MTLNOVEL Chapter 313
Chapter 314. The Whole World is Dad (3)
January 1st.
The harsh cold of winter had arrived, but Sephira was more lively than ever. It was Keter’s first birthday celebrated within the family, and also the day of his coming-of-age ceremony.
But that alone wouldn’t have made Sephira this bustling.
It was because Lerkin, the national scribe, had seized half of the royal palace that Rukan had occupied and released Elder Panir, who had been imprisoned in the underground dungeon.
A grand party to celebrate Keter’s coming-of-age and Panir’s return couldn’t be avoided.
“When it comes to music, the music of the Adeus Kingdom is the best!”
The intense and fast-paced songs of the Adeus Kingdom raised the spirits.
“As for the food, of course, our Belferio chefs will handle it.”
The Belferio chefs, who could turn cheap ingredients into gourmet dishes, filled the tables with a feast.
Moreover, the party venue was warm. The results of Sticker Magic research had finally paid off.
The stickers, designed with aesthetics in mind, didn’t look out of place no matter where they were stuck. Instead, they became focal points of the venue, delighting everyone’s eyes.
“Brother. You’re not even joining the party, what are you so worried about?”
While everyone was drinking, singing, dancing, and enjoying themselves, Hisop was deep in thought with a troubled expression. Seeing this, Mail approached and asked, prompting Hisop to show a small vial from his pocket.
“That is…”
A pink liquid sloshed inside. It was something known in this country as “Lilian’s Blessing” or “Holy Water.”
Traditionally, during the New Year’s party on January 1st, people drink water mixed with this holy water. Doing so grants Queen Lilian’s blessing.
First, sexual desire and sensitivity increase tenfold.
Second, pregnancy is avoided even without contraception.
Third, the mind becomes clear, and stamina increases.
Fourth, minor injuries are completely healed, and serious injuries improve.
Lastly, the effects persist for a while after the festival ends before slowly fading.
With no side effects and only beneficial effects, it was truly a divine blessing.
The reason the Lilian Kingdom was also called the “Land of Pleasure” was because it was tolerant of drugs and sex, allowing for carefree indulgence.
“Even though we’ve won, the continuous wars must have left everyone exhausted. Using the holy water will surely bring comfort.”
Hisop was debating whether to accept Lilian’s blessing or not.
And now, he was leaning toward using it.
“Brother.”
Mail took Hisop’s hand and carefully took the vial.
“Didn’t Keter say it? Nothing in this world is free. Lilian’s holy water must have some side effects. Besides, we’re trying to escape from Lilian’s shadow. We shouldn’t rely on her items.”
“But… isn’t it a waste? To just throw this away.”
The House of Sephira was frugal, so they rarely used holy water. That’s why Mail could so firmly reject Lilian’s holy water.
But Hisop, who was more active outside and engaged in social activities, had been indirectly exposed to the holy water. Even Hisop, with his steely willpower, couldn’t easily resist the temptation of the queen’s holy water.
Then, Keter appeared silently.
“Oh, so this is the famous thing.”
Snap!
Keter snatched the holy water from Mail’s hand. Before the two could react, Keter opened the lid and sniffed it.
Sssss…
“Ah, this feeling?”
Gulp!
“W-wait, Keter! That’s enough holy water for 10,000 people. Drinking it straight…!”
Hisop urgently tried to stop him, but the holy water had already entered Keter’s mouth and slid down his throat.
Shiver!
Keter, who had just drunk the equivalent of 10,000 doses of holy water, trembled violently. His face contorted and relaxed repeatedly before he finally spoke with his mouth tightly pursed.
“Ouch, spicy.”
“A-are you okay? Keter.”
“Not okay. I just ruined my taste buds.”
Keter, with a grimace, pushed Hisop and Mail’s backs.
“Let’s go eat something delicious. Dance too. Otherwise, no elixir for you?”
“Elixir…!”
“How much are you planning to sell it for this time? Please, make it cheap.”
