The Grand Arcane Church, the heart of the Siln Celestial Order, stood a short walk away from the residential district. Beyond a door deep inside the church stretched a long corridor, ending at the great cathedral doors adorned with exquisite rose reliefs.

  “No matter how many times I see them, they’re always so beautiful… so solemn.”

  Most shrine maidens preferred the side passage that led to the backstage area—storage rooms, waiting chambers, and the like. But I had long made it a habit to enter through these grand doors and walk straight across the cathedral.

  “Mm… the Brightforce waves from the Celestial Descent Light feel wonderful today.”

  At the center of the stage shimmered the Celestial Descent Light, a sacred relic said to grant the wishes born from people’s deepest hopes. It was bestowed by the Archangel Siln after the ancient battle against the Ruinbeast Eizerg, and even now it was revered as the greatest national treasure—a symbol of hope.

  In today’s lesson, on the eve of the Founding Festival, we reviewed once more the legend of the hero Lipti.

  Long ago, when the Kingdom of Eastend had only just been founded, a terrible beast appeared from nowhere and plunged the peaceful nation into despair. The people had no means to resist. Their hearts darkened.

  But the Archangel Siln descended with a young girl named Lipti, and together they confronted the monstrous destroyer. Lipti protected the people again and again, turning fear into courage and despair into hope. That hope empowered her, and she finally defeated the Ruinbeast. Siln descended once more and granted the Celestial Descent Light to heal the ravaged land and its exhausted people.

  That was the legend of Saint?Warrior Lipti and the Ruinbeast Eizerg.

  “I wonder… could I ever become someone’s hope like she was?”

  I reached toward the relic’s gentle glow.

  Behind the stage lay the rooms of the three guardian beasts who protected the sacred artifact. One of them, Grache, was my responsibility. It had originally been a rotating duty among shrine maidens, but after visiting every day, the role had naturally settled on me.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting. I’ll get your food ready.”

  Grache’s massive, muscular body—far too large to hold in both arms—was covered in long emerald?green fur. He was an Elridecalt, a rare wind?aligned holy beast of the Fangbeast class.

  When I ruffled his fur, his long tail trembled happily as he pressed his body against me.

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  “Gwooooo…”

  That low rumble was his usual way of saying he was hungry.

  I poured food into his bowl, and he immediately began devouring it.

  “You know, Lady Leila told me today that I’ve started to show the presence of a warrior. Brine always said, ‘A hero must have dignity to match their kindness.’ Maybe I really am getting stronger.”

  Grache paused his eating to nudge my cheek with his nose.

  “But I still need to get much stronger. If a monster like Eizerg ever appears again, I have to be able to protect everyone. You’re coming with me on the next beast?hunt, remember? We’ll do our best together.”

  He barked while still chewing, spilling food everywhere.

  After feeding him, I stroked his fur again.

  “This country is peaceful… sometimes too peaceful. Can someone like me really become a hero? Like Lipti?”

  Even though the kingdom had once drowned in despair, it was hard to imagine now. But Lipti had stood alone at the front, protecting the people and lighting their hope. Her will had been passed down through generations of Saint?Warriors, who protected the nation through countless crises.

  “There must be people suffering in other lands. If I want to help them someday, I need to become stronger. I’ll earn the title of Sacred Bearer for sure. Cheer me on, okay, Grache?”

  “Kugaaaaauuu…”

  His answering howl had become a ritual between us—one we’d repeated for five years.

  I slipped a new Arcane Conduit onto his foreleg.

  “A gift. The red band looks great with your fur, right? Harl and I picked it together. It’s our proof of friendship.”

  He pressed his forehead against me affectionately. He liked it.

  “Tomorrow’s the Founding Festival. Do your best guarding the Celestial Descent Light, okay? We’ve never had a major incident since I came here, but tomorrow might be different. Stay sharp—you’re the partner of a future Sacred Bearer.”

  I patted his head and left the room, waving as his lonely cry echoed behind the closing door.

  The next morning, Harl complained about being tired from last night’s training, but we hurried through our duties. The morning prayer, the preparations, the festival atmosphere—everything felt peaceful.

  Until it didn’t.

  Inside the cathedral, as the ceremony began, the Celestial Descent Light shone brighter than usual. Its waves of Brightforce washed over the crowd.

  Then—

  A pulse. A vibration deep in my skull. A sensation pulling me downward.

  When I opened my eyes, something impossible stood upon the sacred stage.

  A beast I had never seen. Black fur. Three jagged horns. Claws and fangs built for killing. A suffocating aura of Shadeforce so thick it felt alive.

  And then—blood filled the air.

  Screams erupted. The crowd surged, trapped by their own numbers. People fell, were crushed, were torn apart as the monster rampaged.

  “Shrine maidens, protect the civilians! Warmaidens, to the front! Stop that beast!”

  Rudy, a Brave Bearer, shouted orders as she drew her Arcane Sword.

  I couldn’t move.

  Not out of fear— but because my mind simply stopped.

  Rudy pinched my cheek hard.

  “Focus! We’re having tea after this, remember?!”

  That snapped me back.

  She and the guardian beast Chao charged into battle. But the slaughter didn’t stop. The air itself seemed stained black with terror.

  I knew I had to help. I knew I had to protect the people.

  But my body wouldn’t move.

  Rudy fought desperately, her expression fierce and determined. She protected everyone she could, swinging her blade again and again.

  What am I doing? She told me to help. I have to protect them. I have to get them out. What kind of hero just stands here?!

  The monster rampaged through the sea of bodies, crushing everything beneath it.

  And I— I was the only one still frozen.