Ding-dong Ding-dong. (TL: – in the raw it was like ringoan ringoan, but I feel the church’s bell is better depicted like ding-dong)

The church bells ring in the town of Wishen as night falls.

Today is December 31, the end of the year.

Even on such a night, it was snowing unusually in Wishen, and at times a cold wind that seemed to pierce the skin fills the whiteness of the view.

We’re now dressed in formal attire and are slowly travelling through town in a horse-drawn carriage to attend the New Year’s Eve worship in the cathedral.

“Snow on a day like this. It’s getting cold.”

I called out to Anna, who was sitting next to me.

“That’s true, but I like the snow. Because of the snow, there is spring thaw, and because of the thaw, crops grow, and the people do not starve.”
“Yeah, that’s certainly true. And snow, or rather ice, has always been something familiar to you, Anna.”
“Yes. Ice has been with me ever since I was a child.”
“I didn’t understand it before either, but your ice and snow are warm, aren’t they?”
“Yes”

Anna said so, as she rested her head on my shoulder.

By the way, when I say warm, I mean holy ice magic. Of course, it depends on Anna’s mood, but sometimes when I have too much paperwork, my shoulders and back get stiff, so I then ask her for it, which feels very warm and refreshing.

However, my father-in-law may feel this more than I do. After all, Anna treats him at least once every two days. He probably feels the same as a father who gets his shoulders massaged by his daughter back in my previous life.

Well, a shoulder massage like that is the work of the Saintess’ holy magic, but it would be rude to say anything more about a blood relative.

Ding-dong Ding-dong.

The bell rings again.

This bell is rung by the church we are heading to now, and it rings a whopping 108 times.

When I was in the royal capital, I hadn’t paid much attention to the number of times, but I never imagined that the New Year’s Eve bell would be rung this many times.

It is indeed a world that has become the setting for an Otome game, although it is easy to forget all about it now.

I think it’s strange that churches ring bells on New Year’s Eve, but since it is completely ingrained as a custom, I guess there is no point in worrying about it.

And, we, the royalty and nobility, would attend the New Year’s Eve worship at our favourite churches, and then the citizens would come to worship.

In short, this is the so-called first shrine visit of the year, like in my previous life. This is also a completely ingrained custom, so it would be unwise to be concerned about it.

Ding-dong Ding-dong.

The bell rings again.

Then the carriage came to a quiet stop. It seemed we had arrived.

The door opens, and I escort Anna out of the carriage.

Apparently the snow is getting stronger again.

The fresh snow that had fallen despite being ploughed made a squeaking sound as my feet crunched on it.

It’s cold outside after all!

I took Anna’s hand and we quickly entered the church, where the nobles living in Wishen were already gathered.

All that remains is to wait for the arrival of the father-in-law, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law.

Incidentally, since this is also an official occasion, my mother will not be attending. Although she is my mother, she is the mother of the duchess’s spouse, but she is also a commoner, which puts her in a delicate position, so my father-in-law has taken this measure.

We exchanged casual greetings and conversations with the people gathered there, and then went to the front row of chairs and sat down to wait for our fathers-in-law.

The interior of the church was very spacious, and although there was a fire burning, it was still cold. After waiting for a while, feeling as if I would lose the feeling in my hands and feet, my father-in-law and his family finally arrived.

“Oh, you were here first.”
“Yes. But we just got here a few minutes ago.”
“I see, well, don’t be so nervous. It’s no different than a regular worship, just a little special this time.”
“Yes.”

My father-in-law said this to show his concern for me, who was attending for the first time, and then took a seat in the front row on the other side of the aisle.

It’s a rule that the family sits together, so the chairs Anna and I are sitting in are the seats for the family of the new Duchess of Ramslett that Anna will be establishing, and the chairs my father-in-law and his family are sitting in are the seats for the royal family.

I feel a bit sad that the newly formed family is a bit separated from the rest of the family, but I guess this is just another tradition of the aristocracy.

Ding-dong Ding-dong.

The bells rang again, and the New Year’s Eve worship began. The priest who had been present at our wedding greeted us and prayed for us, and then he preached a passage from the holy texts about taking care of one’s family.

At a normal worship, we would pray again at this point and then the worship would end, but since it was a New Year’s worship, the priest taught us another verse, which teaches us the importance of humility, that if you are in a position of authority, you should humble yourself.

