Arc 3 - Chapter 21: Cardinal of Virgo (3/3)

"As soon as he became a cardinal, they gave the boy a city, but they're threatening Virgo Cathedral like a stepchild."

When Keichi took his place, the Pontifex's niece Akalda took his arm. Sivina could tell at a glance that the woman was deliberately pressing her large breasts against Keichi's arm.

"Is she trying to control him like this?"

When people had finished congratulating the new Libra Cardinal and things had calmed down, it was time for his own little lady to be made a cardinal.

"Let she who inherits the Virgo Blessing come forward." The Pontifex called Yurine. Everyone turned to face Yurine.

"You can do it, my sweet lady," Ana whispered.

Yurine stepped forward and took a few steps. The eyes of the whole hall were on the cat-eared girl. Sivina didn't know how she felt, but she was sure that if she were Yurine, she would be embarrassed to have people watching her.

Yurine walked a little further, then stopped and turned around as if she had forgotten something.

"Yu, why don't you come?"

Just now the whole church had fallen silent and it was out of respect. Silence out of respect would not have been uncomfortable.

The reason for the silence now was different, there was an uneasy silence in the hall. Everyone was wondering what Yurine was trying to do.

"I'll watch you from here, young lady."

Yu was also annoyed by Yurine's unexpected behavior. If even he didn't think Yurine would do something like this to disrupt the ceremony, how could anyone else know?

"Come with me."

All the members of the Virgo group swallowed at the same time as Sivina when their young lady gave her order in a very serious tone. If anything that people would call a disgrace happened here, it would be a bad start for their little cathedral.

Some people would say that there is no such thing as bad publicity, but a child making a scene, especially if that child is the leader of the cathedral, would not create a good impression. People wouldn't want to join a religious group led by a spoiled child.

"You have to do it on your own, it's been like this for hundreds of years."

No one cared what Leoral said in his weak voice.

Yu must have wanted to fulfill Yurine's request, so he put one foot forward.

But he couldn't do that, at least not on his own initiative.

"Let she who inherits the Virgo Blessing come forward."

When the Pontifex spoke again as if nothing had just happened, Yurine ignored him and repeated her own words.

"Yu, come with me!"

This time she shouted and stomped her foot hard. She was signaling that she would not move forward unless Yu came.

The silence was broken by a whisper from someone in the Libra Cathedral. The whisper was heard in a way that the whisperer had not anticipated.

"This is what happens when you bring a child here, a child who is a witch."

The unrecognizable man's sarcastic comment turned Yurine red with anger, and she turned back to where the voice had come from.

"HOW DARE YOU! COME AND SAY THE SAME TO MY FACE, LOW LIFE FORM!"

The whirlwind that began to swirl around her body indicated that Yurine was preparing for an attack.

"What are you doing?!"

Yurine's caller must have been so frightened that he did not show himself, but the Andromeda Guardians drew their weapons against Yurine. The fact that she was a Blessing bearer was irrelevant when it came to the possibility that the Andromeda Pontifex might be compromised.

The soldiers of the Libra Cathedral could not bring weapons with them because weapons were forbidden here, but they too stepped forward to protect their group.

Kigaro and Dimen immediately went ahead of Yurine when they saw the treatment of their wives, although no one could understand exactly what had happened. Sivina was hesitant at first, but her duty was to protect Yurine, so she stepped forward. She didn't have a weapon, but she was capable of fighting with her hands.

"Young lady, that's enough!"

To prevent a war from breaking out inside, Yu ran to Yurine's side and Yurine, hearing his footsteps, immediately turned around. Yu kneeled down and hugged her to calm her down.

"Yu, come with me."

Her eyes darted back and forth between Yu and the floor as she asked him to be with her. She was shy to confess her feelings, even to her own father. At any other time, Sivina's heart would have warmed at this sweet sight, but not in this tense atmosphere.

"But..."

Yu looked around at the eyes watching them. He looked indecisive. Even if he wanted to be by Yurine's side, they were in the middle of something serious and would people accept that?

"Yu, this is what I want."

Yurine grabbed the hand of Yu, her butler and father, and tried to drag him away, but failed. Yu was still as indecisive as ever. He looked around for support.

At first he turned his back, but he did not find the support he wanted here as the Virgo group was also undecided. They were just waiting to see what Yu would do.

Unable to find the support he was looking for where he wanted it, Yu looked across, but there was no one in the Libra group to support him. Finally, Yu looked to the Pontifex.

"You can go out together," said the Pontifex.

Sivina couldn't quite make out who he was looking at.

"Then I'll be with the young lady."

"Y-Yu, always be by my side."

"Yes, young lady."

Yurine faced the Pontifex without letting go of Yu's hand and Sivina returned to her seat, grateful that Yurine had calmed down before she caused chaos and started a fight.

"My name is Neko, I inherited the Virgo and Hunter Blessings from my mother."

After the Pontifex said the prayer for Neko in silence, he stepped out of the way and told her to go up to the altar. Yurine came to the altar, dragging Yu with her. She and Yu stood side by side and Yurine looked up at Yu, a childlike joy in her eyes.

"Yu, come out with me."

"Yes, young lady."

There were uneasy murmurs among the people, but the Pontifex gave his approval so that the two of them could ascend the altar together.

They breathed in and stepped on the altar in synchronization with each other. Thanks to Yurine, half of the thirty corners of the altar burned purple and the other half red.

The purple and red light showed that Yurine had the Blessings of Virgo and Hunter. Now that she had the Blessings, her being declared a cardinal depended only on the words that would pass between the lips of the Pontifex.

There were more stars forming on the floor of the altar and reflected in the ceiling than for the Cardinal of Libra. The stars for Yurine were also constellations, and Sivina had never seen these stars before.

Unlike the Libra Cardinal, Yurine received less applause. It was only the Virgo Cathedral and Duke Vermilia's entourage who applauded her, and it was only Link who shouted "Long live!" for her.

Sivina thought it would be pathetic if only one person shouted, so she shouted, "Long live the Cardinal of Virgo!"

Ana cried out, followed by Sivina. Kigaro and Dimen's voices were strong enough to drown out everyone else's and the hall trembled as the roarons shouted. After a while, everyone on their side began to cry out for Yurine. Even Leoral, who could barely speak, was shouting his support.

Yurine and Yu descended in synchronization with the way they had ascended and the Pontifex continued with the rest of the ceremony.

As Yurine and Yu knelt, the Pontifex dipped his hand into the cauldron and pulled it out, waving his soaked fingers at Yurine.

"May our Lord Azer help you, from now on you will be one of his representatives as Cardinal of Virgo."

"I will fulfill my duty and be worthy of our God."

She was now officially Cardinal of Virgo. As they prepared to rise, the Pontifex spoke again.

"I appoint you governor of Virgo City, once home to the Virgo Cardinals."

The Pontifex spoke and the hall fell silent again. After people had recovered from the initial surprise, they began to whisper slowly.

"To her?"

"To witch..."

The words might have angered Yurine, if she hadn't been frozen with surprise. Even Yu Valarfin's face was frozen, looking at the Pontifex as if to confirm the truth of what he had just said.

"Us?" Yurine asked. Of course, she wasn't sure what she had heard either.

"Because of your age, there will be a committee to oversee you, but you will still hold that office. May God help you, Neko."

"I-I'd be honored."

The honor, which had not even been given to her mother, was given to Yurine, who had been absent from the Mora for a year and had suddenly become Cardinal of Virgo when she arrived.

Sivina hoped she was not the only one who found this strange.