C164
"Are we misunderstanding the effect? What do you mean?"
Lucy seemed serious at my question.
"It seems my teacher didn't feel it, but in fact, my teacher used the goddess's blessing while talking to the human named Arsia. Very faintly."
"What? So Arsia was ever under Liena's blessing? That can't be possible."
In the novel, Arsia hated Liena instead of loving her.
Also, there was a high possibility that Liena didn't like Arsia, who had assumed the position of saint that she was originally supposed to have.
The Goddess's Blessing can only be activated when Liena truly wants to be loved by the other person, so how could the blessing work on Arsia?
"That's why I said we misunderstood it."
The divine beast hit the table with its small paw.
"My teacher's blessing passed to someone who shouldn't have received the human blessing. What can be inferred from this is that it's most likely that my teacher's blessing doesn't have the effect of 'erasing the blessing'."
A deep furrow appeared between Lucy's eyebrows.
"My teacher said that, so I ignored it, but I thought it was a bit strange from the beginning. How can you erase someone else's blessing? Isn't that an effect that only works on those who are under the blessing of another blessing?"
"Why do you think that?"
"Isn't it unfair? Liena can freely use blessings on anyone as long as she has the will to be loved, but my teacher can only use blessings when the circumstances are right."
"Well, honestly, it feels unfair..."
Isn't it inevitable that the solemn Goddess Miella favors Liena?
But Lucy seemed to have a different opinion.
"There's no way she would have differentiated on these basic aspects."
"Wait a moment, aren't you overthinking this? In fact, you were able to use my blessing to push back people who fell under Liena's blessing."
"That might be an added effect. Her blessing and my teacher's blessing cancel each other out."
As I keep listening, it becomes increasingly plausible, doesn't it?
"Did the Goddess ever directly explain to my teacher what effect her blessing had?"
"... No, now that I think about it, she didn't. I just assumed it."
"I'm saying this now, but in fact, I suspected even when my teacher met that strange magician."
It seemed he was referring to the eccentric inventor Kais.
"It felt like my teacher was using her blessing. I didn't say it because it might have been my mistake."
If that were really the case, the probability of my blessing having a different effect would increase even more.
Kais was also someone who was never affected by Liena's blessings because he only communicated with Liena through his alter ego.
"So, what's the real effect?"
I immersed myself in my thoughts.
"The blessing is ultimately the manifestation of hope. What was my teacher's mindset when using the blessing?"
"She wanted people to return to how they were before."
"That's not the correct answer."
"I... wanted to persuade them."
It was like that. I wanted to persuade those who had changed because of Liena to return to their original state.
And I hoped my words would persuade him to sever ties with Liena.
I wanted to persuade Arsia to stop punishing herself and continue being a saint.
"To persuade."
Looking back, when I used the blessings, I had to go through the process of persuading the other person.
Liena's blessing didn't release even if she only had meaningless conversations and just radiated divine power.
Only when I persuaded them with a valid reason did they escape brainwashing.
"If my blessing really has a different effect, it's definitely persuasion."
Lucy nodded.
"It's a much more understandable effect compared to erasing someone else's blessing."
"Persuasion. I wanted to convince people."
Just as Liena's greatest desire was to be loved, I suppose my greatest desire was to persuade others.
"It's quite good."
So, for a moment, I was glad that there were more ways to use the blessing.
"Still, I think it's unfair."
A feeling of warmth that was hard to describe welled up inside me.
"What's unfair?"
"Persuasion is good. It's good, but compared to Liena, the results are very different."
I sighed deeply.
"People affected by Liena's blessing show affection as if their liver or gallbladder were going to be removed, but my blessing has never had such an extreme effect."
So, even though I had used blessings on Arsia and Kais, I hadn't noticed.
"Also, Liena made Roland and Isaac, who know nothing about love, love her, but I'm not sure I can persuade someone who has no reason to be persuaded by me."
"... Then I'll ask. Does my teacher even want to persuade that person?"
"Eh?"
"Do you want to persuade the other person regardless of their will? Do you want to take out someone's liver or gallbladder through persuasion?"
"No, I really didn't want to do that, I just said it was unfair. In the first place, that's not even the realm of persuasion. It's just brainwashing."
"Oh? Brainwashing?"
"In that's brainwashing. As I said before, a blessing is a manifestation of hope. What my teacher doesn't want, the blessing can't affect it."
"That's the difference between Liena and me."
"Yes, maybe my teacher's blessing is only used to give my teacher a little more persuasion power when persuading others."
However, the divine beast continued.
"She wants to be loved even going against others' wills. If my teacher were to use her blessing, she would only get a little extra favor."
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