When the light filtered through my eyelids and woke me, Lady Leila’s face was before me.

  “Lady Leila… good morning. What has happened?”

  “You were having a nightmare. How do you feel?”

  Her furrowed brows brought the horrific scene back into my mind.

  “I saw a terrible dream. A beast appeared in the middle of the Founding Festival, and people were being killed.”

  What an ill omen, right before a festival meant to be celebrated.

  As I pushed myself up from the bed, the door opened and Hal entered carrying a bucket.

  “Good morning, Hal. You’re up earlier than me? That’s unusual.”

  At my casual greeting, Hal dropped the bucket and rushed toward me.

  “Am! I’m so glad…! You wouldn’t wake up for more than a whole day!”

  “Why are you crying?”

  I couldn’t understand why she clung to me, sobbing.

  “They said… everyone in the Grand Cathedral was killed by the beast… I was outside the church, so…”

  Seeing her say this through tears, I finally understood. It had not been a dream.

  “Where is the beast?! What about everyone?!”

  Lady Leila shook her head.

  “No… Lady Rudy? She’s safe, isn’t she?”

  But the answer I hoped for did not come.

  “Everyone… everyone except you is dead.”

  Hal told me this in a trembling voice.

  “Grache! What about Grache?!”

  “Grache is…”

  Seeing Hal falter, I ran out of the room.

  —What was that beast?

  Lady Rudy was a priestess bearing the title of Brave Bearer, one of the Order’s proudest warriors. The image of her fighting fiercely to protect the people was still burned into my mind. I couldn’t believe someone like her had been killed.

  When I reached the church, not only priestesses but also soldiers of the Eastend Kingdom had gathered. Some priestesses called out in surprise when they saw me, but I ignored them and hurried toward the Grand Cathedral.

  The cathedral doors were sealed by Arcane Art, guarded by four Warmaidens.

  “Amsaria, you’re awake.”

  “Sierra, where is Grache?! Grache is safe, right? Is she inside?!”

  I tried to force open the sealed doors, but Sierra held me back.

  “You cannot enter the cathedral right now. The inside is in a terrible state.”

  “Where is Grache?!”

  Trying to shake off the worst possibilities, I shouted, and Sierra grabbed my shoulders firmly.

  “Calm yourself! Grache is safe.”

  “What…?”

  The answer I had wished for from the bottom of my heart felt unreal. When Sierra repeated, “Grache is safe,” tears spilled from my eyes.

  “Leave things here to us.”

  After giving instructions to the priestesses, she took my hand and began walking. She stopped before a door a short distance from the cathedral. “Here.”

  I rushed inside.

  There lay Grache, covered in wounds. As I buried my face in his blood?stained emerald fur, Grache weakly nuzzled my cheek.

  “Grache… thank goodness.”

  When I hugged him tightly, Grache let out a faint, pained cry.

  “Sorry… that must hurt.”

  When I pulled back, he began licking his wounds.

  “He has many injuries, but none are deep. Chao and Salve are in worse condition.”

  “Are they going to be all right?!”

  “The Shadeforce carved into their wounds interfered with our Arcane Art, but with desperate treatment, we managed to save them.”

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  Even Grache carried faint traces of Shadeforce. The fact that a Sacred Beast with such strong Brightforce had been affected this deeply showed how terrifying that beast was.

  Once I had calmed down a little, I wiped my tears and asked Sierra what I had been afraid to confirm.

  “Lady Rudy is truly…?”

  “Sadly, yes. Inside the cathedral is a mountain of corpses, a sea of blood—like hell itself. Five survivors remain, all in critical condition. You were the only one who survived without a single wound. It can only be called a miracle.”

  “The one who defeated the beast… it was the Valiant, wasn’t it?”

  Only the Ten Valiant could stand against a monster that slaughtered even Lady Rudy. Even if they had not been summoned to guard the festival, some should have been in the capital for the celebrations. I asked who had saved Grache and me, but Sierra frowned.

  “You haven’t heard, then. No one saved you. When we rushed to the cathedral after receiving word from the priestesses who escaped through the clergy passage, the beast was already gone.”

  “That can’t be… I saw it. A terrifying beast wrapped in an aura of unbelievable Shadeforce.”

  “We know. The priestesses who reported it said the same. But the beast that appeared so suddenly vanished just as suddenly. We are searching for it with the Royal Guard.”

  “Did it escape through the rear gate?”

  “Most likely. As a precaution, we sealed the entire cathedral with a barrier. It may appear again. Starting tomorrow, we will recover and honor the bodies of the priestesses and worshippers. Amsaria, you will be questioned thoroughly about this incident. Now that you’ve confirmed Grache’s safety, return to your room and rest.”

  “Understood.”

  After saying goodbye to Grache, I left the room with Sierra.

