First of All, I’m Drinking - Chapter 8

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 8

The sun that had been setting with a reddish glow completely disappeared.

Night fell with stars and moon rising.

Since it was too late to return to the Empress’s Palace, Ellia decided to stay the night at my palace.

“Mm~ This is delicious.”

Dinner time.

She ate the lavishly prepared food with childlike innocence.

“This steak is cooked to perfection! The chef must be truly skilled.”

“I, I am honored.”

The chef, who had come to the dining table without being ordered, kept bowing his head repeatedly.

“Ah, right, son.”

Ellia elegantly wiped the sauce from her lips with a napkin and asked.

“Next month is our son’s baptism ceremony. Are the preparations going well?”

“Preparations? What preparations are needed for receiving baptism?”

“Of course they’re needed! We have to choose clothes to wear, pay attention to hairstyle…”

“That’s something my attendants will take care of.”

“That’s true, but… still, Cael’s opinion is the most important.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Tsk, our son is too blunt for his own good.”

Ellia giggled while looking at me cutting steak with an expressionless face.

“Well, that mature side is part of Cael’s charm though.”

You’d be happy with whatever I do anyway.

Speaking of which, the baptism ceremony.

Though I explained it to the children showing off, the truth is it was information I picked up here and there, so it’s hard to say I know the ins and outs of royal baptism ceremonies.

“Mother.”

“Yes?”

“How is a royal baptism ceremony different from what commoners receive?”

Though Ellia was of commoner origin, she had attended royal baptism ceremonies after becoming Empress.

“Hmm…”

She rested her chin on her index finger, thought for a moment, then spoke.

“Commoners can choose which order they want to receive baptism from. Mother also received baptism at eight years old from the Order of the Sword God, one of the neutral deities. On the other hand, royals have their baptism ceremony conducted by all four Celestial orders united.”

“I know that. But I don’t understand. Why must royals receive baptism only from Celestial orders without any choice?”

I hate those bastards.

Damn annoying flies.

I’d rather receive baptism from a neutral deity’s order like the Sword God.

The thought of Celestial blessings descending upon my body makes my stomach boil and teeth grind.

‘Royals have the highest status, right? Can’t they do pretty much whatever they want?’

Excluding the orders of nearly a dozen neutral deities and insisting on baptism only from the four Celestial orders felt like reverse discrimination.

Even commoners can freely choose where to receive it.

Soon Ellia’s answer followed.

“The founding Emperor, King Hereis de Argent, was an ardent believer of the Order of Gabriel. When the Argent Empire was established, not only Gabriel but other Celestials also bestowed many blessings. So from then on, it became fixed that those of royal blood receive baptism from Celestial orders.”

So there was such a secret history.

If imperial royals only receive baptism from Celestial orders, combined with the promotional effect, the orders’ influence would increase accordingly.

I have to acknowledge that the Celestials are cunning.

“Another difference would be the huge crowd? Royal baptism ceremonies are held at the Cathedral of the Doctrine, and they’re open to the general public. For citizens, it’s one of the few opportunities to see royals directly, so every time that huge cathedral is packed beyond capacity.”

“I see. But why bother opening it to the public?”

“They’re aiming for economic effects while they’re at it. During the baptism ceremony period, countless people from all over the nation flock to the Imperial Capital. Ah, was that explanation too difficult for Cael?”

“No, I understood.”

“Mother dislikes crowded things though.”

Ellia took a spoonful of soup and continued.

“And another reason why royals only receive baptism from Celestial orders is.”

“Another reason would be…”

“Cael, do you know that gods can refuse baptism?”

I know.

Gods aren’t charity workers.

They don’t bestow blessings on just anyone who comes for baptism.

Of course, since increasing believers benefits them too, they usually do it.

But occasionally when someone has an evil soul or doesn’t match the doctrine and disposition of the order.

In other words, if they judge that accepting someone as a believer would cause more harm than benefit, they sometimes don’t bestow blessings.

“Think about it. All those people come to watch royals receive baptism, but what if the god refuses? Wouldn’t that be extremely embarrassing? The imperial authority would be damaged too.”

“That would be the case. I suppose Celestials don’t refuse often?”

“Not just ‘not often’ – Celestials have never once refused a royal’s baptism until now. So rather than risk being refused at other orders, they continue receiving it from Celestial orders as tradition dictates.”

So that’s how it came to be.

It seems it’s not entirely due to historical symbolism alone.

“When you actually go, there won’t be much for Cael to do. Just kneel and stay still, and the priests will take care of everything. So don’t be too nervous.”

Ellia seemed to think the reason I, usually taciturn, was asking various questions was due to nervousness.

“I’m not nervous.”

“Right. There’s no word that suits our Cael less than ‘nervous.'”

Ellia chuckled while chewing her salad.

Baptism. And Celestial blessings.

Though unpleasant, it’s unavoidable.

To continue living here, I must follow this world’s laws.

“I wish that day would come quickly.”

‘I absolutely wish it wouldn’t come, Mother.’

Is this what they call having different dreams in the same bed?

We finished our meal sitting across from each other at the same table with opposite thoughts.

* * *

Time flowed quickly.

A month later, the morning of the baptism ceremony finally dawned.

The mansion was busy from morning.

Attendants and servants were preparing for my outing.

I sat cross-legged in an empty room.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Black demonic energy rotated around me like orbiting planets.

The curtained room was filled with floating demonic energy like the universe.

Veins bulged on my forehead.

Thick streams of sweat flowed down my cheeks like rain.

