Chapter 505: The Day of Salvation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 505: The Day of Salvation
“Indeed… the Eastern Continent’s temple is magnificent. It’s truly astonishing how such a temple could have been built. I wonder if we can build a temple like this in the West… This isn’t something that can be achieved simply by artisans joining forces.”
“You will probably be able to do it.”
“I’ll have to commission the dwarves to create the statues. Don’t you think so, Ann?”
“Yes… yes. I think so.”
The Saintess, Jane, began to look around with sparkling eyes. No matter how many times she saw it, this place was always astounding. It was because there was nowhere one could look without seeing an image of the Savior. From the colossal statues and overwhelming masterpieces to the works of art that seemed crafted from life itself, this temple was worthy of being called heaven.
“It’s incredible. Truly incredible.”
The day began with the tolling of a great bell, and all the devotees started their meal. The atmosphere was comfortable and peaceful; there was no such thing as conflict here. Many followers spent their nights in theological debate, and voices raised for the Savior echoed from all directions.
‘I must work harder.’
She had been fortunate enough to catch His eye and rise to the position of Saintess, but she still felt inadequate. Even among the regular followers, those immersed in theology possessed knowledge far superior to her own. There were devotees who had memorized the holy scriptures in their entirety, and others who engaged in continuous debate over various interpretations. The depth of their scholarship was so profound that it was incredibly difficult for her to even join in.
Compared to them, what was she?
She had encountered a disgusting false god and wasted an immense amount of time. If only she could turn back time, she would use every moment she had wasted solely for the Savior.
“It’s not just about the statues built to serve the Savior. From the unquenchable flame that tests one’s faith to the buildings where the elves and devotees reside, there is nothing that has not been touched by the Savior’s hand. Everything is a trace of Him, everything is His accomplishment. What a beautiful place this is. It must be the same for our Western Continent. We must consecrate every place He has stayed.”
“Yes… yes. Th-that’s right.”
“This is a place where one begins the day by rising with the book of the Savior’s words and ends it in prayer. How happy I would be if the temple in the West, soon to be completed, could be even half as grand as this one… Huu… As an inadequate Saintess, I am so anxious.”
“Y-You can do it, Lady Jane.”
“Thank you for the encouragement, Ann.”
As she walked through the temple talking with Ann, familiar voices soon echoed around them.
“A special day will soon be upon us!”
“We must follow the Savior’s revelation.”
“It is the Day of Salvation! The Day of Salvation!”
Similar voices were echoing from all over. The atmosphere within the faith had been exceptionally good lately. There was a simple reason for this: the miracle that had occurred before.
It was an anomalous phenomenon, an event that could only be described as a miracle, where the Savior appeared in the dreams of not only the devotees but many others as well.
Because of this phenomenon, which was centered around the Adventurers Guild, the number of followers exploded, and the faith of existing devotees became even more solid.
Just recalling the content of the dream was enough to make her face flush. Since she hadn’t been with the faith for long, she didn’t know the exact details of the miracle, but Baek Ahyeon, the leader of the faith, interpreted this phenomenon as a precursor to the Day of Salvation. She had raised her voice, proclaiming that they must prepare for the coming miracle, and spoke nonstop all day about the importance of the Day of Salvation.
The Day of Salvation.
For a devotee, there could be nothing more exciting.
Every day, everyone purified their bodies and minds, reciting prayers to prepare themselves to one day receive the Savior. They debated without cease and did their best to punish those who had fallen to demons. Even without active proselytizing, stories of the Savior were spreading among the humans in all directions, and the faith was growing stronger by the day.
‘If only I had met the Savior sooner…’
It was no wonder she had such regrets. All her inadequate self could do was repay Him with the temple in the West, but she couldn't leave the Eastern temple empty. Feeling a sudden sense of urgency, Jane turned to Ann beside her and spoke.
“By any chance, is Baek Ahyeon…”
“Ah. I heard she is currently heading this way.”
“What?”
“I heard it from the follower Lee Wanyong. He said she is slowly making her way here from the Brother's Land, where the Savior resides.”
“But why…”
She couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t come with Choi Eunju.
The journey from the Brother's Land to the Eastern temple wasn't long with teleportation, but it was by no means a short distance to travel normally. This was not an action befitting Baek Ahyeon, who valued her time so dearly.
It was a distance that could take up to a month if one traveled slowly. When she looked at Ann with a questioning gaze, Ann carefully began to speak.
“Uhm…”
“…”
“I haven’t heard the full details either, but… I was told that Baek Ahyeon chose to walk here herself.”
“I-I see…”
“I-I don’t know if it’s alright to say this, but…”
“It’s alright to speak, Ann. I want you to tell me exactly what you know.”
“Huu…”
“…”
“They say she is deeply heartbroken.”
“What?”
“I haven’t heard exactly what happened, but they say she is utterly heartbroken. I heard she spends every night in tears. Not only does she not answer when the accompanying devotees ask, but I heard she has been frequently staring into space and shedding tears. Perhaps due to severe stress, she sometimes screams inside the carriage… and… Choi Seulgi is accompanying and comforting her, but it seems she still can’t stop crying.”
She couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread.
Baek Ahyeon was the center of the faith, a symbolic figure. She was not only the closest to the Savior but also someone who had been present for the pilgrimage of every miracle. Jane hadn’t been part of the faith for long, but of course, she knew of the miracles Baek Ahyeon had performed.
The news that the heart of the faith, who had gone to the Brother's Land to assist the Savior, was returning to the Eastern temple in tears was by no means welcome.
“Wh-what is this… Why is this happening…”
“I was told to keep this quiet, as it might make the other devotees anxious.”
“Of course, I can’t say a word. The Day of Salvation is supposed to be so close… I-I’m getting nervous.”
“The follower Lee Wanyong was also very tight-lipped.”
“Could it be that she’s crying out of sorrow from having to part with the Savior…?”
“That’s not it either. I heard that although she was encouraged to stay a little longer, it was Baek Ahyeon who left the Brother's Land first.”
“I’ll have to meet with the follower Lee Wanyong myself. Where is he…”
“I heard he’s currently in Garia.”
“Huu… There’s no helping it.”
It was hard to predict how things were unfolding. Everything was difficult to understand—why Baek Ahyeon was crying, why she had left the Brother's Land on her own.
“By any chance, Baek Ahyeon…”
“Considering her current pace, I think it will take at least a week.”
“I see.”
One week. It was one week.
To ease Baek Ahyeon’s sorrow, she had to ensure the faith was run in a state of perfect readiness. If any problems arose and caused her worry once more, she would never be able to face her. It felt like the first crisis she had faced since joining the faith. She kept swallowing dryly. For something like this to happen right before the Day of Salvation was an incredibly difficult burden for her still-inadequate self to bear.
“Huu…”
“Don’t be too disheartened, Ann. Nothing major will happen. It won’t. It really won’t.”
Although she comforted the sighing Ann, she was the one who truly wanted to be comforted. The thought that she had to deliver some good news somehow was starting to make her anxious. She wanted to deliver some joyful news before Baek Ahyeon arrived, and was meticulously inspecting the temple for any potential problems.
“It’s the Day of Salvation!”
“Salvation!”
“They are the Savior’s apostles! The apostles are descending!”
Loud voices began to erupt from all around.
The shout muttered by one devotee soon spread in all directions, echoing throughout the entire temple. Seeing devotees shedding tears of joy and others pointing to the sky, Jane smiled faintly at the holy power she felt even before looking up.
Visible in the sky were eight angels, descending toward the temple.
Each with a beautiful appearance and angelic wings, they were flapping their wings as they came down to the temple.
“Ah…”
“Th-this is…”
“The Day of Salvation has come.”
There was nothing written about the Day of Salvation in the faith’s holy scriptures. The devotees all had their own interpretations, partly because Baek Ahyeon had never spoken carelessly about this Day of Salvation.
Though their interpretations differed, the accepted theory was that it was a day when everyone could find happiness.
‘The Day of Salvation.’
Her heart began to pound at the thought that the long-awaited Day of Salvation might be now. The holy power emanating from the angels was the same as the holy power held by the devotees. It was nothing compared to Baek Ahyeon’s, but she couldn’t help but acknowledge the divine energy the angels possessed.
While she was lost in thought for a moment, the eight angels who had descended from the sky slowly came to a stop before her.
“Are you the master of this temple?”
“I am not the master. The master of the temple is the Savior. By, by any chance… are you…”
“…”
“Are you the apostles of the Savior?”
“Apostles of the Savior… I suppose you could say that’s correct.”
The aura of their holy power unmistakably told her that they were followers of the Savior. Naturally, their claim to be the Savior’s apostles seemed to hold no falsehood.
“We are the Savior’s devotees who have descended from the heavens. Your prayers reached the heavens, and the Savior sent us here. You seem to be a people of strong faith.”
“Ah! Thank you. We do not believe our inadequate prayers truly reached the heavens. It is likely because the Savior took pity on us. We cannot leave the Savior’s apostles standing outside. F-first, I will guide you. And this joyous news, to the Savior…”
“The Savior is watching everything. He is the one who sent us down, so there is no need to offer another prayer. He will be watching you express your gratitude to us.”
“Yes. I understand.”
She couldn’t tell if this was good timing or bad. But amidst the cheering devotees, Jane smiled faintly. It was because she thought she could bring joy to the grief-stricken Baek Ahyeon.
“This is the temple that the Savior himself once looked around. First, I would like to show you the temple. It is not a temple I built, but… p-please, this way.”
Her heart was pounding, and her breathing began to grow ragged. She had never imagined that she would be the one to greet the apostles on the Day of Salvation. It was then.
Smack.
With a sharp sound, her head was snapped to the left. For a moment, it was hard to understand what had just happened.
“How dare you give us an order? A mere human, telling us, the Savior’s apostles, what to do…”
As she clutched her reddened cheek, she felt the inside of her mouth burst, and red blood trickled down her lips.
“Ah…”
In that instant, a heavy silence fell over the place that had just been erupting with cheers.