Chapter 3: Divine Covenant
Morning at the Sun Temple, the warm sunlight spilled across the golden-white walls.
In the plaza, the national flags of Lunatia were arranged along both sides of the avenue, stretching all the way to the main entrance of the Great Hall, with fresh flowers adorning the standing lampposts.
Long banners hung down from the temple's white walls, the symbol of the Primordial on the fabric fluttering gently in the morning breeze.
In preparation for the upcoming High Priest selection, the entire temple had already put on a festive display, far grander than usual.
And today was the day the selection for the new High Priest would begin.
Solya was inside the Sun God lounge in the Great Hall, gazing out of a small window at the venue where the crowds were slowly gathering.
She knit her brows slightly, her lips pressed into a tight, straight line, and even her tail, which she usually held high, hung unconsciously behind her, showing a trace of anxiety.
Because this selection would decide who would bear the weight of the nation alongside her for the next few decades.
An existence inseparable from her.
"Lord Solya, it is almost time."
Solya started slightly, turning her head toward the doorway.
The one who reminded her was not Vela, but the deputy captain of the Guard.
To ensure the fairness of the selection, all candidates were isolated from the outside world for a week before the selection began, permitted to contact no one except medical personnel.
And Vela, as a candidate for the High Priest, was also waiting for the ceremony to begin in another lounge.
"I understand. Thank you," Solya replied to the deputy captain, offering a polite, faint smile.
She turned back, resting her elbow on the windowsill and propping up her cheek with her hand, sighing softly.
Although she had only been apart from Vela for a week, it felt to Solya as if they had been separated for a very long time.
In the candidates' lounge, Vela was also knitting her brows.
Over the past week, she had handed her duties over to the deputy captain and was completely unable to learn anything of the outside world.
Vela had always personally commanded the Guard to stay by Solya's side, and had never left her for such a long period of time.
Especially in a large event like this, which gathered countless citizens and officials, she should have been standing on the front lines.
Although all matters had been clearly delegated to her subordinates beforehand, she still could not put her mind entirely at ease.
The pressure of the selection and her worry for Solya intertwined, keeping Vela constantly unsettled.
She rubbed her face with both hands and shook her head slightly, trying to temporarily brush those thoughts aside.
After taking a deep breath, she walked toward the venue.
At the opening ceremony, Solya wore a mantle with gold-fringed epaulets, appearing even more sacred and magnificent than usual.
She walked up to the semicircular high platform at the top of the venue, looking down at the ten candidates competing for the position of the new High Priest.
The people standing here were all high-ranking second-class officials in the temple, each in charge of different duties and powers.
Although they officially reported to High Priestess Dreven, some did not belong to her faction, and their views often clashed with hers.
Among this group, Vela appeared exceptionally young.
Unlike the other candidates, as Captain of the Guard, she did not fall under the jurisdiction of High Priestess Dreven, but instead took orders directly from the Sun God Solya.
Accompanying the master of ceremonies' opening remarks, Solya's gaze instinctively fell upon Vela.
Finally seeing that familiar figure eased her somewhat heavy thoughts, and the corners of her mouth curled up in an unconscious smile.
At that same moment, Vela also looked up at the platform.
She did not smile; her brow was tightly knit, and she only gazed at Solya quietly, the worry on her face plain to see.
Solya knew what Vela was thinking.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, carrying a reassuring smile.
The subtle expression spoke no words, yet Vela instantly understood the meaning in her eyes—
Don't worry, it's fine.
Looking at Solya, Vela's tightly knit brow finally relaxed a little.
A moment later, the master of ceremonies announced the end of the opening ceremony.
The first stage, a written exam lasting two days, would take place in the examination hall inside the temple.
The candidates were then guided away from the ceremony venue.
Lunatia had long used a written exam as the first stage of the High Priest selection, testing theoretical knowledge to ensure that the position of High Priest was not entirely determined by personal connections and political influence.
Inside the examination hall, the sound of rustling paper rose continuously.
Some pursed their lips in deep contemplation, while others had fine beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.
By contrast, Vela's face bore no expression whatsoever.
She put pen to paper and answered almost every question without the slightest hesitation.
Although the Captain of the Guard was a military post, she had received high-intensity training in various fields since childhood. To her, these questions were merely a matter of writing down what she had learned over the years.
