Staring at Freya as she kept nodding along, lost in her own imagination...
Ansu thought to himself that the little Saintess was just as easy to handle as she was in the story. She really was the sort of person who trusted others far too easily.
Besides, he had the "Chosen One" buff on top of everything else. It felt like she was about to write the word "Loyalty!" right across her face.
There was only one thing Ansu still couldn't figure out.
"So... how did you know I was the one who wrote that note?"
Freya blinked. "The scent."
"The scent?"
"Mm..." Freya lowered her head shyly. It really was a little embarrassing to explain.
Ansu eyed her suspiciously. He still remembered how Freya had leaned toward him and kept sniffing him earlier. The whole scene had been downright creepy...
"Because of my bloodline, I have a very keen sense of smell," Freya explained sheepishly. "The note had a faint scent left behind by the Chosen One. I remembered it right away, and after meeting you today, I was finally sure that you were the one who wrote it..."
Head bowed, Freya hardly dared look at Ansu's stunned expression.
In fact, there were still plenty of "methods" she hadn't mentioned that she'd used to find the Chosen One.
For example, she'd secretly investigated the social circle of a student named Kevin, matching the names of the people around him with their faces one by one. That was why she'd been able to call Ansu by name as soon as she saw him today.
"I think you should've become a detective instead of a Saintess..." Ansu murmured. With a nose like that, what case couldn't she solve?
"Chosen One..." Freya looked up.
"Don't call me the Chosen One," Ansu immediately corrected her.
"Oh." Freya nodded. "Lord Ansu."
"That doesn't work either!" Ansu said helplessly. "Just call me by my name."
"Then... An... Ansu?" Freya asked curiously. "What did you want from me when you wrote that note?"
At first, she'd thought some vile person lurking in the shadows was trying to threaten her...
But he was the Chosen One! How could he possibly have such filthy intentions?
"Well..." Ansu thought for a moment, then decided to keep up the mystery. "My mission is extremely dangerous. I need to infiltrate a mysterious organization, so I urgently need outside support to help me out. In the end, I chose you!"
"I see!" Freya still trusted Ansu completely. After all... how could the Chosen One lie?
"Your mission must be very dangerous!" Freya slipped back into speaking to him formally. "Lord Ansu, if you need anything, I'll do whatever it takes to help you!"
Ansu couldn't help giving her a once-over.
"You're really willing to do anything?"
"Mm! Of course!" Freya hurriedly nodded.
Ansu pursed his lips and thought to himself, Then go wipe out the Echo of Truth Cult for me, and capture the Scum Witch so I can give her a thorough punishment...
"Do you not believe me, Lord Ansu?" Freya had clearly sensed his doubt, so she patted her ample chest and suggested:
"Are you worried about the mysterious organization you've infiltrated? I don't think you need to worry, Lord Ansu. If I take care of those people for you, won't you be able to stop skulking around so cautiously?"
In Freya's heart, the Chosen One belonged at the forefront, helping the Church rise again after all the criticism it had endured and letting its countless devout followers truly feel the power of the gods' grace!
The prophesied World-Ending Crisis was already close at hand. The Chosen One was their chance to change everything! How could she let Ansu stand still, tucked away in the small Benalu Royal Academy as a student?
"Are you really sure you can take care of my troubles?" Ansu eyed Freya suspiciously.
He had no idea where her confidence came from. Did she even know what she'd be up against?
"I'm sure!" Freya wore a confident smile, as if everything were under control, and explained:
"Because of the Chosen One, the three archbishops of the Church—each a candidate to become the next pope—have all gathered in Benalu City! They're the highest-ranking combatants in the Church of Holy Light! And don't forget me, Lord Ansu! I'm a God-Enlightened, a talent the Church sees only once in a century!"
Ansu studied the confident little Saintess. According to the setting, although a "God-Enlightened" didn't hold the same status as a Chosen One, they could be considered a type of elite transcendent.
Each of the five orthodox divine Churches on the continent had a group of God-Enlightened. They would receive a "divine revelation" at some point in their lives—in other words, they would suddenly "attain enlightenment." Most of these exceptionally gifted people would rise to become some of the continent's strongest figures.
The future Cecilia would also become a God-Enlightened in a sense. But the one who gave her the revelation wouldn't be one of the five orthodox gods. It would be Ersos, the fallen demon god who had long ago been defeated by the orthodox gods working together and plunged into slumber.
"Then what's your plan?" Ansu wanted to hear what she had in mind.
"Lord Ansu, please come with me to the Holy Dome Cathedral." Freya spoke with a grave expression. "The archbishops are all there right now. Those bishops hold sway over nearly half the Church. Whatever trouble you're in, they'll be able to resolve it in no time!"
"Hmm..." Ansu considered it silently. Having the Church and the Echo of Truth counterbalance each other wouldn't be a bad idea. It might even let him resolve the cult's sacrificial ritual case ahead of time.
But Cecilia was still an unavoidable threat...
After all, she had left too deep an impression on him. Could they really defeat Cecilia, who was absurdly powerful?
Would they win...
After thinking it over, Ansu still didn't want to go with Freya. He wasn't looking to get himself killed.
But he could try it in a simulation.
He had simulation points to spare, after all, and he'd figured out the system's tricks. The only way to keep earning more points, compounding them like interest, was to keep simulating and changing the outcome.
Ansu opened the system panel.
[Remaining Points: 50] [Available Simulation Times] [10 minutes later (April 17, 18:15), costs 10 points] [10 hours later (April 18, 04:05), costs 50 points] [Begin simulation?]
Ten minutes wasn't enough time. It was usually only good for emergencies. And he had just enough points to simulate ten hours into the future...
Ansu decided to try the [Simulate 10 Hours] option.
But...
Ansu remembered the question that had been troubling him for ages. He couldn't learn what happened during the missing stretch of time. His memories would simply jump ahead to the future.
For example, if he opened his eyes in a moment and found himself locked in a dark little room again, he wouldn't know what had gone wrong in the meantime. Had the Church discovered he was a cultist, or had Cecilia captured him and dragged him back...
It would put his ability to adapt on the spot to the test, and leave him very little room to maneuver.
Besides, the events in between were often where the most important information lay.
If only there were some way to record what happened in the future...
Record it...
That's it, record it!
I refuse to stumble blindly into the future! Today, I'm finding a way to exploit this loophole in the system!
Ansu suddenly looked toward Freya. "Do you have a notebook? Give me one!"
"A notebook?" Freya looked puzzled. "I don't have one on me... but there must be something like a journal in the cathedral. What do you need it for, Lord Ansu?"
"Don't ask so many questions." Ansu urged her on. "Go find one for me, and bring a pen too!"
Freya hurried to the church office and brought Ansu a small journal with a gold-embossed cover, along with a fountain pen that still had ink in it.
"Good..." Ansu opened the journal, thought for a moment, then wrote several lines on a blank page.
"From now on, no matter what happens, I have to record it in this journal."
"If time is short, I should record only the most important or unusual information."
"Freya wants to take me to the Holy Dome Cathedral. It's the Church of Holy Light's headquarters in Benalu City. I've decided to secretly follow her there."
Ansu wasn't writing in the Empire's common language, but in Chinese characters.
He was the only person in this world who could read them. These mysterious, ancient square characters were his way of encoding the message.
After writing all this, Ansu closed the little journal and, with his back to Freya, slipped it into his pocket.
Then he began repeating a "psychological suggestion" to himself.
From now on, every time I simulate, I have to find a way to record things in the journal...
I have to record them...
Before you continue