When everyone was finally at their place, Icarus officially started the baptismal ceremony. With a procession of priests and clerics, the Royal Rex Hall was filled with the presence of faint mystical powers. Each of the white-robed priests held artifacts and relics, while clerics waved their staffs.

The hall was silent, paving way for the divine to envelope everyone. A delicate chant sounded, almost like a prayer making hearts and mind gently shiver with devotion. A soft singing ensued when the procession stopped in front of the stage.

The Duke and Duchess carried us, standing in front of the procession while the rest of the royal entourage remained at their place. I glanced at Mother who wore a nervous expression on her face.

What now, Mother? There shouldn't be anything going wrong, right?

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Icarus started. "Today, we are witnesses in welcoming Emilia Kinsley and Ethan Dunne of the Redgrave House, unto God's embrace."

The crowd chanted, "We welcome them unto God's embrace."

Why is it like an initiation to a cult or something?

Two priests stepped forward and presented a small earthenware jug and pots. Although it may not look as fancy as gold/silver, the artifacts seemed to carry a sense of divinity with their intricate details and patterns.

The soft singing still sounded while Icarus continued to speak and held his staff high. "With God's authority, this ceremony shall baptize Emilia Kinsley and Ethan Dunne, and be called God's children."

The crowd answered, "They shall be called God's children."

Amidst the aria getting louder, I heard faint footsteps and noticed that King Henry stood beside Mother - his face indifferent but his stance said otherwise. The other royalties appeared to be confused as he did not need to be there.

Is he worried? Oh no, I'm getting more worried too! Why so tense!

Albeit the small scene, Icarus proceeded in his speech. "This holy water, taken at the Sacred Lake, will be poured upon you. Raise your hearts and open your minds! And hereupon, receive God's blessing."

The song gradually softened once again and the crowd repeated, "And hereupon, receive God's blessing."

I'm getting nervous. Can't help the beating of my heart! It's too fast.

Icarus gave his staff to another and carried the jug. He beckoned to Mother and I saw her stiffened for a second and slowly went closer to the old priest. Mother made Ethan lay in her arms, his head hanging over the earthen pot. Icarus held my brother's head and it was surprising that he was calm.

It seems that I was thinking too much? Ethan appears to be okay.

"We welcome Ethan Dunne to this beautiful world," Icarus declared loudly.

And the crowd answered, "Welcome, Ethan Dunne."

Icarus poured the water onto my brother's head. And unconsciously, I gripped my hand too tight, seeing Mother's and the King's expressions. Were they waiting for something to happen?

A few seconds passed. And I saw Mother holding her breath, her eyes teary.

And then, Ethan made a sound.

Ethan cooed, his voice soft, his face smiling, and his eyes sparkling. Wait, I know that expression...

(⁀ᗢ⁀)

My dear brother, you're not taking a bath, okay?!

He always wore that expression on his face when we were taking a bath. Ethan especially loved having poured water over him. He would always giggle, feeling the water slide down his forehead, his eyes, nose, mouth, chin, or wherever.

When Ethan let out another satisfied murmur, Mother smiled so beautifully and kissed Ethan on his cheek. The King also let out a small sigh of relief.

Well, I was worried about nothing.

Without waiting for Icarus, Father stepped forward and gently made me lay on his arm, just like Ethan. My beating heart went back from fast to relaxed.

"We welcome Emilia Kinsley to this beautiful world," Icarus spoke, and the crowd replied.

The moment the cold water came in contact, I was inflicted with such sharp pain. I never expected this, and I unconsciously let out a cry.

My eyes habitually closed because of the sudden headache while I heard my father comfort me. What's happening!? I thought everything was alright.

When I felt Icarus stop pouring, the pain intensified, and my tears fell down. A hand caressed my face and wiped my tears. And then I heard a voice, a whisper - almost as if it was right beside my ears.

"Child, it's time for you to start thinking about your future. You will be in high school now and the probability of someone adopting you is lower than the others who are still young."

What?

High school? Adopting?

Who is talking?

Suddenly, with my eyes still closed, a memory flashed. Images were moving inside my head and they were creepingly familiar to me.

This is my past life? My memories?

An old woman sat behind a desk, her short white hair tucked behind her ears. The expression she showed was that of an elder giving advice but her eyes still gave a sense of sadness.

Does she pity me?

This was the first time she called me to her office. I was not a troublesome child but I was also not a carefree one. Maybe, because of the environment I was raised in, this is how I grew up.

In my memories, I have always been in this orphanage. There were no clues about who I was, not a single object, nor a letter, nor anything at all. I was simply abandoned, and that was it. I grew up and I found myself not caring about my identity.

