Chapter 66

Chapter 66

The high-pitched voices of the children who entered earlier reverberated, and the inside of the temple sounded like a headache. Lutz pulled my hand lightly that I stopped my foot.

 

“Be careful because there are steps, steps”

 

“Yes”

 

When I walked a few steps, paying attention to my feet, the back door closed with a loud noise.

 

Surprisingly, when I suddenly turned my feet darkened, I saw a priest in a gray costume closing the door.

 

“Oh, that’s because we are the last …”

 

A priest in blue costume walks in front of a tightly closed door with a relaxed gait. The priest shook a bell like a wind chime with a mysteriously colored stone and rang.

 

At the next moment, the children’s voices resonated, and the inside of the shrine where the voices resonated only left a messy sound and calmed down.

 

“What is this?”

 

Lutz’s voice is not heard. To be precise, there is no voice above the low voice. As you can see from their facial expressions and gestures, they were usually louder. Lutz puts his hand on his throat as if he was surprised.

 

“Isn’t it a magic tool? Because it was the moment when the blue priest rang the bell.”

 

I can’t speak louder than me even when I try to speak. However, as I saw the moment when the priest shook the bell, I was calm as much as possible.

 

Lutz is relieved to my words. It seems to me that I have a reason, not just myself.

 

At the end of the line, I turned up, sighing with exclamation.

 

The inside of the temple has a high ceiling like a colonnade, is deep, and both sides are lined up with thick cylindrical pillars with complex carvings. The windows were arranged at regular intervals at a height of about the 4th floor, and the light was inserted straight.

 

The walls and pillars are white except for some gold decoration, and they appear bright even with a little light. Only the front is rich in color.

 

Unlike Christian churches I have seen in photo books and museums, there are no murals or stained glass. In addition, the atmosphere is different from Japanese shrines and temples because it is made of pure white stone. It is also different from the Southeast Asian colors.

 

The innermost wall has a complex mosaic drawn with colorful mosaics from the ceiling to the floor, and only the part that is divinely illuminated by the incoming light from the side feels a bit like a mosque However, there are about 40 steps from the bottom to the height of the window, and there is a stone statue on the way.

 

Maybe that stairs are conscious of the stairs that reach the heavens and the gods? It looks like a doll with stone statues lined up on some steps.

 

Two stone statues of men and women were lined up at the top of the stairs. It looks like a god of the couple from the arranged atmosphere, and because it is at the top, I think it is probably the Supreme God.

 

Although it is a pure white stone statue, the goddess is hung from a shoulder with a black cloak that looks like a star with gold glittering reflections, and the goddess has a pointed and slender bar to express light. It is decorated with a golden crown that spreads radially.

 

Feeling like a goddess of light and a god of darkness? Or is it a goddess of the sun and a god of the night? Either way, the crown and cloak of the stone statue are floating.

 

From there, there was a stone statue a few steps down, with a slightly soft and gentle woman holding in her arms a golden holy grail sparkling with jewels.

 

And there are stone statues lined up with a woman with a cane, a man with a spear, a woman with a shield, and a man with a sword. It is mysterious that each stone statue has a white color but only one color. Because it is bothered to have the real thing, something meaningful.

 

Is it the Holy Grail or the Holy Sword?

 

The lower tier is lined with offerings such as flowers, fruits and cloth. The more you see, the more it looks like a doll.

 

“Mine, don’t be dull and walk forward”

 

“Ah? Sorry, I’m sorry”

 

Lutz’s difficult hand, I walked behind the procession a little faster.

 

In the middle, there is a line to walk, and a thick red carpet is laid on both sides with a gap of about 1 meter.

 

It seems that some desks are lined up in front and some priests in blue costumes are lined up and are doing some procedures. After completing the procedure, the children are guided by a gray priest and stepped left and right.

 

I walked from the wall toward the middle, took off my shoes, and sat on the carpet.

 

The procession is moving forward little by little, and it seems that Lutz can see what he is doing. I found that Lutz, who was looking into the front, shouted a small voice.

 

“What did you do, Lutz? What did you see before?”

 

“… Ah”

 

¡After telling my gaze, I sighed as if I gave up and looked at me.

 

“Mine’s poor blood pressure”

 

“Huh … eh?”

 

“Magical tool. Everyone pushes the blood.”

 

I wanted to do something I couldn’t hear, but I wanted to run around and turn right, but Lutz was holding a tight hand and couldn’t let go.

 

“Let’s give up. It looks like you’re registering for something. Isn’t this citizenship connected to a guy?”

