Chapter 19: The Strange Fish and the Flying Stars

Just as planned, Miss Vilyric and her group headed toward the Holy Empire, stopping by some areas before proceeding to the City of Angels, where they would reunite with Edwina Cecelia, who had set off earlier.

Of course, this was just a broad itinerary and the exact path would depend on the specific circumstances.

Thanks to Iriush providing convenient flying wings that even ordinary people could use, traveling by air was undoubtedly one of the fastest ways. However, considering that the journey was about the experience itself, the Priestess and her companions discussed it several times and ultimately opted for a compromise.

As everyone knows, the Holy Empire is the largest nation in the world in terms of actual territorial area, with no rivals. It is located in the center of the continent, bordered by the Kingdom of Azure to the south, the United Kingdom of Humans to the west, and only a few small countries separating it from the Ost Empire to the east. To the north, it is also not far from the snow country frozen for thousands of miles, making it easily accessible from all directions.

Moreover, the Holy Empire is powerful, and its core Church of the Goddess promotes the idea of “equality,” boasting countless followers worldwide. Coupled with its strong and widely accessible faith-based magic, it undoubtedly holds the position of the world’s strongest nation.

Thus, all around the Holy Empire, various merchants, travelers, and even smugglers are constantly coming and going. For foreign visitors, entering the country is surprisingly simple, without the cultural or geographical obstacles found in the United Kingdom or the Kingdom of Azure.

After discussions, Vilyric and her companions chose the simplest and most straightforward option.

First, they would traverse several perilous peaks to the east, passing through the territory of the Steel Claw Tribe, one of the three major pillars alongside the Moonshadow Magical Wolf. Then they would fly over the east half of the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons, which is geographically wide from east to west but short from north to south, and after exiting the mountains, cross a river into the territory of the Holy Empire.

Incidentally, the long river that separates the western part of the Holy Nation from the border of the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons is one of the three longest rivers in the world, known as the Star River, on par with the Black River of the Beast Kingdom and the Lu River of the United Kingdom.

The Star River flows from east to west, traversing the vast territory of the Holy Empire, with countless tributaries. As for the name, it is said to originate from a strange fish called the Flying Star found within the river.

In a remote myth of the Holy Nation, it is proclaimed:

*“In the Star River, there are fish called Yuanxing, whose beauty cannot be described. With wings, they can soar thousands of jun in a leap, while the sky glitters as if it were a star river; they are seen but once in a hundred years.”*

Jun is a unique unit of length in this world, approximately one and a half meters. The “Yuanxing” mentioned here closely resembles the Flying Star described earlier. The reason this strange fish is so famous is not merely due to a whimsical myth but because… it is a real creature.

Of course, the actual Flying Stars are not as outrageous as described in the myth; the idea of soaring thousands of jun in a single leap is impossible. But they are indeed very beautiful and can “fly.”

“Wow!”

A gigantic fish leaped out of the water, splashing and gleaming under the bright sunlight, its beauty casting shimmering reflections. The girl with green hair and eyes stared wide-eyed, unable to blink as she watched the graceful figure twist and turn in the air before it finally splashed back into the river with a loud sound, prompting her incredulous exclamation.

“Miss Vilyric! Miss Vilyric! That was amazing! I’ve never seen a fish like that before! It could float in the air for so long!”

The Priestess, being tugged by her sleeve by Tilysha, smiled and affirmed.

“It is indeed beautiful; this must be the rumored strange fish, the Flying Star, a unique creature that can only occasionally be seen in the Star River of the Holy Nation. It’s fascinating.”

The old man on the boat also chuckled.

“You girls are quite lucky; to see a Flying Star rise from the water as soon as you arrive is a symbol of good fortune in our Holy Nation. I’ve lived by this river for half my life, and I’ve only come across such sights about ten times… Some have waited for years without seeing one at all. Aiya, it seems one of you has earned the favor of the Goddess; it’s no wonder you exude such grace.”

“The old man’s words are too heavy; we are just merely lucky.”

As she smiled in response to the kindly old fisherman who made a living by ferrying and fishing, Vilyric also reminisced about the figure she had just seen.

Though called a fish, the Flying Star’s appearance differs significantly from that of ordinary fish. The one just now was about six or seven meters long, with a pale golden body and a streamlined shape, featuring no scales on its smooth surface but long and wide gliding fins on both sides, honestly not having many characteristics of a fish.

If anything, it resembled the ancient mythical bird Kunpeng from the myths of the Blue Star, and even the local myth in the Holy Nation about the Yuanxing bears a strong resemblance to the records of Kun in “Shan Hai Jing.”

While Kunpeng is, of course, a fictional mythological creature, in this world filled with magical and fantastical elements, myths are not just mere fabrications; the Yuanxing… perhaps really exists after all.

“Hehe, little girl, I’m not just spouting nonsense here. *‘Those who can see the Flying Stars must have good fortune by their side*,’ this has been verified through the long history of our Holy Nation.”

The old man, dressed simply with patched clothes but looking sprightly, appeared to be over sixty, leisurely paddling the boat while kindly explaining.

“In legend, the divine beast Yuanxing is one of the mounts of the Light Goddess, and this Star River was once the former home of the Yuanxing. The divine beast possesses spirit, and its offspring, the Flying Star, carries a hint of the Goddess’s aura, naturally gravitating towards pure-hearted beings who yearn for purity and light.”

“You’ve probably heard of our Holy Nation’s three Saintesses: Judging, Redemption, and Light, right? One of the tests for selecting the three Saintesses requires the candidates to come alone to pray by the Star River, and if a Flying Star appears to meet them within three days, they pass!”

At this point, the old man chuckled warmly.

“I’ve lived by this Star River for over forty years and have witnessed the selection of the Saintesses a few times; I dare say that the Flying Stars are not something just anyone can see. Some candidates have waited three days and three nights without a trace, while others, like the Lady Fleidetrika Cecelia, who became the new Judging Saintess at just over ten, met a Flying Star within half an hour of arriving by the river. That’s no coincidence…”

“Oh…? There’s such a story?”

The Priestess looked surprised.

If that’s the case, then the reason for the Flying Star’s appearance indeed cannot simply be described as coincidental. Setting aside the whimsical notion of good fortune, Vilyric thought the more likely possibility was that something was attracting them.

The selection of the three Saintesses in the Holy Nation requires verification through the strange fish Flying Stars… This implies that the stronger the thing attracting them, the more suitable the candidate is for such a high position. The key criterion for determining the qualification of the three Saintesses lies in whether they can master those three legendary artifacts said to be passed down by the Light Goddess Aurora…

I see…

Could it be connected to their affinity with light elements?