We follow the six priest towards the long corridor. There just seems to be no end to the doors along this corridor. But I can now see the exit.
There are two more groups of teens and two more priests that has joined with us going to the exit.
I guess they just finished with the ritual too. And in each batch, there seem to be ten people.
I lightly jab Lana with my elbow on her arm to get her attention.
"Hm?" She looks up at my face with a questioning look.
I lower my head slightly to match her level and whisper softly on her ear.
"Say, what's the required age to get a baptism? Every baptismal people here seems young." I ask curiously.
I also see her cheeks slightly turn pink at the close proximity of our faces.
Not gonna blame her, I could also feel my cheeks heat up slightly.
"Why are yo-oh!" She was about to ask but I give her the You-Know-Look.
That's right. Giving her the reason 'because I was vegetable since I was five so I don't know much' should be enough. This way as long as I have something I'm confused about in the future, I could always just ask her and she wouldn't suspect anything. Convinient.
"People normally take their baptisms at the age of their adulthood. Which is sixteen. So except for special circumstances, everyone here should be the same age as us." She whisper back to me, explaining slowly.
I just nod in understanding. And she returns it with a smile of self-satisfaction.
Oh! So the age of adulthood in this is sixteen not eighteen. Hm? Make sense if I think about it carefully.
Since this world's countries are in constant war with each other, the mortality rate should also be high. This should then naturally result in the early need for children to mature so they, not only fight for themselves and their love ones, but to also continue the race.
Since so many must die young, they should also marry and make their own families at a young age.
This is not really that evident in Rinon Nation though as this is a relatively peaceful country so I'm not very sure. This could just very well be my assumption. And I really hope that is the case since that would be good for everyone. But something just tells me that isn't the case though.
I need to study the society of this world more.
Another thing, it is really very lucky for this body to wake up just at the right age to get baptized. This could very much be planned by the Goddess though. But I'm just really thankful I didn't have to wait for years in order to be able to use magic.
That would suck.
We finally made it out that long corridor, but as we step through the huge doorway I felt slightly disoriented as light pass through my eyes. And when I finally open them from abruptly closing them from the light, what awaited in front of us is a wonderful indoor garden.
It's not very big but not small either. In the middle of the garden, there's a cemented part and there stands a hexagonal kiosk. It doesn't seem man-made at all. To be precise, it just looks like a rather tall rock with six smooth sides. But those six sides gives off a light that displays writings, like a screen.
And of course, there will obviously be paladins guarding this rock. There are three of them, one beside the rock, and the other two standing on either side of where we just entered. Not to mention, there's a rune beneath our feet that I don't know the function of but I'm very confident to bet that this is some kind of high level defensive rune.
"That mustve been transportation magic." Says Myka.
"It is. I've been through one before and it felt the same as that one."
Oh, they used transportation magic on us.
That must mean that this garden isn't really connected to that long corridor before. They must not want just anyone to know the true location of this place. After all, the kiosk in this garden is very important as it should hold important information on so many people. Of course they would want to protect it.
What I didn't know at this moment though, is that, the churches in this world considers these rocks as holy relics, and that is the real reason why the security around them is tight. Every religion, have one that is said to be bestowed upon them by the Gods or Goddesses that they worship.
It is originally a huge piece of rock that has the ability to record informations of the people that touches them and pours magic. They cut it to small pieces and distribute those small pieces to other branches of their church in their country. But everything that has been recorded in those small pieces would also be recorded on the main rock.
And in the Rinon Nation, this is their main kiosk. That means, this rock has the records of every follower of the Church of Fertility since the time they are first bestowed this.
There is actually another group of people here before our group. They are currently using the kiosk so that means we would need to wait for our turn.
I feel quite excited. I mean, who wouldn't be? I think anyone from my original world would be very excited if they find out they can soon use real genuine magic.
But I'm also nervous at the same time. After all, it's true that my parents doesn't have affinity for any magic. And I could naturally be like that. There's a high chance that I won't have any affinity for any magic as well. I am just here because I am clinging to my hopes that this body still have the genes that carry the affinity for magic. After all, although my parents both doesn't have any affinity, all my grandparents from both sides does. And I also have my system as an indicator, I could only hope my hunch is right. Or else I could be humiliated here with so many people witnessing I don't have any affinity.
This world has a prejudice towards people who can't use magic after all.
Wait... The system! Couldn't I just see my affinity through the system?
Why did I only think about that now?
'Status!'
I excitedly shout in my mind.
Health: 105/105 Strength: 45/100 Vitality: 69/100
Stamina: 49/60 Agility: 34/100 Charm: 47/100
Magic: 100/100 Dexterity: 31/100 Intelligence: 75/100
Stat Points: 2
Market Points: 110
Abilities
Advance Mathematics : 72/100
Fire Magic: 1/100
Water Magic: 1/100
Earth Magic: 1/100
Wind Magic: 1/100
Light Magic: 1/100
Void Magic: 1/100
Holy shit!
"Is something wrong Aziel?" Asks Lana, must be because I suddenly had a rather surprised expression.
Because why the hell not? This... What does this mean?
