When the first bell of noon rang out over Orissa City, the entire city seemed to come alive in an instant.
The wave of fervor that erupted was not the gradual waking bustle of morning, but a pent-up frenzy. The magnificent Cathedral Square was already packed to the brim.
Seen from above, the dense crowd looked like a colorful carpet spread across the white earth.
Countless Worshippers, citizens, and Visitors from surrounding towns had gathered here.
Some clasped their hands in prayer, while others stood on the VIP platform to the right of the altar, looking down at the scene with an air of superiority.
Even though she had mentally prepared herself, when she personally witnessed the sight of tens of thousands of people surging all at once, she couldn’t help but feel a tingling sensation run down her spine.
“This is way too much!”
The young girl instinctively gripped the railing in front of her. The immense wave of sound converging together made her ears ring.
“After all, this is the most important day for the diocese.”
Julius stood behind her, his tall frame skillfully shielding her from the cold wind blowing in from the side.
He had changed into a formal Knight’s dress uniform today. Though he wasn’t wearing armor, that aura of deadly calm and steadiness still made him stand out among the nobles dressed in their finest.
“For the people of this land, the winter festival is not just a holiday—it’s a entrust of faith.”
He explained in a low voice, “They pray for favorable weather in the coming year, and for protection from disaster and disease.”
“Faith, huh…”
Helos murmured to herself.
She looked up at the massive Saint Statue in the center of the square.
Under the sunlight, the statue radiated a soft glow, as if it were truly watching over its people.
And below the statue, on the White Marble Platform in front of the Cathedral’s main entrance, a grand altar had already been prepared.
Flowers, ribbons, golden candlesticks, and that pool of Holy Spring water that still steamed with wisps of warmth even in the dead of winter, crystal clear to the bottom.
That was the center of today’s stage.
“Gavi.”
Helos suddenly turned her head, looking at the Golden-haired Maid standing on the other side.
“How’s the situation around us?”
“All normal, Master.”
Gavi’s voice remained steady. Her gray eyes seemed to casually scan the crowd, but in truth, she was observing every target that entered her field of vision.
“Currently, the Guards’ deployment has no gaps. Archbishop Duran’s men are also staying obediently in their designated positions. No obvious hostile reactions or large-scale magic wave fluctuations.”
This calmness only made her feel uneasy.
“Too calm.”
Helos frowned.
She instinctively touched the leather pouch filled with specially prepared potions at her waist, then touched the small hand crossbow hidden in her sleeve.
Her gaze passed through the crowd and landed on the group of Cardinals on the other side of the altar.
Archbishop Duran was seated there, upright.
He wore a brand-new, luxurious red robe, his face sporting that signature benevolent smile as he frequently nodded in greeting to the surrounding nobles.
He looked just like a respected elder. If Eleanor hadn’t told her about the things Duran had done, she might have been fooled by him too.
“That old fox…”
Helos narrowed her eyes. “Smiling so happily, there’s definitely no good in it.”
Just then—
The great bell atop the Cathedral rang out once more.
This time, the chime was more urgent, more resounding, ringing a full ten times.
The noisy square quickly fell silent at the sound.
Tens of thousands of gazes turned simultaneously toward that platform.
From deep within the slowly opening main doors of the Cathedral, a holy light shone forth.
Accompanied by the melodious and solemn sound of the organ, a group of Choir Children dressed in White Robes filed out in neat rows, holding candles.
And behind them, a slender and beautiful figure slowly stepped out of the shadows, bathed in the brilliant noonday sunlight.
Eleanor Olivias.
Today, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
She wasn’t wearing the simple Nun’s habit she usually wore. Instead, she had changed into the holy maiden’s ceremonial robe, worn only during the most solemn ceremonies.
It was a pure white gown with a long train dragging on the ground, embroidered with intricate and sacred scriptures in golden thread.
Over her shoulders hung a golden sun shawl embroidered with the sun Crest, a holy relic personally bestowed by the Pope.
Her already dazzling golden hair was now meticulously pinned up, adorned with an exquisite crown set with several Moonstones.
The moment she appeared, it was as if the entire square had been illuminated.
She used no magic at all, yet that holiness and nobility originating from the depths of her soul, that compassionate and pitying temperament, made everyone present feel ashamed of their own inadequacy.
“It’s Her Holiness the saint!”
“The Saintess!”
A wave of suppressed gasps erupted from the crowd. Immediately after, countless believers spontaneously knelt to the ground, prostrating themselves in worship toward that figure on the platform.
