"I am grateful that you have granted me an audience, my Goddess. Do you have a command for me?"
The Moon Goddess fixed her gaze upon the woman kneeling before her. She was angry, but the cause of her anger was not the woman in front of her. The reason was that the man she had declared as her champion after such a long time had now fallen into the hands of her greatest enemy. As if humiliating her were not enough, her champion had now become nothing more than Tiamat's entertainment.
For a god to choose someone as their champion was, in itself, a monumental event. It was something capable of easily altering the balance of the world. Divine champions stood among the most powerful beings in existence and were, in a sense, demigods. While gods sometimes chose those they felt close to or sympathetic toward, most preferred to select their most devoted follower.
The Moon Goddess Lunareth believed she had done the same.
Despite enduring betrayal after betrayal, she had chosen the boy who had kept his faith and prayed to her every night. Even after suffering torture, he would still turn to his god at night and beg, "Please do not punish them." She had elevated that child to the rank of her champion.
When she suddenly saw that same boy slaughter everyone in the great hall, including his own family, she had been utterly stunned.
Even so, no matter how difficult it was for her to accept, the goddess knew she had made a mistake. And now she needed to correct it. That was why she had summoned Princess Sigrid, the strongest and most promising among her young followers.
"Raise your head, my loyal follower, Sigrid."
Sigrid hesitated.
Looking directly at a god was considered disrespectful by most believers. But this was a command. Slowly, she lifted her head. The sight she beheld took her breath away. The being standing before her surpassed even the depictions she had seen in temple frescoes.
Lunareth's long, straight white hair flowed down her back like moonlight. Her deep blue eyes were cold and unfathomable, as if an endless night were hidden within them. Her blue dress was made of a delicate fabric that fit her body flawlessly.
Her face was truly perfect. A small nose, full lips, and a soft jawline. Not a single flaw, not the slightest imperfection. But it was not her beauty that caught Sigrid's attention.
It was the anger in her eyes.
The Moon Goddess's gaze appeared calm, yet beneath it lay a suppressed storm. Sigrid noticed it immediately, and a chill ran involuntarily down her spine.
"Look at me and listen" Lunareth said in a gentle but unquestionable voice.
Sigrid was already looking. Still, when the goddess spoke, her shoulders stiffened slightly.
"Yes… my Goddess."
Lunareth stepped forward. Moonlight coiled around her like a natural aura. Her footsteps made no sound, as though she walked without touching the ground.
She stopped in front of Sigrid. For a moment, she said nothing. She simply observed her.
The princess had broad shoulders, a straight posture, and there was more determination than fear in her eyes. That was why Lunareth had chosen her. She was young, but a powerful will lay hidden within her.
"I know a great deal about you, Sigrid."
Sigrid immediately bowed her head. But she didn't avert her gaze.
"That is an honor for me, my Goddess."
"You have prayed to me since childhood. You surpassed the other princes in combat training. The priestesses speak of your will."
The goddess paused briefly.
"And… you have never used my name in vain."
Sigrid gave no response. But her heart began to beat faster in her chest. At last, Lunareth came to the real matter.
"I made a mistake."
Sigrid's brows furrowed ever so slightly. Hearing a goddess say such a thing was… unusual. Lunareth noticed but did not care.
"The one I chose as my champion chose a path of bloodshed instead of protecting the world."
For a moment, the goddess's eyes turned cold.
"And now… he is in the hands of my enemy."
Sigrid remained silent.
Lunareth had not spoken Tiamat's name, but it was not difficult to understand whom she meant. The goddess leaned forward until she was at eye level with Sigrid.
"We cannot interfere too much in the affairs of the world, as decreed by the One Above."
Her voice was very calm.
"But champions… are our hands in the world."
Sigrid's heart was now beating rapidly. She was beginning to understand the possibility forming in her mind. A faint smile appeared on Lunareth's lips. But it was not a warm smile.
It felt more like the herald of an approaching war.
"That is why I summoned you, Sigrid."
The goddess's blue eyes seemed to peer directly into her soul.
"Because the world needs a new champion."
For a moment, Sigrid's breath caught in her throat.
And Lunareth spoke the final words.
"And I… want that person to be you."
At that moment, the empty space around them began to fill with moonlight. It was as if thousands of thin threads of light were descending from an unseen sky.
The goddess spoke again.
"If you accept this…"
The moonlight slowly began to circle around Sigrid.
"…you will no longer be just a princess."
Lunareth's eyes gleamed with cold determination.
"You will become my sword."
--------------------------
When Sigrid returned to the surface world, her heart felt as if it might burst from her chest. Wings swayed behind her like a newly gained limb. Her eyes shone white like the moon, and the sword Amelum in her hand glimmered with pale light.
At first, it had bothered her that Goddess Lunareth had only bestowed upon her the sword belonging to Landerbern. But now that she had been blessed as the goddess's champion, she chose to overlook that detail. Besides, the sword originally belonged to the goddess anyway.
She stepped out of her tent and looked toward the walls of Landerbern. She had heard what had happened there not long ago, and by the king's command she had gathered the army and marched all the way here to suppress a possible rebellion.
But at the end of this journey, she had not expected to be elevated by her goddess.
The wind swept across the walls, causing the banners to sway heavily.
Sigrid took a few steps forward.
The wings she had gained were not yet something she was fully accustomed to. The white, radiant feathers emerging from her shoulders caught the moonlight and spread a faint glow. With every movement, the muscles in her back tensed in unfamiliar ways, as if her body were searching for a new balance it had yet to learn.
For a while, she simply stood there and breathed.
The power inside her chest…
It was difficult to describe.
It felt as though something other than blood now flowed through her veins, something like a cold light. She wanted to immediately test her new strength. The abilities and power of a champion varied depending on the god they served, and the champion's own talents also played a role in determining their strength.
The Moon Goddess was one of the most powerful gods. Naturally, her champion would gain abilities far superior to those of other champions, each of whom were already comparable to demigods.
But first, she had to gather the army and enter the city of Landerbern. She had prepared for possible resistance or a counterattack, but from what she had heard from her goddess, it would not be necessary.
The young Lord of Landerbern had abandoned everything and fled. The city was defenseless, and there was no rebellion.
In truth, she would have preferred the young lord to attempt a rebellion. At least then there would have been honor in the conflict. Still, she took some comfort in knowing that her soldiers would not die in a pointless uprising.
Now she needed to fully secure the Duchy of Landerbern and reconnect it to the capital.
After that…
There remained the task of capturing the young lord who had disappointed his goddess and allied himself with a devil.
Sigrid's golden hair swayed in the wind of the night. Moonlight left a thin silver shimmer upon its strands, just like the wings on her back.
For a moment, she simply stared at the walls of Landerbern.
"No matter what happens, I'll find you... Areth Landerbern."