Naming Ceremony

Because game characters possessed physiques far superior to those in reality, many Players liked to travel this way when the servers first opened. Xia Yuan was no exception.

Judging by the time in his memories, there was still quite a while before the official launch.

If those two really were Players, then it proved one thing:

The closed beta was likely about to begin! But that raised another question: was this world actually real?

Mysterious Era was a highly realistic immersive virtual game. The NPCs within possessed extremely high intelligence as well, no different from real people.

For the moment, Xia Yuan could not determine whether he had transmigrated into a real world or the world of a game.

He tried calling up the System Panel, but naturally, there was no response.

Still, that was not quite convincing enough. NPCs were not Players; it was perfectly normal for them not to have a panel.

So Xia Yuan thought of another way to prove it.

In his previous life, in order to pass censorship, game characters always had one pair of pants that could not be removed. Female characters also had an additional top that could not be taken off.

Even NPCs were no exception!

Countless Players whose hearts were willing but whose strength fell short had affectionately dubbed them the Lament Set.

He discreetly wriggled his little hands and gave himself a thorough inspection.

Thankfully, it was not flat. The Pants of Sighs did not exist.

But what was going on with those two?

Before he could continue thinking, the carriage gave a faint jolt. It seemed they had reached their destination.

The scene before his eyes began to change. The clamor of the crowd seemed to rise beside his ears. The carriage ceiling that had occupied half his vision was replaced by a starry night, where two incomparably familiar and strange round moons hung high in the sky.

The Silver Moon—Sevien! The Purple Moon—Emis!

Xia Yuan closed his eyes and silently sighed, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Only at this moment did he truly gain some sense of having transmigrated.

Still, this place feels awfully familiar. Where are they taking me?

At dusk, the Naming Ceremony was held as scheduled in the Upper District of Carlras City.

The citizens, who had received the news long ago, poured into the white plaza before the City Lord's Mansion. The enormous plaza, covering dozens of hectares, was nearly packed full with people.

The Naming Ceremony was a Ritual only the imperial family and the Four Great Duke Families were qualified to hold upon the birth of a new direct descendant. It was usually held in the capital city of the family's province.

It was an opportunity for commoners to become acquainted with a family's newest member. Under the gaze of countless spectators, the newborn would formally receive their own name.

At that time, the imperial Envoy and the nobles who had received invitations would come to observe the ceremony.

Among the upper echelons of the Gloria Empire, there was an unwritten rule: only newborns who had undergone the Naming Ceremony truly counted as official members of the Four Great Families or the imperial family, recognized by the Empire's aristocratic upper circles.

Even if an illegitimate child who had not undergone the Naming Ceremony was fortunate enough to gain their family's recognition in the future, they still would not be accepted by those upper circles.

A towering trapezoidal platform stood in the center of the plaza. It covered an area of one hectare and rose dozens of feet high, its main body constructed from entire blocks of pristine white Cloud Obsidian Rock.

The celebratory crowd surrounded the platform in layer after layer, waiting amid a noisy din.

At eight in the evening, the main gates of the City Lord's Mansion swung open. A fully armed group of Guards led the way, followed by an honor guard clad in splendid armor. Wherever they passed, the crowd parted to either side like a tide.

The invited nobles, great and small, ascended the platform one after another. They gathered in small groups of twos and threes, conversing in low voices. Spellcasters in deep blue robes were scattered throughout the platform, making their final preparations for the imminent Ritual.

About half a Magic Hour later, Duke Carlras's carriage—a luxurious vehicle drawn by four pure white Light Unicorns—along with two other carriages of identical specifications, slowly emerged from the City Lord's Mansion.

The sides of the exquisitely ornamented Black Gold carriage cabins bore the Icy Wind Crystal Bird Crest of the Olyvendi Family.

If a scholar proficient in magical heraldry had been present, they would certainly have recognized the meaning represented by the faintly glowing Eternal Crown Markings surrounding the crest: an ancient family with a legacy spanning thousands of years, one that had produced more than four Ninth Rank experts, including at least one who had reached the Ninth Rank Limit; a family with an exceptionally illustrious history that remained at the height of its power even now!

The three carriages stopped before the platform. Leonard, dressed in a crisp suit, stepped down from the driver's seat of the leading carriage and opened the door for Duke Carlot.

Today, the Duke wore a classical black formal mage's robe and a tall top hat, with a white, gold-embroidered wavy cravat adorning his chest.

He stepped out of the carriage and walked to the door of the second one. With impeccable grace, he extended his right hand toward the carriage interior. The engraved Arcane Gold Cufflink gleamed brilliantly in the moonlight.

A slender hand clad in a long lace glove emerged from the carriage and rested upon the Duke's hand. A magnificently dressed figure slowly stepped out and gave the Duke a faint smile.

The Duchess wore an elaborately adorned pure white gown. She gracefully extended her fair arm wrapped in white lace, allowing Duke Carlot to take it.

The long hem of her dress floated slightly under the influence of magic, keeping it from touching the ground or dust.

The next to disembark were the imperial Envoy and the Duke's three descendants, who had returned from their respective territories—his eldest son Raymond, second son Evan, and third daughter Aranis.

The group slowly ascended the platform. The Guards and honor guard lined up on either side raised their weapons in salute.

Upon the platform, the blue-robed Spellcasters completed their final checks and gathered into formation at its summit.

Before the many mages stood Isidore, Chief of the Mage Corps of the Olyvendi Family and an Eighth Rank archmage of the Change School, quietly waiting.

He wore a black mage robe patterned with silver lines and held a Staff nearly two meters long in his right hand. Its straight shaft shone with a silver-gray metallic luster, while a massive translucent purple crystal was set into its tip.

Under the light of the Twin Moons, the radiance refracted by the crystal intertwined with the dim glow of the robe's patterns, flickering with strange, dazzling colors.

Seeing the Duke and the others step onto the platform, Isidore transferred the Staff to his left hand. With his freed right hand, he lightly tapped an upright triangle three times before his chest, performing a flawless mage's salute.

The Duke and Duchess returned the mage's salute. The imperial Envoy lightly lifted his top hat with his left hand, placed the right hand holding his cane over his chest, and bowed slightly in an imperial salute.

With everyone's arrival, the Ritual officially began.

Erica carried the still-confused Xia Yuan toward the center of the platform, where a three-tiered stone dais had been placed. The higher the tier, the smaller its surface area.

At the top of the highest tier, three hundred and twenty-seven silver-black lines emanating a mysterious aura formed a strange, multilayered star pattern. The middle and lower tiers, along with the sides of the dais, were densely covered in profound silver Runes.

She gently placed the newborn at the center of the dais. The silver-black star pattern lit up with her movements, and the surrounding Runes began to flicker in alternating flashes.

Once she had stepped aside, Isidore took a step forward and raised his Staff high. His low, hoarse voice blanketed the entire platform.

"The Ritual begins!"

The mage formations on both sides began chanting at once, their obscure and ancient incantations converging into a mysterious melody.

Oppressive Mana Fluctuations spread in every direction. A strange atmosphere rippled from the summit of the platform, washing across the entire plaza.

This Ritual did not merely confirm one's identity; it was also an enormous enhancement for the newborn. The reason the Naming Ceremony was held on nights of the full moon was to make use of the radiance of the Twin Moons.

The highly condensed moonlight possessed a gentle nature and could greatly improve a newborn's aptitude.

The only regret was that each newborn could receive the blessing of the Twin Moons only once. A second time would have no effect whatsoever.