Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 287

[Vol. 5] Chapter 287: Visitors from the Holy Court

The Holy Court.

It spans over 60 million square meters, making it the largest church in the world, without question.

Its east-west distance reaches up to 10 kilometers, and it can accommodate nearly 100,000 clergy members, including four thousand-strong Holy Knight Orders.

Both the [Hand of Judgment], once led by the Judgment Saintess, Frederica Cecilia, in the eastern expedition, and the [Scales of Judgment], currently led by her sister Edwina Cecilia as acting captain, are part of the four Holy Knight Orders.

Due to the ongoing Holy War, more than half of the Holy Court’s defensive forces have been deployed elsewhere. Now, only the remaining two Holy Knight Orders, [Light of Mercy] and [Gospel of Grace], remain to guard the ultimate headquarters of the Goddess Church.

By the way, the names of these four Holy Knight Orders are not chosen at random. If one pays close attention, they will notice that the [Hand of Judgment], [Light of Mercy], and [Scales of Judgment] correspond to the three Holy Artifacts passed down through the Holy Empire for millennia.

The [Gospel of Grace], the most elite of the four, is the strongest and stands as the leader of the Holy Knight Orders. It directly protects the Holy Church and the Pope, symbolizing the supreme divine authority that transcends even the Three Saintesses.

This naming system indirectly reflects the structure of the current Holy Empire.

That night, the white fox girl descended gracefully from the sky, crossing the boundary between the central area of the Holy Court and the inner city, and arrived at the main entrance of this magnificent building.

Of course, for a place like the Holy Court, there was more than one or two simple entrances. Therefore, Violet just casually found a place with Holy Knight guards that appeared to be an entrance and attempted to ask for directions.

As expected, she was stopped.

“Please stop. This is a sacred area of the Holy Court. You can only apply for a visit during the day…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a magnificent badge appeared in front of the Knight Templar blocking his path. The badge featured a radiant circle on the back and a girl bathed in light on the front.

“Uh…!”

“Uh what? Can’t you see who I am by now? You must be from the [Gospel of Grace], right? Didn’t August tell you that someone would be coming to find him soon?”

The faint authority in her voice, combined with the overwhelming aura of a higher being that was no longer concealed, caused the Knight Templars who noticed the scene to feel a deep shock in their hearts.

Furthermore, with the white fox mask and the signature shrine maiden’s robe, the identity of the person before them became immediately apparent.

Although they were stunned and there were no clear regulations to follow, the Knight Templars, upon facing Violet, still did not hesitate to kneel on one knee.

“Glory to the Goddess, I pay my respects to Her Highness, the White Fox Saintess!”

The leader set the example, and the rest of the knights immediately followed suit, kneeling in unison outside the Holy Court’s gate.

“Glory to the Goddess! We pay our respects to Her Highness, the White Fox Saintess!!!”

“Hah… What is this? Can’t get rid of this ridiculous title, huh… Forget it, forget it, everyone, rise. There’s no need for such formalities.”

Sighing in resignation, the White Fox Saintess finally accepted the title that had somehow been bestowed upon her at some point. She returned the badge, originally given to her by the Holy Court as a token of her status as a candidate for the Redemption Saintess, and turned to the Knight Templar captain who had taken the lead in showing respect.

“What’s your name?”

“Your Highness, I am the captain of the 7th squad of the 7th division of the [Gospel of Grace], Knight Tyrent Pedder!”

So it’s the [Gospel of Grace] after all…

That means he should be able to report directly to the Holy Pope.

“Go tell August Lambert that Dawn is here to ask for someone. He will understand what that means.”

“Uh… Understood!”

Although the forceful attitude and the sudden appearance of Dawn, who should have been on the battlefield, caused some confusion, the Redemption Saintess’s legacy token could not be fake.

Having confirmed that the person before him was the famous Miss Dawn, Tyrent did not hesitate any longer. He immediately turned around, gave a few instructions to his adjutant, and quickly ran into the Holy Court.

Seeing that the White Fox girl remained silent and waited, the Knight Templars guarding the Holy Court naturally did not dare to casually engage with the prominent figure. They rose, casting curious and respectful glances at Violet, while also waiting for the return of their captain.

The Holy Court was vast, and now that night had fallen, even at the speed of a knight’s run, it would take about ten minutes to reach the resting area of the Pope.

Given the time it would take for the other party to react, Violet had expected to wait at the entrance for at least half an hour, and had planned to use the opportunity to scold the old man, perhaps saying something like, “What a busy man the Pope must be. It’s rare for me to visit the Holy Court, and you make me wait like this?”

However, to her surprise, just over ten minutes later, a deep and slow hymn suddenly resonated from within the Holy Court, accompanied by the loud proclamation of a familiar bishop, awakening the grand temple that had been silent in the night.

“His Highness, the Pope August Lambert, invites Miss Dawn to come in for a discussion!”

Clearly, this message was amplified by magic, directly broadcasting the announcement from the depths of the Holy Court, saving the time of back-and-forth communication.

At the same time, it made Dawn’s arrival public, turning what had been a private visit into a formal meeting.

This news would likely spread throughout the entire Angel City in no time. In some ways, this could also be seen as a measure to prevent Miss Dawn from causing trouble.

Clever old fool… Hmph… It doesn’t matter.

Since the Holy Court had already spoken, the Knight Templars guarding the entrance naturally dared not stop her. They immediately moved aside, saluting with their long spears pointed to the ground.

“Please, Miss Dawn, enter the Holy Court!!!”

Thus, with such a grand welcome, the White Fox girl stepped forward into the Holy Court.

Golden and resplendent, magnificent and vast.

This was Violet’s first impression as she entered.

In the most expansive hall, countless golden holy flames, resembling stars, illuminated the space, making the enormous room, over one hundred meters high, glow as brightly as daylight.

At the center of the hall stood an extraordinarily tall and intricate statue of the Goddess of Light, Aurora. The statue’s hands were crossed over her chest, draped in a splendid divine gown. Bathed in the light of the numerous holy flames, it was impossible to look at it without a profound sense of reverence and awe.

The Goddess of Light, Aurora, a faceless statue of the goddess.

This, perhaps, was the area normally used by followers for worship and sightseeing.

As night had already fallen, there were no tourists in the Holy Court. Violet shifted her gaze around, observing the nuns and clergy who were stopping to bow their heads and offer greetings to her in accordance with the rites of the Goddess Church. She then turned her attention to the passageway leading deeper into the court.

As the largest church in the world, capable of housing nearly 100,000 people, the structure of the Holy Court was naturally vast and labyrinthine.

Although the front hall was large, it was by no means the entirety of the Holy Court. If Violet had been alone, it would have been difficult to find the Pope, who resided deeper within. The Pope seemed to be aware of this and had no intention of making things difficult. Instead, he had sent a messenger to guide her.

It wasn’t the previous knight captain, but rather another man whom Violet had met once before.

He hurried from the depths of the temple, and when he reached the White Fox girl, he wore a gentle and sincere smile, despite the apparent helplessness.

“I am Ian Noyes, Deputy Overseer of the Holy Court and Archbishop. Praise the Goddess, Miss Dawn, it is a pleasure to meet you again.” [1]

TL Note:
[1] She had met him at [Vol. 5] Chapter 157