Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 314

[Vol. 5] Chapter 314: The Prototype

Walking past rows of over 3,000 neatly arranged instruments, Minchen arrived at the deepest part of the facility, standing before a silver metal door resembling an elevator entrance. He nodded toward the two armed puppet girls guarding the door, who silently stepped aside as if they recognized him.

The door opened, and once the three stepped inside, it closed again.

A faint hum.

A subtle sense of weightlessness accompanied by a nearly imperceptible sliding sound filled the elevator, weaving a delicate silence within.

Suddenly, Minchen broke the quiet with a deep voice.

“Miss Violet, although I’ve already been defeated and probably have no right to say this, can I ask what you plan to do about this situation?”

“?”

The priestess also felt Roknisha’s hopeful gaze upon her, and listening to the faint hum that accompanied the elevator’s descent, the priestess remained silent for a moment. Then she sighed, waving her hand helplessly.

“Hey, hey, don’t make it so serious. You’re putting a lot of pressure on me.”

“Minchen, honestly, you didn’t need to try so hard to stop me in the first place. I didn’t come here with the intention of destroying everything in this mess.”

“You might think I’m some holy emissary of the Primordial Light or worse, its incarnation or something. Let me say outright, I don’t deny that I have some kind of connection to it, but that doesn’t mean I’m an extension of its will, obligated to restore everything to ‘proper order’ or force faith back onto the ‘right path’.”

“I’m here out of curiosity and to help a certain reckless little girl from the Lightborn Tribe. Honestly, if the Primordial Light were truly as omnipotent as you think, would it even care whether mortal beings believe in it, or how much faith they have?”

“Faith isn’t something that can or should be forced. And there’s no rule stating that the citizens of the Holy Empire must worship any particular being. Whether it’s the Goddess of Light or the Primordial Light, as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t really matter.”

“It is the believers who choose their faith, not the faith that chooses its believers. If they, the followers, understand the truth and still think continuing as they are now is appropriate, I really have no objections. After all, I’m not some kind of savior.”

“……”

Hearing this, Minchen and Loknisa exchanged glances, the latter especially falling into a long silence as if lost in thought.

Finally, as the elevator slowed and neared its destination, she spoke hesitantly.

“Miss Violet, are you saying… we should make the choice ourselves? But how can we make a fair decision? If the truth behind faith-based magic spreads within the Holy Empire, it wouldn’t just be about finding answers, there could be an unprecedented large-scale upheaval almost immediately.”

“The Holy Empire, being the world’s central and most powerful nation, would trigger a butterfly effect if it destabilized. This could lead to successive crises, even a world-encompassing war. It’s precisely because the implications are so severe and far-reaching that I haven’t dared to make any move.”

However, the black-haired girl simply shook her head and brought up another name.

“The [Light Worshipper Church]… the organization that the Cecilia family helped establish. Loknisa, you haven’t forgotten about it, have you?”

“Of course, their emergence caught me by surprise, but after learning the specifics from that child, Frederica, I began to think this might be a new possibility. In the worst-case scenario, they could perhaps become…”

At this point, the composed and mature powerhouse, who had silently protected her family for over 300 years, froze slightly in realization.

“Ah! Could it be that the [Light Worshipper Church] is actually your…!”

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong with you people in the Cecilia family? Don’t overinterpret everything…”

Violet shook her head again with a hint of exasperation, firmly denying the idea.

“I’ve never had any intention of using that organization for anything. Well… although their existence might have a tiny, tiny connection to me, that was purely accidental.”

“I’m simply saying that even without the Goddess Church, without the current system, the people of the Holy Empire would naturally find the way of life that suits them best. Just like over a thousand years ago, the emergence of the [Church of the Light Seekers] wasn’t directed by anyone. The descent of the Three Holy Artifacts was merely a response to prayers, a reciprocal relationship.”

“There has never been anything that is truly indispensable.”

“So…”

Violet smiled, cutting off Loknisa, who seemed about to speak, and decisively ended the conversation.

“Just wait and see. Time and history will provide all the answers.”

As the elevator reached its destination, the doors opened naturally. Without hesitation, the priestess stepped out, leaving behind a contemplative former saintess with a grave expression and the traveler, who could only offer a wry smile as she patted her shoulder.

Violet stepped into a new realm.

This was the core of the Divine Network. The origin and convergence of all faith-based magic.

Surrounded by countless precise and orderly instruments, large and small, whose functions the priestess couldn’t even begin to understand, sat a girl on a mechanical throne in the center. She was connected to an intricate web of cables and radiated an aura of strange sanctity and divinity. As Violet approached, the girl nodded slightly.

“Welcome, unfamiliar deity, the one called [Violet].”

She was a puppet, and yet… not entirely a puppet.

Her eyes were hollow, mechanical orbs, yet within their depths lay something a puppet shouldn’t possess, an unmistakable trace of “emotion.”

Her hair was extraordinarily long, but instead of falling naturally, it defied gravity, floating upward into the air. What should have been a pure black hue was instead about three-quarters covered by a luminous golden light that spread downward, forming a strange gradient.

As for her appearance, it wasn’t much different from the other puppets outside. Yet, she seemed to be a fusion of all their models, an ultimate form or perhaps… a prototype.

“Cheese Mochi… So this is what she looks like. [Divine Network Final Form Unit 0], can I use that name to address you?”

The priestess’s curious guess was met with a slight nod from the puppet girl, [Divine Network Final Form Unit 0], a creation entirely based on the data of the traveler known as “Cheese Mochi.” Her face drew a slightly stiff smile, as if unaccustomed to the expression.

“I don’t mind. Unlike my sisters, I don’t place much importance on codes or names. For convenience, I suggest simply calling me [Zero].”

“Alright, then, Zero…”

Before Violet could explain her purpose, Zero, seated immobile on the mechanical throne, nodded again proactively.

“Miss Violet… addressing you this way should be acceptable, correct? Based on the information the [Divine Network] has collected on both [Violet] and [Dawn], combined with your previous behavior in the dungeon, I’ve calculated a 97.65% probability that your next inquiry will concern details about my [Father] and [Mother].”

“In that regard, I have already prepared corresponding visual data. This is the last recorded content preserved by [Father[ in a special format before initiating the [Rewrite]. It was originally intended for Mr. Minchen.”

Saying this, Zero turned her vacant gaze toward the young man in plain clothing, whose expression was a mix of emotions. It was clear he had already seen this footage.

“Mr. Minchen, as per Father’s instructions, I require your authorization to release information above SSS-level secrecy to an outsider.”

“…Allow it.”

“Understood. Proceeding to play classified SSS-level video file [No.00001].”