Chapter 1304: When Innocent Saintess Plays game: Part-1

The announcement of Aether’s engagement was spreading like wildfire... or maybe someone was fueling it to spread?

The whispers turned into gasps, gasps into rumours, and soon every corner of the Aurora Empire buzzed with the same question that no one dared to answer aloud.

Was it true?

Their Archpriest... engaged?

Anyway, as the news got into their hands, the people started to panic in worry, especially in the Aurora Empire.

Mothers clutching their children stood by the temple gates, eyes wide and trembling. Priests exchanged glances, their lips moving silently in disbelief. The bells of the high towers tolled faintly, their echoes sounding almost mournful.... like a perfect setting, right?

Hmm...

The people’s faces almost turned pale in disbelief... their Archpriest just gave up on them?

Just like that?

That’s all?

He... he abandoned them all?

"What... what is happening?" a young man muttered, "Didn’t he swear upon the Sacred Light never to leave us?"

"What kind of vow was that then?" another shouted, gripping his cloak with shaking hands.

What’s with this pain they were feeling?

Was this... what their Archpriest felt?

Was this... how he felt when they betrayed him?

The pain... the disbelief... the resentment?

The realisation settled like frost on their hearts. The same emptiness he once carried when they doubted him, they now tasted themselves.

The very same wound he bore had now returned to them.

The Archpriestess, who was looking at them, her expression slowly softened, seeing their broken and abandoned faces. "I guess that’s it..." she murmured, "The Archpriest has chosen his standing point... as for the title, I’m not sure he would still hold it."

A hush fell... Even the wind seemed to pause.

Hearing those ruthless words, their hearts trembled. The same man who, even while working, greeted them with a gentle smile and protected them when everything fell apart... it felt like a dream for a second.

Now the only thing connecting him to this land was his title, and once even that was removed... Aether would be no more for them.

He would be a stranger!

"W-We cannot allow it!" Among the growing crowd, as people kept coming, one of them shouted furiously.

Everyone flinched, nodding their heads... they couldn’t allow it!

The people could not allow him to leave!!

"Y-Yes, we cannot allow this!" cried another, her eyes wet. "He’s our Archpriest, our guiding light!"

"We need our Archpriest!"

"We need our Archpriest...!"

Their chants rolled like thunder through the streets into one desperate plea that reached even the far corners of the empire.

As they started to chant like a mantra, Helena and Sera frowned as the people’s voices grew more powerful... just what had he done?

Helena crossed her arms, her golden hair shifting under the breeze. "This is madness," she whispered. "I knew they respected him, but this... this is devotion bordering on worship."

Look who was talking?

Sera’s eyes narrowed, her tone laced with disbelief. "He didn’t just heal their wounds or bless their crops... he reached their hearts. Somehow, he made them feel seen."

Honestly, both Helena and Sera were slightly confused by their people’s reaction. Sure, he was the one who saved them and offered them help... but didn’t she, Helena, and even Finnian do that?

What made him so different from them?

When Finnian left, people were sad to see him go, but they didn’t even dare to stop him or beg like they were now.

Helena exhaled slowly, "He’s not just their Archpriest anymore... he’s become their faith itself."

Sera looked at the chanting crowd, "And faith," she said softly, "is something people would burn empires to keep."

Yet they were doing it for a person... an outsider?

That still confused them... What was Aether to them, more than anyone else? What did they see in him that they couldn’t see in their own kind?

Sera shook those thoughts away. "No matter what you do," she said firmly, her tone cutting through the noise, "I am not going to ask again. And if you continue to act like this... you know the punishment, right?"

Even though the people flinched at her dangerous words, they still stood their ground, faces hard, eyes blazing with conviction

Sera blankly stared at them before speaking again, "He left this place. I will soon find a replacement if you are so worried about him, then."

However...

Someone from the crowd suddenly shouted, "He came from the Light!"

The words struck through the air like thunder.

Remembering that day... how he appeared to them, everyone blinked, nodding slowly. When the temple was destroyed, when their faith had shattered and the sacred bells had fallen silent... he arrived.

He appeared in that moment as if... as if...

"Mother sent him to us... a final parting gift?"

Someone muttered in a dazed, realising tone.

Everyone’s eyes widened again. Come to think of it, they hadn’t even thought of it before, but now... yes. When the temple was destroyed and Mother departed, that was when he descended from the sky.

An otherworldly appearance... that moment was burned into their hearts. They had felt it—truly felt it.

His aura, so different, so radiant. Strong and fierce, yet gentle, soothing like light breaking through a storm.

Like a final wish... Mother had given them a way to protect and live on.