 

“Uh … isn’t it? I really think so”

 

Otto and Benno said that by completing the baptism ceremony, they were recognized as residents of the city and gained citizenship. In other words, no matter how bad you are, you must complete this ritual to gain citizenship.

 

“… Why do you like blood for witchcraft?”

 

“Sana”

 

Whenever I am involved with a magic tool every time, I cut my finger to bleed blood. After experiencing it several times, it is not like getting used to feeling painful.

 

Listening to the child in front of me, the blue priest with a blunt attitude is like a needle, and I poke my fingertips and make my fingers white and flat. I was able to see that I was pushing hard on something like a medal.

 

The child’s mouth opens in the form of a scream, but the scream does not go up. I felt trembling and felt trembling as I was guided to the seat.

 

“Yes, next, here”

 

As the number of people decreased, a voice was heard from an empty desk. Pushed by Lutz, I head to where I was called.

 

The blue priest slightly narrowed his eyes, glanced at me from the top to the bottom, and held out his hand.

 

“Place your palms up and put your hand out. It should be a snap, but it shouldn’t hurt so much.”

 

[There is no trial that didn’t really hurt what I was told wasn’t painful. At the moment of being stabbed with a needle, there is a sharp pain as if a hot object was being pressed, and the red blood swells up. Looking at the pain and red blood, I suddenly feel my own blood.

 

“Add blood to this”

 

It seemed that he was not a violent priest who pushed his finger with force like the person I saw earlier, and handed me something like a small medal. It seems that it would have been nice if I put blood properly, and I am relieved that it was not as painful as I expected.

 

I’m glad I wasn’t a violent person, but my fingertips still linger.

 

Perhaps the magic tool that doesn’t raise the voice is not only to prevent the chatter from echoing and becoming noisy, but also to prevent the scream from sounding.

 

“You are the last. Come over here.”

 

Talking to a gray priest who is still young, I and Lutz headed for the carpet, as if they were young adults.

 

Since it was explained to take off the shoes and go up, take off and sit on the carpet. While there were many children sitting with crossed legs and throwing their legs, I was sitting alone. The children of the same age gathered in a large place like a gymnasium, so I felt that it was the right thing to sit in the gym somehow.

 

“Mine, what are you curling up?”

 

“It’s not a circle, it’s a triangle. It’s also called a triangle sitting.”

 

“What? A triangle? Where is it?”

 

“Here”

 

While we were talking about this, the blue priests who had completed registration for all members retreated from the front of the desk. After leaving the room with the box containing the medal that the blue priest registered earlier, the gray priests moved and started preparing for the next. The desk is carried out and instead a more luxurious altar is installed in front of the stairs.

 

The blue priests who had once left the room lined up on both sides of the altar, and the gray priests who seemed to be ready lined up almost equally at the wall near us. In a school meeting, I stretched out my back in a physical education sitting in a teacher-like arrangement to watch out for noise.

 

“The temple head, entering the room”

 

So saying, the blue priest shook the stick in his hand. The sound of a lot of bells ringing, and Grandpa, wearing a slender white outfit and a golden tusk, slanted in with something in his hand.

 

The temple chief, who arrived at the altar with a slow gait, gently placed what he had on the altar.

 

That’s probably a book! ?

 

¡After rubbing your eyes several times, look again and again. I was convinced when the temple head began to turn pages. That is definitely a book. A book like the Bible or scripture.

 

“Lutz, book! There was a book!”

 

When I was excited and pointed at the altar, I was excited and pointed at the altar while I was not familiar with sitting on the floor It was.

 

“Where? Which is a book?”

 

“Now, the temple head now has it!”

 

Probably a leather cover, decorated with fragile four corners reinforced with goldsmiths. It looks like a small gem is also embedded.

 

“Is that a book? It looks really expensive. It’s completely different from what Mine made”

 

“Don’t put together a book that seems to have such artistic value and my practicality-oriented book. It’s like comparing the sword of that stone statue with the Lutz knife.”

 

“Oh, I see. Anyway, how surprised is this place?”

 

“… I’m not surprised. It was a matter of course if I thought carefully”

 

Because I was a typical Japanese who was not very interested in religion, I didn’t dare to get close to the temple, but in religious institutions I generally taught the scriptures, scriptures, the Bible, etc. There are summarized materials. There is a book.

 

The book existed even if I didn’t make a desperate move in a situation without money by moving an innocent body.

 

If the commercial guild is at the forefront of information, the temple is at the forefront of learning and art to get close to God, such as theology, mathematics, music, and art.

 

Christianity developed like that, and even in Japan, temples and shrines were the places where people gathered and there were intellectuals in the position to teach, and they were at the forefront of learning.