“If you enjoy the party, I’ll sell it cheap, won’t I?”
“Fine. Let’s go together.”
“You go ahead. I’ll watch to see if you’re enjoying yourselves without me.”
“Haha, guess I’ll have to show off my dancing skills.”
The elixirs Keter brought were all highly effective. Distracted by the elixirs, the two went off to enjoy the party, and Keter immediately knelt down.
Pssssss…
A pink mist rose from his body. Keter muttered with a grimace.
“I almost lost it for a moment.”
His body bent, but a certain part almost stood up. The image of Queen Lilian came to mind.
If it weren’t for the divine power of the Five Divine Artifacts, Toban, and the Book of Creation, his mind would have been filled with Lilian.
“A god is a god, after all.”
To think that just a sip of holy water could have such an influence. Keter couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Good thing I saved a bit.”
To Hisop and Mail, it seemed like Keter had drunk all the holy water, but in fact, he had saved a drop.
This was because of a conversation he had with Maknun earlier.
“Brother. Lilian’s holy water is probably her bodily fluid. Saliva, blood, something like that. If we get the original liquid and analyze it, we might find something.”
“Analyzing is my specialty.”
Getting Lilian’s holy water was easy. It was distributed to Sephira too. And he already had someone in mind to ask for analysis.
“Jjokjjok, is it tasty?”
“Yes!”
Jjokjjok, transformed into a young girl, sucked on Keter’s finger with a happy smile.
Keter patted her head and said.
“Jjokjjok, you’re a vampire, right?”
“Yes?”
“Vampires know more about blood than anyone, right?”
“Probably?”
“Then do you know what this is?”
Keter held out Lilian’s holy water.
Seeing it, Jjokjjok’s expression turned serious.
“This… where did you get it?”
“Where I got it isn’t important. I plan to fight the owner of this blood. The ruler of this country, Lilian.”
“…”
“Her power of fascination is beyond imagination. A single word from her could turn hundreds of thousands of soldiers into enemies. Even former allies.
“Don’t fight her. No, fighting a god is reckless.”
“Even if it’s reckless, it’s something I must do.”
“Gods can’t be killed. They just disappear. They’ll return someday.”
“That’s for future generations to deal with. In this era, I’ve decided to fight her.”
“…”
Jjokjjok, who had even stopped drinking Keter’s blood, looked troubled.
Even that expression was incredibly cute, and Keter pinched her cheeks with both hands and said.
“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. But Jjokjjok, no, Elije. If you don’t want to get involved, it’s better to leave my side. As you said, there’s nothing good about fighting a god.”
“Master… do you hate gods? Do you think gods ruined this world?”
For Elije, this was a serious matter. Her goal was to absorb the Blood King and become a Blood God. If Keter hated gods, they could never be allies.
But Keter shook his head without hesitation.
“Just because the first orange I ate was bad doesn’t mean all oranges are bad. Similarly, Lilian may be a ruined god, but not all gods are like that.”
Elije felt reassured by Keter’s words. She made up her mind.
“I’ll do it.”
“Thank you, Elije.”
Keter handed the holy water to Elije.
But Elije pouted and refused to take it.
“You said you liked the name Jjokjjok better than Elije, didn’t you?”
“That was before I knew you could transform into a human. Calling a human Jjokjjok is a bit much, don’t you think?”
“What about Maknun or Six Hundred?”
“That’s fine, isn’t it?”
Seeing Keter’s serious face, Elije burst out laughing.
“Then give me a new nickname too.”
“Hmm, how about ‘Softie’?”
As he said this while pinching her cheeks, the nickname came from how soft her cheeks were.
“I like it!”
And Elije liked the nickname too.
*
Even without drugs or sex, the party was plenty fun. Drinking, dancing, and idle chatter made people lose track of time.
The party didn’t end even as night fell. It only grew more intense.
Keter, who had been busy meeting people earlier, was now ready to fully enjoy the party.
“Keter. Come here for a moment.”
