Chapter 58: Baptism Ceremony (1)
As soon as the day broke, lessons resumed once again.
There wasnt much to call it a lesson since corrections were made on the spot as long as one acted as usual.
Since it was the day before the baptism ceremony, they couldnt go outside. Hence, the corrections all took place at Rays mansion.
Amazing. Theres hardly anything to criticize now.
Iriel admired Ray in a small voice.
Even minute details such as eye contact during conversations and the sound of breathing were corrected in just a day.
However, to be completely honest, there was a problem with his demeanor.
It didnt feel rewarding to praise him because he seemed to do everything so effortlessly.
Huh? Youre hardly being corrected now, are you?
That seems to be the case.
Though it was frustrating, it was true.
The servants poured tea for him and her by their side.
The Euclid standing next to them quietly spoke.
Its tea made from ground Celon petals.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Ray took a sip of the tea.
A slightly bitter taste followed by a very smooth swallow.
Moreover, whoever made the tea had great skill, adjusting even the temperature to ensure it didnt burn the drinkers mouth.
Furthermore, Celon is quite an expensive tea leaf. Not many people know that it can also act as a mild fever reducer.
Ray too learned this fact after reading a book he found in Airas library.
Naturally, admiration escaped his lips.
This tea is really well-made. This is the first time Im having such good tea.
Euclid merely lowered her head with a neutral expression on her face.
Thank you.
Watching him, Iriel swooped in like a hyena that had found its prey.
Saint, when drinking tea, you must not show the inside of your hand.
Got it.
Hehehe.
As there was nothing to criticize, she quickly pounced on him the moment something like this came up.
There was no dignity befitting a saint to be found in her demeanor.
However, the frequency of her criticisms had greatly decreased. They had fully prepared for the baptism ceremony.
Finally, its tomorrow.
Euclid quietly muttered as she looked at Rays room from the opposite balcony.
With no expression and only her lips moving, she resembled a meticulously crafted doll made by a skilled artisan.
You have no idea how long Ive waited for this day.
She tightly grasped the balcony railing.
It seemed like all the people in the Holy Kingdom were flocking to Selonia.
Even though Selonia could accommodate a substantial number of people, it seemed like it would burst at the seams with this amount of crowd.
The baptism ceremony is finally happening.
To think I could witness two baptism ceremonies in my lifetime Its an honor to my family. Hahaha!
Throughout history, there had never been a precedent of a Saint and a Saintess appearing at the same time.
It was only natural that many were looking forward to this event.
However, contrary to these people, other nations did not view this in a favorable light.
The appearance of both a Saint and a Saintess significantly amplified the power of the Holy Kingdom.
If a saint of the same level as the current Saintess were to be born, even the Lesian Empire might have felt threatened in its influence.
It was unknown what measures they would take to check this, but if things continued as they were, the revival of the Holy Kingdom was just a matter of time.
The Silia Kingdom felt this more than anyone.
After all, the saint born in their kingdom had been taken away by the Holy Kingdom, so they must have been quite upset.
However, whatever plans they were concocting, the Silia Kingdom did not show any significant movements.
The Holy Kingdom was also keeping a close eye on this.
They were preparing for the baptism ceremony, but they were devoting more effort to reading the movements outside.
During the height of the baptism ceremony preparations, Ray changed his clothes.
The white clothes, decorated with gorgeous golden threads, perfectly matched his pure white hair.
His blue eyes made him stand out even more, and his flawless white skin seemed to blend with his clothes.
Even Euclid, who had shown no expressions until then, was taken aback when she saw Ray.
She lowered her head and said,
The preparations for the initiation are complete. I will guide you to the baptism ceremony shortly.
Right now?
He had just changed his clothes. Now they were about to hold the baptism ceremony. Didnt he need some mental preparation?
But Euclid was firm.
You must leave now. The initiation can only be held on the day of the full moon.
This was a fact he didnt know, and it had come from her mouth. It was something Iriel hadnt told him before.
Why did he have to hear this from his servant?
Before the anger towards Iriel could surface through his skin, Euclid spoke again.
If I may dare to say, there is no need to hurry, but it would be better to leave now. The Pope and the other nobles are waiting for you at the baptism ceremony.
Phew Will you guide me?
I shall accompany you.
Iriel. One day, he was going to grab him by the head.
As Ray headed for the baptism ceremony, all eyes in the vicinity focused on him.
His pure white hair, which was said to be rare even on the continent, and his nose, which rose like a painting, were enough to capture many hearts.
Euclid stood in front of the baptism ceremony without following Ray in.
And when she thought Ray was far enough away that he couldnt hear her, she opened her mouth.
