Rose Empire

Chapter 25: The Awakening Ceremony

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the brilliant hues of the evening sky hinted at a clear night ahead.

Cecilia, who had been traveling non-stop for over ten days, was still asleep. Charlotte, however, did not linger in her chambers. She followed a small convoy of two carriages to a cliff overlooking the Lanwan Coast.

"How's the inspection going?" Charlotte asked.

Lilith, who was barely taller than the carriage wheels, directed four servants to unload various-sized boxes from the carriages. "Everything's been checked. The supernatural materials are well-prepared and of high quality. The blood is still fresh, so the merchants didn't cheat you. But are you sure about tonight?"

Just moments ago, during dinner, Charlotte had suddenly informed Lilith that she intended to perform the Awakening Ceremony that very night, catching Lilith completely off guard. Without waiting for a response, they had made their way to this cape.

"Are you certain tonight is the best time?" Charlotte countered.

"Of course," Lilith replied confidently. "I've calculated it over a dozen times using the Complete Compendium of Continental Etiquette. Tonight is perfect for the Awakening Ceremony, unless the book is wrong."

Charlotte nodded, trusting Lilith's judgment.

The book was unlikely to be wrong.

The Complete Compendium of Continental Etiquette was a massive tome compiled by the Oran Empire, detailing supernatural rituals. It cataloged over seven thousand well-established rituals from the Eagle Continent, more than two hundred thousand supernatural materials used in these rituals, and various theories about them, including methods for selecting the optimal times to perform them.

The book had been in circulation for three to four hundred years and had helped the Oran Empire nurture millions of supernatural practitioners. If there were any errors in its methods, they would have been discovered long ago.

"However, according to my calculations, there are two other suitable days next month. You could wait a bit longer; there's no need to rush."

Lilith found Charlotte's sudden urgency strange.

"I have a feeling that something significant is about to happen in the Oran Empire, and we don't have much time," Charlotte said with a smile.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "Fine, keep your secrets. Let's begin."

The wooden boxes were opened, revealing their contents. Some contained precious supernatural materials, while others held small bottles, each about the width of a finger. Originally, these bottles were used by noble ladies to store precious perfumes, preserving them almost indefinitely. But now, they likely contained something other than perfume.

Charlotte retrieved a piece of parchment, a rubbing taken from an obelisk in the Luyang Ruins.

Lilith took the parchment and took a deep breath, her nervousness evident. "I'll ask you one last time: have you ever uttered His name since birth? This question could determine whether you live or die."

Him. There was only one Him in this world the God-King Ig.

Twelve years ago, in an abandoned church within the Green Plains Duchy, a four-year-old girl stood on the head of a toppled statue of Ig, trying to pluck a half-ripe fruit from a tree. A passing adventurer, seeing this, casually remarked, "If you don't want to be thrown into the Fiery Abyss and tortured for a thousand years after death, never utter His name again. Though, it might already be too late for you."

That girl, who had stood on Ig's head, was Charlotte Mellerfield. The adventurer was Lilith.

The idea that blasphemers would be cast into the Fiery Abyss for a thousand years after death was a story from the Scriptures. It told of a poor child who often stole oil from a church and, after death, was thrown into the Fiery Abyss to be roasted like a suckling pig for a thousand years. While this was a parable meant to discourage theft, considering that church property technically belonged to Ig, the harsh punishment did make Ig seem rather miserly.

From Lilith, Charlotte learned some previously unknown secrets.

The Church's claim that the souls of Ig's believers would ascend to His divine realm after death was not entirely fabricated. Many necromancers had long studied this phenomenon and discovered that shortly after death, a force would draw the souls of the deceased away. The source of this force was Ig.

However, the Church was also lying.

Many who did not believe in Ig would also have their souls claimed by Him after death. For example, the tribal people of the Canpei Mountains, with their diverse and chaotic cultures, often had vague understandings of the world. Their cultures were rooted in primitive worship, venerating mountains, rivers, plants, animals, and even their own reproductive organs. They had no idea who Ig was.

To express their disdain for outsiders, they would even curse at Oran Empire soldiers who worshipped Ig, saying, "I'll fuck Ig's ass!"

Yet, even these people would have their souls claimed by Ig after death.

Clearly, the Church's teachings didn't hold up here.

During one of her adventures, Lilith had obtained a copy of a manuscript written by a long-deceased archbishop the original was likely stored in the Holy City of Moyes. A single line in this manuscript had revealed the truth to Lilith:

"All who call upon His name are His lambs, destined to return to His realm."

The archbishop had written in his notes.

In other words, one didn't need to believe in Ig. Simply uttering His name would mark one as His, and their soul would belong to Him after death.

Even if you said, "I'll fuck Ig's ass!"

This explanation clearly contradicted the Church's Scriptures, but it aligned more closely with reality.

Charlotte chose to believe the manuscript's account, so from the age of four, she had never uttered the name "Ig" not out of fear of posthumous torment, but to avoid being bound by an invisible shackle.

Still, Charlotte glanced at Renee.

