The procession of the Holy Church of Light moved forward.
Led personally by the gaunt King of Carter, they advanced slowly along the red-carpeted King's Avenue toward the Upper District.
The King even had to lean on the Guardian Knight beside him—a man whose presence was as steady as a mountain—to barely remain standing.
His cloudy eyes could hardly focus.
All of the welcoming remarks were delivered on his behalf by that Guardian Knight.
After waiting for about one shichen (two hours), the church's procession finally passed through completely.
The soldiers who had blockaded the road finally withdrew.
The crowded masses were permitted to pass once more.
The streets were immediately filled with fervent discussions about the Holy Church of Light, and specifically, that Saintess.
"Her Holiness the Saintess is simply too beautiful. She looks like she walked right out of a painting..."
"I heard her Prophecy can peer into the future. I wonder what she will see this time?"
"I just hope the next Dark Tide doesn't manifest in our borderlands... otherwise, everything is finished..."
Voices in the crowd were a mixture of awe, curiosity, and deep anxiety.
Simon led Lin Gui through the gradually dispersing crowd and asked casually with a smile, "Mr. Lin Gui, what did you think of Her Holiness the Saintess?"
Lin Gui's answer was very succinct: "I have no opinion."
He only wanted to stay far away from these religious zealots.
In fact, before he had even set out for the Adventurer's Guild, he had already told Theia to leave the Royal Capital ahead of time to hide out in a nearby abandoned mine.
He instinctively maintained his distance and vigilance regarding the Holy Church of Light.
...
Meanwhile, in the Main Hall of the Carter Palace.
The atmosphere was solemn and oppressive.
The Holy Saintess of Light sat in the guest seat, level with the throne.
To outsiders, she projected a majesty that was gentle yet distant, a sacredness that brooked no desecration.
The Holy Church's knights protecting her stood tall around the room, each one looking lean and capable with extraordinary strength.
Specifically, the two Disciplinary Knights standing to her left and right emitted a pressure that was clearly at the Mid-tier Legendary rank.
None of the Carter nobles present dared to look directly at the Saintess, one after another dropping humbly to one knee.
At that moment, an attendant hurried to Guardian Knight Rhode's side and whispered into his ear.
"Lord Rhode, the Eldest Princess's whereabouts are unknown, and the Second Prince has refused to come..."
"As for the royalty present, only the Seventh Princess Elvia, the Third Prince Charles, and a few princesses who were married down are in attendance."
Rhode's brow furrowed slightly. He leaned into the ear of the glassy-eyed King and relayed the news in a low voice.
A faint, dissatisfied grunt escaped the King's throat.
Though slight, it made the nobles who had been watching him closely shudder in their hearts.
Third Prince Charles could not suppress the look of joy spreading across his face.
He didn't know the specific reason, but for his two most significant competitors to be absent simultaneously on such a critical occasion was undoubtedly heavenly news!
Standing slightly further back, Elvia kept her head lowered, but the corners of her mouth curled into an imperceptible arc as she laughed inwardly.
Third Brother, go ahead and be as happy as you like.
When I 'interrogated' our eldest sister yesterday, the Voice Mimicry magic tool I used sounded about seventy to eighty percent like you...
I really look forward to seeing how our eldest sister will 'repay' this 'generous gift' of yours once she regains her freedom.
Just as she was enjoying her secret amusement, she suddenly felt a gaze land on her.
She looked up subconsciously and happened to meet the eyes of the Saintess, who had at some point "looked" in her direction.
She saw the Saintess give her an extremely subtle smile and a slight nod.
Elvia: "???"
She was filled with confusion; she had never met this Saintess before, so what was the meaning of that?
After the King and the Saintess exchanged several hollow and pointless pleasantries through the Guardian Knight, they finally got down to business.
The core purpose of the Saintess's visit to the Carter Royal Capital was to perform the Prophecy in public and reveal the capital's future.
The result of the prophecy would directly determine the fate of the Carter Royal Capital.
If the future vision showed a wasteland of ruins, it would mean that the next devastating Dark Tide would be born in the borderlands.
