Faerûn: Lord of the Eternal Sun

Upper City District, Temple of the Holy Sun.

The cardinal chamber deep within the temple was the office of the high priest Omanus.

The ceiling is over ten meters high, the interior space is incredibly spacious, covering an area of ​​over an acre, and the walls are painted with ancient murals and golden runes.

In the center is a black stone table carved with golden sun patterns. Fragrant tea is lit on the table, and thin white smoke rises several centimeters before slowly dissipating.

The high priest sat behind his desk reviewing documents, with a golden statue of the ancient sun god directly behind him.

As the human representative of the gods, Omanus held a supreme position in the city-state of Shahramun. Due to his special status, he never interfered in the affairs and decisions of the Senate and the city hall.

A bald figure entered the cardinal's room, wearing a white robe with gold patterns and holding a stack of documents in his hand. The style of his robe was almost identical to that of Omanus, with only a few minor differences.

It was Miller, who was also a high priest. However, there was a difference between high priests. Compared to the high priest of the main temple, he was still half a level lower in status.

Within the Church of the Sun, Omanus is referred to as the "High Priest of the Sun," meaning the Lord of Priests who wears a crown.

"Praise the sun."

"Praise the sun."

The two, who had been friends for a century, didn't waste any words. Miller placed the gold-embossed parchment in his hand on the gold-patterned black stone table.

The golden vertical line between the brows of the High Priest of the Sun Crest split open, revealing a golden eye. It opened slightly before closing again, having fully digested the contents of the parchment—the paladin's application.

"Isaac? He is a mortal blessed by the sun, so becoming a paladin is no problem for him, but isn't that a bit of a waste?"

Omanus put down his quill and looked at the bald high priest.

"What does High Priest mean?" Miller frowned, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.

"The Seven Guards of Yaoyang now only have four members, and there haven't been suitable candidates for over twenty years. What do you think of him?"

When the high priest answered, Millernai felt his vision go black.

"Huh? Omanus, I just found a suitable priestly guard, and you're already trying to steal him away?"

The bald priest's tone was no longer polite; in private, he didn't need to give his old friend much face.

The Seven Guards of the Radiant Sun hold a higher position in the church than ordinary paladins. If ordinary paladins correspond to ordinary priests, then the Seven Guards of the Radiant Sun correspond to high priests, second only to the high priest.

Of course, despite their status, the power of the paladins and the Seven Guards of the Sun was still far less than that of the priests.

Most importantly, the Seven Guards of the Sun will only serve in the main temple, which means they have no connection with the bald high priest at the Temple of Amun-lazi in the lower city.

Therefore, Miller was so rude in the face of such blatant poaching.

The high priest of the Sun Coronation didn't seem to care and waved his hand dismissively.

"Then you should also consider Isaac himself. With his talent, even though he is a bit old, it would be a waste for him to serve as an ordinary paladin."

"Besides, the Seven Guards of the Radiant Sun also need to pass the examination. If they fail, it means they are not capable enough. How about sending them to your temple to serve as paladins?"

After Omanus finished speaking, Miller opened his mouth, seemingly agreeing with the statement, but he hesitated.

"Ordinary paladins aren't that rare. Every year or two, there are always suitable candidates. I promise you, the next qualified paladin will be sent directly to you."

The high priest continued to persuade, for words can sometimes be more effective than an army.

"Then put him to the test of the Seven Guardians of the Sun. Remember your promise, Omanus!"

After considering it, the bald high priest agreed. Indeed, the two shared the same appreciation for talent, which is why they became friends for a hundred years.

Besides sending over the paladin's application, Miller had an even more important question.

"High Priest of the Sun, I vaguely sense that my connection with my Lord has weakened considerably recently."

After asking the question, Omanus's expression turned solemn.

As Amannatha's closest servant, he knew better than anyone the god's dire situation.

"The supreme Amannata has not responded to me for several months."

If the words of the High Priest of the Sun were to spread, they would surely cause great turmoil in the city-state.

"Perhaps our lord is recuperating; such occurrences have happened intermittently over the past century."

Miller comforted himself with an excuse, and Omanus nodded in agreement, but he felt that this time was completely different from the past.

In the past, the ancient sun god would issue a divine oracle to remind him before falling into slumber, but this time it was very sudden.

"Praise the sun!"

"Praise the sun!"

In any case, Amannata is an ancient and powerful deity, and their duty as priests is to uphold His faith and bestow upon Shahramun boundless light and order!

-----------------

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye, and September has arrived.

Due to seasonal climate changes, the Enook Desert experiences significantly shorter daylight hours (by more than half an hour) and lower temperatures compared to the hot summer months after autumn arrives.

With average daytime temperatures of only 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, it is the most comfortable season of the year.

At the Temple of Amun-Ra, a tall figure draped in a white robe arrived.

Isaac sold the weapons and shields in the blacksmith's shop at half price, barely recouping his costs, and leaving only enough weapons for himself and Ian.

The neighbors were somewhat disappointed by the sudden closure of "Big Guy Blacksmith Shop," which had been open for several years, although it didn't stop them from buying things from the shop next door long ago.

As soon as I entered the temple, a nun named Sun, wearing a headscarf and a plain white dress, came forward to greet me.

"I wish to have an audience with the esteemed High Priest Miller."

Since the high priest invited him to join the temple half a month ago, there had been no news from him. Isaac originally wanted to wait quietly for news, but since so much time had passed without any movement, he decided to take the initiative to come to the temple to inquire.

"Please wait a moment."

The Sun Sister went to report, while Isaac knelt before the statue, holding the Sun emblem on his chest, and began to pray, hoping that the gods would bless him to scatter the ashes of the entire Lancas family as soon as possible.

Not long after, the nun returned and told Isaac to follow.

Following her, we turned left and right through the temple and found the bald high priest in a side hall. He was sitting at a stone table, talking face to face with a female warrior.

The female warrior stood up straight, wearing silver armor, with a half-sword and a dagger hanging at her waist. Her short gray hair gave her a heroic and dashing appearance, which made Isaac's eyes light up.

She was a paladin from the temple, or perhaps an extremely rare female paladin; it was unknown what oath she was upholding.

The nun led Isaac into the side hall, just as their conversation was drawing to a close.

"Isaac, come here, let me introduce you."

The bald high priest waved to him.