Before heading out to the church, Ayami and the others stopped by the reception to settle the payment.
However, before Ayami could offer to pay, the Innkeeper elf lady smiled warmly and uttered, "There's no need, the payment's already been settled," surprising the group, except for the one who had settled it.
With a puzzled expression, Ayami asked the Innkeeper, "Huh? Who's so generous as to pay our bills?"
The Innkeeper remained silent and simply smiled, adding to the mystery.
Ayami didn't inquire further and let out a sigh of relief. "Phew… Whoever it was, may Gods grant them longevity!" she exclaimed, expressing her gratitude for the unknown benefactor.
– My money is saved!
She thought to herself, relieved to have one less thing to worry about.
With a light giggle, Ayami departed from the Inn, her spirits lifted by the unexpected gesture of kindness.
She walked alongside Ayaka and the Tempest siblings, with a sense of joyfulness emanating from her as they made their way towards the church.
Their anticipation grew as they envisioned the possibilities of Ewaan and Maya's awakening, already strategizing their roles in the party based on the potential Class and Elemental Attributes they might attain.
°°°
Finally arriving at the area surrounding the church, they found themselves greeted by a long line of people eagerly awaiting their turn for baptism.
It seems they would have to wait a while before entering the sacred grounds.
Surprised, they exchanged glances, taken aback by the sight of the long line stretching out before them.
"That's unusual!" Ayaka exclaimed, prompting confused looks from Ewaan and Maya.
Sensing their confusion, Ayaka added, "I mean, every year, many people gathers to be baptized, but not this many! Usually, there are nobles that gather here for the first half, but look at it, everyone's mixed up!"
Ayaka's eyes widened in astonishment as she surveyed the scene before them. The area surrounding the church was teeming with people, far more than she had ever seen gathered for the annual baptism.
Nobles, usually the first to line up, were indeed present, but what caught her attention was the sea of commoners mingling among them, waiting patiently for their turn.
"It doesn't seem like there are only King's State's citizens here…" Ayami remarked, observing the diverse crowd. "Hey, why are there so many people here this year?" she inquired, turning to a random guy who was also in line.
The random guy, sporting glasses and dressed in a peculiar outfit, replied with a surprised tone, "Huh? You don't know? Where were you crawling around these last few days? Everybody knows about the big announcement made by the Divine Priestess of the King's State Church!"
"YOU—" The guy's attitude made Ayami angry, as she was about to flip out, when Maya stepped in.
She uttered with a calm demeanor, "Sorry, we weren't in the city, so we didn't catch the announcement…"
"The Divine Priestess had a ‹Vision› a few days ago," the random guy begun explaining enthusiastically, flicking his glasses, "saying, 'Whoever is favoured by a Deity this year will have a chance to get into any high-profile profession.' A knight of the Empire, a teacher at the Academia, or even an apprentice at the church! There are so many possibilities."
Excitement bubbled, as he continued babbling, "Not only that, she also stated, 'If the Gods so chooses, a Hero will be born amongst the masses!' and you have to anticipate what this means, right? People from other cities also learned about this and traveled here to participate in the Baptism!"
Ewaan's mind raced with questions as he pondered,
– Does that Divine Priestess know that we already arrived in this world?
Ayami voiced her confusion, interjecting, "That's not right! Aren't Heroes supposed to descend into this world rather than being born in it?"
Ayaka chimed in, reminding her, "Actually... Do you remember that elf woman who once helped us inside the ‹Veiled Serpent Labyrinth›?"
As Ayami nodded, Ayaka's eyes sparkled with excitement as she continued, "Well, she told me an interesting story that day. Apparently, the 6th Hero was born into our world as an Elf who was also the crown prince of the Elven Kingdom of his generation! So it's not quite farfetched to imagine, a Hero born right here among us!"
