The hero is now gone, but I’m still here, now what? (Undergoing editing)

It was finally the big day, and everyone around the castle was working hard in preparation for the event- servants ran back and forth, butlers carried trays, and maids fixed the appearances of me and the rest of my sisters. Fortunately for them, the boys didn’t need make up so all they really needed to do was wear their formal clothes- a tux, some sort of undershirt, preferably white/spotless, and black straight pants, - sit down, and wait for the event to start.

 

They definitely didn’t have to sit down for hours on end so that their make up could get taken care of by several maids- “you know, this is very stupid,” I said for the 3rd time and like the last two times, got a series of groans from the rest of my siblings in response, “what? I’m telling the truth!”

 

“Sister,” Pearl said, and all eyes across the mirror in front of us turned to her, we didn’t dare move our heads, not after our youngest sister, Topaz, did and got a scolding from the head maid- that was an awkward thing to sit through and if I felt second hand embarrassment from just being on the sidelines, what happens if I got scolded?

 

Nope. No way. Nu uh.

 

Probably having the same thoughts as me, the eyes of Pearl’s on the long mirror in front of us moved to stare at what I assume is my own reflection because when I stared at the eyes of her own reflection, I felt that small click that told me we were locking gazes, very odd, very confusing- and I don’t want to think how the fuck any of that works.

 

Oblivious to my thoughts about our odd, probably supernaturally induced mirror-based eye contact, Pearl continued, “if you do not want to look pretty, just say so,” she smirked, and the rest of my siblings followed after her, “personally, I quite like getting stared at by the boys, and it makes these long hours of preparation worth it,”

 

“Yeah, whatever,” I sighed, well, I guess being admired does feel good and I assume the actresses back on Earth probably had to undergo the same tedious process before filming but you know what? Fuck this- I say because it’s over the top. “Don’t you guys think this is too much?”

 

“Okay, topic change~~” Amethyst, another sibling, this time married, sing sang, “so, Neophyte, it’s your big day!”

 

“You’re talking like I’m gonna get married or something,” I couldn’t help but grumble.

 

“Heh,” Pearl said, “like that wasn't your first guess back at the dinner table,”

 

I quickly looked away from the rest of my siblings and eyed my reflection, right now, half my make up is done- which is to say, I have very solid foundation, making me look like a clown due to how white my face is, - and I know it’d take even longer for the actual make up, shadows, eyeliners, highlights- Goddess on a stick just thinking about those three things is already tiring me out!

 

I wanted to pull on the silver hair that my maids are currently preparing- it was very tempting.

 

“Can’t you guys just tie my hair into a ponytail?” I asked the maids preparing me only to get a bunch of shaken heads in return, “I mean, I get it, I really do, you wanted to give me a bunch of curls but please? A simple ponytail is nice,”

 

“Let them work Neophyte,” Falya, The Queen, or mother- said and she was close enough that all I needed to do is literally look to my right and bam, she’s right there, at the center of us siblings and being sandwiched by me and Amber seating wise, “and you shouldn’t complain, don’t you want your lover to look at you while at your best?”

 

“She’s not my lover!”

 

“We know.” My siblings chorused at the same time, and without missing a beat too- were they waiting for me to say that?

Judging by Amber’s giggle, they were, I met her eyes and she started talking, “so, I’ve heard that her Pledge is pretty versatile,”

 

I nodded, “Yep.” Zath’s staff can do a lot of things, mostly thanks to her Techniques, or “magic spells”, “sadly, I think she prefers bashing her staff against things instead of shooting spells,” I said but honestly? I didn't really care that Zath preferred to inflict blunt force trauma instead of shooting an icicle to the chest.

 

“I'm sure her time at the Academy would allow her to use magic, maybe she can lean into it even?” Amber soothed.

 

“Yeah, I hope so,” that would be preferable since having someone who can fight both ranged and melee can be a pretty big deal, mostly because she can both act as a support and a bruiser, and that is rare when it comes to Pledge Bearers so having her in my Team would cut so many problems away it's not even a joke.

 

“You look like you're thinking deeply about something,” Pearl smirked, “did the mere mention of Zath make your head spin sister?”

 

“I thought about her staff-” I tried to say but was cut off.

 

“Her staff?” Byzanthine was holding back laughter and I blushed, I didn't think of-

 

I huffed, “get your mind out of the gutter.” I said with as much regality as I could, “I know I didn't think like that, that's why I said it so casually,”

 

“Nice save,” Lapiz, another sister, started giggling much to the dismay of the maids taking care of her, she controlled herself before adding, “too bad it didn't work.”

