Elias slowly turned his head toward the direction of the soft and tender voice, finally noticing a person standing silently in front of him.

Before the statue portraying the graceful figure of the Benevolent Mother, stood a solemn yet gentle elven maiden, seamlessly blending with the sacred atmosphere. Clad in robes reminiscent of the colors of nature and life, she exuded the unmistakable aura of a Naturist, one of the revered Apostles of the Grace Church.

Elias was momentarily taken aback by the unique presence emanating from the elven nun. While he had encountered elves in the auditorium hall previously, this close encounter was a first, as elves were a rarity in his hometown of Lowe.

Her light blonde hair, soft blue eyes, characteristic pointy ears and overall solemn posture made her appear to be a creature crafted directly from the blessings of Mother Nature herself, causing Elias to recall a popular phrase often associated with elves;

'The grace and beauty of the elves is matched only by the splendor of the Mother's own garden.'

The elves were indeed that beautiful!

The Elven Naturist gave Elias a gentle smile, further drawing him in with her captivating aura. Elias felt as though he witnessed a tapestry of hopeful and positive emotions emanating from her, evoking a sense of optimism and determination within him.

He didn't know why but gazing at his gentle elf made him feel like he could challenge any adversity, no matter how perilous it may be!

The elven Naturist couldn't help but chuckle softly at Elias's awed expression, a reaction she had grown accustomed to whenever humans encountered her kind for the first time.

Elves, admired for their delicate beauty and graceful demeanor, often found themselves the subject of human fascination. This fact was no secret to the elves, who had interacted with enough humans over the years to understand the allure their beauty held for them.

What she didn't know was that Elias was more so drawn to her general mystical aura, rather than her characteristic elven appearance.

In an attempt to ease the awkwardness and spare the young man in front of her from further embarrassment, she repeated her question once more,

"Dear candidate, would you please place your hand on the grail in front of you."

Elias was jolted back to reality by the question, causing a series of amused chuckles to resound in his mind from his twin brother. He then tried his best to hold back his embarrassment, before responding to the elven Naturist with an awkward smile, "Oh I'm sorry ma'am... The grail you said? Do you mean this golden cup?"

The elven nun gazed at Elias with a bit of intrigue, causing him to once again shift in embarrassment. "Yes dear candidate, I mean that golden cup. I'm sure the details pertaining to this part of the assessment were announced to you all at the start by Professor Harleigh. Were you not paying attention?."

Once more, Elias smiled sheepishly, realizing he hadn't paid attention or recalled any announcement. The mysterious events of his prior assessment, coupled with the unsettling presence of the inky black mist, had consumed all his focus upon entering the hall. He hadn't even noticed when he reached the front of his line, how would he have paid attention to such an announcement?

Elias's face told the elven nun all she needed to know, causing her to shake her head in amusement. "How could you have not heard the announcement? It was delivered in a manner that would make it echo throughout this entire hall, surely you weren't that distracted?"

Elias narrowed his eyes in response, as his face displayed a myriad of different expressions, "Well I had... a lot on my mind ma'am. I didn't even realize when I got to the front of the line, talkless of the announcement."

"I see...", the elven Naturist had a curious look in her eyes, before disposing of it while saying in a tender voice, "Thinking too much isn't good for you, it causes wrinkles."

As Lars hummed in agreement within Elias's thoughts, Elias inwardly rolled his eyes at him, while outwardly offering a grateful expression to the elven clergywoman.

The soft and beautiful elf then nodded with a smile, before taking on a solemn tone, "Well let me go ahead and give you the basic rundown," She then pointed to the pristine golden cup placed below the graceful statue, "You are expected to drink from the contents of that golden cup while reciting the holy Psalm pertaining to the deity represented by the statue, which in this case, is the Benevolent Mother."

She then turned towards Elias with expectant eyes, "I don't know if you are a follower of the Benevolent Mother but if you are, then you should know the Psalm I'm referring to."

Elias looked at the expectant gaze of the elven Naturist and chuckled in his mind, as he knew exactly what the gaze meant. She was trying to gauge if he was a brethren of the Grace Church and a follower of their creed!

Elias's face morphed into one of pious solemnity, as he took up the prayer gesture used by followers of the Benevolent Mother, "From grass to grace, the Mother's love prevails."

The elven Naturist’s face bloomed into a radiant smile, as she returned the gesture with its appropriate counterpart, "And her affection is showered equally to all! Good, good... very good. What you have to do is recite the Psalm pertaining to the Benevolent Mother. Only this time, in a language which shall be taught to you later on.

"For now you just need to recite after me and not worry about the language itself. Then after, you shall echo the Mother's scriptural name within your mind while drinking from the contents of the grail which shall form after you recite the Psalm."

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Elias's eyes squinted at the mention of the scriptural name of his revered deity and even the usually aloof Lars perked up in shock. They both didn't expect this!

To Elias's understanding, the scriptural name of any revered deity remained accessible solely to official clergymen within the church, and not to just any random believer. This tradition held great significance within the church, and Elias had even heard of instances where churches took measures to suppress external groups attempting to disseminate the true names of any of the five deities.

Indeed, there existed a tale of a man who had blasphemed against the deity overseeing the Church of Ordinance centuries prior. According to rumors, he had descended into madness after being struck by a pillar of searing light while transforming into a grotesque, fleshy abomination, which was eventually eradicated by the intense radiance.

The tale served as a cautionary reminder for both devout followers and non-believers across various religious faiths, heightening the general apprehension surrounding the knowledge of these sacred names, even if the story itself was largely dismissed as a groundless rumor.

The fact that Elias could be told the scriptural name of the Benevolent Mother meant that he had already passed the first and most important step to becoming a clergyman!

