounded in the middle, Furina scrambled to produce healing cakes as the system's notification chimes jingled and jangled in her mind, and points soared upward.
Looking at the scene before her, only one thought filled her head: It's over. She'd truly become a cake vendor now. The kind with healing effects.
The Church of the Water God? Was this church destined to become the continent's number one chain of dessert shops cum clinics?
The three "martial souls" lingered nearby: Madame Hevmayer seemed satisfied with this development of order (however chaotic it was), Mademoiselle Chevaleyda attempted to maintain queue discipline (by nudging people aside with her crab claws), and Lord Usher worried about whether people's cake-eating postures were sufficiently elegant.
Furina sighed and resigned herself to churning out more cakes.
Oh well. If she could help people, it seemed... not so bad after all?