The Celestial Maiden’s Young Master in Another World - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 15. Show and Prove
“Did you catch the Baptism Ceremony yesterday?”
“Of course I did. Who didn’t? I even managed to get a gallery pass and went in person!”
“Man, I’m jealous. The atmosphere must’ve been incredible.”
Laelum—the city where the Church’s headquarters and the Clerical Governance Institute stood.
As the capital of the Elion Holy Empire, it was always crowded, but now every street was packed to bursting with people.
Though the Baptism Ceremony had ended a day ago, the entire empire remained abuzz with yesterday’s events.
“Handkerchiefs embossed with the Ludersque Family crest for sale!”
“Blue scarves—the Ludersque signature color—on sale here!”
“I’ll take everything!”
The day after the Baptism Ceremony and its afterparty had concluded.
Just a single day had passed, but the quick-witted merchants had already begun peddling support merchandise for Lian Ludersque.
“I’ve practically bought everything Ludersque-related this time around.”
“But you’re already a hardcore fan—you’ve got everything anyway. Why buy more?”
“There’s nothing from this rookie Lian yet!”
A man whose entire body was drenched in blue cried out in excitement, his bandits’ face flushed.
“I mean, this Baptism Ceremony was on another level. Everyone around me has switched to supporting Lian now.”
Just as they said, most of the crowd clutched at least one blue item in their hands.
The streets themselves had become a sea of blue.
In a spot somewhat removed from that throng.
“Wow, there really are so many people.”
A cluster of children had gathered to watch the festival.
“There’s so much blue too.”
The Baptism Ceremony takes place on the final day of the year, and the next day brings a festival celebrating the new year.
‘It’s like the tolling of New Year’s Eve bells.’
This was why the Baptism Ceremony had become an event the entire empire could enjoy.
“Wow! New Year’s Festival!! Let’s eat something delicious!!”
“Hah. After all that chaos yesterday, this one’s still thinking about food.”
Adrian bounced excitedly while Lumiel chided him—though without real reproach.
Surprisingly, the two worked well together.
Lumiel began offering commentary from beside Adrian as he selected grilled skewers.
“Listen, you said you didn’t get much allowance. Get chicken then.”
“Huh? But I want pork.”
“Chicken is the cheapest. The seasoning’s the same anyway. If you buy pork, you’ll blow through your allowance before you’re even full.”
“Ah! So I’ll just go with chicken then?”
And so it went.
“Corin, want to eat something too?”
“Oh, no. I just wanted to look around…”
“Oh my!”
The merchant recognized him.
“You’re the rookie Lian from yesterday!”
“Yes, that’s right. Thank you for recognizing me!”
My bright smile warmed the mood.
“My goodness, what manners! Pick whatever you like, dear. This auntie will throw in plenty of extras.”
“Wow! Thank you so much!”
Sweet deal indeed.
My recognition had skyrocketed since becoming a rookie. The biggest beneficiary was Adrian.
With an armful of chicken and pork skewers in both hands, Adrian shambled through the plaza.
“Here, you children enjoy these while you watch.”
“Hahahaha! The rookies! Please take this too, our future priests!”
As we drew closer to the heart of the festival, more and more people began to recognize us.
Before long, Adrian’s hands—empty of meat—were filled again with other food.
‘What’s this? It’s like we’re at an all-you-can-eat place.’
We were receiving more than we could ever buy.
“Wow, Lian, you really have a ton of supporters.”
“You all have plenty too, don’t you?”
Hehe, hehehehe.
Unable to hold it in, the children giggled. Soon I was laughing too.
Though my popularity would be fleeting, being recognized by people during the candidate season carried real weight.
“Fresh-baked bread, they say!”
We shared the bread the kind woman had given us as we wandered through the streets, taking in the sights.
“Lian, what department are you thinking of joining when you get to the Academy?”
Corin asked between small bites of bread.
My future path.
It was a question I’d been wrestling with for some time, but I’d made my decision yesterday.
“I’m thinking… probably the Inquisition Bureau.”
At least, that’s my best guess. If I’m going to properly undo the Saint’s curse, I’ll inevitably have to confront demons.
Since I was going to the Academy anyway, I figured I should learn proper techniques for dealing with them.
“S-so you’re aiming to become an Inquisitor, like your mother…?”
“No, that’s not it.”
I cut her off before she could finish.
I owed my mother an apology, but interrogation simply wasn’t to my taste.
“I’m going to be an Investigative Priest.”
“Ah.”
Corin gave a small nod.
‘Lian would probably make a better Combat Priest, though…’
Not that I was going to say that out loud.
“You’re aiming for Healing Priest, right, Corin?”
