The Female Knight of Doom - TFKOD 03: Temple Gods

Still in a daze, Alice trudged behind Lord Etienne.

They left the small temple and stepped through a somewhat pitch-black corridor. They entered the Great Hall dedicated to the twelve gods through a side door.

She was stunned the moment Lord Etienne pushed open the door.

She had heard countless descriptions of the temple from Burke, who had performed the ceremony a few months prior.

However, witnessing it with her own eyes was an entirely different experience. Without a doubt, it was the most sacred place she had ever seen.

The towering dome radiated a palpable sense of holiness. Illuminated by countless candles, the brass statues gleamed with a brilliant luster.

In the center stood statues of the God and Goddess of Light, each about the height of five stacked Alices. They were made of white marble and were imposing and awe-inspiring.

The spectacular scenery momentarily distracted her. She stood in the doorway for a moment before regaining her composure.

She paused, tilting her head toward the God of Light.

Only when Lord Etienne firmly patted her on the head and led her forward did she realize that the people gathered here today were congregated around the six statues positioned before the God and Goddess of Light.

The statues represented the gods subservient to the Light ones and the patron saints that the children attending today’s ceremony would choose.

There were also some Stygian statues enshrined in the shaded area behind the God of Light.

Alice raised her head to look around, only to find the God of Darkness and his three subservients.

The followers of Darkness held their ceremonies at the altar and met privately there; they did not come to the temple.

However, the temple’s commitment to worshipping all gods impartially was evident in its continued enshrinement of the statues and offering of flowers and sacrifices during festivals.

The people who performed the ceremony here today were descendants of commoners. They did not want to get involved with the gods of Origin of Darkness. Nor could they become followers of the God and Goddess of Light in a separate ceremony, as the young men and women of the upper class did.

Therefore, they gathered around the lesser gods of the Origin of Light and prepared to pledge their allegiance to the same patron saints as their parents.

Today, people offer flowers in front of every statue and pray for the subservient gods to descend.

The atmosphere was undeniably festive, even though it wasn’t a festival.

Having already chosen their god, the children entered the small prayer chamber behind each of the six light-subservient gods one by one under the guidance of the temple apprentices. The final ceremony would be performed individually by the children in the prayer chambers.

It was believed that doing so would allow them to personally connect with the gods.

“However, only the most exceptional followers are granted the honor of communicating with the gods.” The temple apprentices put it best, “We lesser mortals can only increase our piety, hoping that the gods will hear our wishes.”

Alice’s mother had sworn in Goddess Fragna, who was one of the six light-subservient gods and was positioned closest to the Goddess of Light.

She knew that Goddess Fragna was in charge of family and procreation and was especially honored among the gods. Her mother often spoke of this with pride.

However, it made no sense to Alice.

She moved forward alone and stood between the six statues, studying them from all sides.

The plaques at the base of the statues clearly indicated the gods’ titles and duties. Skipping the tongue-twisting names, she focused on their gender and duties instead.

Three male gods stood before the God of Light: the God of Agriculture and Herding, the God of Craftsmen, and the God of Valor. Before the Goddess of Light were three subservient gods: the Goddess of Commerce, the God of Poets, and the Goddess of Family and Procreation, also known as Goddess Fragna.

The statue of the God of Poets was unmistakably bizarre. He had the expression of a happy man but held the mask of a weeping woman in his hands.

The plaque stated that his appearance and gender could change at will.

After finishing her study of the plaques, Alice looked up at the crowd.

She noticed that almost all of the young ladies were gathered around Goddess Fragna, while only a few young men stopped before the Goddess of Commerce.

She also noticed that the young ladies who had stopped before the Goddess of Commerce were exquisitely dressed and were clearly the descendants of wealthy and important merchants.

The two young ladies who stopped beside the God of Poets were particularly slim and tall with pleasant faces. They wore matching uniforms, resembling members of a traveling theater troupe.

Since the God of the Future did not respond, Alice had to choose one of the six gods. She had expected it to be simple. As long as it wasn’t the Goddess Fragna, she thought she could choose any of them easily.

But now, it honestly looked complicated.

She had two options: join the wealthy girls or go with the young ladies. Both options required quite a bit of courage.

The local perspective was clear. Any child who turned twelve and performed the temple ceremony was eligible to become a laborer or apprentice.

After returning home today, Alice planned to find a proper job. She decided to do laundry, just like her mother, and save up before arranging something else.

