Chapter 305: Lofty Ambition
Translator: Subudai11 Editor: Chrissy
The central plaza of Dragon City was also the dining center of the business district. Around the wide square, there were all kinds of food and beverage shops. Cuisines from all over the country, along with their attractive aroma, intertwined with each other in the square, which was an absolutely irresistible temptation to the passing pedestrians.
Among which, a wonderful fragrance impressively stood out. If someone had a good culinary skill, they might be able to identify that this was the fragrant smell of the crystal candy.
From the most upscale candy store in Dragon City business district, this luxury candy was developed by the famous candy master in Brettonia food industry, using high-end alchemy materials. A small can of it was worth ten pieces of magic coins. For ordinary people, this was a sky-high price that they could never hope to afford.
And at this moment, two girls, sitting side by side, were happily sharing this candy.
Liu Li was simple and straightforward, so she tended to do things openly. She would happily eat the things that she likes, and not touch things that she dislikes. The crystal candy was expensive, but in her view, it was just an especially delicious candy. While holding the crystal candy jar, she straightforwardly put the crystal-like transparent candy into her mouth. Her face continued to be permeated with a happy expression, which caused many passersby to inwardly sigh at the carelessness and wastefulness of this stunning girl.
Little Irene was more cautious. Although she was the daughter of the Holy Light Religion Holy Woman and Dragon City Master, and thus was born in luxury, she has a natural reverence for the food. Sitting on the bench, the little girl held the candy and solemnly prayed.
"Thank you for the benevolence of Holy Light for giving me the candy, Irene will cherish the blessing of the Holy Light…"
After a long and tedious prayer, Irene excitedly opened her eyes, and carefully put the candy into her mouth. Immediately, her little face bloomed with a happy smile.
From the side, Liu Li curiously looked at her. "What did you just say?"
While holding the candy and savoring the sweet taste in her mouth, Irene replied, "It’s the prayer before the meal. It’s used to thank the grace of the Holy Light."
Liu Li strangely asked, "Why would you thank the Holy Light? I am the one who gave you that candy."
Irene hurriedly explained, "I am of course very grateful to big sister! But I must also thank the almighty Holy Light. Because without the guidance of the Holy Light, I will not be able to meet big sister, and will not get this candy. The Holy Light creates all the things in the world. Without the Holy Light, there’s no world, nor our happiness. Everything is from the Holy Light, so we must always be grateful."
Liu Li found it difficult to agree. "But, this is a bit unreasonable. I am obviously a person from the Nine Regions. Our Nine Regions also have our own creation legend. My cause and effect have nothing to do with the Holy Light, so when I share my candy with you, you can’t say it’s because of the guidance of the Holy Light."
"This…" Irene revealed a puzzled expression.
"Moreover, if everything in the world comes from the Holy Light, then is the suffering also from the Holy Light?"
Irene explained, "The suffering of the world comes from the original sin of the human. People are born dirty, so they need the suffering to purify their mind and body, until they finally integrate with the sea of Holy Light, enjoying the endless, boundless happiness."
"People are born dirty? Is this also bestowed upon by Holy Light?"
"No. It’s because the ancestors of human committed the unpardonable sin and defiled their purity." Irene tried to remember the religious doctrine that she had learned in the church.
"Then when the ancestors of human—both in the Western Continent and Nine Regions—made mistakes, why didn’t the Holy Light stop them?"
Irene froze for a moment. "It’s probably because at that time the Holy Light didn’t notice it?"
Liu Li asked again, "But, since it’s the Holy Light who created everything, it should know that at that time human may make mistakes, and thus should be carefully told or strictly cared for. The Holy Light should be responsible for the bad things that were made by the human."
Irene became even more confused. "Eh? Big Sister, your view is so strange that I’ve never heard of it."
Liu Li nodded her head. "It’s indeed strange, but I can’t help it, it’s Senior Brother who asked me to carry it."
"Senior Brother?"
"It’s nothing." Liu Li shook her head, and then she offered Irene another crystal candy. "After I arrived at Brettonia, I saw that a lot of people believe in Holy Light, so I very much want to know what exactly is this Holy Light. At the same time, I also have many questions about Holy Light, but it seems like you don’t know about them."
Irene was somewhat embarrassed. "Em, there are many things that Irene is also not clear; I haven’t finished my religious doctrine study… But, Big Sister, if you are interested in Holy Light, I can ask my mother to guide you to get closer to the Holy Light. She is the church Holy Woman, so she will definitely be able to answer your confusion."
Liu Li immediately said with amazement, "Holy Woman? Can you, really?"
"Of course!" Irene emphatically nodded. "As long as I earnestly plead, mom will certainly agree. She really likes preaching for the people, directing them to the Holy Light."
"Then that’s great." Liu Li showed a pleasantly surprised look. "Actually, I have a few friends who are interested in the Holy Light. I don’t know if they also can come to listen?"
"Sure. No problem!"
—
"What? There’s a Big Sister from Eastern Nine Regions Continent you say? And she shared her candy with you?"
That night, in Dragon City cathedral, the Holy Woman Marina inquired about her daughter’s day and slightly wrinkled her brows.
"How could you casually eat other people’s things… Did you say thank you to that sister?"
Irene raised her hand earnestly. "Yes! Irene sincerely thanked her. Moreover, I asked the blessings of Holy Light for Big Sister."
"Mm, very good." Marina appreciatively touched her daughter’s head. Thinking that although young, her daughter was quite sensible.
"However, when eating the candy, that sister asked me a lot of strange questions. Irene only answered a few, but there are still a lot that is unanswered."
"What is it?"