"Erm... N-nothing. I'm just mystified." An excuse.
"Yeah I totally get you there, this place really feels... How should I put it?... Divine!" Myka exclaims whisperingly.
"Well this is the Church so that's pretty much a given no?" Lana quips.
"No its different. I've been to other Churches before but its not like this..."
I let the two quibble to themselves as there's something more urgent that suddenly flashed in my view.
[Please Select Official Element]
Official Element?
If I assume right this should what would appear on the kiosk later?
But what's this? It seems strangely convenient and the timing...
Did the system had an update or something? Oh well this is helpful. I don't want to be revealing my cards too early.
I should pick fire here since it'll be the most believable given that my grandparents are fire magic users.
I wish there was a manual to this but I just have to find out and study it myself.
I let out a sigh.
SYSTEM HELP FUNCTION ACQUIRED
"... Eh?...! " I dumbly exclaim quite loudly in which I quickly suppressed with a hand over my mouth with a smack.
I look around embarrasingly. There were some looking my way but quickly turned away.
Hell yes!
Since the start I have always thought I did not know much about this system. I am aware I was not using it in its fullest function and potential. There's so many mysteries!
There were instances where I questioned to myself like:
What is the threshold level normal for an ordinary person?
Or...
Why is the Market points convertable to Stat points?
Because it doesn't make sense somehow, no matter how convenient that is. It would defeat the purpose of having Stat points at all since I could just use the Market points. Why have them at all? That's what I was confused about.
And I have always wanted to know the normal level threshold of a regular person. Because my healing speed is anything but normal. It buffled mom and the other doctors that I was able to recover enough to walk, albeit with a cane in less that a month's time.
I also thought its weird more so than it's incredible because at first I thought that level 40ish is only normal for a human.
But now I think not because of my recovery speed. Normal people would take at least two months time.
Talk about convenience! I can now answer some of my growing list of questions with this!
I felt a strong tug on my sleeve and before I fully came to my senses I am dragged by an annoyed looking Lana to a cue line that I guess belonged to our group that is lining up for the kiosk formed while I was lost in my own thoughts.
"... Sorry." I sheepishly said scratching my cheek gently.
"Your zoning out a lot today. Do you have a problem?" Despite still looking annoyed, Lana still sounded sincere.
I know that she still feel indepted to me despite me saying it's alright. So she's always looking for a way to properly pay me back. I noticed that when she agreed to let me come with them today when I asked. Because she barely even know me but I bet she tried hard to convince her friend, Myka to let me come with them.
When we met, I can tell Myka is not the type to meet and hung out with new people or new guys. She's a fireball but I can tell she's very picky with her friends.
I learned how to judge people's personalities correctly based on a small amount of interaction because of my previous life's situation. They're likes and dislikes per se.
I had to if I wanted to survive. And I'm pretty confident in it.
"Yup, I'm perfect don't worry!" I give her a smile of reassurance.
Yet she looked at my way, doubtful.
"Well... My legs are kinda troubling me today so... I think I overworked them yesterday." A lie. But she would never be able to tell with me smiling with a straight face.
Another trick I had learned in order to survive from my previous life.
Her eyes immediately sparkled with understanding, believing me instantly.
"Well hung in there for a little bit more, OK? Um... I'll have you switch places with Myka so you could rest your legs after your turn." She said and went to where Myka is, near the front of our cue line.
Because of me spacing out and having to be dragged here by Lana we were the last ones on the cue. And Myka went ahead of us to line up.
She'll be annoyed.
The girls looks this way and I flash them an apologetic smile.
And as I expected, I saw Myka sigh in concealed annoyance before walking over here with Lana.
Having switched places with Myka, the other ones with us seems confused at first but quickly showed a face of understanding when they saw me having a cane.
People are easy.
And with two more people finished with their turns it is now mine's.
Ushered by the priest, I walk over to the kiosk. There, there's another priest standing next to the kiosk.
"Give me your hand." He says as I reach near.
I do as told and he pricked all five of my fingers with a needle and as soon as little trinkets of blood oozes out he told me to immediately put my hand to the podium right in front of the kiosk.
Upon contact, I can feel something quickly invading my body through my hand and it was gone as soon as it went.
At that moment I can feel intense gazes on my back and I'm willing to bet they're from the priests from earlier that came with us here.
I noticed them looking over my direction on several occasions.
I have a few guesses why but that's not important right now.
Looking straight over to the kiosk, I can see my name and beside it says fire magic.
I sigh a breath of relief I didn't know I was holding. I guess I still got nervous of what's going to come out of the kiosk. If the system really concealed my real affinities with all elements.
Satisfied. I nodded and looked over to the priest beside me.
He just ushered me to walk over to the benches by the walls of the room where all the others finished baptismal candidates are.
I walk over to the bench where the group I belong to is and sat.
I just watched as the others went through to the kiosk for the rest of the time until all baptismal candidates are done.
After that, someone who looks like the highest ranking priest present here, coincidentally, the priest who took our group all the way here since the start, gave a speech about how we should properly use our newly acquired powers for good and always pray to the gods and joining churches and all that etc.
Then we were finally allowed to leave.