Although there was no god specifically associated with laundering, she hoped her decision today would lead to a rewarding career.

No one would choose to spend their whole life doing laundry if they had a choice.

She glanced over at the other side.

In front of the God of Agriculture and Herding stood several peasant descendants—young men and ladies who had risen early at daybreak to travel from the outskirts of the city. They rarely entered the city, and it was clear that they had never been to a place like the temple before. They were plainly apprehensive, making them easy to recognize.

Meanwhile, young men from the city gathered in front of the God of Craftsmen, also known as God Leighton, and the God of Valor, also known as God Bertucci. Most of their fathers were artisans or soldiers in the city. After turning twelve, they would follow in their fathers’ footsteps by entering a workshop or military barracks for training. For them, this was the best choice.

Alice examined the current situation.

Except for Goddess Fragna, only the God of Agriculture and Herding, the Goddess of Commerce, and the God of Poets were accompanied by young ladies. She knew she couldn’t choose the God of Agriculture and Herding because she was born in the city and didn’t have fields or cattle.

As for the Goddess of Commerce, she lacked the capital to start a business, and shops usually didn’t take young ladies like her as apprentices.

If only the God of the Future had chosen her, she wouldn’t have had to worry about it.

Alice stared at the statue of the God of Poets, contemplating whether to approach it.

Its two faces were unnerving. The slim, fair young men and ladies in front of her did not make the decision any easier, either. She could almost imagine the astonished looks they would give her if she walked over.

On top of that, she did not fully understand, but whenever her mother mentioned the traveling theater troupe, she always wore an expression of disdain and sympathy. Though her mother was gone, she still remembered the expression, which hindered her from going to the God of Poets.

She whipped around and saw the determined eyes of God Bertucci, the God of Valor.

He was strikingly attractive, neither as feminine as the God of Poets nor as stocky as the God of Craftsmen.

Among these gods, he stood out with his extraordinary appearance, rivaling the God of Light in appeal. Moreover, aside from his professional abilities, he was said to be able to bestow immense prowess upon his followers, and that alone was deeply inspiring.

It was this moment—or perhaps the look in the god’s eyes—that motivated Alice. She made up her mind to go to him, her teeth sinking into her lip.

Although she knew no god could provide the sanctuary she desperately needed, she still wished for a little courage.

Everyone was doing their own thing. But as she stood at the end of the line forming in front of God Bertucci, she sensed all eyes on her.

They were malicious and brimming with mockery and contempt, as well as wonder and curiosity.

She pretended not to notice them. She held her head high, staring straight into the eyes of the God Bertucci statue, attempting to shake off the disturbances and draw courage from god himself.

However, the aloof god did not seem inclined to bless those who had not yet become his followers. She felt only the glares thrown at her, as if they were thorns in her back, and no blessing.

Her knees felt unsteady, and she was hesitant about what to do. Should she just go back?

But where could she go?

While she was in a state of doubt, a figure stepped swiftly in front of her. It blocked out all the hostile gazes and created a shadow for her to hide in.

A sharp voice addressed the crowd above her.

“What are you looking at? There’s nothing to make a fuss about.”

Alice looked up and saw golden hair radiant as the sun.

“The followers of the God of Valor are not only men.” Lord Etienne, the presiding officer of the ceremony and the de facto mentor of the temple’s apprentices, spoke with a compelling tone, “A century ago, Princess Wurlitzer was a follower of the God of Valor. With his blessing, she led a great battalion to defend our nation from the enemy seven times in a row. Her ladies-in-waiting and attendants all worshiped the God of Valor just as their mistress did. Their descendants have also inherited this tradition, making it the pride of their lives to believe in the God of Valor.”

He lowered his head and stared at her.

“Child, your ancestor must have been Princess Wurlitzer’s attendant. Right? I remembered that your last name is the same as one of Princess Wurlitzer’s chief attendants while I was recording it just now.”

He spoke with such conviction that no one could suspect a thing.

But Alice knew full well that she had no last name, family, ancestors, or genealogy. He had just recorded her information and knew it irrefutably.

It was clear that he was doing this to help her.

…

A/N:

The God of Poets is actually the God of Literature and Art. The concept of “poetry” in ancient Western countries was much broader than it is today. This story aligns more closely with Western mythology, cultures, and rituals.

It is, however, a fictional work. The festivals and rituals that appear later may have prototypes, but they are not real culture.