"Believing too much in the gods is also a sin. This saying …"
Thales sucked in a deep breath and asked this teasing and irreverent joke in an appropriate manner.
"Priestess Melgen, does your goddess agree?"
However, Melgen laughed. Her tone was relaxed.
"An excellent teacher will not like a student who respects him above all, thinks his life is his, borrows his power, and hopes that he will save them without realizing it or improving at all."
Melgen cast a glance at Gilbert in a manner that was neither light nor heavy.
Gilbert, who was already numb, could not even be bothered to change his expression anymore.
Melgen spoke earnestly and earnestly.
"Those who believe in the gods should be humble. This humility also includes how you should view the gods and beliefs."
A thought appeared in Thales' mind.
'How strange.
That familiar feeling from before … is here again. '
"Then, magic and wizards."
Thales tried hard to recall his original intentions. He also tried hard to steer the topic back to what he was interested in.
"What is the status of these things that have disappeared from history for a long time in your eyes?
"Victims? The culprit? The puppets of the Path of the Youngest, or the soil and cradle?
"What is it that leads to the prohibition and taboo against magic?"
Melgen thought about it for a moment.
"In history, in the eyes of some of our traditional and conservative brothers, magic is the culprit. It deserves to be condemned by the people, and it deserves to die."
Thales nodded as if he had expected it.
But Melgen turned her head and smiled.
"But in my opinion, perhaps that is not the case."
Thales was curious again.
"Even though they are rebellious and disrespectful to our gods, and even though their arrogance brings about evil consequences, many wizards, even if they are unfortunate practitioners of the Path of the Youngest, are still respectable warriors and pioneers. Their existence is also of great significance."
Melgen nodded slowly and smiled.
"Their confidence, arrogance, and reluctance to investigate did not just affect themselves.
"I believe that the appearance of magic is the intention and gift of the gods."
Thales was stunned for a moment.
He glared at her and blew at the hair on his forehead.
Beside him, Niah almost laughed, but the clever little nun managed to turn it into a cough in time.
"More importantly, they also affected us, the Firstborn of God."
Melgen did not care about the prince's expression. She looked around the main study room in Mindis Hall and sighed.
"Look at the name of our class: Theology."
"But you know what?"
"A long time ago, the Church--any Church--had no theology. In the eyes of many brothers and sisters at that time, God was omnipotent, and all they had to do was carry it out. What was the point of studying? "
Theology.
Thales suddenly realized something.
"It was only when the mages gained power and magic ruled the world that countless problems from the Three Towers, which could be considered a few organizations among the mages, began to threaten our existence. How did the gods receive faith? What is God? Why does God exist? "
Megan's words were very calm.
But Thales took a deep breath.
Three pagodas.
True enough.
Melgen spoke with great interest.
"Their suspicions and refutations force us to not only focus on practice and action, but also to focus on belief and spirit. We have to delve deeper into the range of theories and exploration to improve ourselves.
Thales smiled and nodded at Melgen.
He understood.
That familiar feeling just now … was not a coincidence.
Humility, reflection, vigilance …
That was the familiarity that Asda felt when he was lecturing.
At the same time, Melgen's words today showed Sunset Temple's ideology and views …
That was definitely not the result of a religion, a church, or some believers shutting themselves off and working hard for thousands of years.
Instead, it was the result and product of countless capable people who were motivated and worked hard for thousands of years while facing the challenges from the mages.
Thales bit his lower lip gently.
It was just as the Old Crow said, just like how Eckstedt and Constellation influenced each other and shaped each other during their long confrontations.
Magic.
Over thousands of years, they were also one of the heroes who shaped faith, the church, and the temple into their current state while they fought and stood against each other.
But that was not all.
Melgen continued to speak.
"This is just an example. It is precisely because the Path of the Youngest is not only born from magic, but also from the church. Hence, every time magic and mages flourish, and every time faith and the temple decline, it will prompt the knowledgeable people in the church to start reflecting.
"It will prompt them to let go of their prejudices and stubbornness, cast aside their conservative ways and form, and truly listen to the oracle with devotion."
Priestess Melgen looked straight at Thales.
"Reflect on yourself.
"Reform the church.
"Seize opportunities."
Melgen spoke in a profound manner.
"Just like the Sacred Priestess Jade from a thousand years ago. After she was ravaged and raped by the army, she hung herself in the dilapidated church. She saw Holy Sun Errol's mysterious message and asked her to stop the steed of Kessel the Sixth, who was later known as the Emperor of Poison, at the risk of being beheaded.
