CHAPTER 142: UNVEILING THE CHAMPIONS!

She looked every bit the image of a saint... and the Pious below also felt the same. They accepted her wholly, bowing in obeisance as she was anointed by her predecessor in a specific ritual.

Immediately she was declared the Saintess, tears of joy resounded throughout the whole city.

A path through the crowd was cleared so young girls who could serve as her aide could pass to the front, just as she also stepped down from the podium to meet them.

She walked towards the girls with her white gown trailing behind her, directly into their midst as they stretched their hands forth, touching a piece of her as she passed. The ritual being that even as she passed by without choosing them, they were allowed to use this opportunity to touch the Saintess, partaking of some of her grace.

They would later go on to serve in the church as a result of this opportunity.

The new Saintess—Seffirah, walked further into the crowd of girls, and the sea of their outstretched arms brushing against her body, until she stopped right in front of a little girl with blond hair. She looked up at the Saintess with a hopeful look, watching as the Saintess slowly clasped her face between her hands and pulled her into a hug.

Shouts erupted from the crowd ahead again. And even the Exalted seated on the podium behind her stood up, clapping.

She drew her aide forward and they walked together back towards the podium as her parents in the crowd went hysterical with tears of joy.

"Now I see the point of this..." Arcadius whispered softly as he clapped, just enough for Yeneffer to hear.

She snorted lightly, "Well, you took your time, Arcadius. If not for this event I’m sure you still would’ve been pondering the answer to such a painfully obvious thing."

Arcadius’ eye twitched slightly at her words, but he still maintained the award winning smile plastered on his face as he clapped, "You’ve gotten rather bold, Yeneffer. Is it because father took pity on you and changed his mind about announcing you as the Saintess?"

Yeneffer almost rolled her eyes as she clapped, "Pity?" she scoffed. "Brother, I assure you it is anything but pity," she said confidently, causing Arcadius to turn towards her slightly.

She gave him a playful smile that made him frown slightly in deep thought.

"Besides," she added with a serious tone, "I would’ve been the worst Saintess possible. I would hate the role for every waking moment for the rest of my life... and my aide would be the one to bear the brunt of it. Seffirah is a way better fit for the role" she said rather honestly.

Arcadius snorted, turning back to the crowd as Seffirah and her aide climbed onto the podium to be anointed by the Head Emissary.

.

.

The rest of the event was straightforward. Seffirah and her aide were anointed, there was a short celebration where music was played and hymns were sung. Hymns that praised the grace of the Saintess.

The whole thing had begun to take on a saintly and ’do good’ air that made Arcadius uncomfortable. He considered things like this a drag. He understood the reason for it now, but he still didn’t like it.

He was only thankful he wasn’t going to be required to do this ever again... especially when he would ascend to be crowned ’The Exalted One.’

As he thought of that, he threw a passing glance Yeneffer’s way, thinking back to what she said and the implications.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait too long to find out.

The Exalted One took to the towering podium above them again, ending the Saintess anointing ceremony and delving right into the subject matter he had been waiting for.

His presence silenced the crowd’s fading hymns for the Saintess, and every eye fixed on him with anticipation. He spread his arms, his voice booming across Conflux. "Pious of Apraxis! The Convergence trial will be ours! This time, the selection is different from any other in recorded history! But regardless of this... our champions have been chosen!"

"I call them now to stand before you!" He waved a hand, and immediately, light flared on the towering podium where he stood. "Arcadius, my son!" A figure appeared beside him, and the crowd erupted, shouts of vigor shaking the city, chanting "Arcadius! Arcadius!"

Arcadius stood tall with pride, puffing out his chest as he nodded in acknowledgement to his father.

The shouts of the crowd were frenzied. More so than usual. The reason being that neither of the two ’Exalted One’ in their history had allowed their direct successor to face the trial, naming them as a champion. He was the first in their history, making the crowd more confident of their chance of winning.

If the Exalted One was allowing his child... His direct successor, to be named a champion, then he must really be confident of their victory.

The Exalted One raised a hand to silence the cheers, and light flared again. "Toren, son of my brother Calvar!" A lean youth appeared. He had long, dark hair that was tied back into a ponytail. He looked cold and expressionless as he acknowledged the Exalted one respectfully before staring straight ahead. The pious cheered for him also, honoring Calvar’s bloodline.

He waved his hand again and there was another flare. "Lirien, daughter of my brother Calvar!" A girl, sixteen years of age, materialized. The resemblance between her and her brother, Toren, was evident, but she had her dark hair in a pixie cut, unlike her brother’s long hair.

The crowd cheered once more in approval. Three people from the direct bloodline were already called up. It was unlike anything the history books had ever said.

The Exalted One continued. "Voren, son of my brother Sylas!" Light flashed, revealing a broad youth with scarred hands from practice with a lot of weapons.

The Exalted One’s voice grew sharp. "Elara, from the Half-Exalted family, Lodestar!" A scrawny, red haired girl appeared. She had a bold smirk on her face, waving to the crowd as she appeared. A prodigy from a lesser Half-Exalted house.

Murmurs of approval spread in the crowd, tinged with intrigue at her unexpected addition.

The crowd waited for the next call, straining their necks as they looked up at the Exalted One and the five champions he had called up already.

The Exalted One paused in silence, building up tension among the crowd for a while, and even causing the champions to look between themselves in confusion, when all of a sudden, "Yeneffer!" Light flared, and Yeneffer appeared beside him, fully serious without any sign of her playful air.

She acknowledged the Exalted One with a deep bow before joining the rest of the champions where they stood.

Arcadius’s eyes widened in shock at her appearance, before he forcibly schooled his expression... though the tight clenching of his jaws couldn’t fool anyone.

The crowd gasped, then cheered at her selection. It was a surprise because, for those in the know, Yeneffer had been the favorite to be selected as the Saintess.

So to move from becoming a potential Saintess to becoming a Champion select was nothing short of dramatic.

Now, only one champion remained. And this time, without any preamble, the Exalted One simply called out. "Florian!" The final flare glowed and Florian, with his blond mane and chiseled figure appeared, looking around in a daze.

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Astrl