[Vol. 8] Chapter 152: Light Given by the Goddess, the Staff of Eternal Radiance
In the end, even though Elunie had followed the strange voice in her dreams, a woman she didn’t know, and that mysterious calling that pulled her all the way here, she had never truly believed she could become one of the Chosen.
The real reason she kept going until now was actually kind of silly.
After hearing that the rewards were very generous, she just wanted to earn more gold coins from the Church, so she could bring them back and thank all the uncles and aunties in her village who had cared for her all these years… That was really all.
She couldn’t understand...
Just as the girl, who had been suddenly chosen and shocked everyone, was feeling confused and anxious, the Bright Light Saintess, floating high in the air, spoke again.
“Brave One of Heaven, please step onto the holy platform.”
“Ah—yes… okay!”
No matter what, it was clear she couldn’t openly go against the Saintess or the will of the Goddess.
Feeling helpless, Elunie bowed her head respectfully. Even though she couldn’t see, her senses clearly picked up the emotions around her. Mr. Farnell’s surprised admiration, Miss Nolan’s slightly sharp stare, and all the looks from the other candidates and the watching crowd.
She lifted her small wooden staff and, feeling the direction of the [Gate of Heaven], slowly walked forward, guided by the platform’s call.
No one dared to question the Goddess’s choice, and no one interrupted the sacred ritual.
Step by step, Elunie climbed the platform. And the moment she stood in place. Her small body blended with the mysterious light, which suddenly grew many times brighter and soared into the sky!
“Vmm~!”
A glowing mark made of golden [Ancient Niel language] quietly appeared on her forehead. At the same time, a beam of light flew in from the Grand Hall and entered the small wooden staff she always carried with her, a plain and ordinary stick.
“Ah…!”
In that moment, Elunie felt the staff in her hand suddenly become burning hot, like red-hot iron. The pain in her palm was so sharp it almost made her drop it. But just as she was about to let go, a deep, powerful voice seemed to whisper in her heart.
‘If you let go now, you will lose something that will be your most important support and companion in the future.’
So, no matter how painful it was, she must not give up.
Besides… compared to the pain they experienced when the little Dragon God tested them with divine fire, this was actually easier to handle. Back then, Elunie hadn’t even had the choice to give up, and ever since, her ability to endure pain had become much stronger.
So the girl simply clenched her teeth and held onto her staff without saying a word.
What Elunie didn’t see was that at that very moment, the old, worn-down wooden stick, which had been made by villagers from some common tree and had been with her for decades, was changing.
The decayed surface and rough bark were falling away quickly, and underneath it revealed a pure, golden glow, smooth like polished gemstone.
Beautiful, divine symbols started to float around the staff, shining like a weapon sent by the heavens, sending out waves of great power!
From old and broken to sacred and mighty, this was the true miracle of the Goddess.
As the crowd shouted and cheered with wild excitement, the burning pain slowly faded.
And then, the blind girl from the Lightborn race was shocked to discover something she had never dreamed of.
Since the day she was born, her world had always been complete darkness. But now, as some divine force spread through her body, she could suddenly "see". It was like a thick fog had been blown away.
For the first time ever, she wasn’t just touching the world with her hands or guessing it through feelings or other people’s words. She could finally see everything around her.
The invisible and shapeless Light that filled the world had now taken the place of her eyes.
Everything touched by this light was reflected in a “virtual world” created in Elunie’s mind. In that space, she could clearly “see” all things.
She saw the glowing platform beneath her feet,
She saw the six wings of a divine mark on the back of her hand,
She saw the beautiful saintess floating in the sky, and the countless people all around her.
Finally, her "sight" naturally turned to the towering statue of the Goddess in the center of the square. A strong wave of emotion rose in her chest, she felt like crying, filled with deep thankfulness and faith.
But she didn’t cry or show any weakness. She quickly shifted her “gaze” downward and saw something new:
Her staff, the one she had always carried but had never truly seen before. Now appeared before her eyes for the first time.
It was a long, golden staff, sacred and beautiful, as if it had become part of her own body. She felt like she was starting to understand something, but her heart was also full of shock.
“Is this… Sister Goddess’s blessing?” she murmured softly.
Just then, the statue of the Goddess behind the Bright Light Saintess began to glow with golden light. A voice that was different from Yuna Summerfield’s, yet just as powerful and sacred, a voice that had once echoed in this very square, returned once more.
[Elunie Light, your heart is pure and simple. Your will is strong and unyielding. In the trial of the Chosen, you have shown great talent and deep understanding of the world. Now, as the Brave One of Heaven, I grant you the divine weapon, the [Staff of Eternal Radiance]. May the holy light be your eyes, And may you guide people to drive away the darkness and walk into the future.]
The voice of the Goddess was not as loud as the Saintess’s voice that had echoed across the land, but it carried a sacred power and respect that made almost everyone in the crowd bow down in awe.
Even Yuna, without hesitation, dimmed her divine light and floated down from the sky. Just like the others, she knelt respectfully on one knee before the Goddess.
“Praise the Goddess!”
“The [Staff of Eternal Radiance]…”
At this point, Elunie finally understood everything she had felt before.
The plain wooden stick had become a divine weapon. She, who had never seen the world with her own eyes, had now gained the power of sight. This was truly the miracle of the Goddess. And with such a miracle, how could the Goddess’s choice be wrong?
Her doubts and hesitation faded.
On top of the holy platform, Elunie knelt with joy and respect, offering her thanks.
“Thank you, Goddess! I… I’ll do my best!”
Now that the first chosen hero had received her title and gift, the divine presence that had appeared once again fell silent for a moment. Then, its invisible but powerful gaze slowly turned toward the five remaining holy platforms, which were still empty.
The meaning was clear.
The other thirty or so candidates below felt a wave of excitement and hope rise in their hearts.
A divine weapon was one of the rewards for becoming a Chosen Hero, and it was a real one!
Even across the entire world, the number of true “divine weapons” could be counted on one hand. Among them, the most famous were the three sacred treasures passed down by the three Saintesses of the Holy Empire, powerful items that were a key reason for the empire’s strength and success.
To wield one of these as a mere human, to fight disasters like a figure from legend, the power of a true divine weapon was beyond what anyone could imagine.
Since there would be six Chosen Heroes, and they would work together as equals, the Goddess giving the first one a divine weapon meant the other five would surely receive the same.
The “Three Questions of the God” had all been answered.
The Bright Light Saintess had not removed anyone from the trial. Now that she had come down from the sky, it meant that everyone still present had passed and might be chosen.
It was like the moment right before the final results of an important test were revealed…
How could they not feel nervous and full of hope?