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My Goddess is Good at Pretending-Chapter 715: Three Ways Home
The seven summoned heroes had finally reached the destination of their journey. They could finally meet with the person they had sought for so long, the one they had placed all their hopes in.
Their awe had yet to subside from witnessing the Sacred Sakura Holy Land, a divine-like land beyond anything they had ever imagined. They had traversed through ethereal valleys, across floating shrines, and through grand temples, yet their astonishment only grew with each step.
At the summit of one of the seven Sakura Sakura’s great mountains, they arrived at the first palace, the exalted place where abundant spiritual energy flowed like rivers.
But even amidst all the splendor, nothing compared to the presence of the Saintess herself. As they stepped into the sacred hall, their breath stopped for a few seconds to witness her breathtaking presence.
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Standing at the heart of the sacred hall, upon an ornate platform wreathed in pink-gold light with sakura petals, Sacred Sakura Saintess awaited their arrival.
Her presence was overwhelming. Though it was not their first meeting, the sacred lady before them appeared far more different compared to the last time they met. She was a living embodiment of celestial grace, draped in flowing robes of ethereal white and red shrine maiden attire, adorned with intricate cherry blossom symbols that shimmered faintly. A soft, radiant aura surrounded her, making her more like a vision of pure divinity with profound wisdom and grace.
The heroes fell silent as if speaking before her was an act of defiance against the sacred atmosphere.
Then, she spoke. Her voice was serene, carrying a weight of wisdom and compassion.
"You have traveled so far, children of another world."
Sacred Sakura Saintess’ words brought the seven heroes back to reality. They had not come to admire, but they were here to seek answers.
Mashiro gathered his thoughts, he knew his party wished to inquire about many things from the reason behind their summoning, the truth of their existence in this world... to the fate of those who had come before them.
But in the end, only one question mattered above all.
"We have come according to your hints, Saintess Miko. Can you please help us return to our home world?" Mashiro put his hand on his chest, asking with pure intention.
A moment of silence passed. Miko closed her eyes, as if in thought, before finally opening them again. Her expression remained calm, yet tinged with something unreadable.
"I can-" Miko replied, but she paused for a moment before finishing her answer. "But I do not possess the power to do so. I will put your request forward with good words, but the final say is not in my hands."
The seven heroes felt their hearts clenched, but they refrained from expressing it.
Mashiro took a deep breath and replied. "’We knew it as you already hinted us about it. Please tell us about the mentioned three options."
Miko looked toward the sky. Her gaze was distant as if she tried to peer beyond the realms of mortals. She then looked aside, checking her mama on the Sacred Mountain’s summit.
"My divine mama is your best bet, but that’s if you can receive her favor..."
The air seemed to grow still, but the seven heroes were already too shocked to hear it. However, Miko was still not finished with her reply.
"The second option is pretty complex as it requires my divine mama’s pantheon power."
A weight settled in the seven heroes’ chests. The said help was no longer in the hands of people, nor even the Sacred Sakura Saintess herself. It rested upon the will of a higher being... the one known as the Divine Mother.
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And whether the Divine Mother would grant them a passage home... it was something they could only pray for.
"!?" Liu Kang breathed a sigh of relief deep in his heart. He guessed Miko possessed extraordinary origin, but she was actually the divine daughter, protected by the higher being.
If he got into her bad side, he couldn’t even imagine his fate. Luckily, he played it safe after her warning.
After seeing the seven heroes were too shocked and probably forgot to breathe, Miko faintly smiled and added. "As for the third option, you can seek Elder Xentia in this Sacred Sakura. If you can meet her asking price to send you back to Earth, you can even return today."
"Really?" Harriet was pleasantly surprised as the third option was more feasible than the previous two.
They found it would be too hard to receive the Divine Mother’s favor, much less Her Pantheon.
The Divine Mother was clearly standing in a different league compared to the Glorious God, and even though Miko helped them to put the request into good words, the chance was still too slim. But if the price would be one to decide the factor, then they could work on it with their blood and sweat!
"You’ve traveled a long way here. Please rest and enjoy your time in Sakura Town. It may be a little late, but welcome to the Sacred Sakura Holy Land." Miko raised her hand and turned around, walking away.