Irene then repeated the questions from Liu Li. Upon hearing them, Marina could not help but smile. "Actually, the answer to those questions are there in our religious doctrine. The reason why you can’t answer them is that your understanding of our religious doctrine is not yet profound."
"Oh." Irene was somewhat depressed, but she quickly cheered up. "Mom, sister said that she and a few of her friends are very interested in the religious doctrine of Holy Light. I promised her to ask you to preach to them. Can you?"
"Wanting me to preach them?" Marina was astonished.
"Yes. Sister said that she would bring her friends to the church on her next day off, in fifteen days, can you?"
As the Holy Woman of the Holy Light Religion, Marina was of course certainly happy to attract people to believe in Holy Light, but she was keen to capture the detail. Day off in fifteen days? Most of the people in Dragon City have a day off in seven to ten days, but fifteen days was the standard of Dragon City Guardian.
"Mm, sister is indeed a Dragon City Guard, a new recruit."
"A new recruit to the Dragon City Guard? No wonder…" Marina inwardly sighed. For that regiment strictly under the control of Bedivere, Holy Light Religion has no way of accessing them. Bedivere had acquiesced to many demands of the church, but he didn’t allow them to extend their tentacles too much into the regiment. Dragon City Guard could, on their own, believe in Holy Light, but he never allowed the church to openly preach in the barracks. At the same time, there was a negative treatment, in regard to promotion and day to day task, to the Dragon City Guards who believed in Holy Light, which was not lost in the eyes of the other Dragon City Guards. Over time, Dragon City Guards naturally understood the inclination of the Dragon City Master, so most of them consciously avoided the Holy Light. Only the new recruits, who have yet to understand the situation, would take the initiative to approach the Holy Light.
However, these fated people, who unexpectedly came from Nine Regions, were really an abnormal bunch. Usually, the visitors from afar who were not contaminated with the Holy Light were often treated as incorrigible heretics by the church.
However, Marina would give it a try.
Inwardly, she thought that perhaps this would be an opportunity to build a bridge between Holy Light Religion and Bedivere.
—
Half a month later, Dragon City Cathedral welcomed in the two maidens from the Eastern Nine Regions Continent. One was a lively, gorgeously dressed in a rainbow-like colorful dress girl, while another was a tranquil and composed girl who exuded a reassuring aura.
This was Liu Li’s invited friend, Bai Shixuan.
The Holy Woman Marina was waiting at the door. Beside her, Irene excitedly waved her arm. "Big Sister, over here!"
Upon seeing that there were just two of them, Marina was slightly disappointed. However, she immediately cast aside this trivial concern, raised her spirit and sent out her Holy Light smile.
After that, the Holy Woman led Liu Li and Bai Shixuan to her solitary courtyard villa and began her missionary work under the tree shade.
"The filth of human comes from their ignorance, only by having the Holy Light in their heart and through suffering can they wash away their filth and obtain the great wisdom."
"The Holy Light bestowed misery like a stern father and granted warmth like a caring mother."
…
One by one, the questions of Liu Li that were left unanswered by Irene were easily explained by Marina. As a Holy Woman, her understanding of the religious doctrine was very profound, thus Liu Li’s questions were not the problem here. When they were doing missionary work in a distant place, they’ve already come across things that were harder than this. In fact, in Marina’s view, for Liu Li to ask such questions meant that she was willing to learn about Holy Light, her heart was already opened to the Holy Light!
Before they knew it, the day has passed and the sunset has arrived; the missionary day has also come to an end.
Liu Li and Bai Shixuan showed a satisfied expression and expressed their gratitude before leaving.
Marina took a long sigh of relief. After many years, this was the first time she was able to carry out such a long missionary work for the Dragon City Guards.
Previously, whenever Dragon City Guards met her, they would immediately avoid her out of fear. Fear of being known to have a relationship with the Holy Light Religion by the Dragon City Master.
Moreover, the qualifications of the two Eastern Continent girls were simply amazing. That lively, crystal-clear-like girl was unexpectedly like a legendary unblemished saint. The other elegant and calm girl, on the other hand, exuded the majestic aura of nature. For the Holy Light, these were the best qualifications. With a bit of carving, they would show their brilliance, and their future achievements would definitely be far beyond that of her own.
Suddenly, Marina could not help but sigh. Could it be that this is the blessing of the Holy Light?
After many years of patiently waiting, an opportunity finally presented itself.
In the following month, whenever they have their day off, Liu Li and Bai Shixuan would come to the church and carefully listen to the preaching of the Holy Woman Marina.
Marina could already clearly feel that the two Eastern Continent girls, under her guidance, have already moved closer and closer to the Holy Light. Bai Shixuan, beyond expectation, was even able to spontaneously release the Holy Light spell, surprisingly progressing even faster than Liu Li who she valued more! The two people’s affinity to Holy Light was simply shocking!
That evening, after finishing her preach, Marina was incredibly gratified to hear Liu Li’s slightly hesitant question, "Marina, can we… join Holy Light Religion?"
At this point, Marina felt that her hard work had been fully rewarded.
"Of course you can. Holy Light Religion welcome all the people who believe in Holy Light. However, for you guys, this is an important decision, so you should seriously think about it before making the decision."
"Okay, we will seriously think about it." Liu Li nodded, said goodbye and then left with Bai Shixuan.
After sending the two girls away, Marina gently sighed.
Looking at the distant Dragon City castle sinking into twilight and Dragon City which was dyed golden by the setting sun were like two completely different things. In her heart, Marina swore, "I will personally remove this barrier, I will definitely bring him back into the embrace of the Holy Light, I definitely will!"