Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level?-Chapter 126[Vol. 5] - The Saint Who Is Not a Saint

[Vol. 5] Chapter 126: The Saint Who Is Not a Saint

More than a thousand years ago, the land was far from the abundance and peace it knows today.

The sudden disappearance of the gods threw the world, which had once been orderly under their protection and rule, into unprecedented chaos.

The ‘Great Collapse’ followed soon after.

It was an age of darkness. Before this, no living being had ever imagined what the world would be like without the gods. Thus, after a brief period of panic and unease, the reshuffling began.

Countless kingdoms, large and small, sprang up in just a hundred years, like mushrooms after the rain. They waged war against each other, endlessly fighting to claim the unclaimed lands left behind by the gods’ departure. Various evil entities, once suppressed by the gods, as well as powerful enemies from beyond the realm, began to stir and make their moves.

Races that couldn’t adapt to the new environment were quickly eliminated, either going extinct or retreating into seclusion, fading from the world. Some, however, evolved new forms and abilities, becoming the leading forces of this new era.

During this time, the global population visibly plummeted, and countless once-glorious races that had thrived during the age of mythology went extinct or disappeared. The land was engulfed in endless warfare. The strong would bow to no one, and the weak were forced to seek new sources of protection.

As for the land now known as the Holy Empire, a vast, fertile expanse located at the center of the world. It naturally became the prime target for countless powerful races vying for control.

The records of the Holy Empire tell of the East and West Empires, as well as many smaller nations, which emerged during this period.

Of course, both the Eastern and Western Empires had different names at the time, and their ruling classes were not human.

In fact, during that chaotic era, humans were numerous and quick to reproduce, yet their short-lived and comparatively weak made them one of the most oppressed and tormented races. While not on the brink of extinction, their living space was ruthlessly and violently squeezed.

Thus, a portion of humanity began fleeing to the relatively remote western regions, building new homes and forming the precursor of what is now the Human United Kingdom. Another portion, however, for various reasons, remained scattered across the world, enduring increasingly severe oppression day and night.

In this environment, it was only natural that a sense of religious consciousness emerged among the lower classes, yearning for light and salvation, and aspiring to racial equality.

This would later become the organization now known as the ?Goddess Church?.

At the time, however, this group was simply called the ?Church of the Light Seekers?. It was far smaller and had nowhere near the influence it does today. Its spread was limited to word of mouth among the lower classes, and there was no complex hierarchy or set of rules like there is now. The way they revered the light was especially simple and pure.

After a day of hard labor, in the rare moments of brief respite, they would offer prayers in their hearts to the ?Light and Salvation?… and that was all.

Because of this, though the ?Church of the Light Seekers? spread rapidly among the lower-class individuals, especially humans, like a wildfire, it still lacked a leader who could transform it into a coherent force or organization.

Their weakness, after all, was the root cause of their oppression and exploitation.

The turning point, however, came from a miraculous and fateful encounter involving three human girls who lived in the area now known as Bright Light City.

This encounter led to the emergence of three holy artifacts of light.

In the ancient texts passed down by the Summerfield family, the descriptions of these mythological events are vague:

?In the mountains, they lost their way, wandering aimlessly.?

?They were hungry and fearful, they longed for salvation. They prayed to the light, which symbolized hope.?

?Pray… pray… and so, She granted a response.?

?And so, they saw the tree.?

?The tree—lush, ancient, a tree that nurtures magic and hope. It bore fruit, and that fruit was the child of the world, an eternal gift.?

?They walked forward, and then a fruit fell, breaking open on the ground. Its fragrance seeped into their bodies, and the shattered fruit split into three parts. They heard the calling.?

?The tree was no more, and so they walked forward, picking up the three parts of the fruit. The fruit transformed into light—a holy crown, a long sword, and a circular ring. It was the tree’s gift.?

?And so, they returned to the world.?

