Furina felt that this whole situation was a bit ridiculous. She, who just yesterday was lying in a pile of trash gnawing on her own Martial Soul cake, was today going to start acting like a charlatan. No, wait, she was the Pope of the Axis Cult. It sounded a bit more impressive, but in essence, it still felt like being a charlatan.
The three members of the "Salon Solitaire"—Surintendante Chevalmarin, Mademoiselle Crabaletta, and Gentilhomme Usher—were floating around her, looking even busier than she was. Surintendante Chevalmarin scrutinized the surroundings with her condescending bubble-like gaze, as if evaluating whether this slum was worthy of her investment. Mademoiselle Crabaletta's crab claws clicked and clacked, seemingly eager to pinch and tidy up the scattered trash on the roadside. Gentilhomme Usher, meanwhile, was adjusting his non-existent bowtie in front of a filthy puddle, muttering about how it was "simply unseemly."
"Alright, alright, everyone, tone it down," Furina waved her hand listlessly. "We're here to start a venture, not for a sanitation and etiquette inspection."
She found a slightly cleaner corner of a wall and took a deep breath—nearly choking on the dust—before beginning her performance.
"Come one, come all! Take a look!" Her voice wasn't loud, a bit weak and lacking confidence. "The Water God's blessing, free samples! Eating it will... will make you feel a hundred times more energetic!"
A white light flashed in her palm, and another fresh little cake appeared. The milky fragrance stood out remarkably in the air filled with the scent of mold and sweat.
A few sallow and emaciated children hid in the distance, their eyes fixed intently on the cake in her hand, drool almost flowing, yet they didn't dare approach.
Furina squeezed out what she thought was her most amiable smile and beckoned to them. "Come on, it's free, really."
A slightly braver young boy, thin as a bean sprout, timidly shuffled over. Furina handed him the cake. The boy snatched it and wolfed it down, swallowing it almost without chewing, then looked at her expectantly, licking his fingers with a lingering desire for more.
"Is it good?" Furina asked.
The boy nodded vigorously.
"Then... do you know who you should thank?" Furina tried to make her expression look a bit more divine.
The boy looked at her blankly.
"It's the Great Water God!" Furina prompted. "Come, repeat after me: 'Thank you for the Water God's blessing.'"
The boy followed along confusedly, his voice as small as a mosquito's buzz, his eyes still fixed on her hand, hoping she could conjure another one.
[Ding! Harvested a faint thought of faith +1. Current Points: 1. Host, please keep up the good work!] The System's notification sounded.
Furina: "..." Only one point? How long is it going to take to fool people at this rate?
But seeing the boy's longing gaze, the awkwardness in her heart suddenly didn't feel so heavy. She sighed and conjured another cake for him. "Eat slowly, don't choke."
And so, Furina used her inexhaustible (for now) cake Martial Soul to begin her "almsgiving" at the street corner. It started with just a few children, but later, some adults with sickly complexions also hesitantly gathered around. Everyone who received a cake was half-forced and half-coaxed by Furina into saying, "Thank you for the Water God's blessing."
The points ticked up bit by bit, heartbreakingly slow.
Until a man named Old John came over. He was a woodcutter who had injured his arm while chopping wood yesterday; it was swollen high, and having no money for a doctor, he could only endure it. Hearing there was free food here, he came with the intention of getting a small freebie.
Furina gave him a cake. He finished it in a few bites and habitually tried to follow along with the slogan, but he grimaced in pain.
Looking at his shiny, swollen arm, Furina's heart suddenly stirred. The faint Soul Power within her seemed to be tugged by something. As if possessed, she conjured another cake, but this one seemed... a bit different? It looked fluffier and emitted a faint, comforting aura.
"Here, have another one," Furina handed over the new cake. "Try it, maybe... it'll make you feel better?"
Old John was skeptical but took the cake and ate it. Almost the moment he finished, he let out a surprised "Huh?" The terrifying redness and swelling on his arm actually began to subside at a rate visible to the naked eye! Although not completely healed, that piercing pain had clearly lessened significantly!
"It's a miracle! A real miracle!" Old John was so excited he almost jumped, waving his much-improved arm. "Young girl... no, Immortal! You're a living Immortal! Thank you! Thank you, Water God! Thank you for the Water God's blessing!" This time he shouted with sincere conviction, his voice booming.
The people around were all dumbfounded.
[Ding! Harvested sincere gratitude and faith +10! Detected that the Host's behavior aligns with the 'Axis Cult' doctrine, successfully assisting a believer in alleviating pain. Reward: The first spirit ring for the 'cake' Martial Soul has automatically condensed! Spirit Ability generating...]
Furina felt a surge of warmth suddenly erupt from deep within her body. Invisible energy from the surroundings rushed frantically toward her, and a ring of light flashing with purple brilliance abruptly rose from beneath her feet, rhythmically moving up and down!
A thousand-year spirit ring! Even though it was a freebie from the System, it looked the part!
A somewhat embarrassing incantation automatically surfaced in her mind. Looking at the shocked, longing, and slightly reverent gazes around her, she cleared her throat, steeled herself, and pointed a finger at the sky (mainly to avoid looking at anyone's eyes) as she shouted the soul incantation loudly:
"The Water God says—let there be milk! Ah, no...!" In her nervousness, she almost shouted it wrong. She quickly corrected herself, using all her strength to shout the correct, yet equally toe-curling incantation:
"—Pious heart, cleanse the pain! Give me a... uh, give me a Healing Cream Cupcake!"
With a flash of light, a cake emitting a soft white glow and a rich milky fragrance, looking both delicious and healthy, appeared in her hand.
The scene fell into a dead silence.
Then, with a "whoosh," everyone surged forward! It was no longer the previous attitude of testing the waters or seeking a freebie, but one of true fanaticism and hope!
"Great Water God! Save my mother!" "Grandmaster! Give me one! My leg has hurt for years!" "I want to believe in the Water God too! cake! Give me a cake!"
Surrounded in the center, Furina frantically produced healing cakes. The System's notification sounds in her head rang out like a cacophony, and her points soared upward.
Looking at this scene, she had only one thought: It's over, I've really become a cake seller now. The kind with therapeutic effects.
The Axis Cult? Surely this sect won't turn into the continent's number one chain dessert shop and clinic in the future, right?
The three "Martial Souls" were still beside her: Surintendante Chevalmarin seemed satisfied with the unfolding of this order (chaotic as it was), Mademoiselle Crabaletta tried to maintain the queue's order (by pushing people aside with her crab claws), and Gentilhomme Usher expressed concern over whether the people's postures while eating cake were elegant.
Furina sighed and resignedly continued to churn out cakes.
Oh well, being able to help people... doesn't seem too bad, does it?