Marigold – A LitRPG

Through the corridors of the Sun Goddess Shrine, several Templars ran quickly as they tried to stop an ornate Knight with large golden armor. The Knight, possessing advanced age and a tired face, moved swiftly and vigorously. He quickly reached his destination—a large door made of pure white stone adorned with precious stones and gold-plated details.

The door was guarded by two heavily armed guards who immediately froze at the sight of the great knight.

"Sir Albert! Please, immediately state the reason for this unauthorized visit to the High Priest!"

The guards were visibly nervous at Albert's sudden appearance but maintained their composure, demanding a satisfactory answer.

"Fools! I come at the request of your Holiness, the Saint of the Dawn, to share a matter of utmost importance with the High Priest and the interests of the goddess!"

"We can't let you pass without the approval of the-"

Before the guard could finish speaking, a small golden projectile passed by the side of his head and hit the doors on his back. The projectile was so fast that it couldn't be seen, and all the guard could do was feel a sudden rush of air. Despite the great speed, the door showed no scratches or visible damage.

"How dare you try to block my way! The Saint has already sent her orders; now get out before I throw you into the dungeon!"

While the great knight visibly lost his temper, the large golden doors immediately began to open. In an instant, all the people present knelt on the ground, praying. The only exception was Albert, who looked coldly at the person coming out from behind the doors.

"Albert... Why would the goddess, in her infinite wisdom, give us such a hard-headed Paladin as you? Don't you know these kids were just doing what they were told? Why do you need to intimidate them in such a way, you old scowl..."

From the great door, a small lady, so old that her age was indiscernible, came out while bantering with the giant Paladin who was easily twice her height.

"High Priest, The Saint asks for an audience with all the bishops immediately!"

"Hmm... That girl, always causing a stir for whatever reason. What is it this time?"

"That... It's not something that can be said so lightly!"

"Ah... It better not be something as dumb as last time, Albert. Come in."

The little high priest returned to her room, accompanied by Albert. When the doors closed, all the people present felt they could finally breathe.

Within the large gilded doors was a grand room decorated lavishly, now filled with books piled on its expensive furniture. Books ranged from old and stuffy to more current ones with fine cuts. Looking up, one could see a large glass ceiling bathing the entire room in copious sunlight.

"Now, Albert, tell me at once what is happening. It is better this is not like the time when the Saint dreamed that she was trapped inside a mirror, and you began to break all the mirrors in the temple."

"...No, High Priest. This time, the reason for my visit is very real and truly important. The Saint received a prophecy from the Sun Goddess!"

"What? Repeat that?!"

"The Saint received a prophecy directly from the Sun Goddess!"

"Albert, it's good that you're not kidding me. Are you absolutely sure that she received a prophecy? Prophecies are very important, and the last prophecy we received was about the birth of the Demon Lord about 200 years ago!"

"Yes, High Priest! I am absolutely sure of my words. That's why the Saint asks for an audience with you and all the bishops immediately!"

"First of all, bring her here. I need to know the content of the prophecy before we spread it throughout the church."

"But High Priest, would it not be easier just-"

"Stop being a hard head, Albert! You are already old and still as stubborn as a nail in the foot! Bring Saint here immediately, Albert! This is an order coming directly from me, the High Priest!"

"...Yes, Your Holiness, I will bring her immediately."

After a few minutes, the door opened again, and this time Albert was accompanied by a girl with clothes covering her from neck to feet. The Saint wore robes of pure white, her hands covered by soft gloves, her face obscured by a white veil with gold details falling to her neck. Despite all her features being covered, everyone could still see her beautiful long golden hair cascading down her back and a thin, well-built figure that couldn't be overshadowed by the chaste robes.

"Your Holiness, Albert told me that you have requested my immediate presence, and here I am as requested."

"Daisy! Come here quickly! I heard from Albert the news that you received a prophecy directly from the goddess! It's good to be serious! If not, I swear by tomorrow you won't get away easily this time!"

"High Priest, I know my previous actions may have been very childish or unruly, but I swear by my holy soul that I would never lie about a matter directly related to the Great Goddess. Please don't take my words so lightly!"

"Ah, look at you, Daisy. Now, we're talking for real! Come here and tell me about how you conceived this prophecy. I swear by my holy soul that I will believe in your words since you are talking about it so seriously."

"Yes, High Priest, this morning I was doing my daily prayers when I felt that my ability [Daughter of Divine Light] began to connect with something. The moment I opened my eyes, I was in a landscape made of pure light, and in front of me was the goddess herself, who began to speak in a strange language. Still, I could understand its meaning naturally. The next thing I remember is Albert taking me off the ground while the words of the goddess were engraved in my mind."