 

“Yeah, whatever,” I grumbled.

 

Eventually, I got out of the dressing room alongside the rest of my sisters, and all of us formed a neat and orderly line towards the airstrip where we were greeted by a coach and their sky carriage, Fafnir lazily slept to the side, with the stationary Griffons pulling said carriage looking warily at her, I went ahead and tried- keyword is tried, - to ride her but was stopped by an angry looking Amber, “you know you just got fixed right?”

 

“But… Fafnir's faster?” I tried to defend only for her to reply with a glare that made me pout, “fine, I'm gonna go back to being a peasant and ride flying carriages like the rest of you,” I smirked when everyone stared at me dryly, “I was joking? Also not because I forgot to add that if all of you were jealous, then you should've said so,” I started walking towards the door, “I would've let you ride Fafnir with me,”

 

Okay, their stares were justified but I was mostly joking when I said that! Mostly. Getting teased is quite annoying.

 

“No one here is as crazy as you sister,” said Charcoal, a fellow Pledge Bearer, as she stared at me with her- literally, - burning red eyes, “not even me and Byzanthine,”

 

“Cowards, all of you,” I said with a smirk.

 

After that small bit of banter, we all filed into the carriage, waiting to be taken to the church where the ceremony of vassalhood would be done under the watchful eye of The Goddess.

 

Like always, the inside of the flying carriage was a luxury galore, with a lot of snacks, plenty of space, and even booze- wait what? I eyed the small bar to the side of the damn thing and looked at everyone, "why do we have a bar?” I asked.

 

“This carriage belongs to your father,” answered mom and yeah, that's a good enough answer for me.

 

The ride was… I'd say not long? But also plenty boring, we were fast, that was true, but also… I don't know, it feels like the 8 Griffons were feeling the strain of carrying both us and the 20 feet long, 8 feet wide carriage, because I swear I was hearing their ragged breaths even from inside.

 

Bored out of my mind- I decided to play around, “did any of you gain weight?”

 

“Neophyte?” Amber asked, face twitching. Well someone's guilty.

 

“Uh, there's a sound of heavy breathing coming from the Griffons outside,” I decided to commit.

 

Charcoal stood up, her bright red eyes- really, what the fuck is the explanation for entire eyes to be a burning shade of red? Intimidation? Game design? Because this is no longer a game but if it's for intimidation, it's definitely working… Charcoal smirked, “sister, you can come out of your little head now, I'm just gonna strangle you so that you know where the sound of ragged breathing comes from,”

 

“Please don't?” I tried to placate and she huffed before sitting down.

 

“I won't, not for now at least,” she sighed, “it's your big day, and I get it, you're excited, but refrain from such comments,”

 

“... fine,” I pouted.

 

Soon enough, we arrived at the church and I eyed the massive cathedral as we filtered out of the carriage; the building was massive, standing at least 120 feet in height and 240 in width- the damn thing was big, very big.

 

White walls with golden trimmings is what can be seen when staring at its encompassing walls, while paned windows and colored glass shaped into beautiful artworks depicting the myths of the Goddess is there as well, with the most notable artworks being the two massive windows on the left and right side of the building's front- on the left depicts an abstract art of the Goddess cursing the Demons, with her standing over a massive horde with a glowing white hand pointing at them.

 

And on the right is her comforting a white figure- and I mean white, - which is a stand in for the people that the Goddess gifts with Pledges, and the process is depicted on the window with her handing the white silhouette a weapon, a sword, the most common and basic Pledge someone can get from The Goddess.

 

When all of us got out and no one was left on the carriage except for the coach, we Princesses came forward with the Queen leading us, we passed through the open airstrip and into the front of the church, and we were greeted by two massive pillars with gold carvings; little vines that crawled across them, going higher and higher until they grew to the ceiling, in which they spread around in a circle, forming a rose with their strand-like bodies.

 

A few steps later and we entered the Church proper- and the interior was as if not more beautiful than what's outside- long seats made of beautiful brown wood that I couldn't recognize were placed across the halls, which were floored with beautiful white marble and walled with hard concrete that has been painted a pure shade of white.

 

Up top, a long, winding ceiling that formed a hollow triangle could be seen, wood rimmed with gold running across the crevasse like bones, with the rigid plank at the very top acting as its spine and the ones going to the sides taking the role of ribs.

