Chapter 172: Year-End Sacrifice

"Well, of course, of course! I would never question the Mother Goddess's care for Her children." Lord Luoleike explained, though he was not in a good state, and his phrasing was not entirely appropriate.

Sinuoli did not press the matter. "I understand your difficulties, but you should also know that for someone like me who serves the gods, some things are negotiable, while others are not!"

Lord Luoleike nodded to indicate he understood. Due to frequent dealings with the lords of Bretonnia, the Dwarfs of Weifengbao likely possessed the most comprehensive and clear understanding of the gods in the entire Mountain Kingdom.

"If you are under a lot of pressure, you can spread a little news secretly. As long as it isn't outrageous, I won't directly deny it, though of course, I won't openly confirm it either." Sinuoli gave Lord Luoleike a way out; after all, he had not yet obtained the Doom Anvil.

"Good, this matter should be done sooner rather than later. Once the ceremony is over, you will come with me to unearth it!" Lord Luoleike said decisively, and Sinuoli did not want to delve into the mysteries behind it.

He knew in his heart that although he was the Chosen of the Goddess of the Ancestors and that anvil was sitting idle, there were certainly clansmen who did not want him to obtain it.

Sinuoli sent an Eternal Hammer Guard to notify Cousin Tomi to deliver the Oath Gold, then prepared to preside over the ceremony. This was the largest and highest-spec ceremony he had presided over since he transmigrated.

Sacrificing to the Ancestor Gods and ancestors who had made outstanding contributions before the New Year was a tradition for Dwarfs that had remained unshakable since the Golden Age.

Even if the one presiding over the sacrifice today was the Chosen of the Goddess of the Ancestors, the other gods would not be neglected. The officiant needed to offer sacrifices and eulogies to each venerable one in the Shenkan in order, though the order might differ slightly in different places.

At the same time, in terms of the number of participants, this was also the largest. Strictly speaking, this ritual was open to all clansmen in the surrounding areas, regardless of whether they lived in Weifengbao.

When Sinuoli walked out of the preparation room in his best formal attire, he was stunned by the tsunami-like cheers. Enthusiastic clansmen packed the interior of the temple, and it was hard to find a place to stand even in the square outside.

Every Dwarf wanted to see this Chosen of the Goddess of the Ancestors, and the manifestation of divine grace during Sinuoli's previous challenge had intensified this effect.

A simple prayer could allow the Mother Goddess to heal injured clansmen, so a high-spec ceremony like this would likely result in divine grace descending. With this thought in mind, many clansmen living in the Human world had also arrived early.

Sinuoli had, of course, prepared for this. He did not say much, as witnessing the facts with one's own eyes was better than any words.

Lord Luoleike pulled himself together to deliver a two-sentence opening statement before stepping down from the platform. One by one, the offerings were brought before Snuori.

First was a piece of marble of excellent quality, full-bodied, without cracks or inclusions, and featuring unique patterns suitable for stone carving; this was an offering to the Father God Grungni.

According to ancient traditions, the offering to the Father God Grungni at the New Year sacrifice should be the best ore mined by the entire Dwarf group in a year.

No matter where, the Father God was always the first object of sacrifice, and even if the officiant was Sinuoli, this would not change. He presented the ore before the Divine Statue according to the regulations, then recited the prayer provided in advance by Lord Luoleike.

As his voice fell, no strange phenomena occurred, but this did not exceed the expectations of the Dwarfs present; after all, he was the Chosen of the Goddess of the Ancestors, and the real show was yet to come.

Next, Sinuoli picked up a beer barrel. This was the best beer brewed locally in Kalake-Zifulin this year, and by custom, this was the year-end offering to the Mother Goddess Valaya.

Every year, the owners of the taverns in the citadel held a competition to see whose beer was qualified to be chosen as an offering. This was also known as the Beer Festival, a carnival exclusive to Dwarfs.

Sinuoli presented the beer barrel before the Mother Goddess and then began to chant. Although he was not a local, he had gained the right to modify parts of the prayer due to his status as the Chosen.

After reporting on behalf of Lord Luoleike the major events that had occurred in Weifengbao this year within the scope of Valaya's authority, he also added a bit of his own personal agenda.

Sinuoli took the opportunity to report to the Mother Goddess the achievements he had made along the way and his contributions to the revival of the Qunshan, which earned him continuous cheers from the clansmen.

Every Dwarf was eagerly looking forward to witnessing divine grace, but when Sinuoli finished this part of the ceremony, still nothing happened.

Almost all the clansmen in Weifengbao began to clamor. With Sinuoli's previous manifestation of divine grace, no one doubted whether he had lost the favor of the Mother Goddess. They cleverly controlled the variables and vented their anger on the owner of the beer.

"Old thing! The swill you brewed has angered the Mother Goddess!"

"Rigged! The judging was rigged!"

"I told you we should have used a Rock Sheep! The Chosen of the Goddess used that before! Only that pleases the Mother Goddess!"

It was not that Sinuoli did not want the Mother Goddess to manifest divine grace, but there was a cooldown period after performing the Valaya Ritual, though he had other preparations.

Listening to the chaotic clamor of the clansmen, which eventually converged into questioning the offering and berating the provider of the offering, Sinuoli sighed, shook his head, and walked toward the Divine Statue of Grimnir.

Sinuoli knew that because he had always chosen Rock Sheep as offerings, the price of mountain sheep had soared for a time under the trend he had set.

Every clansman hoped to have a Rock Sheep as an offering when sacrificing to the ancestors, and some wealthy fellows would even use them to replace the main course on their dining tables so they could enjoy the same delicacies as the Mother Goddess.

Last night, someone had specifically come to ask him if he needed to change the offering to the Mother Goddess, but Sinuoli did not change it out of respect for the thousands-year-old tradition. As far as he was concerned, it didn't matter whether it was Rock Sheep or fine wine.

After all, no matter how delicious the mutton was, he wasn't the one eating it, and no matter how sweet the wine was, he wasn't the one drinking it. He didn't know if the Mother Goddess was satisfied, but whether divine grace would be bestowed was still up to him.

Sinuoli saw that the next offering was a dried Greenskin head. Judging by the size of the thing and the scars on it, this guy must have been a very "waaagh" Greenskin while alive.

This was indeed the case. The offering to the God of War Grimnir was, by custom, the strongest enemy killed in the citadel that year, and the owner of this head was an Orc warlord under Grom the Paunch.

Sinuoli blocked out the interference from the outside world in his mind, brought up his system, and opened the ritual panel. Then, he calmly took the offering and placed it before the Divine Statue.

As Sinuoli began to recite the prayer, the square gradually quieted down. Regardless, the Dwarfs in the Qunshan still had corresponding respect for such ceremonies.

Thanks to the book friend for tipping Liu Guanren 123 monthly tickets.