Ascendance of a Bookworm

The Dedication Ritual

I was playing reversi with the High Priest (who finished his paperwork early today). He suddenly pushed a sound-blocking magic tool towards me. I stretched my arm to grab it while he placed his black piece on the playing board.

“Myne, the Dedication Ritual will start on the next Earthday.”

“Right.”

I kept staring at the black piece he placed on the board, pondering my next move when I heard Ferdinand whispered under his breath.

“…Make a bad move.”

I looked back up at him, confused at what he meant then. He warned me to not look away, that I did not need to put my shocked expression on display.

“I told the High Bishop that typically, you will only have seven to eight stones worth of mana left after offering twelve stones worth of mana. He will believe that twenty is your limit before you pass out. But of course, you have much more than that…” His words trailed off as he reached for another reversi stone. We were using square wooden blocks with one side painted black as reversi stones. He never broke his line of sight from the board.

“If you show him your full capability by accident, he will probably think that we had lied to him or that we were trying to hide your powers. So it would be to our advantage that you hold back to filling a maximum of twenty stones everyday for the Dedication Ritual. It would be better if you feign weakness after that.”

“I have no problems with that, but wouldn’t it mean we were actually deceiving him?”

It was not a big deal for me to control my mana, but then it would make High Bishop’s misunderstanding true that we were truly deceiving him. However, my comment only made the High Priest smirk.

“It will not be considered a misunderstanding if we had actually lied to him, right? I also dislike it when people lie to me, but we can always disprove his claims by saying that we truly did deceive him. Of course, it will always be better for us to take a precaution by making you hide your full powers. It would be foolish of us to reveal everything to him. To defeat your enemies, you cannot reveal all your tricks, and in this case, you cannot reveal all your powers.”

“I see…”

