For example, Athena, the "Goddess of War and Wisdom," had stared at a certain spot ever since awakening, never shifting her gaze for even a moment.
Cole Toynbee, the "Court Magister," and Frank Howells, the "Owl Sage," had not merely failed to catch the eye of the "God of Wisdom"—they had not even received so much as a glance from the corner of his eye.
Likewise, Artemis, the "Goddess of Hunting," had remained focused on a certain place in the audience, paying little attention to anything else.
Poseidon, the "God of the Sea," had only reluctantly bestowed divine favor upon Polka. The reason was probably that he cared too much about appearances.
After all, since he was to "manifest divinity before mortals," he had to make his presence felt and let the children of the sea sense his protection.
In short, the award ceremony had come to an end. The pillars of light surrounding the contestants vanished one after another.
The twelve divine pillars surrounding the venue also gradually dimmed.
After manifesting divinity before mortals, the Twelve Heavenly Gods of Bolobos showed signs of departing.
Throughout this time, the leaders and representatives of every nation had not uttered a single word.
They frantically tried to organize their thoughts, yet no matter how they arranged their words, they could not open their mouths. They could only watch helplessly as the heavenly gods descended and then departed, while the divine lake-light in the sky and the shadow of the Heavenly Court faded away with them.
Principal Arte stood before the sixteen contestants, seeing off the Twelve Heavenly Gods with a serene smile that never wavered.
At a certain moment, just as the projections of the Twelve Heavenly Gods were about to disappear completely, their voices rang out in everyone's ears.
"Three years