## Chapter 0: The Oracle (3)
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When the faithful followers of the Goddess of Destiny knelt in perfect reverence, bowing low to call Lin Nan the Messenger, even the densest of folks realized that their admiration had nothing to do with the God of Harmony—they were proudly honoring the Messenger of the Goddess of Destiny.
In other words, the magnificent figure before them, unveiling her veil and exuding an otherworldly beauty, was not only revered as a messenger by the followers of the Goddess of Destiny but also by the Harpist Academy.
And just to add a little spice to this chaotic stew, these followers had first-hand experience of the events at the Temple of Destiny yesterday. If they had truly laid eyes on the real Messenger of the Goddess, there was no way they would randomly point fingers. Kneeling and worshipping meant this woman was indeed the one responsible for yesterday’s divine shenanigans.
This shocking scene didn’t just leave Janet, the head of the academy, flabbergasted; practically everyone present held their breath, struggling to believe this was all real.
The boisterous followers of the Church of Light were now as limp as frostbitten eggplants, each one staring at the ground with a face longer than an old shoe.
A few noble-born clerics were itching to persuade Lin Nan to join the Church of Light, but one look at her—the very instigator who had humiliated their precious church yesterday—and they quickly retreated, heads ducked in fear.
They weren’t fools; they had heard how the last cleric who had dared to cross the Messenger of Destiny had been blown to smithereens. They weren’t quite ready to sacrifice themselves for the church, especially since the reason they joined in the first place was to dodge the apocalypse and live a few more years.
Edith stared at the breathtaking woman who was leagues ahead of her in both looks and aura.
At that moment, she understood where the gap between herself and Lin Nan truly lay.
How could mere mortals ever hope to compete with a divine messenger? Her own stubborn determination to fight for dignity was as laughable as a grasshopper trying to dance against a storm.
It was honestly ridiculous.
Edith felt a wave of despair wash over her, extinguishing her competitive spirit in an instant.
Moreover, when she had played “Nightingale,” her powers had shown her the grim fate awaiting most people—an overwhelming sense of doom struck her, leaving her feeling that all this squabbling was utterly pointless. When the real apocalypse came, no one could escape divine retribution; they’d all end up as dust in the breeze, eternally slumbering beneath the ruins of the empire.
Ah, was this the purpose of the foreign woman, a messenger of both the Goddess of Destiny and the God of Harmony, coming to the Imperial Capital?
“Lord Messenger, please enlighten us,” Janet maintained a respectful demeanor.
After all, in some legends, it was the God of Harmony—Muse—who taught harp skills to Casey, not the Goddess of Destiny. But later generations twisted the narrative to emphasize the Goddess’s influence, downplaying Muse’s role.
Janet was keenly aware that in Casey’s last words, her loyalty to the God of Harmony far exceeded that of the Goddess of Destiny.
At this moment, a thought popped into Janet’s head.
Perhaps back in the day, gods had taken different forms to suit the varying needs of the Four Warriors, showering them with blessings.
Maybe, what Casey encountered was just an avatar of a deity.
Thus, whether it was the God of Harmony or the Goddess of Destiny, fundamentally, they were all on the same page.
With that epiphany, Janet didn’t hesitate at all in respecting Lin Nan, almost acting like her devoted student throughout.
“There’s not much to teach,” Lin Nan looked around, sensing the crowd’s anticipation for her to unravel the tapestry of the future.
Both the followers of the Church of Light and other sects had personally witnessed that despairing scene; if given the choice, they would definitely avoid the fate that loomed over the Imperial Capital.
“I can say with confidence that if we don’t change our ways, the horrific scene you dreamt of will sadly come to pass.”
“And the timing of that day will arrive much sooner than you anticipate.”
Many of them were probably thinking, “The empire has been around for nearly four thousand years; how could it possibly crumble in a single day?”
That kind of grim future scene couldn’t possibly happen until at least ten or eight years down the line, right?
But now, Lin Nan declared, “The empire probably only has less than two years left!”
The crowd erupted in chaos.
Even those who had joined the Church of Light out of a fear of the coming apocalypse were shocked into a frenzy.
After all, the teachings only talked vaguely about the end times, never pinning it down to an actual year.
So while they were gripped by fear and joined the Church, they hadn’t completely given up hope for the future.
Plus, the Church assured them that if they truly believed, the God of Light would protect them during the catastrophe.
But Lin Nan’s words hit them like a sledgehammer to the soul, shocking them beyond belief. It was like a bewildered child suddenly caught in a storm, utterly lost, unsure of what to do next.
The followers of the various gods were equally stunned.
They wanted to shout that this was nonsense, but the one speaking was a universally acknowledged Messenger of Destiny.
As the crowd buzzed in shock, the sky darkened, thick dark clouds rolling in to smother the warm sun, and a chill swept across the land, making every single person feel icy fingers creeping up from their toes to their heads.
Snowflakes appeared out of nowhere.
People who thought winter was behind them looked up in confusion.
The drifting snow reflected their current state of mind—lost and cold.
“Lord Messenger, did you come to announce this to us in the Imperial Capital?” Janet asked.
“You could say that.
After all, neither the Goddess of Destiny nor the God of Harmony can bear to witness their once-protected people fading away, their thriving empire reduced to infinite ruins.
That’s why I represent both goddesses and have come to warn you.
The empire has indeed existed for a long time, and people think it will always remain.
But reality often has other plans.
If the empire continues to drown in its decadence, the scenes you saw in your dreams will inevitably manifest.”
Lin Nan’s words, though soft, echoed loudly through the speaker system—sent chills down people’s spines like those snowflakes shimmering down around them.
One nervous follower of the Church of Light suddenly shouted, “The God of Light will save us!”
“Right, right! As long as we believe in the Church of Light, the God of Light will keep us safe!”
A few fellow believers instinctively chimed in.
All eyes turned to Lin Nan, waiting to see how this messenger would respond to their defiance.
Lin Nan sighed and said, “It’s not wrong to believe in the God of Light, but your mistake lies in putting all your hopes on divine protection without taking any action yourselves.
The gods typically protect humanity, but if you don’t even have the means to fight back against invading enemies, why would the gods look after lazy folks who have no faith in themselves?
God does not protect sinners! That’s the bottom line!”