How dare a servant look a saint straight in the face It seems that reeducation is necessary.
Despite her sharp words, those who looked at her expressionless face turned pale.
Im, Im sorry.
Weve been rude!
They bowed their waists in apology.
This was far too polite an apology for one servant to give to another. It even seemed as if there was a hint of fear.
Observing this, Euclid silently opened the door to the baptism ceremony that Ray had entered.
When the Saint begins the initiation, I will conduct reeducation. I hope everyone will gather without missing a single person.
With those words, she disappeared into the baptism ceremony.
Ray looked around and then saw Euclid, who was approaching quickly from afar.
Where were you?
She lowered her head.
I needed to convey some words to the other servants. Please forgive our rudeness.
No. Thats not rudeness to that extent
As they walked along the corridor overlooking the entire village, the baptism ceremony came into view not too far ahead.
Interestingly, the baptism ceremony was held in a beautiful garden of tremendous size.
The chairs placed in the garden were all made of high-quality wood, seemingly crafted by a skilled artisan, and individuals who appeared to be nobles had their servants standing by their sides.
Seeing Euclid walk into the baptism ceremony without hesitation, it appeared that she, too, was permitted to enter.
Ray thought that entering the vast garden wouldnt immediately draw attention, but that was a naive assumption.
Just as before, all eyes were focused on him.
Moreover, he was wearing adult clothes, so even a noble seeing the saint for the first time could easily recognize him.
A rugged man with rich brown hair approached Ray and greeted him.
Its an honor to meet you, Saint. My name is Pronel, and I am the fifth treatment battalion chief and a shrine keeper.
Pronel bowed his head.
I was told not to bow my head.
Recalling Iriels words, instead of bowing, Ray raised his hand.
Nice to meet you, Shrine Keeper Pronel. My name is Ray, the newly appointed saint.
Hahaha. Its reassuring to have two saints in the holy kingdom.
Ray smiled at the hearty laughter.
For some reason, he reminded him of the uncle who lived next door.
Moreover, with a face that wouldnt have seemed out of place among bandits, it was unique that he was a shrine keeper.
As he greeted Ray, people from all around gathered.
Nice to meet you, Saint. I am
Its an honor to meet you. If I may say
He found himself in a tough situation, surrounded by those eagerly introducing themselves.
It reminded him of modern-day events.
A salvation army came to his rescue in the midst of the overwhelming situation.
Everyone is happy to meet the saint, but please show some respect. It isnt appropriate to behave like this in front of the saint, who is about to undergo the baptism ceremony.
Upon hearing these words, a series of people turned to look in the direction of the voice.
There stood Iriel, dressed in white clothes adorned with gold thread, just like Ray.
However, there was one difference. The people bowing and greeting Iriel had fear mixed in their eyes.
They bowed their heads and greeted.
Shrine Keeper Aeinrn greets the holy maiden.
Clarean, the head of the Dimitrious family, greets the holy maiden.
Seeing them hastily leave after greeting her, it seemed they might not have been on good terms with Iriel.
Soon, only about half of the initial crowd remained.
Among them was Shrine Keeper Pronel.
Iriel said to Ray,
Todays the day. Youre finally becoming a saint for real
Yeah. It didnt feel real until now, but it finally does. Hahaha.
Iriel smiled and closed her eyes as Ray chuckled awkwardly.
The journey here wasnt smooth, so it feels all the more special to finally undergo the baptism ceremony
Hearing these words, the surrounding nobles smiled and said,
The two saints seem to get along well. Theres no room for us to intervene.
Im starting to feel a bit left out. Hahaha.
Iriel laughed pleasantly at their words.
Hohoho. I was just maintaining a friendly relationship with the saint. For now, that was.
Many must have felt something from Iriels last words, and Ray, too, felt a chill run down his spine.
Just then, Euclid, who was standing by the side, quietly bowed her head and spoke.
Excuse me for interrupting. Saint, its about time. Should we head outside?
They were already outside, so where else were they supposed to go?
Pushing aside his confusion, Ray politely bid farewell.
Then, I will take my leave.
Yes, we will meet at the ceremony.
We will meet at the ceremony.
After exchanging goodbyes, Iriel waved her hand.
Do well.
Ray chuckled at her form of encouragement.
Yeah. I will do my best.
A smile blossomed on his face as he spoke.
Seeing this, Euclid clenched her gathered hands.
Watching the two leave the garden and head towards the large hill, the remaining nobles said,
I wonder why the young lady of the Bellacroix family chose to be a servant
Being one of the families serving the saint, they must have had their reasons
Their quiet conversation continued as Iriel watched Euclids retreating figure.
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