"Does a Watcher performing ritual magic always receive the Evernight Goddess 's response? Even outside of specific dates and times?" Ais asked curiously.
For ordinary people, the right date and time were essential for ritual magic. When petitioning the Evernight Goddess , for instance, the ritual had to be performed on a Sunday — the day symbolically associated with Her.
"I haven't encountered or heard of an instance where the Goddess has been reluctant to extend Her grace."
Good benefits — just very dangerous… Ais, not particularly drawn in, continued:
"Then if the most powerful Watcher were in a desperate situation and called upon the Evernight Goddess for help — would the Goddess personally intervene to save Her devotee?"
Not the question he'd been anticipating. Cormac Terrence frowned slightly, then answered:
"I can't say. Generally speaking, the Goddess doesn't respond to simple prayers — not even from those who are deeply favored…"
He paused, as if something had occurred to him, then continued:
"At least, for the vast majority of believers, that's the case. But in a situation like that, I believe the Goddess would not turn away."
Ais had asked purely out of curiosity, but the qualification caught her attention immediately:
"So there are exceptions, sir?"
This time Terrence didn't answer at once. He turned to wave at the Red Glove team member ahead — the one carrying the sword — and said:
"Blake — the 'Sword of Judgment' is packed up?"
Blake, with natural curly hair, nodded and lifted the case at his feet, marked with the "Judge's Sword" symbol.
Terrence walked briskly to his teammate's side and gave him a clap on the shoulder:
"Good work. Remember to wipe the case before you return it — otherwise the royal household people will complain again."
"Captain, could they please add a stand to the case? Their definition of 'clean' is on a completely different level." Blake couldn't resist the grievance.
So the Sword of Judgment requires both hands to hold? But based on what I'm hearing, the Church of the Evernight Goddess and the royal family aren't on the warmest of terms — so why would the royals lend it out?… Blake's complaint had caught Ais's attention.
Of the three other Red Gloves, Blake's attitude toward Ais was considerably warmer than the rest. He even addressed her with something resembling gratitude:
"Ma'am — we genuinely owe you for keeping that Witch occupied long enough. She had no chance to escape the sealed area."
So the sword is complicated to use… Ais shook her head and replied politely:
"No need to thank me, sir. Mostly because that woman was also willing to talk about other things — she didn't get straight to the point."
Blake smiled:
"But the Goddess won't be watching over her — so I suppose there's no need to thank her."
But the Evernight Goddess might not necessarily watch over me either. Though if I were to pick a faith at this point, the Church of the Evernight Goddess — which advocates equality between the sexes — is probably the best fit for me… Learning that even sincere devotion to a deity wasn't a guarantee of having one's ritual magic answered, Ais didn't feel particularly motivated to find a faith. Instead she turned her gaze to Terrence's back and considered whether to ask again.
Terrence had naturally felt Ais's eyes on him. After placing the rust-spotted silver ring on the case Blake was carrying — ignoring his teammate's look of dissatisfaction — he turned to face Ais's entirely unsubtle expression of curiosity:
"Before this year, I wouldn't have believed there were exceptions either. Until… someone truly good — an ordinary person — spoke only the Goddess's full name and received a response. They got out of danger."
"That's rare?" Ais hadn't quite grasped why Terrence reacted to this the way he did.
"Since the Fifth Era began, if not for the occasional divine pronouncements and the ritual magic that's always been responsive, people would long since have started worrying whether something had gone wrong with the Goddess. You tell me if that's rare."
Terrence gave Ais an exasperated look at her understated reaction.
"Then why hasn't something that remarkable caused any ripples? There'd be no reason to keep it quiet."
She hadn't said it outright, but her expression was plainly asking: "Are you sure you're not making this up?"
Terrence, who had never found Ais's face so insufferable, drew a long breath and turned away toward Saint Anjelka Cathedral. Speaking once her face was out of view, he continued:
"Do you think a miracle necessarily becomes common knowledge the moment it happens? It was just a young woman in ordinary danger! If it hadn't taken place in Beklund, where a Saint was present, no one might ever have known that the Goddess had, on that day, turned Her gaze toward the mortal world — for the sake of one decent ordinary woman."
Is that level of reaction really necessary?… Ais, seeing his response, quickly followed and made conciliatory sounds to indicate she believed him.
Blake, walking last, added:
"Probably because that lady later chose to become a Watcher — and the miracle itself was fairly understated — the church didn't publicize it. But pretty much all the Nighthawks in Beklund know about it."
"A Watcher? Is she advancing very quickly?" Ais had a sudden feeling of déjà vu and immediately asked.
Both Nighthawks nodded at the same time and said simultaneously:
"Very quickly."
Terrence followed with a note of genuine feeling:
"Not only that — her accomplishments are accumulating remarkably fast as well. It's as if everything evil around her somehow attracts misfortune and can't stay hidden. If it weren't for the fact that she hasn't reached Sequence 7 yet, making it technically against regulations to have her work alongside the Red Gloves — I don't think anyone would turn down a mission with her, even now that she's only Sequence 8."
That's a protagonist template if I've ever heard one… Ais echoed the sentiment:
"That sounds like a main character stepping out of a story and into reality."
Both Nighthawks nodded readily at this, and Blake couldn't resist joining:
"Actually — that lady's piety and character also seem beyond reproach, like a protagonist from a story. She even stayed in the prayer hall one night without going back to her room to rest, and fell asleep in the pew while still in a prayer posture.
And just to be clear — she can't stay energized through the night the way we can."
That's remarkable… Ais turned to look at Blake, who didn't appear to be lying. Terrence offered no counterpoint either. She couldn't help feeling genuinely astonished:
"Hold on — am I actually going to see a record of her in the Night Revelations someday?"
Terrence offered a measured response:
"It's not out of the question."
A brief silence settled over all three. The two Nighthawks weren't moving particularly fast, and Ais — guessing this had something to do with the Sword of Judgment — could only keep pace.
She had enough decorum not to ask directly. But feeling genuinely drowsy despite everything that had happened tonight, she started a new topic:
"By the way, Mr. Terrence — do I need to worry about the Witch cult retaliating against me for tonight?"
"Oh — you've finally thought of that. But I can't give you a definitive answer. There's nothing impossible in the supernatural world, and I can't predict how the Witch cult will react. I'd advise caution in the short term."
"So you'd recommend I move to a different city once everything settles?"
"Yes."
"Then — does the Church of the Evernight Goddess 's headquarters have ordinary devout believers living nearby?"
"No. Even Nighthawks generally don't go to the Cathedral without specific need or orders."
"Then Beklund should be one of the top three safest places in Ruen from the Witch cult's perspective — right? Once everyone has confirmed I'm clean, can I go to Beklund and accept church oversight there?"
Getting Terrence's confirmation, Ais stretched with a slightly theatrical sigh of satisfaction:
"Wonderful! I still haven't had the chance to see Beklund — the legendary 'Land of Hope,' the 'City of Cities' — for myself!"
Author's Note (this chapter): "Then if the most powerful Watcher were in a desperate situation and called upon the Evernight Goddess for help — would the Goddess personally intervene to save Her devotee?"
焦 · Tianjin · 03-26 22:32 Still depends on a certain hot-tempered gentleman.
寒枫落雪 · Hunan · 02-09 02:01 Needs a divine vessel — otherwise She has to stay in the astral plane. Though if there's a medium that could channel Her power, She'd probably help.