Chương 131: Come in Haste, Depart in Haste

The social hierarchy within the Four Human Kingdoms was exceptionally rigid, with each sovereign state claiming its own distinct national color. For the Kingdom of Sarthos, that national color was green—and vestments of green were fundamentally not something ordinary mortals were permitted to don at leisure. Yet, this mounted column of four hundred men and women before him was uniformly draped in flowing, pale-green cloaks.

Furthermore, their armor was heavily etched with stylized wing motifs and the holy icon of a pristine teardrop. This was none other than the elite force of the State Religion of Sarthos: the Church of the Goddess of Life. The local lord executed a remarkably swift kowtow. His eyes overflowed with devout reverence, and his posture was so impeccably humble that Vivienne found herself entirely unable to utter a harsh rebuke. She could only crease her delicate eyebrows, inquiring softly:"My Lord..."

"O Holy Emissary of the Divine! This humble servant is your most devout follower, Lorain, Lord of Raven Fort."

"Lord Lorain, for what purpose do you inflict such savage torment upon these unfortunate souls?" Vivienne gestured with her riding crop toward the agricultural serfs bound tightly against the wooden execution posts. Lord Lorain glanced back at the serfs, his expression instantly contorting into a mask of pure, unadulterated disgust.

"Holy Emissary, these wretches are mere slaves, yet they actually dared to harbor wild ambitions of dividing my ancestral lands! I am merely inflicting the necessary structural discipline upon them." Vivienne's brow creased even deeper, though she maintained a tone of gentle persuasion: "Though their status may be that of slaves, the Goddess of Life reigns supreme above all. Her divine grace is showered equally upon all mortal creation, and human agony is never what she desires to witness.

Therefore, halt these sinful deeds immediately." Lord Lorain offered not a single word of refutation. Instead, his features melted into a display of profound, overwhelmed emotion.

"The Holy Emissary possesses boundless benevolence; this humble servant has been deeply enlightened." With a flick of his wrist, his soldiers immediately severed the ropes, setting the serfs free. The common serfs looked upon Vivienne with eyes brimming with profound gratitude. This breathtaking Holy Saint had, with a mere handful of spoken sentences, completely spared them from a horrific, bloody execution; their hearts were entirely consumed by unyielding reverence.

Leaping lightly off her destrier, Vivienne channeled a high-tier healing spell, casting a soothing, radiant aura that systematically mended the severe lacerations blanketing the serfs' bodies. Experiencing the instantaneous relief, the peasants' gratitude deepened to an absolute crescendo, their eyes shimmering with tears as they stared blankly at Vivienne.

"It is well, everyone. Please return to living your lives with utmost diligence. So long as you can attain earthly happiness, the Goddess of Life shall similarly feel deep comfort." Vivienne offered a soft, gentle smile toward the assembled crowd. It was as though a divine, holy radiance effect had been dynamically cast across her beautiful face, leaving every single individual present completely transfixed in awe.

In that singular fleeting moment—whether noble lord, armored soldier, or wretched serf—every heart in the clearing burned with absolute, pure devotion. Following this encounter, under the reverent gazes of the entire commune, the four hundred mounted riders trotted into the inner courtyards of the castle. They were received with grand hospitality by Lord Lorain, who personally laid out the most extravagant banquet his domain could muster.

Throughout the feast, serf servants moved continuously back and forth, replenishing the tables with a perpetual array of gourmet delicacies. A young serf girl carried a heavy platter of food, placing it gently onto the table before quietly retreating into the structural shadows of the corner to await further instructions. Her eyes remained obsessively locked onto the lavish delicacies covering the table.

In her entire impoverished existence, she had never once laid eyes on such magnificent food; how utterly divine must it taste? If only she could be granted a single, solitary bite to taste its flavor. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Lord Lorain gestured toward a grand, hand-carved stone effigy of the Goddess of Life dominating the main hall, addressing the assembled guests: "I have commanded my retainers to offer devotions and tribute to the Goddess day and night without interruption. The sacred offerings are rotated once every single day, and we never dare show a shred of neglect—all in the humble hope that upon my eventual death, my soul may securely ascend to the divine realm of Her Ladyship." Vivienne turned her gaze toward the statue.

Below its base sat a massive, lavish array of food offerings; the sheer volume and luxury of the spread was, in truth, somewhat excessively decadent. Vivienne rose gracefully to her feet, gliding toward the base of the divine effigy. Reaching into the pile of sacred offerings, she tore off a tender roast bird leg, before turning and stepping over to the drooling little girl standing in the corner. The young serf girl froze in utter disbelief.