Several female disciples and attendants soon arrived out of thin air to escort her.
"Please wait." Mashiro extended his hand.
He was surprised because it wasn’t just his hero party and Miko. Miko’s disciples and other attendants hid in the open, and he couldn’t realize their presence until just now, but he still had something to say before Miko left.
"I’m feeling a bit tired. We’ll meet again after my divine mama reaches a conclusion. Remi, can you please guide the heroes to their lodgings in Sakura Town?" Miko looked back, but this time, she didn’t feign her expression. She was genuinely tired after dealing with many honorable guests and revered visitors.
"Yes, master." Remiel saluted.
"Then, I won’t disturb your rest, milady..." Mashiro felt awkward, but he had nothing more to say since Miko didn’t look like she was in good condition. She soon left the sacred hall.
"Please, this way." Remiel went to the heroes, asking them to follow her.
"..." The seven summoned heroes looked at each other. The meeting concluded so quickly, and they felt it was still a bit unreal. The Sacred Sakura Saintess didn’t even need to hear anything from them, like their reasons or just small talk. Yet, she would aid them in putting their request into good words.
As they couldn’t linger there for long even to appreciate the sacred hall’s carvings, they immediately followed Remi, the wolf girl, to leave the first palace and descend the great mountain.
In the Sacred Sakura’s new domain, nobody was allowed to fly above the core domain, but now, the seven great mountains were included in the prohibition.
Only after they descended the great mountain, Remiel could take these heroes from afar to the Sakura Town, sending them to their temporary lodgings.
"Excuse me, Miss Remi. Could you enlighten me about something?" Katsue jogged so she could match Remi’s pace.
"No, don’t talk or think about it. There are too many peering eyes here. You better keep your identity safe." Remiel threw a kind advice in a whisper while hinting about the other people in the distance.
"Does that may harm us?" Mashiro frowned, not understanding what she meant.
"No, but they may trouble you heavily. We won’t do anything if you make trouble on your own, though. It might take at least three to seven days. Master looks upon you highly, and you will be graced by the Supreme Goddess soon. Good luck with that." Remiel smirked.
But, she soon realized something important. These heroes came for a favor, but they have yet to pay respect to the Goddess! Since they were already at the first mountain’s summit, she immediately turned, bringing them to the shrine where the Goddess statue replica was located.
It was the super copy of the Goddess statue carved by her master. But, the original one stayed in the sacred shrine in the Sacred Mountain, and this replica was just one among many statues carved by the divine artists for the shrines and temples across the Sacred Sakura Holy Land.
"What are we doing here?" Ash averted his gaze, confused as to why they were suddenly brought to a shrine.
"Convey your regards and pay your respect to the Sacred Sakura Goddess." Remiel extended her hand, ushering the heroes to step forward into the shrine.
"..." Mashiro felt a little odd since Miss Remi had previously mentioned the Supreme Goddess, but it was now the Sacred Sakura Goddess. He had no way of knowing whether they were the same person, but since it was paying respect to the deity at the shrine, then it was just a traditional custom. It was a common thing in his homeland.
"Six-winged Goddess..." Richard murmured as he stared at the statue in the distance. It was just a statue, but he strangely found it possessed godlike charm.
The statue’s face was not carved, but by the statue’s proportion and figure, he could bet all of his savings, the Sacred Sakura Goddess was clearly a divine beauty that transcended mortal comprehension.
After the seven heroes paid their respects to the Goddess statue, they descended the mountain led by Remiel.
However, several curious onlookers soon appeared out of nowhere as they were intrigued and wished to find out about those seven people’s identities.
"Are they special people? They were escorted to the first palace on their first visit."
"They are new faces, so yes, this is definitely their first visit."
"Our sacred priestess probably knows them, and they received the honor of meeting her directly."
"Yeah, that’s what makes the most sense. Just don’t mess with them. Even Miss Remiel is the one to escort them... they are definitely not ordinary guests."
Several saintly birds perched on the branches of the cherry blossom trees, chirping and gossiping happily.