The handover at the docks took Wright a long time. It was not until he saw with his own eyes that the refugees from the Holy Spirit Plains completed all the registration, accepted the plague examination by the doctors, and were sent to the buffer camp to rest by the soldiers that he was relieved.
These people chose to leave their homeland and go to the unknown land in the south because of their trust in him. Although they were attacked by the Church of Holy Light and captured by the liege, and had no way out, the south was not the only way they could go. But since these people chose to follow him, he had to bear the responsibility until the end.
Only by doing one's duty can one talk about morality — that was what the Holy Light told him.
The Holy Light …
Wright stood at the edge of the docks square and looked down at his thick and strong hands. There were still two wounds on his palms that were still healing. It was the result of a conflict with several local church soldiers when he crossed Calor. Two small wounds in exchange for the life of an innocent girl who was labeled as a cultist, it was a worthwhile price to pay. But the two small wounds had not fully healed, which could only mean that the Holy Light had really left him.
Wright sighed softly, then raised his head and looked at the bustling and lively streets in the city.
"Cecil … I'm back."
He walked through the busy and fishy streets of the docks, Pine Street, Cobblestone Park, and finally came to the liege's mansion.
In the study of the liege's mansion, Gwen, who was reviewing reports, saw Wright Avelken who was wearing a plain cloth. He was a little surprised that the priest had come back early, but before Wright came in, he had already heard about what happened at the docks square from Amber. He nodded at the strong priest. "Welcome back. I heard that you brought back a dozen refugees? Was it a smooth journey? "
"Thank you for your concern." Wright bowed his head slightly. "I met those people on my way back. It was an unexpected situation."
He did not expect to bring so many people back. At first, he just wanted to bring back the young couple he met in the village north of Rock Fortress to Cecil, but he did not expect to meet more people who needed help on the way back. In the end, more and more people followed him and formed a small team. Fortunately, he met the caravan returning to Cecil after crossing Calor. Otherwise, the journey would have been much more difficult.
"Where's your priest's robe?" Gwen looked at Wright curiously. "And the prayer book you usually hang around your waist?"
"I sold them," Wright said frankly. "There were more than a dozen people who needed to eat, and I didn't have enough money to travel. They were all poor people, and most of their properties had been taken away by the local lords or the church. When they followed me on the road, they were penniless, so I sold my robe and prayer book."
Gawain was taken aback. "Sold it? "Shouldn't that be very important to you?"
Wright smiled slightly. "The robe is just an old one. Although the material is good, it's just a piece of clothing. I copied the prayer book myself. I can memorize all the contents in it. I can write another one from memory later. The teaching of the Holy Light is not in the carrier, but in the heart. "
Looking at the calm priest of the Holy Light, Gwen could not help but feel a little touched. He nodded gently and did not mention the robe and prayer book again. Instead, he asked about Wright's experience in the Holy Spirit Plains. "You came back early. You must have seen what you wanted to see, right?"
"To be honest, I would rather not have seen it." Wright sighed. "The church has fallen. It should be said that it has fallen long ago. I have deliberately ignored this fact and used the saying that 'everyone believes in the Holy Light' to numb myself. Today's Holy Spirit Plains is no longer a paradise under the protection of the Holy Light. The greedy priests and the greedy nobles have colluded together, squeezing the last drop of blood and sweat from the civilians and expelling all disobedient people from the land where they have lived for generations. The only thing I can't believe is that I left there for only two years, and they can fall so quickly and completely. "
"According to the information from the Holy Spirit Plains, since the Holy Light Church held a meeting of cardinals above the level of bishop last year, their behavior has become more and more extreme. On the one hand, the Holy Light Church has been expanding and corrupting for so many years. On the other hand, it must have been incited by the church's upper echelons." Gwen said what he knew. After that, he looked into Wright's eyes. "But I believe that a church can't fall one hundred percent. Just like you, in my eyes, you are a true practitioner of the Holy Light. Mr. Wright, welcome back to this still clean land. The key of the church is with the manager of the Preaching Square. I have already ordered that you can go back to manage the church at any time."
"… My lord, that's what I want to say." Wright suddenly smiled bitterly and spread out his hands. "I'm afraid I can no longer serve as a priest of the Holy Light. The same goes for the management of the church."
This was really out of Gwen's expectation. He stopped reading the report and looked at the only priest in the territory in front of him in surprise. "What's the matter? Don't tell me you're so traumatized that you quit the church? "
Wright did not answer directly. Instead, he raised his hands. A moment later, a little bit of holy white light burst out between his hands. But this light did not last for even a second before it dissipated.
Gwen only felt a very weak fluctuation of magic. The fluctuation was so weak that it could not even be called a trick, let alone an official divine spell or magic.