  The monster that appeared suddenly during the Founding Festival had not been a dream. Shrouded in countless mysteries, it continued to appear night after night, bringing destruction and slaughter, spreading fear among the people. But what the Siln Celestial Order feared most was that the incident had occurred inside the holy Grand Cathedral. Fearing that this would undermine their authority, the Order devised a plan—one that would greatly change the course of my life.

  ＊＊＊＊＊

  Four days after the incident, I was summoned to the Archbishop’s office.

  “Good morning.”

  Inside were Archbishop Script Zeiles and five bishops.

  “Good morning, Clusilk. There is something important we must tell you at once.”

  “Important…?”

  What they told me immediately after I entered and greeted them fulfilled half the purpose of my life.

  “I… am to become a Sacred Bearer?!”

  “Yes. We have decided to grant you the title of Sacred Bearer.”

  The shock left me speechless. I had no idea how such a thing could have happened.

  “An evil Ruinbeast appeared in the Grand Cathedral—the holiest place of the Siln Celestial Order—and slaughtered thousands of worshippers, including our priestesses. This tragedy has wounded the hearts of our people and threatens the stability of the Eastend Kingdom. To prevent that collapse, the strongest light of the Order must shine upon the nation.”

  “And that light is the Sacred Bearer?”

  “Exactly.”

  The title was so overwhelming that half of the Archbishop’s explanation barely reached me. It seemed they intended to make me a Sacred Bearer to give strength to the hearts of the people.

  “But I don’t even hold the title of Arms?Bearer. I’m only a trainee Warmaiden. Someone like me suddenly becoming a Sacred Bearer…”

  “That will not be a problem.”

  The one who answered firmly was Bishop Lya Bluff.

  “First, about the beast. That creature was none other than Eizerg—the Ruinbeast sealed in ancient times by the Sacred Bearer Lipti.”

  “That was… Eizerg?!”

  “The Grand Cathedral was built atop its seal. The Siln Celestial Order has protected that seal for generations. But over the centuries, the people forgot Eizerg’s threat, and their weakening faith loosened the seal. A heretic cult exploited that weakness and broke it.”

  I had studied the records of Lipti and Eizerg thoroughly. There were indeed descriptions of Eizerg being sealed beneath the earth. But I did not recall anything stating that the location was the Grand Cathedral. I wondered if this was a hidden truth known only to the Order—

  But Bishop Lya’s next words crushed that thought.

  “Announcing it this way will minimize distrust toward the Order.”

  In other words, they intended to use the legend of Sacred Bearer Lipti and the Ruinbeast Eizerg to fabricate a reason for the beast’s appearance in the cathedral—

  and even add a layer of guilt by blaming the people’s lack of faith.

  “People fear what they cannot understand. Giving them a reason is better than leaving a void. And one more thing: we must present someone who can stand against Eizerg. That role belongs only to the Sacred Bearer.”

  I understood what they were saying, though I could not accept it. But I still didn’t understand why I had been chosen. There were seven other Brave Bearers besides Lady Rudy. Why not choose one of them?

  “Please tell me why I was chosen. If Lady Rudy was killed by that monster, surely you don’t believe I can do anything against it.”

  “Strength is not the issue. This is about the hearts of the people. The monster?slaying force we are assembling must be led by the Sacred Bearer—the light of the Order. Her presence alone will give the people hope.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why it has to be me!”

  “Amsaria, listen carefully.”

  Lady Leila spoke slowly to calm me.

  “You alone survived that massacre without a single wound. You were protected by a holy miracle. That fact is what matters.”

  “A… miracle?”

  “You will not merely bear the title. You are the Sacred Bearer.”

  Despite the strength in her words, sorrow clouded Lady Leila’s eyes.

  I did not understand what she meant—

  not then.

  “We will make a formal announcement soon. Once the people hear it, they will regain their strength and live without succumbing to fear.”

  Bishop Lya concluded the discussion.

  “Bishop Lya, please report this to King Kiddam.”

  “Yes. I have already informed him of the general outline. If there are no objections, the royal decree will be issued shortly. We will then spread the news through the priestesses in every town.”

  Bishop Lya left the room.

  “Clusilk. Once the decree is issued, we will hold the ceremony to grant you the title of Sacred Bearer. You will become the hero who saves this nation.”

  “A… hero?”

  Behind the Archbishop’s gentle smile, I sensed something I could not understand.

  “Do not worry. The dangerous task of slaying the Ruinbeast will be left to others. Your duty is to save the hearts of the people.”

  And so, even though I had achieved the ultimate goal of my life—becoming a hero—

  a vast emptiness opened within my heart.

  As I turned to leave, the Archbishop added, “You understand, of course—this matter must not be spoken of to anyone.”

  “Today is a day of rest. I will inform the others,” Lady Leila said kindly.

  With her concern guiding me, I returned to my room.