Baptism (8)
"Already?"
"He heard that long thing once and memorized the whole of it?"
"Come on, that's a lie. How could anyone memorize it standing there?"
Child and adult alike, everyone was astonished.
But that astonishment lasted only a heartbeat. A single remark from someone in the crowd made them all nod and accept it as only natural.
The remark was simply this: of course he had practiced at home beforehand.
"He's the lord's son. Naturally he'd have practiced."
"Yeah, yeah. My mom made me memorize it too. There are still a few parts I'm fuzzy on, so I'm going to practice a little more before I get checked."
In truth, quite a few children had come prepared. Merchant and official families especially made a tradition of drilling their sons and daughters so they would not look foolish in front of others. If even they did so, how much more the nobles who stood above them? They did more, not less. Even those children, however, were still reviewing one last time before raising their hands.
The high priest looked at Roy with genuine fondness.
"You have already memorized it?"
Roy gave a light nod.
"But does it have to be done here?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"If I do it here, things might get noisy. Could I go with only Your Reverence into another room?"
"Hmm..."
The high priest hesitated. In the decades since he had entered the temple, no child had ever made such a request. Yet the boy was the lord's son.
"I would like to keep it private... Is that impossible?"
After a moment's thought the high priest decided to grant it. He assumed Roy was afraid of stumbling over the incantation in front of the other children, or of being revealed to possess fewer elemental talents than expected.
"Very well, young master Roy. There is a prayer room just next door. Shall we go there?"
"Um... before that, may I visit the washroom? I'm terribly nervous..."
"Haha, of course. I shall go ahead, then. One of our priests will show you the way."
Stepping out of the chapel a pace ahead of Roy, the high priest thought to himself, Just as I expected.
He was certain the boy had raised his hand only because of the burden of being the lord's son. Roy had clearly studied the incantation in advance, yet making a mistake or falling short in front of the other children would have been a public disgrace.
Already resorting to tricks like this. The fourth son is a lost cause.
The high priest had ambitions of his own. He meant to draw closer to the Greenhilt lord's family and solidify his position within the territory. The Grand Temple in the capital was already packed with cunning old serpents coiled in every seat of power; there was no room left for him to squeeze in. Better, then, to remain at the pinnacle of Greenhilt Territory and enjoy wealth and glory without regret until the day he died. To that end he had to court not only the current lord but whoever would inherit next.
Should I pin my hopes on the child born recently? They say he carries the blood of Viscount Bisvalt. The third child who came last year was gifted enough in her own right, but she is a girl, so that avenue is already closed.
One had to choose the right side. Merely standing back and watching meant living off scraps until death. Actively supporting a strong contender for succession was the only way to claim a larger share later—that was the truth of the world.
Year after year the high priest had carefully observed every child of the lord who came for baptism. Watching the boy's back as he trailed after a priest toward the washroom, the high priest snorted and shook his head.
Genius, they said. Rumors are always exaggerated.
"Father."
"Yes, young master Roy?"
Roy, following the priest toward the washroom, spoke up.
"I don't actually need the washroom. I already went during the break earlier."
"Pardon? Then why...?"
"There's something I'm curious about, you see."
Roy had questions he wanted to ask one of the apprentice priests in private. That the one guiding him happened to be an apprentice was a perfect opportunity.
An inexperienced apprentice is ideal for digging out secrets.
Playing the part of a wide-eyed, curious child, Roy turned sparkling eyes on the priestess.
"Father, those holy relics are amazing. Especially the kettle."
"Aren't they? The first time I saw it I was so astonished..."
"Are there several of those kettles, like the holy swords?"
"Yes. I don't know exactly how many, but I expect so."
As a mere apprentice she had no authority to enter the relic vault. Everything she knew came from what the other priests had said in passing.
"Ah, so even if one or two break, it wouldn't be a disaster."
"Oh, it would be a disaster. We would have to travel to the Grand Temple for a replacement—it takes forever, and there's always the risk of losing it on the way. It's a huge ordeal."
"I see. It would be nice if someone in our territory could repair them. Hehe."
"I doubt that's possible. Have you heard of the Helios Holy Kingdom in the far north of the continent? I was told holy relics can only be repaired there. They're made there as well. Actually... one day I hope to visit the Helios Holy Kingdom myself. Making a pilgrimage to the sacred sites there is both a duty and a lifelong goal for every priest."
"Ah... is that so...?"
The apprentice priestess knew more than he had expected. She was also an irrepressible talker. Completely unaware that Roy was fishing for information, she answered every question with cheerful readiness. Two reasons made her careless: she felt obliged to be kind to the lord's child, and she lowered her guard because the questions came from a little boy. As a result she freely shared details she would never normally have spoken aloud.
"Um... Father, I really should be going now..."
Please, just stop talking!
A short while later, having escaped the chatterbox and arrived at the prayer room, Roy took the sword called a holy blade into his hand. Part of the hilt was also fashioned from the same pitch-black stone, connected directly to the blade, so it made no difference where he gripped it when chanting the charge.
"Yes. Hold that part and recite the incantation. Since I understand you already use magic, lengthy explanations should be unnecessary. Simply chant as you would when casting a spell."
