At precisely ten in the morning, the ritual ceremony officially began.
The small square outside the church was already packed solid with a sea of worshippers.
Other than the benches in the center of the square and the green carpet that ran through it, connecting the main hall doors to the square's entrance, every remaining space was filled with worshippers.
Led by the nuns, Ron arrived at the entrance to the small square and stopped at the end of the green carpet.
Sister Sylvie stood before him. As one of the highest-ranking nuns in the convent, she stood at the very front of the ritual procession, symbolizing the authority of one blessed by the goddess.
Behind him stood six robe-bearing nuns, each pinching the long train of Ron's ceremonial robe. The flowers, grasses, and trees embroidered upon it symbolized the abilities of one blessed by the goddess.
Behind them stood orderly ranks of nuns, each holding a different plant, symbolizing all living things blessed by the Goddess of Harvest.
Behind the nuns stood Archbishop Ulysses and several bishops who had come with the ritual procession, followed by priests and missionaries.
Only at the very end came the important figures who had arrived to observe the ceremony.
At precisely ten in the morning, the ritual ceremony officially began.
Sylvie walked at the front, stepping onto the green carpet and making her way toward the doors of the church's main hall.
Every three steps, she stopped, silently traced the symbol of a rice ear over her chest, then bent down to kneel and recited a line of prayer.
Whenever that happened, the surrounding worshippers fell silent as well, tracing the rice-ear symbol over their chests and silently reciting words of praise to the goddess in their hearts.
The entire square was hushed.