Chapter 309: Unsightly!
Translator: Subudai11 Editor: Chrissy
The news of Dragon City Master personally raiding the Inquisitor castle and rescuing the two new recruits under his command actually did not spread.
Whether it was Dragon City or Holy Light Religion, both have deliberately suppressed the news. For the Holy Light Religion, a parish’s Inquisitor headquarters being destroyed by a sword strike was not something worth boasting of. And for Bedivere, after years of forbearance, this time’s eruption was actually not his original intention.
Speaking about strength, Dragon City though powerful, was not as powerful as Holy Light Religion. The church’s influence has spread throughout the continent and could easily crush Dragon City if it was serious. At least currently, it could not challenge it openly.
However, regardless of which side, this brief calm was not the end. What just happened could never be regarded as not happened. Dragon City and Holy Light Religion has been dealing with each other in a low-key manner for so many years, so it was only a matter of time before it came to a confrontation.
—
"This is truly man proposes but god disposes."
In the barrack area of Dragon City, Wang Lu sighed with emotion.
The one who spread the rumors to push the inquisitors to make the arrest was of course Wang Lu. After all, only he could provide the inquisitors with the strong evidence that let them break the balance with Dragon City that has been maintained for years. Of course, this selling teammates tactic was based on absolute security. After all, the real strength of Liu Li and Bai Shixuan was far higher than what they showed in Dragon City Guard recruitment. Therefore, their safety was not in question. On the other hand, as long as Wang Lu could pass the news to Bedivere promptly, with Bedivere’s intelligence, he would be able to guess that the inquisitors would use this matter to raise a fuss, thus, the raiding and saving people were inevitable choices. In the worst case scenario, Bedivere would cut the two girls loose, which meant that Wang Lu has to personally make his move to get Bai Shixuan and Liu Li, with their help, out of there.
It was just that, Wang Lu actually didn’t think that when Bedivere personally made his move, during the process, he still bumped into Marina and had a huge misunderstanding.
"Does Bedivere really love the common people as his own children like this?" Wang Lu was deeply in doubt. "They’re just two recruits, yet he bravely rushed into the enemy den alone, how could this mad guy still live until today?"
Aya coldly said, "I did it before."
"So he didn’t learn from that? Doesn’t he get that that kind of action would perish a country! There are a lot of good counter-examples!"
Aya said, "Wang Lu, it’s immoral to arbitrarily poke at other people’s wound!"
"In short, this is so-called hiding the first time but could not hide the fifteenth time." Wang Lu sighed. "You see, in the beginning, I said that it was better for me to come forward to seduce Marina and Irene, bringing them into our camp, but you disagreed. But now, with such a misunderstanding, Bedivere must have hated Marina, abandoning his wife and child is but a certainty. At that time, Mrs. Marina would feel deeply wronged and would cry all day long, how could other people not be sympathetic to her? She is, after all, a kind woman, so I can only open my mind and comfort her, letting her feel that warmth and strength of a man. You see, we went around in circle and back to the starting point."
"If you dare do that, I will not spare you." Aya lightly sent out a threat. "Their husband and wife feelings are not that frail."
Wang Lu shrugged. "Fine, fine, but in any case, I guess that Marina’s faith in the church should’ve been torn to pieces right? After seeing the true face of an organization that has interest, most of the idealist could not withstand the reality."
In this aspect, Aya also agreed. "By now, she should begin to deeply doubt the nature of the church, so we can hope that our next plan would be smooth."
Wang Lu said, "Rest assured, as the church’s Holy Woman, when she broke off with the church, she has no way to go. Then as long as Bedivere is willing to accept her, how could she refuse? And as long as she brings her daughter with her, our side will have no worries anymore."
—
Under the ground below the Dragon City Cathedral, a candlelight lit up the rough stone chamber.
Marina knelt quietly in front of the Holy Light, softly reciting the Holy Light pray. The gentle melody echoed in the stone room, creating an easy and comfortable atmosphere.
Outside the stone room, however, there was a pair of big, worried eyes, gazing earnestly at Marina.
"Mom… it has already been three days."
Irene thought aloud anxiously to herself.
