Chapter 7 The Young Girl’s Worries
Sitting in the church was indeed a young priest. A simple white cassock was draped over him, and the divine power that lingered in mid-air had yet to fade, giving his handsome face a solemn expression.
The priest also saw Ig and immediately stood up in surprise, “Your Excellency, you’ve returned? I heard from the villagers that a young swordsman went to hunt down the bandits plaguing this place. By the looks of it, you have already eliminated those thieves and bandits?”
He suddenly stood up, his expression solemn, and respectfully saluted Ig, “If that is so, may the God of Light bear witness, Your Excellency, please allow me to thank you for your benevolence on behalf of the residents of this place.”
“You flatter me, it was merely a simple task,” Ig replied with a shake of his head. After all, he was a powerful figure who had already reached the peak of the Sacred Domain, only a thin veil away from legend. Even suppressing his cultivation, facing bandits who were at most platinum rank was indeed as easy as raising a hand.
“May I ask, Your Excellency the Priest, what is your name?”
“You may call me Clement,” the priest replied, looking up.
According to the priest, he was from a monastery in the western border of the Empire, and he had studied under the local archbishop. He was passing through this place to pay homage to the Holy City.
Ig nodded. The priest before him was indeed young, only in his early twenties, yet he already possessed platinum cultivation. While far from comparable to him, it was still quite good.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Ig always felt a vague sense about this young priest, as if the actual situation was not as simple as what he saw.
“However, you mentioned going to the City of Holy Light, Clement? Is it to pay homage to the Pope of Light?” Ig asked, looking up.
Priest Clement said seriously, “The City of Holy Light is the origin of light. Currently, the Holy City is under the control of the Pope’s Holy Seat. Regardless, I am a believer of God, and even if light burns me, I should see his true form.”
Ig nodded.
“By the way, Your Excellency, are you and that young lady from the elven kingdom?” the priest suddenly asked with renewed interest, looking up.
Ig’s pupils contracted slightly as he saw the bright spark in the other’s eyes.
“The plague here is not ordinary, and even the divine arts taught by my teacher are difficult to overcome. However, that young lady easily treated many patients. I sensed her magic, with a rich life aura surging within…”
Excitement appeared in the priest’s eyes. “If I’m not mistaken, the divine arts that young lady performed must be the power of Silushelis, the Goddess of Life from elven beliefs, that my teacher spoke of!”
Ig did not expect to be discovered so easily by this priest. However, changing his mind, he realized that perhaps that young lady had no intention of hiding anything, so he smiled.
“Indeed, I am a knight serving the Goddess Princess.”
Upon hearing Ig’s reply, the priest’s eyes brightened, and he continued, “I heard that the elven goddess has awakened. Since you are knights and divine officials of the Goddess of Life, and you have come to the Empire, are you also heading to the Holy City?”
“The young lady and I are merely looking for an old friend,” Ig said.
“I see.” Seeing his reply, the priest did not press further.
“I am also preparing to go and treat some villagers, so I will not disturb you any longer. By the way, that young lady’s carriage is over there. If you follow this road, you will see her soon.”
The priest named Clement smiled, then pointed the way for Ig. Ig thanked him and got up, heading towards Verafia’s carriage.
As the priest had said, it did not take long before Ig saw their carriage.
The girl in the white dress with golden hair was sitting by the carriage axle. Her two snow-white slender legs, extending from under her skirt, were adorned with delicate high-heeled sandals, revealing a captivating fairness. As she moved, they swayed lightly in mid-air.
As Ig approached, he noticed that Verafia seemed somewhat lost in thought. Her slender, jade-like fingers were lightly tapping on her crystal-clear, jade-like fingernails, touching the divine power of life suspended in mid-air, surrounding the black blood, which faintly shimmered as it floated before her.
This must be what Verafia had extracted from the bodies of the villagers afflicted by the plague using her divine power. For a Goddess Princess to take such an interest clearly indicated, as Priest Clement had just said, that it was no ordinary plague.
However, Verafia’s attention was not on the extracted black blood at the moment. Her face was slightly raised, gazing into the distance, a hint of anxiety reflected in her beautiful golden eyes.
“Veer.”
Ig softly called out, which startled the girl. She turned her head, her blue and white ribbon accentuating her silky golden hair, which fluttered gently in the wind with her movements, softer than a butterfly’s wings.
“Ig? You’re back?”
“Mm.”
Ig sat beside her, and through the cloth of their robes, he felt the warmth and delicate curves of the girl’s soft skin. Knowing her as he did, it wasn’t difficult to guess. Turning his head, he said gently,
“Veer, are you thinking about those gods who have awakened, and Goddess Herafir?”
It had been nearly a month since they witnessed the aura of awakened deities on the World Tree. Yet, even during their journey, Verafia had often expressed her worries, mentioning them to him more than once.
After all, the girl was the noble Goddess of Life. In the entire world, other than Herafir, the God King of Flame who wielded “Destruction,” who else could possibly worry her?
Verafia softly hummed in agreement and nodded, her little head unconsciously leaning towards the young man’s shoulder. Her gem-like beautiful golden eyes tilted up slightly.
“Just now, I sensed a trace of Herafir’s divine consciousness. She has entered the Empire’s territory. Ig, do you remember what Sister Herafir said about facing her destiny?”
Looking at the girl’s worried face, Ig nodded.
Herafir resisted her destiny and in the end, reappeared in the world as the Flame Goddess. Ig had not forgotten the soft yet sorrowful gaze of the red-haired goddess at that time.
And now, after tens of thousands of years, the former Flame God King had awakened the gods. Would she be delusional enough to start the era of gods anew?
However, for Verafia, her worry was not just about the fate of the world. Like the twilight she witnessed on the World Tree, she was also worried about Herafir, whom she called “sister.”
Perhaps in the past, she had strongly resisted and was afraid of the gradually awakening flame will within her body. But with Herafir’s awakening, Verafia genuinely felt her concern for her, her gentleness, as well as her guilt and affection.
Herafir did not see her as a usurper but as a true younger sister.
Her wedding with Ig on the frozen snowfields had also been witnessed and blessed by Herafir.
Even though Herafir had to awaken in her own capacity, she chose to abandon her perfect cultivation and give her a new life.
Contradiction appeared in Verafia’s eyes.
She did not know how to face Herafir. Whether the gods returned to the world, or Herafir was submerged again at the end of her destiny, these were all things she did not wish to see.
