Chapter 41: Saintess Diana: The Priestess of Verati
"I-I wouldn’t dare to sit at the same table as you, Saintess. I am not worthy."
Diana’s smile became strained once she heard this, and she just let out a silent sigh. There were a lot of benefits that came with being the Saintess of this cathedral, but Diana couldn’t deny that there were just as many disadvantages. And one of the largest disadvantages was the fact that no one treated her like a normal person! Everyone here treated Diana like she was a god in human skin, and they revered and exalted her, so she could never become friends with any of them!
Diana was the Instrument of Fate, so it was obvious that everyone would treat her as a goddess!
"What can I do for you, Nina?"
Diana took another sip from her tea while asking this, and Nina spoke up quickly.
"Master Sylvester has arrived at the Cathedral and is requesting to meet with you."
"Oh?"
Diana was surprised when she heard this, and she put her drink down and immediately told Nina to prepare for the meeting. Sylvester was another member of the hero’s party who had helped end the demihuman war ten years ago. He was a human-cheetah hybrid demihuman who was hailed as the fastest mage to ever exist. Other than Verati, of course.
’I wonder what Sylvester wants. Maybe he had news about Verati.’
Diana smiled as memories from their journey replayed in her head. Those were some of the most memorable years of Diana’s life, and she couldn’t help but wish that she could go back. But Diana came back to the present as she walked out of the dining room to see multiple nuns waiting for her. Even though Diana was only going to meet with one of her old friends, there were still protocols that had to be observed, and Diana allowed the nuns to help her get ready. Diana was washed, cleaned, and dressed in a magnificent traditional robe and veil that made her seem like a traditional bride.
It took nearly thirty minutes for Diana to finish her preparation before she finally made her way towards the meeting room.
Sylvester was a tall, handsome man with a body that looked like it had been built for speed! He had strong cheetah legs and an aerodynamic human body. His feet were like a cheetah’s paw with tape wrapped around the sole to allow him to walk without shoes. There were two cheetah ears peeking out from his blonde hair, and he had sharp, red, catlike eyes that allowed him to see clearly even when moving at superspeed! There were two shortswords attached to his hip and a bag on his back where he kept all his personal belongings.
As one of the strongest mages in the kingdom, Sylvester was known as a Pillar of Andura, and his exploits during the demihuman war gave him enough money and prestige to never have to work another day in his life. But Sylvester was not the sort of person who liked to stay still, so even after making all that money, he donated everything to charity and took on a life of adventure where he only survived on the things within his backpack!
According to Sylvester: A free spirit has no need for money.
"The Saintess will now enter!"
A loud voice called from outside the meeting room, and Sylvester turned towards the entrance as the door opened to reveal Diana. Diana looked absolutely beautiful, and Sylvester smiled when he saw her entering the room alone. Both of them waited until the door closed behind Diana and they were alone before Diana finally allowed her shoulders to drop and she let out a long sigh.
"Sigh~ I’m so exhausted."
Sylvester laughed when he heard this, and he walked forward and gave Diana a quick hug before asking her how she was doing.
Diana shrugged.
"There’s nothing new really. People pray to me like I’m a goddess, and I bless them for their faithfulness. Life is boring as a Saintess."
Sylvester nodded along with a little pity in his eyes. Sylvester knew that Diana was the one who missed their adventure more than anyone else! After the journey with Verati ended, all the Pillars of Andura returned to their normal lives, and Diana had to come back to the Cathedral, but Sylvester couldn’t imagine how difficult it was to go from travelling around the world to being stuck inside a tower every single day! It must be hell!
"You could always quit if it’s so boring. Look at me, I gave up all that money for a life of adventure, and I’ve never been happier. I feel like a free bird!"
Sylvester smiled while saying this, but Diana just laughed sadly and shook her head.
"I have a duty to the faithfuls, Sylvester. And I have to serve my people. It might be a boring life, but it is certainly a fulfilling one."
Sylvester raised a brow.
"So you wouldn’t leave even if Verati himself asked you to come with him?"
Diana’s face changed into a serious look immediately.
"I would abandon everything if Verati asked me to follow him. Did Verati reach out to you?"
Sylvester huffed in amusement when he saw the intensity in Diana’s gaze! It was obvious that Diana cared more about Verati than anything else in this world, and Sylvester wasn’t that surprised by it! Out of all the ten Pillars that followed Verati on his journey, Diana was the most devoted follower Verati had ever had! Even though Diana was seen as the Instrument of Fate, it would be more reasonable to say she was the Priestess of Verati!
"No, I haven’t heard anything from Verati. You would know if I did."
Sylvester responded to Diana’s question, and Diana let out a sigh. It was true that Diana would’ve known if any of the Pillars had met with Verati yet. Diana kept a close eye on all the Pillars by consulting with the Fates, and she gained news about their adventures in that way. But Verati was the only person that the Fates had never been able to track. Verati’s impossible power allowed him to exist outside of Fate, so there was no seer in the world that could track his movements, and although it was a testament to Verati’s extraordinary power, it was also very annoying since Diana didn’t know what Verati was up to!
If Verati had met any of the Pillars, then Diana would’ve seen Verati through the Fate of the Pillars, but even after ten years, she still hadn’t seen anything!
Diana let out a small sigh and spoke up.
"So, I was told you wished to speak to me? Is there something wrong?"
Sylvester folded his hands as he got down to business.
"No, not really. I actually just entered the city a few days ago, and I wanted to see you before leaving. I was tasked with a protection mission by the King. I plan to head towards Aquinas next, and the King asked me to keep an eye on his daughter since she is going to see someone in the Verati Academy."
Diana raised a brow.
"Why would the princess want to visit the Academy?"
Sylvester shrugged.
"I don’t really know why, and the King didn’t bother informing me of the reason either. I just have to make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble while she’s there. But I heard from a friend of mine in the Aquinas City Guard that there was a recent disturbance in the Valley outside the city. Something about a mana surge. I know it might be nothing, but can you help me look into it? I just want to know if it’s worth checking out."
Diana hummed and nodded before she closed her eyes and allowed her consciousness to drift towards the Fates.
