The Sleeping Devil

"Sheriel, happy seventh birthday."

It was a slightly earlier morning than usual.

Dressed in a simple one-piece dress, Sheriel received a bouquet of white roses from Didier.

"Thank you, dear brother Didier. The roses are beautiful."

Today, Sheriel turned seven years old.

Nobles become true members of the aristocracy by receiving a baptism on their seventh birthday. This was Sheriel's first birthday celebration of this kind.

Normally, the baptism ceremony would take place first, but Didier came early in the morning to congratulate her.

It had been a while since they last saw each other, and Didier had grown rapidly, to the point where he could be mistaken for a handsome young man.

In addition to his growth spurt, the abundant magical power of the higher-ranking nobles was transforming him into an adult at a rapid pace.

He was already catching up to Sergio in height.

His lavender-colored curly hair reached down to his collarbones, tied loosely at the back and looking very becoming on him.

His eyes, which used to be cute and cat-like, had gained a sharpness to them, and when he was thinking of mischievous things, he had an even more devilish and mysterious aura.

His eyes were a light gray with hints of light green, shining like precious gemstones.

"When did you come back, dear brother? I apologize for not being able to greet you."

"Just a moment ago. I used the teleportation array and grandfather's griffin to come back as quickly as possible. I wanted to be the first one to celebrate Sheriel's birthday."

Since last year, Didier had been attending the Orausteria Noble Academy.

It was like a school for nobles to attend from the age of thirteen to eighteen. He spent about half of the year at the academy, so today marked their reunion after three months.

Well, there was a bit of trouble regarding his attendance at the academy.

"Thank you for coming despite being busy."

"No problem, it's not like I've done anything significant at the academy. Besides that, let's talk more casually. Margot won't get so angry if it's between family, right?"

"I wonder... Lately, she's been checking the servants' waiting room and such, and if I'm not careful, she scolds me right away."

"Haha, Margot is still the same. By the way, grandfather is here too. Hurry up and show him your face."

"I'll prepare quickly, then."

It's been a while since grandfather came as well.

After staying for about six months two years ago, he returned to the northern forest and has been coming to check on Sheriel's well-being every few months since then.

As promised, he must have flown here on Guri-chan to coincide with the baptism ceremony.

Sheriel, who was in the middle of getting ready, stood in front of the mirror and had Mary comb her hair.

"Sheriel has changed a lot, hasn't she? When you arrived here, you looked like a dirty rag."

"Don't you think I've grown taller?"

Since she hadn't seen her own reflection until now, she didn't have much of an impression of her appearance from before. But she had indeed grown in height and her hair had lengthened over the past four years.

She thought her hair, which had been like dusty cotton, now had a shiny, silvery thread-like glow, thanks to bathing.

After finishing the preparations, escorted by Didier, she walked the long distance to the dining hall.

She still lived in the tower, but she had become accustomed to this distance as well.

As they entered the dining hall with a brief greeting...

"Good morning... everyone?"

I thought the doors to the underworld had opened.

Four people dressed in dark robes were seated around a Gothic table adorned with colorful fruits.

The devil's banquet. The underworld summit. The executive committee of a secret society.

There were many words that came to mind, but Hermes' gentle greeting brought me back to reality.

"Good morning, Sheriel."

"It's been a while, have you gotten bigger again?"

"Grandfather, it's been a long time."

Hermes was still as cool and stylish as ever. He was her grandfather, who became even cooler each time she saw him.

Dior had completely incorporated bathing and vegetables into her life since then, and she had become even more beautiful.

Sergio... There hadn't been much change. If anything, his lack of change only increased his mystique.

It was a familiar dining hall. It was their family table.

Except for the fact that they were all dressed in peculiar robes and emanating abundant magical power.

"Sheriel, today we'll proceed directly with the baptism ceremony, but are you feeling well?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

The baptism ceremony takes place before breakfast.

They cleanse themselves on an empty stomach and approach the ceremony in the same state as when they were born. That's what they say, but apparently it's because some people vomit from magical intoxication.

It was quite a practical reason.

As Sheriel was overwhelmed and feeling a bit dizzy, Didier gracefully donned his robe.

Snap! Everyone stood up simultaneously. The baptism ceremony was about to begin.

"Amazing... Did your father draw this?"

"Yes, he finished it yesterday after working on it all day. Dior helped him too. It's quite a masterpiece."

"Drawing the baptismal array is a parent's duty, after all."