"Just like the prophet Mohathar from seven hundred years ago. When he was dying on the battlefield after the calamity wreaked havoc, he heard Sunset Goddess's decree and extended a helping hand to find his fated King of Renaissance."
When he heard this, Thales noticed that Gilbert's expression had turned sour again while he was listening by the side.
"So …
"Even when magic was prevalent, the mages controlled the court, monopolized knowledge, and looked down on the rest, even when the Path of the Youngest was the most respected, and it was powerful and domineering …"
Melgen's expression was rather touched.
"The believers of God still held fast to their faith. They cleaned up the dilapidated churches and temples, all so that the humans, who were so confident and arrogant that they became blind and impulsive, had one more choice.
"Hence, after Bright God Church came the Church of Holy Sun, and after the Battle of Eradication came Sunset Temple."
Thales did not pay attention to the old priestess' expression. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Nun Niah.
The prince curled his lips and flashed her a bright smile.
The young nun noticed the prince's smile.
She shuddered slightly and instinctively turned around to avoid it, revealing her red ears.
But that was enough.
Thales' gaze moved past Niah and landed on the luggage on the ground, which was revealed after she turned around.
It was an ancient metal nameplate that belonged to King Anzac's tomb.
Thales curled up the corners of his lips. He did not care about the fact that it made Niah even more flustered.
Over the past thousands of years, the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department was not the only one who kept traces of magic and wizards after the World Cleansing Project.
It also included their greatest enemy.
"So, Thales, what is magic?"
Thales was momentarily lost in his thoughts and did not pay attention to it.
But fortunately, the kind Melgen did not ask him to answer.
"Magic is a mirror. It brings disaster through the Path of the Youngest. It makes us realize its absurdity and the wrong path we might take. It forces us to face our own weaknesses, discover our better selves, and return to the Path of the Eldest. As I said, the Path of the Eldest and the Youngest depend on each other and prove their importance to each other."
'Yes.
'Just like what Melgen said.
'Magic is like a mirror.
'Similarly, faith and churches are also the mirror of magic.
'They reflect, display, and retain the marks of their old enemy of a thousand years.
'Isn't that so?'
When he thought of this, Thales looked at the luggage behind Niah and the outline of the ancient nameplate. His smile became even more sincere.
Niah avoided the prince's unscrupulous gaze. She bent down stiffly and picked up the teapot with trembling hands to refill Melgen's cup of tea, which was already very full.
Melgen's voice rose again.
"In fact … the sorrow of magic is a trial that we must go through. It is the bitter fruit that is naturally born when we are immersed in our own sins for a long time without realizing it.
"It is the wrath and punishment of the gods when we betray the true meaning of our faith, misinterpret the gods' will, ignore our own glory, and fall into the trap of the Path of the Youngest.
"This is what it means to us, and perhaps to the world."
When she said this, Melgen could not help but sigh.
"The path of faith is not always smooth. Everyone will encounter setbacks, and every era will sink into darkness. But we believe that every setback is just a test from the gods to strengthen our faith and loyalty. They are the ones who encourage the conflict between the young and old to show us the path that humans should take.
"To the believers of the gods, faith is always in danger, doubts are always present, and conflicts between the young and the old are always present."
She looked at the setting sun outside the window and said gratefully,
"But as long as the Flame of the Eldest is not extinguished …
"The Disaster of the Youngest will eventually come to an end."
The room returned to silence.
The sky outside the window gradually darkened. Dusk was approaching.
"Priestess Melgen, I have to say this."
Thales suddenly spoke with half sincerity, and the other half was deliberate.
"What you said today is indeed thought-provoking, and it will leave a lasting impression on me."
Melgen smiled and bowed politely to Thales.
"If I can inspire you even a little, it will be my fortune, and it will also be a gift from the goddess."
Thales nodded gratefully.
"So, if I have any doubts in the future, I can go to Sunset Temple and ask for your guidance in person?"
* Crack! *
Everyone in the room was startled.
It was Niya.
She had broken a teacup at some point in time, and she was picking it up from the ground in a flurry. Her ears behind the veil were extremely red.
The people in the room had extraordinary self-restraint. The three of them only glanced at her before they looked away, as if they did not see her.
"It is my honor, Your Highness. Sunset Goddess accepts every believer who wants to get close to her."
Melgen seemed to be in a good mood.
"You are welcome to visit me at any time. You don't even need to invite me in advance. I will have Niya receive you."
"Ah!"
The three of them looked away again.
Niya had pricked her finger when she was picking up the shards on the carpet. She covered her wound and looked up at Melgen with tears in her eyes, as if she had been wronged.