………………………………

“Uh… so you’re saying that the three holy artifacts of the Holy Empire actually… fell from a tree?”

For some reason, Miss White Fox’s voice carried a hint of strangeness from behind her mask, but Yuna thought it was simply because she was surprised by the unbelievable truth of history. Without thinking too much, she nodded in response.

“That’s right. This is the true origin of the three holy artifacts and the divine families, rather than what the official history of the Holy Empire records, that they were divine objects and blessings bestowed by the Goddess of Light. For this reason, in most cases, the three artifacts can only be used by direct descendants of the three divine families, as the special power granted to us came from the fragrance that escaped when the fruit shattered.”

“Alright… so what about the Goddess of Light then? If the first three Saintesses never saw Her, how is Her existence defined? Could it be that this is just an image created by the Goddess Church to gather followers?”

The Saintess turned her head, her eyes full of meaning as they passed over the white fox girl, then she sighed with a soft, knowing smile, and shook her head.

“The Goddess certainly exists. The three holy artifacts contain an incredibly pure power of light, something far beyond the imagination of mortal beings. Every Saintess who has ever wielded the artifacts has, to varying degrees, glimpsed Her faint image during moments of trance, whether in dreams or during times of advancement.”

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“The deep sense of reality from these experiences undeniably proves the close connection between the three artifacts and the Goddess.”

“Then, why did the ?Tree?, which bore the three holy artifacts, appear before those three ordinary girls who were simply devout in their prayers for ?Light and Salvation?? Why do the Saintesses who possess the artifacts see Her blurred image and feel Her presence? Why… were we, the divine lineage, blessed with the power of light?”

Yuna stretched out her hand, and from her palm emerged a pure, radiant golden light. It flickered faintly, like stars, just like her crystal-clear, flawless long hair cascading behind her.

The girl smiled gently as she spoke.

“There is only one answer: She, who listened to our prayers, She, who represents ?Light and Salvation?, answered our call, bestowed Her grace, and granted Her followers the power to change the course of fate and the future.”

“So, the Goddess must exist. Even though I have never seen Her with my own eyes, I have always believed in this.”

“I see… hmm… hmm?”

Lost in thought, Miss White Fox suddenly furrowed her brow, her gaze unconsciously focusing on the Saintess’ crown—adorned with countless gemstones, radiating a sacred aura, as if it were the most exalted and holy object in the world.

A terrifying possibility suddenly crossed her mind.

A possibility capable of overturning the current order of the Holy Empire.

Think back to when Yuna was first seen at the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s auction. She was always wearing this magnificent crown, almost never parting with it regardless of the time or place.

The light attribute energy radiating from it was incredibly strong, and combined with its eye-catching appearance, it was only natural that Violet, along with many others, assumed it to be the actual ?Crownless Crown?, one of the three holy artifacts, given Yuna’s position as the Bright Light Saintess.

But… is this truly the ?Crownless Crown?, the holy artifact of light?

Why has Yuna, to this day, never used the power of this most treasured of the three holy artifacts? Was it simply because her strength, transcendent-level, was more than enough for the situations she faced, making it unnecessary to use the artifact?

That’s a perfectly reasonable explanation, and a common assumption.

If no other factors were at play, Violet would likely continue to believe that. Just as she rarely used her own powerful artifacts unless absolutely necessary.

For outsiders unfamiliar with her true strength, it would be easy to attribute Yuna’s extraordinary abilities to the gift of the artifact. After all, all three Saintesses possess combat power that surpasses the highest levels.

But Yuna’s seemingly casual remark just now suddenly made Miss White Fox notice something odd.

What did she mean by, ?Even though I have never seen Her with my own eyes??

Yuna had just said that every Saintess who wielded the holy artifacts had occasionally glimpsed Her faint image. So why has Yuna herself, as the head of the three Saintesses and the Bright Light Saintess, not seen Her?

Unless… the Bright Light Saintess is not truly a Saintess.