Clack, clack, clack...

The sound of galloping horses grew louder, echoing intensely through the secluded mountains, causing the expressions of several Priests to change slightly.

"This is..."

To dare gallop in such a Divine Forbidden Area, it's truly an audacious way to make an entrance.

"It's coming!"

Amidst this oppression, Joanna felt a hint of unease, and ordered everyone in a deep voice.

"Everyone, be careful!"

The approaching party was clearly unfriendly, intending to leave a deep impression.

Ha.

But they misunderstood, for as servants of the Goddess, they, of course, would not be intimidated by others.

"Stay calm! Don't disgrace the Goddess!"

They represented the Church and, more importantly, the Goddess, and they could not be daunted by the other's momentum.

Especially since a more noble presence mingled among them, under no circumstances should they let Him down.

The Ice and Snow Goddess is nominally subordinate to the Cold Winter Goddess but could be said to be kept or maintained by Her.

Being kept implies a lack of freedom, and naturally, no independent personality.

In fact, if the clerics under the Ice and Snow Goddess performed well, there was a chance they could be transferred to the "parent company" and join the Cold Winter Goddess Church...

Most of those whom the Cold Winter Goddess "recognized" as Divine Favorers were snatched away by Her after she disguised herself as such.

Yes, I snatch from myself.

Although the Ice and Snow Goddess had protested verbally, ultimately, she did not dare to confront the Cold Winter Goddess directly, tacitly allowing Her thieving acts.

And this actually means — now, is the chance!

The true big boss is here personally watching our performance!

However, among those present, only Joanna noticed something amiss, and it remained just a speculation; she dared not confirm the identity of the other party.

To be safe, after hesitating, Joanna whispered to the "weaker" Divine Favorer: "Lord Yunier, the other's intent is unclear, please stand behind me for now."

Yunier shook her head, gazing at the rolling mist as if a great beast were charging, and chuckled lightly: "No, that won't be necessary. The other side probably means no harm."

Joanna hesitated for a moment but decided to follow his arrangement.

"I understand."

One must not curry favor excessively.

Under the quiet gaze of the Ice and Snow Goddess's Priests, the hoofbeats stopped, and the warhorse seemed to rear up high before them.

Whoosh—

In the next instant, a valiant and imposing centaur warrior emerged from the mist, accompanied by a whistling gale.

The elegant form ascended and leaped through the air, making an abrupt stop while pausing mid-air, then plummeted straight to the ground before them.

Boom!

The violent descent merely stirred up a breeze, failing to leave an impact on the ground.

The centaur warrior carried a massive war bow on her back and clenched a long spear in hand, glancing at the Priest Order with a proud gaze.

After scanning them, she slightly pursed her lips, letting out a nearly disdainful snort from her nose.

Humph.

!!!

Her actions implied disdain, causing the Priests, initially stunned by her entrance, to frown slightly, looking back with displeasure.

"..."

Acting as leader, Joanna's attitude was not as sensitive as the others.

She gazed at the imposing centaur, her eyes narrowing slightly, noticing unusual details.

Legendary.

Judging by the aura seeping out, this was an expert of the Legendary Tier, not a newly advanced legend, but a powerful and experienced one.

Yet, that was not the most important aspect.

What shocked Joanna the most was the other's identity.

Heroic Spirit.

This was unexpectedly a Legendary Heroic Spirit!!?

Upon clarifying her identity, Joanna internally exclaimed to herself that indeed, it was the case.

Sure enough, this special mission wasn't merely the whim of the Goddess, it involved another Divine Spirit!

Although her Goddess often lost Her way and needed to be returned by others... She wasn't foolish.

Truly not foolish.

She excelled at gauging benefits and avoiding risks, usually avoiding such dangerous places.

If She insisted on going, then surely there was something highly enticing luring Her.

Whether an extraordinary treasure, a rare mighty figure, or... hmm, a mere whimsical impulse.

Hmm, putting it like that was inaccurate, according to the Scripture — the Goddess foresaw some future event, intervened personally, and erased that possibility.

But even if whimsical, She generally wouldn't take such significant risks.

Joanna had discussed with Laila before, speculating that this mission would likely involve another Divine Spirit.

Their Goddess and another Divine Spirit had perhaps made a discovery, thus wishing to extend their reach into the Misty Mountains!

It's daring, nearly reckless.

But, if successful, it could yield great benefits.

Perhaps, it could allow the Ice and Snow Goddess to fulfill her long-held wish of escaping the "mother's" embrace.

The Goddess's decisions were beyond Joanna, a Priest, to influence.

Despite the danger, as the Goddess's servant, she wouldn't choose to evade.

Her sole duty was to serve Him wholeheartedly and complete the tasks assigned by Him.

To give her all until the very end, that was all she could do.

Yet, the current development slightly puzzled her, making it hard to discern the cooperation relationship between the Goddess and the other party.

Whenever there is cooperation, there is never a one hundred percent equality, there will always be some hierarchy.

This might not show overtly, but subtle clues would certainly reveal it.

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