Chapter 9: The Oracle (2)
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Due to their dual faith in the Goddess of Destiny and the God of Harmony, coupled with the academy being an all-girls school that’s rarely open to outsiders, the students could only venture out once a week. Therefore, among the academy staff and students, there hadn’t been a sighting of any Followers of the Church of Light—until now.
Among the crowd that gathered to witness the graduation evaluation, including nobles, at least thirty percent were committed adherents of the Church of Light. When they realized the horrifying scenes of a world-ending catastrophe from “The Nightingale,” and felt the pain of being annihilated by golden-armored soldiers, they were initially shaken to their core, even feeling a ghastly shiver.
But then a light bulb went off in their heads—wasn’t this just what the Church of Light had been preaching? The Empire was on the brink of a disaster! However, this time the revelation came not from the Church of Light but from a foreign woman skilled at playing the harp.
If she wasn’t a follower of the Church of Light, how could she paint such a genuine and terrifying scene in people’s dreams? It clearly depicted the doomed world, impossible for anyone to survive in such an environment. The only savior of mankind could only be the God of Light!
Just then, Janet dropped to her knees, startling the crowd, revealing the true identity of the foreign woman.
The Messenger of the God of Harmony?
Exactly! This woman possessed extraordinary harp skills and played tunes that could transport people into the future. No mere mortal could harness such ghostly powers without divine blessing. No, she must be a messenger of the God of Light!
How could such a minor deity like the God of Harmony guide them—these soon-to-be-doomed sinners—away from their fate?
As Janet wrapped up her explanation, the quiet crowd suddenly erupted in a furor.
“This woman is a messenger of the God of Light! What does she have to do with your God of Harmony?”
“Seriously! The Church of Light has prophesied the end times, and we just witnessed it firsthand. Not a single person came back from that nightmare! Doesn’t that mean the end is everyone’s end? Only the God of Light can save us according to the Church!”
“The Harpist Academy can’t compete with us for messengers!”
“Long live the Church of Light!”
“Only by believing in the God of Light can we escape from suffering and fear the doom that looms over us!”
Some noble folks who had already joined the Church of Light, upon being made clergy, were so devoted they practically itched to rush over and recruit Lin Nan right there.
On the other hand, many citizens despised the Church of Light for undermining the traditional beliefs of the Empire, turning followers into fanatics who saw everything in black and white. The faith in all gods was viewed as a heretic threat they felt needed to be eradicated. Every day conflicts between the Church of Light and the others erupted within the capital.
Although tensions simmered down a bit due to the Harpist Academy’s graduation evaluation, the appearance of the foreign woman with foresight shattered whatever weak balance remained.
“How ridiculous! Lady Janet explained everything so clearly; she’s the Messenger of the God of Harmony mentioned in the last words of one of the Four Warriors, Casey. And you followers of the Church of Light still shamelessly press forward—what, you dare question the founding Four Warriors?”
“Exactly! You’re not satisfied with stealing our followers—now you want to snatch the messengers of the gods too! How ludicrous!”
“Ha ha! You have no idea; just yesterday afternoon, the Church of Light was given a reality check at the Temple of Destiny. They’re just trying to save face now!”
“Right, right! I heard the Messenger of the Goddess of Destiny showed up and chased away those wannabe usurpers of the temple. Now with the Messenger of the God of Harmony at the academy, the lackeys of the Church of Light are getting restless!”
Naturally, some Church members were not happy and were itching to throw down right there, but they, along with their families in tow, held back.
As the atmosphere tightened, Lin Nan, standing tall and proud, finally made a move.
Instead of letting all the kneeling people rise, she calmly left the testing area and strolled toward the square. Janet immediately followed her, not quite understanding the purpose of their Messenger’s actions, but in that moment, staying close to her was the only way to grasp the true meaning behind the Muse’s mission of sending her to the Empire.
Janet felt an uncommon flutter of anxiety. After all, half of what she said was in response to Sani’s question, and the other half was perhaps a misguided attempt to explain the academy’s future plans to the Messenger. But the Messenger didn’t respond at all, as if what she said didn’t agree with the Messenger’s intentions.
Facing the emerging conflict between the Church of Light and the believers of other gods in the square—a situation that seemed ready to escalate into total chaos—the Messenger walked right to the forefront of the crowd, standing directly beneath a magical screen displaying her face. Instantly, silence fell.
The animosity between the two factions boiled down to a clash of doctrines. But they all knew, regardless of which faction the Messenger supported, it would undoubtedly bring huge disappointment and pain to the opposing side.
In this critical moment, even the followers of the Church of Light couldn’t relax, giving their full attention to Lin Nan’s every step. After all, the news of the Church of Light’s setback yesterday at the Temple of Destiny had spread like wildfire; if the other factions gained another powerful ally, the Church of Light’s expansion efforts might completely crumble.
But Lin Nan, faced with a crowd of over ten thousand, felt no tension whatsoever. When someone stands at a higher dimension, mere ordinary people, no matter how numerous, can’t create a single ripple in their heart.
It’s like the difference between a person and an ant—so glaringly stark.
Clearly, the one Janet identified as the Messenger of the God of Harmony had something to say.
Her gaze slowly swept over the wide-eyed crowd, those eagerly waiting for her stance. This moment felt strangely familiar yet invigorating.
She slowly lifted her veil, revealing her true self.
It wasn’t just her stunning beauty that left most of the crowd in shock; a small group of followers from the former Goddess of Destiny, who had witnessed the events at the temple yesterday, went absolutely bonkers and dashed out of the crowd.
These dozen or so individuals properly dropped to their knees before her, performing a grand salute.
“Greetings, Lord Messenger!”
Ever since yesterday, Priest Samantha required followers of the Goddess of Destiny to wear white garments symbolizing their connection to the Temple. The embroidered goddess’s scepter on their shoulders signified their devotion, making it doubly impactful when they all showed up and knelt in unison before Lin Nan.
The audience was stunned again.
“No way, no way! Could she also be a messenger of the Goddess of Destiny? Is it possible for one person to hold two positions?”