I got High Priest’s point, but my imagination went straight to the scene of High Bishop yelling “You deceived me!” and the High Priest responding with a “Yes we did”.

~~~

On the Earthday that the Dedication Ritual began. Delia woke me up early in the morning for a bath and cleaned me up. Then, she helped dress me in my ceremonial robes. The blue robes had embroidery of blue thread that resembled waves and flowers, it had gold threading at the sleeves and was finished with a silver cloth around the waist. There were smaller red decorations, red represented winter religiously. The colour symbolised a hopeful life that weakened the cold.

“Delia, I will be using the new hairpin today.”

I stopped Delia from taking the old hairpin from the closet and took out a cloth from my table drawer and handed it to her. Tuuli jad brought over a few days ago

“Hey! You can’t leave the hairpins in your drawer! Who knows if you’ll mess up all the flowers?!”

Delia shook her head as she carefully took out the hairpin. The hairpin had the same design as the one I wore at my baptism ceremony, but this time it used red and green thread that would suit the winter and spring rituals. It had three large red flowers and a long strand decorated with many small green leaves, it used the same concept I did for the small white flowers.

My family made me a new hairpin for temple work after seeing how sad I had been after my other one was ruined from the time I worked with the Knight Order. This would comfort me over my lonely winter in the temple.

“The hairpin looks really good on you, but the other went well with your hair colour, Sister Myne.” said Rosin who was standing from a distance. She twinged with some regret after I had tied up my hair with the new hairpin.

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing to be done about it. I made a request to use the symbolic colours for the upcoming winter and spring rituals, so we can’t do anything about it not matching my hair colour.”

After my hair was done, I waited for Damuel to walk me to the High Priest’s room.

The High Priest’s attendants had a difficult time summoning me because my room was the only one this far away from the nobles’ area of the temple. He urged me to wait in his room before the ceremony to save time.

My robes were made of the finest fabric available, it provided much warmth and was light, it made a very satisfying swishing sound everytime I moved.

“Those clothes definitely look like the insane price they cost,” said Damual in amazement as he looked at my robes, he was definitely thinking about the money he spent just to cover a quarter of its price.

It was different from my first set that was made from available cloth, this one had been made from scratch that was more expensive. I was curious and asked Damuel how much he had spent, and they had cost triple of the first one I had bought.

Damuel was from a laynoble family that was not very affluent, they were not much better than commoners. It turns out he had passed out when he found out the amount he had to pay. He tried asking his family for help, so in the end it was his older brother’s concubine who ended up bearing most of the cost.

“I heard that you paid for your first set, apprentice. I’m impressed that you have that much money.”

“They were made out of the cloth someone gave me, so it’s not as expensive as you think it is.”

“I see, but even so…”

We finished our conversation when we arrived at the High Priest’s chambers. The High Priest was absent because he had to attend the ritual, but he left behind some attendants to tend to me.

“Good morning, Sister Myne. Arno will come over after the other blue priests are done with the ritual. Please make yourself comfortable until then.”

I had to fast until the ritual was over, so there was nothing for me to do but wait. I sat in the chair offered to me while Fran and Damuel stood behind me. It felt kind of weird that Damuel who was a noble, was standing while I sat. I turned my head to ask him.

“Are you not going to sit down, Sir Damuel?”

“Apprentice, a bodyguard cannot seat as he would be unable to move fast enough when needed. An emergency could pop up any time.” His serious tone made it definitive that he was not going to change his mind, so I had no choice but to keep seated, even though it felt so uncomfortable.

I waited quietly, and Arno did come for me.

“Sister Myne, please follow me now,” he said.

I got up to follow him, along with Fran and Damual who tagged along behind. We left the High Priest’s room, we walked past several other doors then the High Bishop’s room before we turned a corner. Arno walked faster than my attendants who usually slowed down to match my pace.

Fran noticed I was struggling to keep up and he called out to Arno.

“Apologies, Arno, may I request that you slow down?”

“Oh, I see. I was walking too fast for Sister Myne,” he said before slowing his steps. “I’m sorry.”

A gray priest slowly opened the door at the end of the hallway as we moved towards it. Seeing that he was looking inside the room, he probably was not opening it for me, but for those inside heading out.

The first person that emerged was a large man dressed in white robes with a golden ribbon around his waist. Those robes looked familiar, there was only one man who could wear them, so I recognized him instantly.

“…High Bishop.” I bluttered his title without a second thought. I almost forgot about him since it had been a while since I last saw him after entering the temple, but there was no doubt he still saw me as an enemy. His face grimaced with disgust when he looked at me and he approached us with that crude face.

This was the worst coincidence, his room was behind us so he would return there now. If we delayed our departure from the High Priest’s chambers, we would not have to cross paths as The High Bishop would have retreated to his chambers.

I stepped aside, knelt down and placed my arms across my chest. Arno, Fran and Damuel followed along. I heard High Bishop’s footsteps and swishing of his robes approaching me. I filled with dread because I knew he despised me and might do something to me. My heart was pacing around as I quietly waited for him to pass by.

I kept my eyes on the floor and soon I saw his white robes pass me. I was thankful that he only let out an arrogant snort before moving on. I kept my knees to the ground and my head down until I heard his door shut. I gave a relieved sigh and got up.

Arno continued guiding me to the ritual hall door that was still open.

“Sir Damuel, please wait here. Only priests and shrine maidens are allowed into the ritual hall.” I turned around when Arno spoke, but he gestured me to head in, signaling that the High Priest was waiting inside.

And as expected, when I walked in, I saw the High Priest alone in the room standing in front of the altar.

The ritual hall looked like a small chapel. It’s ceiling was taller and wider than the High Priest’s room. The walls were painted white with gold-plated ornaments fixed at equal distances. The walls had white pillars with gold pieces engraved at the top like that of the chapel. Between each pillar were windows and there were metal torches set alight.

On the wall at the other side of the room, there was an abstract wall decorated with striking art in bright colours. In front of the wall was an altar with different levels, with torches on both sides. A long red cloth that looked like carpets was laid down the centre of the hall and it continued up and over the altar. On top of the altar were various divine objects but there was not a single statue of the gods.

The top of the altar was the King and Queen of gods, along with the Light Goddess crown on the Dark God’s cape. At the centre of the step beneath it was a huge gold chalice surrounded by several smaller ones on. The small chalices were returned from the farming towns by the blue priests during the Harvest Festival, they needed to be filled with mana during the Dedication Ritual. They would be returned after winter during the Spring Prayer. On the next level was the divine staff, spear, shield and sword.

The last step had an array of offerings to the gods – plants that symbolised the coming of spring, fruits that celebrated a plenty harvest, incense that welcomed peaceful times, and cloths that displayed their dedicated faith in them.

“You arrived sooner than I anticipated, Myne.”

The High Priest turned around. He was donned in his own ceremonial robes, a different one from those he usually wore. Though they were blue, there were lots of embroidered leaves on it, it was accompanied with red decorations, the colour of winter and a gold sash worn by adults.

“There doesn’t seem to be any other blue priests,” I commented.

“We have sufficient mana that they don’t need to be present,” replied the High Priest. I only thought about how they would only be insulted when they saw a commoner girl they mocked could offer more mana they could ever hope to have. I was completely unbothered about their absence, being around them was not a nice experience for me anyways.

“But this is not for their pride,” the High Priest remarked, as though he had seen through me and I was surprised by what he said.. “When individuals come together for the same goal and say the same prayers, their mana will flow together, speeding up the process because te mana is able to leave the body more easily. If the blue priests were to become entangled in the mana you release, they might get trapped in it and get injured.”

“.I see.”

“I am the only one who can do this with you. We shall begin.”

The High Priest knelt down in front of the altar, he touched the cloth on the floor while I did the same behind him.

The most important ritual in the temple was the Dedication Ritual. It was here that we priests and shrine maidens replenished the divine instruments with the mana needed for next year’s harvest. We make mana flow into the divine instruments only by praying and placing with our hands on the crimson cloth on the floor and over the altar. This was because the cloth was made from thread imbued with mana.

“I offer my prayer and thanks to the gods who have created this world.”

I recited the prayer after the High Priest, whose quiet, methodical voice boomed across the ceremonial hall.

“O mighty King and Queen of the immortal sky, and the mighty Eternal Five who rule over the mortal realm. O Goddess of Water Flutrane, O God of Fire Leidenschaft, O Goddess of Wind Schutzaria, O Goddess of Earth Gedulth, O God of Life Ewigeliebe. We honor you who have blessed this land with life, and pray for your continued blessings from your divine powers.”

With every word I spoke, I felt the mana coursing through my body. The cloth began to glow and within the light, I saw my mana flowing through it towards the altar.

“Myne, enough.” ordered the High Priest as he gracefully removed his hand from the cloth. I followed him and cut off the mana, witnessing the last spark fizzle out into the chalice.

