Chapter 818: Chapter 395: Lady Hestia (2)
"Mesa, Yuri, Sina, you, you all?"
Mesa puffed out her cheeks, looking somewhat angry, and pointed at Othella. The other two girls named Yuri and Sina also gazed at Othella.
"Having me cooperate with them... Aren’t you worried? Considering myself? I don’t understand..."
Othella stammered, unsure of what to do.
ALulu stepped forward, small in stature, yet possessing a certain profound affinity brought by the Paladin’s power, making her less intimidating than the others.
"I think they’re worried about you, Othella." Xiaoniu’s tone was gentle.
The blue haired maiden lowered her head, her bangs casting shadows over her eyes.
"Since, since all of you, Mesa, feel this way, then, then if it won’t harm my friends, I can cooperate..."
"Great," Zoe clapped her hands, "don’t worry, we can definitely beat that big bull up, ouch!"
Li Ang pressed the chestnut-haired girl’s head, speaking to Othella: "First, let’s talk about what you know about her, alright?"
Li Ang was somewhat surprised by the Purgatory Spirit’s goodwill towards the Star Flower Travel Corps, strangers in this place, but it’s good that things could move forward.
Othella nodded cautiously, while the others spread out, and the deck of the Eternal Summer transformed into an expansive garden in rest mode.
The Purgatory Spirits were curious about the intricate mechanical designs on the deck, especially the lively Mesa; she darted here and there without touching the wood, and soon she was playing with Zoe.
Li Ang noticed the chestnut-haired girl’s smiling face, talking incessantly, wanting to ask how she was communicating with the silent Purgatory Spirits, but the serious business of the tactical meeting was also about to begin.
"Eh, where’s Othella?"
Having just sat down, Li Ang noticed that the blue haired beast eared maiden was not around.
"I don’t know, wasn’t she just here?" Farina was also surprised.
Nearby, Meimei and the two Little Dragons helped to search.
"Here, here..."
A soft voice came from beside ALulu, and only then did everyone realize that due to her crouching stance, she had cleverly created a visual blind spot, making her unnoticed.
"Sigh, as expected, I’m just an insignificant roadside pebble..."
Othella wore an expression of tearful melancholy.
This is... too weak a presence? Li Ang once had a friend who would often be forgotten in crowds, but this level of weak presence was rare, possibly her undead state exacerbated this trait.
"How could that be?" ALulu gently held Othella’s hand and moved aside to let her sit forward a bit.
"Alright, let’s begin our meeting."
Li Ang gestured to Zoe and then seriously spoke to Othella: "Let me introduce myself first, I’m Li Ang, and here is my Sky Cavalry..."
The people from sixty years ago had already benefited from the order established by the Sky Knight Guild, so explaining matters of the Sky Cavalry was easy; self-introduction was an act of goodwill, and after introducing himself and his team, Li Ang focused on introducing Zoe.
"This is my first member, Zoe. Her parents have an extraordinary background, so she possesses a unique constitution, able to connect with a kind of giant beast hidden in our world called Star Soul..."
Li Ang tried to explain Star Soul Greenhouse, Star Soul, and Zoe’s journey to connect with Star Soul to Othella as concisely as possible.
"The Star Soul you’ve been talking about all along is actually Lady Hedaya, the Island God..."
"You haven’t understood all this time?"
"Yikes! Sorry! It’s just you all kept talking, and I, I didn’t dare to ask..."
Seeing the maiden who resembled a small animal, Li Ang refrained from saying much. For children who are too timid, their actions are indeed a bit frightening.
Even though they were forced, Li Ang decided to give Othella enough tolerance and kindness.
"Due to the inherent traits of Star Souls, they need to find suitable natural environments to dwell and preserve their power. So the Molten Mountain Star Soul chose this place, possibly because she occasionally manifested to help the islanders over time and thus was revered as the Island God."
"Yes, Lady Hedaya, she’s truly wonderful."
