[Vol. 8] Chapter 157: The Banquet
Because of this, the priestess sent the dragon girl to meet the Pure Snow tribe girl who had come from the north. She gave her the name "Violet" and showed some simple goodwill. Just saying that if the girl trusted her, they could consider working together in the future... and that was all.
The priestess didn't act too warmly, and she didn’t show up in person either. After all, Nolan had openly defied a god during the hero Trial, which had already angered many and made her the center of attention. If the priestess had acted like she didn't care at all, it would have made others suspicious. So this kind of minimal contact was actually the best choice.
But now it seems… that person was even more cautious than expected. Or maybe the secrets she carries are so important that she can't afford to take any risks. That’s probably why she chose to leave this place, where she was no longer welcome, and not even attend tonight’s banquet…
It’s a bit of a pity not to have found out what exactly she's hiding. But Nolan’s actions in themselves also send a kind of silent message, they indirectly reveal a lot, so it’s not like they learned nothing.
From the brief contact with Violet in the "Gate of Human," one can guess that this might be related to the snow tribe’s former protector, the Ice God, Sinong.
Based on information from some old texts, the Ice God didn’t vanish like the other gods a thousand years ago. Instead, He stayed alone in the far north of the world, always keeping in touch with his followers and descendants. That’s also the main reason why the [Eternal Winter Temple] remains strong to this day.
Before, the priestess wasn’t sure if this information was true. Maybe the so-called Ice God was just like the Sky God once worshipped in the far southern country, a fake name made up by a divine follower for some reason. But Nolan Sinong’s existence had made Violet start to change her mind.
Nolan truly carried divine blood in her body. The eight-petaled snowflake mark in her eyes was the real divine emblem of a god's follower. Since the emblem still exists, it means that the Ice God, Sinong, should still be alive, or at least not completely destroyed like the God of the Azure Sea and Truth.
However, based on the illusion from the High Priest of the [Eternal Winter Temple] and from hints in their past conversations, it seems they haven’t been able to contact their god for a long time. Because of this, some hidden dangers have started to grow worse over time, forcing Nolan Sinong to look for another way, like coming to the Holy Empire to seek help from another goddess.
That’s probably the situation for now, but these are still just Violet’s guesses.
More than a third of the known world is separated from the southern regions by a vast, freezing land. That’s why the northern countries developed such a different culture.
The priestess had always wanted to travel to the far north one day, but because of the harsh environment and many other problems, she hasn’t been able to go. Maybe… when things settle down here…
Thinking of this, the black-haired girl shook her head.
“Oh well. Since she doesn’t want to talk to us, there’s no need to force it. If fate allows, we’ll meet again someday. Come on… let’s go to the banquet.”
“Okay.”
Pushing aside all the unfinished thoughts and guesses, Violet walked into the hotel with her dragon girl.
As soon as they stepped into the Holy Grand Hotel’s main lobby, the scene before them suddenly changed.
Above the dome, golden magic lamps cast dazzling light as bright as the sun, making the entire hall glow like it was daytime. On both sides, white jade pillars were carved with intricate holy patterns, each line seemed to whisper ancient blessings. The air was filled with a soft scent of incense and flowers, making people feel calm and peaceful, as if they weren’t in a hotel, but in a grand and sacred cathedral.
It was luxurious and splendid, with beautiful music in the air.
As a national-level banquet to celebrate the birth of the chosen hero, the Holy Empire had naturally decorated the evening party to the highest standard. Led by the maids who guided the guests through the hall, everything the priestess passed was full of golden light and beautiful music. The soft carpet stretched all the way from the entrance to the end. Every small detail showed off the great strength and deep heritage of the Holy Empire, undoubtedly the most powerful nation in the world. It was truly a stunning sight.
It was both a show of strength… and a silent warning.
Violet immediately saw through the Goddess Church’s deeper reason for spending so much money to make the banquet so fancy.
The success of the chosen hero also meant that the war at the borders was about to begin. The Austre Empire definitely didn’t want the Holy Empire to finish choosing and gathering its heroes, but after so many of their secret plots, organized by the forces behind the “World Sustainers”, had been crushed, they clearly no longer had the power to stop what was coming.
Since schemes and sneak attacks no longer worked, the only thing left was a direct war. The longer they waited, the stronger the chosen heroes would become, and their influence would spread further. That would make things worse for the Austre Empire and its allies. So their emperor would likely launch a full attack soon, trying to win quickly and break the Holy Empire’s main forces before the heroes became too powerful.
The buffer zone between the two countries might see the first real battles in just a few days. This would set off a chain reaction, pulling in allies and smaller nations on both sides, one after another. That’s why winning over powerful people and the forces behind them was extremely important right now.
And that was one of the main goals of this banquet.
Of course, such political matters were something Edwina and the Three Saintesses would deal with. The priestess herself had no intention of getting involved, unless the Austre Empire broke all rules and used a force greater than god-level to flip the whole board. Otherwise, Violet didn’t plan to interfere in the war at all.
Power below god-level, no matter how strong, couldn’t decide the outcome of a world war by itself. Besides, both sides had powerful people holding each other back, so things were mostly balanced overall.
Soon, the two girls arrived at the banquet hall. After guiding them, the maid bowed and quietly walked back the way she came. Just then, someone who had been waiting near the entrance noticed them. Her eyes lit up, and she walked over quickly, complaining as she came.
“Miss Violet, Miss Xiao Guang, you’re finally here! I thought you two weren’t going to come tonight...”
Seeing the familiar girl from the Lightborn Tribe, the priestess couldn’t help but smile.
“Today is a big day for all you brave heroes. It’s an honor to be invited. I wouldn’t dare act all high and mighty. I just had something to take care of, so I came a little late. Sorry about that~”
“What do you mean ‘brave heroes’... Hearing that from you just feels weird. Honestly, I still feel like I’m dreaming...”