BBYW Vol. 4 Chapter 53 (WN)
Chapter 53 – Queen of Prophecy
In the heart of the Kingdom of Jaswat, a location that offered a view of the entire kingdom — Amstrahotep and I were standing in front of the shrine we served.
The triangular building, created by piling countless stones, stood guard over the kingdom ever since the distant past.
In front of this symbol, said to be given to us by God, a large crowd of people had gathered. Most of them were soldiers and clerics, but there were also regular people, all here because of the sudden collapse of the holy guards.
In the middle of the crowd, a familiar face spotted me and came closer.
“Tina, you’re late!!”
“I-I’m sorry! I overslept…”
“Just hurry! The head cleric has something important to tell us!!”
I had arrived at the shrine much later than the appointed time: the other novice cleric who apparently was waiting for me, who I was friends with, dragged me inside.
I glanced to the side and saw Amstrahotep talking to a man, probably an officer, then followed my friend inside.
I was brought to the room called the “Hall of Prayer”. In the room there were not only the other novice clerics like me, but even the high clerics, who always stayed deep inside the shrine and rarely ever appeared in public.
“Why are there so many…what happened…?”
The scene of the holy guard turning into dust flashed back in my head. A feeling of dread started swelling inside me, and I felt more and more restless.
“I’m not sure either…but the head cleric has something important to say…”
Just as my friend stopped talking, the metal door at the other end of the Hall of Prayer solemnly opened.
From beyond the large door emerged the figure of an elderly woman, with long white hair tied behind her back.
“The head cleric…”
I swallowed my breath.
The head cleric was the highest authority of the shrine as well as the Queen’s closest attendant. She only appeared before us on the occasion of important rites or festivals.
The appearance of such a person caused sweat of a different nature to form on my back.
“I thank you for gathering here so promptly.”
The head cleric’s voice was low, calm, as if it emerged from the depths of the earth. The clerics around me clasped their hands on their chest, bowed their heads and kneeled.
I quickly got on my knees too and bowed deeply.
“Today was scheduled to be our regular day of prayer…but the plans have changed, there is something important I must tell you…just now, Her Majesty the Queen has passed.”
“Eh…?”
The words spoken by the head cleric were so devastating, I couldn’t keep my voice in.
I immediately put my hands over my mouth, hoping no one noticed my disrespectful reaction, but all the other clerics were as appalled as me, so there was no one to scold me.
The sparse murmuring soon turned into a buzz, then a roar: the Hall of Prayer became a den of chaos.
It was a perfectly natural development, though.
For this kingdom, the Queen was not just the name of its ruler.
The Queen communicated with God and was bestowed His blessings and powers. She summoned the holy guards and protected the kingdom, a true guardian deity.
The death of such a person signaled the fall of the Kingdom. The countries based on the oasis around us would invade immediately, eager to snatch the boons of the great river away from us.
“W-What are we supposed to do!? Please, please show us the way!!”
One of the clerics, probably broken by the shock and fear, shouted loudly.
Normally, such an act of disrespect to the head cleric would be punished, but no one could blame the offender in this situation.
His words reflected the hearts of all the people gathered in the room, after all.
“Please, do not lose heart. The light of salvation is already among us.”
In contrast with the cleric’s desperate shout, the head cleric’s wrinkled expression broke into a smile.
The confidence in her expression was enough to soothe the whole room: the noise of the crowd clerics gradually disappeared.
“Her Majesty the Queen has left us for the otherworld, but the name of her successor has already been announced. In the service of our new Queen, we shall continue to protect our kingdom, as we have done until now.”
In this kingdom, the title of Queen was not transferred by parent to child, as other countries did, but was decided following a prophecy — words bestowed by God.
The person mentioned by the prophecy would receive divine blessings and the power to summon the holy guards.
“I shall now announce the name of our new Queen! According to the prophecy, the heavens have decided to bestow their blessings to…”
“………..”
The whole room turned completely silent: everyone waited for the head cleric’s words with bated breath. I was no exception: I barely could swallow because of how tense I was.
“Novice cleric Nefertina!”
“Eh….”
The head cleric’s declaration turned all the eyes in the hall in my direction.
Unable to withstand the gaze of dozens, hundreds of eyes, I slumped down on the floor.