They hadn't expected the Great Artifact Spirit to believe Eros possessed the potential to become a Saint.

  But of course! If not for such potential, why would a Great One have performed his personal baptism? If not for such potential, why would the Ancestral Artifact have deigned to recognize him?

  A Saint! That was a rank of sanctity! In ancient eras, such beings were referred to as Sub-Deities or Angels. A single step further, and one could hoist their divine throne and attain Greatness itself!

  If Eros were to become a Saint, then with the three Ancestral Artifacts and the fragments of the Ancestor’s shattered Divine Realm collected by the clan over tens of millennia, it wasn't impossible for him to ascend and claim divinity.

  To become the second Great One in the history of the North clan... the thought of witnessing the birth of a God made the elders' breathing grow heavy with anticipation.

  After a long silence, one finally spoke. "Since this is the counsel of the Great Artifact Spirit, we shall naturally comply. However, the specifics... we must deliberate with care."

  The elders clustered together, whispering intensely.

  "Doesn't the recruitment for the First Holy Academy in the Imperial Capital begin soon?" someone suggested. "Perhaps..."

  Another nodded in agreement. "I believe that’s feasible. Little Eros has never left the manor; letting him acclimate in a relatively controlled environment first is a sound strategy."

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  However, a few were hesitant. "But is that truly safe? That academy is jointly run by the Three Great Churches. Sending Little Eros there... isn't that placing him directly under their magnifying glass?"

  Several heads nodded. It was a valid concern—walking straight into the lion's den was inherently perilous.

  But the one who made the initial suggestion let out a short laugh. "What is there to fear? Our entire clan is already living under their magnifying glass. Do not forget: the most dangerous place is often the safest."

  "Little Eros has awakened the Elven Bloodline. As long as he refrains from using our Night-type spells and hexes in public, he will be fine. With a Servant of Secrecy masking him and the Book of Night obscuring his destiny, the Church inquisitors won't detect a thing. Where is the danger?"

  The group froze, a look of realization dawning on their faces.

  "Right! What does an Elven Bloodline have to do with our Night Clan?"

  "Even we thought that story was just a family joke. No outsider would ever guess that our ancestors intermarried with Elves tens of thousands of years ago."

  "Besides, there isn't a single Elf left on this entire continent. They have no way to verify it even if they tried."

  "And those Churches... for millennia, they’ve propagandized our Ancestor as an 'Evil God.' They’ve said it so much they actually believe their own lies now."

  "But Elves? In every occult history book, they are recorded as a kind and benevolent race. How could someone with Elven blood possibly be linked to an 'Evil God'? It’s logically impossible!"

  "I was overthinking it," one elder sighed with a smile. "The families under the Churches' jurisdiction send their elite scions there every year. Our long absence has actually made us look more suspicious. Let Little Eros go this time."

  "Who knows?" another added thoughtfully. "Once his Elven blood is exposed, our clan’s situation might actually become safer."