New Moon Ritual for Two

Eternal Theocracy, Twenty-Second Ring.

Iver opened his eyes after a long while and returned to the Material Realm.

Golden and crimson radiance flowed through his pupils. The divine glow lent his tranquil face a compassionate air.

"Matilda..."

Iver spoke softly.

At that moment, the blue-haired Cardinal on the thirteenth level immediately replied, "I'm here, Your Majesty. Everything for the ritual has been prepared. You only need to change clothes and lie on the bed.

"...But are you sure you truly don't need an escort? We can assign you at least three Ascenders to ensure your promotion succeeds..."

"With Aleister accompanying me, that's enough."

Iver's voice was gentle and calm.

His lowered gaze was overflowing with radiance, and even closing his eyes could not conceal it.

The Pope, dressed in black and red robes, answered seriously, "This is the New Moon Ritual. Strictly speaking, there's no such thing as 'teammates.' Even if we enter the Promotion Ritual together, we might receive conflicting tasks or be forced into hostile positions.

"When that happens, how am I supposed to face these assistants? This is a Fourth to Fifth Level Promotion Ritual. Failure would be one thing, but if they died... it could very likely result in death in reality. Could I really watch them die just like that?"

"...Your Majesty," Cardinal Matilda said solemnly, "you must understand that their mission is supposed to be this. Devoting themselves to something greater has always been our lifelong pursuit. If their deaths could allow you to rise to a higher position, they would surely be glad to witness that moment.

"The position of Pope cannot be lost, Your Majesty. No matter what, nothing can happen to you here. Otherwise, the one to suffer would be the entire Theocracy—even if you only think of it that way.