### Chapter 39: She Met a Deity
“Sarah, thank you!”
I placed the book on the table and didn’t rush to sit down because…
It was almost lunchtime!
I hadn’t eaten enough in the morning, and I was already feeling a bit hungry on the way back from the library. Filling my belly came first!
Once the three of them stripped off their soaked uniforms and hung them out to dry on the windowsill, they changed into their regular clothes, and we four headed off to the cafeteria for lunch.
The cafeteria at noon was even more crowded than in the morning, with nearly every stall having long lines. The chatter was a symphony of chaos, and as I stepped through the door, the noise quieted for a brief moment before mounting back up again. I could vaguely hear quite a few people whispering my name.
“Peilo, those people are spying on you…”
Sarah’s laughter was tinged with schadenfreude, and even Sophia grumbled unhappily, “Flirty little shrimp…”
“Shut up, you two.”
It’s not like I wanted this! So annoying…
But no matter where I went, there were countless gazes fixed on me. While I had grown accustomed to being in the spotlight, it made it hard to eat heartily. Even though I was starving, I could only pretend to be a lady, carefully using my kn*fe and fork and taking tiny, dainty bites.
I couldn’t help it—I needed to maintain my dignity.
So, this meal felt incredibly stifling, almost like I hadn’t eaten at all.
In the end, I had to rely on Sarah and the others, just like usual. Due to the cafeteria’s no-waste policy, the three girls took turns darting over to the steak and dessert stalls, trying their best to sneak away as much food as possible for me to take back to the dorm.
With the exception of Daisy, who still felt a bit shy about it, the other two were seasoned pros, lying through their teeth without batting an eye.
“Brother caught a cold; I need to get another steak for him. He’ll get better faster with a full belly… Uncle, pretty please…”
The moment I heard Sophia’s fawning voice, I shivered.
But it worked like a charm. The Uncle probably thought she was obedient and sweet, so he gave her two extra steaks, even winking at her as she left.
As a result, Sophia was weirded out by the Uncle’s flirtatious behavior for quite a while, grumbling under her breath on the way back.
“What’s that all about? A grown man should act his age…”
“Seriously, it’s like he’s blind or something…”
But she always brought back the most food.
Thank goodness for such roommates.
Once back in the dorm, Sarah and Sophia only took a short break before rushing off again—both had afternoon classes.
But not me! I had the perfect opportunity to curl up in peace and read in the dorm.
While munching on beef, I settled down at the desk, opened the book in front of me, and glanced back.
Daisy was sleeping soundly on her bed. She apparently had no classes either and looked worn out from this morning’s riding practice. Considering her less-than-stellar stamina, Daisy must have been pretty knackered because she crashed right after coming back.
The entire dorm was unusually quiet.
So quiet that I could clearly hear the soft breathing of the sleeping girl.
The girl with black hair and eyes leaned across the wooden desk, deeply engrossed in her book, reading word for word with intense concentration. Sometimes she furrowed her brows, other times biting her nails, as a gentle breeze fluttered the curtains, warming sunlight streaming in, illuminating her delicate, doll-like face.
Time passed quietly.
The girl began to feel a bit fatigued from reading. She lifted her head, rubbed her tired eyes, and turned to look out the window at the pristine blue sky, her eyes sparkling as if awaiting the arrival of a certain pitch-black raven.
Of course, the raven didn’t show up.
Before long, Daisy woke from her beauty sleep.
Yawning, she wandered over to the girl’s side, curiously peering down at the book in her hands, but soon lost interest. She wandered off to the side, poured a glass of water, and placed it on the table next to the girl’s right hand. The girl, sensing something, lifted her head again, and they exchanged smiles.
Daisy returned to her bed, staring off into space. Shy by nature and rarely talkative, she wouldn’t dare disturb the dedicated girl, but appeared a little bored, sitting idle for a while before getting up to gaze out the window at the flower-lined lawn.
Even when bored, Daisy didn’t show any desire to go outside. Not particularly sociable, she hadn’t formed meaningful connections beyond our little trio in the dorm. She quietly kept the girl company, occasionally refilling her cup of water when it ran dry.
Outside, the sky gradually darkened in our cozy little atmosphere.
Daisy lit the table lamp, the flickering flame casting a cozy amber hue over the dorm.
Moments later, with the light illuminating her, the girl stretched her back after hunching over for so long.
“Hmm… oh~”
Furrowing her brows a little, she wore a hint of disappointment on her face as she hastily flipped through several pages of the book she had been reading, then ‘thunked’ it down on the table.
