CHAPTER 13 – MOON’S HALO

As I predicted, even though I did not nominate myself I got chosen as a representative. Louise dug a pit for me by nominating me and guess what when it came to voting time who gets the most votes. Obviously, I dragged her down with me. If I was going to suffer might as well have the traitor suffer with me right. You know what they say, 'keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer'. She was both, so I guess she’s sticking with me. Guess what, Louise got the second most votes. So, my little revenge paid off.

While being the two of the youngest in our class, we both ended up as the class reps. With all the business out of the way professor Ian, finally dismissed the class. Many students stayed behind to talk to their friends but because my friends and I were living in the same villa and we did not know anyone here, we did not feel the need to stay here.

When we headed back to the villa, the maids had finished organising everything and prepared some snacks for us to eat. While eating we talked about the clubs and societies that we might join. After we returned to our homeroom professor Ian had handed out a list of all the clubs and societies. Having looked through it most of the clubs and societies were similar but were focused on different things like combat systems and various weapons or hobby clubs that included various board games and cultural clubs that involved many different customs from different countries. As diverse as they were I didn’t find anyone club or society that I particularly liked save for the large-scale warfare club.

Different from me, my friends were interested in a few different clubs. I decided to check out the various clubs with them to see the clubs in action. As it was still early in the afternoon and there was still sometime before dinner, we started to have a look at the clubs that the girls were interested in.

Starting with Dorothy's choice, we went to the tea ceremony class. The club room was fairly large, and members would change into culturally appropriate attires when they conducted the ceremonies. We found that it was a highly serious club that did not just consider their attires, but also how they presented themselves, how they got ready, how the room was laid out and the snacks that went with the teas, everything was considered. In the end, Dorothy joined as she was interested in these things, but Catrina also ended up joining, because of the snacks that they had. I hope they teach her some manners regarding not stealing other people’s food.

Next, we went with Hilda’s choice, which was not just one club but a group of hobby clubs involving various board games. This seemed interesting enough if I was bored and had nothing to do, I might have a few games but considering the eight childhood friends I was now living with, I could just play with one of them. Hilda seemed to like the club though, maybe she was just bored of playing with us and wanted to play with other people for a change.

We decided to stop here for the day and continue exploring after classes tomorrow. This was because we wanted to try out the food from the canteen. There was also a kitchen in the villa that we could use to cook. That is what we did for lunch, as we were eating with our family. Now considering we are eating by ourselves, we might as well try the food on offer here at the canteen. I had semi-high expectations for the food here. This was a school for the rich and influential after all.

As we arrived before dinner there were not many people around, we did not even need to wait in line to order. We each ordered something different to try out as many things as possible. The person who took our order was not some ordinary canteen lady, but a professional waitress. With the service being up to scratch, I now had even higher expectations for the food. The food was also expensive, so I hope it was worth it.

After taking our order we receive a table number and headed to a table that was in way from the entrance and the canteen ordering windows. While we waited for the food, hungry students started to show up. When another waitress brought our food on a food trolley.

As Ingrid had often commented, we were carnivores, so most of the food we ordered was meat, but we made sure to order some veggies too. I know that it is not scientifically proven or anything, but this is another world. I may be the goddess of youth, but I do not want to have a flat chest for the rest of my life or eternity.

After dinner, we played a few board games Hilda had brought with her before turning in early for the night. I did not forget to channel my divinity into them before returning to our rooms to help them sleep better.

In the morning I was once again woken up, by Erika to get ready for the day. Running on autopilot, I got ready and had a small breakfast made by the maids and head to class with the other girls.

Today was the first day of real classes. I was wondering if it would be different to the things I learnt with general Harlow. As this was the knight course, we were in we had to attend the core subjects in the morning and only in the afternoon did we had free time to attend the course of other classes or attend club and society activities.

The very first class we had today was an introductory class on chivalry. To sum it all up it was simply just, do not needlessly cause harm to others, strive to do good, to respect others and those sorts of things. We had to pass the exam before we could start any official combat training. I could tell that some people in this class were not going to pass the exam next week. I found that it was a logical system, as it got the students to learn respect before they pick up a weapon and start hurting someone.

The first day of official classes ended smoothly even though a few students had slept through the class, they did not distract anyone else. Hence, after having lunch in the canteen, we once again went club hunting. Anna and Louise joined a sword art technique research club. Lyn joined the petting zoo that had my seal of approval, I mean the ‘club for the weary student’ and Chandre joined two clubs which were the hunting club and the camping club.

