[Vol. 8] Chapter 149: The One Who Acts on the Will of the Goddess
At that moment, everyone’s eyes grew intense with anticipation. The Judgement Saintess, who had been waiting for a long time, looked at Yuna and nodded. After exchanging a glance that only the two of them could understand, she handed over her duties and quietly left.
Standing in front of the tall, sacred statue of the goddess that reached into the sky, Yuna the Bright Light Saintess silently looked over all 57 people who had passed the trials. She then gave her signature peaceful smile, as pure and calm as light itself.
If the Judgement Saintess, Frederica Cecilia, gave people the feeling of a sword. Sharp, unstoppable, and powerful even when hidden.
And if the Redemption Saintess, Philomena Lambert, felt like a symbol of gentle kindness, harmless and healing, someone others instinctively wanted to protect.
Then Yuna's presence was something in between.
She was the embodiment of light, vast and deep like the sea, impossible to fully understand. She showed both kindness and mercy, yet also carried a blazing and dignified brilliance. Before the arrival of the legendary God Knight, Edwina Cecilia, Yuna Summerfield was the person most like the goddess herself, the one closest to the Primordial Light. She was mysterious, deeply respected, and slightly feared.
As she looked at all the different gazes upon her, Yuna spoke calmly. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it had a magical quality that allowed it to travel clearly through the entire Grand Church hall.
“I am Yuna Summerfield, the eighth Bright Light Saintess of the Holy Empire. In the name of the goddess, I now officially announce, the second Chosen Hero Trial has fully ended. Out of 572 participants, 57 have passed. The third and final trial will also take place here in the hall and will continue until all six Chosen Heroes have been selected, stand upon the holy gates, and are blessed by the goddess.”
As she spoke, Yuna gently waved her sleeve. The six round gates that had just been built suddenly lit up with holy golden light. Six mysterious glowing symbols, written in the [Ancient Niel language], slowly floated above each gate like stars, causing the whole crowd to gasp in amazement.
“As you can see,” she continued, “the blessings from the goddess have gathered upon these six sacred gates. When you complete the third trial, the divine mark on your hand will be completed. If you then step onto a gate and face the goddess, you may become a true Chosen Hero. However before that, there are some extra rules I need to explain.”
With just a few calm words, she captured the full attention of everyone present, especially the 57 participants. Unlike the mysterious style of the first two Saintesses during the previous trials, Yuna chose to clearly explain what was coming.
“This third trial is not a test of strength or power. It’s a test of your understanding of the world, of all living things, and of the path you walk.”
“Each gate’s blessing is connected to one of the [Six-Line Array Palace] from the previous trial. So first, please split up and stand by the gate that matches the Gate you entered during the last trial.”
Yuna’s words were clear. In fact, most of the participants had already guessed this meaning when they saw the symbols on the gates and realized they matched the six Gates and the number of Chosen Heroes to be selected.
Without hesitation, they followed her instructions and stood near the gate that matched the symbol of the Gate they had previously entered.
The shape of the final trial now became clear.
There were obvious differences in the number of people standing behind each of the six gates. For example, behind the Heaven gate, there were only three people, who had just returned from facing a small dragon god. But behind the Underworld gate, nearly twenty people were gathered.
Since each gate could only produce one Chosen Hero, this also meant that the level of competition was very different depending on the group.
Choosing six out of 57 is one thing, but choosing one out of 20? That’s clearly going to be much harder.
Some of the participants standing under the more crowded gates couldn’t help but show slightly helpless expressions.
It would be a lie to say that they didn’t care about the title of Chosen Hero. After all, they had fought their way through millions of others to reach this point. Now that they were so close, just one step away, if they failed in the end simply because there were too few spots available… they would feel like crying, but with no tears left to shed.
But before they could say anything, Yuna, the Bright Light Saintess and host of the trial, spoke up herself.
“You may be thinking right now, each gate has such a different number of people, yet only one Chosen Hero can come from each. Doesn’t that seem unfair to those with more competitors?”
“But let me be clear, the number of people on each gate doesn’t decide who will win. You are not stuck with the gate you are currently under. In the final trial, if you have the ability, you may still switch to a gate with fewer people.”
Seeing the surprised and confused looks from many of the fifty-seven candidates, the Saintess continued in a calm and patient voice.
“The goddess is the source of all things. Every word and action from her carries deep meaning. The number six is not a random choice. It represents all things in this world, created by the Primordial Light. The six Chosen Heroes each have their own roles and strengths, and together they form a complete whole. Only someone who truly fits the role can take that place.”
“Do what your strength allows. Which position you can qualify for depends on your own ability. This is a fair system.”
Yuna gave a gentle smile.
“I know, each of you standing here is one in a million, truly exceptional. So if I tell you some of you may not be good enough, it’s natural that you may not believe me right away. But the next trial will show everything… The judgment of the goddess is never wrong.”
With those words, she ignored any reactions from the 57 remaining contestants. Yuna quietly closed her eyes, brought her hands together in a prayer gesture, and held her breath in deep concentration.
A soft humming sound filled the air.
The Holy Crown she wore on her head, the first of the Holy Empire’s three Holy Artifacts, known as the [Crownless Crown], slowly rose into the air, floating about three inches in front of her chest. A rainbow-colored light radiated from within the crown, swirling and shining brilliantly around both the artifact and the Saintess herself. It turned into a large, dazzling ring of light.
Bathed in this divine glow, Yuna began to slowly float off the ground, rising more than ten feet into the air without anything supporting her. Behind her, the huge statue of the goddess also started to glow faintly, then transformed into a golden, winged illusion, six wings spreading from its back, as it looked down on all beings from behind Yuna’s figure.
“Oh my god, this is…!”
“The goddess! The goddess has descended again through the body of the Saintess!”
“Praise the goddess!!!”
A huge and overwhelming pressure, vast like the ocean, suddenly fell across the hall. The crowd shouted in awe and excitement. Many people knelt down in worship.
The 57 participants all felt a heavy force on their shoulders and, without even meaning to, dropped to one knee.
Yuna’s voice, powerful and sacred yet calm and steady like a divine truth, echoed through the Holy Capital.
“The goddess has three questions. First, why do you fight?”