Chapter 4
"Y-You mean this is a divine miracle?" Cedric's voice trembled.
I nodded solemnly. "The Divine One is generous. His glory should be shared with all.
"I've decided to donate this blessing to the Church, so more may know His greatness."
I almost believed my own words.
Cedric straightened up, no longer daring to show any disrespect.
He cradled the gold coin with reverence and hurried into the sanctuary.
"Bishop Veyra, a miracle has appeared!"
Soon, the whole cathedral was in an uproar.
The elderly, grey-haired bishop, Elias Veyra, stepped out, wearing pristine white gloves.
With great care, he slipped the gold coin into a velvet box.
His eyes shone with excitement and approval as he looked at me.
"Child, your devotion has not gone unnoticed by the Divine One. The Church will always remember your devotion," he said.
He took my hand, led me before the worshipers, and announced the miracle aloud.
Just yesterday, I was a broke girl stressing over cheap black bread.
Now, I was the "Blessed Lady."
The crowd stared at me with fanatical, adoring eyes.
I stood there, my heart completely calm.
I knew it was all a lie.
I was acting.
For the Church, and for that hidden god who took delight in watching the show.
After the ceremony, Elias met with me privately.
He told me that, to honor my "selfless devotion," the Church would name me an Honorary Citizen of St. Laurent.
Then he held out a heavy pouch. "A small gift from us. Please accept it."
I opened the pouch, which was filled with brand-new silver coins, a full hundred in total.
They were enough for me to live comfortably for years.
I made it.
I'd played by the Divine One's rules and turned a useless "divine gold coin" into real, spendable wealth.
I thanked Elias, took the pouch, and walked out of the cathedral.
The sunlight bathed me in a warm glow.
For the first time, this world didn't feel cruel.
Just when I was riding high, that familiar voice sounded in my ear.
"Brilliant performance."
I turned.
He leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, watching me with approval.
The sunlight seemed to dodge him, making his figure look unreal.
"You take my thing, give it to my servants, and get money from them in return.
"You're the slickest schemer I've ever seen," he said.
His words sounded like praise, but I sensed danger.
I gripped the pouch tightly, wary.
"I only played by your rules," I said. "You said divine things followed divine laws."
He laughed, his golden eyes crinkling.
"I did say that.
"You're clever. You passed the first test."
"So..."
He stepped closer, that suffocating pressure wrapping around me. "Ready for round two?"
Dread pooled in my stomach. "What do you mean?"
He reached into my pouch, pulled out a random silver coin, and pinched it between his fingers.
The hard metal softened like clay, crumpling into useless scrap.
He tossed it to the ground casually.
Then he looked up, his golden eyes reflecting my stunned face.
"One gold coin freed you from poverty.
"What about a hundred? A thousand?
"Do you want them?"
His voice was tempting, like a devil's whisper.
I stepped back.
I didn't know what he wanted, but my instinct screamed it wasn't good.
He smiled wider at my reaction.
"Don't be scared," he said. "The next round is simple."
He pointed toward the tallest building in the square.
It was Grayveil Castle, home to Valerius Blackwood, the Lord of St. Laurent.
"Before sunset tomorrow, I want you sitting on that throne."
"What?" I froze, thinking I must have misheard.
"I want you to become the new ruler of St. Laurent," he said. "If you fail..."
He didn't spell out the consequences, but his golden eyes flashed with cold, inhuman light.
"You'll find out."
With that, he vanished again.
I stood there, limbs cold.
I beconming the ruler of the city? Absurd.
St. Laurent's lord held a hereditary title, backed by royal power.
How could a nobody like me seize that throne in a single day?
It was an impossible task.
He wasn't playing a game.
He was toying with my life.
I stood before the Cathedral of Dawn, the pouch in my hand feeling like a red-hot iron.
I'd schemed relentlessly and risked being exposed to get these hundred silver coins from the Church.
It could have given me a decent life.
But it meant nothing next to His command.
He wanted me to take control of St. Laurent before sunset tomorrow.
It wasn't a game.
It was an impossible order with a ticking clock counting down to my death.
For the first time, I realized what kind of being I was facing.
He wasn't some benevolent deity, and he sure wasn't an evil demon.
He was chaos itself, a detached onlooker who delighted in watching the world burn.
My struggles, my fear, and my despair were the juiciest scenes in his play.
I returned to my shabby "home."
Mom's cloudy eyes lit up at the sight of the pouch in my hand.
She grabbed my hand, rambling thanks to the Divine One.
I stared at her sallow face worn by long-term malnutrition, lost for words.
I'd lied to her, to everyone.
I wasn't blessed.
I was just a die in the god's hand, thrown randomly to decide my fate.
That night, I couldn't get any sleep at all.
I forced myself to calm down and analyze the hopeless situation ahead.
There are three paths to becoming the ruler of St. Laurent: force, wealth and bloodline.
But I couldn't beat a single guard.
These hundred silver coins might not be enough for one of the lord's dinners.
And I was an orphan with no name.
Every path was a dead end.
At dawn, I made up my mind.
I wouldn't wait to die.
If I had to go, I'd go fighting.