What’s this “The Sorrow of Love”? This is basically just Teresa’s autobiography…
Feeling a bit irritated, I scratched my head, suddenly regretting wasting my afternoon on this.
The content of this book wasn’t much different from the biography I had seen that morning in the library. It started from Teresa’s childhood and just kept talking about her life. The only difference was that in “The Sorrow of Love,” Teresa used her perspective to elaborate on this process, recounting her most genuine feelings like telling a story.
Like the excitement of becoming a nun, the thrill of discovering her talents, and the emotions when praised by others. How pitiable the world is, how desperately it craves the salvation of the deities… That was all. The content was overly positive, practically preaching about the greatness of the deities; it felt like a devout believer’s work.
So, the deeper I read, the more irritable I became, especially after that incident when I saw Teresa’s true nature. Reading about how she described herself in the book as this benevolent figure saving the world… Even though I knew it might have been the truth once, my frustration was hard to suppress.
Who cares about your life story…
Creak—
The dorm door swung open, and Sarah bustled in.
“Wow, why is it so quiet! What are you two doing?”
She seemed to be in a good mood, bouncing over to my side. Seeing me staring blankly at the book I’d tossed aside, she inquisitively asked, “No way, you finished it already?”
“Not yet.”
I shook my head lightly.
“You… not happy?”
Maybe my tone sounded a little down; Sarah picked up on my mood and asked cautiously.
“Nope!”
I quickly rubbed my face and smiled at her.
“I was just thinking…”
“Are you recalling that sweet person after reading this book?”
…Sweet person?
Sarah must have misunderstood; she thought I was sad about Teresa’s d*ath…
“I actually can’t believe it… She was so amazing and such a good person; how did she just… suddenly get taken out by that damned Abyss monster…”
She picked the book off the table, holding it close to her chest.
“She did so many good deeds and saved so many people… I’ve read this book several times. The more I read, the more I can’t help but wonder how she managed to be so amazing and accomplish so much… I wish I could be that incredible too…”
“Peilo, do you feel the same way?”
Another person idolizing Teresa as their life goal…
I wasn’t sure how to respond, tilting my head in thought for a long moment.
“Her talent is impressive.”
“That’s not just talent; Teacher Teresa truly had faith, she was the real deal!” Sarah held the book under her chin, her eyes shining with admiration, “I really admire people who can dedicate their entire lives to accomplishing their goals… Teacher Teresa was just such a person. You might not understand her yet, but once you finish this book, you’ll definitely like her!”
“Is that so?”
I gazed out the window, listening to the gentle breeze flowing by.
“Absolutely! She’s my hero, the greatest woman!”
Sarah’s words grated on my nerves, but she kept blabbering on, oblivious.
“I think that someone as remarkable as the teacher could never truly d*e… She must have returned to the embrace of the deities. After all, she has met the deities already!”
“You mean… what?”
Instantly processed thoughts emptied as I widened my eyes, staring blankly at Sarah’s face.
“She met a deity? How do you know that…?”
“It’s written in the book! Oh, you haven’t seen that part yet, have you?”
Sarah swiftly flipped to the last few pages of “The Sorrow of Love,” searching eagerly. In a moment, her eyes lit up as she turned the book around, holding it in front of me.
“Look.”
Following where she pointed, I saw an entire blank page with just one small line written across it.
[That night, I met a deity.]
That night…
I quickly snatched the book back, flipping back and forth over that page.
The preceding part of the page spoke of Teresa’s succession to become the Saint. The grand ceremony was about to take place, and she was full of passion and determination, her words radiating hope for the future.
In a novel, this would be the perfect ending, where the protagonist would be granted a beautiful conclusion.
However, flipping to the next page revealed a rather jarring statement.
The entirety of that page contained only that one line, surrounded by blank space.
I froze for a moment, suddenly recalling how back in the academy, I caught up with Teresa after class and had a brief conversation with her.
“You were supposed to be the next Saint, so… May I ask, have you met the deity?”
“…I can only say my training isn’t enough; I couldn’t become the Saint, so… I haven’t met the Deity, alas.”
I still remember her expression then.
After her initial shock, she bore an indescribable, sorrowful yet complex look.
At that moment, I thought it was my imagination.
Back then, I had no idea she was a member of the Gate of Truth, and she didn’t know I was a Pope Knight; we were just a simple teacher-student relationship.
She shouldn’t have had any reason to lie.
But based on what this autobiography implied, if I’m understanding correctly…
One night, several years ago, before the grand ceremony, Teresa had indeed met a deity.
