Versatile: Alternate World

The elves did not hold any sort of celebration from the news, instead, they started to gather the female elves and started to create a piece of solemn music that somehow blends with nature. The harmony synchronizes with every blow of the wind.

"What are they doing Bladeheart? I know you read many books and I think you also know some of it with the elves' traditions," Dolly asked. It looks like Dolly is very interested in the rituals and traditions of the elf folks.

"No idea. This is the first time I have seen them do this."

I am telling the truth about this one. I am not too involved with the elf folk in the past timeline. Sure, I have some interaction with them from time to time but that was due to the quests. Compared to the time I have spent with the dwarves, merfolk, and harpies in the past timeline, the time I have interacted with the elves can be counted and measured easily. So even these kinds of behavior from them is new to me.

The elder approached us and watch the ritual with us as he started explaining what is happening.

"This is the ritual to bless and guide the departed to the afterlife peacefully. Although we no longer treat the people who joined the demons as our kind, we still don't forget to send their souls to the afterlife so that at least, their souls get a lighter punishment once they reach the afterlife. It is also a way to remember those who have fallen. I know this was rare to see since we rarely do it too. Due to the longevity of the elf folk, unless we die from war or any source that doesn't involve the natural causes, we rarely held any sort of ritual like this," the elder said as he close his eyes to feel the breeze blowing.

"Makes sense. Elf folks are said to be semi-immortal due to the fact that they live too long enough that they can reach almost an eternity and they will still continue to live," Goro said.

"Is that so? Then, there are no deaths in elf folks with natural causes or of old ages?" Dolly asked.

"Not necessarily. Compared to what Goro said earlier, elf folks are not immortal. Our race might live longer compared to other races but that doesn't mean we are immortal. There are some rare cases of some elf folk becoming so old yet they still retain the same way they do when they were still young. Some grow old too and not only the humans."

The ritual continued for a few while until the sun rises. The elves dispersed after the ritual and the elder faces us.

"To all of you adventurers, we thank you for everything. The demons might be capable of doing things that we cannot do but we will continue to live. We might have lost a lot but we will be able to move again given the time."

Goro stepped forward, carrying the baby. "Elder, I will be giving back your granddaughter. I am just the foster parent of her and I can't be with her as an actual parent since I am a goblin. It would be right to get her with you."

The elder smiled and pat Goro's shoulder.

"Goro, being a parent is not defined on what race or what you are. Even if the child and the acting parent are not the same race, that does not change the fact that you are a parent. If you compare the two of us, you are the most qualified to become her parent. I am just an old elf that has to take care of the village and rebuilding it again. Besides, I am still not ready to face my granddaughter after failing to protect her parents. It would be better for you to continue taking care of her. I know I sounded like an irresponsible relative but I can't deny that I can't become a good parent that would be capable of racing her. As you can see, I no longer have a wife after she died from the war against the demons. I don't want another one of my family to die from the demons. If they are with me, they might end up dead instead. Please, I plead that you raise the child of my child in my stead."

Goro fell silent. He stares at the child as the child smiles at him. He looks up to the elder.

"If that is the case, then I will do that in one condition," Goro said with a stern look on his face.

"A condition?" the elder frowned.

"Since her parents died, I have no idea what her name is. Even though her parents have bestowed a name for her, I don't have any clue about what it was. They didn't give any sort of info on what her name is. As her relative, at least, bestow her a name on behalf of her real parents. I have only called her as the "baby" ever since."

The elder smiled as he held his hand to receive the baby from Goro. He looks at the gentle face of the baby and admires it.

"She looks like her mother when she was still a baby like her. I still remember the time when I held her mother for the first time in the past, it was like a fleeting dream for me but something that I can't just forget. And although the genes of her mother is the one dominating, I can't deny she possesses the eyes of her father. Gentle but has a little bit of sharpness. You who no longer possess a name, as one of the acting relative, today is the day you will be born, and today, you will not be just a nameless baby, you who possess the destiny to read the stars, I will name you Hoshi.

(A/N: Hoshi means "star" in Japan)

The moment her name was bestowed, the surroundings started to glow and the air started to swirl around the baby.

"What is going on?!" Goro panicked.

"I don't know either!" the village elder was also not sure what is happening.

Dolly and the others quickly took arms in case some enemy found out and the baby was the target.

The baby suddenly floated out of the hands of the elder and we were suddenly not able to move. It was like we are watching a cutscene where we can't intervene in what is happening.

"Atlas, Princess Lucia? Can you move and help out?" I tried to ask my companions.

"Master, just like you, we can't move either!" Atlas said.

"I know this one, you guys don't panic," Lucia said in a calm voice.

"You know what is happening to the baby, Lucia?" I asked.

"Yes. From the looks of her, she is a future priestess. This phenomenon happens whenever a person was bestowed the right to inherit the title of a priestess. She will be capable of using her priestess powers after this phenomenon. Just keep calm, nothing bad will happen."

We watch the scene unfold. Hoshi remained in the air for a while until a female apparition of black color appeared and hold her in her arms. We are not capable of moving and even though the others wanted to move, it seems they can't do anything to do what they wanted.

"The Goddess of Death! The Goddess of Death bestowed the baby with her blessings! I can't believe this!"

I didn't expect it. To be honest, even though I played the game for too long and have met a few of the gods that interact with the players, I have not seen the Goddess of Death yet. I have seen the Goddess of Life before during one of the events and I can say she exudes the aura of a goddess herself. However, when you look at the Goddess of Death, she seemed to bring death in her presence alone. The presence was very heavy.

The figure of the Goddess of Death slightly kissed the baby before her figure slowly disappears. Hoshi slowly descends and Goro quickly catches her before she completely lands on the ground.

"What was that earlier?" Hagane is clearly sweating.

"A dark shadowy female figure just kissed the baby. Did she get cursed or something?" Chase wasn't sure either.

The elder who was stunned from the scene earlier close his eyes and clasp his fingers.

"Thank you Goddess of Death for bestowing a blessing to the baby."

"The Goddess of Death?" Dolly was confused. I answered her question to alleviate her confusion.

"She was one of the two primordial gods in this world. Her sister and her counterpart are the Goddess of Life. She, on the other hand, is called the Goddess of Death, she governs the afterlife, the land of the dead, and the souls of the dead. It seems like she bestowed a blessing to Hoshi directly. Which might make Hoshi the priestess of death."

I didn't expect this development, instead of becoming the destined priestess of the stars, she became the priestess of death. This no longer follows the original storyline! Does that mean this was part of the altering timeline the warning earlier from accepting Lucia as my follower talking about?