Syl looked at Sharon somewhat blankly, for in her eyes, an information bar consistent with the system's style had appeared above Sharon's head.
"Sharon Constance"
"Class: ***"
"Strength: ***"
"Constitution: ***"
...Aside from the name, nothing else was displayed.
Is it because the gap is too large?
Judging by the various information presented by the system, it was very similar to a game.
If question marks appeared like this, then just like in a game, she must be a 'boss' that far exceeded her own level, right?
For a moment, Syl felt a bit nervous.
And also... the kiss is over, how much longer is she going to hold my hand... As if sensing Syl's internal tension, Sharon stood up, her height of nearly 177cm looking down at Syl.
"My apologies, I was too excited. Please forgive my rashness, Saint Xier," Sharon said gently, squeezing Syl's soft little hand. "Please wait a moment; I will go and summon the Archbishops from the other kingdoms to hold a celebration for you."
Syl had been thinking about how to bluff her way through, but when she heard that Sharon was going to call all the Archbishops of the Church of the Goddess of Hope over, she started to panic.
She didn't want to be famous at all!
The danger level of this world was 'Insane' after all. What if she became famous and was targeted by villains?
Even if the Church could protect her, it would mean she would have to completely give up her freedom.
If she lived a life being watched all day, wouldn't her system become useless?
Wait, no, if she stayed protected by the Church and only went out after steadily advancing and becoming stronger, that wouldn't be a bad idea either.
"If the Church can survive until you become strong enough ^^D"
"Hmm?" Syl frowned slightly and asked in her mind, "System, what's going on?"
But the system gave her no further reply.
However, based on the system's implication... was this Church about to face a disaster? Or was the road to becoming stronger just too long?
Syl pursed her lips.
Regardless of whether the system was telling the truth, she couldn't let this celebration happen. The lower her profile, the better.
"Your Holiness Sharon..."
"Just call me Sharon, Lady Saintess."
Before Syl could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Sharon.
"This..." Out of respect for the strong, Syl still didn't call her by her name directly. "Then, Sister Sharon, can we not hold the celebration?"
"Eh?" Apparently not expecting Syl to say this, Sharon, who had just summoned her scepter to her side, was momentarily stunned.
But she quickly realized Syl's meaning: "Do you not wish for others to know your identity?"
"Yes..." Syl nodded. "You can just call me Syl, Sister Sharon."
"No, now you are called Saint Xier." Sharon was surprisingly persistent regarding the matter of the name.
Perhaps it was because this symbolized the Church's tradition; after all, all the Saintesses in the history of the Church of the Goddess of Hope followed this name format.
Only... Sharon looked at Syl's hands and forehead with some confusion, blinking her eyes.
The holy seal wasn't on her forehead? Haven't all the Saintesses throughout history had it on their foreheads?
"Um... Sister Sharon," Syl slightly pulled her hand back, "could you let go of my hand..."
"Oh, oh..." Only then did Sharon realize she was still clutching Syl's hand, and she quickly let go at Syl's reminder.
However, after letting go, a sense of emptiness actually arose in Sharon's heart. The sensation of Syl's soft, seemingly boneless little hand was already deeply etched into her mind.
"Lady Saintess, why..." Sharon opened her mouth to ask something.
The moment Sharon spoke, Syl's spirit tensed up.
Would this world have some kind of lie detection spells or something? If she asks why I don't want to be in the spotlight, how should I answer?
While Syl appeared calm on the surface, she was actually racking her brains for an answer.
Instead, Sharon stopped and did not continue her question.
"I understand," Sharon reached out to grasp her scepter and said with a smile, "this isn't your intention, Lady Saintess, is it?"
Syl's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that when the system reminded me just now, it was discovered?
Just as Syl was thinking about how to make a run for it, Sharon continued: "This must be the will of the Goddess!"
"Huh?" Syl was stuck in an awkward silence.
She found that she couldn't quite keep up with this Pope's train of thought.
"I will definitely go back and tell the youngsters that the holy light dissipated on its own and did not choose anyone," Sharon said quickly. "The other Archbishops might notice something, but I will also warn them not to spread the word."
After speaking, a flash of pale light appeared, and a magic circle manifested beneath Sharon's feet. In the blink of an eye, she vanished.
By the time Syl came to her senses, the space in front of her was empty.
She just left like that?
Was that magic just now? Or perhaps a divine art?
Witnessing this extraordinary ability for the first time caused a violent upheaval in the heart of Syl, an atheist who had grown up under nine years of compulsory education.
When can I also... "Teleportation Divine Art? It requires faith."
The system somewhat abruptly interrupted Syl's thoughts.
"Faith?" Syl followed up, "In the goddess of hope?"
"Yes. Because this system is present, you cannot provide any faith."
"This... doesn't that mean I can't use any divine arts?" Syl suddenly remembered something, "Wait, don't I have the 'Basic Elemental Control' skill? Isn't that a divine art?"
"That is not your power, it belongs to that holy seal. If the holy seal is removed, that ability will disappear."
"If you want to become stronger, please upgrade your cards more."
The system rarely refrained from being silly with emoticons, and instead seemed to be giving a serious suggestion.
But if I'm to upgrade cards, how do I do it?
It said I need to role-play the personality and traits of the characters in the cards, but how do I role-play that?
An elegant terrifying clown?
If interpreted literally, then it would be... using an elegant and calm manner to make others feel a profound sense of fear or shock?
Fortunately, Syl had watched plenty of entertainment and anime in her past life, so she had a general impression.
Something like Arthur Frank in 'Joker', or Yoshikage Kira in 'JoJo'?
Is it asking me to try and perform as them? Or rather... complete immersion?
"By the way, System, transformation has no cooldown and can be done at any time, right?" Syl asked the system in her mind, seemingly wanting to verify her thoughts.
"Of course, feel free to try."
With a thought from Syl, a floating illusory card appeared in her hand.
If what the system said was true, then this world, rated at 'Insane' difficulty, certainly held many unknown dangers. Even a Church where deities existed was not absolutely safe.
Then the capital for my survival and security is the card in my hand... "Clown."
As Syl's voice fell, the card in her hand flashed with brilliant light. The surrounding space seemed to warp for a moment, but it returned to calm in an instant.
When she came to her senses again, only a tall young woman remained in the confinement room, sitting on the only wooden stool.
She looked down at the floor, her grayish-green hair hanging down, obscuring her face which was painted with ridiculous makeup, lost in unknown thoughts.