Vivienne offered her a warm, enchanting smile, gently taking her tiny, dirt-stained hand and placing the succulent bird leg firmly into her palm.

"Eat, my child. This is a divine gift granted directly to you by the Goddess." The young girl's mouth produced saliva at hyper-velocity. She cast a fearful, tentative glance toward Lord Lorain. Seeing the lord execute a slow nod of permission, the little girl immediately began to gorge herself on the meat with wild abandon.

"Mmm! Nom... so delicious! It's so amazingly delicious!" A look of deep, contented satisfaction washed over Vivienne's face. She turned her head back to meet Lord Lorain's gaze.

"Lord Lorain, your profound reverence toward the Goddess has already been fully received by Her Ladyship. However, food should ultimately find its way into the bellies of living people, bringing true happiness to mortal lives. Would you not agree, Lord Lorain?" Lord Lorain's eyes instantly glistened with emotional moisture. What an extraordinarily beautiful, magnificently compassionate Holy Saint! He executed a firm wave of his hand toward his head butler.

"Distribute the entirety of the sacred offerings to the serfs immediately. From this day forward, all daily offerings shall be handled under this exact protocol once devotions conclude." The butler immediately moved to distribute the lavish spread beneath the Goddess's effigy to the castle serfs. Vivienne was immensely pleased by the outcome. Just then, the little serf girl tugged gently on the hem of her pale-green cloak.

"Big sister, the bird leg tastes so really, really good! You take a bite too!" She held up the roast bird leg, which now bore a single, tiny bite mark, presenting it up to Vivienne. Vivienne let out a soft laugh, crouching down gracefully to take a delicate, gentle bite from the offered meat.

"Mmm, it is indeed exceptionally delicious. From this day forward, you can eat like this every single day. The Goddess possesses an endless abundance of sacred offerings—far more than she could ever consume alone. Therefore, everyone ought to help the Goddess eat them up together!" What a profoundly moving picture of pure compassion; what a sublime manifestation of harmonious unity between ruler and subject.

The grand banquet ultimately concluded, and the guests retired to their respective quarters to rest for the night. Just as Vivienne was preparing to enter her private chamber, she discovered Paladin Commander Thor standing quietly by her doorway, awaiting her return. Vivienne froze for a fraction of a second, a deep crimson blush instantly creeping across her delicate cheeks.

A handsome hero and a breathtaking maiden—how could she possibly be blind to the deep, passionate feelings Commander Thor harbored within his chest for her?

"Thor..."

"Vivienne..." On this very night, the man and woman poured out their long-suppressed feelings to one another, engaging in a deep, intimate conversation late into the night under the warm glow of the lantern light. Romantic devotion saturated the air— (omitting thirty thousand words). The following morning, the four hundred mounted riders fully recouped their physical energy, setting off once again with violent, wind-like speed as they continued their rapid march southward.

Standing on the high battlements of the castle, Lord Lorain gazed devoutly into the distance, watching the column gradually fade into the horizon. How profoundly blessed I am! As the most devout follower of the Goddess of Life, I was actually granted the supreme privilege of witnessing the Holy Saint in person! Could this be the divine reward bestowed directly by Her Ladyship for my absolute piety? Lord Lorain felt as though his physical frame had been rejuvenated by a full ten years.

In an exceptionally splendid mood, he leisurely strolled back into the main grand hall. Suddenly, his gaze locked onto a tiny, pitiful figure standing beneath the divine effigy of the Goddess, drooling obsessively as she stared at the newly replaced food offerings. It was none other than the young serf girl. An absolute, demonic fury erupted within Lord Lorain's chest. Sprinting forward with rapid, violent strides, he delivered a savage, full-force kick squarely to the child's frame. CRACK—!

With a agonizing shriek, the young serf girl was launched flying through the air, her small body smashing violently against the stone wall before collapsing into a crumpled, completely motionless heap. Lord Lorain's face contorted into a hideous, twisted mask of rage, completely devoid of the pious reverence he had displayed before Holy Saint Vivienne.

"Wretched slave!! How dare your filthy eyes covet the sacred offerings of the Goddess! If you ever dare taint Her Ladyship's divine offerings with your filthy, disgusting paws again, I shall personally hack off your arms!!" Attracted by the violent commotion, the head butler hurried into the hall. Lord Lorain whirled around, screaming furiously at the butler:"Drag those offending serfs who committed errors yesterday back out to the execution posts immediately! Resume the flogging! Accursed, filthy slaves...

how dare they harbor wild, treacherous ambitions over my ancestral lands!!"