On the third day, the results of the written exam were announced.
Unsurprisingly, Vela's scores were far ahead of most candidates.
Most candidates had spent years busy cultivating connections and factional relations, and had long since forgotten much of their theoretical knowledge.
Rather than burying their heads in books, how to establish themselves within complex power dynamics was what they usually cared about more.
Vela was different.
While others invested their time in political struggles, she spent almost all of hers handling guard duties and studying various fields of knowledge.
Compared to the other candidates who treated the exam as a mere formality, this near-stubborn simplicity gave her an overwhelming advantage.
However, one candidate lost to Vela by only a single question—Alan, the Chief of Diplomacy.
The second round, the political debate, commenced shortly after.
The candidates would be divided into groups for public debates, with the speaking order determined by their written exam scores.
In addition to the evaluators scoring the debate, numerous officials were permitted to sit in and listen.
And the Sun God Solya would also attend the debate in person.
This tested not only immediate reactions, but also a candidate's understanding of power, interest, and the human heart.
For most candidates who had floated in officialdom for years, this was the battlefield they knew best.
In the candidates' preparation room before going on stage, Vela leaned back against her chair with her head tilted slightly upward, her eyes appearing somewhat vacant.
Under the high pressure of the selection, she showed a rare trace of fatigue.
"Congratulations on taking first place in the written exam, Captain. That is no small feat."
The voice came from the side.
Alan, the Chief of Diplomacy, walked over to sit in the empty seat next to her, speaking with a smile.
As one of the core talents cultivated by the Dreven faction, he had frequented the inner temple for years and had known Vela since she was a teenager.
To Vela, he was like an older brother.
"Is there something you need, Chief of Diplomacy?"
Vela straightened up slightly, maintaining only the bare minimum of etiquette and speaking without the formality she used with others.
Hearing Vela's unpolished, direct response, Alan chuckled helplessly.
"Still the same, you haven't changed a bit, Vela." He leaned back slightly against the chair, his tone relaxing.
"How do I know you're not here to tease me again?"
Vela narrowed her eyes slightly, raising an eyebrow at Alan with a hint of disapproval in her voice.
Alan paused, then smiled.
"At a time like this, where would I get the energy to play around with you?"
He paused.
"Besides, you're the Captain of the Guard now. How would I dare tease you like before?"
Vela turned her head away at Alan's words, as if she couldn't even be bothered to look at him.
"Serving as an envoy abroad for so many years, and immediately coming back to participate in the High Priest selection—you really are busy." Vela turned her head back to look at Alan.
"The feeling is mutual. Don't you also stay by the wolf god's side every day with almost no days off?"
Then Alan glanced at her, his tone softening slightly.
"Remember not to wear yourself out. You're not made of iron, either."
"....I know."
Vela turned her gaze away, replying in a quiet voice.
Just then, a low drumming sound echoed from outside the venue.
The second round, the political debate, was about to begin.
"Well, good luck to you," Alan said, standing up.
"Next is the test of speaking eloquently." He shook his head with a smile. "Honestly, I'm really worried about you for this round."
Vela had never known how to speak eloquently.
When faced with something she disagreed with, let alone playing along, she couldn't even manage a polite smile.
Such a personality might be a strength in the Guard, but it was not necessarily so in officialdom.
Vela narrowed her eyes slightly, her brow furrowing along with them.
But she did not reply, only waving a hand casually at Alan as if shooing him away.
A moment later, the candidates were guided into the debate hall.
This hall also served as the venue for the third round, where candidates would undergo compatibility tests with the Sun God in the order of their cumulative scores from the first two rounds.
On the stone platform behind the evaluation seats, the Luna Stone, soon to be inherited by the new High Priest, lay quietly beneath a thick, transparent protective dome.
The Luna Stone, having not yet formed a divine covenant with the Sun God, appeared a steady, dark red.
It was a palm-sized, diamond-shaped crystal with an exquisite metal frame inlaid along its edges, emitting a low-key yet solemn luster under the lights.
The first group of candidates immediately began their debate.
The evaluators' pens scratched continuously against paper, recording their respective viewpoints and scores.
An occasional whispered conversation drifted from the evaluation seats, making the atmosphere in the hall even more tense.
And on the semicircular high platform behind the Luna Stone, Solya sat quietly listening.
