Cycle of Destiny

Harry leaned forward at the opportune moment, pretending to listen attentively. He knew that the key figure in the story was about to appear.

"That was the first time I met Laura. She hosted the party as the hostess." The goddess's tone held a warm, nostalgic tone. "She was very tall, with bright blue eyes, smooth skin, and a sweet smile. The dress she wore that day wasn't extravagant, but it was exceptionally elegant and appropriate; it seemed she was born to look good in anything. She was very eloquent, and when she vividly described the hardships of the southern disaster victims, I noticed that more than one noblewoman's eyes welled up with tears."

She paused, as if recalling the details of that time.

"What's even more remarkable is that, although the Fairchild family's banquets are always known for their lavish and elaborate feasts, the food that night was quite simple. Can you understand that feeling? It's hard to believe that people in the distance are gnawing on tree bark and eating grass roots while we're enjoying a delicious meal here. Laura, as the hostess, clearly thought of that, which made me very happy."

Harry nodded in response.

"The party was a great success, and the money raised was enough to buy a large amount of emergency supplies," the goddess continued, her tone becoming lighter. "This put my mind at ease, and I could finally set off for the south. So the next day, I left the capital with a group of clergy and a large amount of food."

"It was a month later when I returned to the capital after the disaster was basically resolved. This time, when Laura's invitation arrived again, I readily accepted."

"Only on my second visit did I have the time to examine the castle closely." Her gaze slowly moved across the study, as if comparing it to a scene from her memory. "It was a very old building, at least a hundred years old in style, nestled among trees, with a lake outside the window and swans in the water. From the drawing room, you could see Laura's meticulously maintained garden; the scenery was truly delightful. It was obvious they had taken excellent care of the castle. Laura told me that the roof and windows had been renovated, by the most sought-after architect in the capital at the time, while the interior furniture and decorations were entirely her own design. It was clear she had excellent taste and was willing to put in the effort."

"The atmosphere at that banquet was much more cheerful. The food on the table was exquisite and delicious, and the red wine was rich and fragrant, quite unique. Even though I am a clergy member and don't have many demands when it comes to food, I must admit that her level of hospitality was truly commendable."

Harry noticed that when the goddess mentioned Laura, she always used words that conveyed a clear sense of admiration.

"More importantly, I saw another side of Laura this time." The goddess changed the subject, a glint of light flashing in her grey-blue eyes. "I mentioned before that she's very eloquent, and she displayed this talent to its fullest extent at the dinner table. She's witty and always manages to make the guests laugh. What's even more commendable is that, as the hostess, she skillfully guides the conversation, trying to get every guest involved, rather than just talking incessantly herself."

"She wasn't from Arcanos, but was born and raised in the Kingdom of Augustus, to the east of the empire. She was full of enthusiasm and anticipation for life in the Arcanos Empire, coupled with her unique exotic charm... Such a woman would naturally captivate Odel, who grew up in the south."

At this point, a hint of confusion appeared in her voice, and her brows furrowed slightly.

"But back then I didn't quite understand..." She paused, as if searching for the right words, "What methods did Odel use, what tricks did he play, how much consideration did he show, or what sweet words did he say, to finally move Laura?"

"Because from my observation at the time," the goddess said more directly, looking frankly at Harry, "Odell... was a rather boring man. He was of average appearance and didn't say anything interesting. At banquets, he mostly spoke in hushed tones to instruct the waiters to serve the food. Apart from that, he mostly just sat quietly, laughing along when everyone else laughed. He might be a respectable nobleman, a dutiful husband, but you couldn't sense any particular charm in him."

"His eyes were full of love when he looked at Laura, and Laura seemed to like him too. But apart from the talent for growing orchids that he inherited from his grandmother—and I heard that Laura was the one who managed the business so well behind the scenes—he himself didn't have anything particularly outstanding. His martial arts skills were also mediocre; he was only a fourth-level warrior at the age of twenty. He inherited his grandmother's skill in growing orchids, but it was clear that he hadn't inherited the 'Queen of Thorns' martial arts talent. When he turns twenty-five, he'll have to face the eighth-level assessment, and I don't know how he'll handle it."

She shook her head slightly, as if dismissing this irrelevant question.

"Laura, on the other hand, was completely different. She was elegant and tasteful, and with her youth, vitality, and intelligence, she brought a breath of fresh air to the sometimes vulgar aristocratic circle she belonged to. Before I left the banquet, she specially commissioned the most famous painter in the capital at the time to paint a picture for me as a gift."

"That painting was later copied extensively. Now, almost every noble household that devoutly believes in the Goddess of Light has a copy of it hanging on their wall. The painting is called 'Symbiosis,' and it depicts a silver-spotted leopard and a raven with silver-white rings around its neck. You should... have heard of it, right?"

The goddess, perhaps realizing she had spoken for a while, decided it was time for the listeners to speak. She paused, took a sip of her tea, and then looked at Harry with a gentle, inquiring gaze.

Harry had certainly heard of it.

He had not only heard of it, but had also seen it with his own eyes just now in the restaurant.

He never expected that the origin of this painting was here, and that it was related to his "master's wife," who originally gave it to the goddess.

"Yes," Harry nodded, naturally continuing, "there was one hanging in the restaurant where I was eating just now."

“Veranica told me,” the goddess smiled slightly, not surprised by the answer, “that her father originally chose the leopard as the core of the family crest because of the image of the leopard and the raven living together. She has always hoped to become a devout follower of the goddess.”

Upon hearing this, Harry's body seemed to stiffen suddenly, and then he shifted his weight slightly on the soft cushion, as if he were uncomfortable sitting there.

"I was deeply moved when I received that painting." The goddess smiled. "At that time, although many nobles began to express their faith in the goddess, few were willing to truly lend a helping hand and take action in critical moments—such as the drought. Although Laura had not yet been formally baptized, her kindness and generosity towards the church were something that many nobles who had believed for many years could not do."

"After this banquet, I completely accepted Laura."

Harry was not surprised that the goddess accepted her.

Although there were many nobles who believed in the church at that time, only Laura dared to hold a party to raise money for the church. Moreover, the painting "Symbiosis" that she later gave to the goddess also pleased the goddess very much.

Naturally, Laura was able to knock on the church's door.

"After that, I started seeing Laura more and more often."

She tilted her head slightly, as if recalling those busy and hopeful years, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothing out. Harry sat quietly, knowing that what followed might reveal a deeper connection between the goddess and the Odells.

The goddess continued, "At that time, the goddess already had many followers, but it did not match the donations the church received." There was a hint of frank emotion in the goddess's voice. In front of Harry, she did not hide the church's predicament at that time.

"At that time, the gold coins were concentrated in the pockets of some old nobles, whose obedience to the royal family was too deeply ingrained and whose thinking was very conservative. Even if some noble ladies in their families were willing to believe in the goddess, the gold coins they put into the donation box were very limited. Fortunately, the church's expenses were not large at that time, and usually, with the daily offerings of believers and small donations, there was still some surplus. The church had not yet realized the seriousness of the problem."

Her fingertips tapped her knees unconsciously. "It wasn't until a sudden event like that drought struck—when we needed to raise large sums of money immediately to buy food and medicine—that we suddenly realized how...weak the church's power was. Faced with disaster, we were somewhat helpless and could only feel extremely anxious."

Harry found it a bit unbelievable. It turns out that the Church of Light, which now wields great influence on the mainland, was so short of money back then.

A large faith organization is struggling to move forward due to a lack of funds when faced with a real test.