The misunderstanding cleared up quickly. Iger and the others had no intention of harming him, but Ashe still took the opportunity to dose his Substitute with a bit of aphrodisiac to experiment on it while hearing them out.

"Seven Days of Destiny?"

The young butler nodded. "You may not have this custom in the Blood Moon Kingdom. Seven days after an infant is born, they are placed before a variety of objects to choose their Life-Follower. As the name implies, the infant's destiny will forever follow the path of that first choice."

Ashe frowned. "So, based on what the infant picks, you can predict their future? That sounds like superstition, not something sorcerers would rely on."

Annan explained, "Originally, it was just a blessing parents gave their children hundreds of years ago, but over time it evolved into a tradition. It isn't a ritual or a spell. It's just that with the Gospel rankings in place, parents naturally hope their children will make the list. They want those talents to manifest as early as possible."

She paused briefly before continuing. "And just because it isn't a ritual spell doesn't mean it lacks meaning. Society's future is a vast and chaotic system. Compared to something definite, something uncertain can have a deeper influence. The Dolan family's research suggests that wishes, meaning, and recognition all carry significant weight during the Woven Festival.

"Even if a wish doesn't take effect immediately, the Book of Gospel still hears it. Life isn't miraculous every second, but every second carries meaning."

She gave a small shrug. "And if everyone else has a Life-Follower, why shouldn't you?"

The process reminded Ashe of drafting a résumé. One would highlight virtues like teamwork and diligence, then carefully select a harmless weakness to manufacture a sense of credibility. Most people did not believe it, but sometimes that extra detail made the difference.

He understood the logic, but still hesitated. "This custom is meant for infants seven days old. Lys might pass, but do I really look that... newly born?"

"We really are seven days old," the necromancer said, turning a silver scalpel in his hand. "Technically, we've only been in this world for that long."

Ashe froze. "Is that possible?"

Step across the border into a new kingdom, and the biological clock just hits the refresh button?

Annan said, "The Book of Gospel has existed for over a thousand years, maybe even longer. From its perspective, the difference between twenty-five years and seven days, or one year and seven days, hardly matters."

Iger added, "Exactly. Some people are twenty-five but think like newborns. The Book of Gospel won't discriminate against you, Ashe."

Ashe punched his slightly dazed Substitute, then glanced at the array of objects on the table. "So, once we make our choice, is there a chance we'll make it onto today's debut future ranking?"

Annan shook her head. "No. No one knows what the rankings will be. Even I have to use that first list as a baseline to calculate the ones that follow. Having you perform the Seven Days of Destiny is just a gamble. You might happen to align with the Book of Gospel's favor."

"You're making it sound like a blind date with the Book of Gospel..." Ashe muttered, picking up a transparent glass needle. He frowned at the table. "But why are there so many... instruments?"

Annan said lightly, "It's normal for an office to have these. If you don't like them, pick something else. Don't overthink it. Since the first ranking is a mystery, only an object you genuinely resonate with will stand a chance of aligning with the Book of Gospel.

"Also, it's best to attach a wish or blessing to your Life-Follower. Parents usually do this. For instance, 'May this child wield a dagger that remains unseen even as it strikes.' It strengthens the intent.

"And according to Dolan family intelligence, some of the rewards from the Woven Festival are tailored to one's Life-Follower. A well-placed wish might just influence the outcome."

Ashe suddenly realized a problem. "Wait... then why did you make me choose between handcuffs, a wolf-tooth club, and aphrodisiac?"

Annan, Iger, and Lys replied in unison.

"Because they suit you."

Ashe turned to the necromancer. "That counts as a personal attack, doesn't it? At least Harvey has some sense. He wouldn't mess with things like that..."

Then he noticed the whip in Harvey's hand. "Harvey, didn't expect you to be into th—" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Harvey said flatly, "You're mistaken. The whip is for the living. I have no interest in the living. I only thought it suited you because—"

Ashe cut him off, "Stop. I don't want to hear your reasoning."

He turned back to the others. "What did you all pick?"

Lys raised a small mirror. "A mirror that always reflects its holder at their most beautiful."

Ashe took it with a smirk. "Really? Looks the same to me. Just an ordinary mirror."

Iger replied calmly, "It's just a guess, so it may not be correct. Perhaps it's not the mirror that's ordinary, but you."

Lys snapped. "Give it back, you old man!"

She kicked Ashe in the knee and snatched the mirror back as he bent over.

Iger shook the pen in his hand. "I picked this. It's a pen that captures the reader's attention, no matter what you write."

Ashe blinked. "Huh?"

"Why the surprised look?"

"I thought you'd want a pen that makes anything you write come true, or at least makes people believe whatever you put on paper."

Iger wagged a finger dismissively. "For a social engineer like myself, it isn't about warping reality or earning trust. It's about commanding attention. Capture their focus, and you've already mastered their fate."

Ashe glanced at Harvey. The necromancer had pulled out a sewing kit with needle and thread included. Heaven knew why the Gospel Kingdom even stocked something like this. With such productivity, ordinary people wouldn't need to wash clothes. They could easily wear a new set every day.

"I picked—"

"Stop. I didn't ask you," Ashe interrupted, crossing his arms. "I don't care about special uses for sewing needles."

