[Vol. 8] Chapter 74: The Beginning of the Chosen by the Gods
There were even rumors saying that the statue of the god in the Grand Church held a trace of divine power. It was said that the statue had become a real part of the god, and anyone who could come close and pray to it would have their wishes granted, no matter what they wished for.
Countless bits of unclear and half-true information kept spreading and growing more outrageous. Like a huge wave, the news quickly swept across many lands through the powerful reach of the Goddess Church, which was already spread across the world.
Many people who had been doubtful or simply watching from the sidelines, wondering if the so-called Goddess’ Descent was just a trick or marketing by the Church, also began to feel interested. They started making their way toward the Holy Empire and the Holy Capital, hoping to join the crowd in this so-called “God-Chosen Hero” event that claimed anyone could participate.
Even if they couldn’t become a chosen hero, it would still be worth it to watch the excitement and say a prayer to the god.
After all, rumors can be made up, and information can be fake. But the shocking scene that happened on the day of the goddess’ descent, when the whole world went dark and a single light fell from the sky, was something no one could fake. That kind of thing could only happen through real divine power.
What’s more, even though there were only six spots for the God-Chosen Heroes, people still wanted to try. Who could say for sure they wouldn’t be the lucky one? The goddess herself had said that strength wasn’t the only standard for being chosen. On top of that, when she descended, even a simple wave of her hand brought blessings that covered the entire city. These two facts alone were enough to make countless people eager to give it a try.
At the time, every word and sentence the goddess said was studied over and over again by scholars. Since the goddess is all-knowing and all-powerful, her words must carry deep meaning.
Three days later
“So, that’s the current situation, Lady Violet. Over the next while, the Holy Capital will likely become even more crowded and chaotic. Since this involves the gods, no one can guess exactly what will happen. Do you want the Shadow Guard to prepare in advance?”
In Angel City, the capital of the Holy Empire, inside a private villa given as a gift by Miss Edwina and now owned by the priestess herself, a cold-faced girl dressed in tight black clothes, carrying one long and one short thin sword on her back, knelt on one knee. She had just given her report to Violet, who was slowly stirring her black tea with a spoon. As always, the girl bowed her head again afterward, showing no emotion as she waited for further orders.
“Hm… this is pretty much what I expected.”
Blowing lightly on the steam rising from her cup, the priestess sat on the sofa in her bedroom. She glanced at the elite shadow guard, who had somehow entered the villa in secret without being noticed by the vampire maids Mia and Selna, and paused for a moment. Then, instead of answering the question, she suddenly changed the subject to something completely unrelated.
“Shadow, did something happen to Lilya recently in the Human United Kingdom? Was there an attempt on her life?”
The legendary level shadow guard, sent personally by a certain queen to serve the priestess in all kinds of ways, looked up slightly. Her face remained calm, but a faint glimmer seemed to flash in her beautiful eyes. She quickly gave a straightforward answer.
“Yes. About half a month ago, a black dragon sneaked into the royal palace and tried to assassinate Her Majesty. During the fierce battle, the room was completely destroyed. In the end, the dragon was driven off, but not without cost. Her Majesty was lightly wounded, and Lady Crimson Flame, the legendary adventurer, was badly drained of energy. The dragon escaped after being injured and hasn’t been seen since.”
“I see... Do we know where it came from?”
“Yes. The black dragon called itself ‘Tarillin’ and claimed to be from the group known as the [World Sustainers]. However, the Shadow Guard found no record of such a group in our information network. We currently suspect it is either a foreign organization from another realm, or the dragon used a false name to confuse us. The Shadow Guard is investigating both possibilities with full effort.”
“Oh~?”
The clear, calm voice of Miss Shadow finally made the black-haired girl raise her eyebrows slightly. After thinking for a moment, she smiled with curiosity and asked,
“Knowing Lilya’s personality, she probably told you not to tell me about this, right? She didn’t want me to worry or something like that. Are you sure it’s okay to break orders so openly?”
The short-haired girl with a cold expression didn’t avoid the priestess’s gaze. With her usual calm, she replied,
“A shadow guard is the queen’s loyal warrior and must always follow Her Majesty’s orders. But that doesn’t mean we have to follow blindly. Your Highness Violet, your strength and insight are far beyond normal. Even if I hid the truth, as ordered, you would have found out about the attack on Her Majesty anyway. So I judged that telling you everything honestly would be more helpful to the queen. Even if I’m punished for this, I won’t regret it.”
“I see~”
The priestess seemed to have a slightly better impression of the cold, doll-like girl in front of her. She smiled and nodded with a bit of approval.
“Your judgment is sharp. I have indeed heard of and even had contact with the [World Sustainers], or more accurately, with a certain powerful individual within that group. Its power is so terrifying that even I had to feel shocked and cautious. If something like that really did appear in the Human United Kingdom, there’s no way Lilya could stop it alone with the power she has now.”
“Alright then. I’ll make some special arrangements regarding this. Next time you report back to your queen, tell her to be extra careful. This group is no small matter. If that assassin dares to come again, or if you find anyone else connected to them… let me know right away.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Miss Shadow nodded at the warning, which was clearly not said as a joke. The priestess didn’t speak further on that topic. After thinking for a while, she suddenly smiled again and changed the subject:
“By the way, Shadow, what do you think about this thing called the [God-Chosen Hero]?”
“?”
The shadow guard, who had answered everything so smoothly until now, was momentarily surprised. She didn’t seem to understand why Violet would ask her such a question. But since she was asked, the well-trained Miss Shadow quickly pushed down her confusion and calmly replied,
“If you are asking from the perspective of the country, or even the whole world, the appearance of the God-Chosen Heroes is clearly a good thing. The Holy Empire is now a strong ally of our country. Heroes with great power can boost both the army and the people, whether they go to war or fight natural disasters. And if they use the power gifted by the gods, they might even be able to change the situation completely.”
Hearing the deeper meaning behind her words, the priestess smiled and nodded.
“That’s the official answer. But what I want to know is, what do you personally think of that role? Don’t worry about rules or anything. Just say what you really think.”
Shadow looked up at her again, then quickly lowered her head. Her voice was calm and indifferent.
“…It doesn’t matter to me.”
“It doesn’t matter, huh…”
The black-haired girl didn’t look upset by the expected answer. Instead, her smile deepened, becoming a bit more mysterious, as if she was thinking about something interesting.
“In that case, what if you were chosen to become a [God-Chosen Hero]?”