~~~

The High Priest said, “That should be all for today.” after looking at the small chalices. “There was a lot more mana than I expected.”

We had filled seven today, and some quick math told me that we would only take eight days to fill them all..

“If you were not here, I would have had to fill these all by myself, even though I have other responsibilities in the Noble’s District…”  The High Priest sighed in exhaustion, which was a rare sight.

I also looked at the chalices on the altar and nodded along.

As a result, I did the Dedication Ritual everyday. It was only me and the High Priest every time, no other blue priests would be present. This went on for almost a week, and then the High Priest brought in ten new chalices just as we were about done.

“Myne, the ritual will have to go on longer. May I request for your assistance?”

“Did something happen?” I asked. He told me that the neighbouring duchy had a severe shortage of mana that was worse than ours, and requested for our help if we had anymore mana to spare.

“We can use this chance to win some political points and favors from them. It will be tiring, but it will be wise to seize this opportunity.”

“…Uhm, haven’t we already established a good relationship with them?”

“Yes, indeed, but that is exactly why we need to strengthen our foothold by regulating assisting them. There is no point maintaining a good relationship is we are not the ones in power.”

I realised that my own idea of friendship didn’t apply to that here when it comes to establishing a good relationship with another duchy, needed to protect one’s own duchy. Two duchies with good terms did not translate to two people going well together. I understood all these but I still had trouble accepting it.

Even if there was no politics behind this, I had no problems offering help needed by the archduke. Moreover, I had too much mana that I barely used because I did not know how to or have any feystones or magic tools for personal use.

““I offer my prayer and thanks to the gods who have created this world.”

Both of us poured our mana into the little chalices, but we were interrupted in the middle by the creek from the chamber door opening.

“I see that you’re praying well.”

Both the High Priest and I stood up and turned around. The High Bishop who had never stepped into the hall for the ritual was now in the room. He strolled to the altar while carryig a bag filled with something unknown.

“Did something happen, High Bishop?” asked the High Priest, but there was no reply.

The High Bishop just silently took out a few small chalices from his bag, he placed them on the altar one by one. After lining up ten of them, he turned back to us and gave a polite smile, the same one I had seen before he learned that I was a commoner.

“Now then, Myne. You will fill these with mana too. Orders from the archduke himself.”

“I have not been informed of this.” The High Priest looked at the High Bishop in suspicion. The High Bishop gave a piercing gaze but his smile remained the same.

“The request is not for you. I am asking Myne. Don’t tell me your orders are superior to mine, the High Bishop’s.”

I had to make my choice to obey or to not, but I already had so many enemies so it would not be a good idea to disobey an order from the High Bishops. Disobeying him will cause me more trouble.

In the end, I just looked at the High Priest for help. He understood why I looked at him and gave a troubled look back before nodding slowly.

“We are done with today’s ritual. If you allow us, we will do it by tomorrow.”

“Do not forget what you said.”

The High Bishop’s smile turned into an ugly one before he made his way out of the ritual hall. One of the gray priests shut the door after he left. The hall was finally quiet, but the silence was broken with the High Priest’s sigh.

“I was worried that you would get emotional again. But it is evident that the archduke was not behind these extra chalices.”

“So, so we have to fill them? I don’t mind trying to gain some favours…” The High Priest was silent as he pondered on, after a while he gave his answer with a frown.

“We will continue as we have done so previously. Leave this case to me, I will approach the archduke about this matter but the snow will delay the time it will take. It would be best for you to follow his orders. May I ask for your cooperation?”

“Of course.”

After which, my days were occupied with having to fill the small chalices which were increasing in numbers over time.