At the temple

People gathered around the temple.

A few people constructed a simple tent that served as a marketplace for selling various consumables, small decorative items, and miscellaneous merchandise.

Some are royal knights who patrolled the area to keep the place safe.

And other people are merely present to observe the ceremony, which only takes place once every four years.

However, the people that stands out the most are the kids...

Children between the ages of three and five, whether nobles or commoners, dressed nicely together with their parents.

As they should, since they're the ones who will participate in the ceremony.

Everyone's talking about how would the ceremony will play out.

"How many commoners do you think will get the blessings?"

One man said to his companion.

"That's for sure—not much at all. The majority of recipients are nobles or later became ones."

After responding, his companion started to drink from the bottle of alcohol.

"If anything, how powerful would the next generation of royals be?"

An old woman who sells alcohol nearby joined in.

"That too, I heard the triplets are all special in their own ways. They are superior to other children their age academically and physically, according to my wife's friend who works as a royal maid."

"Well, since both of their parents had the title of the 'Strongest Mercenary' and 'Ruthless Princess', that would tell you how their offsprings got that talent."

"Hey hey hey. Don't count your chickens before they hatch! What if those royal brats doesn't qualify to receive the blessings? What then?"

'Hahahahaha'

When they heard his ridiculous statement, his companion, the vendor, and the people who were quietly listening to him laughed together.

"The ceremony is not even starting yet, and you're drunk already? Surely, you're not talking about the royal kids."

"That royal brats you're talking about have a 'Geayforth' blood running through their veins. As we all know, that bloodline is one of those that receives the goddess' blessings every generation." The old woman added.

"Exactly! Receiving the blessings is pretty much guaranteed for them," His companion shrugged, "Just accept the fact that those people live in a different realm than the rest of us the moment they were born."

"...But still. We don't know what the future holds." The man replied in a low voice.

"Oh, come on..."

Words like that continues for a few more minutes.

"Is it still too far?"

An impatient Lance asked looking at the window.

...

His dejected parents don't have the energy to respond, and Leisha doesn't have a plan to answer anyway, so his big brother Luke decided to reply,

"Why are you in such a hurry, Lance? We're almost there so stop asking the same question over and over again."

"I heard that response for more than twenty times now."

"...Oh, yeah? Do you know how many times you asked me that question?"

Lance simply ignored him and continues to sightsee at the window.

He's looking for signs that tells 'the temple is near'. For example, the tall structure of the temple that can be seen 500 meters away.

While he's looking for signs like that a larger carriage almost overtake them. However, it reduces its speed when the two carriage finally became even on the road.

It's the other carriage they had, a carriage for their servants and knights, and well, his little brother...

Lance saw the two coachmen having a fun conversation while driving the carriages. This encouraged him to talk, or rather, to babble to Voltaire how excited he was for the ceremony.

Normally he would prattle about his excitement to the nearby person however, "Mom and Dad aren't in the mood, Leisha looks like she have something in her mind, and Luke is boring. Volt is the only person I can have a conversation with."

"...Yeah, you should talk to your little brother who's not with us..." A gloomy Benedict said.

"Hey! I'm not boring." Luke retorted.

So Lance called for Vivienne to get Volt looking at the window.

What are you doing? Are we finally there? Oh, great... It's just Lance. What's gotten into him this time?

Lance yelled loudly to express to his little brother how excited he was.

Seeing Voltaire have a similar excitement as he was, he continues to tell him stories what he would do if he got the blessings until they reach the temple.

"Hey, look! Our Queen and King finally arrived."

One person remarked as soon as he saw the two overly ornate carriages arrive.

Voltaire's group came outside of their carriage first.

The knights exiting that carriage made some sort of sign, and when the other royal knights patrolling the area noticed it, they formed a line.

And then, members of the royal families had emerged from the other carriage.

People around the area even the nobles immediately took a slight bow to show respect to the royal family.

Vivienne walks towards to the sulking Mathilda and mumbled to her ears, "My lady, we're already here at the temple. Please don't forget that you're a queen, so get your act together."

Mathilda took a deep breath before she replied, "Okay."

"You too, Benedict." Vivienne said as she turns to Benedict.

"Wow! There's so many people already?!" An even more hyped up Lance exclaimed.

"Ugh. Please shut up, Lance." Luke said annoyed.

"Do you want to see your brother and mother?" Vivienne asked, as she saw Julia looking left and right.

"Ah! Well... Can I?" Julia asked hesitantly.

"Go ahead but make it quick. After all, you're still on duty."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Julia immediately left them and run towards the crowd looking for his brother and mother.

So this is the temple?

Voltaire thought looking at the big temple in front of him.

"Let's get inside." Mathilda said.

Inside of the temple lies a copy of the statue of the faceless goddess Yna, and the hero Jericho.

"We should begin the ceremony now that the royal families have arrived." The temple's patriarch announced.

All of the people became quiet upon hearing the patriarch voice including the royal family.

The temple's servants closed the huge door indicating the ceremony is a sacred event outsiders shouldn't see.

The only people inside the temple are the children participating and their parents. As for the royal family and the nobles, they have their attendant on their side.

Inside the temple, the patriarch words are the absolute rule. It's the reason Mathilda and Benedict took the initiative to greet the patriarch.

"As we all know, only kids between three to five years old are allowed to participate in the ceremony. The ceremony had three phases, children who didn't meet the goddess standards on the first phase should go home right away to not disturb those who are still on the ceremony."

The patriarch explained in a loud but clear voice.

"The second phase will began after all the children were done with the first phase." He added.

All the children paired up with their parents lined up directed to the statue of Yna.

For Luke, it was none other than his father, Leisha and Mathilda, and Lance is together with Vivienne.

Julia had already returned and now holds Voltaire in her hands. Of course, a little girl like her doesn't have the strength to carry in her arms a baby in Voltaire's size for a long period of time that's why the other maids are assisting her.

If anything, the older maids suggested themselves to carry Voltaire but, well... The little rascal doesn't like the idea and they all know he would throw some fit, so they ended up like this.

It's because of his siblings that Lance has Vivienne as his guardian. They wouldn't waste the opportunity to be next to their parents on this important occasion because Luke idolizes his father and Leisha adores her mother.

Lance, being Lance, wasn't too concerned with his partner because he was too busy imagining the types of mana user he would become after the ceremony.

At the side, Voltaire together with Julia and the other maids sat on the pew chairs which helped Julia to ease her burden.

Now.  What kind of interesting things would I see today?

Voltaire smiled wickedly waiting for the next interesting moments he supposed to see.

(He's creepy.)