4 Months Later
In the last four months, I've done everything I could to gain XP. Even though I couldn't earn XP on my own initiative except for circulating my mana through my body, I believe I had done everything possible. After all, how strong can a baby get? Here are the results!
[Name: Lillian Angelica Leveith
Age: 6 Months
Race: Half-Dragon, Half-Human
Occupation: Baby
Evolution Level: Not Evolved
Level: 5
XP: 125/3000
Affinities: [Light (Knight)], [Ice (Knight)], [Wind (Very High)], [Nature (Very High)]
Golden Blood Ratio: 0.001%
Attributes:
Vitality: 140/140 > 145/145Physical Strength: 15 > 22Endurance: 42 > 48Agility: 12 > 15Magic Power: 232 > 260Mana: 10122/10122 > 10864/10864Intelligence: 323 > 333
Attribute Points: 50
Skills: [Minor Healing], [Wind Blade], [Wind Step]]
Thanks to the increase in my magic power, my attributes had improved overall. Yet, I still wasn't satisfied with the results. Yes, I was a baby. Yes, I was perhaps stronger than an average soldier, but still—an average soldier! Without asking the system, I already knew I was no different from a pebble compared to the strongest unevolved being out there.
The only thing pulling me out of despair was my potential. Even if I hit a wall one day, I had countless abilities that would help me climb over it. And the real strength would come once I could fully use my body.
The things I did over the past four months weren't limited to just that. In fact, I did something far more important—I spent time with my family!
Every morning, after my mom fed me, she would take me out to the garden. There, I played with my older brother Ranga or my sisters. Occasionally, I'd see my other brothers, though they were always busy. They were either training with swords, practicing magic, or studying politics.
It's not as if the empire had never had a female heir before, but one of my sisters was a battle maniac, and the other was a bookworm. Neither of them cared about the throne, which meant they weren't under much pressure. On the other hand, all my brothers wanted to either become emperor or generals. At first, this intimidated me, but over time, I realized my fear was baseless.
Typically, heirs assassinate each other, accuse one another of crimes, plot in the shadows, and use corrupt nobles to secure the throne. But my family wasn't like that. All my brothers got along well and respected each other's opinions. I hadn't seen them fight even once.
This gave me an idea. Why shouldn't I become Empress? There was no obstacle preventing me because of my gender, and I didn't have to fear clashing with my family. If I could prove myself to them, becoming Empress wasn't impossible. But that was a goal for my future self to figure out. Right now, I was preparing for a day I would never forget—my Blessing Ceremony was about to begin.
Servants were bustling everywhere, preparing a proper welcome for the noble families who would attend. From what I gathered in conversations, all the nobles of the empire, and even some from other countries, were coming! The most surprising part was that the dragons were sending an envoy.
Normally, dragons hardly ever leave their lands unless it's to destroy something, but apparently, my mother's influence was far greater than I'd imagined. After all, every race, except for demons and angels, had sent at least one representative.
In my past life, I'd heard many things about the empire's Blessing Ceremonies, but none of them explained this situation. With an excitement I had never felt before bubbling inside me, I looked into the beautiful white eyes gazing at me.
"Oh my, has little Angelica gotten excited? Though, you're not entirely wrong to be. So many people are coming just to see our little Agatha. Honestly, I'm excited too! Even when we held this ceremony for your brother, there weren't this many guests. I'm especially curious about why that old man decided to come," she said, staring out the window.
By "old man," she probably meant the dragon envoy. I wondered how she knew him.
"Oh heavens! Now isn't the time for daydreaming. Come on, let's get you all dressed up nicely. Your father is helping your brother, and we can't let them win. After all, you're the star of today!"
"Shine brightly, my little Angelica. Illuminate all who love you with your light, and bury all your enemies in your darkness. Today will be the day you introduce yourself to the world. Good luck."
Though I wondered why someone would say so much to a mere baby, her words deeply resonated with my soul. Mother was right. I would captivate those who loved me and send those who hated me straight to the depths of hell.
After preparing a bit more, we entered a period of waiting. Everything was ready now. All that remained was for the guests to take their seats inside the church and for the public to gather in the church garden to witness the blessing ceremony.
After spending a bit more time with my mother, the moment finally arrived. When she rose to her feet, the church bells began to ring.
DINN
Each chime echoed like thunder, growing in intensity with every toll.
DINNNN
DIINNNNN
As the bell rang a third time, we stepped into the room where the waiting crowd was gathered.
DINNNNNNNN
The final chime was so loud it reverberated across the entire capital. Normally, such a sound would be enough to kill the weak, yet strangely, everyone seemed to feel increasingly at ease.
Mother walked forward gracefully, ascended the stairs, and placed me gently on the altar. For a moment, her eyes seemed to want to convey something to me, but she quickly turned her head and knelt at the base of the stairs. Next in line was the speech of the Pope, one of the most powerful figures in the Empire, followed by the ritual.
"Today is the day our empire's shining sun, Ulsar Arthur Leveith's seventh child and third daughter, Lillian Angelica Leveith, will receive the blessing of our goddess. The contributions of Arthur Leveith, the Emperor of Ulvia, to the Empire and to the Goddess of Light are immeasurable. Undoubtedly, his daughter Angelica Leveith will be blessed with great care by our goddess.
"I, Argrath, the IVth Pope of the Ulvia Empire, hereby declare the commencement of the princess's blessing ceremony. May our goddess bless you all."
Following the Pope's speech, all those who worshipped the Goddess of Light knelt, while the rest showed the necessary respect by bowing their heads.
Seeing that everyone was ready for the ceremony, the Pope began his incantation. Beneath me, a magical circle of unparalleled brilliance and purity began to form, as if it were shielding me from all the evils of the world. It glowed with breathtaking splendor, and its radiance filled the room.
The lamps at the top of the church, which appeared to have been dormant for years, began to flicker. There were seven of these lamps, and their glow symbolized the strength of the blessing being granted. Interestingly, the power of the blessing was not determined by the goddess but by the blessed individual themselves. The closer and purer a person was to the light, the stronger the blessing would be.
This was one of the primary reasons the ceremony was performed at six months of age. The longer a person lived, the more they were drawn into the mire of life. This fact left me uneasy. As someone living their second life, how would I fare in this test of purity?
Before I could dwell further on the thought, the Pope began his invocation.
"O mighty Goddess, today we kneel before You as believers. Today, we feel Your presence at our fingertips once more. Today, through the power You have bestowed upon us, we live on this land and pray to You. Through the strength of Your light, we protect ourselves from our enemies and guard what is rightfully ours.
The reason we stand here today is to give thanks for Your blessings and to crown the new sun You have granted us. Today, we ask for Your blessing upon the new heir of our Emperor, who spreads Your light across the continent and unites us beneath it. Please grant us Your strength so that Your light may shine even brighter.
We beseech You for the sake of the Empire and our faith. Bless our new light, who will save us from all darkness and grant us a radiant future!"
As the Pope concluded his prayer, the beginning of an unforgettable series of events unfolded in an instant...