Hisop’s voice calling Keter was neither drunk nor lively.
Moreover, behind him were Elder Leganon and Panir, their faces red from drinking but their expressions deadly serious.
It was clear they wanted to discuss something serious, so Keter rubbed his forehead.
“Do you get preachy when drunk? That’s why you should drink in moderation.”
Even if they were family, Keter wouldn’t tolerate drunks. As Keter subtly pulled out a stick, Panir stepped forward and said.
“Have you forgotten that there’s something more important than your birthday?”
“I didn’t get a birthday present.”
“The coming-of-age ceremony. Don’t you want to become a true member of Sephira?”
“Eh, why bother with such troublesome things? If your heart is mature, you’re an adult. If it’s childish, you’re still a kid even when old.”
“This guy, even on a day like this…!”
Panir was about to explode in anger from the alcohol, but Leganon intervened.
“Keter. Our family’s traditional coming-of-age ceremony isn’t just about declaring adulthood. It’s an honorable ritual to meet the sacred tree that protects our land and the ancestors resting beneath it.”
“We’re not elves, and there’s a sacred tree?”
“It’s similar to the elves’ World Tree, but different. And the ancestors bestow blessings upon those who come of age. Don’t you want to receive them?”
“Blessings? Of course, I’ll take them. Let’s go. The party can wait.”
There’s no harm in receiving blessings. Like Al’akir’s blessing.
But Keter had another goal. Following Hisop and the two elders, Keter left the party venue and rode through the night.
The place they arrived at had an atmosphere similar to Ruquer.
‘So that’s why I couldn’t find it.’
A place inaccessible without a specific item.
In this fog-covered place, the only thing visible was an enormous tree with no end in sight. A tree of this size should have been visible from anywhere in Sephira.
“From here, you must follow us without a single misstep. Otherwise, you’ll wander here forever.”
Seeing Panir’s extremely serious face, Keter felt this place was indeed similar to Ruquer.
Panir led the group to the roots of the sacred tree.
There, stairs leading underground appeared. Not an artificially created underground, but stairs naturally formed like a cave. The roots of the sacred tree served as both walls and stairs.
Descending further, they reached an underground tomb. There were about 100 coffins.
Leganon spoke in a low voice.
“This is where the past lords of the family rest. The first lord who founded Sephira also rests here. Keter, kneel before this place.”
Leganon pointed to a tombstone.
Keter knelt as instructed. In front of the tombstone was a ritual dagger, which Leganon picked up and handed to Keter.
“Use that dagger to prick your finger and let your blood soak the ground.”
Keter, who had been obedient until now, shook his head.
“Do you think our ancestors would be satisfied with just a drop of blood?”
Slash!
Keter sliced his palm. Blood gushed from his hand, soaking the ground.
Whoooosh!
At that moment, the entire tomb shook.
Hisop, Panir, and Leganon were stunned. They had conducted many coming-of-age ceremonies, but this reaction was unprecedented.
The surprise didn’t end there.
From the coffins of the past lords, spirits began to rise.
One, two, three, five… ninety-nine! All but one of the past lords’ spirits responded to Keter’s blood and manifested in the mortal world.
Panir blinked and muttered.
“Even Lord Basil only met 62 ancestors…”
Leganon was completely dumbfounded.
“This is unprecedented. The highest record was 81. Today, Keter broke it.”
Hisop was speechless. During his coming-of-age ceremony, only about 20 ancestors had appeared.
The spirits who had descended into the mortal world said nothing. They simply stared intently at Keter.
Then, one spirit stepped forward toward Keter.
“That, that person?!”
Panir quickly knelt. Leganon and Hisop instinctively bowed their heads.
“Keter, bow your head. It’s the founder of Sephira…!”
A legendary archer who, as a common hunter, leapt onto the battlefield and achieved such remarkable feats that even the enemy’s dynasty acknowledged him, instantly becoming an upper noble.
‘…Divine Archer Kariel.’
He had appeared at Keter’s coming-of-age ceremony.