Chapter 609: The Stars Saved Backlund
Backlund, the pollution from the starry sky continued to spread, radiating from the Memorial Square in the west district.
Pollution, panic, fear, chaos... These emotions had engulfed what was once the city of hope.
At St. Samuel's Cathedral, Archbishop Anthony hurried back from Memorial Square and went straight to the prayer hall, instructing others to wait outside.
He needed to seek the goddess's help; only the goddess could save Backlund now.
About ten minutes later, Archbishop Anthony emerged from the prayer hall. Facing the inquiring gazes of the surrounding believers, he nodded slightly, signaling them to be at ease.
Backlund was saved; it would not be swallowed by pollution and become a dead zone.
A rumbling sound, like muffled thunder, echoed as layers of black clouds rolled in, obscuring the crimson moonlight.
Lightning flashed within the thick clouds, accompanied by occasional thunderclaps.
A gust of wind blew from afar, enveloping the entire Backlund.
The crimson light was also swept away by this wind, blown out of every corner of Backlund and into the suburbs.
Simultaneously, a timely rain began to fall, washing away the remaining traces of pollution in the air.
Archbishop Anthony watched this scene through the floor-to-ceiling windows, finally relaxing the tension in his heart.
He quietly admired Backlund in the rain for a moment before taking a carriage to the palace.
Such a major incident required him to give an explanation to the Ruen royal family and to all those who had perished in the pollution.
---
In the Hall of Stars, Hastur calmly observed Backlund. This storm and rain were the authority of the Lord of Storms, achievable only by Adam's intervention.
The everNight Goddess was currently protecting the Earth Mother Goddess's divine kingdom and likely had no strength to intervene.
Moreover, the everNight Goddess's authority was not suitable for dealing with the pollution from the Fallen Mother Goddess.
Hence, Adam was chosen to resolve this matter.
So, should Hastur target Adam, who appeared in Backlund, or the powerless everNight Goddess, or remain silent and continue to observe?
With the everNight Goddess's wisdom, she would surely guard against an attack on her divine kingdom by Hastur and Gregari. Perhaps she and Adam were merely putting on a show to deceive Hastur.
Hastur pondered for a moment before turning his attention to the Fallen Mother Goddess.
This time, the Fallen Mother Goddess's actions were flawless. Not only did she successfully hinder the Earth Mother Goddess from spreading her faith, but she also brought a bad reputation to the Earth Mother Goddess.
The pollution in Backlund would ultimately tarnish the Earth Mother Goddess's name, regardless of any explanations, diminishing people's faith in her.
The Earth Mother Goddess's divine kingdom would face severe turmoil.
Did Adam choose this method to resolve Backlund's pollution problem to establish a positive image and come to the forefront?
Hastur considered Adam's possible intentions and then smiled slightly, coming up with a good idea.
---
In the Yellow Robe Church in Backlund, Lady Lisa received another divine oracle.
"Obey the divine oracle."
Lady Lisa glanced at the pollution being dispersed in Backlund, left the prayer hall, and gathered all the members of the Yellow Robe Church.
"The pollution caused by the Earth Mother Goddess has plunged Backlund into the abyss of pain and death. Our deity, the Stars, is dispelling all the pollution."
"He is saving Backlund."
"Our god does not seek fame or glory, but we must let all the saved citizens of Backlund understand who saved their insignificant lives."
"We will go out and proclaim the greatness and mercy of the Stars to everyone."
After Lady Lisa's mobilization, the members of the Yellow Robe Church, dressed in their yellow robes, walked out of the church and began to spread the word to every surviving person nearby.
They claimed that the pollution caused by the Earth Mother Goddess was dispelled by the Stars.
This movement quickly spread throughout the various districts of Backlund.
At the same time, the black clouds and rain in the sky were dispersed, replaced by a brilliant starry night, with the crimson moonlight blocked by the stars above.
Gentle starlight fell, bit by bit, like the light of hope, illuminating every inch of the chaotic and panic-stricken Backlund.