The altar to be used in the ritual is prepared in the center of the garden.

The slightly elevated circular stage has six pillars around it like a gazebo, but it has no roof and is open-air.

After climbing a few steps, Sheriel noticed that the entire stage was adorned with geometric patterns resembling magic circles.

Upon closer inspection, she saw six marks along the circumference of the outer circle, connecting to form a hexagram.

Within the hexagram, there were overlapping arrays with an array of symbols she had never seen before, creating a beautiful pattern without any gaps.

"Today's ceremony will be conducted by me for the element of air, Dior for fire, Father for wind, and Didier for water."

For the baptism ceremony, one representative is needed for each of the six elements.

Usually, it involves both parents and representatives dispatched from the temple and the Magician's Guild to cover any missing elements. However, with Hermes and Didier expressing their desire to participate, only two of them were sent from the capital.

"We have a priest from the temple who possesses the attribute of life and the vice chief of the Magician's Guild, who possesses the attribute of earth."

"As usual, Sergio. You remember the agreement, right?"

The man with short green hair resembling turf and a sturdy build had his arm around Sergio's shoulder as he laughed heartily.

He seemed more like a knight than a magician. Sensing his full-on sportsmanship, Sheriel instinctively took a step back.

"Yes, yes, of course. This is Vice Chief Marcel."

"Nice to meet you, Marcel-sama."

"And the one behind is..."

Behind the burly Marcel, glimpses of peach-colored hair with ash tones could be seen.

Due to their slim and petite stature, they were completely hidden, but they seemed to be a shy priest. They hunched their back and had bangs that extended to their mouth, making it difficult to see their face.

"Nice to meet you. Could I ask for your name?"

"I don't have a name."

"What?"

Inadvertently giving a rude reaction, Sheriel hurriedly tried to apologize but became even more flustered as Margot-sensei's face came to mind.

Sergio quickly brushed away the awkward atmosphere and continued the conversation as if nothing had happened.

"Has Didier become able to differentiate the attributes properly?"

"Of course. It would be ideal if he could handle both on his own, but there's nothing we can do about it."

During the ceremony, each person stands in their respective elemental positions and recites prayers while channeling their magical power.

Since Didier possesses both the water and life attributes, he underwent special training to focus and channel his magical power accordingly.

The baptismal ceremony is a ritual in which children receive blessings from the gods on their seventh birthday.

Upon receiving the blessings, they gain the ability to use magic. However, until then, they have no resistance to magic, so even simple everyday spells like purification or wind magic can make them dizzy.

"Sheriel, you just need to stand in the center. Light will descend from above, and you might experience slight dizziness or nausea, but please endure it. Once it's over, feel free to release it all, you'll be fine."

There was no need for subtlety. The pillar of light seems to be visible from afar, making it somewhat of a grand unveiling.

Sheriel wasn't an early riser, so she had only seen it once when she witnessed the pillar of light descending under the bright sky. It was incredibly mystical and beautiful.

"What is this magic circle made of?"

"It's a mixture of medicinal herbs, ashes of magical wood, and crushed sky stones blended with Elger's nectar. And the finishing touch is Sheriel's blood."

Suddenly, the sacred ritual took on a suspicious atmosphere.

"It feels like a real ritual..."

"It's just a few drops, so it'll be fine. Once Sheriel's blood falls at the designated point in the center, the ritual will commence from there. Easy, right?"

Sheriel was handed a small knife and instructed to cut her finger with it. Sergio usually used this knife for hunting and opening letters, so it had been cleaned as a precaution.

In her past life, she wasn't exactly a neat freak, but she had seen Sergio come home occasionally with strange things hanging from it, so she wanted to be cautious.

"Now then, is everyone ready? We will now proceed with the baptismal ceremony of my daughter, Sheriel Beriard."

Everyone took their positions, and Sheriel also removed her shoes and headed towards the center.

Although she had seen magic demonstrated several times before, this was her first time experiencing it herself. Feeling her heartbeat accelerate, she stepped on the cold marble floor.

Upon reaching the center, surrounded by adults wearing robes within the magic circle, the sight was incredibly surreal.

It made her realize once again that this was a different world.

She made up her mind, cut her fingertip with the knife, and let the droplet fall onto the black spot at her feet.

"I, Sergio Beriard, bestowed with the blessing of air..."

In an instant, a faint light emanated from the circle beneath Sergio's feet.

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