On the pew inside the cathedral's main hall, Ron looked around at the sudden and dramatic changes.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, he still couldn't help but feel a bit amazed.
These special effects are top-tier…
But then he glanced at the System panel, where his remaining wealth points were displayed—just over 20,000—and a faint ache stirred in his heart.
10,000 wealth points… gone in an instant...
Before he had time to wallow in the loss, the gathered divine projection of the goddess descended right in front of him.
Now's the part where she casts some kind of divine spell on me, right?
Ron stared at the goddess's glowing figure, mentally speculating.
But then, the figure began slowly approaching him, arms outstretched.
Wait, is she trying to hug me!?
Ron leaned back slightly, unnerved. Despite the radiant beauty of the moment, the fact that the being in front of him had no facial features and was just a glowing green silhouette made the situation far from romantic.
Yet the green light radiating from the projection carried an immense, lush vitality.
Even the tiniest wisp of it left Ron feeling completely relaxed—like he was soaking in the very essence of life itself.
And then… something felt off.
The goddess's projection didn't embrace him.
Instead, those glowing hands gently touched his face, lifting his chin with delicate grace.
!?
Is she gonna kiss me now!?
Ron's heart jolted as he stared at the faceless green silhouette, its long, glowing hair flowing gently through the air.
At least give me a face first…
And my first kiss is still intact, you know…
His expression turned conflicted.
But in the end, he gave in with a sigh—ready to sacrifice his first kiss if that's what it took to convince the two Legendary observers and solidify his flower shop's cover story.
He was a grown man—no time to be squeamish about it.
After all… it was a goddess asking for a kiss.
(Even if it was just a projection.)
Ron closed his eyes, silently waiting for the divine smooch.
Under the envious and awestruck gaze of the crowd, the goddess lifted his handsome face and lowered her own head.
The area on the projection's face where a mouth would be aligned with Ron's forehead—and lightly pressed against it in a gentle "kiss."
Ron immediately felt a cool sensation at the center of his forehead—like liquid light had entered his skull and was now flowing through his mind.
His mana seed surged as though nourished by divine nectar.
A tidal wave of magic roared through his core, and in an instant, he advanced to a Second-Tier Mage!
Then, the "divine liquid" flowed back to his forehead and gradually solidified.
From the outside, onlookers saw the goddess's projection gently kiss Ron's forehead—then get completely absorbed into it.
A glowing green grain stalk symbol appeared, pulsing with divine radiance before slowly fading into his skin.
[System Notification:
Congratulations, the host has received a blessing from the Goddess of Harvest.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Witnessed a Divine Miracle from the Goddess of Harvest]
[New Title: Chosen of the Goddess of Harvest]
[Effect: While wearing this title, the user's Wood Magic talent will gradually self-enhance. All Wood Magic cast will possess a trace of divinity, rendering them immune to countering from other spells of the same tier.]
[Passive Skill: Flourishing Vitality – If the host encounters an unbeatable enemy, this effect will automatically activate once per month.]
(Note: Passive ability has a one-month cooldown.)
Ron opened his eyes, skimmed the System's notifications briefly, and didn't respond.
Instead, he kept a calm smile, ready to deal with the people in the temple.
The grain stalk mark on his forehead glowed faintly, then slowly faded into his skin under the stunned stares of the crowd.
—
Webster's gaze sharpened, and his tone turned serious:
"That mark… is it a sign of divine favor?"
"I can sense a faint trace of divinity on him—there's no doubt," Vosbites replied, face equally grave.
"Ron André has become the Chosen of the Goddess of Harvest, Hervesta."
"We'll need to re-evaluate how we handle him," Webster murmured after a moment of silence.
"The title Chosen… is far more significant than being a mere Seventh Prince. The Church of the Harvest Goddess will definitely act on this."
"…Yeah." Vosbites nodded, eyes dark with thought as he glanced toward Ron.
"Say… do you think the flower shop affair might actually involve the Church of the Goddess? Or maybe even… the Goddess herself?"
"…"
Webster didn't answer immediately. He looked around at the walls, where the flowers and vines were gradually fading away, and only after the cathedral returned to its former solemn appearance did he speak.
"Let's not make careless remarks about the divine in a place that just witnessed a miracle," he said seriously.
"Vosbites, we need to handle this carefully."
He added, "Besides, judging from Archbishop Morris's reaction just now, he didn't seem to know anything about this in advance. If the Goddess were truly behind this, the Church would've been informed long ago."
"That's not necessarily true," Vosbites countered, shaking his head.
"The Church might be trying to use Ron's identity for something, but not realize the Goddess is planning something on her own. Divine will and church agendas don't always align."
He narrowed his eyes, voice soft but sharp:
"Don't tell me your Church of the God of War is perfectly unified? If the God of War had plans, would He really inform every single follower in advance?"
Webster had no rebuttal. After a moment of silence, he sighed.
"…Either way, we shouldn't act rashly. Let's just watch for now."
—
At the altar, Archbishop Morris quickly wiped the jealousy off his face, sighed internally, and forced a warm smile.
He descended from the altar and approached Ron.
"Your Highness Ron, if possible, may I ask you to join me in the baptism chamber?"
Ron calmly nodded and followed Morris into the cathedral's rear chambers.
Inside the baptism room, the two of them sat at a small table.
Morris had already carefully chosen his words along the way. As soon as they were seated, he put on a sincere smile and said:
"Congratulations, Your Highness, on receiving the Goddess's blessing and becoming her Chosen."
Ron responded humbly,
"It was all by the grace of the Goddess."
"No doubt you possess unique qualities that made the Goddess choose you," Morris flattered with a smile, then shifted to the main topic.
"Your Highness, now that you've been chosen by the Goddess, there are some things you must be made aware of."
"Please, Archbishop, go ahead."
Morris cleared his throat and spoke solemnly:
"This matter is of great importance. I'll have to report it to the High Temple. You'll likely receive an official title in the near future—please be prepared for that."
"A title?" Ron blinked. He hadn't expected this kind of bonus.
"Yes." Morris nodded.
"There have been Chosen before, though never one in the Church of the Harvest Goddess. Still, we do have precedents. The specific procedures will depend on how the High Temple chooses to respond."
Ron's curiosity was piqued.
"There were Chosen before?"
Morris answered honestly,
"Yes. The Church of the God of War once had a Chosen—your great-grandfather, Emperor André the Great."
Ron's eyes widened.
Was his great-grandfather a Chosen, too?
"Additionally," Morris continued, "every generation of dwarves Prophets is Chosen of the God of the Stars, Starray.
And among the elves, it's said that the Tree of Life itself is the Chosen of the Goddess of Life."