‘I wonder who that person was…’ Alice wondered in her mind. She remembered his handsome facial features so much that it was engraved in her mind, she couldn’t help but think that he was her type. She caresses the badge in her pocket whilst thinking, ‘I hope I can meet him again…’

As she was caressing the badge, the door to the meeting room opened. A handsome man and a beautiful lady walked out, giving their thanks and goodbyes to a merchant who soon left with a satisfied look. Alice then ran to the man and lady whilst crying, “Mamaaa, Papaaa!”

“My dear, what’s wrong?” Alice’s father, Ahendaro, patted the girl’s head. “Are you hungry again, didn’t you eat just earlier?”

“I’m bored, Papa!” Alice puffed her cheeks, “Didn’t you two say that we were going to the temple today to see what abilities I would have?! Let’s go there right now!”

Alice’s mother, Rosalinda, sighed with a wry smile, “You really are a tomboy of a girl. Are you that excited to go adventuring, just to remind you, children your age aren’t allowed to go adventuring yet even if you have your status board already!”

“I don’t care! I just want to see my status board already, I waited ten days since you two promised to take me to the temple!” Alice made a tantrum, stomping her feet and going crazy. The two sighed at their tomboy little girl.

Ahendaro picked Alice up and flicked her forehead, “We’ll go to the temple right now as long as you stop your tantrum. Also, you aren’t dressed appropriately for the temple.”

He looked to Sissina and smiled, “Please dress her up to something more appropriate for a visit to the temple. In the meantime, we’ll also change to something even more appropriate.”

“Yes, master,” Sissina answered before taking Alice away. Ahendaro and  Rosalinda looked at each other with a bit of worry.

“Are you sure about letting that girl see the temple?” Rosalinda questioned, “Although I’m confident she’ll receive skills and talents befitting of a merchant considering both of us have merchant skills, but I fear that something will go wry.”

“I feel the same, dear… but this is inevitable as all people eventually will see their status boards. It’s better to know what Alice’s skills are and prepare for her future,” Ahendaro answered as Rosalinda nodded.

The two then called the driver and told him to prepare to head to the temple before they soon changed into different clothes, Ahendaro wore a white suit without a hat while Rosalinda wore a white dress that was free of any decorations.

Soon after, Alice returned with Sissina. She wore a simple one-piece white dress with no decorations, Sissina also wore a light-colored dress. It was their custom to wear white when visiting the temple and it should be white without decorations or accessories such as hats and necklaces as it means ‘purity’.

“Let’s go to the temple!” Alice excitedly said. It was her dream to see her status board, she always wanted to become an adventurer and explore the world, fight monsters and dungeons. She always read from the books how amazing it would be to adventure and dreamt of it ever since.

Rosalinda and Ahendaro both looked at each other and sighed. The carriage soon arrived and the two soon entered inside with Alice and Sissina following after, and then, the carriage departed off to the west where the temple of their town sat.

–Although not too far, the ride to the temple still took thirty minutes. The temple was always populated with people from worshippers and visitors to people who are receiving their blessing from the world. There was a long line that people had to wait, but as a family of well-respected merchants who contributed to the people and the temple, the people made way for Alice and company.

Ahendaro and Rosalinda greeted people on the way from your average citizen to the priests before reaching the inside of the temple. It wasn’t a luxurious temple, but it was sparkling clean. Stained glass depicting different animals and trees decorated the place, there were no human figures at all.

At the end was a stained glass depiction of the world tree, it was one of the most beautiful stained glass art that Alice had ever seen. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the art, she felt an affinity with the stained glass—almost like she had been here once.

“Mama, what does that stained glass mean?” Alice asked.

As Rosalinda was about to answer, a voice intervened, “That is the World Tree, young girl. It is what we believe in, and the one that blesses the people with prosperity and peace.”

Alice was surprised, she turned to the direction of the voice and saw a holy man donning a long white robe. He carried a long, wooden staff that was covered in vines on his right hand and beads of wood on his left.

“It’s been a while, Mr. and Mrs. Yuel. It seems like you’ve brought your daughter here today, I assume that it will be for her first blessing from the temple, correct?”  the man smiled.

Ahendaro nodded, “It’s definitely been a while, your holiness. Would it trouble you to officiate the first blessing for my daughter?”

“Not a problem. What’s your name, dear child?” the head priest, Luclentus Vir, asked as he lowered himself to Alice’s height with a smile.

Alice hid behind her father and answered, “I’m Alice Yuel…”

“Alice, what a wonderful name. It reminds me of the tale of the Blessed Princess,” Luclentus smiled as he also frowned at Alice’s eyes and hair, ‘It resembles the Blessed Princess,  but a bit  darker… is it a coincidence?’

“Have you been told about the procedures of the first blessing, Alice?” Luclentus asked. Alice shook her head. “The First Blessing of the Temple is a sacred event that a person only ever goes through once, it is when a person will receive a blessing from the temple. After the first blessing, you’ll be able to view your status board and be able to use skills that will help you in daily life.”

“During the event, when you are asked a question by the priest, you should answer in your mind with your honest answer. Do you understand?” he explained. Alice understood and nodded which made the head priest smile as he looked at Ahendaro and Rosalinda who nodded before he reached his hand out to Alice, “Let’s proceed with the event then, please hold my hand and follow me.”

Alice took his hand and followed after him. They walked in front of the world tree’s stained glass depiction and kneeled. Luclentus laid his staff and bead in front of them and reached out to the world tree, “O’Gaia, Thee Who Brings Peace and Prosperity; Bless Thy Child and Guide Her to Your World.”

Akin to a miracle, the staff and bead levitated. The head priest then looked at Alice and asked, “Do you swear that you will use your abilities will be for the good of the world?”

Alice looked back into his eyes and remembered to answer in her own mind, ‘Naturally, I wouldn’t use this for anything evil!’

The  head priest then continues, “When faced in a death-or-life situation with people you’ve been together, would you use your abilities to save yourself or to save them?”

‘I would save myself and them if possible, otherwise, they would be my priority…’ Alice answered without hesitation.

As if knowing when Alice finishes her answer, the head priest continues, “Are you willing to accept the blessing of the World Tree?”

Alice looked confused but still answered once again without hesitation, ‘Of course!’

The staff and bead descended. Luclentus pressed his index finger on Alice’s forehead and said, “May the World Tree forever bless you, your journey, and your forever companions.”

Alice’s eyes sparkled a bright golden green for a second, the head priest also noticed her hair turning into a bright golden green similar to the Blessed Princess, but it returned to normal immediately after, leaving him confused and rubbing his eyes several times.

Although Alice didn’t notice his reaction as she was watching the status board that appeared in front of her.

As Alice went through her status board with sparkles, an echo sounded in her head, ‘Detecting an attempt to view status board, masking…’,  she turned to the others and noticed a shocked look on their face. She looked in the direction they were staring at and saw her status board displayed on the  stained glass.