Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: The Blessing Ceremony
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The Blessing Ceremony was to be held in the auditorium I briefly visited yesterday.
It was a building constructed a short distance from the main house, perfectly suited for such events.
A place equipped with a massive stage and countless seats.
With a structure allowing views of the stage from the first, second, third, and fourth floors, it resembled a grand theater.
‘I heard there are many buildings like this in the Imperial Capital.’
In any case, the overall lighting was dimmer than yesterday, giving it a distinctly different feel.
“All Young Heroes, please come this way.”
A man who appeared to be a knight guided us personally.
For reference, the term ‘Young Hero’ referred to a young champion.
One couldn't simply shed this title by receiving many blessings or reaching adulthood.
Being recognized as a true hero by a Great Family was another matter entirely.
Following the knight's guidance, we moved to the area behind the stage.
For a simple waiting area, the space was excessively large.
There were tables and chairs, of course, and even simple refreshments had been prepared.
‘Some of them have already formed cliques.’
The Young Heroes were sitting with those they were close to, which wasn't strange when you thought about it.
They would have been staying at the Bednicker main house for at least two weeks.
In any case, the largest groups were the prince's and Hector's.
These guys were surrounded by a swarm of lapdogs, and I don't mean actual animals, of course.
Opportunists fawning over them to get on the good side of high nobility.
If they had ears and tails, they would surely be wagging them.
Surprisingly, Seren was sitting alone.
“First, all the Young Heroes will ascend the stage for the opening ceremony. Afterward, we will have the opening declaration from the Bednicker Family's Acting Head, a congratulatory address from His Highness the Prince, speeches from the Family Heads, and then….”
Perhaps because it was a national event, there were many tedious formalities.
The most dreadful part was that I had to attend every single one of them without moving.
I wanted to pass the time by circulating my energy, but…
With assassins crawling all over the place, that wasn't a good idea.
Once all the Young Heroes had gathered, we followed the knight's lead and ascended the stage.
Restrained applause echoed from the seats, which were now completely full.
‘So those people sitting there are the powerful figures who control the empire.’
Just then, a young man appeared from the opposite direction of where we had walked up.
“I am Asad, the Acting Family Head. First, to all the honored guests who have graced us with their presence today….”
The sudden appearance of a big shot.
Asad.
The Recluse, the Guardian of Bednicker, the Dormant Dragon.
But to the world, he was most famous as the Great Archmage.
Though he had the appearance of a neat young man, he was a legendary, historical figure who had protected the Bednicker family for hundreds of years. Even the Council of Elders showed him respect and reverence.
Asad was widely known to the public as the Iron-Blooded Duke's right-hand man.
But even without that, he was a being whose authority as Acting Family Head no one could question.
[Hoh… That man is quite something….]
The Martial God showed interest again.
It seemed his fighting spirit flared up for anyone strong, whether they were a warrior or a mage.
Anyway, after Asad's brief opening declaration, that prince fellow with the flowing red hair started spouting some nonsense.
Only after listening to the boring speeches prepared by the family heads did Asad finally declare,
“We will now begin the Blessing Ceremony.”
The surroundings fell silent.
The Young Heroes returned backstage to wait, but unlike before, the sound of conversation had almost completely vanished.
Tension, excitement, anticipation, anxiety, a hint of fear….
I could feel an indescribable mix of emotions swirling together.
Such a fresh reaction.
‘Today is the turning point of my life!’
I bet most of the people here were thinking something like that.
“Randolph of House Trion. To the stage.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
A tense-looking kid walked onto the stage.
Since it was the memorable first turn, all eyes in the waiting area were fixed on him.
Randolph walked onto the stage with unsteady steps.
“I am Randolph of Trion.”
After a brief introduction and a bow, short applause followed.
Randolph took a deep breath and stared at the mirror on the stage.
It was the [Mirror of Baal].
The 72 gods revered by the empire.
As a mirror named after their leader, it was, of course, no ordinary mirror.
“…”
Standing before the mirror, Randolph stepped toward it.
At that moment, ripples spread across the mirror like a lake, and it naturally accepted Randolph's body.
“Ah….”
A noble, likely seeing this for the first time, let out a gasp.
The Mirror of Baal is a divine artifact.
Depending on how one used it, it could help borrow a god's power or even allow direct communication with them.
Depending on its use, one could temporarily connect with the gods.
‘Though there is the restriction that you must be from a [Great Family].’
What place was Randolph walking through now, and what god had he met?
I didn't know.
I, too, had entered the mirror like Randolph, but I hadn't seen a god, not even a shadow of one.
I had just walked through a pitch-black space and came right back out.
I'd heard that the scenery one encounters varies greatly from person to person.
Shhhh-.
Right after Randolph disappeared into the mirror….
Streaks of light flowed out from around the mirror, forming a shape above it.
[1]
Everyone knew what that number meant.
The number of blessings bestowed.
Just then, Randolph emerged from the mirror.
“-Ah.”
Randolph sheepishly scratched the back of his head and then checked the number written above the mirror.
He wore a slightly strange expression, seemingly quite disappointed.
Of course, receiving only one blessing was disappointing, but depending on the type of blessing, you never knew.
It wasn't as if there were no heroes who had made a name for themselves with just a single blessing.
For now, the onlookers were applauding and congratulating him.
‘Still, it's moving along quickly.’
I guess that's to be expected? If it went any slower, it would take all day.
I glanced around; it seemed there were about 50 Young Heroes attending the Blessing Ceremony today.