I was immersed in my studies since education was the way I could free myself and be successful, said the dean.

The dean gave me the name Jenny and carefully raised me since I was a baby. The orphanage has always been my home ever since I could remember. It had decent facilities and sufficient funds, enough for shelter, necessities, resources, and even leisure.

One thing I remembered that I was always grateful for was the education system the orphanage implemented. There was a public school near us and for every high grade and achievement a child achieved, the dean would give pocket money which she encouraged us to save.

And since then, I would always study hard and find ways to save more money. Though that money would be spent on more books. The thought of having a family didn't even cross my mind. Anyways, there was the dean, the staff, and the children around me that I did not feel sad at all.

That is why, even though the dean told me that I have a low chance of being adopted, I did not care.

The flashback stopped and I opened my eyes. I saw the Duke looking at me with a worried expression.

But now, I have my own family.

The pain gradually receded, and I returned to my senses. I perceived my father holding me gently and making me hug him. I saw my mother with Ethan, walking close towards me, and Emma with the others looking my way.

The warm feeling inside of me made me fully realize that this was how it felt being taken care of.

Icarus spoke, finally stopping me from my reverie. "We have officially welcomed them. May you have a beautiful life with God's embrace."

That holy water sure does have its magic. Though why did it make me remember my past memories?

A blessing from God?

That holy water suddenly made me have a flashback of my past life.

Although the memories are slowly integrating into my mind.

How did I come here as Emilia?

I remembered being in a cave.

Why was I at a cave, you ask?

It seemed that I was on an expedition for my fieldwork at college. I was in my last year of the Archaeology Program that I took. The cave was first discovered by a team and the university had requested slots for students and volunteers.

And of course, I was raring to go.

I was so engrossed with artifacts, relics, and cultures of different civilizations from various timelines as they held a lot of stories. The lores were just so profound and deep, I could almost imagine how people live their lives.

At that time, I was inspecting the writings on the wall when suddenly there was an earthquake. It was so sudden and we were hit hard that the cave walls and floors broke down. And then... I had a vague feeling that I fell down into a hole and all turned to black.

So... I died that time? I guess I died considering what happened.

Tsk, didn't even let me graduate! At least let me finish something great, won't you?!

God, if you're there, why?!

Is that why I was given a second chance? And I was reborn as Emilia?

Or was there something inside the cave that made my soul transport here? A relic? An artifact... a magical artifact!

That's great!

A real artifact on Earth that could actually shift souls between worlds and dimensions! It was the discovery of a lifetime. It could even change science and technology! Heck, Earth will surely be thrown into a mess.

Tsk, if I didn't die, I should have discovered it first, and maybe that should have been enough to make me famous and profit a lot of money...

Or... is this all a dream?

There were a lot of similarities between here and on Earth, like the story of Lucifer, God, and the European ambiance. I could even understand their language, fortunately. Albeit there was magic called divinity, which supposedly came from God, and there were demons in this world which I never saw before.

A dream or not, this present is my reality.

Applause echoed inside the hall as the nobles cheered at the end of the ceremony. Father was still carrying me, walking towards King Henry who had a cold expression on his face. Father nodded and greeted him.

King Henry looked at me with an indescribable gaze and I recalled that I cried unexpectedly. I also sensed that there were still tears in my eyes. I hurriedly wiped my face with my small hands to show that I was fine.

It was just memory overload for my small brain, okay!? Don't overthink things!

However, it was my mother who broke the tense atmosphere. "How is Emilia, is she okay? Why did she cry? Usually, Emilia doesn't cry," Mother nagged and she was obviously worried.

"She's fine. I think she was overwhelmed with the water suddenly pouring down," Father replied while patting my arm.

I unhesitatingly voiced out my agreement, hoping the King would not jump to conclusions.

Ethan then reached out to me, seemingly concerned as well. Did he see me crying? Well, that's embarrassing. A 22-year-old soul in a child's body...

I can't help it, it's hard to control my own body.

King Henry interrupted, "The baptism has ended, you should let the children rest at the Summer Wing. The guests from the Noria Empire are still here. We shouldn't let them wait lest more trouble comes."

The Redgrave couple bowed and curtsied in response. Emma and the others took us while Sir Ian trailed behind.

The gifts were also carried by the knights, some chests were big and heavy that they needed to be transported by wagons. They also did not forget about Alva. The dog was so obedient to whoever possessed the whistle.

Nobles greeted us when they saw the procession. They were still influenced by the previous atmosphere of the ceremony, and they still behaved as if in worship.