Everyone bathed in the starlight felt the terrifying scenes of the day gradually fade away.
The call that "the Stars saved Backlund" grew louder and was recognized by more people.
There were also rumors that the Stars had once descended from their divine kingdom to live in Backlund, experiencing the suffering and sorrow of all living beings.
This was once the homeland of the Stars, and they would not stand by and watch Backlund suffer.
Such statements strengthened the belief among Backlund's citizens that the Stars had saved them.
This news reached the palace, where Archbishop Anthony was discussing countermeasures with the Ruen royal family. He was momentarily stunned and then fell silent.
The entity that resolved the starry pollution was Adam, through the previous storm and rain, not the later Stars.
According to the goddess's oracle, the Ruen royal family was to actively promote that Adam had saved Backlund, allowing Adam to clear his name and be recognized as a legitimate deity.
However, while they were still discussing specific actions, the wave of "the Stars saved Backlund" had already spread outside.
"We absolutely cannot let this credit go to the Stars!" The Ruen royal family firmly opposed this. "We must act immediately!"
"If we let the Stars take credit for saving Backlund, we will completely lose our position as representatives of truth and justice."
The Ruen royal family had grievances with the Stars and had forced Hastur to retreat to Southwell County. The more people recognized the Stars, the more they would oppose the Ruen royal family's rule.
This was absolutely unacceptable!
As the Ruen royal family planned to join forces with the everNight Goddess Church to take action, a bright meteor fell from the sky, heading straight for the palace!
Archbishop Anthony's spiritual warning went off wildly. His face changed dramatically, and he only had time to shout "Run!" before hurriedly traversing the spirit world to escape the palace.
The other members of the Ruen royal family were still in shock when a soul-deep fear forced them to their knees.
William I, the founder and protector of the Ruen Kingdom, wanted to shield the palace, but as he was about to act, he felt a chilling gaze from the stars upon him.
Under the Stars' watchful eye, he dared not act and could only watch helplessly as the meteor struck the palace, killing countless descendants.
"The Stars..."
William I felt a deep sense of helplessness. Even as a Sequence 1 Hand of Order, he was insignificant in the eyes of such a mysterious existence and could change nothing.
everNight Goddess, didn't you promise to support the Augustus family in ruling the Ruen Kingdom?
Why did you not act tonight and allow the Stars to shatter the palace, the symbol of the Ruen royal family's power?
William I felt a surge of resentment towards the everNight Goddess. If not for the everNight Goddess and other secret existences supporting them, the Ruen royal family would never have dared to so openly oppose Hastur.
"Sigh."
William I sighed and hurried to the site of the meteor's impact.
The palace was struck by the meteor with a loud explosion, witnessed by most of Backlund's citizens.
The followers of the Yellow Robe Church seized this opportunity to proclaim the meteor strike as divine punishment from the Stars, painting the Ruen royal family as a heinous entity.
Given the day's events, it was easy to sway the hearts of Backlund's citizens.
The Ruen royal family's promotion of divine blessings had led to widespread pollution, while the Stars had dispelled the pollution, saved Backlund, and delivered a small punishment to the Ruen royal family.
The Ruen royal family wanted to explain, but with the palace bombed and many members' fates unknown, they had no energy to counter the public narrative.
Thus, the Ruen royal family was thoroughly disgraced.
In the Hall of Stars, Hastur thoughtfully observed Backlund.
The meteor was a small test to see if the everNight Goddess or Adam would protect the Ruen royal family.
Neither chose to intervene, allowing the palace to be bombed.
Hastur found this a pity. If Adam had appeared, Hastur could have used the pretext of dealing with Adam to pin the pollution incident on him and the True Creator.
Hastur didn't really need the fame of saving Backlund, but Audrey would be happy to hear about it.
She would learn about it from other members at the Tarot Club.
Having resolved the Backlund issue, Hastur turned his gaze to the crimson moon, waiting for an opportunity.