 

“Wow, I wish I had come to the temple sooner. Why couldn’t I come up with it? My idiot! Then I could read the book without any difficulty!”

 

It may have been nice to keep the voice from rising no matter how much you scream. Screaming with his heart, he praises his shoulders as if the next Lutz was amazed.

 

“That’s like I’ve completely forgotten Mine, but won’t my child enter the temple until the baptism?” Even if I came to the temple early and came to the temple, it was stopped by the gatekeeper anyway “[19459002 ]

 

That’s right.

 

Only children who have finished the baptismal ceremony can enter the temple.

 

“But I think it’s a fateful encounter to be able to meet at the first baptismal ceremony that came to the temple.”

 

“When you are seven, everyone goes to the temple, so isn’t it fate or anything?”

 

“Lutz, don’t drop every time”

 

“I knew I was excited because I had a book, so be calm. If I fall down here, I’m in trouble.”

 

Lutz tries to calm me.

 

“Eh, but you can’t get excited when there is a book near this place? Isn’t it impossible?”

 

“I can’t help but I’m not a book that Mine can read”

 

“Ah … that’s right”

 

Even if there is a book, it is not a book that touches me. You can’t read a book that’s skinned and jeweled.

 

The excitement suddenly pulled out as I understood the situation, and I started to sit down again.

 

“You are seven years old today and you are officially recognized as a city resident. Congratulations.”

 

Even though he is an old grandpa, the voice of the temple chief is tense and reverberates well in the temple. Beginning with a congratulatory statement, the temple head begins reading a scripture-like book with a cheerful voice. I had all my heart in the book, and I leaned over and listened.

 

The content of the story was about the creation myth and the changing seasons, as Benno said when. He / she speaks in simple words so that it is easy for children to understand.

 

“The god of darkness has always lived lonely alone for a long and distant time”

 

At such a beginning, I met the sun goddess, got married in various ways, blessed with a child, a goddess of water, a god of fire, a goddess of wind and a goddess of earth, and this is where we are It is a story that has created the world.

 

The various parts were wrapped in oblate for children, but they smelled quite like a daytime dora.

 

But myths are like that. Every myth I know is chaos. If you rush, you lose.

 

It’s fun enough just to talk about a new story, but I listened to it in comparison with myths that I knew, so it was even more fun.

 

However, Lutz, who is not very interested and does not understand the fun, looked at me enviously, shaking her body tediously.

 

“Mine seems to be happy”

 

“Yeah, pretty”

 

“Why is it fun?”

 

“From beginning to end”

 

When I answered with a full smile, Lutz exhales and shakes his head as if amazed.

 

“… So, it was good”

 

“Yeah!”

 

After the story of Genesis, it was a myth about the changing seasons.

 

From Benno: “Spring shoots in the spring when the snow melts. Leaves grow in the summer when the sun is closest to the fire. Fall is fruitful in the windy season. I heard that it is the season of the earth where it sleeps, but when I heard the actual myth, it sounded quite different.

 

“The Earth Goddess is the youngest daughter of the Sun Goddess and the God of Darkness. At one time, the God of Life fell in love with the Earth Goddess. The god of darkness who was pleased with the marriage of the god of life admitted their marriage. “

 

It is a myth of the season that began, but Lutz was so boring that I would like to send it as a digest with my interpretation.

 

To sum up, the god of life, which was actually Yandere, confined and insulted the earth goddess in ice and snow, and even the children who were not yet born. It was winter that took power and was born.

 

The sun goddess who was worried about the earth goddess who never showed up after getting married melted the ice, and the goddess of water became all-you-can-do and the power of Yandere was weakened. It is spring that sheds water and sprinkles with seeds of children together with friends goddesses.

 

The god of fire gives power with his friends and grows as the seeds of life grow, and the fruitful season comes soon.

 

Yandere god who came back in search of a goddess of earth at that time. Autumn, when the goddess of the wind tries to keep Yandere away from her sister, and ends her harvest with all her strength.

 

And then, Yandere’s turn when the brother and sister were weak. Also confinement humiliation. I want to kill Yandere more, but I can’t do that because it will be a problem if my life is not born. A winter that waits for the elder brothers and sisters who have a dilemma to gather power.

 

It seems that such an exchange loops forever and the seasons are circulating. There are lots of myths everywhere.

 

By the way, the fire god, the guardian god born in summer, is passionate and passionate. And there seems to be blessing about guiding and raising.

 

The temple head concluded the book and closed the book.

 

“Let’s teach how to worship. By showing prayer and gratitude to the gods, better protection will be given.”

