Kotori was finally able to get Umi to change out of the Shiromuku after about an hour of convincing.
Unfortunately, she was not quick enough to get Umi to change before Layla got back. Upon seeing Umi wearing the Shiromuku Layla also changed her form to wearing one.
[We can't really have two popes… Can we?] Kotori began to think it wasn't like there was a precedent against having two popes.
[This could work?] Kotori thought after she realized that it didn't really matter.
Layla also had the same sort of haughty attitude that would make her good for being a pope too.
Kotori then decided to have Umi as the preacher pope and Layla as the leader pope.
Layla seemed receptive to the idea especially after she learned that she would be wearing the Shiromuku too.
"Fufu now I'm just like Umi" She muttered to herself after Kotori explained her plan./
[Now how do I spread this?] Kotori thought
A religion was useless without followers.
She decided that she would first start converting the villagers. It was helpful that there was no real religion in the kingdom of Faramouth or Atlea. Villagers kept to their folk traditions but there was no sort of massive centralized religion like in her old world.
[Religions need miracles right?] She thought
Unfortunately, in a world where there was magic, Kotori had to be a bit more creative with how she performed miracles. It was not enough to do magic but do something that seemed inhuman.
The very next day, Kotori went to the villagers and asked if she could bless their fields. They looked baffled at the idea. It was a good sign for Kotori since it meant they would be surprised when she did it.
Uldricht the father of the boy who originally bothers Kotori was scratching his head. He was like a village head and made a lot of decisions for them.
"I don' know missy, I've never heard of blessing soil before," he said a tinge of doubt in his voice
Kotori who knew mana was a form of life energy concluded that it was possible.
"let me try it," she told him
Uldricht shrugged
"Alright, you can do what you want as long as you don't mess with the crops"
Kotori knew the crops were beginning to sprout right now and it was a sensitive time for farmers. Crops were very delicate around this time. Since she had lived on a farm when she first reincarnated, she knew exactly what it was like.
Kotori who had the blessing of the village leader found a place that was centralized from all the fields. Umi was with her to help fill the fields with mana.
Kotori pulled out her king lizard horn which hung from her belt. She had two instruments right now. Her father's flute had a lower range but better for fine-tuned spells like the sound attack, and the horn would make it easier to make wider range magic. In return was it harder to control the amount of mana she used when using the horn.
Right as she was about to blow her lizard horn she felt something push it away. She instantly looked at Umi who was watching her with a confused expression
"Umi?" she asked
Umi looked confused her Wataboshi was swaying in the wind.
"Is something wrong Kotori-sama" She asked
[No that doesn't make sense why would Umi stop me? Hikari?]
The moment she thought about Hikari she felt a grumble atop her head.
Despite the cute name she gave it Hikari had the temperament of an oji-san
[Hikari-chan do you have an issue?] Kotori spoke to it with [Spirit Seer]
Hikari grumbled further and then a small thing rod popped out from Kotori's tiara.
It looks like the conductor baton. At the handle portion was a small gem that Hikari used.
[You want me to use this?] Kotori asked
Hikari vibrated in contentment.
Kotori gently took hold of the baton. It fit her hand quite nicely.
She started activating [Magic Minstrel] and mana began to pour into her.
She imagined a thin sheet of mana covering the fields making them grow. It was hard to control in the beginning, but Kotori steadily go used to it. She hadn't actually channeled any mana yet, she was just trying to shape and control the mana.
She was steadily getting better. The conductor baton was surprisingly good for letting Kotori channel a large amount of mana and fine-tuning it at the same time.
She felt a flow of mana from her body that soon began to turn into a torrent.
"Umi!" She called out
Umi quickly started activating [Mana flow] in response to Kotori's shout. Kotori felt Umi's mana flow into her, but it was not enough.
[Ah I've been too ambitious once again] Kotori thought
Although Kotori had good mana control she was not used to controlling so much at the same time. She was losing control, the mana was flowing out of her at a rapid pace. Her efforts to slow it were futile; It was like trying to control a river with just her bare hand.
She felt her vision darkening.
It had been a while since Kotori had overextended herself on mana, but she could recognize when it was about to happen
"Umi catch me!" she said as she quickly cast the magic before she couldn't control it anymore.
Kotori felt her legs buckle under her.
Umi quickly grabbed Kotori as she began collapsing.
"Kotori-sama!" She called out as Kotori's visions faded to black.