"This isn't about sewing needles—"

"Then I'm even less interested."

Annan and Pankey didn't need to pick. They had already chosen their Life-Followers days after their birth.

Ashe scanned the table of items again and shook his head. "Can I just choose something else?"

"What do you mean by 'something else'?"

Ashe returned to his bedroom and emerged wearing his dark red coat and a mask. "I don't like anything on the table. I want to choose these two as my Life-Followers."

He pointed to the coat. "This is a coat that can protect me from any harm..."

Annan reminded him, "Don't be so practical. Do you think this is a game? Would your parents really make such a wish?"

Ashe paused, considering his parents' mindset, then replied seriously, "This coat will make everyone too afraid to bully me."

Annan was about to comment further, but Iger patted her on the shoulder. The gesture, combined with a glance at himself, Harvey, and Ashe, made her immediately understand. Right. They are all orphans from the Blood Moon Kingdom. They have never known parental love.

With that in mind, Annan regarded Ashe with a forgiving expression.

Ashe then pointed to the mask. "This... um... this mask will make everyone like me?"

Harvey remarked, "That doesn't quite match its function. You do look better with your face covered, but a mask can't actually charm people or sway their feelings."

Harvey's words always left Ashe uncertain. If Iger, Lys, or even Annan had said, "You look better with your face covered," Ashe would have recognized it immediately as a personal jab. But coming from Harvey, it was impossible to tell whether it was praise or an insult.

Still, he had a point. Ashe thought for a moment, then said, "Then this mask will just make me seem mysterious."

Lys protested, "Why does daddy get two Life-Followers!? I want two too!"

Annan explained, "If you pick two, the wish's power might be diluted. Besides, the Book of Gospel might only honor one true Life-Follower."

Lys considered this, then said, "Fine, I'll stick with the little mirror."

Ashe asked, "We've all made our choices. When does the ranking come out? It's almost breakfast. The Book of Gospel isn't on break, is it?"

Annan shrugged. "No, but it won't be punctual either. If it were, the first future ranking would have been released at midnight last night."

"Then why—"

She interrupted, "Because today isn't over yet."

The young butler Pankey raised his hand to get everyone's attention. "How should I put this... If the Woven Festival were a job, the Book of Gospel would be like a creator submitting their work at the very last second."

Annan added, "These are just our observations. For weaving the future, the closer you get to the target moment, the more precise the results. So even if the first ranking is announced on the 10th, a list woven at 00:00:00 will inevitably be less accurate than one woven at 23:59:59.

"Historically, almost all Woven Festival rankings are released at the last second of the day. Only 25% come out at midnight, and 10% appear at random times. There's no fixed schedule."

Annan flicked her earring. "That's why I didn't make you wait until midnight last night. In the past ten or so ceremonies, the first ranking always appeared at the final second. But tonight, you'll have to wait until 12:00. You may only return to your rooms once you see the first future ranking."

Ashe asked, "Can't we just check it tomorrow morning? Do we really have to be so punctual?"

Annan shook her head. "No. While it's unlikely, a stroke of extreme luck, whether good or bad, could trigger something unexpected. Still, the chance of anything happening with the first ranking is slim. Our real target is the second ranking, which is set ten days later."

Waiting until midnight...

Ashe's team usually began their exploration of the Virtual World at 11 p.m. Starting an hour late felt like a waste of time, but skipping the session entirely wasn't an option.

After breakfast, Ashe hurried back to his room and summoned the Book of Gospel, pulling up the interface to see if he could push back the team's gathering time.

[Virtual World Exploration → Team Composition]

He examined the options carefully and noticed a detail. Each time he selected Start Exploration, a secondary menu appeared with the options Depart Immediately and Discuss Further. Previously, he had assumed Discuss Further meant cancel. This time, he clicked it and discovered a deeper layer of settings. Two new options appeared before him, which were Adjust Exploration Time and Change Team Composition.

Selecting Adjust Exploration Time, Ashe saw he could postpone the exploration from 11:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., but it required the team's consent.

[Watcher proposes: postpone tonight's Virtual World exploration by 90 minutes.]

***

Meanwhile, Lys returned to her room, clutching the little mirror. "Calling Watcher! Can we start tonight's exploration an hour later? Watcher! Please inform the Swordswoman!"

Lys shook her head. "No, wait!"

The Secret Princess switched Little Witch to negotiate. "Can we delay it by ninety minutes instead? We need to check the Gospel Ranking tonight, which could take ten minutes or more."

After a brief pause, Ashe and Dia received the answer they'd hoped for.

[Swordswoman approves.]

[Witch approves.]

Additionally, another message popped up.

[Since you asked so politely, I'll graciously allow it.]

***

Elsewhere, in the Starry Kingdom, Sonya, just waking and doing her skincare, glanced at the note on her desk with a faint expression.

[Dear Swordswoman]

The great Watcher has fulfilled his promise. Tomorrow, you may enjoy a full day of leisure and rest.

However, as a cost, your training tonight is extended by ninety minutes, and Virtual World exploration is likewise postponed by ninety minutes.

"I usually only train for two hours anyway..." she muttered.

The Claw-Stretching Club President wanted to be happy, but her intelligence wouldn't allow it. "What is this supposed to be? Compensatory time? This is basically no day off at all!"