Renee, understanding her unspoken question, shook her head, indicating that she had never heard Charlotte utter the God-King's name.

"I have never spoken His name," Charlotte said. As for before the age of four, even with her excellent memory, Charlotte couldn't recall whether she had ever said "Ig." She didn't believe in Ig and rarely spoke of the God-King, but perhaps she had babbled His name as a child, or perhaps not.

Who knew?

She had done her best, and now she would leave the rest to fate.

Lilith nodded and, without further hesitation, began directing the four servants to draw strange, ancient patterns on the ground, following the instructions on the parchment.

The meaning of these patterns had long been lost to time. Charlotte could only vaguely make out images of ferocious beasts and winged humanoid figures.

These humanoid figures bore some resemblance to the angels described by priests, but Charlotte hesitated to call them angels. They were tall, robust, and exuded a fierce, almost savage aura, quite different from the elegant, graceful angels depicted in modern religious art.

What intrigued Charlotte more were the ferocious beasts. They appeared even more brutal and violent than the humanoid figures, fighting fearlessly, tearing off limbs, crushing heads, and devouring their foes.

If the humanoid figures were ancient people's interpretation of angels, then what were these beasts? Demons?

Without more research, Charlotte could only speculate.

While terms like "demons" and "devils" existed in this world, they were largely confined to myths and legends. No one had ever seen a real, living demon.

As for angels, the current Pope, Hunlin II, claimed to have seen one when it descended upon the Holy Moyes Cathedral. However, Charlotte suspected this was merely a marketing ploy to sell angel feathers.

The four servants could only assist with the broader strokes of the patterns. When it came to the finer details, Lilith had to take over, using a soft squirrel-hair brush to meticulously outline the designs.

In the Complete Compendium of Continental Etiquette, these patterns were referred to as "Yalanben," an ancient Wimbledonian term meaning "intricate symbols and patterns arranged according to specific rules."

Yalanben was the foundation of human ritual practices. The more complex the Yalanben, the higher the precision required, and the greater the challenge for the artist. Lilith was an experienced archaeologist though she referred to herself as an adventurer and was well-versed in both common and obscure rituals. Yet, as she worked, beads of sweat formed on her forehead, a sign of her rapidly depleting energy.

By the time the sky had fully darkened, leaving only the soft glow of the moon, Lilith finally completed the Yalanben.

She looked at the ten-square-meter pattern before her, clapped her hands, and wiped the sweat from her face. Most Awakening Ceremonies for common supernatural disciplines required Yalanben of only one to two square meters. Some frugal individuals might even shrink the Yalanben further to save materials. In comparison, this Yalanben was absurdly large.

"It's ready. Go ahead," Lilith said, waving her hand.

"Charlotte…" Renee called out nervously.

"Don't worry, I've always been lucky," Charlotte said with a bright smile, then stepped into the center of the Yalanben.

"Should I stand or sit?" Charlotte asked, looking around.

"You can even squat if you want," Lilith replied casually.

"I'll stand, then."

Charlotte glanced at the intricate patterns at her feet.

The servants had moved away, and Renee stood on a rock, keeping a cautious watch.

Lilith picked up two small bottles from a box and said, "Let's begin."

"Okay."

"Repeat after me."

"Got it." Charlotte nodded.

Lilith removed the bottle caps and began to chant. Charlotte followed, repeating each line.

As the bottles tilted, red liquid flowed out, dripping onto the Yalanben.

It was undoubtedly blood.

According to the obelisk's records, this ancient, unnamed supernatural discipline required the blood of ten thousand spirits. While Lilith believed the "ten thousand" was merely symbolic, Charlotte had gone to great lengths to collect the blood of ten thousand different creatures.

Blood held special significance in many supernatural disciplines across the world. It could represent inheritance, shackles, glory, or sin. Some disciplines even believed that blood was the vessel through which living beings contained supernatural power.

As Lilith chanted, she continued to pour bottle after bottle of blood onto the Yalanben.

The chant was a fourteen-line poem, roughly telling the story of a patricide.

An ancient king, influenced by treacherous advisors, became convinced that his son would kill him. To preempt this, he decided to kill his three sons. The kind eldest prince tried to explain that he had no intention of rebelling, but the tyrannical king wouldn't listen. In the end, to protect himself and his brothers, the eldest prince was forced to rebel and kill his father.

At first, as Lilith chanted, the patterns and symbols drawn with precious supernatural materials began to emit glowing specks of light. Like fireflies, they floated toward Charlotte, filling her with a warm, comforting sensation.

However, as more blood was poured, the glowing specks turned crimson. They no longer felt gentle upon entering Charlotte's body but became increasingly wild and chaotic. These turbulent energies surged through her, causing immense pain.

At first, Charlotte could stand, but soon she had to sit. Even then, the pain only intensified. The agony was so severe that she curled up, her hands gripping the ground, fingers digging into the soil.

"Ugh…"

A chaotic, instinctive, and malevolent force tried to overwhelm Charlotte's mind.

