Holy, Blessed, and an Apostle — 2
Alexandriana had left the field, and Eternal Blue Sky had been substituted in.
"Why are you Enen's Blessed? You've got my stigma and my sacred relic. Shouldn't you be my Blessed?"
Being called Blessed is basically just a medal. Besides, the Dawn Church is the only place that even has the concept of a Blessed. How am I supposed to become your Blessed?
The moment Eternal Blue Sky learned I had been beatified as a Blessed of the Dawn Church, she launched into a spectacular bout of whining. It was the kind of dazzling performance that nearly knocked the soul clean out of me, but I answered her with as much care as I could manage.
Because I could hear the quiet hurt under her voice. This wasn't her usual idle teasing. She was genuinely upset and disappointed.
But I had been a Dawn Church believer from the start. What was so strange about a Dawn Church believer being beatified by the Dawn Church?
"That medal thing is exactly why it's dangerous! The stigma and the relic are the only reasons you're still close to me. If Enen starts handing out medals too, you'll just drift over to him!"
Eternal Blue Sky screeched like a spoiled five-year-old throwing a tantrum in the toy aisle of a department store.
It left me feeling complicated. The first time I met her she had carried the free-spirited air of an ancient god. The longer time went on, the more that free spirit had turned into something almost pitiful. What on earth had she gone through while dwelling in the World Tree (pending promotion) to end up like this?
"Can't you just refuse the Blessed title? Enen has plenty of other kids. I've only got you..."
For a second Marquis Barandiga up in the North flashed through my mind, and I scrubbed the thought away just as quickly.
Even I knew the man was a fashion priest at best; Eternal Blue Sky knew it, and so did the marquis himself. Bringing him up now would only make her rage burn hotter.
I'll transfer the power dwelling in the sacred relic to the World Tree within the week. Please calm down.
Eternal Blue Sky fell silent at that. My words weren't a clean break meaning "I'm handing over the relic so you and I have nothing to do with each other anymore." They meant I would help the tree she inhabited evolve into a true World Tree.
"...Really?"
Really.
Moving the power sealed in the sacred relic into the provisional World Tree was something we had already agreed on. We had simply never pinned down an exact date.
Ordinarily I was stationed at the Academy and couldn't leave my post; lately I had been busy enjoying newlywed life. So Eternal Blue Sky had simply waited for that someday. Nagging me risked souring my mood, and then "someday" might never come at all.
And now I had put a hard deadline of "this week" on it myself? From her perspective, every last drop of resentment must have evaporated on the spot.
I'll go by the weekend at the latest.
"Okay! I'll wait!"
The faint dampness that had clung to her voice vanished, replaced by something bright and free again.
A god who receives no faith is truly pitiful...
I had set the deadline on impulse, but the truth was I already planned to visit the Elf Sanctuary soon. The new year had dawned; the least I could do was pay my respects to Trixie's maternal grandmother.
Trixie, considerate of my newlywed status, had suggested we go next month or so.
"This weekend, then?"
"Yeah. I could leave right this second, but you've got Magic Tower business too."
The fact that I, the groom himself, was the one suggesting the trip made her joy impossible to hide.
Of course it did. What woman would dislike her fiancé volunteering to visit her grandmother? If Trixie and her grandmother had been on bad terms it might have been different, but thankfully their relationship was warm and affectionate.
"Weekend is fine for me as well... but there's no need to force the schedule."
"Visiting the in-laws isn't forcing anything. Busy or not, that's the first place you go."
"I-I see."
At my firm answer, Trixie's ears gave a little flutter.
Naturally Trixie wanted to see her grandmother far more than I did. She could use teleportation freely, and I had heard she had gone alone a few times since last year's school trip. But a granddaughter going alone and a granddaughter going with her future husband were two very different things.
Besides, every other elder on her side of the family had attended our wedding as guests and exchanged greetings. Trixie's maternal grandmother was the only one I still had not properly greeted this year. Even if she never said it aloud, it must have weighed on Trixie's mind.
So now was the time. If we had to go anyway, better to go quickly.
"And while we're there we should ask her about the wedding. If it's hard for Grandmother to leave, then we'll just hold it there."
My wedding with Trixie would take place in the second half of the year. As the grandmother of her only granddaughter, she absolutely had to attend. If she was reluctant to leave the Elf Sanctuary, I was perfectly willing to hold the ceremony inside the sanctuary itself.
The only real problem was that a sanctuary wedding would make it difficult for human guests to attend—
If it comes to that, we'll just do it twice.
One ceremony for the humans, one for the elves. Problem solved.
It wasn't as if we lacked money. What was a second wedding between friends?
I had just finished dinner and was about to play with the fairies when the call from Trixie came through.
