CA – Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Every year, the Holy See selects children from various nations who have an affinity for the light element. They are taken from their parents' side, undergo a Light Baptism, and are then raised to become Light Believers of the Holy See.
Due to the Holy See's exalted status on the Statu Continent, both commoners and nobles considered it an honor for their children to be accepted as Light Believers.
Every day, people would bring their young, oblivious children to the gates of the Holy See to make inquiries. However, the Holy See was no charitable organization; they only accepted those with a constitution capable of sensing the light element. Such a constitution was one in ten thousand, and for a branch like the one in the Bill Empire, the number of believers accepted each year never exceeded one hundred.
At Erin's "urging," Tang Qiu finally arrived at the gates of the Holy See, holding her newly acquired badge. Her long golden hair, exceptionally dazzling in the sunlight, cascaded smoothly down her back. Her pure white robes were immaculate, and her beautiful face held a kind and gentle smile that made people want to draw near.
A child, led by their parents and lingering at the gate, looked up at the golden-haired cleric. They couldn't help but pull their parents' hands and walk toward her, saying in a sweet, childish voice, "It's the Light Goddess."
The young woman gently pulled back her child, who didn't know any better, and said apologetically to Tang Qiu, "Your Excellency Cleric, please don't mind her. She's just a child and doesn't know what she's saying."
The Holy See's hierarchy was strict, and the woman feared her child's innocent words might bring trouble for the golden-haired cleric-though she, too, felt that this holy and elegant cleric embodied the image of the Light in her heart more than any other member of the Holy See she had ever seen.
Tang Qiu shook her head slightly and said with a smile, "The Light Goddess would not unleash her wrath over a child's playful words." She raised her hand, her fingertips glowing with a white light, and gently touched the little girl's forehead. Her voice was soft. "May the Light Goddess bless you."
This was a Light Baptism from a cleric.
While it couldn't allow the little girl to enter the Holy See and become a believer directly, it increased her chances of perceiving the light element. The woman, overjoyed, hugged her child and thanked Tang Qiu profusely.
After bidding farewell to the woman and the little girl, Tang Qiu was in a rather good mood, a feeling that persisted even after she entered the Holy See.
The Holy See had personnel specifically responsible for interviewing clerics who had completed their training and wished to take up a post in the Bill Empire. Tang Qiu handed over her new badge, watching as the male cleric before her skillfully confirmed and recorded her information, the smile never leaving her lips.
After confirming the information was correct, the male cleric handed the badge back to Tang Qiu and introduced himself. "I am Priest Monica's attendant cleric. My name is Jonas."
Tang Qiu nodded, placed her right hand lightly on her left shoulder, and gave a slight, elegant bow in response, using the customary etiquette of the Holy See.
"Actually, the Holy See recently recruited a few clerics who returned from their training," Jonas said with a shrug. "If your abilities are outstanding, you could become one of them."
"A month ago, one of the Priests was transferred to the Central Church, so we happen to be short one Priest right now." Jonas led Tang Qiu across the Holy See's main hall and into an empty adjacent room. "If you're lucky, you might become an attendant to the new Priest."
Jonas chattered on, and besides offering appropriate responses, Tang Qiu carefully filtered out the useful information and committed it to memory.
She was about to enter the Holy See now. This wasn't like being in Edry, where she could muddle through even if she accidentally slipped up.
For now, she needed to keep a low profile.
Jonas produced a white crystal, taller than half a person's height, from somewhere and placed it before Tang Qiu. He ran a hand over its uneven surface and gestured for her to place her hand on it. "Here, touch this and cast the light spell you're most skilled with."
The most skilled... Tang Qiu mused for a moment before softly reciting the incantation for a Light Ball. She had no choice; because of Erin, she had to use this spell dozens of times a day. She couldn't possibly be more proficient with it.
Jonas could tell which spell she was casting just from the movement of her lips. In the entire tome of elementary light magic, the Light Ball spell was at the very beginning and was quite useless. No cleric would bother practicing it to proficiency unless they were lazy and foolish.
When Jonas had first laid eyes on Tang Qiu, he had been surprised by the dense aura of light surrounding her. Now, however, all he felt was a faint sense of regret. It wasn't unheard of for the Holy See to encounter individuals with an excellent constitution for light but poor comprehension.
The light element swirling in Tang Qiu's palm flowed into the white crystal. The crystal's uneven surface refracted beams of light of varying intensity, illuminating squares on the smooth wall one by one, each representing a level of light power.
Jonas hadn't held much hope at first, but as more and more squares lit up, he couldn't help but straighten his posture. He glanced at Tang Qiu out of the corner of his eye, barely able to conceal the astonishment within.
Tang Qiu quietly watched the light continue to spread across the squares, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. She had deliberately used a weak spell like Light Ball to hide her true strength, so why was this happening?
The light illuminated the entire wall and still didn't stop. A single beam shot up to occupy a small corner at the very top, in the section designated for the power level of a Priest. Though it looked inconspicuous, it had undeniably crossed the line.
Jonas stared at the ceiling, his face a mask of shock, and couldn't snap out of it for a long time. It wasn't until Tang Qiu coughed deliberately that his thoughts returned to him. He stared at her for a good while, as if looking at something unbelievable, and his voice had changed. "...Are you sure you're a cleric returning from training?"
He wanted to take out Tang Qiu's badge to inspect it again, but then he remembered he had already given it back.
