Chapter 20.3

Becoming a god: Cermiane’s point of view (3)

The Crown Prince was buried in the cathedral at the top of the Imperial Palace Hill, the Empire’s highest sacred ground, which is seldom open to visitors. I entered it for the first time. The hill is surrounded by what could be described as a dense forest, Ralphine’s eyes lit up when she saw it. I only hope she doesn’t sneak in to hunt.

The cathedral has a large hall where successive generations of royalty were buried. It was an odd sight to see so many sarcophagi lined up in a row, but at the same time it was a very solemn space. At the back of this burial hall is the innermost chamber, the most sacred of the imperial sanctuaries, which only the emperor can enter. I wonder if I will be able to enter it when I become emperor. Once a year, the emperor enters there to renew his contract with god almighty.

One month after the funeral of the Crown Prince, the Coronation Ceremony as the crown prince was held.

After all, it was a coronation ceremony. It was a ceremony so big that it rivals the enthronement ceremony of an emperor. Preparations had been underway since before the death of His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, and it took a lot of time to prepare the costumes and confirm the procedure. However, according to the bureaucrats at the Ministry of Ceremonies, a few months is an unbelievably short period of time to prepare for a ceremony of this magnitude, which would normally take at least a year. It would normally take at least a year and several rehearsals. In fact, royal guests from neighbouring countries would normally have been invited, but this time they were not. This was because there was not enough time to prepare, and also because it was necessary to keep the Crown Prince’s critical condition a secret.

On the morning of the coronation day, we purified ourselves and donned elaborate ceremonial attire consisting of seven layers. The ceremonial formal wear of the Crown Prince, which was richly decorated with imperial blue, was said to be a centuries-old style of clothing from the time of the founding of the Empire. The surface of the garment, which did not have many folds or wrinkles, was decorated with intricate patterns and had decorative cloth draped over the shoulders and back. Basically, this style of clothing was primarily preserved for ceremonial occasions.

Ralphine also wore a similar ceremonial attire with a peach-coloured theme, which complemented her splendid appearance. However, she disliked the outfit for being both oppressive and restrictive. Yet, the deliberate difficulty in movement was intentional, as the ceremonial attire required slow, shuffling steps and frequent pauses. Therefore, limited mobility was preferable. The attendants and maids accompanying us were also dressed in ceremonial attire, each carrying offerings and ceremonial flags.

Upon disembarking the carriage at the Grand Temple, Ralphine and I walked side by side, surrounded by knights clad in resplendent ceremonial armour. Attendants and maids raised flags around us as we proceeded. Interestingly, the flags surrounding us were not blue but rather a shade of red, or rather, peach. In recent years, it was not widely acknowledged, but the traditional symbolic colour for the Crown Prince is peach. Hence, my ceremonial attire also incorporated peach to the same extent as the Imperial blue.

We proceeded slowly as the band played ceremonial music and the priests waved broom-shaped golden ritual implements to cleanse the space. I glanced sideways at Ralphine, thinking about how well she was enduring it all. She looked up at me and gave a little chuckle. She was so composed. It’s strange how I feel a sense of calm when Ralphine is smiling.

In the Great Temple, the heads of the upper nobility and their wives were all waiting for us. Only really high-ranking nobles can attend this ceremony, and even counts of low rank are not allowed to attend, but Ralphine’s brothers and sisters were all present because they are our relatives. This special exception confirms that the Marquise de Caliente family, as my relatives, will wield power in the world of imperial politics from now on. It would be unthinkable if the House of Marquis Caliente were corrupt nobles, but it was really fortunate that they were a good family that did not carry out harsh exploitation from their territory, despite struggling with financial difficulties and being unable to provide education for Ralphine. In reality, the members of this family were quite refreshing to observe through Ralphine – caring, responsible, and family-oriented. It’s remarkable to think that such a kind-hearted family existed among the empire’s top nobility.

The climax of the ceremony was the dedication of my magical power to the almighty god. I was a little nervous because if I didn’t have enough magic power to make a contract with the almighty god, it would mean that my birth as Crown Prince was not recognised by the heavens. I glanced at Ralphine and she looked somewhat excited. I chuckled inwardly. I must live up to her expectations. I held out my hands.

“I am the bearer of great blood. O almighty god in the heavens, answer my prayers, answer my blood covenant, and bestow upon me a portion of your power. I offer my prayers and my life. In accordance with the ancient covenant, grant my wishes.”

At that moment, I felt a sensation different from the usual dedication. Normally, I had to release the power myself, but this time, there was a flow of magic that I didn’t intend, extending in a straight line towards the heavens. Although I didn’t feel like I was using much magical power, the surrounding sounds disappeared, and it created an illusion of being disconnected from space, as if I was directly connected to the heavens.

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