Chapter 30 Goddess of Faith?
Soft, smooth little hands were gently held in his own. The beautiful, golden-haired, white-dressed young girl led him, soft light spilling down, like silk, her golden threads weaving and falling, making her even more radiant and captivating.
“It feels… this city has become much bleaker.”
Pulling Ig’s hand, basking in his gaze, Verafia gently lifted her head, her long eyelashes fluttering as she looked at the scenery before her.
Looking up, she still saw a dazzling array of shops and businesses selling all sorts of items, attire, and magic potions. However, compared to the city that was once peaceful amidst chaos, the people passing by were undoubtedly fewer.
Verafia was the goddess of life. A phantom image of the World Tree, formed from a World Tree branch, enveloped the entire Arnorcolong in the void. She could feel the lingering sorrow, the emotions of hundreds of thousands of people.
“How could the Light Church’s all-out siege not have an impact?” Ig shook his head.
During the siege, which lasted more than a week, the Light Church’s army’s magic even surpassed Verafia’s.
Dozens of Sanctuary-level experts, even more than one legendary expert, coupled with an elite army of nearly a hundred thousand divine followers, were, as the young girl said, enough to contend with a deity even in ancient times.
To resist the enemy’s onslaught, Arnorcolong also suffered heavy casualties. Even though Verafia used her divine power to grant them life again, some souls ultimately could not bear it and died completely.
Ig saw the girl gently lower her slightly dimmed eyelashes and held her hand.
“Veer, you don’t need to blame yourself. This isn’t your fault. Before we arrived, the Light Church’s army was already marching towards Arnorcolong, and Moon was already determined to conquer Saliyeh and Arnorcolong. If you had chosen to leave then, you wouldn’t have escaped the Light Church’s invasion, you would have only made this city fuel for Moon’s so-called Holy Kingdom.”
These were not words Ig used to comfort the girl.
Ig had walked through the various city walls of Arnorcolong. From the officers and knights to the archers and infantry, the vast majority of them did not clearly understand the reason, but they clearly remembered the experience of the Light usurping their faith during the plague and burning themselves.
Ig could feel their reverence for the unknown maiden goddess who had given them life again and used the World Tree to block the scorching sacred light.
“I know. But, I just feel a bit uncomfortable. Is this also Sirusilis’s influence? Really… this young lady doesn’t want to be a goddess like her.”
Verafia mumbled, her fair, delicate wrist shifting slightly, and the delicate gem-encrusted bracelet on her hand made a faint tinkling sound.
Ig rubbed her little head, unable to help but smile.
Ig recalled the first time he met Verafia. She had been born from Lancaster’s betrayal, abandoning all her previous virtues and deliberately maintaining a stubborn hatred as she spent endless time crossing the sea of flames.
She pretended to be spoiled and acted cold, but much earlier, Ig had sensed the kindness in the girl’s heart. Perhaps Verafia herself had not realized it, but her so-called coldness and hatred were merely a means of disguise.
Not far away stood a once glorious church, with its magnificent silver cross, the sacred statue of the God of Light, and various exquisite reliefs proclaiming its identity.
However, this church was surrounded so tightly that Verafia curiously looked up. Through her divine sense, she perceived that various statues were shattered.
In the sacred trial square, several prisoners, barely alive, were tied to the cross of the God of Light. They writhed their agonizing limbs, their dry lips silently reciting scriptures. Opposite them, the leader held a torch, his eyes filled with anger, loudly denouncing their crimes.
“Young Lady, what do you see?” Ig asked.
“Tch, you idiot Ig, you’re already a near-legendary Sanctuary, how could you not sense it and still deliberately ask this Young Lady?”
Verafia pouted her delicate lips and glared at him angrily. She then raised her head again, looking at the desecrated emblem of light in the ruined church, and thought of the people trapped on the cross: “Speaking of which, those people are followers of the Church of Light, and one of them seems to be a Bishop. They are to be burned at the stake in their own church.”
“This is already a restrained outcome. Duke Rob has ordered that innocent believers of the Light are not to be harmed, and that guards are to protect churches not involved in the rebellion. These people should be fanatics who rioted, wanting to receive the Light Church.”
Ig shook his head and chuckled.
Arnorcolong was the city closest to the Holy Capital of Light, and the influence of the Church of Light was deeply rooted.
Although many important members of the Church of Light had withdrawn from the city after Saliyeh tacitly allowed him to take charge of Arnorcolong, the fanatics in the city were still considerable.
When the Light Church besieged the city, they had rebelled more than once.
Verafia nodded, then shook her head: “That’s what you say… but, in this Young Lady’s opinion, the God of Light should also be a victim. He was also affected.”
Looking at the toppled and shattered statue of the God of Light in the temple, Verafia thought of the figure of condensed light fragments in the dim radiance behind Saliyeh, and couldn’t help but shake her head.
“After all, in people’s eyes, Moon is the messenger of the God of Light. How can Moon’s actions be unrelated to this deity?”
Stroking a lock of her golden hair, seeing her large eyes turn to look at him, the young man smiled.
“Therefore, this divine adult can only bear the wrath in place of His believers.”
Verafia nodded, and she had no intention of interfering. In her impression, the God of Light should be a benevolent deity, and a shattered statue would not be a major issue for Him.
However, before leaving, Verafia thought for a moment and used the World Tree covering Arnorcolong to decompose divine radiance, soothing the hearts of all residents.
This was not mind control, but merely to help them maintain calmness and thought amidst their anger.
The maiden’s actions were all seen by Ig beside her. He took her small hand. “By the way, Veer, have you considered becoming the goddess of faith for Arnorcolong? Duke Rob asked me to inquire on your behalf a few days ago.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
As expected, Verafia shook her head vigorously, her beautiful gold eyes lifting. “Faith of hundreds of thousands of people? That’s too troublesome. This young lady still wants to resolve these matters and travel carefree. Back then, becoming the goddess of the elves was because of Sirusilis’s divine spark, and this young lady couldn’t help but be involved.”
The faith of countless people, in the eyes of other deities, represented a source of power. However, for Verafia, it was first and foremost a corresponding responsibility. With her personality, after accepting the faith of others, she could not ignore her responsibilities as some evil gods did, nor could she capriciously ignore her believers’ requests.
Verafia was now a goddess. But, at least for now, her state of mind was still that of a human young girl, and she naturally regarded these as troubles.
This answer was not unexpected by Ig. Therefore, he had refused the Duke on her behalf without asking her at the time.