"This weekend, you say?"
"Yes. We plan to arrive around lunchtime."
And she brought the most welcome, joyful news along with it.
She really takes after her.
Looking at Trixie's flushed face and the way her ears kept fluttering, a smile rose to my lips of its own accord. It felt exactly like watching Ariadne when she was small.
How could a child resemble her mother so completely? Surely some of her father's blood ran in her veins, yet I could hardly find a trace of it.
The weekend...
Then the words Eternal Blue Sky had spoken a few hours earlier came back to me.
"A precious guest will come this week. A guest this World Tree will welcome, and one you will welcome as well. Remember that."
Precious and welcome indeed. Her beloved granddaughter and the grandson-in-law who had revived the World Tree were coming. What greater joy could there be?
"I've grown so old that sleep is the only thing that has dwindled, yet you tell me news like this and expect me to sleep with my heart racing?"
"I thought arriving without a word might startle you too much."
I offered a light joke, and Trixie smiled and played along.
Before I knew it I was laughing too. Ever since Ariadne left home there had been no one with whom I could exchange banter. To my own people I was an elder; to the fairies I was simply the auntie who looked after them.
"Ah, Grandmother."
Trixie, still laughing with me, seemed to remember something and continued.
"When we visit this time, I expect we'll also talk about the wedding."
At those words the smile froze on my face exactly as it was.
Wedding?
It was not the fact of Trixie's marriage itself that shocked me. Ever since last year, when she introduced her lover as my future grandson-in-law, I had been preparing myself. I also understood that by human standards she was more than old enough to marry.
Of course the thought of an elf marrying at one hundred twenty still made me flinch awake some nights, but imposing elven standards on a child raised in the human world would be far too cruel.
Even so, my body had locked up for a different reason.
I never even saw my own daughter's wedding.
That a worthless adult who had failed to attend her only daughter's wedding or childbirth was now about to witness her granddaughter's marriage—that was what stunned me.
That a worthless mother and grandmother might be allowed such happiness—that was what frightened me.
"Grandmother?"
"Ah, forgive me. I was simply surprised that such a young child is getting married..."
When I suddenly fell silent, Trixie tilted her head, and I hurried to speak again. I could not show a gloomy face to the granddaughter who had brought me good news.
"Among elves I am young, but in human society it is a perfectly acceptable age for marriage."
"Of course I know that. I was only a little startled because I still cling to the old ways of thinking."
I forced a smile toward Trixie, who looked faintly sulky.
Yes. Trixie's marriage was a joyous thing. As her family I had to celebrate it more than anyone, to smile for her with all my heart.
So I would set the fear aside for now. If it had been only my own problem I could have waited until I found an answer myself, but as Trixie's only living blood relative I could not turn away from her wedding.
I'll have to do the work of three people by myself.
Thinking of my departed daughter and son-in-law, I would have to play the roles of all three alone.
...Or four?
Come to think of it, if he had still been alive he would have doted on his granddaughter too, so that made four roles.
Everyone had left me behind and now the one left standing had to do all the hard work.
I spent each day with my heart fluttering as I looked toward the weekend.
I got so carried away that I pruned far more branches than usual, yet Eternal Blue Sky never scolded me. She only said, as always, that I had worked hard today.
Truly a merciful being, just as one would expect of the power that had helped revive the World Tree. From now on I would prune with even greater devotion.
"Elder, I brought what you asked for."
While I was piously gathering the fallen branches and leaves from the ground, Claris—who had accepted my request—arrived with both arms full of ingredients.
Even a quick glance told me they were top-grade goods. With materials this fine, the results would be excellent.
"You've worked hard. Keep the change."
"There's more left over than I spent."
"You ran an errand for an old woman. You deserve at least that much."
"Ah... yes. Thank you."
Claris rolled her eyes this way and that, then carefully bowed her head in thanks.
"But I'll do the cooking. I think that's the only way I'll feel right about it."
With that she carried the ingredients straight into the house. Her steps were so quick and decisive I never even had a chance to stop her.
What am I supposed to do now?
This was awkward. I wanted to cook for my granddaughter and grandson-in-law with my own hands; if Claris did it for me, the meaning would be diluted.
Yet Claris's stubbornness was considerable. Either she would cook herself, or I would have to take the money back...
Should I put her to sleep with magic?
The thought flickered for a moment, but I gently shook my head. Forcibly putting a child who only wanted to help out of kindness to sleep would be far too unkind.
Besides, from Claris's point of view Trixie was the daughter of a friend. Hearing that the young daughter of a departed friend was coming, of course she would want to cook something with her own hands and serve it.
No choice, then.
I would simply have to secure my share by helping from the side.