In the sacred and elegant main hall of the church, a young girl kneels alone, silently praying before the holy and graceful statue of the goddess.
Pure white light streams in through the church windows, illuminating the girl’s golden hair, which is as transparent and clear as crystal, reflecting an immaculate radiance.
“Great and exalted Goddess of Light, I praise Your na. You are the embodint of dawn and hope, the first ray of light in the world, the master of all beauty and brightness...”
“Click...”
The church doors are gently pushed open, and a Holy Knight in white armor steps in slowly, coming to stand beside the girl.
Unperturbed, the golden-haired girl in her holy robe and crown continues her unhurried prayer.
“Offering my sincere prayers to You, may the Holy Light be bestowed upon , dispelling evil and clearing my heart... Great and exalted Goddess of Light, I praise Your na, You are the embodint of dawn and hope...”
The Holy Knight remains silent, and the girl does not pause.
Only when she has completed the prayer in the most devout manner, the fundantal prayer all mbers of the Goddess Church are required to learn, does she gently, with a voice as lodious as a stringed instrunt, slowly ask without turning her head.
“Is there sothing you need from , Holy Knight Clatius?”
“... Have the 999 prayers required for today been completed?”
At these words, the girl slowly rose and turned around. With her hands naturally clasped at her abdon, her crystal-clear, flowing golden hair reflected a soft, hazy light, presenting a pure and sacred appearance. She greeted the young Holy Knight with a serene smile.
“Holy Knight Clatius, praying to the gods is ant to temper our will, strengthen our faith, and express our reverence and longing for the light, not rely a task. Your heart seems troubled, is sothing wrong?”
After a mont of silence, Clatius responded with a change of subject.
“The investigation results of the recent incident in the Star River have co out.”
Seemingly unfazed by the deliberate topic shift, the young girl, who looked to be in the bloom of youth, showed so curiosity.
“Oh? What incredible presence guided the gathering of the Flying Star fish? Hundreds of flying stars erging from the water—this is a phenonon unprecedented in the history of the Holy Empire. I still vividly rember the Pope’s expression upon hearing the news.”
Recalling sothing interesting, the girl couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh softly. Even this small gesture didn’t diminish her pure and unblemished aura. Instead, it added a touch of liveliness and charm.
Discussing this matter, Clatius’s expression beca more serious and solemn. After a mont of reflection, he said slowly.
“The Knights Templars found the fisherman who was surrounded by the Flying Star fish at that ti. He is an ordinary elderly man living locally, a recluse whose wife passed away a few years ago, and his children work in Angel City. The knights have thoroughly checked his background—it’s very clean, with no suspicious points.”
“According to him, there were a total of five people on the boat besides himself, all young and beautiful girls who seed to be tourists from outside the Holy Empire. They were generous but approachable, and they rarely put on airs in their speech or behavior.”
“Based on this description, the temple commissioned an artist to create a general portrait of the one who made the deepest impression.”
With a flash of golden light from the emblem on his chest, Clatius produced a beautifully frad, sealed painting and handed it to the golden-haired girl.
She took it but did not imdiately open it. Instead, she gazed with slightly pitying, clear eyes at the four-winged emblem on the Holy Knight’s neck and shook her head helplessly.
“You’ve already reached this position, yet you still refuse to reclaim your true identity?”
Though it sounded sowhat ambiguous, both Clatius and the girl seed to understand its aning well. Seeing the Holy Knight remain silent, she said no more and simply unfurled the scroll to examine the portrait of the girl.
After a long ti, she folded it back up.
“Have you found any leads on her whereabouts?”
At this, a flicker of unusual light seed to pass through the Holy Knight’s eyes before he quickly shook his head.
“Based on the rough features provided by the old man, we are working hard to investigate. However, his descriptions were too vague, and there are many groups that fit the general situation. I’ve even encountered so myself recently, but to find an exact match... especially for the whereabouts of the person in the portrait, we haven’t found any leads yet.”
“Hmm, we need to expedite the search. Flying Star fish are sacred beasts, their perception of the light is infallible. Among those individuals, there must be an exceptionally distinguished presence. Since the old man rembered her so vividly, it’s likely this woman in the portrait.”
Seemingly concerned, the girl continued with further instructions.
“In recent years, miracles have frequently occurred in the world—such as the phenona in the forests of the western Human United Kingdom, the anomalies in the Forbidden Land, the capital of the Azure Sky Kingdom, and also the divine grace bestowed upon Miss Cecilia from the Cecilia family. These events are far from coincidental. Perhaps the goddess has truly sent an emissary to walk among us.”
“Every word and action of the gods must carry profound significance. Additionally, with the recent resurgence of demonic disturbances and the increasingly complex dostic situation... As the most devout followers of the Light, we must find the divine emissary as quickly as possible, be the first to receive the divine commands, and seek the goddess’s guidance. Clatius, you are stationed in Sacred Star City, a critical location in the west. This matter must be handled with the utmost care.”
With an impassive nod, the Holy Knight, whose thoughts were not apparent, simply responded.
“Understood. I will mobilize every effort to search, but to be honest, if the goddess’s emissary intends to avoid detection, relying solely on human strength may just be a waste of ti.”
At these words, the girl’s face once again displayed a pure and gentle smile, like golden light descending within the sanctuary. Her pure, flawless devotion almost made Clatius avert his gaze, unable to et her eyes.
“A God do not act without purpose. The very existence of Light represents hope and redemption. We seek, worship, and offer praise to the goddess not necessarily to receive a response. As long as we move toward Her presence, suffering will be alleviated and our souls will be purified. The important thing is the process, not the outco. Do you understand?”
“... Perhaps.”
The girl, not perturbed by Clatius’s slight skepticism, shifted her tone.
“By the way, do not make a fuss about this matter, and do not report the true situation to His Holiness the Pope. I will handle the explanation myself.”
Clatius looked slightly taken aback, raising his head to et the girl’s still pure and transparent gaze, furrowing his brows.
“So, are you making this request as my older sister, Yuna Sumrfield, or as the head of the Sumrfield family, or perhaps... the Bright Light Saintess?”
The girl smiled slightly. Her golden crown, crafted like a polished gem, shone with an unblemished brilliance in the church’s light, giving her an ethereal, saintly appearance.
“As a faithful servant of the goddess~”
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