It took us a couple of minutes from the Royal Rex Hall to arrive at the Summer Wing.

In passing, we saw the Sundin performers, standing out with their bizarre outfits, props, and large drums. Princess Barbara talked to them with a smile on her face, praising their performance while Prince Harold stood by her side.

I only gave them a quick glance before turning my gaze towards Ethan who was now blinking his eyes in sleepiness. Every after bath, though, he would always be comfortable and go to sleep.

I also think I need a rest. Memory overload made my body tired.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Duke Redgrave's POV

After the ceremony, some high nobles and guests remained and talked to their hearts' content. Who would dare leave when the Norian Jarls were still here?

The current topic nowadays was the upcoming traditional ascension of the Noria Empire. Since the Demon Hierarchies were destroyed - some people just needed something to talk about and shift their attention from the restless feeling of change.

Compared to the peaceful ascension of the Glarios Kingdom where the King would only choose one to bestow the royal name, Regnier, and together with the ring artifact Gormal (it was usually his direct and legitimate heir), the Norian Emperor would declare a warring state amongst the fiefdoms who sought the throne.

Whoever wins the war will be granted the Norian royal name, Gudbrand, and the spear artifact Hallr.

One of the running candidates to win the war was Jarl Amund Brandr. In fact, he was at the forefront. Together with his blood-brother, Jarl Runar, they also dominated the battle against the Demon Hierarchies and had raised their reputation as war gods.

The Noria Empire is the biggest out of all of the neighboring kingdoms, its population even more so. Even when there were still many demons rampaging about, this tradition was still in the culture and core of the Norian people.

This helped the masses to recognize the raw strength of the succeeding ruler to act as a spear to defeat demons. Seeing the emperor fighting against demons, winning the battles, and protecting them gave tremendous relief to the Norian people.

This tradition seemed to be really effective as the Noria Empire flourished year after year, compared to others. Well, except for another empire who, as others would say, could stand against the Noria Empire.

Opposing the spear that could defeat demons is the shield that could endure countless battles against raging creatures. That would be the Rishan Empire.

The Rishan Empire focused on building and improving their fortress rather than honing their battle skills. This enabled the Rishan people to defend their borders while making crafts, researching, and refining their ways of living. In fact, the Rishan Empire is the most advanced out of all the neighboring kingdoms.

With their attention to technological details, in terms of agriculture, trade and economics, politics, and infrastructure, Rishan Empire surpassed others. This made their empire develop further and prosper even more.

But in some people's eyes, they were deemed as cowards when fighting against demons as they hid behind their walls.

The throne ascension of the Rishan Empire is a bit tricky. The royal family name is Xie and the title bestowed to the emperor is Huang Tian, together with the crown artifact Jianyu.

The princes with the royal name Xie could all compete for the throne, title, and artifact. They rely on tricks and schemes, underlying currents, skills in strategy, politics, acting, and speech. A good reputation was also a must. Virtues, values, good character, clever mind, and heavenly words and luck must be embodied by the successor.

All of these were important in order to fight for the favor of the masses, nobles, and the emperor.

Now, the representatives of the two empires are here, both a candidate for the throne. Do they hold good intentions or seemingly hide another?

"Once again, I offer my salutations to the twins' birthday, Your Grace," Icarus nodded at me and I thanked him in response.

Guests from the other kingdoms were now seated at the enormous table, together with the royal family of Glarios. Stiff and excited smiles, whispers, and small laughs, combined with their elegant wardrobe made my head ache.

On the table were polished silverware, fancy decors, and delicate pastries. There was a faint sweet scent coming off from the desserts but it was overwhelmed by something heavier.

The smell of tea reminded me of autumn where leaves gently fall. However relaxing the setup, it was destroyed by the mood. The atmosphere was rather tense, I must say.

King Henry, seated at the head, was hard gazing at all the men at the table. His expression was ineffable. King Henry was always hard to read.

The women were exempted from this nightmare.

I never was good at this, making small talks. Actually, I'm not good at talking at all.

My seat was between Icarus Philippe from the Holy Empire and the Grand Duke Blackbourne. I can never rely on the Grand Duke for helping me out in this charade.

We are alike in this aspect, I guess.

Jarl Amund who was on the opposite side, sitting beside Crown Prince Alfred, spoke to me, "It is a good celebration, welcoming children to the world. The world's hero is indeed blessed, having a set of twins."

I remembered that despite my having the same age as Jarl Amund, he did not have any children or wives. The fight for the throne was that bad. You could never fully protect your companions.