“Mm-hmm. That just seems like what I’d be best at…”
Well, with the blood of the Dalopeś Household running through her veins, it was only natural.
“Me! I’m going to be a Combat Priest! Together with Lumiel!”
“Ah! That’s heavy—get your arm off!”
Adrian’s arm, thrown upward with a flourish, came crashing down on Lumiel.
‘When did those two get so close?’
I was fairly certain they’d had a long conversation during the party yesterday, while I was occupied meeting with Nagrim, the Archbishop, and my parents.
“I have so many things I’m curious about regarding you, Lian.”
“Y-yes, well…”
‘That constant smiling face was so uncomfortable.’
Our conversation hadn’t been about anything particularly remarkable.
What did surprise me was that Nagrim and my parents had apparently anticipated that I might be a Seer.
Once I shook off the thought, I noticed the children’s expressions had grown strangely subdued.
“So, you’re going to the Holy Healing Bureau, Lumiel and Adrian to the Clerical Governance Institute, and Lian to the Inquisition Bureau.”
“The Academy dormitory will scatter us all to different places.”
Osten Academy.
An educational institution created to nurture children who had undergone the Baptism Ceremony.
The distinctive feature was that dormitories were divided according to each student’s chosen path.
At Lumiel’s words, everyone fell silent for a moment.
‘What? They’re getting gloomy over just that?’
We’d only been on the same team for one day yesterday.
‘Eli, these kids really are just children. They’re so sentimental.’
-Lian, are you perhaps cold-hearted?
‘It’s only been one Baptism Ceremony day!’
-Lian is ice-blooded.
What? What did I even do!
It took a little longer before the mood brightened again.
***
I’d returned home.
It took an extra day to clean up after the demon’s rampage, so I’d enjoyed the festival for two full days.
‘They seemed really reluctant right until the end.’
Having spent those two days playing with the children, we’d grown quite close.
Especially with Corin.
“I suppose all that’s left is to prepare for the Academy.”
Sigh.
I’d already completed twelve years of public education and four years of university, and now I was heading back to school.
And entering at seven years old, no less—a year earlier than before.
‘At least the Academy only goes up to ninth grade.’
I took what comfort I could from the fact that the duration was shorter.
There was a year’s preparation period between the Baptism Ceremony and enrollment.
That time was typically spent seeking out any exceptional talents that emerged during the Ceremony and honing them, or preparing necessary equipment.
‘I had all the attributes show up as special talents.’
Holy Power’s basic attributes follow the attributes of Elysian.
Following Elysian, the God of Light, the fundamental attributes include the light aspect we naturally possess, plus Purification and Blessing.
However, attributes can be converted.
‘Converting them—that’s where talent comes in.’
Whether you can shift into different attribute lines or not—this was pure inborn gift.
The lines divided into five categories: Holy Aura, Healing, Enhancement, Manifestation, and Judgment.
For instance, if someone had talent in the Manifestation line, they could conjure holy magic or manifest protective barriers.
—So how are you planning to prepare?
‘First, I need to make an Iron Pipe.’
—Ah, the fundamentalist’s choice.
It was the root weapon I’d used even back in the days of Seo Woo-tak. Nothing fit my hand quite like it.
—But can you even manifest something like an Iron Pipe here? Wouldn’t a wooden staff be better?
‘Even with Talisman Crafting reinforcement, the natural hardness is different.’
—Hmm.
Eli’s face twisted into an expression of disapproval.
Which made sense—Eli’s primary weapon had always been a wooden staff.
Of course, the reason I’d chosen an Iron Pipe back then was largely because it was easy to find as a ready-made item.
But it was also true that I’d picked it for its superior hardness. Yes.
Knock, knock.
“Lian, may I come in?”
“Yes, Mother.”
At the sound of the knock on the door, I straightened my posture.
“Did you get plenty of rest? You’re not exhausted, are you?”
“No, not at all.”
Mother and Father continued to worry about my physical condition.
Well, it had been a major incident—being attacked by a Demon.
“Ahem. Son, you know you need to enter the academy now, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Before you enroll at the academy, we need to prepare equipment suited for you.”
Of course. Starting with weapon crafting, then.
The academy was fundamentally a place where you learned through competition, and everyone entered with all their personal equipment prepared.
‘They do offer rentals, but honestly, almost no one uses them.’
Since your training’s direction had to be decided based on your equipment, this was the first step to take.
So I needed to state my preference, but…
“Ahem. Wouldn’t a mace be best? It’s the most common weapon used in the Inquisition Bureau.”
“Since Lian is good at throwing, wouldn’t a throwable weapon suit you better? Perhaps a dagger.”
“Ah, that’s right!”
