Regarding whether to publicly acknowledge her identity, Jeanne didn't have a particularly clear plan at first; she spent quite a long time pondering the matter herself.
During this time, she had been observing the city. She wanted to know if her identity was truly that important to the people living here. In truth, she didn't much care for others calling her "Saintess." She considered herself just an ordinary person who happened to receive the power of Revelation, and she didn't feel she needed such a grand title.
However, she could understand the Pope's intent. After all, the people here were already aware that such a person existed, and having no news for a long period was never a good sign. For instance, when the bell of the Tower of Revelation rang once more, Laterano simply informed the curious public of the facts without attempting to hide anything. This was because they had no intention of pushing Jeanne aside to monopolize the right to interpret these miracles. More importantly, they knew exactly who was responsible for the miracles appearing here. If they were to ignore her, it was possible the city might truly lose its connection to those wonders.
Walking the streets, Jeanne noticed that many of the Sankta chatting nearby were discussing her existence, curious about her specific identity. It was clear that these people held a deep admiration for the Saintess who had called forth the miracles, and they naturally wanted to know who she was. Their desire didn't stem from anything malicious, but simply from a wish to thank her in person for bringing such wonders to their city.
This aligned perfectly with the Pope's concerns. Perhaps these people, through their devout faith, would never doubt her existence, but if her identity remained unknown for too long, it was highly likely someone would take advantage of the situation. No matter how sacred the city was, people with such opportunistic thoughts surely existed. If fraudulent Saintesses began to appear frequently, it would be a major headache for both Jeanne and the Laterano authorities. Even if they caught the impostors, the faithful might begin to harbor doubts and questions about everything they had believed in after facing repeated deceptions.
After several days of careful consideration, Jeanne chose to appear before the people of Laterano as the Saintess just once. Once she appeared, the speculation would vanish. Of course, that meant she would become a public figure. Jeanne had some idea of the reputation she would gain—she could tell just by the way the old man treated her.
When the Pope heard the news, he was naturally overjoyed. Jeanne's willingness to appear was the best possible outcome. Otherwise, he would have had to keep inventing excuses to tell the inquisitive citizens about the Saintess's situation, which was a painful task in its own right.
"I really didn't expect you to agree to this request. After all, you were quite resistant to the idea of going public before."
Some time later, having prepared everything, the Pope sat down to chat with Jeanne. He looked as though he had lost a bit of weight recently due to the busy schedule, but his spirits were high. Jeanne announcing her identity was no small matter for them. His goal in having her show her face was to draw her closer to Laterano; aside from this prestige, they couldn't give her much else.
"I actually figured it out. My identity couldn't stay hidden forever anyway. I might as well take this opportunity to step in front of everyone."
Besides, once she left Laterano, she could simply switch to her Jalter form. No one would imagine two such different-looking people were the same person. At most, people would just remark on the resemblance. As long as someone had normal eyesight, they shouldn't mistake one for the other.
"Haha, that's true. And with this identity, if you ever want to handle matters involving other countries, you'll at least have some backing, won't you?"
The old man's words made sense. If she encountered trouble in other nations in the future, this title would be quite useful. Laterano maintained a stance of perpetual neutrality, and the country's prestige acted as a protective umbrella—not to mention the Executors who maintained close cooperation with various parties. This was a clear testament to Laterano's status in Terra.
With the title of Saintess, Jeanne could resolve most troubles and deal with countless fools in other countries. Of course, this didn't apply to Kazdel. That place likely wanted to use her to spite Laterano right now.
"I had originally prepared a formal dress for you for this occasion, but it seems my preparations were redundant. I must say, you look truly beautiful in those clothes!"
The Pope looked at Jeanne, who was now dressed in a pure white gown, and offered his sincere praise. It was the first time he had seen an outfit that so perfectly matched its wearer's temperament. It looked like a formal dress that a Victorian or Leithanian noble might wear; normally, such gowns with large skirts were very inconvenient for movement. However, the gown Jeanne wore was different; it didn't feel bloated or cumbersome, and it didn't seem to hinder her movements at all.
The outfit suited her perfectly, except for that headpiece. The Pope noticed the child seemed very fond of wearing such things on her head—they looked almost like an exoskeleton.
Jeanne was naturally happy to hear the praise and said to the old man with a bit of embarrassment:
"Thank you for the compliment. I didn't expect this outfit to suit me so well either."
It's a good thing he didn't ask where I got the clothes from, or I wouldn't be able to explain it! Jeanne thought to herself.
The truth was exactly that. This outfit, like the armor she wore in battle, was a Spiritron Dress provided by her Revelation. But Jeanne didn't know why she had gained the ability to manifest this specific dress. Its appearance was sudden; it simply appeared in her mind after a night's sleep. As for where it actually came from, she couldn't say. Could it have been a gift from God? Did He even design clothes?
However, that hollowed-out headpiece was truly... unique in its design. She felt as though she was now permanently bonded to this exoskeleton-like accessory, no matter what.
"Your Holiness, Holy Saintess, it is almost time."
As the two were talking, someone outside reminded them that it was time to depart for the venue.
Today, besides those who could attend the venue in person, nearly all Sankta were gathered in front of their televisions, waiting for the moment to arrive. They knew that the Saintess—who had brought the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments to Laterano, awakened the ancient bell that had slept for a millennium, and caused God to send down miracles several times—would appear before them today!
When the news broke, nearly everyone in Laterano was stirred. Even now, the area outside the Central Cathedral was packed with Sankta onlookers. It must be said, when Sankta gathered like this, they had a unique way of welcoming someone. They didn't even need spotlights; their halos provided a sea of light that was just as bright.
Jeanne was fortunate to have arrived early; otherwise, she might not have been able to get in at all.
"Is it really alright for them to stay outside like that?" Jeanne looked out at the Sankta who were still standing guard and asked the Pope beside her with some concern.
She wasn't just worried about them waiting there for so long or potential safety issues; she was also worried someone might get too excited and blow something up in celebration. But looking at the old man's confident expression, he likely had preparations in place, and things shouldn't get out of hand.
With these thoughts, Jeanne followed the guides into the cathedral. The task for today wasn't particularly complex; as the Saintess, she would lead everyone in reading the Scripture and say a few words.