"What's the matter?" He frowned and asked. He knew Wright's original strength. Although this priest's style was a little strange, his divine skills and priest profession level were solid. And because of his strong faith and high affinity with the Holy Light, his divine power was even in the upper echelons of priests of the same level. How could he not even cast a spark of Holy Light after going out?
"I did something against the Holy Light," Wright said with a bitter smile. "I beat up a fellow believer of the Holy Light. And I continued to beat him after he lost the ability to resist. After that, my power of the Holy Light rapidly declined."
Gwen's expression became serious. He stared into Wright's eyes and asked, "What happened?"
Wright did not hide anything. He immediately told Hao Ren about his experience in the small village north of Firmrock Fortress. He did not hide his anger and violent behavior when he beat up the two soldiers and the priest, nor did he hide his contempt and disgust for them. But after he finished, he sighed and said, "I don't regret my actions, but I did go against the teachings of the Holy Light. I should have a better way to deal with it. But I was still blinded by anger."
Gwen frowned and asked, "What happened after that?"
Wright spread out his hands and said, "After that, I began my return journey. And on the way, I saved a dozen people … and also taught a dozen people a lesson."
Gwen thought to himself that this priest seemed to have been blinded by anger many times … Or maybe he just went for broke?
He stood up from behind the desk and walked back and forth in front of Wright. He fell into deep thought as he walked. After a while, he raised his head again. "You think it's because your actions deviated from the Holy Light that you lost the power of the Holy Light?"
Wright nodded and said, "That's the only explanation."
Gwen stroked the beard on his chin with his hand. After pondering for a moment, he looked at Wright and asked, "Then who do you think has deviated from the Holy Light more seriously, you or the priest you taught a lesson to?"
"This …" Wright was probably so shocked that he did not even think about this question. Now that Gwen asked him, he began to think. "I don't know …"
"You know, no one has a deeper understanding of the Holy Light than you, and no one practices the Holy Light better than you," Gwen interrupted Wright. "Obviously, if you beat up a priest, it's against the Holy Light. Then those priests who collude with the local nobles for money, falsely accuse innocent civilians, and hurt the innocent with divine arts are simply the enemies of the Holy Light, the dark side of the world."
Wright was a little speechless for a moment. "This …"
Gwen did not give him a chance to continue thinking. Instead, he continued, "Now the situation is that you have lost the power of the Holy Light, but those priests who have violated the teachings of the Holy Light more than you can still use divine arts. Why do you think this is?"
Wright was lost in thought. Gwen looked at the priest who had lost the power of the Holy Light and was also lost in thought.
He had always been curious about the gods and related religious beliefs in this world, but he did not dare to delve into it because he was afraid of the strange nature of the gods. But now, a special research sample had appeared. Perhaps it was a bit unfair to Wright, but this priest had indeed become a special research sample.
Right in front of Gwen, there was a living example of a priest who had lost his divine arts because of his wavering faith.
Did the process of Wright losing the favor of the Holy Light … reveal some secrets of divine arts? Or … reveal some secrets of the connection between man and god?
Was the so-called divine arts just a process of "self-suggestion," "self-affirmation," and "self-identification?" Or … this process strengthened the connection between man and god, leading to the creation of divine arts?
While thinking, Gwen came up with another idea. If Wright was allowed to re-establish his self-affirmation, and let him believe from the bottom of his heart that his actions were in accordance with the true meaning of the Holy Light, then would his divine arts come back?
But this idea was rejected as soon as it appeared. Although Wright had always said that his actions violated the teachings of the Holy Light, but looking at his current performance, it was obvious that he did not think so deep down in his heart. He clearly knew that the one who really violated the teachings of the Holy Light was the priest who was beaten by him. So, his subconscious did not waver in his belief in the Holy Light …
His wavering was on a different level.
Gwen thought quickly. It only took a few seconds for so many thoughts to flash through his mind. He looked at Wright who was still in deep thought, and after a moment of silence, he broke the silence. "Mr. Wright, you are still the priest of the territory."
Wright looked up in surprise. "But the Lord …"
"I know you have lost your divine arts," Gwen raised his hand to interrupt Wright. "But is the divine arts really everything to you as a priest?
"Your belief in the Holy Light, your adherence to those virtues, and your enthusiasm for the work of leading people to do good are still unchanged. And as long as these things do not change, you are the best candidate for the priest of the territory.
"Mr. Wright, you are just temporarily confused. But remember, losing your divine arts does not mean that you can't continue to help others. The dozen people you brought back were basically saved after you lost your divine arts, right?"
Wright was stunned for a moment, and finally nodded slightly. "As you said."
"Go back to the church and think about it." Gwen sighed softly. "These days, many people have been asking the manager of the preaching square about you. They are waiting for you to come back."
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