"Good morning, Princess Calca."
"Good morning, High Priestess Mariana."
Calca respectfully grasped the sides of her white dress with both hands, lifting it slightly as she performed a graceful curtsey. The middle-aged woman before her returned the gesture with a unique ritualistic motion.
She traced four points across her chest in the shape of a slanted "Z." This gesture symbolized the four deities worshipped by the Temple—the gods of Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire. Known as the Four Great Gods, they represented a truly ancient faith.
When the six original players from YGGDRASIL first descended upon this world and saved humanity, the "Six Great Gods" the people came to venerate were an evolution of these original four. Because there were six individuals, two more were added to the pantheon of Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire: Alah Alaf, the God of Light, and Surshana, the God of Darkness.
The woman before her, High Priestess Mariana, was arguably the most powerful person in the Temple, second only to the High Hierarch. Her status was roughly equivalent to that of a Cardinal beneath a Pope.
Furthermore, the Temple served as the state religion of the Holy Kingdom. Beyond spreading the faith, it was responsible for helping the nation defend against the demi-humans and heteromorphic races of the eastern Abelion Hills. Consequently, the Temple commanded a corps of a hundred priests on standby and an elite order of five hundred Paladins.
Mariana was not only the Vice-Captain of the Priest Corps but also one of only three priests in the entire order capable of casting Fourth-Tier divine magic. She also served as the Chief Chaplain of the Paladin Order. Essentially, she controlled the two main "coercive arms" of the Temple.
The fact that she was personally overseeing Calca's instruction spoke volumes about the Temple's respect for the royal family. Of course, Calca herself was part of the reason.
From the moment she was born, Calca possessed a B-rank Talent: Mana Affinity. Not only was her mana perception sharper than that of an average person, but her total mana capacity would always be one-sixth higher than a magic caster of the same level.
While an extra sixth might not seem like much, in a life-or-death struggle, that sliver of mana was enough to cast the spell that decided the outcome. For a magic caster, it was a highly versatile talent, though it was technically more suited for those in the arcane tradition.
Unfortunately, due to both her long-term plans and the current environment of the Holy Kingdom, the arcane path wasn't an option for her.
In this world, the Third (Lv. 15–21), Fourth (Lv. 22–28), and Fifth Tiers (Lv. 29–35) might not seem vastly different on paper, but in reality, the Third Tier was the limit for ordinary people. The Holy Kingdom might have several hundred casters at that level. The Fourth Tier, however, was strictly the realm of geniuses. In the entire kingdom, there were only six people who had reached it.
Three were priests of the Temple, one was the royal magic advisor, one was the head of the Magician's Guild, and the last was Calca's father—the current King.
As for the Fifth Tier, that was the domain of Heroes. In the several-hundred-year history of the Holy Kingdom, only a handful of Holy Kings had ever reached those heights. This was why the current King was able to reach the Fourth Tier; with elite genetics and the best education possible, at least a third of the Holy Kings could reach that level. The only variable was when they reached it. Calca's father, for instance, had only broken into that realm at the age of forty.
As for the Sixth Tier (Lv. 36–42), those who reached it were known as Outliers. Currently, there weren't even five such people in the entire northwestern region of the continent, proving just how rare they were.
The person with the greatest talent and the deepest understanding of magic in the Holy Kingdom was the woman standing before Calca.
Mariana had reached the Fourth Tier in her late twenties. Now in her early forties, she was already the undisputed top authority on magic in the kingdom. The other Fourth-Tier casters were significantly older than her.
The Temple had petitioned the royal family more than once on Mariana's behalf, hoping to grant her access to the knowledge passed down by previous Holy Kings. They believed Mariana might become the Temple's first Fifth-Tier caster.
The royal family had consistently refused. Knowledge of that level was no different from a national treasure.
It seemed the Temple had changed tactics. By sending the High Priestess to guide Calca into the world of magic, they clearly intended for her to become Calca's mentor. This would allow them to indirectly gain access to higher-tier magical knowledge.
Calca didn't mind. In fact, it was a "two-way street."
According to her observations, High Priestess Mariana likely possessed a specialized job class that provided bonuses to spellcasting—what YGGDRASIL would consider a rare or optimized build.
Priest-type magic casters possessed a degree of melee capability and could wear armor. The High Hierarch of the Temple often took to the battlefield wearing a breastplate, wielding a shield in one hand and a mace in the other. Any demi-human foolish enough to attempt a sneak attack would usually have their head pulverized by the Hierarch, who would have stacked an absurd number of buffs on himself beforehand.
