After the completion of the ceremony, Maven hardly had a moment to rest. The second she left the grand hall, Fae grabbed her hand in glee and led her towards the entrance to the Church. Maven could only sigh as the grinning priestess pulled her along.

《I’m not sure a priestess should be impudently grabbing a Saintess like this……》

《Fufu, I think it’s pretty obvious by now that Fae’s got more than a few screws loose. You definitely can’t count on her to act with restraint.》

After a long journey, the two arrived a short distance away from the Church’s entrance. Fae turned to Maven and picked through her hair, ensuring her beloved Saintess was looking flawless before being presented to the crowd.

“You did wonderful with the ceremony, Goddess. It must have been hard to put up with the eyes of those filthy nobles. How dare they look at you with their dirty eyes?? Oh, goodness, if only I could run away with you. I’m so conflicted about this parade…… On the one hand, every man, woman, and child in the entire world ought to be aware of your glory; but, on the other, I really just want to hide away and keep you all to myself.”

Maven was almost tempted to let her do it; she wasn’t looking forward to the parade either. However, she knew that there was little she could do to stop this crazy train. It was about time to resign herself.

As if Fae could sense Maven’s resolve, she motioned for Maven to proceed to the front steps of the Church while giving her one last pep talk.

“Unfortunately, it’s time to go, Goddess. It’s lucky that I can stay with you this time. Just smile and wave to the crowd below as you make your way to the float at the foot of the steps. Once you get there, I and a few guards will get on with you. We’ll keep you safe during your journey through the main streets.”

Maven took a deep breath to psyche herself up, nodded once, and proceeded down the steps. Kannon rose up from her shoulder and hovered a small distance above her head, positioning herself for maximum impact with a smug look on her face. Fae trailed a few steps behind, like a competent attendant should.

“Wahhhh!!!!!!!”

The second Maven was visible to the citizens below, a deafening cheer could be heard. Joyous cries and greetings tore their way out of innumerable throats as people of all ages got their first look at the new Saintess. In normal times, the induction of a new Saintess would be of little interest to the citizenry, but this was not a normal Saintess.

“SAINTESS, SAINTESS, SAINTESS!”

Each and every of the people present had personally experienced the extraordinary nature of this unprecedented Saintess. During the events of Maven’s attribute examination they had all experienced that flood of pure magic. Ordinary citizens had little occasion to interact with light or life attribute magic, so, for many, it was their first experience. Especially the poorer residents, they could not afford to pay the ‘donations’ the Church requires for healing from their priests. These were the people who were cheering the loudest.

Kannon, excited by the hubbub, flew high into the air and waved to the crowd. As they cheered, she got carried away and decided to put on a show. She brightened the pure white aura of her wings and left glittering trails in the air as she pulled aerial maneuvers.

《Hehehe, everybody is so happy to see me! It’s been so long since anybody could see me, this is fun! Maven, look at me spin!》

Maven really wanted to jump up, grab that disappointing goddess, and shake some sense into her. However, she had to swallow her complaints and continue her journey down the steps. Fae looked on smugly behind her, inordinately pleased at the adulation currently being directed towards her goddess.

Each step felt like it took an eternity, but brought her closer to the float below. The parade float had the appearance of a flat platform, hovering a few inches off the ground. It was about as thick as your average car and ornately decorated in religious motifs depicting the Goddess Kannon.

Two ceremonial guards in gleaming armor were standing on either side of a small stepping stool, prepared to help Maven ascend onto the platform. When Maven and Fae arrived, they ascended and took position in the center. Two unfamiliar priestesses and four ceremonial guards joined them, taking protective positions on the circumference. Kannon flitted back down and complacently took position on Maven’s shoulder, eager for the parade to begin.