Card Apprentice Daily Log

Date- 18 April 2321

Time- 10:41

Location- Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City

Seeing how Clown Mask did not hesitate to mess with the future of someone destined to become the 'Saintess of the South' it was clear how much she cared about Cortney. If not for the burden of knowing what the future held, she might not have abandoned Cortney.

Despite the Clown Mask's inconsiderate manipulation of people, everything worked out fine. Because of Clown Mask's warning, Colleen did not fall for the conspiracy of the Matron, and as a result Anna never went on a journey to retrace the steps of Colleen to feel closer to her loving grandma. So she would never have found Clara Cassidy. Which meant that Clara would continue working as a low-level employee in a fake charitable organization without ever knowing the truth about it.

However, now that would not be the case. Clown Mask had changed her future and unknowingly brought her closer to people who could help her fulfill the destiny of becoming the Saintess of the South in place of Anna and Southern Watch: Wyatt and the Field Marshal.

The Field Marshal was fully aware of Clara Cassidy and the destiny she held thanks to the copied memories of the Clown Mask. This was why when the orphanage headmaster talked with Wyatt the Field Marshal paid close attention to her and agreed to them with a nod. She even felt that the orphanage Headmaster was nothing short of the image of her she saw in Clown Mask's memories of the future vision.

Field Marshal Heatsend found that Clara Cassidy was the embodiment of gentleness and patience. Unfortunately, she was a mortal and was closing her end. Utmost Clara had a good decade or two at her hands before she became unfit to continue doing what she was doing.

"Please forgive my rudeness, this is," After receiving a green light from Wyatt to do as she planned Clara turned to the disguised Field Marshal and greeted.

"Don't pay her any heed, she is just my guard. It would be best if you act as if she did not exist as it would be convenient for her to do her job that way," Wyatt said with a sly grin.

Wyatt's response caused the Field Marshal to mentally gush her teeth but on the surface, she remained indifferent. After all, she lost the proper moment to get in touch and form a casual connection with the person with the destiny to become the Saintess chosen by the people of the South. However, now that Wyatt had introduced her as a guard and asked Clara to ignore her so she could perform her duties properly, the Field Marshal could only play her role, as she couldn't let her actions prove the person to whom she had given loyalty to be a liar.

"So, will she not be joining us for breakfast?" Clara asked. Wyatt laughed and said, "She will be. She is a lot stronger than she looks. She can multitask, protect me while enjoying the breakfast with us."

"That's a relief," Clara nodded, not finding it odd that someone as important as Wyatt had a strong bodyguard. As a mortal, she had no sense of soul energy, but seeing the grace and elegance the Field Marshal held herself with, she believed her to be someone important and capable.

Soon following Clara Wyatt, Field Marshal, and the Clown Mask returned to the dinning hall. Where the older kids of the orphanage also arrived and joined the younger kids. Once everyone had arrived and taken a seat, Clara gave a small speech in honor of the Hope of the South.

Clara's speech was very sincere and moving, some employees were moved to tears. She certainly had a way with words otherwise she would not have managed to gather the required funds to run a charitable organization after the fall of the Southern Royal family and move the Southerner's hearts to the point where they deemed her as the Saintess of the South.

Clare kept her speech short being mindful of the time and asked Wyatt to speak a few words, putting Wyatt on the spot. Seeing this the Field Marshal snickered as without her doing anything her mission to get Wyatt to embrace the title 'Hope of the South' was being completed by Clara.

However to everyone's dismay when Wyatt got up to say a few encouraging words, he declared,

"I am not the hope of the South!

People who think a seventeen-year-old orphan can be the hope of the South are nothing but fools!

Let me tell you who the hope of the Southern region truly is!

It is you!

Yes, you!

You, you, you, and you! Each citizen of the South is the hope of the Southern region.

Any one person cannot be the hope of the Southern region!

Have you ever seen a house built using a single brick?

Have you ever seen a bridge built using a single beam?

So how can you think that a single person can be the hope of the Southern region?

Don't let the people misguide you!

These are the same people who said you will amount to nothing!

These are the same people who treat their fellow human beings even worse than animals!

These are the same people who would rather throw away the extra bread instead of taking time to give it to someone hungry!

What do these people know what the Southern region is and what it needs?

Let me tell you, what South needs!

It needs you!

They were wrong when they said you would not amount to anything!

They were wrong when they said you guys were just a number in the system!

I am telling you right now, you guys are the future of the Southern region!

You guys are the hope of the South!

You guys are the ones who will guide the South to a better tomorrow!

Now, answer me, who is the hope of the Southern region?"

...

[AN: Check out Reader's Quest Board in the Author's Thoughts section for mass release.]