While Mariana wasn't as boisterous as the Hierarch and didn't fight in heavy armor, her spellcasting was superior. Her spells were more powerful, faster, and better controlled than those of other priests.
And that was without accounting for the various metamagic techniques she had mastered. When those were factored in, a massive chasm opened between her and the other priests.
A gap of that magnitude couldn't be explained by mere study. It was as if everyone else was stuck with a "Common" white-tier base job, while she had secured an "Uncommon" green-tier job.
────────────────────────────────────────
My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
I'm not the Queen Greatsword. (41 Chapters, Ongoing)
────────────────────────────────────────
While the raw power difference wasn't astronomical, Calca saw no reason to settle for a basic class when a superior one was available. Level caps were a reality, so she naturally sought the best possible class synergy.
For a moment, Calca's eyes sparkled with intensity. If she could obtain such a high-level class, it would compensate for any potential lack of talent compared to her "original" self. At the very least, she was confident she could reach the Third Tier by her early teens. That was a realm achievable through sheer hard work, and as a former college student seasoned by the "sea of practice exams," she knew exactly how to grind.
Her only worry was whether she had the talent to reach the Fourth Tier. But even if she didn't, it was fine; the Third Tier was the bare minimum required to put her plan into motion. It would give her a justification to visit the Katze Plains and scout the situation. To do nothing and simply default to "Plan B" would be too spineless. Of course, when she was on the verge of death, "spine" wouldn't matter much.
Calca exhaled slowly, letting herself relax, and looked at Mariana with expectant eyes. She knew what the next step was, but to make a good impression, she remained still and waited for her instructions.
Mariana, for her part, found herself growing fond of Calca's obedience and poise.
While it was said that anyone with Mana Affinity was guaranteed to connect with the world, the process of harmonization differed slightly depending on the magic system and job class.
For example, an arcane caster simply needed to harmonize with the world and sense the flow of mana. However, a divine caster needed to sense the god they worshipped within the vast tides of the world. Only then could they borrow the deity's power to cast spells. The defining characteristic of divine magic was that its strength was determined by the power of one's faith.
"Come, Princess. Over here."
Mariana gave a warm, motherly smile and guided Calca to kneel before the statues. She spoke softly to distract Calca from any lingering nervousness.
"Do not be afraid, Princess. I remember you are a follower of the Wind God, yes?"
"Think of this as a dream—a wonderful, wondrous dream. Perhaps, in this dream, you will encounter a special and noble guest who asks you for a cup of Shuarie tea?"
Mariana chuckled, her gentle voice echoing in Calca's ears.
Shuarie was a citrus fruit, and Shuarie tea was similar to a modern lemon tea. Legend had it that it was the favorite drink of the Wind God.
Of course, that legend had originally trickled down from the Slane Theocracy. In other words, the tea was the favorite drink of the player who had held the position of the Wind God.
At the thought, the corners of Calca's mouth twitched upward. Despite her best efforts to remain solemn, she couldn't quite hide her amusement.
As a modern person, she found it hard to have "faith" in the traditional sense. It was more like an appreciation. Whether it was the Four Great Gods or the Six Great Gods, it didn't really matter. The reason she chose the Wind God was simply because that specific god had the most lore available, making the image more concrete in her mind. A blue-haired youth in silver-and-gold full-plate armor who happened to be a cat lover. Especially that last part.
Calca loved cats, too.
Given the options, she would much rather "believe in"—or at least identify with—a human hero who had saved the world centuries ago than some hollow plaster statue.
As for his true identity as one of the Six Great Gods... well, as long as she didn't say anything, who would know? It was all the "Wind God" anyway.
Calca smoothed her expression, but her heart was full of lighthearted joy. Perhaps because of this positive emotional state, she successfully entered a state of world-harmonization almost immediately.
In a daze, Calca felt as though she had been teleported to the seaside—or perhaps an observation room built deep beneath the ocean. The roar of the waves echoed in her ears, and then she was swept up, tumbling and rushing along with the sea itself.
Faint, indistinct calls drifted toward her. The entire ocean, acting like a rowdy bus driver, tossed her around as it delivered her toward the source of the voices.
When Calca finally arrived, a blurry golden figure manifested before her. The muffled whispers in her ears suddenly became crystal clear.
"Kitty♪ Kitty♪ Kitty-meow♪ Meow-meow, kitty, kit~ty, meow ♪"
Calca, who had been immersed in the epic tides of the world just a moment ago, immediately squinted and performed a mental "tactical lean-back."
What on earth?