I stepped into the grand cathedral.
The interior was enormous. Massive chandeliers hung at least twenty feet above, casting warm light across the vast hall. The towering walls were covered with intricate designs carved into marble and lined with delicate gold inlays. Stained-glass windows stretched high along the sides, depicting murals of numerous figures.
They looked like angels… yet also human.
The cathedral was filled with believers of Aureola, the goddess worshiped throughout this world. Worshippers knelt quietly on both sides of the wooden cathedral benches, their heads bowed in prayer.
Their voices were soft, barely more than whispers. Yet when combined with the many others praying around them, it felt like a gentle chorus, like the distant harmony of a grand hymn echoing through the cathedral.
Allen and I looked around in silent awe, captivated by the magnificent sight before us. Ever since leaving our home this morning, everything we had seen felt larger and grander than anything we had known.
Then suddenly an old voice called out to our father.
"Hoho… the Marquis has come to the church. Time truly does fly."
The voice belonged to an elderly man who approached with a warm smile. His hair was completely white, matched by a neatly trimmed short beard. Wrinkles lined his cheeks and the corners of his eyes, yet they only made his expression appear gentler.
He wore a long white robe decorated with golden cross patterned winged sword, with a red mantle draped over it that made his presence difficult to ignore.
Upon his head rested a papal tiara, the ceremonial crown worn only by the Popes.
"Is it already their time?" he asked gently, his voice filled with genuine curiosity.
Merlin smiled softly and nodded.
"Yes, Pope George. They have finally reached the age for the ceremony. Time truly passes quickly… it feels like they grew up in the blink of an eye."
Pope George gave a brief nod in acknowledgment before turning his gaze toward us.
Up close, his eyes carried a calm warmth.
"I am George Hernandez, the Pope of this church," he said kindly. "May I know the names of you two young boys?"
Being the more eccentric one, Allen answered hastily.
"I'm Allen Nightingale!"
"I'm Rio… Rio Nightingale," I said a moment later.
Curiosity stirred within me. I wanted to know whether I would receive a blessing or not.
Then a thought suddenly surfaced.
Wait… is my Void Sense already a blessing?
Was I able to wield it even before the ceremony?
Questions churned through my mind.
Noticing the anticipation written across our faces, Pope George slowly walked toward the aisle. He picked up a blunt steel sword resting nearby and gestured for us to step forward.
Allen, impatient as always, rushed ahead before Father could even say anything.
I glanced back at Father for permission. He gave a small approving nod.
So I stepped forward as well.
As I approached the aisle, my eyes caught sight of a symbol engraved on the central glass pane. It depicted a sword embraced by a pair of beautiful white wings.
It looked identical to the emblem stitched behind the Pope's robe, a golden cross-like design resting on red silk draped over his white garment.
Standing beside Allen, I suddenly felt a faint warmth surrounding the cathedral. Allen waited eagerly for the ceremony to begin.
Pope George studied us quietly for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and began chanting verses under his breath. After a few moments, he raised the blunt sword and pointed it toward the two of us.
Up close, the sword looked far from ordinary.
Though its edge was dull, the weapon itself was magnificent—crafted from gold and embedded with several carefully placed gems. The design of the blade possessed a strange elegance, as though it had been forged not merely as a ceremonial object but as a symbol of sacred authority.
Seconds passed. Then... The blade began to glow.
A brilliant radiance burst forth, enveloping both of us in light so bright that it illuminated the entire cathedral.
The light slowly faded, dissolving back into the quiet air. Soon after, a warm sensation flared inside me.
It felt like an embrace from something unseen. Something gentle that soothed my racing thoughts.
Before I could fully understand the feeling, it slowly faded, merging into my body. An unfamiliar energy began flowing through me.
It was different from Void Sense.
This energy felt instinctive, natural, yet powerful. There was no information attached to it, yet somehow… I understood how to use it.
My awareness returned, bringing me back to the present. Instinctively, I looked forward.
Pope George stood before us, wearing a gentle and warm smile.
I glanced around. Allen was still standing beside me, looking dazed from the experience. Our parents watched us closely.
Both of them were smiling.
What is this feeling…?
It was warm… deeply warm. Almost instinctual. Like invisible arms gently embracing him.
This… this must be my blessing.
Yet he didn't truly understand what it was. He only knew one thing. Somehow, he knew how to use it.
Curiosity stirred inside him. Rio slowly closed his eyes. Following that strange instinct, he gathered the energy that had appeared with the blessing. It rested somewhere deep within his chest, near his heart. Carefully, he guided the energy upward, letting it flow toward his eyes.
The energy did not disperse after reaching his eyes, it flowed back down again, returning to his heart before spreading throughout his body.
It circulated through him like a second network of blood vessels.
Rio focused on the sensation.
This feels completely different from my other ability… Void Sense uses my stamina… But this… this uses an entirely different energy.
Even after months of growth, his stamina had improved only slightly. His Void Sense still felt limited and incomplete.
But this new energ... It felt whole,Stable and Natural. As if it had always belonged to him.
After a moment of contemplation, Rio slowly opened his eyes.
