Syl walked step by step toward the central staircase and began descending.
Contrary to expectations of a grand spectacle, the staircase and the hall were empty, save for a single young girl completely shrouded in black vestments.
Jet-black long hair, a face with a hint of baby fat, and seemingly lifeless black pupils—combined, they painted the picture of an emotionless little loli.
And by visual estimation, she looked much younger than Sigma, perhaps only around eleven years old?
Her body was thin and petite, and even just standing still, she gave off the impression of timidly rooted to the spot.
Wryyy~~~ She's really so cute!
It truly made one feel an irresistible urge to go over, hug her, and vigorously rub her face.
In fact, Syl really intended to do just that, though not to that extreme extent—she only wanted to go over and pinch her cheeks.
After glancing around and confirming no one else was present, Syl slowly walked toward the little loli, asking with a smile as she approached:
"Little sister, are you all alone here?"
"Did you get lost? Come, let big sister..."
"Huh?"
Syl bent down, supporting her left hand on her knee, and reached her right hand forward.
But for some reason, her movements froze right there. No matter how frantically her brain tried to operate, she couldn't make her body move an inch.
"First meeting, Saint Syl. I, Aishala." In Syl's astonished gaze, the little girl before her spoke plainly, her voice devoid of any emotional inflection. "Borderlands, matters, last night, unavailable, apologies."
After saying this, the little girl who called herself Aishala performed a Church salute toward Syl. "Blessings."
Would you please release me already...
Also, didn't that cleric just say Archbishop Aishala was waiting? Such a young archbishop?
With a light wave of Aishala's small hand, Syl finally regained control over her body.
Syl returned a Church salute and asked somewhat incredulously, "Archbishop... Aishala?"
"I, three hundred years old." Aishala glanced at Syl indifferently, then turned and began walking as she said, "Go, time is up, I, protect you."
"Three hundred years old?" Syl was utterly dumbfounded.
But in her heart, she felt no shame for her earlier intention to pinch the Archbishop's cheek.
Syl recalled the names of the several Archbishops who hadn't arrived yet, which Sharon had mentioned during dinner:
"But... I heard from Sister Sharon that Archbishop Aishala is stationed at the border, assisting the Great Saya Empire as Church support..."
Regarding the name Aishala, the impression in Syl's mind was completely a mental image of a Kratos-like figure in clerical robes, guarding the borderlands like a god of war.
Who could have imagined that the envisioned tough guy would turn out to be a little loli?
"It is me." Aishala's reply remained terse, offering no hint of emotion, making it impossible to tell if she was angry at all.
After speaking, Aishala waved a hand toward the main doors of the Church. The massive wooden doors, intricately carved with many exquisite sculptures, slowly swung open.
At this moment, in the garden outside the Church, stood at least a thousand fully armed paladins and large formations of clerics and nuns, surrounding the carriage at the very center.
"Your Grace the Saintess!"
"Your Grace the Saintess!"
"Your Grace the Saintess!"
Seeing Syl emerge, almost everyone simultaneously performed the salute of the Church of Hope.
"Gulp..." Even Syl, who had been brimming with confidence just moments ago, now felt somewhat daunted by such a scene.
"May the goddess of hope protect us." Syl also raised her hand in a Church salute. Thankfully, her wide sleeves concealed the slight trembling of her hand.
Syl glanced to the side, intending to ask Aishala what to do next, only to find that Aishala had already vanished without a trace.
As if evaporated from the mortal realm.
Just as Syl stood at the Church doors, feeling utterly at a loss, a holy light flashed beside her. Sharon appeared at Syl's side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Saint Syl, let us go."
This grand spectacle was primarily to stabilize the morale within the Church itself.
As for the deliberate choice to travel ostentatiously by carriage all the way to the Cathedral of the goddess of hope in the Kos District, it was to send a message to those scheming nobles.
The resurgence of the Church of the Goddess of Hope was now unstoppable.
What followed was quite straightforward.
Sharon led Syl onto the white carriage symbolizing the Church's highest echelons. They deliberately took a circuitous route, traveling from the Church all the way to the Cathedral in the Kos District.
Along the way, some commoners or nobles, upon seeing the carriage, became visibly excited, performing the salute of the Church of Hope toward it, murmuring prayers under their breath.
These were followers of the Church of the Goddess of Hope, most of whom had received aid from Church priests.
It was only the Church of the Goddess of Hope that, even after such a long period without a Saintess, could still command such fervent support from the common people.
After the carriage's high-profile tour, it finally stopped before the magnificent Cathedral of the goddess of hope in the Kos District. Sharon led Syl inside to conduct the first prayer.
Meanwhile, the news of the appearance of the Saintess of the Church of the Goddess of Hope directly ignited the city of Suramar.
Although this world lacked communication methods like mobile phones or telephones,
in this era lacking in entertainment, such explosive news spread by word of mouth also achieved a terrifyingly rapid dissemination.
Yet, even so, there were still those who regretted not learning of this news sooner.
"I only have ten pence here, I'll give you the rest later." Inside a newspaper office, a woman hastily threw down a handful of coins, grabbed what looked like a wooden box camera from the table, and dashed toward the office door.
"Hey! Mitty! If you keep delaying payment for information, I won't do this anymore next time!" a man shouted from behind, but the woman named Mitty ran off without looking back.
"The Saintess of Hope appearing in the Kos District! What sensational news!" Mitty thought excitedly as she swiftly navigated through alleyways. "The Saintess of Hope, seen only once in centuries! Not that Saintess of Justice who's always making headlines!"
Thanks to Mitty's familiarity with the streets and the newspaper office's proximity to the Cathedral, she secured an excellent spot before the crowd gathered on a large scale.
However, looking up from below at the Cathedral doors atop the steps was still too distant, and the angle made it impossible to see inside the Cathedral.
Mitty also clutched her camera tightly, afraid the crowd might crush it. Despite the jostling below, not a single person dared to set foot on those steps.
Finally, after what seemed an age, a figure slowly emerged from within the Cathedral, walking outward.
Mitty quickly set up her camera. The magnesium powder took time to ignite. She had to wait for the precise moment the Saintess emerged to capture her image.
When the figure walking out of the Cathedral appeared before the public, the previously noisy crowd gradually fell silent.
Even Mitty involuntarily held her breath, momentarily forgetting her photography mission.
Is this... the Saintess of Hope?
At this moment, only one thought occupied Mitty's mind.
May I ask if the Church of the Goddess of Hope is still accepting new followers?