Eglantine went on to explain everything I’d missed. My disappearance had apparently made her turn white as a sheet, but she had still managed to activate the selection circle using feystones, exactly as Ferdinand predicted. She had climbed the altar and arrived at the Garden of Beginnings, whereupon she had found me in agony. My charms had then been removed, and the goddess had descended—only to immediately start arguing with Ferdinand.
“Ferdinand and the goddess fought?” I asked.
“Indeed. He was displeased with her for what she did to you, and she was displeased with him for what he did to Erwaermen. In short, she cares for Erwaermen as much as Lord Ferdinand cares for you.”
“Erwaermen did save Mestionora’s life, according to the myths, so maybe she sees him as I see Ferdinand—more important than reading books in a library.”
Eglantine gave me a troubled look. “No wonder Lord Ferdinand hesitates to hasten the arrival of winter.”
I cocked my head at her. Something wasn’t adding up. It seemed safe to say that my understanding of the “arrival of winter” wasn’t the correct one.
Guess I’ll just have to ask Ferdinand.
“Lady Eglantine,” I said, “please do not tell anyone what you saw or heard in the Garden of Beginnings. I would rather not order you, but I do not have a choice in the matter.”
“I understand. And worry not—there is nobody with whom I could share this information in the first place. Now, let us finish this ceremony.”
The divine power inside me continued to swell, causing my hands to tremble. Eglantine gave the one she was holding a reassuring squeeze, then donned the bright smile she wore while socializing. I nodded and smiled as well, doing my best to come across as the avatar of a goddess.
As I descended the altar, an intoxicated mutter from Hartmut reached my ear: “The divinity hurts to behold...” Ferdinand must have brought him up to speed.
“May the new Zent form a vow with the Goddess of Light,” our acting High Priest declared. “Lady Rozemyne, might I assist you?” He stood beside me and held a voice amplifier to my mouth in preparation for my response.
I nodded, then turned to Eglantine. “O Zent, blessed by the gods, declare your loyalty to the Goddess of Light, ruler of contracts. Beleuchkrone.”
My schtappe turned into the Goddess of Light’s crown, which I placed atop the head of the now kneeling Eglantine. Getting it to sit right was surprisingly tough; I worried it might go askew or fall off the moment she stood. I really wasn’t cut out for being an attendant, though that news came as no surprise to me.
As soon as I was done, I took a step back, prompting Hartmut to pass the voice-amplifying tool to the new Zent.
“I, Eglantine, hereby swear to the Goddess of Light and the twelve subordinates who serve by her side to correct the distortions that have taken root in Yurgenschmidt, to revive old rituals as the Sovereign temple’s High Bishop, and to keep my promises to Lady Rozemyne, the Divine Avatar of Mestionora.”
The crown let out a truly dazzling flash, eliciting a response from a portion of the divine power within me. Some of the Light subordinates must have contributed to the spectacle.
As I am now, is it really safe to give an omni-elemental blessing?
A wave of unease spread through me, causing my divine mana to rise. My hands shook more violently than before. To really sell the idea that Eglantine had received the true Grutrissheit, I needed to give her an omni-elemental blessing. I couldn’t think of any other way to make the transference seem divine.
I caught Hartmut’s eye as he retrieved the magic tool. There was no time to discuss the matter with him or Eglantine. He must have noticed something then because he blinked at me and recoiled ever so slightly. His gaze wandered in search of the currently invisible Ferdinand.
No! We can’t stop the ceremony now!
“In the Garden of Beginnings, the gods recognized Lady Eglantine as the new Zent,” I declared, forging ahead to keep Hartmut from interfering. “Now that she is oath-bound to the Goddess of Light, I shall bestow the Grutrissheit upon her.”
I cast stylo and immediately started to pray. “O mighty King and Queen of the endless skies...” The sigils of the primary gods began to shine, and my divine power surged with each new word. My temperature rose so suddenly that, by the time the blessing rained down on Eglantine, I almost expected to burst into flames.
“Lady Eglantine, let all witness the Grutrissheit and see that you are the Zent,” I said.
I retreated a step so that Eglantine could take center stage. Hartmut was right behind me, and at once, he asked me whether I was well. I didn’t even have a chance to reply before Ferdinand emerged from the shadows.
“The arrangements for your trip to the foundation have been made,” he said. “You are coming down with a fever; I can see it on your face.”
“The divine power in me responded to the prayer,” I muttered.
“Then the goddess was correct—you must head to the foundation. Everyone else, stay here; we must keep its location a secret. I trust you can buy us enough time, Hartmut.”
Hartmut was lost for words. As expected, considering the preposterous task just thrust upon him. The cheers as Eglantine held aloft the Grutrissheit gave him no chance to protest.
“From here, have King—rather, Lord—Trauerqual deliver the speech we planned to give directly to the aubs,” Ferdinand said. “If not even that gives us enough time, move on to the information we planned to share during the Archduke Conference.”
“Understood...” Hartmut replied at length.
The applause died down while Ferdinand sped through his remaining instructions. Our audience genuinely believed that Eglantine held the true Grutrissheit. My duty as an avatar was almost complete.
So close. Just need to reach the exit without passing out...
“Now, everyone,” Hartmut said, tense from the weight suddenly dropped on his shoulders. “Let us give our prayers to the gods!”
I was about to depart, so a final prayer was unavoidable. Some light escaped my ring and made my fever even worse. I was struck with the urge to put my head in my hands and groan.
Nooo... Why am I like this?!
“Lady Rozemyne and Lady Eglantine shall now depart,” Hartmut announced. “Raise your schtappes high for them!” He then rushed to inform the others of our sudden change of plan for the ceremony.
Anastasius approached the altar to escort Eglantine. He nearly choked in surprise when Ferdinand appeared seemingly out of thin air.