[Vol. 8] Chapter 113: The Trial of the Heart
Glary Lambert was the younger cousin of August Lambert. In the Lambert family, he was one of the top people in charge, maybe second or third in power.
Although he was a devoted follower of the Goddess, having faith did not mean he had no desires or ambitions.
Back when August still held power, and before the truth about the Lombard family was exposed, the Lombard family had the closest ties with the Lambert family. Over many years, the Lombard family gained a huge amount of wealth using shady and dishonorable methods. Much of that wealth was given to the Lambert family to keep a good relationship with their "protector."
As one of the leaders of the Lambert family, Glary didn’t personally take part in the Lombard family’s crimes, but he also didn’t try to stop or question them. He chose to turn a blind eye and let things continue.
In his mind, even though the Lombard family had done questionable things, they were still loyal followers of the Goddess. Surely, they wouldn’t go too far. Also, the large amount of money they gave every year was very important for the Lambert family’s operations. As long as nothing huge happened, he was happy to let them continue on their own.
That is, until recently, when the truth about the Lombard family being false believers was revealed. The Church began a full investigation into their money, businesses, and activities. After one of the Lombard family failed to escape and was arrested, Glary finally began to understand just how dangerous and heartless these “wolves” were, and how they had been harming innocent people in the Holy Empire without any bottom line.
Feelings of regret, shame, anger, and guilt filled Glary’s heart. All of this was clearly felt by Violet through the divine connection of faith, and this was why Glary failed the trial.
Although the priestess already understood what had happened, many others were still confused. Glary was the very first to be tested, and Frederica hadn’t explained the rules or the meaning of the trial in detail. Most people were probably left wondering what had just happened.
Actually, it wasn’t anything too mysterious. She had simply asked Edwina to place a mental-linking magic circle on the statue. Then Violet herself poured in some SP to connect with it, activating two divine powers at once.
The [Reincarnation] divinity controls both light and darkness, and all six paths of life and death. Even among the highest divine powers, it is one of the most mysterious. It can be grand, reversing life and death, using the power of the underworld to fight or help others, or it can be subtle, able to see hidden truths, read souls, enter the mind, and more. Its uses are endless.
Using the power of [Reincarnation], Violet could directly reach into a person’s heart. The golden light from [Radiance] was really just a cover. Anyone who touched the statue would automatically be pulled into a special illusion where, in an instant, they would be forced to face the thing they feared most.
Anyone with a shaky heart or weak mind, even with just the smallest doubt, would have that weakness magnified in front of divine power. In the Ancient Spirit Realm, this kind of "inner demon" is passed down in stories. It is something everyone must face sooner or later. It cannot be avoided or hidden. All Violet did was make it appear earlier.
Every living being with a heart has an inner demon. Even Violet herself is not an exception. But if someone cannot use their will and understanding to defeat it, then they will fail this first trial.
Even if they succeed, Violet can still sense what kind of illusion they faced, and use that to understand the person’s character and past.
Glary Lambert was suffering because he had allowed the Lombard family’s crimes to go unchecked. He couldn’t forgive himself, and in his fear and guilt, he backed away from the truth in his heart.
And clearly, just saying “Praise the Goddess” wasn’t going to fix that.
That is the true meaning of this trial.
Although the power of [Reincarnation] isn’t as strong in direct combat as [Radiance], when it comes to understanding a person’s heart and choosing those who are truly worthy of trust and responsibility, even the bright and shining light of Radiance cannot reach every dark corner. The soft, mysterious sound of [Reincarnation], which moves between light and shadow, can touch a person’s soul more deeply.
There were thousands of people taking part in this trial, so one person failing wouldn’t affect the whole event much. After Glary Lambert left the stage in disappointment, the second candidate stepped forward right away, led by a Holy Knight. He lifted his hand confidently, repeating the same movements as the person before him.
This time, it was a mage from a foreign land. He looked much younger than Glary on the outside and seemed to belong to a rare magical race. But in truth, he was probably older and more experienced than Glary, with a longer history of training and adventures.
However, sadly, wisdom and mental strength don’t always come with age. As soon as the golden light appeared on the statue, it shattered instantly when the mage touched it and pulled back in panic. He let out a frightened scream and fell to the ground on his backside.
“Eek!!! Aaaaaah!!!”
As expected, he also failed.
Overcoming your inner fears may sound simple, but in truth, it’s extremely rare. Only one in ten thousand people can truly do it. And it has nothing to do with how strong, old, or experienced you are. That’s what makes it fair. Compared to becoming a “Chosen Hero”, this is just the first and most basic step. And Violet wasn’t planning to waste her time on unworthy people.
One candidate after another stepped up, only to be quickly eliminated. Some failed so badly that they fainted from fear and had to be carried off by Holy Knights.
As more and more seemingly strong and impressive people were thrown off the stage in disgrace, the crowd around the square grew more noisy and restless.
Even though most people expected the trial to be difficult. After all, becoming a “Chosen Hero” of the Goddess wouldn’t be easy, this kind of total defeat right from the start shocked everyone. Dozens had already tried and failed.
People waiting for their turn began to whisper and discuss what might really be happening in the trial. They wanted to figure out why everyone who went up had a sudden change in expression and looked terrified. They hoped to prepare themselves in advance. But many more were secretly doubting whether they should even try at all.
If this was a test that nobody could pass, why should they go up there and embarrass themselves in front of everyone? People care about pride and reputation. Especially those who were already famous or powerful. They had even more to lose.
Among the dozens of candidates who had failed so far, there were real legendary level warriors, well-known masters from powerful clans. People had high hopes for them. Yet, even they had been scared out of their minds and lost instantly, looking no different from the average participant.
So far, not a single person had lasted more than five seconds under the glowing light. How could anyone pass at this rate?
If this weren’t the capital of the Holy Empire, and if this test hadn’t been set by a real goddess, the restless crowd might have already turned into a full-blown protest.
From the high platform, Frederica, who was overseeing everything, watched the scene closely. She saw every action clearly, but she didn’t say a word or take any action. She simply kept calling up more candidates, one by one, only to see each of them fail.
Still, inside, she couldn’t help but feel a little helpless.
Sigh... looks like my earlier warning didn’t help. There are still too many people hoping to cheat their way through without understanding what they’re really facing.