Among the believers the Holy See recruited each year, there were two paths they could take. One was for believers with average or moderate constitutions. After reaching a certain age, they would be sent out for training. Those who survived would be appointed as clerics to a branch of the Holy See in one of the nations, their placement based on their abilities. Whether they could become a Priest in the future depended on luck and talent.
As for becoming a Bishop or an Archbishop... it was nearly impossible for clerics of this type to reach that level.
The other path was much smoother. Believers with excellent constitutions and extraordinary talent would be chosen by the Central Church at a young age. They were either taken away directly or allowed to remain at their local branch to continue their studies. They didn't need to go out for training; they studied light magic within the Holy See, becoming attendant clerics or Priests to a Bishop or Archbishop. With the right opportunities, it wasn't impossible for them to become a Bishop or Archbishop themselves one day.
The power of a cleric who studied at the Central Church was nearly comparable to that of an ordinary Priest.
In Jonas's eyes, Tang Qiu seemed to be the latter-a cleric on the path to a bright future.
Not only was her constitution excellent, but her ability to cultivate such a weak light spell to this level proved that her talent was by no means low.
Tang Qiu nodded calmly. "Yes." All she could do now was maintain her serene expression; panicking would only cause her to slip up further.
Her composure made Jonas feel he was overreacting. He felt a little chagrined, but his expression had already returned to one of clerical poise. He glanced down at the white crystal again, then cleared his throat and said, "Welcome to the Holy See. Follow me."
Tang Qiu followed quietly behind Jonas, her good mood now cut in half.
The Holy See held a Light Baptism every Sunday. In a spacious, simple hall devoid of any decoration, clerics and Priests faced forward, their heads bowed slightly in prayer. Before them stood a two-to-three-meter-tall statue of the Light Goddess.
The statue's face was deliberately left blank. She wore a simple white gown, and a golden light seemed to shimmer behind her, making her appear noble and holy. The Light Goddess held a staff in one hand and wore a classical ring on her finger. Though no facial features were carved, a pair of eyes looking down upon all living beings with both pity and indifference appeared clearly in the mind of every person who gazed upon the statue.
The Light Goddess had left the Statu Continent tens of thousands of years ago, but thanks to the Holy See, her influence endured.
By the time Jonas and Tang Qiu entered the hall, the Light Baptism had already concluded. The Bishop had departed, and Priest Monica was discussing the recommendation of a new Priest with the other clerics.
For a branch of the Holy See located in an empire, the Central Church would dispatch a Bishop to manage it. A Bishop was permitted to bring four attendant Priests and eight clerics with them.
A branch of the Holy See had ten positions for Priests. Aside from the four brought by the Bishop from the Central Church, the remaining six were Priests who had been promoted from the ranks of the local clerics.
The two groups belonged to different factions. The Priest who had been transferred away by the Central Church was not one of the Bishop's people, which was why the Bishop had found an excuse to leave after the baptism.
For Priest candidates, strength was valued more than seniority. If someone's command of the power of light remained too weak after many years of study, they could only remain a cleric, no matter how long they had served.
Monica already had two candidates in mind and was still considering them. Catching sight of Jonas and Tang Qiu out of the corner of her eye, she paused and asked, "What is it?"
Jonas introduced Tang Qiu, who stood behind him. "Priest Monica, this is a cleric who has just arrived to take up a post at the Holy See."
Tang Qiu inexplicably felt that Jonas's calm tone seemed to conceal a hint of excitement. She was puzzled, but her expression didn't betray it. She gave a slight bow, her tone neither fawning nor cold. "Good day, everyone. I am Grace Barton, a cleric from Sevia."
Monica sized her up with a glance and nodded, her voice cool and faintly distant. "Welcome to the Holy See of the Bill Empire."
She gestured for Jonas to lead Tang Qiu into the ranks of the clerics, then resumed the previous topic. "Regarding the candidates for Priest, I have two people in mind."
"Linda and Jennifer."
The clerics Monica had named stepped forward and gave her a slight nod.
Monica surveyed the crowd and said perfunctorily, "If any of you have other candidates to recommend, you may speak now."
Normally, this was just a routine question. She had already made her decision after considering all factors, and these two were the only ones among the clerics who had both the most support and the abilities required to meet the standard for candidacy.
However, who would have thought that this time, someone would actually step forward to make a recommendation during her routine inquiry.
Tang Qiu was tilting her head back, carefully observing the statue of the Light Goddess, when Jonas's voice, thick with unconcealed excitement, suddenly sounded in her ear. "I have a candidate to recommend."
She froze for a moment. Turning her head, she saw that Jonas had stepped forward at some point. The way he kept glancing at her gave her a sudden, bad feeling.
Monica frowned, lifting her chin slightly in a gesture for Jonas to continue.
"I recommend the new cleric, Grace." Jonas winked at Grace, then turned to Monica with a serious expression. "Her power of light has already surpassed the limits of a cleric. I believe her abilities are greater than those of Cleric Linda and Cleric Jennifer."
"In terms of ability, she is the most suitable candidate."
Her bad feeling became reality. As one piece of high praise after another was piled on her, Tang Qiu didn't know what to do but maintain a quiet smile. The sharp, piercing gazes from the other clerics and the two candidates made her feel as if she were sitting on pins and needles.
Tang Qiu seriously suspected that this Jonas must have had something against her. Otherwise, why would he dig such a big pit for her to fall into right after they had met?
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