She rested her chin lightly on one hand, looking serious, her gaze falling upon each speaker.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out below.
Three candidates rushed out of their seats simultaneously, heading straight for the Luna Stone behind the evaluation panel.
Seeing this, a member of the Guard in the hall immediately stepped forward to intercept them.
But one of the three suddenly drew a dagger glowing with green light from his chest.
The next second, he plunged the dagger into his own abdomen without hesitation.
He spit blood, falling to his knees as if something were thrashing wildly inside his body.
This action left everyone around stunned.
Immediately after, his body began to twist and deform.
Bones and muscles dislocated and reorganized, and skin split open. Within seconds, his human form collapsed completely.
Replaced by a wolf-like monster composed entirely of blood-red muscle.
Solya and Vela recognized it almost at the same time—
it was the very same kind of wolf monster they had encountered before.
Except this one was even more massive than the last.
"Watch out for its claws—!!"
Vela shouted to the Guard member who had just rushed forward.
Before she could finish her sentence, in the next instant, the guard's body was pierced straight through by the monster's claws.
Seeing this, screams erupted from the crowd.
Officials began fleeing between seats, and the scene rapidly fell into chaos.
The monster raised another claw and struck down fiercely toward the Luna Stone; the thick, transparent protective dome shattered instantly under the immense force.
At the same time, an accomplice nearby quickly grabbed the Luna Stone.
A low chant escaped his lips.
In the next instant, the hand holding the Luna Stone emitted a blinding green light.
"……Forbidden art?"
Still standing in front of the evaluation seats, High Priestess Dreven's face changed slightly, instantly recognizing the abnormal light.
Suddenly, a cry of pain echoed from the semicircular high platform.
Solya fell heavily to her knees.
"My Lord?!"
Hearing Solya's voice, Vela immediately rushed toward her.
Yet before she could get close, Solya let out another cry of agony.
Her hands clenched into tight fists, her knuckles turning white from the strain, as if her palms would be pierced by her own nails at any moment.
Low moans of pain kept escaping Solya's throat, causing Vela's steps to falter.
Solya kept her head down, her long golden hair draping over her face, obscuring her expression.
But Vela had never heard Solya make such a sound before.
Just hearing it made her feel as though her heart were being violently squeezed by something.
A sudden surge of pitch-black light erupted from Solya's body.
Yet rather than light, it resembled a black hole swallowing everything around it.
A massive shockwave blasted outward in all directions instantly.
Vela had no time to react before she was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Dust and smoke filled the air.
The entire venue fell into a brief, dead silence.
Within the gradually clearing smoke, a massive figure slowly materialized.
Pitch-black fur covered its entire body, with a crimson mane running down its nape.
The giant wolf crouched low, its blood-red eyes gleaming with a terrifying, savage light through the dust.
It revealed its white fangs, exhaling heavy, ragged breaths from its nose and mouth, as if the very air were trembling in response.
And there—
was precisely where Solya had been standing just moments ago.
"My Lord...?"
Vela lay on the ground, barely pushing herself up with both hands as she stared at the giant black wolf before her.
The giant wolf unleashed a deafening roar.
It wildly thrashed its body, knocking the sturdy divine throne beside it flying.
Its massive body then crashed forward as if losing balance, slamming into a stone pillar, which shattered at the impact.
Debris splattered in all directions, and a rumbling boom echoed through the hall.
But it did not stop.
It simply thrashed and lunged blindly around the venue again and again, as if trying to rid itself of some tearing agony.
Without direction, without a target.
Only instinctual struggle and destruction.
Meanwhile, the two candidates standing before the Luna Stone also transformed into blood-red wolf monsters.
They began to attack the crowd.
Many defenseless officials were torn in half before they could even scream.
The rampaging wolf god and the three wolf monsters threw the entire venue into complete chaos.
"Lady Dreven! Please leave quickly!"
Alan and the officials of the Dreven faction quickly shielded High Priestess Dreven, retreating toward the exit.
The remaining evaluators on the panel also fled in all directions under the cover of their subordinates.
Between the seats, corridors, and stairs, only panicked, fleeing figures remained.
Vela slowly stood up.
She looked at the scattering crowd, then toward the giant black wolf thrashing in pain in the center of the hall.
In this moment, no one looked back, and no one stopped.
