In the entire history of the Western Quadrant Sacred Church, only five individuals had ever reached the rank of Sacred.
Five.
Each of them had been personally chosen as incarnations of the constellations they worshipped.
Each had ascended beyond humanity and eventually become Imperials—the supreme guardians of the nation itself.
And now…
A sixth had appeared.
The cathedral descended into stunned silence after the Pope’s declaration.
Sir Auro’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Sacred…?” he muttered.
“That girl actually reached the Sacred rank?”
Even Lady Godspell momentarily lost her composure before gracefully straightening herself, a faint smile forming on her lips.
“I knew she would,” she said softly.
“I never doubted her for even a second.”
The orphaned children erupted into excitement almost immediately.
“Anika actually did it!”
“She’s amazing!”
“Is it just me, or did she become way prettier than before?” one of the children whispered loudly.
Excitement spread through the cathedral like wildfire.
But not everyone shared in their joy.
Standing among the crowd was Kane, his black eyes burning with resentment.
His fists tightened until his nails dug into his palms.
Damn it…
How did that Mathew-obsessed girl end up with a higher rank than me?
With her around, how am I supposed to get revenge on him?
This is complete nonsense…
Meanwhile, at the center of the hall, Anika herself looked far less excited than everyone expected.
Sure, she had hoped for a powerful soul core.
But Sacred?
That was far beyond what she wanted.
Because becoming Sacred came with consequences.
People at that level were no longer allowed to live ordinary lives.
They were taken away, trained within the Imperial Academy, shaped into future Imperials, and burdened with responsibilities that could crush entire kingdoms.
Which also meant—
She would be separated from Mathew.
The thought alone bothered her more than she cared to admit.
The Pope stepped closer, his expression filled with admiration.
“My Lady,” he began warmly, “to achieve such a rank at your age is a miracle unlike any other.
However, the path of the Sacred is not an easy one.”
His tone grew solemn.
“You will be escorted to the Imperial Palace immediately.
There, you shall meet the reigning Imperial and begin your training to become this nation’s next protector.”
Anika blinked.
Then she answered without hesitation.
“I decline.”
The Pope nearly stumbled.
The entire cathedral froze.
Even the air itself seemed to stop moving.
The Pope slowly regained his balance and forced a composed smile onto his face.
“…You decline what, exactly, my Lady?”
Anika tilted her head slightly, as though the answer was obvious.
“Everything,” she replied casually.
“The academy, the palace, becoming the next Imperial—all of it.”
The Pope stared blankly.
Anika crossed her arms and continued.
“Honestly, it sounds like way too much responsibility.
And responsibility sounds a lot like work.” She sighed dramatically.
“That’s a huge turn-off for me, Your Holiness.”
The silence somehow became even heavier.
“So yeah,” she finished.
“I decline.
I’m sure you can find another Imperial candidate somewhere.”
The expressions throughout the cathedral became indescribable.
Most people in the nation would sacrifice everything for even the smallest chance to become an Imperial candidate.
Wealth, status, authority—such an opportunity could elevate someone from a starving orphan to royalty overnight.
And yet…
She rejected it as though she were refusing extra chores.
The Pope’s smile twitched dangerously.
“I see…” he said carefully.
“Then perhaps you could tell us what exactly you intend to do as a Sacred being?”
Anika placed a finger against her chin thoughtfully before glancing toward Mathew, who had been quietly observing everything from the side.
“Well…” she said slowly, “I think I’ll stay at the orphanage.”
Everyone blinked.
Anika smiled brightly.
“I’ll help Lady Godspell out whenever I can.
Maybe we’ll even turn the orphanage into something huge someday.”
Lady Godspell’s expression softened.
Of course, a part of her wished Anika would accept the path of an Imperial.
But hearing the girl choose her own future rather than blindly following one forced upon her…
It made her strangely proud.
The Pope inhaled deeply, suppressing what looked like emotional devastation.
“…Very well,” he said at last.
“Though it is unfortunate, the Church will not force your hand.
I sincerely pray you never come to regret this decision.”
He raised a hand in blessing.
“May the constellations watch over you always.”
Anika smiled warmly.
“Thank you, Your Holiness.”
With that, she hopped down from the altar and immediately walked toward Mathew with an unbearably smug look on her face.
“Did you see that?” she asked proudly.
“I reached Sacred rank without even trying.
Pretty impressive, right?”
Mathew looked at her with his usual calm expression.
“Yeah,” he said flatly.
“You did better than I expected.”
Anika grinned triumphantly.
Then Mathew continued.
“Honestly, I thought you’d go up there and somehow do something unbelievably stupid like you usually do.
I already prepared twenty excuses just in case.”
Anika froze.
A betrayed expression appeared on her face.
“…How low exactly do you think of me?”
Mathew answered instantly.
“So low that you’d need to dig five layers underground just to see it.”
Anika turned away with a pout.
“You’re awful.”
Then suddenly—
A warm hand rested gently on her head.
She looked back.
Mathew gave a faint smile.
“I’m kidding,” he said.
“You did great.
Better than anyone else here.
But that’s not surprising.”
His expression softened slightly.
“You’ve always been amazing.”
For a second, Anika simply stared at him.
Then her face brightened immediately.
“Yeah, I know,” she said proudly.
“You don’t have to state the obvious.”
Nearby, several people stared at the two of them with complicated expressions.
Meanwhile, the Pope slowly climbed back onto the altar, looking as though he had aged several years within the span of a few minutes.
“…Next candidate,” he announced weakly.
Mathew stepped forward calmly.
“Well,” he said, glancing back at Anika, “guess it’s my turn.”
Anika waved at him lazily.
“Good luck.
Though I doubt you’ll get lucky enough to reach Sacred like me.”
Mathew raised an eyebrow.
“Someone’s getting cocky.”
Anika grinned.
“I know you’ll do great,” she said confidently.
“So go out there and show them.”
Mathew looked at her for a moment before smiling faintly.
“Yeah.”