My parents were barking up the wrong tree.
Though I suppose it couldn’t be helped—all they’d seen of my fighting was that sort of thing.
‘If this goes on, my equipment is going to turn into something weird!’
A dagger? My aim wasn’t that good.
“I want an Iron Pipe!”
“What?”
“A metal staff!”
“A staff?”
“Yes!”
Not a sword, not a mace—but suddenly a staff, out of nowhere?
Bewilderment filled my parents’ faces.
—A staff really is the best.
Eli nodded with quiet satisfaction.
Eli’s former name was Single-Branch Maiden—a name earned by wielding a single staff with such grace and skill.
Everything I knew of Staff Technique, I’d learned from Eli.
Since this was what I did best, there was no reason to switch to another weapon.
“Hmm… if you make a staff out of metal, wouldn’t it be terribly heavy?”
“The inside should be hollow! Like a straw!”
“Lian, if you do that, the durability will be compromised and the weapon becomes pointless, won’t it?”
“Besides, you’ve never even trained with a staff before.”
This was troublesome.
My parents were working together to block my staff aspirations…!
‘If they’d just let me make it, I could show them—proof in the performance!’
How will you persuade them?
—Just show them. Any staff will do anyway, right?
‘Right.’
That made sense.
—While I’m at it, I can show them I can apply Weight Reduction too.
And if I throw in teaching them Talisman Crafting, that’s the real strategy!
Good.
“Mother, Father. I’ll show you something.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll show you exactly why you need to use a staff!”
The house’s weapon storage held an impressive array of arms.
Among them, naturally, were staffs.
Though none made in a child’s size, of course. Which meant one thing.
‘They’re incredibly heavy.’
“Nngh!”
The strength of a small child wasn’t nearly enough to lift it properly.
“You’re really going to be able to do it with that…?”
The servant who’d brought the staff turned anxious eyes toward me, but—
“Yes!”
I spoke with confidence and set it down on the floor.
“?”
“…?”
Ah, no—this wasn’t it.
“Wait! I’ll make it lighter!”
I raised my hands hastily and gathered Holy Power.
At my fingertips, a blade of Holy Power formed, honed to a razor’s edge.
“!!”
“!!!”
‘He’s already controlling it that well?’
Only about a week had passed since receiving the Baptism Ceremony.
It had only been a week since the Holy Power Crystal formed.
Yet the fact that Lian could already wield Holy Power with such proficiency spoke volumes about his talent.
Railike and Liliard’s eyes met.
‘For now…’
‘Shall we keep watching?’
While they observed, I inscribed the characters.
Weight Reduction.
Those three characters were all that was needed.
‘Since the Holy Power Crystal formed, inscribing has become so much smoother.’
I’d felt it before, even when purifying the Saint’s Pendant.
Even with one more character added, there was no strain. The lines flowed cleanly.
‘Roughly thirty percent of my old skill has returned, I’d say.’
My talent for Talisman Crafting had always been quite refined.
Though it would take a bit longer for that full mastery to return.
Eli’s Holy Power seeped in smoothly as well. The loss rate during inscription had definitely decreased significantly.
***
Meanwhile.
The eyes of both parents watching Lian’s work grew even wider than before.
‘What is that?’
‘A drawing? No, characters? What is it?’
Their gazes collided once more.
Then understanding dawned.
‘An angel!’
‘It must be an angel!’
A light of revelation shone in both their eyes.
‘He must have learned ancient magic circles from an angel.’
‘He used something similar before, but it’s completely transformed since the Baptism Ceremony. That must be it.’
Whisper, whisper.
The pair theorized quietly to themselves.
They’d mistaken the characters being inscribed on the staff for ancient magic circles.
But it had been a complete waste of effort.
Everything she’d carved into nursing bottles and fountain pens before had been faint and blurred, easy to miss.
While misunderstanding bloomed rampant on one side.
‘Heh heh. Perfect Weight Reduction.’
The letters were engraved completely now. The time required had shrunk dramatically.
She lifted it by hand—it felt wonderfully light.
“!!”
“!!”
Both of them looked startled.
Heh heh heh heh.
“Let me show you.”
She picked up the staff and took her stance.
Though it was quite long since it was made for adults, the lightness made it manageable to handle.
‘I need something to demonstrate with….’
She turned her head slightly and spotted the newspaper Father had carried in.
She picked up the newspaper with her hand.
And tossed it lightly upward.
“Hah!”
With a cry, she swung the Iron Pipe lightly.
With a hollow boom, she drew it cleanly down and then up.
“Gasp!”
“!!!”
Rip—
The newspaper, split neatly in two, fluttered down to the floor.

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