Ariel gave a serious nod. She joined her hands in prayer before reaching out to touch the orb. “I pray, O gods, grant me the Profession to which I am most suited.”
Glowing letters appeared in the air. The priest read aloud, “It is revealed. You may be a Beast Tamer or a Diviner. Which will you choose?”
The girl looked between the two Professions.
“Beast Tamer would be kind of...” she started to say, an openly contemptuous expression on her face. “I choose Diviner!”
“I had no doubt that would be your decision,” said the priest, comforting her. “I can scarcely imagine that someone would choose Beast Tamer. I believe it ended up mixed in because the qualifications for that Profession are very broad. I wouldn’t worry that it appeared in the divine revelation.”
His tone seemed to calm her. Even if an unfortunate Profession were to appear, it was perfectly acceptable not to choose it.
“Now, place your hand to the divine writing, where it says ‘Diviner,’” the priest continued. “Your Profession shall be engraved onto your very soul.”
“O-Okay...” The girl touched the glowing letters as she was told, and the words vanished. They looked as though they were absorbed into her body.
“Now, your ceremony is complete,” the priest concluded. “In accordance with your Profession of Diviner, you will receive a blessing to your Magic and your Spirit. If you continue to pursue your path with discipline, you may even obtain abilities that grant you knowledge of the future.”
“Okay!”
“A Profession is not a job, and there is no requirement for you to perform a Diviner’s work in actuality. Of course, you may choose to do so if you wish.”
“I understand.” The girl bowed her head and returned to her seat. Her friends nearby congratulated her.
“Next,” said the priest, “Blue Swallow Class, Yolanda Feribell.”
“Present!” Yolanda stepped forward.
“You are suited for two Professions: Beast Tamer and Apothecary.”
“Beast Tamer again...” She trailed off.
“Now, there really is no need to pay it any mind. Most people can fulfill the conditions for that job, you see.”
“Well, that’s a relief. I’m fine with anything except Beast Tamer!”
“Indeed. All Beast Tamer serves to do is to lower your abilities. It is only because I must act as an officiator that I ask. You would like to choose Apothecary, then?”
“Of course!”
The ritual continued smoothly. Every student received their revelation from the gods and decided on their Profession with some combination of joy and fear. Finally, it was Kanata’s turn.
“Black Owl Class, Kanata Aldezia,” called the priest.
Kanata stood, all eyes on her. It was only natural. Everyone here was keenly interested to see which Profession was best suited for Kanata. Kanata held her head high and her back straight; her long, alluring black hair fluttered as she walked. She was like something out of a painting.
The girls watching the ceremony held their breaths.
“Please,” said the priest, “place your hand on the holy orb.”
“All right.” Kanata prayed and touched the gem, as the priest had instructed. There was a flash of light.
“What?!” The priest gasped, staggering back from the sheer brightness.
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!” the girls in the auditorium screamed.
Nobody was certain what had happened. A second later, however, they understood. A vast array of divine writing had appeared in the flash of light. The writing towered high above the holy orb. Nobody could tell exactly how many Professions were listed.
“I’ve never seen this many before!” the old priest exclaimed. He stared, neglecting to fix his crooked glasses, astonished at the pillar of light. “A thousand? Two thousand? Even advanced Professions I’ve never seen! All of them!”
“If I qualify for this many, surely it must be in there somewhere.” Holding back her excitement, Kanata faced the words of divine revelation.
As for the class, they were shocked into silence by the unprecedented number of Professions, and they watched with bated breath.
All sorts of Professions were written there: Saint. Hero. Sage. Paladin. Sword King. Holy Fist. Oracle. Dragon Knight. Archmage. Even more. There were rare and powerful Professions, jammed in so close together that they were hard to read. But none of them were the Profession Kanata was looking for.
It wasn’t until she had reached the very end that Kanata saw it. “It is there!” she cried. There, alone in a corner, was her chosen Profession. “Oh, thank goodness.” Kanata breathed a sigh of relief. Without waiting a second longer, she touched her hand to the letters. The rest of the divine writing crumbled away. That left only the Profession Kanata touched to be absorbed into her soul—her Profession for the rest of her life.
As soon as her ceremony was over, the students began chattering. All the way in the back, they couldn’t see what Profession Kanata had chosen.
“Did you see? What Profession did Lady Kanata choose?” one of them asked.
“I don’t know. It must be Saint, though, right?”
“No way, she’d be a Sage!”
“She might have chosen to be a Hero.”
“Oh, I can’t stand this suspense! I wish the priest would hurry up and tell us.”
It seemed this last sentiment was a common one. The students were very curious as to what Kanata had picked, and they were impatient to know the answer. Their gazes were fixed on the priest, urging him to hurry.
The priest looked like he couldn’t believe what he had seen. “L-Lady Kanata Aldezia?!” he squeaked, still frozen in place.
As close as he was, only he had seen what Kanata had chosen.
“Yes, Father? What is it?” Kanata was in high spirits, completely unlike the priest in front of her, who was now beginning to sweat. She smiled sweetly. The dream she had held for years was finally coming true.
The priest could only think that she had lost her mind. “Wh-Wh-Wh-What was the Profession you chose just now?! I thought I saw,” he spluttered, “but it can’t be! It can’t! It just can’t! I must be mistaken! You can’t have—”
“Yes, Father,” Kanata said. “The Profession I chose was Beast Tamer. With your help, I’ve finally achieved the Profession I’ve always wanted.” Kanata politely bowed.
Nobody had ever seen Kanata smile so much. Once, she had been known as The Princess of Sacred Ice, but now she was radiant and beaming.