But Prince Alfred was the one who replied, "Thank you for coming all this way, Jarl Amund. To be honest, we never expected someone from the Noria Empire to come. We did send out an invitation but we never received a reply. This is also a good outcome."

"Oh, I have to tell you, I'm not attending as a representative. The emperor never ordered an envoy to come here. I only came because I wanted to see the hero's children." Jarl Amund laughed.

Everyone at the table: ...

Jarl Amund: ᕦʕ •'ᴥ•'ʔᕤ

Jarl Runar: ʕ – ᴥ – ʔ

Was this the power of being carefree? He seriously does whatever he wants.

King Henry broke the silence and everyone turned to talk at the person beside them, not knowing what to make out of the Jarl's attitude.

Despite that, Prince Alfred chatted with Jarl Amund and had a good smile on his face.

The Rishan prince was at the corner of my sight, sitting beside Jarl Runar, silently watching. Prince Harold was also here, meekly sitting beside Ingra.

I glanced at Ingra Blackbourne and his indifferent face, not caring at all, and then at Icarus who was sitting so piously on the right side of the King.

Icarus caught my glance then suddenly leaned in and whispered, "You must tread carefully, Your Grace. There will be troubles coming your way if you don't decide wisely. I suggest planning for the future, considering your current situation."

Before my confusion spread to my face, I controlled my emotions so that others would not notice. Troubles in the future? What is he saying?

And my current situation... I guess the Elder knows.

I was in the Holy Empire three years ago, exactly after defeating Lucifer. I recuperated at the Grand Priest's temple, hoping my divine power would return to its normal state.

Yes, the consequence of winning against Lucifer was that my divinity was gone as if it vanished into thin air. Just like how Lucifer turned to ashes.

I did not know how it happened. After fighting Lucifer, I felt faint, and it was only afterward I realized my powers had gone.

The Grand Priest took a look at my state and said that it was an aftereffect of fighting with Lucifer. He told me that before Lucifer died, the demon must have tried to kill me along and had cast a spell.

"That spell should have killed you but because of your profound divinity, it blocked the spell instead," the Grand Priest told me.

My memories flashed, thinking about what happened at that moment. Lucifer - a six-winged creature stood in front of me, his body disintegrating with embers of the fire. His mouth appeared to be moving but I couldn't hear it well.

"Your divinity seems to have been sealed yet it's truly not. It's still flowing naturally within you but it's locked within your body, unable to get out, " the Grand Priest explained why it seemed that I lost my powers.

The Grand Priest never knew how to recover my divinity. He comforted me, saying it was the price for the world's peace and I was the savior - the hero in everyone's heart.

He continued with a sad expression, "Although your divinity is there, the fact that it doesn't want to obey you... If you force yourself to use your divinity, your body won't be able to take it."

The Grand Priest only sighed and shook his head.

It's like it's within my reach but I won't be able to hold it in my hand.

Even though I could not fully use my powers, I was lucky to be alive, the Grand Priest said to me.

However, how could I face everyone as the hero when I was in that predicament? How could I stand beside Princess Lillian when I have nothing to give her?

A hero has-been?

That was not fair to her.

I told my situation to King Henry. I almost accepted my fate and planned to stay at the Holy Empire, and away from Lillian.

I'm sorry, Lillian.

Despite that, King Henry advised that we should keep it a secret. He said that as the hero, I should give everyone a peace of mind, and telling people I lost my divinity would surely bring unease. At least for now.

To my shock, the Grand Priest agreed, and instead of natural divinity, he inlaid an artifact in my sword - a rare small gem that could hold an enormous amount of divine powers. "It was really hard to find a gem that could hold divinity. I guess this will be my gift to you, hero."

Almost everywhere, I carried my sword so that I disguised myself as having been able to use my divinity - like a hero who defeated Lucifer should be able to do.

I gripped the sword's handle at my waist. But what troubles could it bring?

My reputation down the drain? The Redgrave House torn to ruins? People demanding compensation for the lies?

Icarus looked at me and it appeared he knew what I was thinking. "It may be more serious than what you think." He even made his voice softer so that no one could hear but us.

"You'll have to guard against the royal family, Your Grace. Protect your children well and don't let them near royal artifacts."

Why? Guard against the royal family? Royal artifacts?

I managed my confusion so that it would not show on my face.

Icarus leaned back and properly sat on his seat. He talked amicably with the others, giving out a small smile acting as if nothing happened.

I wanted to ask questions but it may not be appropriate to speak more about it in the first place, considering the surroundings. I must keep a steady mind and plan out everything.

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that my reaction was so late when someone shouted, "Demon!"