“Whew…”

I closed my eyes and concentrated on gathering the demonic energy.

Today’s baptism ceremony is the first time I’ll face gods since being reborn in a human body.

And it’s those Celestial bastards who have always stood in opposition to Demon Lords, keeping each other in check.

‘It’s not like I’m facing their true forms, and they shouldn’t be able to recognize my identity just from receiving baptism at the sanctuary.’

But with the gods’ divine insight, they might be able to detect traces of demonic energy filling my body.

If they discover that I, a human, possess demonic energy, it’s over.

I’ll immediately be branded as a seed of evil and executed.

Even being royalty wouldn’t be an exception.

I must stabilize the demonic energy as much as possible so they won’t notice.

“…This should be enough.”

I slowly opened my eyes. My entire body was drenched in sweat.

With this, the lingering traces of demonic energy in my body were completely erased.

I had never concentrated so intensely on hiding my presence, not even in my previous life.

Unless they directly faced the true form of a Celestial in the Heavenly Realm, they would never notice.

Knock knock knock.

After three knocks, the Wet Nurse opened the door and entered.

“Good morning, Your Highness. How are you feeling?”

“Perfect.”

I replied lightly.

The Wet Nurse asked with a worried expression.

“Aren’t you nervous?”

“Not at all.”

“Well, there’s no word less suited to Your Highness than ‘nervous.'”

The Wet Nurse looked at me with pride and smiled warmly.

She sounds exactly like Ellia.

I could roughly guess what kind of image I had among the humans in the Imperial Capital.

“We don’t have time. Let’s start preparing quickly.”

Clap clap.

When the Wet Nurse clapped twice, attendants came in dragging hangers with dozens of outfits.

“Your Highness may choose whichever outfit pleases you from these.”

The Wet Nurse’s lips parted. I tilted my head.

Choose an outfit I like?

Isn’t she putting too much faith in an eight-year-old’s fashion sense?

“There was an imperial decree from Her Majesty the Empress. She said to prioritize Your Highness’s opinion above all when choosing today’s outfit.”

That sounds like something she would do.

I roughly picked out a black tuxedo and bow tie that would match my black hair.

The Wet Nurse frowned when she saw me dressed in the outfit.

“Your Highness. I’m sorry to say this, but isn’t that outfit too plain?”

“I don’t care.”

“But it’s a baptism ceremony… Many people will come to see Your Highness…”

“It’s too bothersome to change. Let’s just go with this. Didn’t Mother also say to prioritize my opinion?”

The Wet Nurse made a troubled expression.

“If you insist…”

The Wet Nurse rummaged through the clothes on the hangers and plucked off an accessory.

It was a sea-blue brooch made of lapis lazuli.

She pinned the brooch to my left chest.

With the brooch added to the plain outfit, it came to life with a focal point.

“Wow! It suits you perfectly. It seems to complement Your Highness’s blue eyes wonderfully!”

“Does it?”

I nodded. Honestly, I didn’t care either way.

“Your hair styling seems fine as well.”

The Wet Nurse looked with satisfaction at my hair, which had been stylishly trimmed by the attendants.

I had been waiting for her to say those words.

“Prepare the carriage!”

It was finally time to escape from this tedious space.

* * *

Thud thud thud thud.

The carriage raced through the Imperial Capital.

Dozens of horses carrying escort knights galloped in unison around us, kicking up thick clouds of dust.

It wasn’t that I had never been outside since being born in the Intermediate Realm.

But this was the first time I was formally going out with such a large-scale escort.

Before leaving the castle gates.

I took in the scenery of the Imperial Capital.

As I always feel, this damn Empire has way too much money.

Almost every building located within the castle walls seemed to gleam and sparkle.

Among them, at the center of the castle walls.

Taeyang Palace.

The magnificent structure I often gazed at through my window, literally like the radiance of the sun transplanted there, stood in that place.

As my carriage passed by, the guards raised their flags in unison and shouted.

“For the eternal prosperity and peace of the Great Argent Empire! We greet His Highness Prince Cael de Argent!”

“For the eternal prosperity and peace of the Great Argent Empire! We greet His Highness Prince Cael de Argent!”

Disciplined movements and unwavering voices.

I could easily imagine how much bone-grinding training they must have undergone.

We quickly passed Taeyang Palace.

After racing across the vast grounds for a few more minutes, the South Gate of the Imperial City came into view.

The gate was wide open to welcome the Prince’s procession.

We slowed down and exited through the castle gate.

“Buy apples! Apples!”

“Fresh fish available! Fresh delicious fish just caught from Rizellan over there!”

“Play a game before you go! If you guess right, you get double your money!”

The streets bustled with crowds of people.

The voices of merchants calling out to customers and the footsteps of passersby echoed everywhere.

Among them were many wearing distinctive clothing rarely seen.

They must be people who came up from the provinces for the baptism ceremony.

“Wow, so many people.”

The sight of people of various races and dress filling the streets in one space was spectacular in itself.

“It’s not usually this crowded?”

“No. Baptism ceremonies don’t happen often. These are all people who came from far away to see Your Highness.”

The attendant sitting next to me answered.

Do these people really have nothing better to do?

Thud thud thud thud.

The baptism ceremony is held at the Millennium Cathedral located in the Imperial City.

The carriage soon arrived at the cathedral.

As Ellia had said about there not being enough seats for all the visitors, the entire cathedral area was packed with crowds, leaving no room to step.

Of course, there was an exception for carriages bearing the Imperial crest.

Following the path of the carriage, the crowds parted like a god dividing the sea.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————