To be honest, Gwen had a good impression of Veronica if he removed the last bit of "preaching". The Saintess Princess did indeed have some qualities that made people want to praise her. She was humble, polite, gentle, and approachable. These qualities were rare among the nobles of this era. Furthermore, Gwen could tell that her approachability was not faked, and it was not only targeted at him. When they passed by the messy construction site in the camp and saw the busy and vulgar commoners and serfs, she maintained a smile on her face. There was no disdain or estrangement in her words, actions, or eyes. On the other hand, Count Cohen, who was beside her, had a look of disdain and impatience.
Even if Veronica's acting was amazing and she pretended to be close to the commoners, in Gwen's eyes, it was not easy. After all, the nobles of this era did not even consider the need to be close to the commoners. They were too lazy to even pretend to be close to them.
But at the end of the day, Veronica was a believer who had converted to the God of Holy Light long ago. Not only that, it didn't seem like a simple political transaction that the outside world made it out to be. Veronica had wholeheartedly devoted herself to the God of Holy Light, to the point of fanaticism.
Gwen did not have any objection to religion, especially when the power of faith existed in this world. He saw religion as an inevitable and natural phenomenon in this world. Since the gods had more or less protected the commoners under their name, he would not have any ill feelings towards the gods. But he could not accept Veronica's preaching attitude... After all, he still had the attitude of "respect the gods and stay away from them" from his previous life.
Veronica was keenly aware of the change in Gwen's attitude, but she did not think too much about it. Instead, she saw it as the normal vigilance of a nobleman towards external forces interfering in their rule. After all, her title as the "Saintess Princess" was half a princess. She more or less carried the shadow of the royal family. So on this topic, she did not say much.
Finally, it was time for these distinguished guests from the Captical to depart.
The White Oak by the White Water River was ready to depart. Gwen watched the Adoratrice and her two entourages walk to the gangplank leading to the deck. But before stepping on the deck, Veronica suddenly stopped and turned around. "Duke Cecil, in fact, I have a rather presumptuous question to ask you, but I dare not say it out loud. Now, can you satisfy this junior's little curiosity?"
Gwen nodded with a smile. He felt that his expression at this moment could only be described as benevolent. He had been too immersed in the role of an ancestor in front of the few 'juniors' for a long time. "Just ask if you have any questions. As long as I know them, and they do not involve privacy or confidentiality, it will be fine."
"I don't know if this is considered privacy or not." Veronica smiled faintly. "In the years when you … returned to the Kingdom of the Dead, have you ever seen the gods?"
Although she was just smiling faintly, Gawain still felt that there was some kind of religious fanaticism in her smile. He chuckled awkwardly and spread out his hands. "No. Probably because I didn't die thoroughly back then, the gods didn't treat me as a dead person at all, so they ignored me."
"Is that so …" Veronica seemed a little disappointed. She shook her head thoughtfully. "Thank you for your answer. I will pray for you and your territory in front of the Lord."
Having said that, the Saintess led Count Cohen and Lady Sandy, who had been shining in Gawain's eyes the entire time, onto the deck. The three figures soon disappeared behind the railing of the White Oak.
After the fleet left, Gwen and the others walked down the dock and returned to the camp.
On the way, Heti, who took the time to see them off, seemed to have something on her mind. Gwen saw her and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Heti opened her mouth a few times, but she could not help but say, "Ancestor, I heard that you rejected Her Highness Veronica's kindness to help you establish the Church of Holy Light?"
"Is it kindness …" Gwen pursed his lips and looked into Heti's eyes. "Do you think it's inappropriate?"
"The priests of the Church of Holy Light have the ability to heal and soothe people's hearts," Heti said. "Now the territory is very short of medical personnel. Although Mr. Pitman is a qualified Druil, he has to spend most of his energy on agriculture. The supply of the potions he makes has been in short supply for a long time, especially since the recent battle has caused a lot of casualties. The medicine in the territory is almost used up, and we have to urgently go to Tanzania Town to buy more. If there are one or two priests of the God of Holy Light, or even just a trainee, it will be enough to alleviate this situation."