Ewaan's gaze turned curious as Ayaka shared her story, but Ayami cut in dismissively, "Sigh… whatever the story is, it won't get us out of this lining-up dilemma…"
Listening to Ayami, Maya and Ayaka couldn't help but give a sheepish smile in response.
As they stood in line, Ewaan's mind raced with questions about the purpose of heroes in this world.
– The more I hear about these heroes, the more suspicious I become of this world!
Ewaan pondered, his brow furrowing with uncertainty. He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was more to the role of heroes in this world than met the eye.
– What's the purpose for the heroes to be in this world?
As he continued to ponder, he remembered the words of the mysterious silhouette in his dream.
– Fulfilling destiny? What could it possibly be?
His thoughts swirled with uncertainty as he considered the possibilities. "Is it to save the world from specific threats? Or simply for the amusement of those Gods?" he mused, his expression clouded with doubt.
Suddenly, Ayami's voice broke through his reverie, "Did you say something?"
Startled, Ewaan quickly shook his head, "No, it's nothing," he replied hastily, hoping to avoid any further questions about his thoughts.
°°°
As the afternoon waned and the sun shining ever so brightly, casting shadows across the landscape, the line gradually thinned, and they finally arrived at the imposing entrance of the church.
Two Deacons, adorned in ceremonial robes, stood before the grand doors, extending greetings to each visitor with genuine warmth and hospitality.
Entering the church, they were greeted by a petite dark elf with long black hair parted neatly down the middle, her golden eyes shining as though seeing through everyone.
Dressed in a Gothic-style nun habit, her demeanor both graceful and serene, yet there was a hint of mischievousness about her.
She was accompanied by a seemingly middle-aged man with vibrant blue hair binded by a white ribbon from the left side, who wore the regal attire of a pope, his presence exuding a sense of authority and reverence.
The petite dark elf's gaze swept over Ewaan and his companions, as her eyes narrowed in scrutiny.
– Hmm? A young man with white hair…
She mused silently, her expression thoughtful yet tinged with suspicion. Suddenly, recognition flickered across her features.
– Wait, these two girls are the ones about whom the guild master provided information!
Her eyes flicked back to Ewaan, her scrutiny intensifying.
– So, this white-haired boy must be… Him!
But as she observed Ewaan more closely, doubt crept into her thoughts.
– Apart from being ordinary, I can't seem to find anything extraordinary about this boy mentioned by the Guild master…
She furrowed her brows, her expression clouded with uncertainty.
– How could this boy really be the Hero?
The petite dark elf then spoke with a composed demeanor, her voice clear and authoritative as she addressed the gathering, "Those proceeding to the Sacred Chamber, please step forward..."
Maya and Ewaan, along with a few nondescript individuals who had entered the church with the group, hopeful for the baptism, stepped forward in response to the dark elf's instructions.
The dark elf added with a dutiful demeanor, "Please, enter one at a time," gesturing towards the entrance of the Sacred Chamber in front with her hand.
Ewaan and Maya decided to be the last ones to enter, but among the two, Maya would be the first to step into the Sacred Chamber.
After everyone had finished, the ones had magical aptitudes went with a church member towards the main hall, other had left, while Maya entered the chamber.
Moments later, a sudden glow emanated from within, signaling that something extraordinary was happening inside.
The unexpected phenomenon left everyone standing there stunned, including Ewaan and the Takagi twins.
However, the Pope and the dark elf were the only ones visibly astonished by this extraordinary event.
As they were about to exclaim in astonishment, Ewaan noticed and immediately intervened, gesturing for them to remain silent.
With a calm expression, he approached them and said firmly, "Don't utter anything unnecessary! I know what you're about to say, but don't!"
The dark elf's expression twisted with fury, and she snapped, "How dare you speak so disrespectfully to the Pope? Who are you to intrude on our moment of joy?"
Ewaan, unfazed by her provocation, grumpily retorted, "What's your deal, pipsqueak? Don't interrupt when adults are talking. Get lost!"
••• ••• •••