Chapter 222: On This Special Day
When the stars align just right, this world—shrouded in magic and divine power—undergoes a series of subtle, hidden changes.
Yet only a rare few can perceive these shifts, glimpsing the ancient knowledge and truths long concealed deep within the world.
In the high prayer chamber of the Holy Suniel Cathedral, within the capital city of Ansu, Princess Veronica—the “Saint Maiden”—knelt quietly before the statue of the God of Holy Light. Her hands were folded over her chest, eyes closed in stillness. A soft, sacred glow enveloped her, bathing the entire room in warmth and radiance. Anyone witnessing this scene would be deeply moved by the princess’s incredible devotion and purity.
But Veronica did not pray for long. Slowly, she opened her eyes, rose with calm grace, and turned toward the door. After a brief pause, the chamber door silently opened.
A high-ranking priestess with short hair and an unremarkable face entered. She radiated a gentle, serene light, carrying the same aura of devout holiness as Veronica. Noticing the lingering sacred glow in the room, the priestess nodded slightly. “His Holiness the Pope requests your presence.”
“I understand,” Veronica replied softly. Before leaving, she paused and looked deeply at her longtime friend.
Sandy stood quietly, as serene and gentle as ever. The kind girl who had grown up alongside her had become an accomplished high priestess in her own right—but their relationship could never return to what it once was.
In Veronica’s gaze, Sandy was bathed in a radiant light that seemed to permeate her skin and bones, giving her an almost translucent, light-forged appearance. At the spot where her heart should be pulsed a dazzling crystal-like glow. Merely looking at it stirred the sacred light within Veronica herself.
“Is there anything else?” Sandy noticed Veronica’s hesitation and turned slightly to ask.
“No. Praise the Holy Light,” Veronica answered, shaking her head.
Leaving the prayer chamber, Veronica made her way toward the grand cathedral, passing through an open-air garden and two long corridors. The highest clergy of the Holy Light Church moved along these sacred stone paths, their devout presence resonating with the holy light. Even after nightfall, the cathedral remained bathed in a bright, luminous glow. Veronica folded her hands inside the wide sleeves of her priestly robe, head bowed slightly, walking quietly without speaking or looking around—immersed fully in her reverence for the Holy Light.
One high priest after another passed by, their magnificent robes enveloping faint glimmers of light. Some glowed just beneath their flesh; others had been completely transformed, their bodies replaced by radiant, light-forged forms. These luminous vessels were the embodiment of devotion and the greatest source of strength for the Holy Light Church.
Veronica passed through the corridors until a servant opened the grand cathedral’s doors for her. There, seated on a golden throne, was the earthly representative of the God of Holy Light—the highest leader of the church and the most revered religious figure on the continent of Loren: Saint Ivan III.
The old man, aged one hundred and fifty years, was thin and frail, his white beard and hair framing a face marked by age spots and deep wrinkles. He seemed on the verge of passing, fragile and weak. But Veronica knew better. His frailty was only a facade. The boundless holy light within him was his true power. As long as his mind remained active, his brain alive, he could summon overwhelming light to destroy any enemy of the church or protect all faithful believers.
To Veronica’s eyes, Saint Ivan III no longer resembled a human. He was a blazing torch of holy light, seated regally on the golden throne. Behind the fiery glow, she could even glimpse a faint visage of the God of Holy Light and shadowy silhouettes from the divine realm.
“Veronica, faithful child of our Lord, you have come,” Saint Ivan III spoke, his deep, slow voice gentle and trusting. “The Lord calls for you.”
“I have received revelation during my prayers,” Veronica bowed her head respectfully. “The stars are aligning. The resonance between the heavens will open the path to truth. The time to answer the call has come.”
“Come forth, the most gifted spiritual daughter in seven centuries. You have inherited the highest legacy of the Holy Light Church, received my personal guidance, and touched the most sacred knowledge and immense power. You have prepared well for this day…” Saint Ivan III’s aged voice echoed through the cathedral. As he spoke, a platinum staff slowly materialized from thin air, floating before Veronica. “My child, take this staff and face the enlightenment the Lord has bestowed upon you. This is your destiny.”
