As Cedric returned to Golden Cup, he was greeted by a view that warmed his heart to no end, a view that justified the punishment that would befall Fate's End.
What he witnessed was Aurelia chatting with Anna, open bible in hand.
Cedric could swear his eyes were about to tear up from sheer happiness. it was only some days since she had embraced Christ, and she was already spreading the word of God.' Aurelia, I am so proud of you. I never should have doubted you.'
Cedric truly felt shame for dismissing her for merely having sins; after all, Christ said that humanity will always be sinful, and if they accepted him, they would be forgiven.
He dared not interrupt her, he would wait for her to finish before returning to her.
'I will relish ending the organization that dared attempt to hurt her.' He had to make amends for his hasty judgements, he was God's Chosen; he was supposed to be a shining example of a good Christian.
And yet he judged her.
Cedric had judged an Infidel that was only that way because of Demonic influence.
Once he had noticed the conversation between the old lady and Aurelia calming down, he approached, pure joy plastered on his face, however, he would not remove his helmet while surrounded by infidels.
Seeing the word of God being spread was the only thing that truly made him happy.
He approached two women before speaking, "Hello, what are you up to, Aurelia?"
"I was reading the Bible while you were away, and then Granny Anna came up to me with interest, so I told her about everything you taught me!" Aurelia spoke with pride.
"Oh...I see..." Cedric let out a small chuckle before activating [God's Eye].
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Anna was very virtous Infidel, and now she too embraced Christ.
"Aurelia told me a lot about her future husband, I hope you will treat her as well as you did until now. She deserves it after all that her family put her through." Anna spoke casually with a slight smile on her face, her frail voice conveying her old age.
"She is The First Star, she will be treated with respect as befits her new position. And no, I'm not her husband." Cedric denied the apparent misunderstanding that Aurelia made sure to spread.
"Of course, right now, it's a fiancee. I'm well aware of the process, dearie." Anna spoke with a slight teasing tone, making Aurelia blush.
With a sigh, Cedric decided not to correct her; it was too much effort for a harmless rumor, and it seemed the woman was fully on board with Aurelia's delusion.
"Let me not tally too much, Aurelia told me you will gladly teach me about this God you adore so much." Anna smiled at Cedric.
Cedric did not waste any time before taking a seat next to Aurelia. "What would you like to know?"
"Aurelia told me all about a kind God who had sacrificed his Son for the sins of humanity, which resonates with me on a personal level; however, what interests me is the eternal punishment; why would such a benevolent God commit such an atrocity?"
Cedric took a moment to think. It was a common question, after all, and it had one answer.
"It is a punishment for those who abandoned Christ. Those who deny Christ are fully burdened by sin. Those who embrace him will be welcome to the kingdom of Heaven despite their sin, for their debt had been repaid."
"So, you are saying everyone can be welcomed as long as they accept him?" Anna asked Inquisitively. She was nearing the end of her life, and the promise of eternal paradise was something no other god offered to a non-warrior and especially a woman.
"Yes, as long as you embrace Christ with your whole being, you will be granted a place in heaven," Cedric spoke with joy.
"Color me interested, dearie. Aurelia had already convinced me, but seeing a young gentleman like you speak so passionately truly makes it an irresistible offer. I want to join your church!" Anna's words were music to Cedric's ears.
The First Star was already proving her worth, and despite only converting an old and frail woman, she still converted an Infidel to the truth.
His gaze shifted from old woman to Aurelia, who was beaming with pride. She looked at Cedric with excited eyes, desiring his praise.
"I see Aurelia wants some alone time with you, dearie. I will be in the kitchen since I can't leave my cooks all alone this long." Anna noticed Aurelia staring at her fiancee, and she would hate to intrude on the youngsters.
Aurelia lifted her hands before her, "Did I do good? Please tell me I did well!"
It was like looking at an overly excited puppy, desperate for praise.
However, this time, that praise was well-earned; she took the initiative to convert an Infidel.
Cedric placed his hand on top of Aurelia's head before gently patting her.
"You did very well, Aurelia. I am truly proud of you." Cedric did not lie, he truly was both impressed and proud.
Aurelia squirmed under his arm, her blush taking over her entire face.
Cedric was about to remove his hand from her head, however, the princess grabbed him and returned it.
"Just a tiny bit more! Please!" Aurelia demanded.
With a sigh, Cedric continued patting the eager Princess, much to her pleasure.
He continued for a couple moments before pulling his hand back, Fortunately, the princess was satisfied with her reward.
"We will start with your training tomorrow, I want you to rest well today. There shouldn't be an issue with using the palace's grounds." Cedric spoke plainly, he would need to train the girl as soon as he could.
"We should be fine, I doubt father would dare do anything with you around me... And if he did, guards looked incredibly scared by you!" She spoke with a slight blush as she remembered her hero defending her.
"Excellent, I have business to attend to. However, your Archangels will be here to pick you up. Wait for me at the palace." Cedric spoke with authority, this was an order.
"But... Fine." Aurelia was about to protest, but she knew that Cedric most certainly had important things to deal with.
Despite Aurelia being slightly scared, she knew that Cedric would not allow anyone to harm her, as he had demonstrated so many times before.
Cedric rose from his seat before walking out, leaving Aurelia alone, waiting for her Archangel squad.
"I hope their appearance won't cause panic..." Aurelia sighed; she briefly forgot about their wings, which gave them a demi-human appearance.