Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

"The distance of worship, is it closer or farther?"

Walking on the streets of Holy Soccarnas, the girl felt a sense of solemnity, a kind she had never witnessed elsewhere.

The tall and magnificent buildings stood like walls hundreds of meters high, walking beneath them, it felt like the towering walls that concealed the sky might crush her, creating an illusion of impending collapse.

Vehicles traveled the streets, but their style resembled ancient magical vehicles found only in museums, cumbersome and inconvenient, like moving fortresses. Tourists were sparse here, and anyone wishing to enter Saint Carthanas has to undergo numerous screenings, some might apply for ten years just to get one chance for a pilgrimage.

Everywhere could be seen members wearing cult uniforms, each carrying a Holy Scripture encased in metal, the books chained to their belts, its pages yellowed and aged, each word handwritten. Additionally, they carried a weapon.

In twenty minutes of walking down the street, the girl had already seen no less than five groups, armed respectively with lances, carrying double-handed swords, holding warhammers, heavy maces, and the like.

"Please line up properly and undergo checks one by one." Every pilgrim entering the Four Holy Great Cathedrals underwent strict identity and item checks, no electronic devices permitted.

In front of Tilan, many people prayed as they took small steps forward, bowing to every passing cult member, a scene that made her subtly shake her head, not knowing what to make of it.

"Your turn." After half an hour, it was finally Tilan's turn.

"This is my personal terminal." Having inquired a bit before coming here, Tilan only carried her personal terminal and nothing else.

Truth be told, if anything were truly important, she'd put it in a spatial rift, not on her person.

The scanner, like a door frame, swept over and everything was normal. Tilan passed through the passage, following the people ahead inward.

Passing through the circular towering walls, they were still far from the Four Holy Great Cathedrals, with a square thousands of meters wide. At the center of this giant square stood four towering cathedrals, each in a distinct style. The one in the middle attracted noticeably more worshippers; its roof was the only one adorned with a star symbol.

Walking slowly along the black marble square, Tilan could see in the distance the tall knights riding armor-clad warhorses. These knights wore lavish exoskeleton armor covering their entire bodies, portrayed in an ancient style, brandishing straight silver lances and large golden round shields, with mechanical-bodied steeds below them. As they passed through the square, the heavy iron hooves echoed like a giant beast.

The golden and silver interspersed exoskeleton armors had pure white plumes standing proudly atop their helmets. The lances they held were like banners, with shimmering star patterns on the silver flag, mysterious and ancient. They were the Divine Prohibited Knights serving the Four Originals, each above Sequence 6, subtly exuding a powerful presence, awe-inspiring to the pilgrims.

As Tilan gradually approached the cathedral, the chorus of hymns grew louder and clearer, occasionally accompanied by the distant sound of bells.

When she arrived beneath this great cathedral, she felt an increasing sense of magnificence and reverence. Just entering the cathedral gate was about 50 meters tall, and there were six such gates, evenly distributed in the cathedral's symmetrical directions.

Walking through the long, massive gate arch, upon emerging, her view suddenly opened up. A gigantic humanoid statue stood firm; though a stone statue, it depicted a 'girl' with a graceful figure. The delicate strands of hair and soft dress seemed as if they were gently swaying.

To witness such dynamic beauty in hard stone illustrated the sculptors' exceptional craftsmanship.

The enormous Angel sculpture was about 500 meters tall, her body slightly twisting and tilting as if dancing, one hand raised inward bent, fingers slender, the other hand holding a flower basket, slightly spreading with her skirt. The girl's eyes exuded gentle tranquility, an aura so lifelike that those seeing it for the first time felt an uncontrollable urge to weep and kneel.

The entire cathedral surrounded and guarded the statue like a gigantic dome, with only the head portion open, light streaming from above, shining upon the 'girl's' head, rendering her elevated countenance extraordinarily sacred.

"Praise the eternal Cradle's Wings..." One by one, fellow pilgrims knelt on the black marble slabs, hands together in continuous prayer and low chanting.

This scene occurred not just once; the entire interior of the enormous cathedral, within the plaza where the giant statue is located, everywhere were such devotees praying and kowtowing.

If the worshippers kneeling on the black square made a chaotic buzzing sound, then the tiered, orderly ranks of cult members within the circular cathedral made the place's loudest and most solemn chant. The choir of hymns echoed continuously, the countless united voices like a sacred heaven, the place of many Angels in myth.

And everywhere one looked, these layers of white-clad cult members seemed endless in number.

Estimations suggested nearly ten thousand cult members were within this circular hall, pondered the girl while looking up at the statue and surrounding scene.

Such a devout and fervent spectacle was awe-inspiring yet brought about waves of discomfort, for she vaguely felt that within this fanatic worship lay a certain loss of reason.