Chapter 239.1
We were taken to a circular room set up in the basement of the church.
Bonfires were lit at equal intervals, creating the atmosphere of a solemn ceremony.
The two who had entered the place before us were also there.
“A-Anos-sama…?!” (Naya)
Naya shouted in surprise when she saw me come in.
“Oh? Do you know each other?” (Bishop)
At the bishop’s question, Eldmed’s lips curled into a smile.
“Khahaha! If we know him? That man is none other than the Demon King of our country!” (Eldmed)
“…The Demon King?” (Bishop)
The bishop tilted his head, as if he had never heard of me.
“Please pardon my ignorance, but what sort of country do you come from?” the bishop asked me.
“Dilhade.” (Anos)
“So you’re telling him just like that…?” Sasha whispered.
“Thank you for coming from such a far away land. It must’ve been the gods who guided you to us.” (Bishop)
The bishop didn’t seem to care about that, as if he thought our country was a small one located in the Underground World.
It seemed that the only people who knew about Dilhade were a few members of the clergy, such as the Cardinal, and those who were involved in that invasion operation.
“Starting now, the Almighty Radiance Equis will bestow the Pledge Jewel baptism on the believers who have chosen the thorny path. Behold the divine bonfires before you.” the bishop said solemnly.
When I turned my attention to the bonfire, I saw a ring adorned with a transparent crystal gemstone floating in the flames.
“Do you see that? Inside the divine flames is a ring called a Pledge Jewel. As you may know, Pledge Jewels have been used since ancient times when we draconids made pacts with gods and dragons. According to the teachings of Jiordal, it’s a sacred tool used to deliver prayers to the gods.” (Bishop)
The bishop prayed while covering the Pledge Jewel on his right hand with his left hand.
“A follower’s baptism consists in extending your hand to the divine bonfire, and picking up the Pledge Jewel in the flames. Those who were chosen by the will of the gods can take hold of it without getting burned. They will then be able to proceed to the Divine Calling Ceremony.” (Bishop)
Hmm. Fire made with magic power.
All it would take to avoid getting burned was a small amount of anti-magic.
So those who proceeded to the Divine Calling Ceremony were selected based on whether or not they had magic power.
“It is said that only one in ten people advance to the Divine Calling Ceremony. There may be one among you who will be chosen by the heavens’ will. Please try it with a prayer.” (Bishop)
It seemed that among draconids, only one in ten had the magic power necessary to use summoning magic.
In terms of ratio, it was higher than for humans, but lower than for demons.
“Should one of us fail on purpose?” Sasha asked.
“No, it doesn’t matter. It’s not like it’s an impossible ritual.” (Anos)
I casually put my hand into the flames and grabbed the Pledge Jewel.
“Oh…! Wonderful. Not even a single burn. You were undoubtedly chosen by the heav—Hmm?” (Bishop)
Eleonore also obtained the Pledge Jewel ring without a scratch.
“It’s easy!” (Eleonore)
“…Zeshia… has been chosen… by the heavens too…” (Zeshia)
The bishop stared at the two in shock.
“…Three people in a single day? What a— Wait…?!” (Bishop)
Misha and Sasha also retrieved the Pledge Jewels without getting burned.
“…Five people…” (Bishop)
“Khahaha! How easy.” (Eldmed)
Eldmed took hold of a Pledge Jewel.
Naya, too, bravely reached her hand into the flames.
Though she was considered an underachiever at the Demon King Academy, she was still able to enroll there. Such a small fire couldn’t possibly burn her, and she easily took the Pledge Jewel ring in her hand.
“…I did it…” Naya said with a sigh of relief.
Seeing us with our Pledge Jewels, the bishop looked utterly astonished.
“A-All of you… were chosen by the heavens…? Oh what a day this is… I never imagined I would witness such a miracle with my own eyes. O God! O Almighty Radiance! I offer my thanks for this wonderful encounter!” (Bishop)
Unable to hide his excitement, the bishop prayed to God. It was as if he had witnessed a miracle that only happens once in hundreds of years.
“Now then, let us proceed with the Divine Calling Ceremony. Please direct your attention here.” (Bishop)
The bishop placed his right hand into a bonfire.
As he drew a circle with that hand, flames erupted from his Pledge Jewel ring, forming the shape of a magic circle.
“This is the foundation for using the Pledge Jewel, the magic circle for the spell. By using this magic, a devout cleric can summon dragons or gods to this world, and even command them. However, gods are the hands of the omnipotent Almighty Radiance. Making a pact with them isn’t easy.” (Bishop)
Though it was similar to the summoning magic we had on the surface, the fundamental mechanics were somewhat different.
The spell formula for alone couldn’t result in a summoning.
This spell was based on the precondition that the user had a Pledge Jewel.
“Please come this way. First, I will explain how to summon a dragon, a messenger of the gods.” (Bishop)
The bishop stood on the magic circle drawn on the floor.
As we moved to that spot, magic power was poured into it, and we were suddenly transported.
Our destination was a chamber set further underground than the previous room.
The ceiling was high, and the room was vast.
“This is the Summoning Chamber, where the Divine Calling Ceremony is performed. If you can successfully cast the spell using your Pledge Jewel, from that day forward, you will receive a divine calling, that is, a mission to fulfill for the gods.” (Bishop)
So this vast space was meant for using summoning magic.
A dragon wouldn’t fit in a small room, after all.
“These Pledge Jewels, which were brought to our Underground World in ancient times, have the power to summon six dragons by the order of the gods. They were Deiro, the dragon of fire and strength ; Sita, the dragon of flight and teleportation ; Garon, the dragon of strength and durability ; Fron, the dragon of healing and grace ; Vista, the dragon of stealth and concealment ; and Dogu, the dragon of binding and restraints.” (BIshop)
The bishop meticulously explained the Pledge Jewels.
“When summoning a dragon using the spell, you’re not summoning the dragons that reside here in the Underground World. Instead, it is said that the Pledge Jewel opens a gate to the divine realm. The dragons, who are with the gods, descend to our world as their envoys and obtain a suitable body of flesh and blood.” (Bishop)
The bishop showed us his Pledge Jewel ring as he spoke.
“Through , a dragon, a messenger of the gods, will appear underground. It will bring blessings to people’s lives. Dragons are the emissaries that support our lives. They become the house that protects us, the flesh that nourishes us, and the feet that carry us. Those who hold the key to the gate that allows the divine messengers to descend to this land are the followers who have received the divine calling.” (Bishop)
It seemed that rather than summoning the dragons themselves, they were summoning their sources.
Which explained how it was possible to infuse yourself with the power of dragons via the spell.
Through , the Pledge Jewel provided the flesh and blood corresponding to their source.
Since the Pledge Jewels were apparently given by the first proxy of the gods, someone who could use the orders of the gods, this wasn’t impossible.
This was likely the reason why dragons, which were on the verge of extinction, were once again increasing in number.
The Pledge Jewels and summoning magic were what kept the dragons, and maybe even the draconids, from being wiped out.
“It is said that summoning magic depends not on the amount of magic power, but on expanding the vessel of magic power, which allows one to summon even more powerful dragons. Let me first show you an example.” (Bishop)
The bishop infused magic power into his Pledge Jewel ring.
As he did so, magic circles appeared inside the gemstone one after another, layering upon each other.
Suddenly, a large flame rose up in front of the bishop.
Within the flame, the faint silhouette of a dragon could be seen.
“: Deiro.” (Bishop)
The flames dispersed, revealing a gigantic dragon.
Perhaps because it was under the control of the bishop, the dragon showed no signs of rampaging and simply remained still.