Meanwhile, in the backyard of the Royal Palace.
The three Lake Fairies arrived in unison and after a brief greeting, presented Luo En with a gift they had prepared for him.
The gift was unique, it was a golden dagger with a curved blade.
The metal patterns on it were somewhat worn, appearing very old. But perhaps due to good maintenance, or some other reason, the dagger shimmered with a golden glow, as if boasting its sharpness even now.
Staring at it for too long, a peculiar sense of detachment would sweep over one’s body, causing limbs to stiffen and consciousness to descend into chaos.
Luo En shook his head, dispelled the strange sensation, and asked somewhat puzzlingly:
"What is this thing?"
"A secret treasure passed down by the Druidic teachings, used to preside over sacrifices and gather the ’All-Purpose Pills.’ As for the name, we usually call it the ’Invading Blade Gold.’
Morgos explained with a smile, and also mentioned related traditions of the Druid order.
The Celtic Holy Tree is the Silver Branch Holy Oak.
In nature, oak trees are the largest flowering plants in the world, with a lifespan reaching 400 years, endowed with unique divinity and abundant vitality. Every year when oak trees bloom and bear fruit, they attract squirrels, wild deer, goats, and other wildlife to forage the oak tree fruits beneath them. Druidic believers who revere nature hence see the oak tree as a symbol of the Natural Mother, worshipping it with great reverence.
Due to the concept of love for what is associated, Druidic believers regard the mistletoe parasitizing on oak trees as an all-purpose pill, believing it to have divine healing powers. However, this Holy Fruit can only be collected through a special ceremony, and only on full moon and new moon days, or the sixth night of each month, can this ceremony be conducted.
At this time, a Great Druid dressed in a white robe, adorned with gold jewelry, and holding a golden curse blade would climb the oak tree to cut the mistletoe growing on the tree. The golden jewelry represents the sun, symbolizing that she herself is the personification of the sun, while the curved golden curse blade or golden scepter in her hand mimics the crescent moon—the "Holy Moon retaining the seeds of all things" in Druidic religion. During the collection process, the mistletoe must not touch the ground, or it would be contaminated by the unclean vibrations of the earth, so the collected mistletoe is caught in mid-air with a cloth representing "purity" and placed in a pure white cloth canopy. After collecting mistletoe, a white bull is slaughtered for sacrifice beneath the tree, followed by a feast, signifying the perfect conclusion of the ceremony.
The collected mistletoe, after special secret technique treatment, can cure "all ailments," even granting rebirth to the dead, which is why it is called the "All-Purpose Pill."
Since the Druid order initially belonged to a matriarchal clan, the early Great Druids were all women.
Thus, the ones who once presided and conducted these ceremonies were the three Lake Fairy sisters, who took turns fulfilling this duty. As they themselves governed powers related to war and death, they were also called the "Black Holy Mother" by the believers.
After listening, Luo En had a subtle inkling in his heart:
"So, why are you giving this thing to me?"
"Your wisdom and sagacity have already been acknowledged by all Celtic people. We hope you can succeed us, becoming the new ’Great Druid,’ to manage and guide this world. The old era has passed; it is time to look forward."
Morgos answered solemnly, his words full of sincerity.
Luo En listened, thoughtful.
Historically, the Druid Secret Sect emerged during the matriarchal era of the indigenous Britons, and due to the social environment at the time, only women were allowed to participate. As patriarchal society emerged, men gradually entered the sect, constantly gaining power until they eventually equaled the priestesses in status.
And in this process, "Merlin" was a significant milestone.
He was both a Christianized Great Sage and the first widely recorded male Great Druid in the Druid Secret Sect.
After this, the status of male Druids finally surpassed female Druids.
I see, transferring the sovereignty of sacrifice and belief?
Luo En picked up the golden curse blade from the white silk, played with it for a moment, and asked with a playful tone:
"So, what should I do as this Great Druid in power?"
Everything comes at a price.
These three Lake Fairies voluntarily offering up the power of sacrifice and belief couldn’t simply be just to express gratitude or to give a simple gift, could it?
As expected, Morgos smiled and said:
"In six days, we hope you can preside over your first sacrifice, and pierce this cursed blade into King Arthur’s heart."
"You want me to kill my own student?!"
Luo En slammed the table, face dark as stagnant water.
Seeing Luo En’s intense reaction, Morgan frowned and explained:
"It is not true death in the literal sense, but a rebirth of another form. This is also a necessary step for the Mother Goddess to achieve completeness."
"And after this ’rebirth,’ will she still be Altria?"
Luo En sneered and threw the golden curse blade back onto the table.
As a secret treasure passed down by the Druidic teachings, this thing’s use is not merely for cutting mistletoe and making ’All-Purpose Pills,’ but also for stripping the spirit of the sacrifice and resetting their soul.
Moreover, it seems this cursed blade also stores the oldest divine power of Goddess Danu.
Should it be used as these three Lake Fairies say, piercing this curse blade into Altria’s heart, the divinity of Goddess Danu would enter Altria’s sea of consciousness, thereby taking root and sprouting, completely transforming Altria’s personality into the divinity of Goddess Danu.