The King of Carter would be the first to fall and would have no hope of escape.
If it showed prosperity, it would mean the capital would survive.
To persuade the Saintess to perform this prophecy regarding the nation's fate, the old King had nearly emptied his personal treasury. He had even allowed his royal power to decline further, as the major noble factions carved out a significant portion of his authority for themselves.
The result of this prophecy was vital to every single person in the Carter Royal Capital—especially for those in high positions of power.
In the face of the terrifying waves of the Dark Tide, there was no fundamental difference between a powerful Legendary pillar and a lowly refugee.
Both would be reduced to nothingness in an instant.
As for fleeing... except for Title Rank Epic experts, no one had ever escaped once a Dark Tide descended.
The moment a Dark Tide was detected, every demon within a thousand li radius would riot. All Golden Routes would be rendered useless.
The Carter Royal Capital's last Epic expert had already fallen in battle ten years ago.
At this moment, every high-ranking individual in the hall held their breath, even their respirations becoming faint.
Even Elvia cast aside her previous confusion and secret joy, gazing solemnly at the Saintess.
The Saintess's next sentence would be like a final judgment of life and death, determining the survival of this capital and its million inhabitants.
Even though the sun was shining brightly outside the windows, the hall was frighteningly quiet, enough to hear a pin drop.
The Saintess did not decline.
A High Rank nun behind her held out a divine staff inlaid with a massive, pure gemstone that flowed with a soft radiance, presenting it solemnly to her.
The supreme treasure of the Holy Church of Light, the divine artifact—the Staff of Theia.
Holding the divine staff and trailing her magnificent ritual robes, the Saintess walked slowly past the kneeling nobles. She reached the massive balcony opposite the throne, a place that offered a view over most of the Royal Capital.
She stood still, overlooking the rings of the city at the foot of Stellar Mountain.
She raised the Staff of Theia high with both hands.
In the next instant, her perpetually half-closed eyes snapped open!
Those eyes were like the purest amethysts.
At this moment, deep within her eyes, countless tiny magic circles composed of light were spinning and nesting at high speeds!
An indescribable and vast pressure diffused outward with her as the center, holy and ancient.
Above her head, a blurred yet incomparably exalted female deity phantom, emitting endless radiance and majesty, slowly emerged.
The phantom's gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, observing the past and future of the Royal Capital.
The entire palace, and even the sky above the Royal Capital, were blanketed by this grand image.
After a long time, the light faded, and the deity phantom slowly dissipated.
The Saintess lowered the staff, the magic circles in her eyes vanishing, and she panted slightly.
Her voice, carrying a hint of etherealness and exhaustion, spread clearly throughout the hall.
"I see a deathly thick fog shrouding broken towers and crumbling palaces."
"I see... new sprouts, growing tenaciously within the cracks of the ruins."
"Golden sunlight piercing through the gloom, shining upon an entirely new kingdom."
These words left everyone stunned, looking at each other in confusion.
Guardian Knight Rhode stepped forward quickly and inquired respectfully, "Honorable Saintess, might I ask... does the future Carter Royal Capital still exist?"
The Saintess slowly closed her eyes, seemingly recalling and confirming that blurred vision.
Finally, she gave a light nod.
Boom—!
In an instant, a massive wave of joy swept through the entire palace!
The oppressive silence was replaced by frantic cheering and excited chatter!
As long as the capital remained, as long as it wasn't completely destroyed by the Dark Tide, that was the best news possible!
A corner of the old King's stiff face seemed to twitch very slightly.
The attendant beside him understood immediately and, using all the power in his lungs, announced loudly, "His Majesty decrees! To celebrate the gospel brought by Her Holiness the Saintess, the national treasury shall be opened! A general amnesty is declared, and the entire city shall celebrate for three days!"
The order spread quickly, and the palace—inside and out—soon fell into a sea of joy.
Only the Saintess had no expression of joy on her face.
She stood there quietly, appearing out of place amidst the surrounding revelry.
Only a long time later, when no one was paying attention, did the corner of her lips curl into an extremely faint smile of ambiguous meaning.
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