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Since the pastor placed the goddess statue, the atmosphere in the room became peculiar.

It was odd that a person from this world knew of the goddess’s appearance. Moreover, when I asked about their faith, it turned out to be this goddess statue. This meant the deity they believed in wasn’t the well-known Christian god of this world, but a completely different god from another realm.

So when did the pastor come over? Judging by his age, he might have come a long time ago.

Unless… does it mean there was a religion that worshipped the goddess in this world from the beginning?

No, more importantly, the pastor had not one, but two goddess statues. If they were just identical, I would have thought he merely carved two statues, but the two seemed to resemble Maria yet were entirely different in direction.

The length of the hair was different, and the expressions on their faces felt distinct. How should I put it? The goddess statue’s face that I didn’t know looked gentler. Perhaps it was closer to the Maria statue. The tidy bangs made her look a bit youthful.

I had many questions I wanted to ask, but—

“Pastor, are you… not from this world?”

I decided to start with what I was most curious about.

“Hmm…”

The pastor pondered for a moment and then said, “Long ago, there was a clergyman.”

He took a breath.

“That old and devout clergyman thought that the depth of his faith was deeper than anyone else in the world. Whenever someone with faith appeared, or anyone with different thoughts showed up, the clergyman would dismiss and suppress them without a care.”

“…”

As we quietly listened, the pastor smiled bitterly and continued.

“At the same time, he felt not even a trace of guilt. He believed that no one was more faithful than him. He thought the logic was infallible with the goddess watching over him.”

“…What a pitiful person.”

Pia commented.

“It seems that he trusted himself more than the goddess. Some people often can’t distinguish between the two.”

“Indeed.”

The pastor slowly nodded at Pia’s words.

“However, no one could stop that clergyman. After all, the faith he possessed was real, and he had many ways to prove it. Even the Inquisition could not stop that clergyman, nor could the papacy. Ultimately, he rose to the position of cardinal without correcting his misguided belief.”

The pastor paused briefly and smiled before continuing.

“And then he met the goddess.”

*

In the world where the old cardinal lived, there was not just one god. In fact, everyone knew that besides the goddess, there were other deities, although records were faint, and no one truly knew their identities. On top of that, there was a goddess whom ‘no one really knew.’

This goddess was not just someone humans worshipped; she was a goddess that other gods revered.

Surrounded by countless demons and watching the human race slowly decline while yearning for nothing but ruin, the goddess descended to save them, ultimately performing miracles no one else could see to save the world.

When the old cardinal first met the goddess, he displayed all sorts of foolishness without realizing her identity—

“Embarrassed to the core, he left everything behind and moved far from the central church to the outskirts. There, while healing those whom the church’s divine power could not reach, he spent the rest of his life, sealing his mouth that had wounded countless people.”

I had no basis for it, but it felt like I knew who the protagonist of that story was.

I had heard directly from the goddess too. She mentioned that she had once been a pope and had seen another ‘goddess.’

A goddess worshipped by the gods.

Among the goddess statues before me, the one resembling the goddess’s form next to another genuine one likely represented that goddess’s appearance.

“So, after decades, one day, a woman visited the elderly clergyman who was finally spending his faithful strength in the right place.”

A smile formed on the pastor’s lips as he spoke.

“To that old clergyman, nearing the end of his life, the woman said.”

Though you have wounded countless people, the number you saved is also significant.

Even if one commits wrong, they should be able to receive forgiveness if they repent.

Do you have a wish?

The old clergyman finally opened his mouth to respond.

Though it had remained closed for a long time, his voice was neither cracked nor muffled, so smooth it was as if he had regained his youth in an instant—a gentle and kind voice, different from the coarse words he had spat in anger throughout his life, responded.

“If I have a wish, it would be to gather the courage to apologize to everyone I’ve harmed and seek their forgiveness.”

That will come to pass. But…

The woman hesitated for a moment before speaking.

I too have something to say to you.

Slowly opening her mouth, the woman spoke with a tone as if confessing like a devoted believer.

I had given you a mission. The evil deeds you committed… were actually intended by me. Yet you suffered and repented. That is all my fault. If I were to ask for your forgiveness here…

…Would you forgive me?

“Though she didn’t speak, my heart was more peaceful than when I poured my heart out. Conflicts, jealousy, and anger all faded, and there was no pain, so please don’t worry. Also, if my life was as you wished, then it was meaningful in itself, so there’s no need for you to seek my forgiveness.”

The woman was silent for a while.

If one has wronged someone, it is natural to seek forgiveness. What you desire is what you rightfully deserve, but it is also a duty.

If rewards are to be received by everyone, then the meaning of giving rewards is lost.

Don’t you truly wish for anything?

The old clergyman closed his eyes and fell into thought.

After thinking for a while, he finally answered.

“After all that, if I could be reborn…”

The old believer breathed his last wish.

“…If I were to be reborn, I want to sincerely believe in you once more.”

Then you shall.

The woman smiled in response.

*

The pastor never said who that old clergyman was, but everyone present could easily recall who the figure in the story referred to.

“So, yes, that’s right. The gods I believe in are these two goddesses.”

“So, then my current wealth and status…”

“People like me have prepared it by lending the power of the goddess. It’s been going on for a long time.”

“Um…”

The scale was so large that I nearly lost track of the conversation for a moment.

“But for that to work, it should have been prepared well before I was born.”

“The goddess can foresee things.”

As all our gazes turned to Pia, she spoke somewhat bashfully.

“But she said it’s not perfect. Especially, it’s incredibly difficult to predict how heroes will act…”

“That’s right.”

The pastor nodded as he listened to Pia’s explanation.

“However, you can tell which world needs help from another world. So, it’s about being prepared in advance. Oh, and you shouldn’t feel too sorry. The way we made our money was simply by buying a small piece of land or some shares in a company decades ago.”

“…”

Um, no, that doesn’t sound like something to take lightly.

If someone had a bad intent in the process…

…

Ah, I see.

The goddess wouldn’t have sent just anyone to this world. Just like how she sends heroes to other realms, she would send trustworthy people.

At least, from my perspective, the pastor didn’t seem like someone who would betray the goddess.

Receiving all our attention, the pastor smiled brightly, then opened an envelope he had placed next to the statue and pulled out its contents.

What came out were small cards, the size of identity cards.

…No, those were indeed identity cards.

…How thorough must the preparations of the goddesses be?