At that moment, Chikako clearly felt the gift from Ren.
The subtle changes in her body, along with many vague memories, suddenly became vivid. Even the Blue Kingdom, which she had never fully understood, now appeared crystal clear in her mind.
Now, she fully recognized the difference in talent between herself and Atsuko.
But what surprised her even more was not that revelation—it was the realization that she could now express the images in her mind with simpler and more accurate words. This sense of enlightenment made her feel as though she had truly been touched by a god.
In fact, the light of the divine had indeed shone upon her.
Because she had witnessed with her own eyes a god descending to the world.
"Reader. That is the name of the power granted to you."
"Reader enhances your memory and comprehension. It also allows you to utilize some ritual magic. As long as you study diligently and increase your reading, you'll gain more knowledge, and that knowledge will become your power."
"This is the power bestowed upon you by Mr. Fool. It is your reward as a believer. In return, what you must do is exactly as I said—spread the faith of Mr. Fool."
Chikako's heartbeat sped up as she listened.
What she had hoped for today was merely a chance, an opportunity offered by Ayako. She never expected to gain the appreciation and blessing of a god.
She suppressed her excitement, raised her head slightly, and asked with a mix of nervousness and caution,
"Mr. Fool—cough, Amamiya-san… how should I go about spreading Mr. Fool's faith?"
Ren smiled and reached out to help Chikako, who was still kneeling, to her feet.
"Mr. Fool has his own stories. What he hopes from you is to write those stories and shape them into detailed narratives."
"I believe that someone like you, who already knows how to construct a proper story, can handle that."
Chikako took a deep breath and responded with firm resolve,
"Mr. Fool's gift has given me so much. I believe I can meet his expectations."
This wasn't arrogance. Chikako now fully understood the power she had received. She knew what she could do.
Spreading faith through writing was a perfect fit for her skillset.
She was good at creating stories. Now, with the power of the Reader—enhanced memory, sharper understanding, and even ritual magic—she felt completely confident that she could fulfill the task of spreading the faith.
"That's enough."
As for managing believers, Ren had no particular method. So he chose to let each believer handle their own faith dissemination. How far they could go depended on their own ability.
"There's no need to rush. Mr. Fool understands that spreading faith isn't something that happens easily—especially for someone working in the literary field."
Chikako understood that too. As a screenwriter, she would need to raise her popularity if she wanted to elevate her standing. That wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight.
"That's easy."
Sonoko suddenly interjected with a bright smile.
"Chikako, just focus on writing your stories. When it's time to publish, you can come to me. My sister will definitely help out."
Chikako's eyes lit up. That was a great idea. It could increase her visibility while giving her the opportunity to fulfill her mission of spreading Mr. Fool's faith.
Ayako, now fully caught up in the conversation, immediately followed up.
"Of course, that's no problem. As long as Chikako finishes her manuscript, she can come to me. Publishing isn't that complicated."
With enough money, it was easy to publish printed works.
This approach might be simple, but it was also effective.
As long as Chikako's work was good, people would recognize it, especially with some well-placed promotion.
Ayako could handle that without trouble.
Ren observed their enthusiasm, but shook his head slightly.
"There's no need to spend money. If Miss Chikako's work is truly of value, then let it be published the normal way. Besides, someone who can polish a script over two years should have no problem doing this."
"What's more, now she has the Reader's power. That should make her capabilities even more evident."
After hearing this, Chikako nodded confidently.
"Amamiya-san, I'm confident. Mr. Fool's gift gave me that confidence. I might still be lacking in personal ability, but I believe the Reader's power can make up for that gap."
Literature requires innovation, cognition, and accumulation.
Through the Reader's ability, writing skills could be more deeply understood and remembered. The more books she read and knowledge she accumulated, the more she could break through the limitations of her past.
Now that she understood the meaning of the Reader, Chikako was overflowing with confidence.
In truth, the god's gift had become her greatest source of certainty.
"Amamiya-san I hope I can get more information about Mr. Fool. That would really help with the stories I'm going to write."
"Sure. I do know some things about Mr. Fool. You can contact me after the class reunion. As for my contact number…"
Ren gave her a string of numbers.
Chikako nodded and softly repeated the number. With her improved memory, she committed it instantly to memory without any difficulty.
With the conversation wrapped up for now, Sonoko couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked,
"Ren, earlier you said someone wanted revenge for Tokumoto Atsuko's suicide two years ago. Should we be preparing for that?"
(To be continued.)
***
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