Much less did anyone care about the unraveling wolf god.
Only now did Vela realize clearly.
The Sun God, usually held high by everyone, seemed completely abandoned by the world at this moment.
The boundary between spiritual faith and a tool of power had long since blurred.
And the girl crowned with the title of "god"—Solya.
For so long, no one had cared about her at all.
Suddenly, pitch-black light rapidly condensed in the giant wolf's mouth.
A massive beam of black light erupted violently.
The column of light swept across the sky of the venue, passing over the panicking crowd, while seats, walls, and pillars along its path shattered one after another with rumbling crashes.
Although it did not strike the crowd directly, the massive amount of falling debris blocked the venue's exit in an instant.
In an instant, the giant wolf tilted its head randomly.
The black beam instantly shifted, blasting straight toward the crowd.
"My Lord! No—!!"
Vela dashed out abruptly, using all her strength to slam the giant wolf's head aside.
The impact deflected the beam, which happened to strike the wolf monster holding the Luna Stone.
The wolf monster was reduced to ash in an instant, and the Luna Stone fell to the ground.
Feeling the impact, the giant wolf instinctively swiped the back of its claw toward Vela.
Vela was thrown back, hitting the ground once more and rolling several times before coming to a halt.
Although this blow did not draw blood, the immense force caused Vela such pain that she nearly lost consciousness, unable to stand up for a moment.
As her vision blurred, Vela saw the object that had fallen beside her—
the Luna Stone.
Straining, she reached out and picked up the Luna Stone.
The stone, which should have been a sacred dark red, now looked polluted, with an unnatural green light drifting slowly within its core.
Vela raised her head slightly and looked around.
The High Priest selection was already completely out of control.
All the candidates had either fled in the chaos or died under the claws of the wolf monsters.
Meanwhile, the rampaging wolf god continued to destroy wantonly. Screams, crashes, and cries of agony intertwined into a single din.
Vela looked down at the Luna Stone in her hand.
At this moment, she felt as if she were standing outside the world, and all the noise around her had faded away.
"Even if the world abandons you, I will not leave you."
She knew very well—
there was only one way left to stop this disaster.
The giant wolf's oncoming roar shattered the silence as its massive claw struck straight down.
Vela grit her teeth and rolled to dodge, barely managing to pull away in the gaps between attacks.
"My Lord! Please wake up—!"
She dodged while trying to wake the giant wolf.
But the giant wolf did not react; instead, its attacks became increasingly frequent.
Finally, with her strength nearly depleted, Vela was pinned to the ground by its massive body, unable to move.
The giant wolf raised its head, pitch-black light beginning to condense in its mouth once more, the force so close it was almost suffocating.
"……Solya."
Lying on the ground, Vela panted, calling out to the giant wolf.
In that very instant—
the giant wolf's movement froze.
The black light that had been gathering in its mouth gradually weakened.
"Solya... I know you are in pain right now," Vela said softly.
"....But no matter what, I will stay with you."
She reached out, slowly placing her hand on the razor-sharp giant claw.
A few seconds later, the black light in the giant wolf's mouth dissipated completely.
It removed the front claw pinning Vela, lowering its head.
Its massive snout leaned toward the figure lying between its paws.
Vela gently pressed her palm against the giant wolf's warm snout, while her other hand tightly gripped the Luna Stone.
The giant wolf looked at her, silent.
Then, it closed its eyes.
Vela knew Solya had heard.
Instantly, the Luna Stone in Vela's hand burst into a dazzling red light.
The darkness on the giant wolf's body gradually dissipated as if collapsing.
Replaced by golden fur shimmering with a sacred luster.
The wild, blood-red mane along its neck and back also quickly lost its crimson color, turning into a soft, light gold.
This color was identical to Solya's long hair.
And the red eyes that had originally gleamed with ferocity gradually returned to the blue Vela was so familiar with.
High Priestess Dreven saw this scene from afar.
The light radiating from the Luna Stone at this moment was more brilliant than any she could recall.
The light gradually dispersed.
The Luna Stone changed from dark red to a vibrant crimson.
The divine covenant between Solya and Vela was also forged at this moment.
Vela slowly stood up.
She looked at the golden wolf god before her, silent for a moment.
Then she reached out both hands, tightly hugging Solya's neck.
