"Everyone, close your eyes now. Empty your minds, cast aside all distractions, and begin praying to the goddess with me—"
Inside Ice Stone Valley, within a vast stone grotto converted from a natural cave, Sara stood beneath a statue of the Silver Witch placed atop a stone platform. Wearing a gray robe embroidered with the silhouette of a young girl, she solemnly guided the believers in worship.
With a grave expression, she raised both hands, palms upward, in a prayer gesture as though she were holding up the stars. The entire worship service lasted around ten minutes. Throughout it, the statue behind her continuously emitted a gentle glow, illuminating the dozens of believers in the grotto. When the ritual ended, Sara heard waves of delighted murmurs echoing through the cave.
"It really worked! Unbelievable! The goddess is real!"
"From now on, the goddess is just as important to me as the Snow Emperor!"
"Now we don't have to put up with the witch priests anymore—this is wonderful—"
"Should we consider not paying next month's tribute?"
"Right, let's discuss it with the chieftain. We have the goddess's protection now anyway—"
A few minutes later, after all the believers had left the grotto, Sara walked into a corner and inspected the offering box. Seeing the pile of Tower Coins inside, along with the fur, cured meat, and other physical offerings left by the believers, she smiled.
It was now mid-December. Two months had passed since she had become a church priestess and returned to her hometown to spread the faith.
Ordinarily, she had no funding to speak of during this period. Establishing a new church should have been extremely difficult.
But the goddess had been far too reliable. She had helped the locals cure many difficult ailments that the local witch priests