[2]
[1]
[1]
[3]
Anyway, the numbers above the mirror mostly fluctuated between 1 and 2.
A 1 was met with dry applause,
a 2 with slightly more enthusiastic applause,
and a 3 drew gasps of admiration from here and there.
“Seren of House Goodspring, to the stage.”
Just then, my former fiancée's name was called.
Seren rose from her seat with a refined demeanor. And on her way to the stage, for some reason, she glanced at me.
‘Is this her first Blessing Ceremony?’
Probably.
I hadn't seen her at the ceremony earlier this year.
When Seren stepped onto the stage, that alone caused small whispers to ripple through the audience.
It was only natural, as she was the only one of Goodspring blood participating in this Blessing Ceremony.
Seren ignored their gazes, stood haughtily before the mirror, and after a brief introduction, immediately disappeared into it.
And almost immediately after, streaks of light shot out from the mirror.
The onlookers gasped in awe.
The number, intensity, and brightness of the light clusters exploding from the mirror were extraordinary.
And then.
[6]
“Whoa…!”
Someone let out a cry of admiration.
Even the nobles who had been feigning composure couldn't hide their commotion this time.
It was understandable.
The highest number of blessings anyone had received so far was four.
“Hmph.”
Seren placed a hand on her hip with a haughty air, but being still a novice, her attempt to control her expression was clumsy.
She couldn't completely hide her look of satisfaction.
A moment later, Seren returned backstage and gave me a smirk.
“Do your best. Not that you'll beat my record.”
What an attitude.
Besides me, Seren monopolized the attention of everyone around, including Hector and even the prince.
This was Hector's second Blessing Ceremony.
And if my memory served me right, he had received five blessings at his first ceremony.
‘He lost.’
As I chuckled to myself at the thought, I made eye contact with Hector.
Just as a cold smile formed on Hector's lips, the knight spoke.
“Young Master Hector, you may go up.”
Hector tore his gaze away from me and went up.
I watched him from backstage.
Generally, one receives fewer blessings in the second ceremony than in the first.
Hector would probably receive one or two more blessings.
Hector stood on the stage with a relaxed smile. It was a completely different feeling from the smile he had just shown me.
It was clear he hadn't wasted those extra years; he seemed more adept at hiding his true feelings than Seren.
‘Could it be?’
For a moment, I suspected Hector, but he was someone who fanatically revered the Iron-Blooded Duke.
The possibility was low.
Low, but not zero.
Clap, clap, clap-.
Just then, the sound of applause reached my ears.
It seemed Hector's Blessing Ceremony had finished while I was lost in thought.
He had received a total of three blessings.
A good result, considering it was his second ceremony.
“Ruan of House Bednicker, to the stage.”
I looked at the knight who had called my name.
He was clearly a Bednicker knight, yet one person was "Young Master Hector," and another was "Ruan of House Bednicker."
On top of that, my turn was right after Hector's. They weren't grouping the turns by family, so it felt like there was some kind of malice behind it.
I stood up, grinning.
Thud.
“—.”
As I walked toward the stage, many eyes were fixed on me.
Curiosity, ridicule, contempt, disgust, a hint of pity?
The Young Heroes' gazes had at least some restraint, but once I was on the stage, the blatant mockery became much worse.
‘Hector is one thing, but….’
If there's a real mastermind, they're probably hiding among those nobles.
“…”
Standing before the mirror, it began to reflect a scene completely different from me.
It was like a swirling darkness.
Something was constantly churning, but it had no distinct shape.
In any case, I thrust my hand into the mirror without hesitation. I felt an unidentifiable, refreshing sensation where we touched, and….
Whoosh!
The next moment, I had stepped completely inside the mirror.
“Hmm.”
It was a dreadfully dark place.
There wasn't a single point of light, but for some reason, I could see myself clearly.
It felt less like darkness and more like being surrounded by black walls.
‘This is similar to last time.’
So will my blessings be zero this time, too?
I continued walking, filled with doubt.
And it didn't take long for me to realize something.
‘It's definitely longer than last time.’
I had been walking for several minutes, yet the darkness didn't end.
I'd heard that the flow of time was different from the outside world… but just as I was wondering how long I had to keep this up.
[The 72nd Rank gazes upon you.]
“Ah.”
Is this it?
The ‘voice of a god’ that you could supposedly hear inside the mirror.
I felt bewildered.
I hadn't heard this inorganic voice in my past life.
[The majority of the Ranks take an interest.]
[The majority of the Ranks wish to bestow a blessing upon you.]
Moreover, the situation was unfolding in a way I hadn't expected.
The 72 Ranks are the gods revered by the empire.
They are also the beings who directly grant blessings to the descendants of the [Great Families].
[The 1st Rank, Baal, takes an interest in you.]
Baal?
Baal, the leader of the 72 gods, is interested in me?
It was then.
[The Seat of Guardianship appears.]
What the heck is the Seat of Guardianship?
[The World's Greatest, Baek Rogwang, glares at the 1st Rank, Baal.]
Hah.
[He asks what kind of son of a bitch you are to be making a pass at his disciple.]
[Baal erupts in fury.]
Amidst the confusion, I realized one thing.
I shouldn't have made my Master angry.
[Baek Rogwang unleashes his killing intent.]
[He advises you to lower those eyes before he plucks them out and uses them to decorate that snout of yours.]
[…]
[…]
[Baal lowers his eyes.]
My god.