"That... This is something new. None of the last Saints ever got a direct connection with the goddess. The last one who achieved such a feat was Rose, who prophesied the birth of the Demon Lord about 200 years ago. So, tell me, child, what is the prophecy that the goddess showed you?"

"The prophecy is..."

In the night stars, a stellar nomad, born from the echoes of ill fate, traverses with wounds unhealed. The gilded woods shall ascend, a creature birthing both vitality and demise. Within the maw of chaos, it morphs into the world's bane, a font of mystic energies and boundless fortune. A Friend or foe?

"Is that the prophecy? It looks so... Vague."

"Yes, High Priest, this is the prophecy. It is exactly the same as I received from the goddess. I also didn't understand its exact meaning. Most likely, my inability interfered with receiving the prophecy. But even if the prophecy is very vague, it is clear! There are some creature from the stars that have invaded our world! And if this threat is not handled correctly, it can result in the end of the world!"

"I understand now why you were so agitated to get an audience with me and the bishops. Surely, this prophecy is too vague. It is not like the ancient prophecy that clearly said about the birth of the Demon Lord. This prophecy only tells us that there is something that shouldn't be here and that this can bring great benefits to anyone who manages to control it. But what does it mean if it is consumed by chaos?"

"I think it must be related to the Demon Lord. For centuries, we have been waging an unsuccessful war with him. But I think the prophecy means that if the Demon Lord manages to control this invader and adds him to his ranks, the world would be destroyed. While if we could find this invader and ally ourselves with him, we could achieve great fortunes and infinite prosperity."

"I see. Do you know what this invader from the stars looks like? Where is he? What are his intentions?"

"... No, I have no idea. I just know what the Goddess told me. All I know is that this invader is in our world right now, but it could be anywhere..."

"Oh great! We have an invader who has come from who knows where, who can cause the destruction of the world, and we have no idea where he might be?! And if this thing is in the lands of Froills or worse? Right at the gates of the Demon Lord! Daisy! I need more than that. You can't come here and throw me a bomb like that and then say 'now deal with it.' We need to find a solution to this! If not, the bishops would just eat us alive, and... Oh, Goddess above! The Pope! Now we need to inform the pope himself! You have no idea what will happen when he finds out about this prophecy! It will cause complete chaos for the entire reign of Solaria! He will end up locking you in an empty room until you get a full version of this prophecy or until you give a full description of the invader!"

"Lock me in a room? But why would he do that, High Priest?! I just reported what the goddess herself told me. Locking myself in a room won't make me hear the goddess's voice more often..."

"Do you really think he cares?! People always want to find someone to blame, Daisy! If the prophecy is as dangerous as it seems, the pope will do everything in his power to get a full version out of you!"

"And - And what are you going to do, High Priest? You... You don't want to talk about the prophecy? This would be a sin against the goddess herself! Disobeying the direct words of the goddess is the same as denying the existence of her Holiness!"

"Dumb girl, when you live as long as I have lived, you simply know that the truth cannot be buried, only postponed. I will convey this matter directly to the pope, even if it causes me suffering. After all, this is my duty as high priest."

"Then... what should I do now, High Priest? It's the first time I've received a prophecy. I don't know what I should do now..."

"And you think I know, girl? When the last prophecy came out, I was not even born yet. But if you want my opinion as a High Priest, pray, pray until your hands bleed. The prophecy you gave me is clearly fragmented. This happened because your connection with the goddess was not strong enough. The pope won't let this go unpunished. As a saint, you are the only one who has abilities that can connect you directly with the goddess, and that's why you were guided from an early age to strengthen your bond with the divine. So, in times of need, you could hear the voice of the goddess. But now, the goddess spoke, and you didn't understand her correctly, and this will have serious consequences for you, child. The bishops can use this event to challenge your faith and convince the pope that you are not worthy to be in the Temple of the Sun and that you should be sent for re-education."

"This... this is absurd, High Priest! I've lived my whole life dedicated to the goddess of the dawn, and those old goats think they can contest my faith just because I wasn't prepared for something I wasn't taught to do!"

"Ah, child, so young, so naive. Do you really think those old goats will care if you live a life dedicated to the Goddess? They will argue that your failure was due to a lack of faith in the goddess, not because they didn't prepare you to receive a prophecy."

"High Priest, what must I do?... I-I swear I never doubted the Great Goddess. I shouldn't be punished for not knowing what to do..."

