ISOTSM 20

~Chapter 20~

After the day when snow fell from a clear sky, Eliana started learning magic from Verkley.

Most of the time, he would show her how to use magic himself, and she would try to copy him. When she couldn’t control her power, Verkley would stop it for her.

Eliana quickly got used to Verkley transferring mana to her—or taking it away. She realized she’d been unable to use magic properly simply because she didn’t know where her mana core was.
Trying to use magic without knowing its location meant things never worked as she intended.

Whenever magic happened by accident, it was because she’d randomly forced power into her core.
Especially when she escaped House Musieux, her core had opened all at once and stayed open for a while, so magic spilled out without control.

Now, when she wanted to use magic, all she had to do was focus on her mana core.

She still couldn’t control it well, so magic would sometimes cast itself, but at least there hadn’t been another disaster as big as the last time.

‘It’s better not to use large-scale magic like that snow before.’

‘Why?’

‘It uses a lot of mana and puts a strain on your body. Come here, Eliana.’

With those words, Verkley reached out and pulled Eliana into his arms—to transfer her some mana.

After the snow incident, she still felt tired, so he often gave her mana this way.
Receiving mana from someone else was a feeling she couldn’t quite describe. Her body relaxed, her messy energy settled.

Afterwards, she would always feel a bit awkward and avoid his gaze.

Eliana was on her way to the temple, having accepted Ruby’s invitation.

Since returning to the capital, Ruby had been staying at the Temple of Elzer.

In front of the palace, a carriage waited for Eliana, but she hesitated—she remembered how sick she’d gotten riding in one last time.
The memory made her heart pound.

A priest in robes opened the carriage door and urged her inside.

“Please, get in.”

But as Eliana put her hand in his and was about to climb in, she stepped back with a bright smile.

“The weather’s nice. Could I walk instead?”

“It’s quite a distance to walk, miss.”

“I actually like walking. My shoes are low, too—isn’t it alright?”

Eliana pleaded, smiling brightly.

The priest scratched his neck, seeming unsure, but then agreed.

“If you wish, then let’s walk.”

He sent the carriage away and walked beside her, guiding the way.

The temple was a fair distance, and they had to pass a long avenue of tall trees. Eliana felt bad for making the priest walk, so she chatted about trivial things as they went.
Before she knew it, they had arrived.

The priest pointed at the temple.

“Here we are. This is Elzer’s First Temple, the Hosios Sanctuary.”

The sanctuary was bigger than she expected.

The spires soared high into the sky, and the walls sparkled with embedded jewels.
Nothing had ever been stolen, probably thanks to the holy knights who guarded it every day.

At the very top, instead of a clock tower, there was a huge hourglass—the symbol of Elzer. The hourglass flipped every hour, marking the time.
Sand poured steadily inside.

Eliana, following the priest, washed her hands at a basin and entered the main hall.

Inside, people were scattered here and there, praying for personal wishes.

It felt just like stepping into a grand cathedral.
The atmosphere made Eliana feel solemn too.

She walked softly behind the priest, careful not to make a sound.

On the inner walls were scenes from the Itteoni myths, as recorded in the scriptures of Elzer.

Eliana admired the murals.

“This place is amazing.”

“It’s the biggest temple in the empire. It’s both the starting and ending point for pilgrimages.”

Since Elzer was the empire’s main god, the temple was vast.

The priest calmly explained why every pilgrimage began and ended at the Hosios Sanctuary, and Eliana listened as she walked down the corridor.

In the priests’ lounge, Eliana sat and gazed at the walls instead of drinking the green tea the temple had prepared for her.

There were murals here, too.
A golden-haired god sat on a throne, shining with a halo, while angels and demons supported the throne below.

The angels and demons all had wings, but those being punished on either side—the “Hanef”—did not.
Hanef were fallen divine beings who lost their power after committing sins.

The only difference was that they had no wings.

Among them, humans were also punished, shown burning, freezing, or being beaten.

While Eliana looked at the strange images, Ruby entered, finished with mass.

“Did you wait long?”

He was dressed differently than at the palace. Instead of a formal uniform, his priest’s robes had wide sleeves that swished as he moved, a high collar, and a sash embroidered with golden ancient letters.

The white and gold outfit matched his impressive appearance—he looked every bit the pope.

“It’s my first time here. I wasn’t bored at all,” Eliana said.

Ruby smiled gently.

He moved Eliana’s cold tea aside, poured fresh tea into his own cup, then slid it to her.

“That one’s cold.”

“I know.”

Ruby sipped the cold tea anyway.

Eliana’s new cup was steaming hot.

‘Does he just like cold tea?’ she wondered, staring at him instead of drinking.

“It tastes better when it’s hot,” he said.

“Thank you.”

Eliana finally took a sip. Just as he said, it tasted much better warm.
She felt her body relax.

They exchanged quick greetings and soon discussed what was needed for the ceremony.

Ruby carefully explained what objects would be used, which colors to avoid, and which were required.

Eliana wrote all the notes in her notebook—these details had been skipped in the novel.

“A priest will take your measurements for your ceremonial clothes later.”

“Wait, I get a new outfit too?”

“Of course. As the princess’s attendant, you must have custom ceremonial clothes.”

Ruby spoke as if it was obvious.

Another change from the novel.
In the original, Hera had never given Eliana proper clothes for the ceremony.
To keep Eliana from outshining the main character Mary, she’d been made to wear plain, dull clothes.

Eliana remembered grumbling about it in the story, and now asked,