After that day, Marina returned to the Cathedral in distress, and then came to the underground chamber below the Cathedral, which was usually used for penance. Every prayer in that stone chamber would bring great pain to the spirit. For those weak-willed priests, they could only withstand praying for a moment before they stopped praying, or simply fainted.
However, Marina has been holding on inside for three days and three nights. Her white robe has already long been soaked with sweat, and the luster of her skin even began to wither. Her chapped lips still moved in rhythm, but her life aura was getting weaker and weaker.
This was the burning life repentance.
"Mom, that’s enough already." Outside the room, Irene said with a whimper. The little girl tried to move forward but was held back by an invisible force. "Any-anyone, please help my mom."
Then, Irene suddenly heard a hoary sigh, and then the force barrier to the stone chamber was suddenly broke open. An old figure then walked in.
"Marina, that’s enough."
Archbishop Rowan’s voice interrupted Marina’s prayers. The woman opened her eyes and wanted to get up but could not help but tremble.
The old man stretched out his hand and placed it on her head. And then, a gentle Holy Light enveloped her, which quickly restored her vigor.
Marina didn’t try to struggle. She nodded her thanks and then stood up. "In the last three days of repentance, I have been thinking."
Rowan said, "I am listening."
"Your Grace, I want to ask you, in this matter, did I really do something wrong?"
The Archbishop looked at Marina with complicated eyes and did not speak.
Marina said, "I’ve been torturing myself with the Holy Light for three days, asking myself whether my action has actually violated the will of the Holy Light, or violated the church’s doctrinal teaching… but, I didn’t find any answer. The Holy Light is merciful, the Holy Light is universal love, the Holy Light make a clear distinction between the right and the wrong, but it does not compromise! It could tell the black from white, and not to resort to all means just for the sake of the goals!"
"I know that the world is far more complex and brutal than I thought. We, the church’s Holy Women, are often scolded for being ignorant, and told that we are just a vase or a mascot. But I think that, perhaps in this world, it is exactly because there are too many people that are skilled in human affairs that it becomes complicated instead. If everyone is ignorant, treating people with sincerity, how could there be so many contradictions?"
"Back when I was still in the monastery, there was a day when a team of inquisitors that were escorting a group of ragged barbarians stayed in the monastery for a night. In the evening, they showed their skills to the nuns, saying that with a mere dozen people, they managed to destroy a heretic tribe, turning the place into rivers of blood. At that time, one of the sisters was puzzled and asked them, the Holy Light is merciful, so how could they be so brutal like that? They smiled and explained that, because there are many fools in the world that refuse to accept the Holy Light and obstruct the spread of the Holy Light. If they cannot be killed, many will not receive the Holy Light. In order to spread the Holy Light, moderate force is necessary… but now that I think about it, that can’t be right! Is the purpose of the Holy Light to spread itself? Can it resort to anything for that purpose? Sometimes, I even think that, if in this world there is only faith in Holy Light, but without the church, wouldn’t that be better?"
Marina said while looking at Archbishop Rowan, her heart filled with dread. This was her heartfelt words, but also the words of treason. With this remark alone, Rowan had enough reason to abolish her Holy Woman status.
However, Rowan didn’t do that, but instead, he also confided, "Actually, your doubts have also been in my heart. These problems have plagued me for decades. Not until in my old age do I finally find the answer."
"Between faith and reality, there is an insurmountable chasm. We look forward for the world to be like the sea of Holy Light, filled with endless immeasurable happiness, without the slightest bit of darkness. However, the reality is not so, there are too many problems that have to be solved that no single faith can fix it. The Holy Light may be omnipotent, but we are just ordinary mortals that can only solve the problems with mortal means."
"But…"
"But, those means violate the will of the Holy Light? The will of the Holy Light is aloof, ideal, and complete, but the reality is incomplete, so there will be a lot of differences. Fish in the water is born to swim, but we humans need to study and train for a long time. And during this time, we will inevitably do some wrong things. Thus, all our efforts are meant to make the world perfect one day and this process will inevitably be accompanied by contradictions and pains. We cannot be discouraged because of temporary setbacks, but we must believe that tomorrow will be better than today, and then redouble our efforts to fight for a better future."
