Chapter 197: Worthy

Thinking nothing of the chaos they’ve unleashed, Lyra and Filla flew away following the paintings.

They followed the paintings and the story of a woman with golden hair carrying a golden star on a pilgrimage across the Continent. She met with the other Races, giving them the light, and then from one painting to the next, her companions grew in number.

Then, she met with two more people carrying different stars.

There was a young man with a black star.

There was also another woman with horns carrying a gray star.

The three traveled together until they met at the statues of the three Goddesses and the paintings ended.

“Do you know who they are?” asked Lyra.

Filla shook her head, but her eyes immediately lit up, “But she might know. I saw her earlier in the plaza; she must be from here!”

Lyra was unsure, but she followed behind Filla.

“Weird sister, do you know who they are?” Filla asked the girl hugging her legs.

The girl looked up at Filla. Her eyes were filled with confusion.

“Filla, I don’t think….”

“The-they are the Goddesses.” a voice came from the girl sitting on the palm.

“Ohhh!” Lyra and Filla’s eyes glittered with youthful fascination.

“The Goddesses?”

The two asked at the same time, curiosity behind their childish eyes.

“Ye-yes, the three are the Goddesses, or at least they are the Apostles who gathered to form the Dracian Faith.” The girl moved around and then pointed at the three characters depicted in the paintings. “Apostles gain the power bestowed upon them by the Goddesses. Those lights are the power of the Goddesses Light, Darkness, and Root.”

“But doesn’t Apostles only appear one at a time?”

“That’s right, that’s right. Apostles only appear one at a time.”

The two girls raised the most challenging question even the most astute of scholars would find difficult to answer.

Apostles were an enigma. Their appearance dictated the transition of an era or the coming of a Calamity. Even before the Dracian Faith, Apostles had existed but never had they appeared together in the same Era.

Divinity was just the world to describe the transcendent powers of the Goddesses. Apostles commanded the power of the Goddesses directly through a Divine Blessing said to possess ability beyond mortal comprehension.

There was a reason why the Goddesses, for all their powers, did not interact with the world too much. For them to stay their hands was a mercy to the feeble minds of the living.

Apostles were the coming of salvation and change, but they were also aberrations that channel what should not be touched.

Their presence radiates energy leading to the perversion of reality.

A Sacred Transgression, as others would call it.

For three Apostles to exist in an Era was a statement that raised numerous questions.

The girl sitting on the Goddess’ palm stood up. Her pristine gown adorned her beautiful jade skin peeked from a silk curtain resting on her shoulders.

Clearing her throat, the girl took a deep breath as she prepared herself to answer the children’s question:

“Records before the establishment of the Dracian Faith are scarce. Two scriptures, in particular, survived the turbulent times of [Record Eradication] – ah, please don’t tell anyone about that – in these two scriptures, one of them contained something about the Continent while the other was about the creation of the Dracian Fate.” She approached the final painting and rested her hands on its cascading colors, “It did not speak of the past, but rather, the future.”

“The future?” Lyra couldn’t understand very well, “Is it one of those things? A Prop-Sea?”

“A prophecy.”

“Oh yeah, that one!”

“Correct. This painting is not the tale of the Dracian Fate’s creation, but rather, its mission.” the girl said with seriousness in her eyes.

“Woah~”

The two little girls’ eyes shone brilliantly with curiosity. In all honesty, they were already bored of the Cathedral after seeing the lame paintings and the glittering lights.

They did not care whether they were in some sacred land or something. They went on this trip to have fun for what it was worth. Finally, they found something interesting other than the shiny things around them.

“Are there more hidden stories? Maybe secrets?”

“Secrets! Cool secrets!”

Lyra and Filla wanted to know more.

The girl wanted to tell them more.

“Then maybe I could-“

“Saintess.”

A voice stopped her from speaking further.

A woman, an old woman who wasn’t there previously, stood in the middle of the altar.

‘Ah, I knew that was the Saintess. But who’s the old croon?’ Risa thought as she yawned.

Risa was the only one who was not preoccupied with anything, so she noticed the person Filla and Lyra was talking to. She did not say anything because she did not feel any danger, ‘Talking to others is also necessary for growing up,’ so Risa kept quiet.

But then, another person walked out from behind the statues. Besides the fact that Risa did not know there was a path behind the three statues, she was curious about who the old woman was wearing a white tunic.

“Cardinal of Light Rovan!” Kara got on her knees at the first notice of the old woman.

“The Cardinal!?” Mary Courtgain also got on her knees to show respect.

There were only three Cardinals on the entire Continent. The Cardinal of Light, the Cardinal of Darkness, and the Cardinal of Root.

The Holy Land is said to have no government, but the Cardinals were considered its de facto leaders next to the Saintess. The decisions of the Holy Land come from the Cardinals.

Meeting the Cardinals was similar to meeting the Kings or Queens of Kingdoms.

‘Oh, the Cardinal of Light?’ Risa just continued yawning as she slowly took a knee, the same as the others.

She was not the least bit interested in the Cardinal. If others find meeting the Cardinal honorable or even sacred, to Risa, it was a hassle, ‘I want to sleep.’

Arte and Hylda followed the adults.

“Hoho, do not bow before this old woman. I will not be long.” Cardinal Rowan laughed, urging Kara and Mary to get up.

“Thank you, your radiance.”

Kara and Mary answered as they got up.

Risa mumbled along as she fought the urge to sleep on the bed known as the floor, ‘I really want to sleep.’

Cardinal Rovan stifled a soft laugh, “Saintess, please come down. It is very late.”

