Luciana's blood dripped out from her wound and landed on the grimoire. Her body immediately shined with the same blue radiance the book was emitting.
The artifact then flew to Luciana's palm and opened to its first page. There were words written on it with blue ink.
[To my apostle, if you have this book of mine in your hand, that means you have defeated the guardian I placed in this temple and were bestowed with the Circle of Harmony. Take it and use its power to aid you with your journey.]
Luciana stared down at the stone necklace she was wearing.
" 'Circle of Harmony'? " repeated the silver-haired witch. "So what does it exactly do?"
Luciana suddenly felt the same sharp painful sensation she felt back when she changed a moment of history by refusing to be Fortuna's apostle.
"(Darn! The penalty!)"
Right at that moment, the blue crystal on the necklace shined bright with blue light.
"Huh?"
Luciana felt her pain gradually receded, as if the necklace was absorbing them for her. The more pain the necklace absorbed, the redder the crystal's radiance turned to be. Once Luciana's pain completely gone, the blue crystal was emanating with crimson radiance.
The light then gradually dimmed and vanished completely. Returning the crystal to its normal blue glimmer.
"What a useful little trinket you are!" commented Luciana to the necklace. For it was indeed thanks to the accessory that she did not have to suffer like last time when she changed a moment of history.
Luciana returned her gaze to the grimoire and continued reading its passage.
[Unlock more of the necklace's power by journeying through my quests. There will inevitably be moments when you'll need its help.
[But remember that this artifact works under the law of harmony. The necklace doesn't eliminate or negate anything.
[It strives to achieve stability of all things. And stability is acquired through a cost. One that must definitely be paid, no matter how big or small.]
The woman who had gone through time to change the future let out a sigh as she read passage.
"I guess there truly was no escaping shouldering the cost of my sins in my past life." said Luciana. She then took a deep breath and forced a soft smile on her face. "But no matter. As long as he gets the future he deserves."
Luciana continued looking through the first page.
[Now I shall send you for your first quest: Go and offer the guidance to my blessings to the Little Sun who would bring the entire world to a grand new age.]
Luciana nodded her head to the line she just read. She was then reminded of a moment of her past life. Back when she was just appointed as the Apostle of Fortuna. The scene went as so:
[
Slap.
"Have you lost your mind?!"
Luciana's cheek was swollen red. Blood was dripping from her lips and dropped down to the edelweiss flowers on the ground beneath, few of many on the great field she was in.
Luciana's injury was none other than the work of Desmond's struck of hand. His face was fuming and furious.
It was right after Luciana became the Apostle of Fortuna and killed her brother, Lucius, in the process. After receiving the grimoire, she was ordered by the goddess to find the Little Sun who would bring the entire world to a grand new age and offer them Her guidance to Her blessings.
And when Luciana returned to the surface and told her father about the order and the Little Sun of her choosing, the Edelweiss family head simply became infuriated. He was angered so that he immediately raised his hand against his own daughter.
One would simply wonder what could Luciana had said to make Desmond reacted so extremely.
" 'The Second Prince'? " repeated Desmond of what he just heard from his daughter. "You think Prince Aristo is the Little Sun mentioned in the prophecy?"
"I don't think, father." replied Luciana shaking her head and wiping the blood off her mouth. She regained her composure and stared back at her father with a confident gaze. "I know he's the one in the prophecy."
Slap.
Desmond struck Luciana's other cheek with the back of his hand. Causing it to be more swollen and redder than the other. The woman spewed more blood from her mouth this time as the injury was worse.
"HE'S THE DOOMED PRINCE FOR FORTUNA'S SAKE!" shouted Desmond without a care of the harm he caused on his daughter. "WHY IN THE GODDESS'S NAME WOULD YOU THINK HE'S THE ONE WHO WOULD BECOME THE PROPHESIED SUN?!"
Luciana returned her gaze back on her father. This time, she did not bother to clean the blood on her mouth.
"It doesn't matter if you believe me or not." said Luciana. "What matters is that it is I who hold the title Apostle of Fortuna. Not you."
"What?!"
"As long as I have the goddess's words in my hands, I can still fulfill my duty as the guide for the prophesied Little Sun." continued the silver-haired witch. "Frankly father, I don't need you from this point on."
Desmond was bewildered by his daughter's attitude.
"What are you saying, Luciana?!"
The Witch of Fortuna then gave the Edelweiss family head a horrifying gaze.
"What I'm telling you, Desmond, is that it is time for you to make a choice." said the apostle.
"A choice?"
"Come and support my decision in this grand quest I'm undertaking." presented Fortuna's servant. "Do so and you'll be able to bask in to some glory after I succeeded."
She proceeded to raise her palm against Desmond and summoned a hundred dark magic circles surrounding him. All ready to shoot out lethal attacks toward the man.
Luciana continued to speak to her father in the most intimidating voice.
"Or keep defying me and I shall brand you my enemy. Do so, and I shall eliminate you right there and then."
]
Luciana instinctively giggled at the thought of that memory.
"And, of course, father immediately went ahead and supported my decision." uttered the Edelweiss lady. "After all, he understood too well the might of Fortuna's blessings and my capabilities as Her apostle. Enough for him to risk supporting the Doomed Prince."
She then returned her gaze to Eirene's grimoire, specifically the part about finding the Little Sun mentioned in the prophecy.
"Well then, I'm glad we're of the same mind, O Great Eirene…"
The immense amount of mana filling the catacomb and the entire temple was swiftly sucked back to the book. As soon as they all returned, the blue radiance on both Luciana and the grimoire suddenly dissipated. The book then vanished to the silver-haired witch's magic pocket space, signifying the success of her appointment as Eirene's apostle.
"That settles it, then…" stated Luciana. "…I am now the Witch of Eirene."
The Apostle of the Goddess of Harmony began to make her way toward the door. With one determined gaze, she stared at her path ahead and spoke with the sternest voice.
"Wait for me, my prince. I'm coming for you!"