Fort Boarkill was not a simple camp behind a palisade. It had a trench surrounding it, stone walls four meters tall, secondary walls for contingencies, and although simple, numerous stone housing for the combatants inside. It was built on a hill and with multiple earth Path-seekers combined effort; they had made a formidable fortress in a week.

That same fortress’s wall was already breached at this point and a battle was raging inside. Jor and Azure sneaked in to observe the monster boars’ prowess, both were careful to not get too close to other Path-seekers. They stopped at the edge of a wall, observing the battles below. They perched like twin birds of misfortune, cloaked in black and masked in mystery.

“Eyes are on us,” Jor said after feeling the attention from a few directions.

“That’s the point, we have to be seen. To let them know that the cult loitering here, so they focused their attention and manpower here. Thinning their defenses at other places, making things easier for us to make... delicate operations.”

“Scarecrow, hmn? Well, as long as the level 2s won’t be hunting us. Ah, look what we have here, isn’t that Ciel?” Jor’s gaze fell upon the valiant woman fighting a boar many times her size.

“Mmm,” Azure nodded. “We have reports she leads the defense here. Her condition… doesn’t seem to be perfect. Must be her injury from Shadow.”

Viers know Farley was talking about her brother, Bernard.

“How is he? The last time I heard he was in critical condition,” Jor got curious after remembering him.

“He lives, although he was in no condition for a fight. Our cult won’t make any big movement for the foreseeable future. Now’s a good time to gather your strength.”

The last operation resulted in casualties on both sides. As the result of the forceful operation, the cult opted to lay low onwards.

“Don’t I always?” Jor dryly said.

The conversation died after that, both observed the fight and surroundings with their full attention. They were in the middle of enemy territory after all.

I can see my classmates. They cast volleys of Arte on the lesser boars… all of them are level 0. Although their Artes will not scratch a tier 2 monster, it seems it has some effect on level 1. Hah, look at Max go… like a teenage hero indeed. His hero-ness seems to be increasing lately.

Jor’s eyes squinted as he focused on one of them. Classmate J… should I kill him now? Or make some chaos so one of the boars can eat him? Boar food sounds like a fitting end for a small fry like him.

As time goes on, one tier 2 boar got defeated by Ciel. Her condition worsened and she suffered further injury.

“Looks like Shadow injured her quite badly. It has already been more than a month, her injury from that time still hasn’t healed?” Jor asked.

“Injury from another Path-seeker is hard to heal. The higher level your opponent is, the more severe it becomes. And she suffered injury from darkness Arte while she’s a light user. The conflicting nature of those two elements is furthering the effect.”

They saw Ciel got hit by a tier 1 boar, then Rose and Paina came to her aid.

Damn it girl! I told you it’s dangerous.

The monster boar was about to hit attack the three ladies. Jor’s hand was at his sword’s handle, ready to pull it in a moment’s notice. He was also gathering Victa in his feet to move at high speed to their rescue.

Correction, her rescue.

Paina’s.

The three of them were pretty girls, but Viers won’t act for Ciel and Rose.

Ciel was the prettiest of the three, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she was the most beautiful girl he met in this world. But he almost had no contact with her ever since they first met. Viers liked pretty face just like any other man but he would not sticking his neck out for someone he barely knew. Ciel was not Viers’ concern.

He had shallow relationship with Rose. They were acquaintances but only that. He didn’t wish for her death but he had no desire to rescue her either. Not to mention she had high potential to be his enemy in the future. Should she die, her faint and invisible threat because she had a connection with Leon would no longer be a problem, or so Viers thought.

Paina was different. She’s the only one Viers could call ‘friend’ in this world. She never treated him differently and always nice to him, even after he was treated as a pariah by the rest of the class. For that, Viers would act, because he was not someone who doesn’t know the meaning of gratitude. But Viers’s kindness was not unlimited. He would save her once, and no more. Her life was not his responsibility.

Next to him, he also sensed Azure was getting ready to act, but something gave him pause.

“Wait!” Azure’s hand gripped his shoulder.

“Yeah, I feel it too!”

While he said that, he witnessed Rose emitting a bright light. It wasn’t like an explosion, but an embrace of light. A gentle shine, like the touch of morning sun.

The boar’s charge was repelled and thrown backwards by a mysterious force. In the middle of it all, Rose could see it clearly. It wasn’t her that emitted the light but her necklace. More accurately, the necklace she made from the feather of a dove.

“This is…” Rose was at lost for words, not sure of what was going on, but the light restored her strength. Her body was very tired after all the fighting she had done for the last few days but the fatigue melted away like morning dew. The feather vanished as if melted with the light. In its place, a small sphere of light, which shot itself to Rose’s chest, entering her body.