The Saintess looked at the Cardinal and then at the two girls.

“Saintess, you still have to offer your prayer to the Goddesses.” Cardinal Rovan reminded.

The Saintess hesitated some more before looking, finally turning to the children with a smile, “I need to go now.”

The two girls did not know what was happening but showed her a big smile.

“We’ll see you tomorrow then, weird Sister!”

“Yes! Tell us more tomorrow!”

The two girls requested without reservation.

“Ah~ You two, don’t be so rude to the Saintess!” Hylda, upon realizing the weirdo’s identity, scolded the two girls, ‘I should’ve noticed she was important. I doubted his words, but Papa was right. Every important person is weird.’

“Huh? Why? The Weird Sister is the one who said she’d tell us more.” Lyra innocently argued.

“That’s right! That’s right!” Filla backed her little aunt’s rally.

“No buts. She’s the Saintess, someone important. She must be busy with a lot of things.” Hylda promptly explained.

“Like a King?”

“Or a Leader of a Secret Organization?”

“Yes, like a King or Leader.”

The two lasses looked at the Weird Sister with brilliant glowing eyes.

“A King!?”

“A Leader!?”

‘These two….’ Hylda didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Yes, she’s someone important, so don’t bother her too much.”

“Hehe.” The Saintess laughed softly.

“Please forgive their rudeness, Saintess. They are still very young and naive.”

“I do not mind.” the Saintess said as she flew down next to Cardinal Rovan. “As you said, they are children.”

“See you later, Leader!”

“Yeah, see you later, Leader!”

With a small wave, the Saintess disappeared into the door behind the statue.

The two girls tried sneaking into the “secret entrance,” but Arte caught them under Hylda’s command.

“Ah! The secret entrance!” they both yelped in shock, seeing the heavy stone door.

Arte kept quiet even when the two raised a ruckus.

But, Hylda?

“You two.”

“!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The two girls slowly looked in the direction of the voice’s owner.

“Bi-big Niece Sister.”

“Bi-big Sister.”

The two girls flashed a worried smile.

“Put them down.”

Arte did what he was told. The two girls darted around, trying to find help.

Mary feigned ignorance, Kara did not know what to do, and Risa yawned.

As for Arte? He was the silent and brooding type; the two girls did not know how to interact with him. Other than Colt, he follows Hylda’s commands.

They could always fly away, but they could not move a muscle and accepted an earful.

“Do you understand why I am angry?”

The two nodded.

“We were rude to the Saintess.”

“We didn’t acknowledge the limits of what we could do?”

Lyra and Filla readied their ears, but, in the end, Hylda did not begin her infamous sermons.

Instead, she asked them, “Good that you know. So, what should you do?”

“Be more respectful to others. Weird people or otherwise.”

“Don’t do things just because we can. Be more restrained.”

“…Arte, come on, I’ll show you more of the famous things around the Cathedral as promised.”

Hylda started walking away with Arte.

“That’s it?”

“Big Sister, Big Sister, is that all?”

The girls asked in confusion.

“What, do you two want more?”

“Yes ma’am!” The two girls saluted

The two girls furiously shook their heads.

“Just mind your mana usage. We can’t damage anything here, got that?”

With that said, they flew away… this time, their output was more subdued.

“Ho~ they actually listened, that’s a first. You’re better at telling them off than Brother and Mother combined….” Risa said with shock in her eyes. She approached Hylda and gave her a thumbs up, “Oh, and good job taking command of the situation.”

“I heard from Aunt Vyra that the incident earlier wasn’t a test for Father. But if we get in trouble now, they might gain control over our actions. Maintaining the advantage would be a good thing, right?”

‘Mm, I heard she’s smarter than she let on. I thought Sister Vyra was overstating things, but it appears this niece of mine really is brilliant. Though she still believes everything she’s told.’ Risa smiled proudly, even ruffling Hylda’s hair, “Good job on your deduction. Seems like you have talent in politics.”

“It’s nothing that impressive.”

‘She’s even humble… didn’t brother show disinterest at taking the position of the heir? Lyra also started saying she’ll become a Tower Master in the future.’

Risa looked at Hylda for a good minute.

‘If things continue only, I will have no excuse, and I will be the one to inherit all the headaches.’

The Edgeworths were weird creatures amongst the nobility.

They were lazy and didn’t like work all that much.

They were talented in not only different fields like Magic and Martial Arts but also prodigy for creating reasons.

Only their hobbies would make them put any effort into anything.

‘Brother is now a Hero, but he doesn’t want to take the position of Count. Even Filla is showing the classic Edgeworth in her blood. She’s also becoming interested in history and the Goddesses as Magic. She’s worse than Lyra in that regard. But Hylda is different. She’s not an Edgeworth by blood. She’s smart, strong, and, most importantly, hard-working. In addition, she can control Filla and Lyra, even brother, to an extent.’ Her mouth curved into a big smile, ‘Hasn’t Mother been bothered by our lack of an Heir?’

“Is there something on my face?” asked Hylda, seeing Risa’s smile.

“Hmm? Oh no, I’m just proud of you right now. You were also composed in front of the Cardinal and the Saintess. Not many can do that, you know?”

Hylda shyly smiled.

She wasn’t very close to Risa, but it would be a lie to say that Hylda did not idolize her, “Thank you.” she meekly spoke.

Risa Edgeworth found someone who could take the position of Count.

Hylda felt a chill going down her back.

She walked away, not knowing Risa was already concocting her plans.

Risa found her excuse to laze around.