-- The Temple of the Fortress City of Lamoor.
Today was a momentous day that would determine the entire course of life for the thirteen-year-old children of the Amelia Kingdom. In other words, the Day of Gift Awakening.
"Kaa-kun, I'm so nervous, you know?"
A lovely girl with shoulder-length red hair looked up at me with her usual gentle, easygoing eyes, seeking my agreement.
Contrary to her words, not a single shred of tension could be felt from her. This girl was Lena Grot, one of my childhood friends.
"Y-Yeah, me too."
Receiving the divine blessing today would awaken our Gifts. As expected, I had been so anxious that I hadn't slept a wink last night.
"I wonder what I'll get... Lena might like to be a princess, but... maybe a bunny wouldn't be bad either?"
She twirled around on the spot and asked me.
Lena's remark wasn't a joke; she was entirely serious. She simply wanted to become something cute. That was just how her mind worked. This airheaded nature of hers was the spitting image of my mother's.
"No, being a princess is impossible. And in the first place, a bunny isn't a Gift."
She was talking about joining royalty. In a sense, it was a statement that could be taken as disrespectful, but coming from her, it merely brought to mind a fairytale princess, so it didn't feel unnatural in the slightest. In fact, a girl in the line behind us simply let out a soft chuckle at Lena's words.
"Is that so? Too bad..."
As she slumped her shoulders in disappointment, I patted her head as I always did, and she narrowed her eyes like a pampered cat.
"What kind would you like, Kaa-kun?"
"Hmm, I guess... a swordsmanship-type Gift after all."
That was a lie. I didn't desire a swordsmanship Gift in the least. Of course, my grandfather and the elders wanted one so I could succeed the Heinemann family dojo. But my true wish was different. I wanted a Gift that would help me become a great hunter, just like my mother.
Hunters--a profession defined by life-or-death adventures, exploring the world's uncharted territories and demon realms to slay heinous monsters. To do reasonably well as a hunter, one needed a practical Gift.
To be honest, I had no talent for swordsmanship by any stretch of the imagination. I learned vastly slower than others, and my skill placed me dead last among my peers at the dojo. Among our relatives, there was Roman, a prodigy brimming with talent. He should be the one to become the successor.
A commotion and celebratory cheers suddenly erupted from inside the temple. Apparently, someone had awakened a remarkably rare Gift.
"I wonder what happened. I'm so curious."
"Yeah, me too."
Echoing Lena's thoughts, I absentmindedly gazed toward the temple, which remained the epicenter of the uproar.
After a short while--
"Kai! Lena!"
A beautiful girl with long, wavy blonde hair came jogging toward us.
"Ah, Laila-chan!"
Beside me, Lena beamed with delight and waved both hands vigorously.
She was another of my childhood friends, Laila Helner. She was the only daughter of a greatsword dojo renowned in Lamoor as being on par with the Heinemann sword style. She was also my fiancée.
"How was it?"
"Just as expected. There was hardly any surprise to it."
Laila shrugged, looking a little disappointed. Just like me, the track she was meant to follow in the future had already been laid out. This Gift had merely made it definitive. Perhaps that was the source of her melancholy.
As I pondered what to say to her, two boys emerged from the temple and walked our way.
One was a handsome, brown-haired boy, and the other was a tall boy with long blue hair tied behind his back.
Tilting my head at the adults clad in pure white armor trailing behind them, I spoke up.
"Roman, Keith, did you two also--"
"Lady Laila, just now, I received the [Spear King] Gift."
Pushing past me as I voiced my question, Roman stepped right in front of Laila and made his declaration.
"I know. I was watching."
"I-Is that so!"
Roman cast a triumphant glance at me, then exchanged a look with the adults in stark white armor behind him.
An armored knight stepped forward.
"You must be Laila Helner. I am a member of the Holy King Mage Knights. There is something we wish to discuss regarding the Gift you received. Forgive the intrusion, but could you spare us a little time?"
He made his request directly to Laila.
"However, unlike Roman and the others, my Gift should not be particularly rare."
"Indeed, provided you were not the daughter of the Helner family. After all, martial arts cannot be mastered overnight. It is precisely because a [High Swordsman] Gift was obtained by someone like you, who trains diligently day after day, that it holds immense significance. Of course, this is not mandatory, but we would be honored if you would at least hear us out."
The seasoned knight in white armor bowed deeply to Laila.
Speaking of the Holy King Mage Knights, they were the most elite knight order in the Amelia Kingdom. Their authority was substantial. Even if it wasn't mandatory, there was no way she could refuse after having such a knight bow to her.
"I understand."
Laila glanced at Lena and me, bit her lower lip for a fraction of a second, and then gave a slight nod of resignation.
"This is hardly the place for such a discussion. Right! Our order has a station here in Lamoor. Let us speak at our leisure there!"
Speaking briskly, the older man in pure white armor began walking.
"Lady Laila, let us go as well."
"Y-Yes..."
Laila looked back at us several times with lingering regret, but urged on by Roman, she started walking.
(Sorry about this, Kai. That Roman got totally carried away.)
Keith pressed his hands together and offered a whispered apology.
(It's fine. Keith, you're going to fall behind.)
I responded with a wave of my hand. Keith Steinberg gave a brief nod and jogged off after them.
"Kaa-kun, let's go!"
I watched the crowd where Laila had disappeared for a moment, but Lena took my hand and pulled me back into line.
When our turn finally arrived, we received the divine blessing, and Lena touched the crystal placed upon the altar. A dazzling, silvery-white light radiated outward. And then--
"S-Sword Saint..."
At the priest's murmur, the entire temple erupted into a tremendous roar of disbelief.
"You've gotta be kidding... Spear King, Grand Mage, and now the Sword Saint Gift?! Seriously, what is going on this year?!"
A member of the Holy King Mage Knights standing nearby shouted, his voice cracking with shock.
Naturally. The Sword Saint was the absolute pinnacle of swordsmanship Gifts. Like the Hero or the Sage, it was a Gift said to be bestowed by the heavens upon God's chosen vessels to restore balance whenever the power of the demon race surged. Which meant--
"Does this mean a demonic offensive is drawing near...?"
As the knight muttered with thick anxiety plastered across his face, the priest reprimanded him sharply.
"This is a temple. I must ask you to refrain from stoking needless panic!"
"F-Forgive me."
Rebuked by the priest, the knight gave a polite bow and clamped his mouth shut.
"Now then, next please."
Suppressing my pounding heart as best I could, I stepped forward in front of the priest. Placing his right palm against my forehead, he chanted an incantation, and my body began to glow.
Suddenly, an immense pressure slammed into me, feeling as though I had been forced into a suffocating suit of full plate mail.
Was this some kind of restriction that accompanied receiving a divine revelation? But that was strange. I had never heard of such a thing before...
Harboring a faint doubt, I climbed the steps of the altar and reached out toward the crystal resting on top.
"Huh?"
Up until now, the crystal had shone the moment anyone touched it, but it didn't make the slightest sound or reaction.
As I furrowed my brow, the priest peered into the crystal, then looked at me as if staring at a piece of filth.
"The absolute most incompetent person in the world."
He spat the words out with utter disdain.