[Vol. 8] Chapter 110: The Judgement Saintess’s Speech
Although this was called an "open selection," the church had already removed most of the unqualified people through earlier screening. The few thousand people left were either talented enough to possibly reach the level of a legendary hero in the future, or they had special skills that allowed them to be selected even if their general abilities weren’t strong enough.
All in all, the total number of participants was probably less than ten thousand.
Over the past few days, the priestess had been working overtime to finish reading the documents given to her by Edwina. Interestingly, less than half of the candidates were followers of the Goddess or citizens of the Holy Empire. They came from all sorts of places, even from the hostile Austre Empire and its allies, traveling great distances just to participate.
They knew that if they were chosen as a Holy Empire hero, they would likely have to fight against their own countries. But even so, they still came. This showed how deep the church’s and temple’s influence had become, reaching almost every corner of the world, even going beyond national borders.
No wonder the Austre Empire was so desperate to go to war with the Holy Empire. Losing their most talented people like this would worry any emperor…
But anyway, that was just extra background.
Because today was the official start of the open selection, the square in front of the Grand Church, usually open to the public, was now completely sealed off by the Holy Knights. Only candidates who had passed the first screening, like Violet and her group, were allowed to enter. All other citizens and curious onlookers had to stay outside the barrier.
According to the process, only the open selection and the final “Hero Chosen by the Goddess” ceremony would be publicly viewable. Still, crowds of people packed around the edges of the square. Some even held banners and signs to cheer for the candidates they supported.
Even Violet didn’t expect this level of excitement.
Soon, when the entry time ended, elite Holy Knights changed formation and quickly blocked the square’s entrance completely. Any candidate who hadn’t arrived by then, no matter how strong or what excuse they had, was now considered disqualified.
If a person couldn’t manage their time well or didn’t even follow basic rules, they had no right to become a Chosen Hero. This was the first rule the priestess had set.
The heavy footsteps of the Holy Knights sounded like drums. Realizing the selection was about to begin, the mood of the crowd inside and outside the square became noisy and full of energy.
Besides a few basic rules, the church had not revealed any details about the trial. Everyone was curious and excited about what kind of test the Goddess would use to choose her hero. Of course people wanted to know!
Before the crowd could start wildly guessing, a tall figure stepped out from the group and walked up onto a raised platform in the center of the square.
She wore a snow-white suit of battle armor. A long, slim sword shaped like a European-style longsword hung quietly at her waist. Her pure golden hair flowed gently in the wind. She looked strong, graceful, and sharp-eyed.
She was none other than the Judgement Saintess, Frederica Cecilia, one of the Three Saintesses. She had just returned to the Angel City after leading a team in the region of Sainz.
“Please be quiet!”
As the Saintess in charge of war, hunting heretics, and foreign affairs, Frederica was a very action-oriented leader. Just by stepping onto the stage and standing beneath the tall statue of the Goddess, her powerful presence made the whole crowd instantly fall silent. Everyone turned to look at her at the same time.
A few people in the crowd, either weak-willed or hiding bad intentions, couldn’t help but look away from the Saintess’s powerful, glowing eyes. They didn’t dare meet her gaze.
But the Saintess, standing high above and far stronger than any of them, saw everything clearly.
However, in front of the thousands of candidates and the large crowd of onlookers outside the square, she didn’t rush to take action. Instead, she simply clapped her hands again to officially begin, then spoke loudly and clearly without any hesitation.
“Good morning, citizens of the Holy Capital and friends from around the world. I thank you all, on behalf of the Goddess Church, for answering the call and coming together at this important moment.”
“Some of you may have seen me before, while for others, this might be your first time in the Holy Empire. Let me briefly introduce myself. My name is Frederica Cecilia. By the grace of the Goddess, I wield the [Judgment Holy Sword], and I serve as the current Judgement Saintess.”
“I am honored to represent the Church today in leading this sacred task, helping the Goddess choose her heroes. You can think of me as the examiner for the first trial.”
After this short welcome, the Saintess’s tone suddenly changed.
“But let me be clear from the start, being chosen by the Goddess or becoming a ‘hero’ is not just about fame, strength, or power. Some of you may believe that once you’re chosen, all those things will come to you easily…”
“You are completely wrong!”
The moment she finished speaking, an overwhelming force exploded from her. It was the fierce willpower of someone who had survived many bloody battles. The air around her felt like a blade, sharp, cold, and full of killing intent. The pressure was so strong it felt like it could cut through the crowd. The entire square fell silent, and only Frederica’s powerful voice remained:
“Not long ago, Rudolph Lombard, head of the Lombard family, betrayed the faith. He joined forces with heretics and other allies to cause chaos in the Holy Capital and then ran away from the Church. I’m sure many of you have heard of this, or were even directly affected by it.”
“This event was extremely harmful. So, in the name of the Goddess, I now officially declare judgment on them and announce an important reform!”
“For a long time, many people have believed that the Goddess Church is just for show, that the Church only uses the Goddess’s name to control people and stay in power. These people pretend to be faithful followers, join the Church, climb the ranks, and even reach high positions. Then, using the Goddess’s name, they commit terrible crimes, all while pretending to be pure, noble, and devoted.”
“But recently, our highest and holiest Goddess personally descended to the mortal world. In Her holy light, these evil and deceitful people were exposed and had nowhere to hide. They tried to run, but our Goddess is all-seeing and all-knowing, and She will never let evil go unpunished!”
“Under Her guidance, as of today, all 672 traitors, including the Lombard family, have been captured. Those who fought back were judged on the spot. The rest have been sent to the Holy Prison. Not a single one escaped!”
“All who disrespect our faith will face proper judgment!”