"Yes... we cannot abandon him... we cannot leave him..."

"It’s we who made the mistake!"

"We shouldn’t have done it!"

"We shouldn’t have feared it!"

"WE MADE A MISTAKE!!"

The people shouted one by one, their voices rising higher and higher.

Sera and Helena frowned. The way these people looked, the devotion in their eyes—it was unnerving.

Why did they look like a cult now?

Well, they already were to some extent, but still... wasn’t this too much?

What if Sera and Helena themselves left one day?

Would the people cry out the same way?

Would they even care as they did for Aether?

’Aether really had some kind of magic over them,’ Sera thought, her lips twitching into an amused expression.

Helena, on the other hand, stood with a slightly prideful face, watching her people realise their mistakes—and seeing her husband being revered like a god.

What else could she possibly ask for?

Helena chuckled inwardly. She wondered what kind of face he would make when he saw these people... worshipping his name like a sacred hymn.

"Since our Archpriestess decided not to talk... it’s in our hands, my brothers and sisters! Let’s go to the Naiadae Empire and show our faith and love to our Archpriest that no empire could ever match!!"

"YAYY!!"

"LET’S DO IT!!"

"FOR OUR ARCHPRIEST!!"

Sera froze in shock when she saw the enormous crowd suddenly start moving toward the direction of the Naiadae Empire.

Were they insane?

Are they... fucking idiots?

If this many people went there at once, it wouldn’t be a pilgrimage... it would be a war!

She clenched her fists, about to shout and stop them before they caused a scene when—

"Or... we could just do what Naiadae did?"

Someone’s voice rose from the crowd, deep and deliberate.

Everyone flinched. Sera and Helena’s expressions hardened into wary frowns.

That voice... it was the same man who had been subtly steering the crowd since the beginning.

Their eyes widened when they finally saw him—a figure hidden behind the people, moving like a shadow between them, careful not to be seen.

Of course, both Sera and Helena knew exactly who it was.

’This bastard,’ Sera thought, her expression turning half-amused.

Helena pouted slightly. ’So you’re playing around again, aren’t you?’ she thought in mild annoyance.

Anyway, for the people, it was like something inside them clicked. They blinked, realisation dawning on their faces.

Yeah... they could just do what Naiadae did, right?

If they couldn’t keep him through duty, then maybe through bond... Through love!

Marrying Aether and binding him to their land forever... after all, Aether now belonged to the Naiadae Empire. He was born there, and his roots were there. Even if they brought him back, he wouldn’t belong to them anymore.

The only way to attach Aether to this land again was...

"I have a daughter."

Sera and Helena blinked when they saw a middle-aged man step forward, his face set with a serious expression. "I am willing to give my daughter to our Archpriest," he declared, bowing deeply.

Beside him, his daughter followed, lowering her head.

"I would love to take the hand of our Archpriest," she said without hesitation.

Both Sera and Helena stared blankly, momentarily stunned into silence.

Then—

"Oi! Do you think only you have a daughter? Huh? I have mine too! She’s far more talented than your girl!"

A woman turned to her daughter and called loudly,

"My dear, are you willing to protect your empire?"

The daughter lifted her chin proudly. "Mother, there’s no need to ask me... it would be my greatest honour to marry our Archpriest."

Hearing that, her mother smirked triumphantly and looked at the man, whose lips twitched in irritation.

But the argument had only begun.

"Huh? That’s not how it works, lady! My sister is more capable than any of your daughters combined!!"

"Don’t be high... my daughter is the best!"

"No, mine!"

"Everyone else is the worst! My sister is the best!"

"My daughter!"

"My mother is the best for our Archpriest!!!"

"..."

For a second, everyone halted. Wait—who said that again?

No one knew, but it didn’t matter.

They went right back to arguing without hesitation, shouting over each other with fierce determination.

Sera and Helena blinked, utterly confused.

They just... decided to give away their daughters?

Just like that?

The fuck?

Both stared blankly at the chaotic scene before them—people fighting, shouting, throwing names, offering family members like offerings to a god.

Then suddenly, both women froze when a voice echoed quietly in their minds.

/At this rate, I will be marrying everyone except you./

Both Helena’s and Sera’s faces turned pale with horror.

/Helena... it’s your time./

Aether’s voice flowed into her thoughts, calm yet teasing. Helena clenched her fist and gave a small nod, her cheeks twitching in embarrassment.

Sera snorted inwardly, folding her hands with an annoyed expression. Of course, she would be pissed no matter who he married.

As long as it wasn’t her, she’d be irritated—and if it continued like this, maybe even murderous.