In the end, everyone but I found a club to join. While I was happy to join anyone of them to accompany my friends, it did not seem right for me to join a club that I was not going to attend seriously. I was going to join the large-scale warfare club, but that only ran once a week, and I would have nothing to fill in the gaps in my schedule for the rest of the week.

It was getting late, but I was still undecided about which club I would join. I wanted to join a club before the chivalry exam next week as I would be too tired to go around campus club hunting after combat training started.

Looking out the window, I saw the bright full moon in the night sky completely unobstructed by any clouds. Closing my eyes as I sat on the windowsill, leaning against the window. Throughout the past few weeks, I had found out that my divinity dramatically increased during the night and decreased again during the day. It was not as if I had no divinity when the sun was up, just weaken.

As I sat there under the radiance of the moon, I observed an interesting spectacle. I could see a ring of light forming around the moon. In that instant, I heard the faint voice of a child speaking to someone.

Focusing on my divinity, I tried to amplify the sound. Still unable to hear it too clearly, but it was better than before. I transformed into my goddess form as it was only then, I could freely use my divinity. I could finally hear what the child was saying.

“Oh, merciful goddess of the moon, the patron goddess of children and all thing innocent, if you can hear me, please protect daddy. Monsters have been attacking more and more frequently, and daddy has been sent to fight the monsters. He has been gone for a long time now. I really hope he can be safe. Please goddess Ayra, I beg you keep father safe.”

While it was the first time, I felt a prayer, I instantly knew what it was. Following the traces, I tried to find the child who had prayed to me, asking for help, with my divinity. From the voice of the child, I would assume she was four or five years old.

When I finally located her against expectations, I found a young baby that was barely two years old sleeping peacefully in between a woman and a man I would assume were her parents. I was highly confused. From the prayer, this child had asked for help in protecting her father, but he was right there. Additionally, I could tell that the baby had been asleep for hours now. She could not have prayed to me.

The more I thought about it, the more puzzled I got. Feeling more and more confused I decided to ask mum for help. Sending my divine intent to her, I asked her if she was free, and we whether we could speak right now. She confirmed and instantly I was able to talk freely with her in my mind.

“Mum, I have a problem.”

“What is it?”

“I received my first prayer today, but the child who prayed to me was not old enough to do so and the prayer itself did not make any sense.”

Unloading everything onto her, I spoke of how strange the prayer was. Hearing a laugh from mum’s end I became even more confused, but she didn’t keep me there for long and quickly explained.

“If my guess is right, and I am ninety percent sure that I am. What you experienced was not a prayer. Or at least is not one yet. I think you may have unwittingly claimed the domain of prophecies from another god. Do not worry he is long gone now. He was killed in the struggles between the greater demons and the gods. It is a good thing if you ask me as it will strengthen your existence.”

For the next hour, mum explained to me that it was common for deities related to the moon to have prophetical abilities. It is just that I took it a step further and became the goddess of prophecies. I found the ability interesting and wanting to experiment a bit with it. Mum stopped me as she warned me that it was a double-edged sword. While prophecies showed what could happen in the future in one of the many possible futures working against the shown prophecy could great disturbances to the world. These disturbances ranged from losing prophetic abilities for some time to world-ending apocalyptic events right out of a dystopian fantasy. Many worlds had apparently fallen due to working against prophecies.

Knowing that even when I knew what would happen in the future, I couldn’t change it for the better left a bad taste in my mouth. While I wasn’t a self-proclaimed hero or anything I did try to be a good person. Hearing that the future prayer of a young child begging me for help but being limited in what I could do hit me.

After my talk with mum, I continued to sit on the wall thinking about my past and present life. I thought about my actions and about whether I had strived to do good. I realised that in this life while I had never intentionally caused permanent stress or harm to anyone. I hadn’t exactly tried to help anyone either.

Having experienced life on earth I should have known that simply being a bystander and not doing anything in a situation could often mean they were adding to the problem. I was a part of the problem. A problem that many people face every day but are either too busy with their own lives in their own world to care or not bothering to care in the first place. There are so many issues that the world faces but no one is willing to take the first step to help.

That night I realised many things about myself and what I wanted to do with my life. I realised that I was in a position of power and what I did could make a lasting consequence. I confirmed that tragedy and misfortune were not something that should dictate people’s lives. Having my priorities straight I continued long into the night grasping onto an idea and an ideal that would one day grow and take form as one of the most influential organisations in the whole of Arcadia. For now, it would simply be an idea and an ideal in the minds of a young goddess.