Seeing Othella initiate the conversation, Li Ang took the opportunity to let her continue speaking.
"How do you know about her?"
"I, because I am the child who was overlooked..."
Othella first teared up and began speaking softly about herself.
Othella Du Lege was born in June 224 of the Guild Calendar, naturally frail. If it weren’t for the warm climate of Lupus and being born in summer, she might not have survived.
Since childhood, she couldn’t manage heavy work and was timid as a mouse. Therefore, she said her parents also disliked her.
When her parents had younger siblings, they paid even less attention to her.
She also didn’t talk much herself, so she often got forgotten at home by her family when they went out, or while outside, they would return home abandoning her outside.
"That’s just too— Mmph!"
Li Ang covered the indignant Zoe’s mouth and patiently waited for Othella to continue.
Magic Power is a unique existence; it can indeed grant some people a special constitution, Othella’s panel even listed "Existence Weakening" as a skill, perhaps her parents didn’t do it intentionally.
Believing herself to be useless, one day Othella wandered to Hedaya’s Divine Hall.
This building stood not far from her home, but she never dared to go there due to the crowds, yet on the day she arrived at the Divine Hall, it coincided with Lupus’s Flame Festival, the day when people would hold grand processions and offer sacrifices to the Goddess.
The procession would circle the island and return to the Divine Hall, leaving the Divine Hall temporarily deserted.
Her family eagerly participated in the procession, but Othella, not daring to contact so many outsiders, stayed home.
But for some reason, she didn’t want to stay home that day, wanting to go out and see, so she stopped in front of the Divine Hall.
Lost in thought, she saw the Goddess.
"Did Hedaya come out to play?" Zoe immediately said, "Sister Eden also told me that she would play on Frost Heaven Island in the High Priest’s guise."
In this mood, Li Ang didn’t want to correct Zoe’s phrasing, letting things go for the time being.
"Perhaps, Lady Hedaya... I was indeed scared at the time, being alone at home, the most visible thing was her statue, and I recognized her at a glance."
When Othella mentioned Hedaya, a faint smile appeared on her face: "She is so good, gently taking me into the Divine Hall, giving me delicious food, and touring the whole hall."
When the procession returned, Hedaya temporarily bade farewell to her, for she needed to respond to people’s expectations.
Star Soul Incarnations didn’t appear before ordinary people but showed "miracles" in forms like the Flaming Flower Crown, Blazing Meteor, and Forged Weapons, repaying believers.
On that day, the warmth of the Goddess of Forge and Flame shone over both the Pug Island Country and the timid, mouse-like young girl.
From then on, Othella often saw Hedaya, although she didn’t know why the Goddess favored her, Hedaya’s help encouraged her to bravely step out of her home and participate in some sacrificial activities at the Divine Hall.
At this point, the Purgatory Spirits gathered around, and Othella’s words made everyone understand why the Fire Spirits were encircling her.
In fact, Hedaya holds the authority to protect families and women. If on Earth, the formation of divine roles would involve complex cultural and historical factors, but in Nebis, perhaps what the Divine Spirit itself has done is key.
From Eden’s description, it’s evident that Hedaya is a highly kind Star Soul.
The so-called sacrificial rites actually gathered many women with ill-fated destinies, allowing them to help each other, or have Priests provide support.
Othella was unexpectedly bestowed with "Favor."
Hedaya chose her among the Priests’ guided prayers and granted her the ownership of the divine God Sacrificial Branch.
"Is it that stick?" Zoe looked at the tree branch Othella held tightly.
"Yes, it represents Lady Hedaya’s selection of me, hoping I can help everyone on her behalf, although I don’t know why she chose someone like me, but I’m very happy."
Even with Lupus devastated, the island now in ruins, recalling the past, Othella’s genuine smile still emerged, making her beautiful face instantly brighten.
"That period was like a dream until one day, a strange person appeared outside the Divine Hall."
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