The Naturist elf chuckled softly to herself as she observed Elias's stunned expression, then approached him with gentle and deliberate steps. Elias instinctively recoiled in surprise at their close proximity, but she urged him to calm down as she leaned in closer to his ear.

She murmured a name into his ear, a name that seemed to embody the essence of life and nature, instantly enveloping Elias's body in a soothing aura.

The elf moved away from Elias afterward, before speaking to him in a pious tone, "Do not think about the name I just whispered to you until the appropriate point during the ritual. However, after it, you can then think and speak the name freely, since you would carry the very essence of the Mother afterward."

Elias gently nodded his head while trying to reign in his thoughts. He didn't understand what this elven Naturist meant by 'essence', but felt like he should be patient, as he would soon find out.

The elven Naturist then revealed a pleasant smile, before pointing to the cup below the statue, "Alright, let us begin. Lift the grail while repeating after me. Do not try to understand the language and simply concentrate on what I'm saying. That is enough for now."

Elias signaled his understanding with a nod, before reaching for the golden cup referred to as the 'Holy Grail'. To Elias, it felt like any other wine cup, albeit with a subtle ornate and sacred touch. Yet, there was a sense of history imbued within it, evoking the feeling of a representative item of a long, forgotten era.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt like something within the golden cup resonated with him, like it was welcoming the warmth of his gentle touch.

The voice of the elven Naturist snapped him to attention as she began solemnly reciting a psalm Elias was familiar with, albeit in an unfamiliar language.

Elias was on the verge of delving into the intricacies of this mysterious language when the elvish Naturist's warning snapped him back to attention; "Do not attempt to comprehend the language!"

While she recited the Psalm in the mysterious language, Elias echoed her words, yet he didn't perceive any discernible change in his surroundings. He half-anticipated something uncannily peculiar to happen, given the assessment's consistent abnormalities so far.

After both Elias and the elven Naturist completed the song of Psalms, a strange tingling sensation occurred between Elias's fingertips, causing him to look down at his hand with wonder.

To his utter surprise, the Holy Grail was enveloped by a subtle greenish hue, akin to the lush radiance of the forest. This greenish hue swirled inside the grail, before dissolving into a clear and pure ethereal liquid.

This liquid looked ordinary in nature, but invoked a feeling of reverence in Elias, making him want to bow down in worship to it.

This feeling utterly subjugated the natural will of Elias, as his knee was about to hit the floor when the solemn voice of the elvish Naturist drifted into his ears, "Quick now is the time! Consume that liquid while calling out the name in your mind."

Her voice pulled Elias out of the intense feeling of submission before he quickly downed the contents of the grail while managing to maintain his lucidity.

He suddenly felt as though numerous solemn voices converged in his ears, weaving into a single vibrant melody that exuded the sanctity of worship, as the voices aimed to endlessly praise the might of a celestial deity,

‘Blessed be the dawn, where life's rhythms entwine,’

‘Blessed be the gardens, where ancient spirits shine.’

‘O Mother of grace, with thy love so divine,’

‘Lead us to harmony, in nature's sacred shrine.’

As the numerous singing voices echoed within Elias's mind, they acted as a mental shield, blocking the effects of submission and momentarily allowing him to regain his lucidity.

He quickly called out the revered name he had been told, causing the entire scene in front of him to black out as a soft whisper carried the tone of a holy name,

'The Benevolent Mother, Eireine.'

...

When Elias regained his vision, he found himself standing within a foggy world totally devoid of the concepts of color and vibrancy.

Everywhere he looked, the fog stretched endlessly, obscuring every hidden detail and making it hard for him to see a single thing.

Suddenly, a bridge appeared out of nowhere before him, spanning over a hollow freak that seemed to have formed in an instant. The makeshift structure appeared worn and unstable, clearly not intended for safe passage by humans or cargo to the other side of the bridge.

Across the creek, the fog was even more pronounced, obscuring any details on the other side from Elias's view. With a sense of urgency, Elias approached the bridge, hoping to gain some understanding of his inexplicable presence in this place.

Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, as he felt countless unseen eyes watching him from within the fog. Elias felt himself gripped by absolute fear, akin to a prey that had been isolated in a trap by its natural predator.

As Elias stood gripped in terror and fright, a vine slowly approached from the fog on the other side, navigating its way to him from the other side. This vine carried an otherworldly aura, as it glowed with a mystical green light that aimed to suppress the fog.

This vine encircled Elias, empowering him with a feeling of precious hope and life. All the fear Elias felt was totally expelled by the vine, as he felt a sort of close and deep connection to it.

Suddenly another vine slowly emerged from the mist, but this one carried a pale and decaying hue, reminiscent of the aura of death. The pale purple vine also moved to encircle Elias, as it wrapped around him in a friendly hug.

Funny enough, Elias wasn't scared and instead showed intrigue at the peculiar sight in front of him. The two vines oddly reminded him of himself and Lars, which caused him to smile softly.

To Elias's astonishment, the two vines abruptly intertwined, spiraling into each other, as they proceeded to blend the essence of life with that of death.

Out of this strange and sudden fusion emerged a swirling ball of misty black and white light, which emanated an aura of unsettling strangeness. Its presence made Elias feel as though he were witnessing all the world's wrongs, prompting him to step back further into the fog in fright.

But before he could escape, the ball of light rapidly fused into his forehead, causing him to let out an exasperated scream as he abruptly faded out of the foggy world.

On the other side of the bridge, a deep and lonely sigh echoed out, a sigh which carried the very essence of hesitance and longing as the foggy world once again regained its state of utter silence.