May 2nd, 1346, early morning. Aaron was awakened by his personal valet and took care of his personal hygiene in the washroom.
Dressed in an ornate silk suit with the help of his valet, he joined his parents and younger sister for breakfast.
"Prepare yourself. Now that you've become a Beyonder, as my eldest son, you must also choose your faith," Duke East Tucker said, setting down his utensils.
Unlike the capital Backlund, the religious landscape in Ilursil, the capital of East Tucker County, was far more complex. Due to its distance from Backlund, royal influence was relatively weak, while the local Will family—an angelic lineage—held significant power.
Perhaps for balance or as part of political compromise, the four major orthodox Churches—the Church of the Evernight Goddess, the Church of Storms, the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery, and the Church of Mother Earth—were all permitted to proselytize in East Tucker County. This arrangement had received tacit approval from the Loen royal family, the Will family, and the Churches themselves.
Even the notoriously temperamental Storm Church had raised no objections. All four Churches maintained grand cathedrals in Ilursil, each overseen by a saint-level archbishop.
"Our Will family may be an angelic lineage bound by covenant with the Loen royal family, but we've still been locked in covert struggles with them for years," the Duke explained.
"Whether in Parliament, MI9, or the military, we constantly obstruct and counter each other. As my heir and the future leader of our family, you must understand this."
"To balance the scales against the royal family and for practical benefits, every Duke and heir must choose one of the orthodox Churches as their faith."
"I follow the Hunter pathway, which emphasizes warfare and the military. That's why I chose the Church of Storms—to leverage their influence over the armed forces and secure greater authority within the military, counterbalancing the royal faction in MI9."
"So, Aaron, which orthodox deity will you pledge your faith to?"
Sitting across from his father, Aaron pretended to deliberate while his mind was already made up.
Choosing among the four orthodox Gods? Is there even a question? Of course I'm picking the Evernight Goddess—when grabbing onto a powerful ally, you go for the thickest, strongest leg available.
Not only does the Evernight Goddess reach quasi-Outer God levels later on, but her scheming prowess alone is awe-inspiring. Her covert alliance with the Blood Ancestor Lilith to kill the God of Combat, then maneuvering to expel the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery from Loen—she's the real mastermind behind the scenes.
Besides, I'm technically her fellow Earthling. Countrymen should look out for each other—no need for tears, but a little extra consideration wouldn't hurt.
Having the Evernight Church's support would make many things easier. At the very least, traveling to Tingen would be more justifiable, and saving Dunn Smith without raising suspicion would help fulfill regrets.
After a performative pause, Aaron answered succinctly, "I choose the Church of the Evernight Goddess."
Before the Duke could inquire further, he elaborated: "Father chose the Church of Storms because the Hunter pathway requires warfare and military engagement to better digest potions and fulfill acting requirements."
"Military development aligns with your needs, and leveraging the Storm Church's influence allows you to counterbalance the royal faction in MI9 and the armed forces."
"But in Parliament and political circles, we're at a disadvantage. The Evernight Church, with its many noble adherents among Loen's upper class, can provide us greater leverage in those arenas."
"As for me, following the Arbiter pathway, I don't need the Storm Church or the other two Churches' assistance—I can handle potion digestion through acting alone."
Aaron paused, then added with a bashful smile, "Besides, I genuinely appreciate the Evernight Church's doctrines."
Because the Evernight Goddess is simply the strongest, he mentally appended.
The Duke pondered for a moment before nodding slowly.
"Very well. Prepare yourself, Aaron. Tonight, I'll take you to the Evernight cathedral to meet His Excellency the Archbishop."
Standing by the window, Aaron gazed at the scenery outside, his thoughts wandering.
Twenty-two years until the Primordial Barrier shatters completely, Outer Gods run rampant, and the apocalypse descends. What horrors will unfold then?
Where will I be when it happens? Can I protect what matters to me? Will I have fulfilled my regrets?
After a brief reverie, Aaron reined in his thoughts and turned to the ancient, exquisitely crafted book on his desk: Encyclopedia of Ritual Magic.
This was a mystical tome borrowed from the family vault through his father's connections after his advancement. In the past, whenever he'd requested access as a non-Beyonder, he'd been refused.
To his surprise, after their conversation today, another tentative request had been approved. The steward soon delivered the book along with his father's admonitions.
Returning to his desk, Aaron flipped to the open page titled "Sacrifice and Bestowal."
Unlike the introductory mysticism texts he'd studied in the family library, this volume provided detailed explanations of various rituals.
Three full pages meticulously outlined the procedures and precautions for sacrificial rites.
In short: first, set up an altar. Carve the corresponding symbolic marks of the deity or hidden existence you want to make offerings to. Use herbs and minerals of Their domain—or substitute with holy oil, balm, incense, etc.
Next, determine whether the offering must be made at a specific time. Then proceed with the usual ritual steps, ending with the chanting of the honorific name and prayer.
Finally, the spiritually resonant materials used in the ritual, combined with the fluctuations of natural forces stirred by the incantations, would form an initial channel that links to the "door of the domain" of the corresponding existence. If the existence is interested, the offering will be accepted.
Notably, if the existence is very interested, They may open the "door of the domain" themselves right after the chanting ends and establish a stable channel on Their own.
However, caution must be taken against certain evil gods or demons who might directly respond with ulterior motives—essentially baiting and entrapping.
Also, the entire ritual must be conducted in Giant tongue, Dragon tongue, Elvish, or Ancient Hermes.
These languages are necessary to communicate with the natural forces and complete the link with the existence in question. The exact wording isn't fixed, but certain keywords must be included, such as "pray," "gaze," "offering," "domain," "door," "open," and so on.