Solya also lowered her head slightly, gently nuzzling Vela's cheek with the top of her head.
Vela released her gently.
Solya turned her head, looking at the two wolf monsters still wreaking havoc in the venue.
Leaping with her hind legs, she kicked off directly from the vertical wall.
The golden figure flashed across the wall, so fast that almost no one could follow her movement.
By the time anyone caught sight of her again, Solya was already standing between the two wolf monsters.
She spun in a backflip, a golden afterimage flashing by, and the movements of both wolf monsters froze simultaneously.
The entire process was quiet enough to make one hold their breath.
No roars, no explosions, not even a single wasted motion.
The wolf monsters' bodies were instantly severed in two.
Watching the golden wolf god in the center of the venue, Vela's long-tense nerves finally relaxed.
The accumulated injuries and exhaustion from fighting the giant black wolf also surged up all at once.
She swayed, sinking to one knee.
"Vela—!"
Solya turned back into a human and immediately ran to Vela's side.
She helped Vela up, then pulled her into a tight embrace.
Having confirmed that Solya was safe, Vela finally put her mind at ease.
Her consciousness, which she had forced to hold on for so long, could no longer support her.
In the night, Vela slowly opened her eyes in bed.
In her hazy vision, the first thing she saw was the familiar figure sitting by the bedside.
"Vela, you're awake?"
Solya had been watching by the bedside all along, and finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Vela open her eyes.
"M-My Lord...? Why are you here?"
Vela hastily tried to sit up.
However, she had barely moved before pain flared through her entire body.
"Don't move. The physician said you have both internal and external injuries, and you need to rest for at least a few more days."
Solya immediately reached out a hand, gently pressing Vela back onto the bed to make her lie down.
"This... this is the chambers' medical room?"
"Yes," Solya answered softly. "I arranged for you to heal here. There are too many injured in the medical hall right now, and I didn't feel safe leaving you there alone."
"These are your chambers, how could I...!"
"At a time like this, you're still worrying about that?" Solya couldn't help but frown.
"Besides, I was the one who hurt you. How could I just leave you be?" Solya lowered her eyes, her grip on Vela's hand tightening unconsciously.
"I'm sorry, Vela..."
Feeling the slight pressure on her hand, Vela looked down.
She realized that Solya had been holding her hand the entire time.
But she did not pull away, only staring at their clasped hands, quietly stunned.
Noticing Vela's gaze, Solya also looked down. Startled, she quickly released her hand.
"I-I'm sorry...!" Solya said, the tips of her ears flushing red. "I was really so scared that you wouldn't wake up..."
"Um... It's okay." Vela's cheeks also flushed slightly.
"And I don't believe these injuries are your fault, either. You don't need to apologize."
She added immediately, without the slightest hesitation in her voice.
Solya raised her head again, looking at Vela.
"Vela... you called my name back then, didn't you?"
"I heard you call my name clearly, even though my mind was in utter chaos."
Vela did not answer right away, but the blush on her cheeks grew more pronounced.
She turned her head slightly to the side, as if unwilling to let Solya see her current expression.
"My Lord... you must be tired too, please go rest..."
As if her inner thoughts were slowly being laid bare before Solya, Vela had no idea how to respond for a moment, and could only hurriedly throw out words to bring the conversation to an end.
"Hmph... Mean Vela, sending me away the moment you wake up..." Solya frowned, her lips slightly pouting as if in protest.
"No, I didn't mean that...!"
Vela hurriedly turned her head back, her voice tinged with panic.
The two looked at each other, and the room fell quiet.
After a moment, Vela took a soft, deep breath.
".....Solya, I'm sorry."
"My thoughts are a mess right now too, but... I'm really glad you are by my side."
Solya was startled for a moment.
Those blue eyes gazed quietly at Vela.
"Mmh..."
Solya responded in a low whisper.
She lowered her head, resting her forehead gently against Vela's hand on the bedside.
Vela looked down at her.
Then she raised her hand, gently smoothing the wolf-ear-like tufts of hair on Solya's head.
The night deepened.
Solya, equally exhausted, lay on her side beside Vela, already fast asleep.
Vela watched her quietly.
After a moment, she gently rested her cheek against the crown of Solya's head, closing her eyes.
The familiar warmth allowed her to relax.
This time, they were still by each other's side.