 

And the decorations weren't found lacking either, chandeliers that shone in a beautiful bronze, lamps of silver, and golden candelabras were all over the place, holding dozens of candles that burned a beautiful orange, lighting up the room in a way that gave it a scenic wake.

 

There were statues here too, made from hard stone and carved with patience and love; they looked like angels, some standing proudly while holding weapons, their humanoid forms uncanny yet beautiful, others were vanquishing demons, their carved forms looking as though they were halfway through a swing, with the demons beneath their feet raising their hands in defense, faces contorted into various pained expressions.

 

And at the center of it all, directly behind the altar is a 24 feet tall, beautifully carved statuette of the Goddess herself, said to have been carved by an artisan who the Goddess personally gave her image to in her dreams, allowing her to carve out a beautiful, caring face with closed eyes and both arms hanging on either side of her body as though inviting people for a hug.

 

Moving in this large space made me feel small, and, even when there's practically hundreds of people packed in here- wow, just how many came? The church is basically so full that there are others standing on the sidelines, is the vassalhood really that important? - it didn't help from the sense of being small that I felt from walking across the center of the church.

 

When we reached the altar, my sisters walked into the unoccupied front row seats while me and the Queen ascended 4 stairs upward to go to the top of the altar, and there, a priest of The Goddess as well as King Igneous waited, smiling at me as I stopped at the center of said altar, in between the King and Queen respectively while standing in front of the priest.

 

The shape, as most would guess, is that of a cross, with the priest as the head, the King and Queen as the arms, me as the body and when Zath comes around, she'll complete the shape, acting as the foot. I idly wondered what kind of meaning the cross here represents given that Jesus Christ didn't die- or even exist for that matter, - on this world but all my thoughts came to a stop and disappeared like mist when Zath walked into the church while being flanked by her parents-

 

Despite being as attractive as Zath, I didn't bother to stare at her mom and dad because my eyes were fixated on my maid, who looked beautiful with the glistening gown that adorned her body, pure white in color and radiance, it glowed orange under the candlelight, between the two of us, I think it made my earthen dress look tainted but I'm sure that Zath didn't really mind nor care- I knew because of the small yet beaming smile she was giving me and the warmth dripping from her eyes.

 

The more she walked forward, the more I saw of her barely hidden figure, she was fit- wait, wrong word- Zath is thin yet curvy, with a good-sized chest and a stomach that's as flat as they can go while still looking healthy, her legs were covered but I know that there's something underneath that gown of hers.

 

Her parents departed from her side and took their seats while Zath, now alone, made her way up the altar and I started jumping in place before hugging her when she got close, “m-mistress?”

 

“Congratulations,” I tightened the hug before breaking it and giving her forehead a kiss, “I'm so proud of you,”

 

“I-I did nothing,” she replied and I only nodded- nothing is when someone doesn't bother to train their Pledge. That's nothing. Nothing is when someone doesn't wake up every day to help- and nothing is when someone doesn't do their duties, if Zath did nothing, father wouldn't even allow her to be in front of me right now.

 

A cleared throat from the King later and I was forced to step away from my maid-

 

I smiled at Zath as the priest moved forward and handed me a sword, which I placed on Zath’s right shoulder, “today, we are all witnessing the vassal hood  of Zathania Schema Phagea to Princess Neophyte Astral Everlast,” the priest's voice echoed across the walls of the silent church, “under the benevolent eye of the Goddess, these two young Nobles would put each other under their care and swear an oath of loyalty that bounds them for life,”

 

Is it just me or does the speech sound like it would belong to a marriage? “Should the oath be broken, the party responsible will face severe backlash from the Goddess,” and, as if to acknowledge his words, light shone down on me and Zath, it came from the ceiling, where there's no hole for the light to pass through.

 

The priest continued, “do you, Neophyte Astral Everlast claim Zathania Schema Phagea into Vassalhood?”

 

I nodded, “I do,”

 

The sword in my hand moved to Zath's left shoulder.

 

“Do you, Zathania Schema Phagea, accept Princess Neophyte Astral Everlast as your vassal?”

 

She nodded, resolution in her pretty face, “I do,”

 

I lifted the sword and pressed its sharpened edge into my palm, blood flowed and when it got into contact with the holy light, it hissed into smoke- the oath is now made-

 

Zath suddenly sprang up and hugged me.

 

I hugged her back.