And Thus… It All Comes to an End - Chapter 36

The morning sunlight washed over the very peak of the old castle’s tower, and the blue sky shone brilliantly, as if blessing the dawn of a new era. From the gardens where flowers bloomed in profusion, the wind carried a sweet fragrance, while the distant, low thud of ceremonial cannons echoed through the air.

On such a radiant morning, the coronation was to be held. Anne assisted me with my preparations in silence.

“Anne, it’s still not too late. When I become King today, I want you to stand beside me as a fellow Apostle of the Goddess.”

I smiled at her through the mirror. Thinking of Anne’s debut, I had even prepared a magnificent dress specifically for her.

“Honestly, you’ve been saying that forever. I refuse. I have no desire to stand out.”

“You don’t have to say a word. Just stand by my side.”

Anne laughed helplessly as she combed my hair.

“I get nervous, so that sort of thing is impossible for me. I shall leave it all to you, Lady Luciana. Besides, if I draw too much attention the parents who abandoned me might come forward to claim me, and wouldn’t that be a hassle?”

“I could protect you.”

At my words, Anne shook her head quietly.

“In the legends of the Apostle from another world, the identity of the other Apostle was never passed down to the people, was it? I suspect she was just like me. Now, that is the end of this conversation.”

I stared at Anne’s smiling face for a long moment.

Anne did not know.

The “other Apostle of the Goddess” spoken of in the secret traditions was a young lady born to a minor baronial family on the frontier. It was a land surrounded by wilderness, where the snow fell deep in winter and the winds blew fierce in spring. In that lonely place, a babe was born who just like me bore the crest of the Goddess upon her tongue.

Records state that the wet nurse was the first to find it, and she wept out of sheer shock. The rumor that a “Child of God has descended upon this land” spread in the blink of an eye, and the Baron’s estate was soon overrun by believers and curious onlookers alike.

From a young age, she was hammered with the rigors of prayer and etiquette. Under the guise of “training to speak for the Divine,” she was forced to test countless words; if she faltered, she was rebuked. It was said that her voice grew hoarse and failed her more than once or twice.

She was never granted the freedom befitting a small child.

And yet, despite her youth, she tried to meet the expectations of those around her. She memorized the words of the priests and continued to pray night after night in the cold cathedral.

—But the blessing eventually turned into a curse.

While her parents took pride in their daughter possessing “proof of God’s favor,” they sought only to use that power for the prosperity of their house. Before visiting nobles and priests, they pressured the girl to beg for blessings and perform miracles. It is recorded that if she failed, she was denied even her meals.

Gradually, she began to close her mouth. Perhaps she felt the mark upon her tongue was a set of cursed chains. One night, she supposedly asked her mother:

“Does the Goddess truly desire this?”

But there was no one to answer her question. Her family mistook her silence for obedience, failing to realize that their daughter’s voice was withering away.

“In the presence of those who seek to use the Goddess, I cannot speak.”

In the middle of the night, while everyone else was asleep, she whispered that single sentence. From that day on, she lost her words.

During morning prayers, she would not answer when called upon; though her lips moved, no sound came out. Eventually, silence enveloped her, becoming a wall that separated her from the world. It was not a form of fear or rebellion, but a shape of quiet despair. Her parents, disappointed, declared that she had “lost her protection” and locked her away in the depths of the manor. It is said that even the flowers in the courtyard, bathed in the spring sunshine, could not reach her room.

My heart ached every time I read that record.

However, the conclusion of that legend is not a tragedy. The other Apostle, the one who came from another world, reached out a hand to her. That person was as bright as the sun, undaunted by any silence, and simply stayed by her side with a smile. Touched by that kindness, the young lady slowly regained her words.

I looked up at Anne through the mirror.

“…Anne.”

When I called her name, she paused her hands and gave me a serene smile. The light filtered through her hair, making it glow softly.

“The preparations for the ceremony are complete. Lady Luciana, it is time to depart.”

Guided by the voice of the attendant, I stood up. As I stepped outside, the sunlight illuminated me with a dazzling glow.

By the time I reached the great hall where the bronze statue of the Goddess stood, the sky had cleared even further. The light passing through the stained glass painted a road of seven colors at my feet. On either side of the hall stood the nobles and the temple priests in orderly ranks.

The hems of the ceremonial robes, embroidered with gold thread, swayed slightly as they caught the light. Not a single murmur was heard; the air was as hushed as a prayer. With every step I took, the sound of my gown brushing the floor melted into the stillness. The High Priest began to chant the holy verses in a solemn voice.

“—May the grace of the Goddess fill this land once more.”

With every resonance of his voice, the very air seemed to vibrate. On the central altar sat a golden crown engraved with the crest of the new Royal House.

I knelt and folded my hands over my chest. The High Priest raised the crown and read the proclamation in a majestic tone.

“From this day forth, Luciana Eisenberg, Apostle of the Goddess, shall take the throne as King of Veridia. She is the one who shall demonstrate the Goddess’s guidance and mercy to this land, protect the people, and bring forth the true light.”

The moment the crown was placed quietly upon my head, the light streaming into the hall grew even more intense. It seemed as though the Goddess in the stained glass was smiling. From outside, the cheers of the people rose up alongside the ceremonial cannons.

‘In the name of the Goddess, I swear to this nation. I shall give hope to the people and guide those lost in the darkness. May all who live in this land greet tomorrow not with fear, but with prayer.’

My voice echoed through the hall. At that instant, the jewels set into the crown emitted a rainbow-colored radiance. It was as if the Goddess herself were blessing the coronation.