 

While saying that with a serious face, the temple head came out in front of the altar with a relaxed movement. In the meantime, when the gray priest wraps around, the rolled carpet is spread out in front of the blue priest.

 

Standing in the center of a blue priest with about 10 temple heads.

 

“Let’s try it, just like you’re watching … Prayer to God!”

 

Saying that, the temple head widened his hands and raised his left knee and looked up at the sky.

 

“Guff!”

 

I was desperately holding my mouth as I was about to blow out. Don’t laugh at such a sacred ritual. know.

 

However, the urge to laugh out loud enough to make me laugh.

 

Because, guco! ○ It’s a Rico pose with a serious face! ? Why ? It ’s not necessary to raise your feet! It ’s a grandpa, so standing on one leg is dangerous.

 

laughing more than just a little while being in perfect balance. Maybe I got stuck in a strange point. I am confident that the temple head will laugh no matter what I do.

 

Did the temple head have any resentment in my abdominal muscles even though she was laughing just by lowering her limbs with a gentle movement like Tai Chi?

 

“Thank God!”

 

With a flowing and elegant movement, I saw the head of the temple that changed from Goko to Prostrate, and this time, a strange breath that I could not bear from my mouth leaked.

 

“Buffow!”

 

“What’s wrong with Mine? Is it bad?”

 

“No, it’s okay … I’m still okay. I can endure it, because this is the trial that God has given me.”

 

I answered Lutz, who was worried, holding his mouth and turning his face to the knees of a physical sitting.

 

As expected, the pose of worship is too interesting and I can’t understand even if I explain it to the point. This wave of laughter must be known only to those who know Guo.

 

This is religion. This is religion. I ’m serious, so laughing is rude.

 

When I opened the classroom door, I remembered my classmates who prayed to Allah, and somehow gave up the waving abs. Religious prayers are strange when viewed from others. It just happened to be a pose like this. Don’t laugh.

 

Hmm, I was able to make a normal face with smooth breathing, and the temple head urged me to stand up at the same time.

 

“Let’s get up and do it together.”

 

Together, forgive me!

 

Everyone started up together because they all stood up, but their mouths were moving with Niyo Nyo, and their stomachs were crumpled, showing signs of laughter.

 

Don’t laugh. The more you tell me that you can’t laugh, the more you laugh.

 

“Pray to God!”

 

Saying that, the temple head took a pose.

 

All right.

 

Since it is the second time, there is little impact.

 

I succeeded in overcoming the wave of laughter, and I was convinced that my abdominal muscles would win.

 

The next moment, the blue priests moved up and raised their hands and feet.

 

“Pray to God!”

 

My abdominal muscles were defeated by the splendid gods of serious priests who were lined up about 10 people ago.

 

¡The abdominal muscles collapsed into a perfectly aligned pose, including hand angle, foot height, and expressionlessness, and I collapsed without being able to stand on the spot.

 

“Oh! … huh … gut …”

 

My stomach hurts! somebody help!

 

Even if I was desperately holding my mouth, tears bleed into my eyes and my laughing breath leaks. If you can roll around and hit the floor and laugh a lot, you will be refreshed, but the irritability that you can’t do will make you laugh more.

 

“Mine, you must have been fine!”

 

Lutz worried about my desperate endeavor, coming close while squeaking with one leg in the co-pose. I felt like I was stabbed by Lutz, and I hit the floor while struggling.

 

“Sorry … Fugu … breath, I can’t …”

 

“Mine! Why were you so quiet?”

 

“That’s wrong … To, just …”

 

Talking to Lutz while shaking with a cluttered squirt, a gray priest who seemed to feel something rushed up.

 

“What happened there?”

 

“That’s why Mine seemed to be sick and suddenly collapsed. Because she was originally weak and sick, she was excited about the baptism …”

 

Sure, I was excited, but I wasn’t getting worse, just laughing. It’s not like calling a priest.

 

“It’s okay. I’ll be cured soon! See!”

 

I tried to get up in a hurry, but I didn’t have a body with sudden movements, was laughing too much, was deficient, and I could n’t help my arms. Collapsed.

 

“Look, it’s not good! Where is this all right?”

 

“Uh, I just failed a little … Are you really okay?”

 

There is no “ok” that you can’t trust as much as you can. Since I think so, it was natural that Lutz’s words were trusted by looking objectively.

 

“Carry to the rescue room. It would be better to rest for a while until the baptismal ceremony was over”

 

The gray priest also felt that I couldn’t trust my words.

 

Retiring baptism due to abdominal muscle collapse.

 

It seems to be a bitter memory that cannot be told to others.