Arc 3 - Chapter 22: Baptism (2/2)

His older sisters had often told him to stay away from political and religious groups, as they would not benefit him and might even leave a bad mark on his career. Now he was about to become a formal member of a religious group with a political dimension.

When this thought came to his mind, he started to feel bad. He knew what he had to do, but he couldn't help feeling pangs of conscience because it would be the first time he had disobeyed his sisters. Nine months after their deaths, it would be the first time he would do something they had told him not to do.

"But this is a group led by me, so it shouldn't be a problem."

He tried to ease his conscience, but even he found his efforts pathetic.

"Link was a knight?"

"I guess, why are you asking about him?"

"Sivina is also a knight, those two will be the first two Virgo Knights. Knights are important for cathedrals. I wish you were a knight too, Yu. I wish you were the first."

"I don't want to be a knight. I'd be more useful in a position where I can command others than as a soldier."

Aside from the idea that knightly clothes would look good on him, he had no eye for chivalry.

Knights were important to the cathedrals, and the cathedrals had very famous and powerful knights who were their public face. For example, the Lion Cathedral had Sir Alen, the Aqua Cathedral had Sir Rydel.

Yu didn't think that as a knight he could represent the Virgo Cathedral well. Instead, Sivina would have done the job much better.

Another reason why Yu was not interested in knighthood was that as a butler he could always be at Yurine's side, controlling the others and having easy access to the papers of the Virgo Cathedral. As a knight, it would be inappropriate for him to deal with paperwork, and if he did, there would be no point in being a knight.

Knights took orders and carried out the orders they received, that's the way they were. It was not their responsibility to take care of administrative affairs. Of course, some of them were given land, but these were exceptions.

"After Sivina, Link is the second of the Virgo Knights. I have seen his sword skills with my own eyes, but I still have my doubts about trusting him. His entry into our ranks was too sudden."

That was the only reason for his distaste for Link. If he had been slower and gradual in getting closer to them, he might have been good friends with him, but the suddenness with which he had joined them had awakened Yu's defensive instincts.

"We are all ready, let's go to the parade ground and wait."

***

"Welcome, Your Excellency."

Leoral Dri Vermilia did not keep the people of the Virgo Cathedral waiting long, arriving at the cathedral ten minutes after they had started to wait. He arrived faster than they expected, Yu thought they would wait at least half an hour.

He was in his wheelchair and it was being pushed by the half-elf girl they had seen earlier. Yu hadn't seen her at the cardinal's ceremony and didn't think they would meet again, so he hadn't bothered to find out her name. Since he didn't know her name, he would call her the half-elf maid in his mind for now.

The Duke had brought eleven guards to protect him. The guards were dressed in gray armor and red cloaks, with a huge lion on their chests. The lion was the symbol of the Vermilia family.

But only ten of the guards with the duke wore this armor. The eleventh guard was an Andromeda Guardian, dressed in shining white armor and a golden cloak, a war mask covering his entire face. The Pontifex had sent him, perhaps to observe Yurine, perhaps to better protect Leoral.

When the half-elf maid pushed the wheelchair, Leoral passed Clara, who greeted him, and made his way across the ritual grounds to stand in front of Yurine. Yu bowed his head and greeted the duke.

"Thank you for waiting, Your Eminence. I wanted to follow you," said Leoral.

"It's okay, the people with you were baptized, right?"

"Yes, your mother did. There were some people who didn't want to be baptized then, but you won't have to do any extra baptisms today."

Here, changing sects was not compulsory, as forcing people to follow a particular sect could lead to civil war.

When there was silence between the Duke and Yurine, Yu decided that he should start the ceremony.

"Then let us take our seats and begin the baptism. The young lady was going to give me the honor of being baptized first."

Until the day they rewind time, Yurine would take over the role of Virgo Cardinal from her mother, and she might have to baptize many people before then. Yu would naturally be the first to be baptized by the new Virgo Cardinal and no one had any objections.

The Virgo Cardinal went to the head of the hall, the place was already illuminated, but they had taken care to make it brighter where she was. Dozens of candles burned around Yurine.

On the right side of the hall were Leoral dri Vermilia, her half-elf maid, the Andromeda Guardian and other guards.

On the left side of the hall were the four servants of the cathedral. At the front of the servants was Bart, holding a silver bucket. Next to them were Sivina, Ana, Kigaro, Dimen and Link, waiting for their turn to be baptized.

Tobias was also here, but he had joined their group temporarily and would return to Libra tomorrow. This was not to be a baptism, just a spectator.

Yu, the first to be baptized, stood before Yurine and got down on both knees. Bart brought a silver bucket to Yurine. Inside was clean, cold water.

"Yu Valarfin."

Yurine dipped her small hands into the bucket and filled her palms with some water, while Yu held out his own hands to Yurine.

"May the water of God cleanse your sin-stained hands."

Yu's hands were washed by Virgo Cardinal Yurine as the water ran down to his knees.

"From now on, let not your hand touch sin, but work for our God, who loves us and watches over us."

When she finished washing her hands, it was time to wash Yu's face. Yurine dipped her hands into the bucket again, and after she got some water out in her palm, she started washing Yu's face. She washed his face until it was completely clean, until there was not a single drop left on his face.

Not a drop was left on his face, but the water from his chin had spilled onto his clothes. He had to ignore it because it was part of the ritual.

"May your face never again be darkened by sin, but always shine with the light of good deeds."

When Yu's hands and face were symbolically cleansed of sin, Yurine said her last sentence:

"May abundance and blessings accompany you as a member of the Cathedral of Virgo."

Yu stood up and he said the phrases he had memorized to say:

"As a member of the Cathedral of Virgo, I will always seek good and avoid evil, I will strive to represent the Cathedral and the Cardinal in good works, and the Light of the Maiden of Virgo shall illuminate my path."

Virgo was symbolized in the first world and in the parallel world of Yu by the image of an maiden holding wheat. All the cathedrals had their own unique phrases, like the one Yu said.

Baptism was short and easy. The reason it was so simple was that it was usually performed on children who had just turned seven years old.

Children could not remember a long ritual with complicated movements and too many words. It was therefore decided to keep the ritual short.

After Yu, it was Sivina Ecues' turn. She became the first of the Virgo Knights. Sivina was followed by Ana Rosegreen. Ana was not born with a surname and had taken it at Yu's suggestion before leaving Rolderhelm.

She was followed by Kigaro, then Dimen. Finally, Link Yachi Long, the second of the Virgo Knights, was baptized.

Thus the Virgo Cathedral has six new members, two of whom are knights.