She struggled to stay conscious but couldn't help letting out a pained moan.

Renee watched from a distance, biting her lip in worry. She was anxious and distressed but knew this was something Charlotte had to endure. She could only stand by and watch.

The ten thousandth bottle of blood was poured onto the Yalanben.

"Ahhh!"

Charlotte slammed her fist into the ground, letting out a roar mixed with pain and fury.

Suddenly, the chaotic, malevolent force in her mind shattered, along with an invisible barrier. In her dazed vision, Charlotte saw a path.

Having read many books on supernatural disciplines, Charlotte knew what this path represented.

Everyone undergoing the Awakening Ceremony had a chance to see this path. The Church called it the Path of Divine Blessing, but Charlotte preferred to call it the Path of the Supernatural.

It was said that one end of the path connected to the past, while the other led to the divine realm.

It was said that if one looked toward the past, they would hear the "voices" of predecessors who had practiced the same discipline. For widely practiced disciplines like the Royal Griffin Knights' Swordsmanship, the "voices" could be overwhelming not actual sounds, but a mental cacophony of intertwined influences.

It was said that if one looked toward the other end, they would see a great, radiant, indescribable figure. He was the beginning and the end, the Creator, the one and only God Ig.

Charlotte knew the opportunity was fleeting, so she quickly looked toward both ends of the path.

One end was silent, which was normal. The Luyang City had been destroyed a hundred thousand years ago, and the predecessors of this ancient discipline had long since passed. The mental resonance had faded.

The other end was empty…

The path stretched into an endless void.

"We succeeded!"

Charlotte looked up, her face filled with joy and excitement.

However, she saw Lilith pull out another small, exquisite bottle from her pocket and remove the stopper…

"Vos tral kusn!" Lilith chanted the final line.

A thin, golden-red line flowed from the bottle, dripping onto the ground.

Whoosh…

The entire Yalanben burst into flames. The sudden surge of heat created a gust of wind, and the golden-red fire rapidly spread before surging into Charlotte's body.

The pain this time was nearly double what she had felt before.

The wind continued to howl, growing even fiercer.

The sound of crashing waves grew louder.

Seabirds, long at rest, suddenly took flight in the dark, their cries echoing.

"Go! Get away from her!"

Lilith backed away, her expression serious.

Renee glanced at Charlotte, her eyes filled with worry, but she quickly led the four servants away.

On the cape, Charlotte was left alone, writhing in pain.

At the same time, across the Eagle Continent, the Dragon Continent, and the Wolf Continent, all the devout popes, archbishops, and bishops who worshipped Ig were jolted awake. They hurried to their windows, only to find the moon had turned a deep, ominous red.

As these powerful figures grew uneasy at the strange phenomenon, they felt an overwhelming, divine gaze from the distant realm of the gods. Trembling, they prostrated themselves, expecting a message, blessing, or punishment from their God.

However, the divine gaze did not linger on its shepherds. Instead, it looked beyond the churches, to the wider world.

Every living or dead being that had ever uttered His name was scrutinized, without exception.

In that moment, the entire world was awakened. Every supernatural practitioner who had seen His form on the Path of the Supernatural knew who was watching them. They dared not think or move, only silently reciting verses from the Scriptures, praising His mercy and greatness.

Of course, the small cape by the Lanwan Coast was no exception.

Renee felt a strange sensation, fleeting but as if everything about her had been laid bare.

Lilith's expression also shifted slightly.

The four servants, though ordinary, were also subjected to the divine gaze, though they remained unaware.

The only one spared was Charlotte, exposed on the cape under the red moonlight.

Fate had sided with her.

Charlotte had indeed never uttered Ig's name before the age of four.

Perhaps it was because, as a child, she had been more accustomed to calling upon Jesus.

After what felt like an eternity, the wind, the sea, and the seabirds quieted. The red moon returned to its normal, soft glow, as if nothing had happened.

"You succeeded, and you're safe. You might be the only supernatural practitioner in the world who can escape His notice."

"What was that last part?"

Charlotte lay on the ground, breathing heavily, her hair disheveled.

"Dragon's blood," Lilith said, looking down at her.

"You managed to get dragon's blood?" Charlotte reached out, surprised.

Lilith helped Charlotte to her feet. "Getting dragon's blood was nothing. You're the real freak here."

The four servants retrieved tools from the carriage and began to erase all traces of the Awakening Ceremony, destroying what they could until nothing remained. Then, they pushed the boxes, bottles, carriages, and even the horses into the sea.

Renee stepped forward to brush the dirt and grass from Charlotte's clothes.

"Everyone, you know what to do," Charlotte suddenly said, turning to the four servants who had just finished their task. "I'll take care of your families."

The four servants exchanged glances.

"Thank you, my lady."

With that, they stood at the edge of the cliff, drew poisoned daggers from their sleeves, and plunged them into their chests. Their bodies fell into the sea.

"Let's go back," Charlotte said, exhaling deeply.

________________________________________

If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on Patreon. with 30 advanced chapters available on Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/GirlsLove1