"Didn't I tell you already Daisy ? Pray, pray hard until you get a complete view of the prophecy. Only then will you be able to avoid the wrath of the pope. But now, get out! Go back to your temple and try your best, child. I will contact the pope immediately, and you are not allowed to be present!"

"...Yes, High Priest. I thank you for your warnings. I will return immediately to the Temple of Light."

When the Saint left, accompanied by the Paladin who was visibly worried about the whole situation, the High Priest quickly ran up to a pillar in the center of the room. After infusing the pillar with some of her divine energy, a large blue orb emerged from inside the pillar and began to vibrate uncontrollably.

"May the goddess protect me from the fury of this man... how someone like him became pope of a goddess known for justice and kindness..."

When the orb finally stopped vibrating, it emitted a hoarse and deep voice throughout the process, pulsing with the man's voice.

"High Priest of the Solaria Temple, I must imagine that this is a matter of great importance for you, of all people, to be using the direct channel to speak to me."

"Yes, sir, this is Mery Golford, High Priest of the Temple of Solaria, getting in touch. Cloodny, I will be short and direct: the Saint has received a prophecy."

"What!? Mery Golford, you happen to be-"

"It is not a joke, and I have already confirmed the matter with the saint herself. The prophecy is real."

"I understand, but why did you decide to communicate this directly to me? Don't tell me that... is another prophecy on the same level as the demon lord's birth?!"

"Yes and no. It's a prophecy that brings big trouble, but it isn't as bad as the prophecy of the demon lord's."

"Stop the mystery for once! What is the content of the prophecy!?"

"That is... Complicated... The prophecy is not complete. It came very fragmented and open to interpretation. We have no way of knowing its exact meaning."

"What?!? Fragmented!? The Saint is so inadequate that she can't hear the goddess's words clearly!?!? Tell me right away, what are these big problems that prophecy brings?!"

"Well, don't despair, okay? It's about the end of the world, and-"

"End of the world?!? And you want me not to despair?!? Does the prophecy say about the birth of the Word disaster or what?!?"

'If only you let me talk, you piece of shit...'

"The prophecy says about a invader from the stars who is in our world. The Saint said that she is absolutely sure that the invader is already in our world, but she cannot say where or what it looks like..."

"A Star invader?! This is very dangerous Mery! The demon lord is an evil that consumes the world and tries to corrupt it, and you know why? Because he is an invader from the stars! He is not a natural being, and his mere existence stains all living things! And now you tell me there's another one like that?!"

"Yes and no, sir. The prophecy makes it clear that the invader is not necessarily an enemy. The prophecy says that if we can bring this traveler to our side, we will be rewarded with knowledge and infinite wealth. But the same prophecy says that 'if consumed by chaos will bring chaos.' Then I think it means that if the Demon Lord finds this invader first, this will become our doom!"

"That! Mery, I will send the Paladins in my possession accompanied by the Holy Inquisitor to Solaria immediately. This question cannot be taken lightly, and the Saint Nee- No, she owes us! a clearer prophecy. I want you to send me the prophecy that you have now so I can analyze what we have for now. But I must remember that the Holy Inquisitor has full authority to act as he needs to, so he can get as much information as we can!"

The Holy Inquisitor, would be easier if he called him the divine torturer; he will wrest the truth from anyone, no matter who they are.

"I understand, sir. I only ask you to have mercy on that child. She was never guided on how to receive divine revelations, and this was the cause of her inability to fulfill the task..."

"Mery... As the High Priest of the Temple of Solaria, the education of the saint has been granted to you. If the saint cannot exercise her activities correctly for a lack of proper teachings, does this mean that you have failed to teach her correctly?"

And there we go, my responsibility is my ass. Those shameless bishops are the ones who should take care of everything, but they sure would throw me to the wolves when their heads are on the line.

"Yes, Pope... I failed with the saint and with the church. There is no forgiveness for this."

"Mery!! UGH!! I can't solve this right now! But know that I won't forget about this! The Paladins will arrive at Solaria in the morning. Be prepared to receive them and make sure the Saint doesn't try anything funny!"

"I understand, sir. I will do my duty as the High Priest."

"So that's it. Send me the prophecy, and keep on exercising your functions. If this prophecy is as bad as it seems, we will need to dedicate a considerable force to the mission of finding the Traveler."

"Yes, sir."

After the ball suddenly stopped spinning, it began to slowly return to the pillar it had come from. But now, its color was a complete black, different from the vibrant blue from before.

"Ah, Daisy, the silly girl who lived holding on to my robe. Sorry, girl, this is all I can do for you. I sincerely hope the Goddess grants you a second chance to hear her words."