"Haa.. Haa..."
Brandon felt his consciousness coming back to him and a searing heat spread through his body.
Staggering backward, Brandon could feel his legs trembling slightly under the strain.
With a deep breath, he took three steps backward and hurriedly left the pool.
"Huff..."
Steam curled from his neck and skin and he hurriedly pulled down his jacket and threw it on the floor.
Without a second thought, he grabbed at the collar of his soaked t-shirt and yanked it over his head before dropping it down as steam rose from his body, spreading outward.
He exhaled sharply, watching the steam rise from his forearms and his fingers flexed involuntarily as the ether coursed through his body.
In the next instant, Charlotte appeared in front of him and grasped his shoulder "Are you alright?"
Brandon blinked as his mind was still swimming in the aftershock of whatever just happened to him.
Seeing this, Charlotte's gaze narrowed and she extended her right hand.
*swoosh* Suddenly Valiene felt a force pulling her and before she could react, her body shot towards Charlotte.
Charlotte gripped Valiene's neck and her grip tightened as a cold glint passed through her eyes.
"What happened just now?"
"Urghh..." Valiene felt her throat muscles crushing under Charlotte's fingertips as she struggled to breathe.
Brandon stood up and ran his fingers through his hair as hot steam curled out of his body.
The priestesses and high-ranking clergy members who had gathered to witness the baptism remained frozen in place with their eyes wide in shock.
Valiene's lips parted, but the pressure against her throat made it difficult to respond immediately.
Her fingers twitched at her sides, but she did not attempt to pry Charlotte's hand away.
Brandon coughed lightly as water droplets dripped down his body and Charlotte's gaze turned to him.
"Kael?"
Her eyes trembled as she saw a scar on his back...
'How long has it been since I saw that scar?' a small thought crossed her mind and her expression softened slightly.
But she shook her head and asked "Brandon... how do you feel?" Is there any discomfort?
Brandon closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the ether running through his body and check his core.
"They all seem good... Haa."
As he spoke, he looked around, and what happened after that made him confused.
Slowly, everyone in the room lowered themselves to their knees and gently lowered their heads in absolute reverence.
"All Hail the Herald..."
Huh? Brandon was totally confused and looked around at the people kneeling.
Herald?
At this time, the door of the inner chamber opened.
An old woman with grey hair wearing blue-white robes stepped inside.
Her gaze flickered to the people kneeling on the floor, then to Valiene and then her gaze fell on Brandon.
There was no hostility in her gaze... just a silent understanding.
Reaching in front of Brandon, she gently bowed her head "Didn't expect our Herald to be born as a man..."
"Truly the wonder of divinity… The will of the Goddess manifests in ways beyond our understanding."
Charlotte let go of Valiene and she stumbled on the ground, falling to her knees.
"Haaa.. Haa...." She took deep breaths to supply air to her lungs and there is a faint trace of Charlotte's palm on her neck.
She coughed slightly before looking up at Brandon through her hazy eyes.
Charlotte then glimpsed at the older woman and asked "Old hag, tell me what is going on here..."
The woman lowered her gaze and, despite the insult she had a small smile on her lips "Fret not; he is not in any danger..."
Her eyes briefly flickered toward Brandon before she continued.
"However, this is not a discussion meant for public ears. I would like to speak further... privately."
Charlotte's eyes narrowed and then she glanced at Brandon "...Kael."
Brandon exhaled softly and he understood her concern.
Though he wasn't sure what was happening, he could tell that resisting wasn't an option.
Whether he liked it or not, this situation is already getting bigger.
He gave Charlotte a small nod and his voice was steady despite his lingering uncertainty.
"Its alright…"
The woman smiled faintly "Then, shall we leave?" she spoke, gesturing to the door.
Brandon's gaze flickered toward his soaked jacket and t-shirt, still lying abandoned near the shimmering pool of liquid.
His brows furrowed slightly.
He wasn't exactly comfortable walking around shirtless, but at the same time, putting those clothes back on while they were still drenched didn't seem like a great idea either.
Letting out a quiet sigh, he turned and started walking toward the door, deciding to deal with the matter later.
Valiene glanced at the jacket and the t-shirt before leaning down to take them in her hands.
Brandon, Charlotte, and the woman stepped out of the chamber and walked through the hallways.
Charlotte looked at Brandon and as she extended her hand, a white cloth appeared on her hand.
"Use this as towel..."
Brandon nodded his head and took it from her hand as he began to dry his body on their way.
With a soft sigh, Charlotte spoke "I gave you the spatial artifact so it can be useful to you... It seems like you are not using it."
Brandon just stayed silent for a bit as he continued drying his hair "I was still learning how to use it properly..."
Retrieving items from a spatial artifact wasn't exactly a simple process.
While it isn't difficult for those who had years of experience, it still requires a certain level of familiarity with controlling ether.
Without proper training, pulling out a specific item from a storage space could be tedious... especially if there were multiple objects stored inside.
With a sigh, he reached out to a pocket in his wet pants and took out a ring "But I do have the ring and a set of clothes in that..."
The woman glanced back to look at their conversation and muttered "I can arrange a private space for you to change your clothes."
While the towel Charlotte had given him helped dry his upper body, his lower half remained drenched, clinging uncomfortably to his skin with every step he took.
The cold fabric stuck stubbornly to his legs, making each movement feel damp and restrictive.
The slight squelching sound his shoes made every now and then only added to his growing frustration.
They soon reached another door and the woman turned to them "This will be our private chamber for discussion. Please, enter."
She pressed her palm against the door, and with a soft click, the mechanisms within shifted, unlocking the door.
Brandon stepped in first, his gaze flickering around the chamber.
It was spacious and at the center, there was a large wooden table, surrounded by several plush chairs adorned with white embroidery.
Against the far wall, there is a tall bookshelf, and a candelabra burned softly atop a small altar in the corner, casting a warm glow that flickered against the stone walls.
Brandon noticed a small corridor there which leads to a small room "Is that the restroom?"
The woman nodded her head "Yes, it is..."
Brandon sighed in his heart and walked toward 'First I need to change my clothes...'