Melgen glared at the young nun in displeasure, and the latter quickly stood up nervously.
"Then …"
The old priestess coughed and stood up. She returned to her amiable state.
"Let's call it a day."
Thales stood up as well, and his smile remained the same.
"So soon?"
'That's great.'
Melgen smiled and pointed at the sky.
"The setting sun has passed, and dark night is about to arrive."
Her tone was a little profound.
"However, the starry sky is bright, and it foretells a myriad of things.
It cannot be imagined. "
Thales blinked.
"Is this a prophecy?"
'The kind that flatters me?'
"Besides the prophets and messengers of God, no one can make a prophecy." Melgen smiled softly.
"But even if it is a prophecy, it is just a prophecy."
Thales did not understand the logic behind her rambling, so he decided to just continue smiling.
"Besides, Madam Jines told me to give you more time to rest."
This caused Thales to be slightly moved.
"You know Madam Jines?"
"I know many people," Melgen said with a myriad of emotions in her voice, "and I have also seen many things.
However, the things that God knows and has seen will only be more.
However, they only remain silent and protect the living. "
Thales could only smile politely again.
'God … protects the living?'
The teenager pinched the scar at the center of his left palm.
It was a scar that was left behind many times due to using mystic energy, and it was difficult to get rid of it.
'Alright.
If there really is a God … '
Thales thought in a mocking manner.
'Then it definitely doesn't know me.'
After he watched Melgen and Niya leave into the distance, Gilbert slowly walked over.
He stared at the shattered teacup on the ground and sighed slowly.
"It seems like the honorable Priestess Melgen had a great harvest today."
Gilbert's choice of words was polite, and his tone was appropriate.
'But it sounds a little …
Sour? '
Thales smiled faintly.
"Take a guess. If I had said earlier that I wanted to visit them frequently in the temple, would she have ended her lessons earlier?"
Thales quirked an eyebrow.
"If that is the case …"
Gilbert looked at Thales with a thought-provoking gaze. "Did you understand her lessons?"
Thales shrugged, raised his right hand, and rubbed the gap between his thumb and index finger.
"A little."
Gilbert's eyes lit up.
"That's good."
Gilbert nodded in understanding, and the sour tone in his voice finally lessened a little.
The Foreign Affairs Minister cast a sideways glance at the door.
"Forgive me for taking my leave, Your Highness."
He glared at the door and did not even look at Thales.
"I still have to catch up and have a not-so-pleasant conversation with Priestess Melgen."
Gilbert chased after his guest with a hostile expression.
But Thales smiled.
He sat down again and thought about what he learned from today's lesson.
"Erm, Your Highness?
Did you do anything to that young nun? "
Thales looked up and noticed that it was Doyle and not the usual servants who came in to help him light up the Everlasting Lamp at night.
Mallos, the watchman, narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, lectured him afterward, "So you said that because the servants did not come, you were forced to help His Highness light up the lamp … and the servants did not come because you sent them to light up the lamp. Doyle, don't you think that there is something wrong with your explanation?"
Doyle said in puzzlement,
"I just noticed that when she left, she kept turning around to look at you. She looked very scared …"
Thales frowned.
"I didn't do anything?"
Doyle lit up a lamp. He seemed to be deep in thought, and his expression slowly changed.
"Alright then.
"But that scary old lady …"
Thales looked up again.
As the lamp was lit up, Doyle was seen mumbling,
"I was very close … and could not help but listen. You know, the Eldest and the Youngest depend on each other … What she said made sense, didn't it?"
Thales stretched his arms and curled up the corners of his lips.
"Made sense?"
When he saw that the duke's interest had been piqued, Doyle quickly turned around to talk to him.
"Yes … She was quite tolerant towards that nuisance of magic. She was neither hostile nor discriminating against it. She was very gentle, and she spoke much better than the old monk my family hired. He only knew how to nag about things like 'ancient wizards are all believers of the devil, and they summoned calamities to destroy the world' …"
Thales thought for a while before he snorted softly.
"Aside from her tone, I can't see any gentleness in her stance."
Doyle was stunned.
"Huh?"
"But she did not completely deny magic. She even reflected on the church's own mistakes and said that magic and wizards are the driving force behind their improvement …"
As he listened to Doyle's words, Thales' expression changed several times.
A few seconds later, when Doyle's voice slowly faded away, Thales spoke again.
"As expected, Gilbert was right."
Thales sighed.
"Grammar lessons are really important."
Doyle's smile froze.
"What?"
