TFSAWE - Chapter 254: The New Chosen Maiden (Patreon)

"Does the Lady of Light still reside here?"

Carl inquired of the temple guard standing before the sanctuary of the Holy Maiden, his irritation carefully concealed. In response, the guard lowered his head as if in remorse.

"Indeed. It appears that she is still unfamiliar with her new surroundings."

"Enough of this."

Carl, on the verge of shouting out in frustration, restrained his anger and spoke to the guard with utmost composure.

"Very well. If she calls for me, please inform me immediately."

"Of course."

Carl emerged from the Holy Maiden's sanctuary. Walking down the corridor with a heavy heart, he confirmed the absence of any onlookers and furrowed his brow.

"Damn it."

Iris. The new chosen Maiden he had forcibly brought along. Between Latvan and the Heksa, Carl and the contingent of temple knights accompanying him had managed to escape the village with Iris. However, there were knights who had abandoned Carl, claiming they could no longer follow him. But they were of no importance to him now.

As Carl observed the weeping Maiden, pleading to be released, he thought that this Maiden would be just as easy as the others. A Maiden who didn't even know how to properly utilize her divine powers. He had believed that he could teach her step by step, just as he had instructed Evelina.

"Little did I know she would prove to be such a headache."

Ever since her arrival at the sanctuary, Iris had spent the entire day crying and proclaiming that she wasn't a Maiden. No matter what he tried to do, she continued shedding tears, repeating the same words like a parrot.

"I am not a Maiden."

It was still too early to involve Iris in any activities. As a result, the ceremony to welcome the new Maiden was continually postponed.

"This is troublesome."

The issues troubling Carl were not limited to just that. Immediately upon his return to the temple, news arrived that Latvan had defeated Heksa. Furthermore, it was reported that the temple knights who had remained there were now regrouping and making their way to the temple.

It was obvious how the people there would react to Latvan, and it was not difficult to imagine the insults they would hurl at the High Priest and the temple knights who had turned their backs on them.

Before the rumors spread throughout the continent, Carl needed to present a new Maiden to secure his legitimacy. But seeing Iris, who stubbornly clung to her crying act, he cursed under his breath.

As he made his way toward the central temple, he noticed temple guards running toward him from the opposite direction.

"High Priest Carl!"

"What is the matter?"

The guards, with pale expressions, shouted urgently.

"Please hurry to the central square! Proclamations have arrived! Not just one or two!"

"Proclamations?"

Aside from the appearance of Heksa, proclamations had rarely arrived in recent times. What on earth was happening? Carl hastened his steps.

And the moment the central square came into view, he was rendered speechless.

"Are all those proclamations?"

Although he had heard that there were several, the number of radiant proclamations gathered in the square appeared to be well over a dozen. What was happening in the other temples to cause proclamations to arrive simultaneously like this?

"High Priest!"

The guards standing near the proclamations urgently called out to Carl, urging him to open them. Carl swiftly approached the gathering of proclamations. The moment his hand touched one of the luminous scrolls, all the proclamations emitted the same sound at once.

"Masu Asuran. Temple destruction."

"Masu Asuran. Temple destruction."

"Masu Asuran. Temple destruction."

Dozens of emotionless voices echoed within the temple. Everyone present was stunned by the contents. Before they could react, someone suddenly shouted.

"T-There!"

Those who had been listening to the voices of the proclamations raised their heads. Someone was hovering in the air, far above them. Behind that figure stood a colossal lion-like creature, leaving everyone speechless.

The lion's crimson eyes fixated on the temple, and it was clear to everyone.

Its name was Asuran, and it had come to destroy the temple.