Marina didn’t know what to say. Actually, there were many obvious contradictions between Rowan’s words and the religious teachings. However, after listening to his words, most of the haze in her heart has been dispelled.
"Thank you, Your Grace."
"May the Holy Light be with you."
—
Man proposes but god disposes.
Dragon City Archbishop Rowan, in any intelligence information, was a serious and inflexible man. In all his life, he has always abode by the religious doctrine, and he treated others with the same rigor that he placed upon himself.
Therefore, no one expected that when Marina’s faith in the church was on the verge of collapse, the Archbishop would come forward and save Marina’s faith.
However, it was still man proposes but god disposes. When Archbishop Rowan felt at ease, feeling that the storm has passed, a new storm, in a distant place, started to brew.
—
It was a sea, a boundless white-golden colored Holy Light Sea. This sea contained all the beauty and happiness in the world, the ultimate yearning of countless of people.
However, within this light emerged a dragon—an unusually huge black dragon. Its wings stretched like dark clouds that blot out the sky, and each piece of its scale was as huge as a city. The mere sight of its figure was truly frightening. Even compared to the vast, Holy Light Sea, the dragon did not look inferior.
This huge black dragon flapped its wings as it floated on the Holy Light Sea. Then it opened its mouth and deeply sucked. Suddenly, the sea boiled, and the white-golden colored energy crazily flooded into the black dragon, forming an incomparably huge whirlpool.
The Holy Light Sea was rapidly shrinking, but the black dragon’s appetite could not be satiated. As it continued to swallow, it became bigger and bigger.
Before long, the Holy Light Sea has been sucked dry by the black dragon. Suddenly, the whole world was plunged into the darkness.
At the same time, within the Holy City of the Holy Light Religion, a man in a golden-red holy robe suddenly opened his eyes. Beads of cold sweat slipped from his forehead and covered his cheeks.
From beside the old man came a slightly dull questioning voice, "Your Holiness, what did you see?"
The golden-red robed Holy One was silent for a long time, and then he said, "The Doomsday Dragon is one step closer."
"Doomsday Dragon?" The questioner seemed to be extremely puzzled. "Your Holiness, you have been dreaming of this Doomsday Dragon for more than two hundred years. In this two hundred years, the Bretton Dragon Clan is no longer at the top of the world, and the once hidden danger that suddenly appeared not too long ago has been locked by me in the King’s Treasure House, so all the threat from the dragon should have been eradicated. Is there any other Dragon Clan blood on the continent?"
"This is a mystery that is still elusive to me. But according to that dream, the archenemy of my Holy Light Religion is certainly the Bretton Dragon Clan. After the purification war, I have not been dreaming that dream for a long time. However, that Doomsday Dragon suddenly emerged now, which means that there must be a crisis."
"But now the threat of Dragon Clan remnants are only two. One in the Dragon City, but its acute spirit has been used up, so there’s nothing to worry about. Another one has been trapped by me in the King’s Treasure House; there’s no way that she could escape…"
"King’s Treasure House, are you absolutely certain?"
"How could there be a mistake in the Golden King’s Treasure House? If you don’t trust me, I will take you to see them… Right now, after this long, those absurdly heretical bastards ought to have calmed down a bit."
Then, the scene changed. The private chamber of the Holy One suddenly turned into a vast desolate space. It was the separate space on the fifth level of Golden King’s Treasure House.
However, just when the golden-red robe of the Holy One came in, they immediately heard a series of startling noises.
"Ah… faster, don’t stop!"
"Yes, it’s going to born!"
"Very good Junior Sister! Unexpectedly, with this self-created procreation manufacturing method, we can make the assembly line of offsprings, so it’s not going to be long before we can go out!"
"Yes, Senior Brother, let’s do it again!"
…
Boom!
The Holy One directly destroyed the space and returned to his private chamber.
"Is that what you want to show me!?"
"What the! Your Holiness, please don’t misunderstand, I also never thought…"
While anxiously explaining, the Administrator of the King’s Treasure House was about to go insane.