Having decided on his own that Roy was a talentless child who only knew how to scheme, the high priest treated him with perfunctory, mechanical courtesy. Under that solitary gaze Roy began the chant.
And a moment later the high priest could not contain his shock.
"Th-this cannot be..."
The incantation was complete, and the blade of black stone began to blaze with radiant light. The overwhelming brilliance pouring from the holy sword left the high priest reeling. Even Roy himself was taken aback.
"How many colors is that, exactly?"
The black stone changed hue according to the attributes of the mana it absorbed. The colors now shining were far more than five.
"Um... Your Reverence."
"Ah... yes. P-please, speak."
"I think what happened here must never leak outside. You agree, don't you?"
"......"
The high priest swallowed dryly.
Just how many colors is that blade shining with?
Roy promptly reined his mana back in. The black stone was not even his; there was no reason to pour precious mana into it needlessly. Still, charging too little would wound the pride of the lord's house, so he filled it with a respectable amount befitting his bloodline.
This should be enough.
The holy sword, which had been greedily drinking Roy's mana, soon lost its dazzling radiance and settled into the soft glow of a mana stone. Because the black stone was so large and the density of the absorbed mana relatively thin, the luster was somewhat lacking—yet even so, it held two or three times the quantity the high priest had demonstrated earlier.
"Young master Roy... how in the world...?"
"Is it truly so surprising? I am of the lord's bloodline, after all."
"Even so, the number of attributes..."
"Ah, I'm delighted to possess talent in so many elements, of course, but the important thing is still the quantity of mana, isn't it? Compared to the royal family, someone like me is only a cute little talent."
"That is not true. In all my life I have never heard of—let alone seen—a case like this. From this day forward, young master Roy, you will be able to use magic of any attribute freely, without mana loss or any other restriction. Do you understand how extraordinary that is?"
Who doesn't know that? I'm saying mana quantity matters more.
"Haha, in any case, please keep this quiet. I don't want needless rumors starting so that when I eventually go to the Knight Academy I get ostracized by the other high-ranking noble children."
"Ah... yes, that is certainly possible."
The high priest carefully restrained himself. However much he wished to praise the boy before him, he could not afford to slight the children of greater houses. Yet separately from that, the fact that a seven-year-old was already worrying about events so far in the future struck him with deep inner shock.
I misjudged him. This is a true uncut gem...
"Still, Your Reverence, since you belong to the Grand Temple's network, word might inevitably reach other territories..."
Roy spoke with a look of deep distress.
"What? Why would you worry over such a needless thing? Of course I myself would love to boast everywhere of young master Roy, born under the gods' blessing—but if you truly do not wish it, I shall keep my mouth shut."
"Truly? Thank you, Your Reverence. I will surely repay this kindness someday. At the very least until I graduate from the Knight Academy..."
"I understand. I give you my word."
"Thank you. I will be certain to tell Father."
"But... must we keep it secret from His Lordship as well?"
"No. You may drop a light hint to Father."
"I see."
In truth, until a moment ago Roy had been prepared to blackmail the high priest. Spreading word among the villagers about the broken kettle he had heard of from the apprentice would have given the man a prolonged headache. A holy relic broken? Was that kettle truly a holy relic at all?—the uproar would have been inevitable. Empty rumors might die down quickly, yet they would certainly reach the Grand Temple, and the high priest would be scolded by the elder high priests for failing to keep order among his own people.
Roy had planned to exploit that pressure: force the man to conceal the results of the attribute test while also borrowing the kettle so he could study its hidden magic and formations. Then he changed his mind. Maintaining a good relationship was the wiser path. Who would feel kindly toward a seven-year-old who insolently threatened him? He preferred not to sow unnecessary resentment if he could help it.
Of course. A mage should never make an enemy of the temple; he should stay close to it.
"Shall we return to the chapel, then?"
"Ah—one more thing before that..."
"Yes? What is it?"
"Would it be possible for me to examine a holy relic up close? It need not be today. August is a busy month for the temple, so next month or even several months from now would be fine."
"A holy relic?"
"Yes—not this sword, but the kettle. It's so fascinating I would love to touch it closely. It is so beautiful I want to make a painting of it as well. I am very fond of drawing..."
"Hmm..."
Roy pointedly squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his palms together, as though offering a prayer to the gods.
"O gods, please..."
After a brief hesitation the high priest, finding the boy endearing, cheerfully granted permission.
"If His Lordship consents, I see no problem."
"Hooray!"
Watching Roy's open, exuberant delight, the high priest smiled with warm satisfaction. Roy, however, was thinking something else entirely.
How long am I going to have to keep up this act?
The high priest's reasons for agreeing were not pure fondness either. This was an excellent chance to score points with both the talented boy and the baron. If he spoke of Roy's innate attributes and subtly praised the boy's gifts, what father would not be overjoyed? And if the matter truly needed to remain hidden, as the boy claimed, then a secret shared only between the baron and himself would be born. Was there any surer way to deepen a relationship?
Thus both Roy and the high priest walked away with a result that served them equally well.