Ding-dong Ding-dong Ding-dong Ding-dong.

While I was listening to the priest’s sermon, the bells rang out loudly. The date had changed.

“So let us pray to God at the beginning of a new year!”

I pray as the priest calls out.

And then, at that moment, everything suddenly went white in front of me, and I felt as if I was floating in the air.

What? What is this?

Sensing something unusual, I opened my eyes and looked around, but it was still white and there was no sign of anyone around.

“What’s going on?”

I blurted out loud, but then I heard a voice.

“I called you. It’s been a while.”

An amazingly handsome man with green hair and gold eyes suddenly appeared in the pure white space.

“Wind god. It’s been a while.”

In a panic, I kneel before my great benefactor, no, great benefactor god.

“Hahaha. You can get comfortable. You’ve done a brilliant job of changing the future.”
“It’s all thanks to God. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t received your blessings at that time. Thank you so much.”
“Hmm. I’m glad it didn’t end the way you knew it would. That useless lizard is now a good father.”
“Yes”
“Now you see, there’s something I’d like you, well, you guys, to do. I called you here because you guys seem to be praying.”
“Us, you want us to do, is it?”
“Hmm, Oh, it seems they’ve talked it over. Let’s invite them over.”

As the Wind God said this, Anna and a mysterious, beautiful woman suddenly appeared.

“Anna!”
“Allen!”

Anxiously, I rushed over to Anna while she rushed over to me.

“Yes. It’s great that you and your wife are getting along well. So, you see, I’d like to ask you to build a temple for us.”
“Wind god and, uh, that woman over there, is she a goddess? “
“Allen, she is the Goddess of Ice. She seems to have a good relationship with the God of Wind.”

A flustered Anna told me so.

“Ah, so that’s how it is. Goddess. I beg your pardon.”

When I said this and took a bow, the goddess smiled at me.

“Okay? I’ll continue. I want you to build a temple to worship us in a place where the wind always blows and there is always ice, and place the Staff of Divine Guidance that triggered the appearance of the witch.”
“That staff, is it?”
“Yes. After seeing the commotion that had occurred, I decided that the wand was too much for a human to handle. I have decided to retrieve it. I never thought that someone with the qualities of a saint would have such a strong wish just for herself.”

Hearing that made me remember Amy for the first time in a while. It was indeed because of that staff that things turned out the way they did.

If it hadn’t been for that staff, things wouldn’t have become so chaotic. At the very least, the Centraren Kingdom would not have lost Bruseni, and its eastern lands would not have been overrun by the Est Empire, and many lives would have been spared.

However, it is unclear whether they settled on their current situations, and perhaps they are still fighting small squirmishes here and there.

It feels conflicted to think that if that had not happened, I might not have been able to be with Anna like this.

“Hahaha. You love your wife.”

When God said that, Anna’s grip on my hand tightened.

“However, that Staff would not normally grant a wish so easily unless it was a wish like your dear wife’s.”

Hearing this, Anna quickly let go of my hand and turned her head down in embarrassment. I held her hand again to show her how I felt.

Wind God did not seem to be bothered by our situation and proceeded with his story.

“You know, when one wishes for oneself, it’s difficult for it to be pure. The things people wish for their desires are generally fickle.”
“That may well be true.”

I don’t know, but in Amy’s case, was it because she had a clear goal of reaching the reverse harem ending of the otome game?

“Maybe it’s what you think, maybe it’s not. So I’d like to retrieve it and find out. I ask for your help.”
“Yes. Of course.”

Hearing my reply, the god nodded in satisfaction and put his arm around the goddess’s shoulder, then the gods disappeared without a word of farewell.

And then I realised that my surroundings were no longer a white space. I could see my feet and the familiar marble floor.

Looks like I am back.

I look up and see my father-in-law standing in front of me, looking down at me with concern.

“Ah, father-in-law, where is Anna?”
“Allen…”

Then I heard Anna’s voice from next to me, sounding a little confused. It seemed she was sitting in the same place she was before she entered the white space.

“You two have finally finished praying. It’s time to go. The people tired of waiting in the snow are going to freeze, you know?”
“That’s right. Sorry to have kept you waiting. Come on, Anna.”
“Yes”

Thus, we got into the carriage and left the cathedral.