Huijin Divine Hall, headquarters of the Holy Court. This massive hall, aside from the main building, also includes residences scattered around for the clergy. An enormous plaza spreads out in front of the main structure.

Alina led Hilia across the vast plaza and into the hall’s interior, past the prayer auditorium, to the door of a room in a side hall.

"Go in by yourself. I won’t come with you."

"Alright. Thank you, Ms. Alina."

Hilia nodded, walked up to the door, knocked gently, received a response from within, and entered, closing the door behind her.

The expected scene of five Holy Daughters appearing together did not materialize.

Inside the room sat five elders, just like an interview panel, arrayed in a row, each holding a sheet of paper.

Hilia’s gaze swept over their faces. Names and titles surfaced in her mind as she looked at them.

Archbishop Melina, current Holy Daughter Anna, Holy Master and Cardinal Archbishop Connor, Archbishop and Principal Blake, Archbishop and Judgment Priest Vasily.

All five were world-renowned Tier Six Legendary Mages, their status towering. Rumor had it the Holy Master had advanced to Tier Seven, though the source was questionable.

With so many Legendary Mages staring at her, Hilia felt immense pressure.

She sat primly on the small chair opposite them, back straight and proper.

The invisible pressure gave her the illusion that they had already seen through her, peering into the Spiritual Space where Rose resided.

Just as that thought flickered through her mind, the intangible pressure abruptly disappeared, and Rose’s chuckling voice reached her: "No need to be afraid. Four Tier Six and one Tier Seven, that’s all."

Hilia’s heart jolted.

"The Holy Master really became a Tier Seven Epic Mage?"

"Epic Mage? I tend to call Tiers Seven to Nine the Holy Stage. The ’Epic’ title should belong to Tier Ten mages who haven’t yet become gods."

"I don’t understand..."

While she conversed silently with Rose, Hilia outwardly greeted the group respectfully and waited for their verdict.

The five ’interviewers’ leafed through Hilia’s recent performance records.

Especially the current Holy Daughter, a cascade of glowing golden hair and beauty so radiant it seemed to shine.

It’s said this is the bearing of one close to God.

In reality, it’s the natural aura of Holy Word blessing, fully mastered and absorbed.

At this moment, as she scanned through the document, she kept glancing at Hilia.

She repeatedly seemed about to speak, then glanced at the silent Connor instead.

Connor carefully reviewed Hilia’s file, before finally lifting his gaze. "Saintess candidate from Star Dust Divine Hall, Hilia, your performance this year has been rated as exceptional. Congratulations."

Hilia stood up, bowing slightly. "All is guided by God. I merely did what I ought to do."

The sincerity of these words gave everyone present the illusion that she truly was guided by a deity.

This peculiar sensation made them exchange glances, after which Anna, the current Holy Daughter, picked up the report and slowly spoke: "Hilia, after passing the initial assessment, you took the initiative to investigate cult leads, discovered a Summoning Array node of the Deep Sea Mutual Aid Association in remote Beia Village, and then found a major heretic base in Deep Red Town. Using your knowledge of arrays and runes, you assisted Archbishop Blake in capturing numerous valuable heretic items."

She looked up. "For this operation, Archbishop Blake has given you the highest possible rating—overall, outstanding."

"Secondly, you used array knowledge to destroy a Dusk Sect base guarded by a Tier Four mage, and handed over a Divine Hall parasite who colluded with heretics to the Law Enforcement Court. Overall, rated exceptional—but you were far too reckless in this mission. A Tier Four mage is beyond the ordinary; being hated by a mage of that tier is not wise. Next time, don’t take such risks."

Hilia nodded repeatedly.

Vasily stroked his beard and said, "As for the Dusk Sect incident— the Tier Four mage you toyed with wasn’t killed. When we went for cleanup, she was already gone. Hilia, you must be mindful of possible revenge."

She’s still alive?

Hilia blinked, then nodded. "I will."

She didn’t explain that she’d used Disguise Skill back then.

This was a spell Rose had taught her. She’d searched on the Star Spirit Network and found that no such powerful disguise spell currently existed.

This long-lost spell was better left unspoken so as not to risk displeasing Lord Rose.

Anna flipped to the final major item, her expression turning odd.

"In Frost Town, you discovered the local Divine Hall’s High Priest cultivating pearl rosemary, and illegal organizations selling Water of Bewitching. This time, your rating is outstanding."

Blake laughed heartily: "Three places, three Divine Hall priests taken down—you really are something."

After his chuckle, he asked, "By the way, did you finish the paper I asked you to write?"

Hilia hurriedly nodded. "Yes, it’s done."

"Excellent. The golem rune enhancements you came up with, I rated as exceptional. This is more valuable than destroying ten heretic bases."

Hilia’s face flushed slightly.

This basic rune improvement had nothing to do with her at all.

Though she had talent in runes, she’d only been working with them a bit over half a year—how could she possibly invent an improvement?

Such advancements were only possible with prior learning, taught by someone else.

The Holy Master looked at Hilia and asked: "Tell me, Hilia, did you study and improve the basic rune yourself?"

Hilia answered honestly: "No, it was taught to me by God."

’No’ prompted a shift in the group’s faces. Hearing ’God taught me’, they exchanged another look.

Everyone here was fluent in Holy Word Skill and could judge precisely whether someone was lying.

Hilia was not lying; it truly seemed God taught her.

But in the Holy Court, ’God-given’ means ’I figured it out.’ So Hilia was saying yes.

The Holy Master probed further on some details, receiving confirmation.

She passed the lie-detection and answered smoothly; it was no falsehood.

Was it possible God really taught her?

What a joke—God hasn’t been seen for five hundred years.

After a further round of evaluation inquiries, the Holy Daughter stepped forward to summarize:

"As Archbishop Blake said, improving a basic rune is more important than eliminating ten heretic bases. Therefore, Hilia, in the annual summary for your first year, your score surpasses all other candidates. Congratulations, Hilia, here is your annual summary report—take it."

Hilia gave her thanks, inwardly praising God while keeping an eye on Rose in her mind, then accepted the annual summary report.

Upon seeing that the basic rune improvement counted for the highest score, with all other achievements barely combining to match it, Hilia was left stunned.

"All those struggles against heretics—less valuable than one supposedly trivial basic rune?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Rose said, "It shows the Holy Court thirsts for knowledge. That’s a good thing."