Chapter 67

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In the days when the world was one, the gods were also one.

Yes, the lips of the holy maiden Matia opened. In a gentle tone, as if reading a story to children, she began:

"The ancient god, despite having many forms, was essentially one. Whether it was fertility, wisdom, thunder, or fate, the many attributes were all part of the same god."

In the first floor of a tavern within the walls of Galuamaria, her clear voice echoed.

As she spoke, Matia's eyes slowly closed, yet her words remained smooth. It seemed as if each word was melting into her.

"To put it bluntly, though it may be disrespectful, it was perhaps a collective consciousness. Therefore, there was only one word to refer to the god."

But in a certain era, as civilization arose among humans, classes were born, and large-scale societies emerged, two consciousnesses within the god began to quarrel.

At first, it was a simple matter. As society became more complex, people agonized and wept. Seeing this, one of the multiple consciousnesses of the god, who had yet to be named, said:

—How pitiful and sorrowful their lives are. I will save them from their suffering with my own hands.

The other consciousness within the god tried to stop it.

—What are you saying? Look at how they live. They agonize and weep, but they make decisions with their wisdom. That is life. Are you going to deprive them of it?

Ignoring the voices of the many other consciousnesses, the two began to argue, as if trying to pull away from each other.

—They are beings full of worries. The more wisdom they have, the more they suffer and lament. Then it would be better if they had none. No worries, no obstacles, no walls standing before them. Let us grant them this happiness.

—Indeed, if you are so determined, we can no longer be one. You can take away their wisdom. I will grant them wisdom that surpasses it.

—Oh, how pitiful, I am. My single spirit. What will we become if we are divided?

For a long time, they existed as a single god with a composite consciousness. But now, because of this small quarrel, they were about to separate. It was because of their irreconcilable claims.

If they could hold hands, they could remain one, and perhaps it would be better that way. But if they pushed each other away, they would be two, and could no longer remain the same entity.

—Then let us give each other names. One day, humans will reject your sweet salvation, Artius!

—Foolish one. You can only bring wisdom and opportunity. One day, humans will reject your suffering and come to me, Oufur!

From that day on, the world was divided along with the gods. Various nations, religions, and civilizations were born on this earth, and they all began to quarrel. The world, once peaceful under the rule of a single god, was lost. The world opened its mouth wide, spewing out noise and words of conflict.

*

"...That is the often-told story of our Emblem Church's god, Oufur, and the Great Holy Church's god, Artius, and their origins. Of course, this is just a simplified version for the orphans."

The holy maiden Matia cleared her throat. She seemed quite accustomed to speaking in public, and there was no sign of tension or anxiety in her every gesture.

The audience, however, seemed less interested. Karia was twirling her silver hair with her fingers, seemingly uninterested. Fiarat La Borgograd, with a look that suggested he already knew this as mere common knowledge, and Largd An, a follower of the Emblem Church who naturally knew the story. The others were Wood, who was clapping sincerely, and his sister, Cereal, making a total of five people.

The words of the holy maiden, which could move the hearts of many, were delivered to a rather small audience.

"Unfortunately, I am also a Galuist. I'm quite used to such tales. What we really need to hear is—"

Karia sighed dramatically, as if about to let out a grand sigh of boredom. And just as she was about to finish her sentence,

"—Rugis, right? Well, it's fine. I'll tell him later..."

Fiarat cut in.

Their shining silver eyes and flickering black eyes met for a moment, as if asking each other why they were here. Despite the brief moment, the exchange of glances made the air heavy.

To Wood, who was uncomfortable with such an atmosphere, it felt as if the air had turned into heavy clumps of earth in his lungs.

"E, eh... Lord Rugis, is the hero still...?"

An's lips opened, as if unable to bear the heavy air, and he threw his words into the air. Wood picked up the words to prevent his effort from going to waste.

"Bro, he's still sleeping upstairs. It might take a bit longer. After all, he's been busy."

He spoke gently, trying not to stir the atmosphere. Cereal's hand gripped Wood's tightly.

But even those words couldn't suppress the thorns of the flowers that were about to bloom.

"If he's just sleeping, he's no different from a duck that's just taking a nap."

Fiarat's tongue pierced the air, her tied black hair swaying.

"Thinking about troubling him now is also a kind of magnanimity. Eventually, it will become clear who was right."

Again, their gazes collided and intertwined.

This time, the air seemed to lose its temperature. The floorboards of the tavern creaked as if frozen by a cold wind.

"Speaking of those not present is meaningless. An, let's get to the main topic."

Matia's words cut through the unpleasant atmosphere like a knife.

Karia and Fiarat both flinched at her words but did not open their mouths.

Both were inherently intelligent, and they knew that the previous exchange was not constructive.

But even knowing this, the needle of frustration had pierced their chests, forcing them to bare their emotions.

Prompted by Matia, An cleared his throat and slowly spoke to everyone. His voice, though different in nature from Matia's, was also clear and without unnecessary resonance.

"First, let's go over the sequence of events. Thanks to the holy maiden Matia, everyone's faith, and Lord Rugis's efforts, we have successfully reclaimed Galuamaria."

An said "reclaimed," his eyes looking out the tavern window at the sanctuary of the Emblem Church, which retained its beauty even after being taken. How much he must have longed to step into this place, to make it the foundation of his faith.

"But the problem is from here. To be honest, with our current strength, it is far too insufficient to defend or to expand our forces. Therefore, we need to rely on external forces. In the form of an alliance."

Indeed, an alliance. But with whom?

Karia and Fiarat's eyes asked this question purely out of curiosity.

Certainly, there were rulers and forces around who could be considered sympathetic to the Emblem Church.

But that was only emotionally.

In this rebellion, the Emblem Church had gained only one city, Galuamaria. That fact remained unchanged.

Moreover, in this region, the influence of the Great Holy Church was strong due to the presence of the Galuist Kingdom, which had the Great Cathedral.

"Of course, we have already sent documents suggesting alliances and assistance to various forces. But to be honest, it would be too much to expect much from them. Therefore... one. Though it is an old story, we are considering approaching a force that the Emblem Church once allied with."

An raised a finger, and it was clear that he swallowed a bit of saliva.

"Which force, you ask?" Karia's silver eyes widened, her narrowed eyes filled with suspicion.

"That force is the people who dwell in the forests and mountains... the elves. I ask that you all visit their kingdom, Gazaria, and its floating gardens."