[Vol. 8] Chapter 155: The Beginning of a New Era
During the earlier trials, Farnell Stephens had kept trying to talk to the two girls, always acting like a flirty playboy who couldn’t think straight around pretty faces.
So Nolan didn’t expect that in such a critical moment, he would actually stay so calm and clear-headed, and not show her even the slightest bit of support. This was a serious misjudgment on her part…
Seeing that the person she most wanted to win over remained unmoved, the Crown Princess bit her lip, then looked back up at the glowing statue of the Goddess and once again made her request.
“Your Divineness, I, Nolan, did not mean to cause trouble. I only wish for a fair chance to compete. Please, show mercy and grant this request.”
After speaking, she fell silent, closed her eyes, and waited nervously for the result. The other candidates she had tried to win over also hesitated. But since Farnell had taken the lead by not supporting her, in the end none of them chose to stand with her.
The Crown Princess was left kneeling alone, bearing the pressure of countless eyes on her back, like invisible thorns pricking her skin, a terrible, suffocating weight.
It was hard to blame the others for not taking the risk. After all, by making it this far in the trial, they had already gained a lot, even if they weren’t chosen as heroes.
Unlike Nolan, they didn’t have her overwhelming strength, powerful background, or desperate need to succeed. So, between chasing a slim chance and risking angering the Church and questioning the Goddess, it was safer and smarter to stay quiet.
After a silence as heavy as death, the will of the Goddess finally responded. But the Goddess did not explain anything or speak at length. She simply asked Nolan three calm, teacher-like questions.
[Then, Nolan Sinong, in your eyes, what is a ‘weakling’? What is the true purpose of choosing divine heroes? Is there really only one answer to the thing you seek and the duty you carry?]
After asking these questions, the Goddess fell silent.
As surprise and confusion slowly appeared on the cold and beautiful face of the Crown Princess, a new sacred altar suddenly lit up with a loud hum. A beam of divine light shot out from it, and shone on a man standing beside her, a knight with seven swords hanging at his waist…
One of the Holy Knights.
There was no need for Saintess Yuna to make any announcements. The Goddess’s voice echoed clearly across the plaza, shaking everyone again.
[Bowen Bernard, your faith is pure and unwavering. You have endured life and death across two lifetimes, witnessed the rise and fall of all things. Through your faith, you have overcome desire and emotion. Now, I name you the “Hero of Humanity.” I grant you the divine artifact, the [Saint’s Cross]. May you use it to drive away evil, protect the light in your heart, and lead people on the right path.]
The young knight in shining white armor blinked in surprise. As holy light surged into his body, his face filled with shock and joy, a very natural, very human reaction. Without hesitation, he knelt down in deep respect.
“Yes! I will follow Your guidance with all my heart! Though I am not worthy, I, Bowen, offer my life in service to Your teachings!”
He quickly stood up and stepped firmly onto the Gate of Human.
Once again, divine light rushed down from the sacred hall, merging with the four-winged emblem on his chest and transforming it into a uniquely shaped platinum cross. It gave off a pure and calming glow, clearing the heart and mind.
Now, three of the six divine heroes had been chosen.
While everyone silently wondered who the other three heroes might be, something surprising happened, the Gates of Underworld, Ghost, and Beasts all lit up at the same time!
The six sacred altars then joined together to create a holy veil of light, covering the glowing statue of the Goddess and blocking it from view. Three beams of light rushed into the veil from the sacred hall. But this time, the Goddess did not announce any names or titles. Instead, Her powerful voice declared.
[I grant these six divine heroes their positions, in order to guide the people through the coming disasters. Light and darkness, life and death, they are all part of balance. The three heroes of Heaven, Humanity, and Asura shall carry the light and walk the world, bringing salvation to all. This is the way of Light.]
[The three heroes of Underworld, Ghost, and Beasts are not known to the world. They will walk the edge of the dark realm, protecting all living beings in places where no one can see. Because of this, their names, their identities, and the sacred weapons they hold will be kept secret. This is what we call ‘the dark.’]
[Everyone must remember, although the six divine heroes have different roles and do different things, their status is equal. They are all chosen by Me, all carry My light and protection. Together, they will fight for the future of this world.]
[My children, bless them, and follow in their footsteps. In the near future, these six shining stars… will become the guiding lights that show the way forward. In the great disaster that is coming, unity will be our only hope for survival.]
“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!”
All six sacred altars lit up at the same time with brilliant rays of light. They rose into the sky and surrounded the statue of the Supreme Goddess, forming a powerful protection. This divine scene could be seen across the entire Holy Empire, spreading the will of the Goddess to every corner of the land.
“Praise the Goddess!!! We will follow Your teachings!!!!”
The crowd cheered loudly with excitement. The trial to choose the divine heroes came to a perfect end.
But at that moment, no one truly knew...
This was also the start of a brand-new era.
………………………………………
After that, the long-awaited Holy Pope finally appeared with the Three Saintesses, giving a speech about the current situation and the world war that was about to begin.
At that moment, the capital was filled not only with citizens of the Holy Empire, but also with many powerful people from around the world, even from enemy factions. So Edwina, being very smart, didn’t focus on blaming the Austre Empire for the conflict.
Instead, she chose to talk about the recent series of assassination attempts, the riots in the Holy Capital, which many had seen with their own eyes, and the rise of the strange evil cult known as the [World Sustainers].
By doing this, even though the main war opponent was still the Austre Empire’s Emperor, she cleverly avoided turning it into a sensitive issue between nations or races. She even made the Austre Empire look like a victim, as if the war was only caused by a few bad decisions from its leaders.
This way, she avoided pushing neutral people or strong warriors to hate the Holy Empire too much. At the same time, she weakened the Austre Empire’s position by lowering its image in public before the war even started.
Once the so-called “true enemies” finally show up and prove the Church’s warnings were real, it’s likely that anti-war feelings inside the Empire will quickly grow.
Of course, that clever plan wouldn’t have happened without the help of a certain priestess.
Since that Emperor of the Austre Empire liked hiding in the background and playing dirty tricks, it was only fair that Violet fought back and tripped him up in return.
That night, a black-haired girl walked through the streets of the Holy Capital with her dragon girl, feeling happy. She had just finished a lot of annoying work, and successfully set a trap for that guy.
With that, the heroes selection was officially complete. Although there were still some small issues to deal with, they didn’t affect the big picture anymore. What comes next, like assigning tasks to the new heroes, was something for the Goddess of Life to figure out.
After all, this whole thing had started because of Sethlin.
She was the one who kept acting like a mysterious goddess in front of everyone, saying weird things no one could understand. Violet was already feeling super embarrassed, she was about to explode from secondhand shame.
That goddess had to take responsibility for something, right?
Hehe~ Finally off work!