Thales leaned against the back of his chair and looked at the confused Doyle in front of him. He flashed a smile and said,
"According to Priestess Melgen, this is no longer a matter of whether magic is good or bad …"
As Thales spoke, he put on a contemplative expression.
"If the church and their beliefs are corrupted, it must be because they walked down the wrong path and fell into the Path of the Youngest."
He thought about it.
"Similarly, if magic is beneficial, it must be because the person who uses magic has found the right path and followed the Path of the Eldest."
Doyle rolled his eyes.
"Gentle?"
Thales repeated and snorted softly in a thought-provoking manner.
"Truth be told, I cannot find a more unyielding attitude than this."
Doyle first tried his best to understand what Thales meant. Then, he put on an enlightened expression that said, "Oh, I see."
"That's right. Priestess Melgen is neither hostile nor discriminating against magic."
Thales did not notice Doyle's expression. Instead, he said in a daze,
Instead, he said absentmindedly, "On the contrary.
She wants to use the name of the gods …
"To dominate magic."
Thales looked out the window with a profound gaze.
It was dusk, and the sun was about to disappear from the horizon.
'And …
'"What leads to the prohibition and taboo of magic?"'
Thales recalled the question he had asked twice since the beginning of the lesson.
Melgen did not answer.
'Is it because she's old and her memory is bad?
'Or … is it a coincidence?'
Doyle blinked in bewilderment. He did not know how to flatter Thales next.
But Thales ignored him. He only snorted softly and packed up the Sunset Goddess' Apostles' Acts that he had found for the lesson but never used.
'It seems like the self-cultivation of the church believers is not that simple …'
"And I have reason to believe that if some people listen to these words, they will definitely not be happy — What the f * ck, what the f * ck!"
Thales' mutterings suddenly turned into loud cries of surprise.
This made the people around him wary. Doyle was also shocked.
"Your Highness?"
Glover and Jonveled rushed into the study room with wary expressions.
"Are you alright?"
Doyle even ran to the prince in a few steps. He glared at Thales and pressed his hand on his sword as if he was loyal.
"What happened?"
Thales took a deep breath and calmed his emotions, but his face was livid. His eyes were wide open.
"I'm fine."
Thales raised his head. His sitting posture was very unnatural.
"You may leave."
He finished his sentence with a gloomy expression.
Glover and Jonveled breathed a sigh of relief.
They scanned the study, then checked the windows and bookshelves, including the ridiculously large Eternal Oil Clock. Only then did they prepare to leave warily.
"Are … Are you sure?"
But Doyle's attention was on Thales. He looked nervous. "Your Highness, you don't look too good.
Is there anything I can do for you? "
Thales sucked in another breath.
"Yes," Thales said through gritted teeth, his face full of pain.
He gritted his teeth and said, "A strand of hair in my pants is tied up by an important organ.
"It hurts."
Thales glared at him and hissed in a suppressed voice, "You're right.
"Can you help me?"
The room was quiet for a second.
"Of course, no problem —"
Doyle, who was in a hurry to claim credit, did not pay attention to what the prince said. He also did not notice the gloomy atmosphere around the prince. He walked forward with a proud expression, but he was suddenly dragged back by Glover.
Glover stuttered for a few seconds before he said hesitantly,
"Then … we will not disturb you."
Even Zombie's unchanging expression was a little awkward at that moment.
"We will leave. Give His Highness some … personal space."
Thales smiled stiffly and waved his hand stiffly.
Doyle only reacted then. He smiled embarrassedly while equally awkward. He could not help but glance at Thales' body under the study table.
"Oh, okay. Then … be careful when you deal with it yourself. If there is a need, we can …"
Before the reluctant Doyle could finish speaking, Glover and Jonveled each grabbed him by the arms, lifted his feet off the ground, and carried him out of the study while facing Thales.
A few seconds later.
Thales watched as the door was closed. He heard Doyle's struggling voice gradually weaken. He was certain that there was no one in the study. Then, he relaxed his tense shoulders.
The gloomy atmosphere around the prince gradually dissipated.
The Duke of Star Lake sighed, but he still looked like he was in pain.
He lowered his head and reached his hand under the study table. He reached between his legs, which were tightly clamped together.
But he did not want to caress a certain part. Instead, he pulled out …
A book.
Thales looked displeased. He stared at the Sunset Goddess' Apostles' Acts in a daze and snorted softly from time to time.
A few seconds later, the teenage prince flipped it open with a gloomy expression.
Then, he took out a damned, luxurious, brand new, sky-blue, and made of Rilan hard paper from one of the pages …
An invitation.
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