Even Helos, who had never had much fondness for the Church, found herself stunned in that moment.
The young girl opened her mouth and muttered to herself, “Big sister…”
Her eyes were full of admiration and pride.
“She really suits that position.”
This was her sister.
The one who would gently feed her porridge on ordinary days, who would argue with others for her sake, but who could also shoulder everything alone at critical moments.
Eleanor walked to the very front of the altar, but she didn’t speak right away.
First, she looked around at the dense crowd below.
Her gaze swept over the well-dressed nobles, and also over the ragged Commoners. There was no discrimination in her eyes, only equal kindness for all.
However, her gaze did pause on the VIP platform for a moment.
She saw Helos.
Saw that little sister waving her tiny fist, cheering her on.
A faint smile curved at the corner of Eleanor’s lips.
Then, she took a deep breath and raised the staff in her hand.
“My brothers and sisters.”
Her voice, amplified by amplification magic, carried clearly to every corner of the square.
The voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a strange power that could soothe people’s hearts.
“Today, we gather here.”
“Not only to celebrate the departure of winter and the arrival of spring.”
“But also to remember.”
“To remember the lives lost in the harsh winter, to remember the moments of mutual aid during the disasters, and to remember the reason we are able to stand here today.”
Eleanor’s speech didn’t use too many flowery words.
She spoke of the great disaster a hundred years ago, and of the sacrifice of the Great Saintess from that era.
She spoke of the trials and tribulations the Southern Diocese had weathered over the past year, and of the hardships people had endured in rebuilding their homes.
Every word she said struck a chord in people’s hearts. Quite a few had already started secretly wiping away tears.
And at the end of the speech, Eleanor’s tone suddenly shifted.
She turned around and pointed at a thick ledger behind her—one that had been prepared in advance.
“In response to everyone’s trust, and to prove the Church’s innocence—”
Her voice became firm and resolute.
“I announce that, starting today, the Southern Diocese will implement a financial transparency system! All donations and all expenditures will be conducted under this sunlight, subject to the oversight of every believer!”
“We will never allow any filth to defile this sacred faith!”
At these words, the entire audience erupted.
Immediately after, thunderous applause and cheers burst forth.
“Long live the Saintess!”
“Long live Olivia!”
People shouted wildly, completely won over by the young Saintess’s courage and sincerity.
On the other side of the altar, Archbishop Duran maintained that kindly smile, still clapping along.
But his eyes were as cold as a viper’s. The hand hidden in his sleeve had already dug its nails deep into his flesh, his fingernails nearly breaking.
He knew exactly what was in that ledger. Once the festival ended, he would likely be taken into custody.
“Smile… go on and smile.”
He cursed viciously in his heart.
“This is probably the last time in your life you’ll receive cheers.”
Now, the ceremony.
Eleanor paid no attention to Duran’s reaction. Her voice grew soft and sacred as she slowly raised her hand amid the cheers, signaling for everyone to quiet down.
“Let us begin the final ritual.”
“May the Goddess’s grace, like the Holy Water in this pool, wash our bodies and minds, and grant us health and peace.”
As her words fell, dozens of Clergy who had been prepared in advance filed out of the Cathedral, holding silver cups filled with Holy Water and bread symbolizing the sacred body.
And Mi Ya was naturally among them.
They walked toward the square, toward the believers full of anticipation.
This was the climax of the winter festival.
The communion ritual.
People believed that drinking the Holy Water blessed by the Saintess and partaking of the holy eucharist on this special day would grant them the Goddess’s protection in the coming year, warding off all illness.
The crowd began to stir.
Everyone craned their necks, desperate to receive a share of that “blessing.”
“Aren’t you going to get some?”
Julius turned his head, looking at Helos with a teasing smile. “After all, you’ve wanted to eat everything you’ve seen lately.”
“No.”
Helos refused flatly, even a hint of disgust in her eyes.
“I’m sick of eating that dry bread.”
“At the end of the day, this kind of thing is just a symbolic ritual to comfort people’s hearts.”
The silver-haired girl curled her lips and glanced at Julius from the corner of her eye.
“You, as one of the Church’s big shots, aren’t you going to grab a bite?”
“I have no interest in eating that stuff.”
“Well, that doesn’t exactly make you devout~”
“I…”
Just as the two were bickering, Sylvia’s voice suddenly rang out in their ears, carrying an unprecedented seriousness:
[You two, stop messing around—something’s wrong with the surroundings!]