When Maria returned to the festival’s central banquet with her empty cup, there wasn’t the slightest flush in her pale, bloodless face. It was as if she’d drunk water or fruit juice, not ale.
"Haha, Sister Maria! It’s been a while. Your radiance has grown even brighter," said Mayor Harvett, who had been cheerfully conversing with Pastor Lynn. His eyes lit up as he spotted her.
Harvett wasn’t a nobleman, but a wealthy grain merchant. He’d purchased his position through donations to the parliament, though Sette provided little profit compared to his actual estates. Maria had long observed that he didn’t care about the revenue—he merely wanted the prestige and title.
As such, Harvett was well known for his generosity and benevolence.
A freckled young boy seated beside the mayor leapt to his feet at the sight of her, gripping his hat in both hands. His face turned bright red with embarrassment.
"Levi, what has your etiquette tutor taught you?"
Displeased by his son’s lack of decorum in front of the beautiful Sister Maria, Harvett frowned. He had high hopes for the boy and couldn’t stand to see him falter.
"By the Sovereign’s grace, Lord Harvett," Pastor Lynn said kindly, stepping in to ease the tension. "Don’t be too harsh. A father’s love is just as essential to a boy’s growth."
He understood well. For a time, Lynn had felt just as troubled comparing his silly little Felia with the precocious Maria. But those days had passed. Now, both daughters brought him pride. The only blemish on their happiness was Ruth’s lingering illness.
Maria noticed that Ruth and Felia were no longer at the table. She leaned in and whispered to her father.
"Ruth wasn’t feeling well," Lynn said softly. "I sent Felia home with her."
His face darkened briefly, but he quickly pushed the gloom aside. This was an important day. He couldn’t bring down the mood of the whole town.
Maria’s tone had changed. Lynn turned to look at her, surprised by her rare seriousness. It reminded him eerily of the night eight years ago, when young Maria had stood before him in the snow, brought by Selena.
He understood without her needing to say anything.
"Absolutely not! Sovereign above, this is madness!"
Pastor Lynn’s voice nearly blew the chapel doors off during the midday prayer break. He paced back and forth across the sanctuary, hands clenched and unclenched.
His daughter wanted to join the church’s tithe collection team.
Taxes meant danger. Outside of Sette, robbers, cultists, and bloody conspiracies abounded. Lynn had promised to protect Maria. In eight years, she’d scarcely set foot beyond Sette. With Selena vanished, Lynn had only grown more determined to keep her safe.
"For Sovereign’s sake, drop this foolish idea. Do you know how many people will be part of that convoy? What if someone from the North recognizes you?"
Tall, elegant, silver-haired, red-eyed, skin pale as snow—Maria bore the undeniable traits of Cainhurst lineage.
Southwind might be in the southern regions, but it bordered the North. Northern travelers were not uncommon. If someone discovered her identity, Sette wouldn’t be able to shield her.
"Father, I have no choice. I need your support—just like before."
Southwind’s future was bleak. In the beta, the [Ashen King] would awaken here. Later, in version 2.2, chaos dungeons would ravage the land, turning the lush grain belt into a pestilence-infested wasteland.
Without strength, how could she protect anyone?
"Maria... You’ve grown up."
He shook his head, sighing. Her repeated emphasis on "just like before" made him realize Sette could no longer contain this fallen noble phoenix. She had hidden her wings long enough. When the time came, she would soar again.
"Just now, I received word from the diocese... This Harvest Festival, the gods have not delivered any oracles."
His voice dropped to a whisper. As a priest under the solar pantheon, Lynn felt a growing unease.
The deities in question were the solar gods, not minor powers like the [Radiant Sovereign].
"This is the first time in nearly a thousand years. The Church fears the gods are angry... The tithe convoy may also serve as a precursor to assembling a divine punishment army."
Maria snorted inwardly.
Angry gods? The moment the game launched, the solar pantheon’s downfall would become public knowledge. The so-called divine army was nothing but a desperate gambit by the dying faith to maintain relevance—an overreach that would only provoke the wrath of every other power.
That disastrous move led to the Church’s downfall.
Supernatural elites would clash with catastrophic force. Players wouldn’t even be qualified to get involved.
The Church’s fall would eventually give rise to [Embers of Ash]’s true storyline: choosing between fire and darkness.
"By the Sovereign, Maria... That’s all I can tell you. I just hope—" he gently placed a hand on her head, "—you’ll find your own path in this ever-darkening world."