Guardian Saint - Part 2

On the other side, in the luxurious Duke Mansion.

Annie could not fall asleep either.

She was an incredibly clever girl. Although she was not yet of age, she understood that in the Yulan Empire, power belonged to the strong. The High Priest and the Saint-level experts were the true arbiters of authority, while the Emperor's power was merely a gift bestowed by those stronger than him.

Her grandfather was a Grand Duke and her father held the title of Count, but these titles were granted by the Emperor. The Emperor could revoke them with a single word.

It was not like families who possessed their own Saint-level experts; once the Emperor granted a title to such a family, as long as that Saint-level expert remained, the Emperor would never dare to take it back.

The ancestors of Annie's family had also been Saint-level experts—very powerful ones, second only to the peak of the Saint-level—but they had fallen. Since then, the family had walked on eggshells at the center of power in the Imperial Capital, struggling to maintain their title and preserve their lineage.

Annie had been exceptionally sharp since she was young. She saw through these truths more clearly than many heads of other families, and she was well-known throughout the Imperial Capital. Yet, where power is the only law, no matter how clever one is, they are no match for a bigger fist.

Annie had long heard of the Saintess of Yulan, Victoria. She envied Victoria's luck in being able to obtain the favor of two God-level experts and being showered with endless adoration.

Annie was a competitive girl, so she desperately hoped to be chosen.

Thinking of meeting the High Priest and the former genius Sword Saint, Olivier.

Excitement. Thrills.

And nervousness, fear, and trepidation.

"Annie, you can definitely do it."

The High Priest's Magic Tower, or rather, the temple of Catherine.

It was carved with mysterious patterns and strange beasts, appearing ancient, simple, and understated yet profound.

Outside the Magic Tower lay a massive plaza, with one hundred and eight steps leading up to the tower. While it was not as gold-plated and magnificent as the Imperial Palace, it possessed everything it needed, appearing even more vast and imposing.

This was the Life Square, where the disciples of the High Priest held their celebrations.

The final selection for the Saintess Guardian Saint was to be held right here in the Life Square.

The Life Square had not been this lively in a long time. Usually, it was only used when a disciple of the High Priest reached the Saint-level, or during major events like the Yulan Festival.

A large crowd had gathered. Aside from Saint-level experts and those specifically permitted, the families of the candidates were also present.

It was a scene of several hundred people.

Victoria, dressed in a gorgeous magic robe, stood upon the high platform. She looked sacred, radiating the aura of life, with a solemn expression that was truly goddess-like.

"The final assessment for the Saintess Guardian Saint now begins. We respectfully invite my teacher, the High Priest, and Lord Olivier." A disciple of Catherine announced loudly.

No wasted words; they went straight to summoning the "gods."

"We respectfully welcome the High Priest and Lord Olivier." The hundreds of people present bowed in unison.

Without warning, two figures appeared on the high platform.

The High Priest wore a mask and a cyan robe embroidered with cloud patterns; his face was obscured, and he was filled with the aura of life. Beside him was a young man in a white robe with a youthful face and a somewhat unrestrained, devil-may-care air—this was Olivier.

"Teacher, Teacher, you must help me choose well." The goddess-like image of Victoria vanished in an instant. She grabbed Catherine with one hand and Olivier with the other, beginning to act spoiled.

Only those close to her knew that the sacred image of the Saintess was merely a disguise Victoria wore in public; being mischievous and acting spoiled was the girl's true nature.

Victoria's behavior opened the eyes of the audience. They had never seen the Saintess act in such a manner. However, upon reflection, this was exactly what one would expect from a ten-year-old girl.

"Alright, alright, mind your image," Olivier said.

"Teacher, my image is just fine, hee hee." At this moment, Victoria was just a little girl, showing none of the Saintess persona she displayed to the outside world.

"Victoria, come here." Catherine pulled Victoria over and said to Olivier, "Olivier, let us begin."

Being in such close proximity to the guardian deities of the Yulan Empire, to God-level experts, many people were incredibly excited. They watched with wide eyes, filled with awe, worship, and agitation.

Many knew that this might be the closest they would ever come to the divine in their entire lives.

Following Catherine's instruction, one of her disciples delivered a speech, announced the start of the assessment, and invited the two lords to preside.

Olivier looked down at the crowd and the twenty-four candidates waiting for the assessment.

"Before we begin, I have a question." Olivier looked at the twenty-four candidates—sixteen men and eight women.

"If the Saintess and your mother both fell into a river, and neither could swim, and you could only save one of them, who would you choose to save?" It was a simple question, yet a dilemma of the highest order.

They were currently at the selection site for the Saintess Guardian Saint, recruiting someone to protect the Saintess. As everyone knew, a guard needed loyalty—the ability to sacrifice their life for the one they protected.

On the other hand, there was the mother who gave them life. Filial piety was the basic quality of a son. If they chose not to save their mother for the sake of the Saintess, they would be in trouble, as the mothers of almost all twenty-four candidates were present in the audience.

Olivier's question was quite wicked.

"Ah, this..."

The twenty-four people on the field were troubled. They knew this was the first hurdle of Olivier's assessment.

It wasn't just them; everyone present was pondering the question, wondering how they would answer. But the more they thought about it, the more they realized there was no easy answer.

Who to save?

What was the correct answer?

"Well? State your choices," Olivier said.

"Save the Saintess!"

"Yes, save the Saintess!"

Seven people in a row answered that they chose to save the Saintess, while the rest remained silent.

They were thinking to themselves that this was a golden opportunity to climb the social ladder. In reality, such a situation would never occur, and once they were selected, they believed their mothers would understand.

"Heh, I am very satisfied with your answers. I thank you on behalf of Victoria." It did not surprise him that some people answered this way, though he had not expected the number to be so high.

Hearing Olivier's words, those seven people were overjoyed.

"And what about the rest of you?" he asked the others.

"Save my mother!" ten people answered in succession.

"My lord, I also choose to save my mother. Please forgive my bluntness, but I have not yet become a guard for Her Highness the Saintess, so I choose to save my mother. If I had already become a Saintess Guardian Saint, then I would certainly find a way to save both of them."

Annie expressed her views calmly.

"My lord, I would save my mother, even though she has already passed away," Saga said. He felt that if his father and mother could return, he would be willing to pay any price.

"My lord, I want to save both," Nick also gave his choice. The remaining four also wanted to save both people at the same time.

"Good, I have noted all of your choices."

Next was their martial arts competition.

Olivier and Catherine wanted to observe their cultivation of magic and battle aura to gauge their talent.

Through their use of magic and battle aura during the sparring, as god-level powerhouses, they could naturally discern their aptitude. Although these people were merely a product of Victoria's whim, he still hoped they wouldn't be complete trash.

In the end, twelve guards were selected: nine men and three women.

Among them were Saga, Annie, and Nick.

As for those who answered that they would save the Saintess, none of them were selected; how could one speak of loyalty when they lacked filial piety?

With that.

The selection for the Saintess Guardian Saint came to an end!