"That's right." Rebecca could not help but chime in as well. "Our fief can't afford a proper church, and it's not worth it to hire a priest ourselves. If Her Highness is willing to help us build a church, we can save a lot of money! And the priest sent by Her Highness certainly won't be a dabbler from a small church in the countryside. It's more cost-effective. "
"I don't like the Church of Holy Light," Amber muttered behind Gwen. "They're weird, inflexible and stubborn. I believe in the Goddess of the Night like I was born to kill their whole family. Wherever I go, they'll give me the cold shoulder …"
Rebecca rolled her eyes at Amber. "Isn't it because you go to the Church of Holy Light all day long to steal things?"
"Don't talk nonsense! When have I ever been caught stealing?! " Amber glared. "They obviously didn't find out who stole the things, but they still want to find trouble with me. Isn't that just stirring up trouble?"
Gwen and his two granddaughters were stunned. The half-elf's strong logic instantly killed three people.
Then Gwen decided to completely ignore the shame of all things. "Of course, I know that Veronica's suggestion is very cost-effective, but I also have my own considerations. Do you really think that she'll help us establish the local church simply to build a church and send a priest?"
Heti was not as simple-minded as Rebecca. She quickly reacted. "You mean … I'm afraid that the royal family and the Church of Holy Light are behind this? It shouldn't be … Princess Veronica's integrity and piety are well known. She's a devout believer in the God of Holy Light and will never let interests pollute her faith … "
"She won't, but it doesn't mean that others won't. Didn't you see the people she brought with her? One is a high-ranking priestess of the Church of Holy Light. Although she didn't say much, she almost never left Veronica's side. The other is an internal count personally conferred by the king, and this internal count was' cut out 'from the Lorren family in the Eastern Region. "Gwen pursed his lips." The royal family and the Holy See are like protectors standing beside the Saintess. They don't give Veronica a chance to leave their sight for a moment. That princess's own devout faith is clearly unable to stop the thoughts of other less devout people. Under such circumstances, I dare not accept her good intentions so easily. "
Heti and Rebecca heard this and could not help but show a thoughtful look. The former was thinking about the possible ideas and plans of the royal family and the church, while the latter was mainly thinking about what the old ancestor was talking about.
After Gwen finished, he immediately mentioned something that he was also very concerned about. "Besides … I think something that Princess Veronica said to me is very concerning."
Amber was curious. "What's that? She's said a lot to you today! "
"Although there are many gods, only the God of Holy Light can tolerate everything. At the end of the Holy Light is the ultimate salvation of fools." Gwen repeated Veronica's preaching-like words word for word. "Don't you think there's something wrong with this sentence?"
"What's the problem? Isn't it just a phrase that those Holy Light scammers love to use?" Hu Po scratched his head. "They love to proclaim how much love their God has for all. It's as if the whole world is their son …"
"Most of the latter part is indeed the preaching words of the Holy Light Church, but she added a sentence in front — although there are many gods," Gwen's tone was a little serious. "This sentence is very short, and she said it very indifferently. But this sentence is not something that the believers of the Holy Light Church would usually say."
Heti reacted for a moment and said with uncertainty, "Is she … putting the God of Holy Light above all the gods?"
Gwen nodded slightly. "It's an inconspicuous inducement, but that's what it means."
Everyone's expression became strange.
There were many religions in this world, which Gwen had long known: there were dozens of famous religions, and hundreds of small religions with limited spread in the countryside. Those hidden and passed down in some small groups and organizations were even more numerous. Almost every religion that could be passed down steadily would have its own divine arts, which meant that there was a real source of divine power behind them — a god, or something as powerful as a god.
There were so many religions on the continent today, but they maintained a relatively balanced situation. Their balance was even higher than that of countries and races. Even if a few countries broke out in war, the mainstream religions of these countries would still stay out of it.
Of course, this wasn't always the case. In fact, in history, religious wars had broken out on this continent countless times. Annexations and invasions in the name of religion were all over the history books. Even when the humans were united as a single country, there were often local wars between different faiths within the borders of the Gondor Empire.
During those years when Gwen was hanging in the sky, he had seen the religious wars to the point where he was seriously sick of them. It was worth mentioning that he could not turn over or close his eyes at that time.
But no matter how hard the various sects fought, they were indeed "peaceful" now.
All the disputes stopped when the Demonic Tide broke out in Gondor.
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