Not just her, Ciel and Paina who were close by and everyone inside the fortress felt new strength welling up inside them.

“Now is the time, the Goddess is with us! On your feet, warriors! Kill the monsters!” Ciel let out a rallying war cry. With the defenders' fighting spirit renewed, they made short work of the invading boars.

Jor and Azure were running away as fast as they can away from the fort. As soon as the mysterious light lit, Jor ran away like his life depended on it. They stopped after entering the tree line, away from prying eyes.

“Hah… hah… what was that?” Jor asked while out of breath.

“I’ve never seen it before, but if I’m not wrong, that is the presence of our executioner,” Azure replied in a similar out of breath gasps.

***

“Angels?” Rose asked to make sure she didn’t mishear.

After the cleanup of the battle, Ciel invited Rose to talk privately.

“Yes, you have been marked by one of the angels. But for the gift to bloom, you must first receive the approval from them. We called people like you, the Blessed.” Ciel offered her a cup of warm tea.

“I-I still don’t believe it… I-I mean, why me? There’s nothing special about me.”

“Ahaha, the angels are the extension of the Goddess’ will. Are you doubting the Radiant Lady?” Ciel teased, she already removed her armor and changed into something more comfortable.

“N-no! Definitely not! I’ll do whatever the Goddess request of me,” Rose hurriedly and nervously voiced her faith.

Rose was inside Ciel’s temporary house and sitting in front of a full-fledged Silver Legionnaire. Ciel was someone the likes of her position unqualified to meet, let alone sitting right in front of her while being served a refreshment like an honored guest.

“Relax Rose, you know the saying that the Goddess works in mysterious ways? The angels saw something in you and you’ve proven them correct, otherwise your gift will not awaken.” Ciel elegantly sipped her own tea. “You have been called, Rose. A higher calling to serve, a new path has opened before you. Will you answer the call?”

“…To fight as a Legionnaire?” Rose asked with some hesitation.

“To protect the world as a Legionnaire,” Ciel answered decisively.

***

Everyone in the fort witnessed a miracle. Ciel the Silver Legion confirmed that it was the blessing of angels. The defender’s morale soared like they had been stoked with fire. Their injuries healed, they’re filled with energy, and they believed their struggle was witnessed by angels. Most of the defenders were adventurers, many among them turn into devout believers that day. The defense at Fort Boarkill held steady the following days.

Six days after Rose received her blessing the promised reinforcements came, one and a half months after Ciel wrote a letter to the Legion. It was a group of four people, two men and two women, all wearing clothing with similar markings to Ciel’s.

“Damon, Bryan, Wendy, Rachel! You guys came!” Ciel, the always dignified and graceful lady hugged one of the girls like a kitty hungry for attention after they arrived at Fort Boarkill and inviting them to her lodging.

“Awww, our little lady seems to have a tough time during her first individual assignment. Yosh, yosh, big sis is here,” the kindly faced Wendy stroked Ciel’s hair.

“Sorry we’re late, had to put down a rouge warlock before he could do more damage. Glad to see you’re okay,” Bryan, the mid-twenties man with two swords at his hip said.

“They really run us ragged lately, always on the move, putting one bush fire after another. I’ve not had a proper bath for three days! Please tell me you have a bath here. The Goddess can’t be cruel enough to not grant a woman a bath after a long journey of saving lives.” Rachel raised the glasses on her brow.

“Thank the Radiant Lady you are unharmed. You’ve been away from home for some time, Ciel. Your father, the duke is very worried. How about paying a visit to your home after this?” Damon, the leader of the group was the oldest of them. He’s in the late twenties.

“Hmph, he wants me to get married and give him grandchildren soon. I’m not going back to marry my squirrel-faced distant cousin!” Ciel spoke, half-buried in Wendy’s chest.

“Hahaha, poor Derek. Well, let us all get some rest first. We’ll deal with the suspected tier 3 threat tomorrow. Should be easy enough for us as long as there are no too great of a variable.” Damon said with confidence.

“A cult has been seen circling this place like crows, should be Dumuzin’s cult. I don’t have the numbers to go after them and they don’t seem to attack the fort so there’s nothing I can do.”

“We’ll crush them. A branch cult like them won’t be able to handle us. We have two level 3 in our group! Those evildoers will face the Goddess’ iron hammer of justice,” Bryan grinned, eager for a fight.

“We’ll see what we can do after we deal with the cause of this beast tide,” Damon was the leader so he made the decision. “Anything else to report?”

“There’s a Blessed here, just awaken a few days ago,” Ciel said the good news.

“Oh? That’s great! We do need more hands to lighten our sacred duty of protecting the Goddess’ world,” Rachel slumped into a chair.

“Mmm, let’s meet the Blessed later.” Damon nodded.