I Thought I Had Married A Poor Knight, But…! - Chapter 22.1

Episode 22 The infiltrating Crown Princess (1)

Second only to socialising, the most important part of the Crown Princess’s job is her ceremonies.

There are various ceremonies throughout the year, including a magical offering once a day before noon (sometimes in the evening if it is not convenient). The main ones are the New Year Festival, the Spring Prayer Festival, the Summer Festival and the Autumn Harvest Festival, in which all members of the royal family must participate. There are also several other ceremonies where offerings are made to the gods and the Sacred Spirit, and these detailed ceremonies are generally the work of the Crown Prince and Princess. And as the Crown Prince is busy, the Crown Princess often performs these ceremonies alone.

This ritual is also very troublesome. It was difficult to dedicate magic power every day until I got used to releasing magic power, but since this ritual is every day, I can wear a normal dress. In that respect, it is easy. However, the other ceremonies always require the wearing of formal ceremonial attire. The Ministry of Ceremonies officials come and check for any mistakes. Well, it’s a ceremony, so it’s better than being lax. This was definitely done once a month. The ritual etiquette is also very cumbersome. And yet, all you have to do is pray at the altar of the Great Temple with the priests and priestesses, make an offering, and offer a little magic power. Half a day can be lost in this. But thanks to this, I got used to the formal ceremonial attire and the ceremonial manners. It’s all a matter of getting used to it.

It seems that despite my own perception of the ceremonies as tedious and cumbersome, they have received favorable reviews. I was told by the Grand Temple that “the gods are greatly pleased after the ceremony of the Crown Princess.” I wondered why the gods would be pleased.

Upon closer inquiry, it appears that my act of offering magical power at the Grand Temple serves the purpose of facilitating the prayers of commoners who visit the temple, as their wishes are more likely to reach the gods with the aid of magical power. It seems that after I perform the ceremony, prayers have been more easily granted, and there have been reports of wishes coming true or illnesses being cured. Wait, so the temple prayers actually yield tangible benefits! As someone who tends to be skeptical, I was surprised. However, it brings me joy to know that my magical power is of use to the common people.

So, I enthusiastically wanted to dedicate more magical power during the ceremony, but I was stopped by Cermaine. He explained that dedicating more magical power is crucial for the daily offerings of abundance and protection, as the overall well-being of the Empire could be compromised if there is a shortage of magical power. He warned that it could lead to famine or epidemic outbreaks, which would overshadow the granted wishes from the temple.

I understand the reasoning behind it. Given that I possess a significant amount of magical power, my regular offerings may already exceed those of previous Crown Princesses. It’s a shame, as I wanted to directly contribute to the well-being of the common people. However, magical power is vital, as it is a life force itself, and excessive usage could deplete necessary vitality, shortening one’s lifespan. Therefore, I must exercise caution and ensure a balanced approach to my offerings.

‘If there is not enough magical power for fertility and protection, there might be a famine or a plague epidemic in the whole empire. Then there will be enough misfortune in the empire to override the wishes fulfilled in the temple.’

This is right. It’s only natural. Since I have a lot of magical power, even a normal dedication would likely surpass the dedications of previous Crown Princesses. Mmm, it’s a shame, considering it could directly benefit everyone in the commoner’s realm. Since I don’t really use magic anyway, wouldn’t it be fine to dedicate power fully to both sides? But magic is life itself, so if I use too much and deplete the necessary vitality, it would be detrimental to my lifespan. Therefore, I must make sure to dedicate with caution.

The monthly rituals are a hassle, so when it comes to the quarterly festivals, it’s a big deal for weeks in advance. The ceremonial dress is renewed for each festival, and the altar in the temple is rebuilt every year for the annual festivals. A large statue of the almighty god, male or female (apparently a hermaphrodite), is also rebuilt every year. The altar and the statue of the god are given to the nobles, who place them in the temples of their domains. I occasionally visited a temple in the Marquis of Caliente’s domain, and I now realize that the altar and statue there were also received in the same manner. I had no idea.

Following the Emperor and Empress, I wore the ceremonial dress alongside Cermiane, and together with the other high nobles also dressed in ceremonial dresses, we performed a magnificent ceremony to wish for the prosperity of the Empire, but anyway, this was a whole day’s work. It’s incredibly tiring. In addition, there were promises and prohibitions for each festival, in addition to the monthly routine, and it was difficult to remember them even after years of being held once a year. In my hometown, there were only two festivals a year, the Prayer Festival and the Harvest Festival, and I knew that my father and mother went to the temple, but I only remember being excited with my friends.

It seems that my magic power is really a lot, and the Emperor and Empress were happy that it was easier for me to do the daily devotions and the dedications during the festivals. The emperor and the Empress said that they had to squeeze their magic power to the limit when they were doing the dedication alone, and that the addition of Cermiane and I saved their lives. ‘It might even extend my lifespan,’ said the Emperor. If you use too much magic, your lifespan will decrease. It’s not funny, because it’s not a joke.

I wondered, if we dedicate a lot of magic to the almighty god for the increase in our magic power, won’t the land be fattened and prosperous for that amount? When I asked this, His Majesty the Emperor shook his head.

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