Veronica gazed silently at the platinum staff. Her face was expressionless, and she made no move.
“Child? What are you waiting for?” Saint Ivan III’s voice seemed to drift from a distant place.
The holy light within the cathedral began to pulse gently. Veronica extended her hand, slow but resolute, and grasped the staff.
“I am honored to speak with the Lord.”
A magnificent pillar of light surged upward from the cathedral, piercing the heavy dome and thick clouds, shooting straight into the distant cosmos toward the ultimate mysterious star, “O.”
In that instant, solemn sacred music arose from nowhere. All the cathedral’s bells rang out simultaneously. Priests and worshippers throughout the city paused their work, listening intently to the sound. Gentle, peaceful smiles appeared on their faces as they traced the emblem of the God of Holy Light over their chests and began to pray devoutly.
Veronica felt her spirit detach from her body. She “saw” her vision rapidly ascend, soaring above the cathedral’s dome. The entire city of Suniel shrank to a tiny dot beneath her. She passed through clouds, through the dark starry sky, through countless indescribable shadows and visions—until finally, she arrived in a place filled with endless radiance.
She stood in an immense expanse. Light-forged walls, towers, and holy emblems rose at the horizon. Rivers of falling stars stretched across the sky, tilting down to pour into the earth.
Directly before her was the “Lord.”
The Lord was a massive crystal of light-forged essence, floating at the center of this luminous realm. Its crystalline form was ever-shifting—multifaceted, angular, and complex—hovering in midair. Though it spoke no words, a voice echoed in Veronica’s mind:
“Step forward, touch Him, listen to Him…
“He is your protector, the refuge your soul longs for…
“Only under His shelter are you truly safe…”
Veronica stared at the ever-changing multifaceted crystal core. Her legs trembled. Her body seemed to move beyond her brain’s control, stepping forward as a tremendous force tore at her spirit, transforming her from within—becoming an extension of that shifting crystal…
Infinite power, knowledge, mystery, authority, wealth, even godlike eternity—all within reach.
She took a deep breath and smiled. “We have waited for this day for so long…”
The day after the “Day of the Stars,” the southern lands remained clear and starry—a perfect night for stargazing.
After dinner, Hetty immediately went to her room to fetch her silver astrolabe. But Rebecca stood by the window, staring blankly at the night sky. She wrinkled her nose in mild annoyance as she looked at the twinkling stars.
No one noticed the young viscountess. She simply daydreamed for a moment, then turned and walked back to her room.
The “Day of the Stars” was important to mages—but it meant nothing to her.
She couldn’t operate an astrolabe, nor glean any magical secrets from the shifting constellations. As a child, she had stood on the terrace with Aunt Hetty and her teachers, eyes wide, watching the night sky—but…
It was incredibly boring.
She hated stars.
Walking back to her room, Rebecca tried to fill her mind with runes and magical circles, pushing other thoughts away. But a tall figure waiting in the corridor made her stop.
“Ancestor?” she blinked at Gawain. “What is it?”
“Tonight is the brightest night of the stars. Aren’t you going to the terrace to watch with Hetty?”
“No,” Rebecca shook her head firmly, feigning indifference. “I don’t understand it. Every time I look at stars, I just want to fall asleep…”
Seeing the girl’s honest demeanor, Gawain couldn’t help but smile. “I have a gift for you.”
“A gift?” Rebecca’s eyes brightened slightly. “What kind of gift?”
Gawain pulled out something he had spent considerable effort having craftsmen prototype: a strange-looking device. It was a metal tube, uneven in thickness, with crystal lenses set at both ends. A knob in the middle adjusted the focus, and a clasp connected it to a stand.
Its design was odd, unlike any machine blueprint their ancestors had drawn. Yet somehow, Rebecca was instantly captivated.
“What is this?” she asked curiously.
“A telescope,” Gawain said with a smile. “No magic needed—no Eagle Eye spell required.”
(End of chapter)