The moment Rio opened his eyes, Multiple translucent screens suddenly appeared in his vision.
They floated silently in the air, overlapping each other like layers of glass. Each one contained lines of information, details about the people around him, the structure of the cathedral, even the objects nearby.
Names, Conditions, Materials, Distances and Everything.
The sheer volume of information flooded into his mind at once. For a child's brain, it was far too much. A sharp pain shot through Rio's head.
Ugh!
Instinctively, he shut his eyes tightly before he could even process what was happening. The sudden pressure felt like thousands of whispers shouting at the same time.
Beside him, Allen slowly woke from his dazed state after the blessing. He blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes before looking around curiously. Then he noticed Rio. Rio was wincing slightly, his brows furrowed as if enduring pain.
Allen's cheerful expression immediately turned into concern.
"Hey… are you okay?" he asked.
Hearing his brother's worried voice, Rio's focus shifted away from the overwhelming sensation.
The headache slowly began to fade.
After a moment, Rio opened his eyes slightly and forced a small smile.
"I'm fine," he said calmly, giving a short nod to reassure him. Inside, however, his mind was still spinning.
What… was that?
Seeing Rio lost in thought from the strange sensation, Pope George quietly turned away. He walked back toward the altar and gently returned the blunt sword to its resting place.
After setting the sword down, the Pope moved to the side of the aisle. From a carved pedestal, he retrieved a stone tablet.
The tablet was unlike anything Rio had seen before. Its surface was engraved with intricate geometric patterns that intertwined across the stone like flowing lines of mathematics and art combined.
Pope George then called to one of the priests.
"Bring the holy water."
The priest immediately hurried toward a small chamber behind the altar.
The Pope, showing no hurry at all, slowly approached the two boys while holding the tablet. Moments later the priest returned, carrying a crystal bottle filled with holy water. The lid was shaped like a small crown set with tiny gems that reflected the cathedral's light.
Pope George placed the stone tablet carefully on the altar in front of them. He uncorked the bottle and sprinkled a few drops of holy water over the tablet.
The moment the droplets touched the surface, the engraved patterns faintly glowed.
Then the Pope spoke.
"Now, under the watch of the goddess Aerulia, you may look upon your blessing through this sacred tablet."
His tone was calm and gentle, yet it carried a quiet authority that filled the cathedral.
Allen, as impatient as ever, immediately stepped forward.
He stood before the tablet and looked up at the Pope, clearly unsure what to do next.
Pope George chuckled softly.
"Place your hands upon it."
Allen slowly lifted his hands and set them on the surface. For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, A faint blue light appeared on the tablet.
The light gathered and rose upward, forming glowing words that floated in the air before them.
BLADE MASTERY
The ability to feel the sword and learn any techniques.
The sight was surreal. Yet strangely, it also felt completely normal, as if this kind of phenomenon was simply part of life in this world.
Allen blinked a few times in confusion, but he still understood what the words meant.
Pope George smiled and glanced toward Merlin. The Marquis looked visibly proud.
After a small chuckle, the Pope gently told Allen that his ceremony was complete. Then he turned his gaze toward Rio.
"Your turn."
Rio stepped forward calmly.
Inside, however, his curiosity was burning intensely.
He wanted to know the truth behind the strange power he had already experienced.
Without hesitation, he placed his right hand on the tablet.
Almost immediately, the stone reacted.
A brighter blue light surged from the tablet and slowly rose into the air, forming glowing words just like before.
APPRAISAL
The ability to know everything about anything within sight.
Understanding dawned instantly. Everything suddenly connected in Rio's mind like a puzzle being solved.
So this is my blessing… Appraisal.
Those floating screens I saw earlier… they were information. Information about everything in the cathedral. My mind simply couldn't process that much data at once.
Then the sudden headache made sense now. This blessing is different from Void Sense.
Void Sense consumes stamina… But Appraisal uses that strange internal energy.
His thoughts deepened.
Then what exactly is Void Sense… if it isn't a blessing?
As Rio continued pondering, something unexpected happened.
The soft blue light surrounding the words began to change.
The glow shifted into swirling hues of gold and black. The colors wrapped around the floating text like spiraling smoke.Then...The glow shifted into swirling hues of gold and black. The colors wrapped around the floating text like spiraling smoke.Then...
Crack.
The glowing words suddenly shattered into fragments of light.The glowing words suddenly shattered into fragments of light.
Startled, Rio instinctively pulled his hand away from the tablet. The fragments vanished into the air as if they had never existed. Silence filled the cathedral.Startled, Rio instinctively pulled his hand away from the tablet. The fragments vanished into the air as if they had never existed. Silence filled the cathedral.
Rio immediately looked toward Pope George.Rio immediately looked toward Pope George.
But to his surprise… The Pope looked just as confused as he was. For a brief moment, uncertainty crossed the old man's face.But to his surprise… The Pope looked just as confused as he was. For a brief moment, uncertainty crossed the old man's face.
Then, noticing Rio staring at him, Pope George quickly composed himself. His warm smile returned.Then, noticing Rio staring at him, Pope George quickly composed himself. His warm smile returned.
"The ceremony is complete," he said calmly.