Elara picked out the key point she wanted, "So, what you mean is, as long as the divine talisman this afternoon can be activated within the altar, and the divine blessing inside it appears in the world, it will count as receiving the god's descent and regaining the so-called favor of the gods?"
Prince Yu nodded, "Yes, that's exactly what those ministers are regretting so much."
Elara stepped forward and said softly to him under the gaze of Gareth, Giles, and Prince Yu,
"Then, can I see that divine talisman from your country now?"
If it was just about activating the divine talisman to bring out the divine blessing inside, then the totem Elara got earlier in the "Ruins of the Gods," which seemed like a key and a lock, should be enough.
Also, from the previous divine talismans Elara had activated, each time she opened one, she would receive a small portion of unknown energy from inside the talisman.
That unknown energy helped the half-transparent divine tree deep in her consciousness grow and bear fruit, and it also condensed a fragment of a map.
Elara had already thought about collecting divine talismans from different places, but unfortunately, these talismans were rare and precious. Even among divine blessings, only those of mid to high level would have talismans.
After returning to her own country, she had been busy with many matters. Since she hadn't finished the tasks at home, she didn't have time to collect various divine talismans. Especially because blessings that could be unlocked with a talisman were usually of at least medium-high quality, and any second-ranked nation would treat them as sacred national treasures that they would never show casually, let alone let her obtain one.
So Elara had planned to wait a long time before collecting divine talismans. She never expected that a trip to the Dahlia Kingdom would give her a chance to get close to a high-grade foreign talisman.
Just in time, she could help Prince Yu resolve the doubts and regrets caused by the divine ritual and last night's incident, and also gain another fruit and map piece.
With such a win-win situation, Elara certainly didn't want to miss it. As long as Prince Yu, Giles, and Gareth would not reveal her special ability, everything would be fine.
"If it's just about activating the Divine Talisman to reveal the divine blessings inside, I actually know a secret method."
Elara looked at Prince Yu and the two behind him, Gareth and Giles. She lowered her voice and emphasized the words "secret method."
The three of them paused, as if trying to understand what she meant. In this world, it was always believed that only those with inherited bloodlines could awaken and activate divine blessings. No one had ever heard of a secret method allowing outsiders to control it.
But they quickly understood. Prince Yu moved his hand slightly, and Giles instantly vanished from his spot and went outside the door.
The palace servants who had been guarding the entrance were all dismissed and replaced by the Dahlia royal family's secret shadow guards. Once they confirmed no one else was nearby, Giles returned to the royal hall.
"Miss Bai... is there really a secret method to open the Divine Talisman and reveal the blessings within?"
After hearing her, the three men first reacted with disbelief. But then they remembered it was Elara who spoke. Considering the miracle-like changes in Plumera Kingdom over the past half-year, they started to believe it might be true.
Elara nodded. The three exchanged glances, and Prince Yu stepped closer to her, his narrow fox-like eyes staring seriously.
"If this method is truly secret, then today the three of us will swear an oath here. I, Prince of Dahlia, along with Gareth of Yan State and General Giles, swear by the national fortune of Dahlia. We will never leak this method. If we break this oath even a little, the national fortune of Dahlia shall be the price. We will all follow it into ruin. Is that acceptable?"
Compared to the divine blessings that everyone revered, an oath made on national fortune was more convincing to Elara.
After all, Prince Yu was never one to worship the gods. For years, everything in Dahlia had been built by his own hands and efforts. The national fortune was what he valued most. He even bound the lives of Giles and Gareth to this vow, so Elara had no reason to doubt it.
Seeing him take it so seriously, Giles and Gareth also made the same vow.
After swearing, Prince Yu took out a finely carved golden jade box from his robe.
Inside the box was a totem stone plate Elara was very familiar with. Except for the chaotic totem lines in the center, it looked almost the same as the Divine Talismans she had activated before.
Originally, Prince Yu had planned to suppress all complaints from the ministers, even if this Divine Talisman stayed forever as a "useless holy relic" hidden deep in Plumera's imperial palace. He believed he could still lead the nation to greater strength.
But if the matter of the Divine Talisman could truly be resolved, then those negative whispers and sorrowful guesses would not just vanish. They would instead become a powerful support for his rule over Dahlia.
Those noble families and old ministers who wanted to attack him using this issue would have no excuse left. On the contrary, they would be condemned by the devout as being disrespectful.
The nobles, the common people, and all the believers of the gods would then become a strong foundation for the empire. Once the divine blessings were activated, Dahlia would be seen as a land favored by the gods again.
And the empire's power would rise to a new, more stable height.
That afternoon,
The Divine Sacrifice ritual officially began.
The old ministers who had been sighing all morning looked even more mournful by the afternoon, as if they were witnessing the divine favor slipping away from Dahlia once again, dooming them to centuries of abandonment.
At the feast of the Divine Sacrifice, the ministers of the Ritual Department wore special garments and, along with a group of strangely dressed men and women, performed the Dance of the Gods around the altar.
Elara hadn't had this segment when she ascended the throne, so she found it somewhat novel.
When the officials finished the dance and the new emperor stepped onto the altar to pray for divine favor, the atmosphere, which should have been solemn and expectant, once again filled with faint sighs of sorrow.