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Volume 3, Chapter 56: The Gospel War

The upper part of the main gate from the city-state of Garoua Maria was usually padlocked at night. No one dared to open it until the next morning’s bell. It was both Robust and unbreakable, no one dared to open it by force. There was no doubt about it, everyone thought that the main gate was extraordinary, since nobody was able to break in before. No one thought that the main gate would be breached today neither tomorrow. It was always like this and it shall continue in the future. Every single person believed in it.

The guardsmen were always on duty. There was no time for a quick shift, nor time for breaks. They were instructed to report on weird occurrences beyond the wall. Not everyone could get close to the main gate. They were trained to suspect every single traveler, as if these people came to Garoua Maria to “sell a fish in a fish tank that couldn’t swim”.

However, these guardsmen were just meant to work on the wall. Their duty sometimes didn’t reflect with their preferences. There was no point in being on the lookout all the time. It was just a waste of time and energy. The days of staring at the sky and stars continued endlessly, and of course, boringly.

On these guardsmen’s hearts, frustration and anger for doing the night shift piled up. Actually today, the inhabitants of the Poor People’s cave were somewhat noisy. Through the quietness of the night, these guardsmen couldn’t concentrate because of the noise. It was bothering them, and yet, they couldn’t do anything about it. They just had to endure one more night of endless frustration and annoyance. Tomorrow shall be another regular day. One of the guardsmen thought deeply about it and slightly smirked…

—

At the same time, there was a group of people living near the main gate of Garoua Maria. However, these people lived hidden in the darkness.

A woman with long hair spoke as she sighed.

「…It seems that everything is going well. Indeed, that hero is great as I expected him to be.」

A group of people were whispering in a cave near the city-state. Saint Matia, who wore silvery garments, nodded slightly as she held her chin.

To be honest, she didn’t expect much. It was a risky move where one had to gamble for hope. It was as if one had to bet their entire gold fortune on a little plan or little hope. If that plan worked, then fine. If not, then that hero had to prepare himself for his crematorium. Anyway, it didn’t matter much what the result was since, of course, this Saint wouldn’t bet her entire fate on the hands of a mere man.

「Yes, of course. If Lugis failed, then the hopes to amend this cruel world would be lost forever.」

A dark-haired girl spoke from the sidelines.

The Saint woman narrowed her eyes at this girl, and then, she moved her gaze away and stared fixedly at Largud Ann with dissatisfaction. For some reason, Lugis sent Filaret to accompany Ann to the meeting of the Heraldic Order.

The man with a sharp tongue and reckless head didn’t come to this meeting. Matia bit the edge of her lips slightly after she realized that her supposed-hostage ignored her call.

The Saint woman told Ann to bring him to this meeting. Nonetheless, it was useless since he refused to follow Ann to come here and now.

The woman named Matia began to vex inside of her mind. It was not an exaggeration to say that she absolutely hated his behavior that she wanted to crush him.

She was convinced that her calculations were correct. Of course, she realized that that man had a great belief in knowledge and wisdom that seemed that exceed hers. But, she denied that belief. As a result, he exceeded her expectations. But, how could she lower herself against an unknown man that appeared out of nowhere? That’s why it was unacceptable for her to admit that his achievements were due to his knowledge. She truly believed in her own calculations, and yet, this resolution showed a different result.

「Please rest assured, Saint Matia. This girl won’t disturb our meeting. In particular, the hero…you see, Lord Lugis won’t go up against your will.」

Ann knew Matia’s concerns, so she tried to appease her soul. She also tried to calm her burst of emotions by explaining that that girl Filaret wouldn’t cause any trouble.

As soon as Ann spoke, Matia moved her eyebrows for a short moment. Her burst of emotions also slowed down when Ann told her to rest assured. It seemed that she had unmistakable trust in Ann. Matia believed in Ann’s words. If she said that there weren’t any problems, then her judgment was correct. That was what Matia believed.

Matia also understood the meaning behind the words of that girl.

She noticed the sparkle reflected on the eyes of the girl named Filaret. The sparkle and thrill of her eyes every time someone said the name Lugis. As if, her eyes uttered specific words. Yes, words that resembled a poem of love.

However, Matia felt some sort of anxiety when she realized that this girl’s eyes weren’t just transmitting a mere poem of love. There was something else besides that obvious trait. Faith. Filaret’s feelings were undoubtedly a demonstration of great faith. But it was an extremely dangerous faith. The feelings of yearning towards somebody else could turn into a dangerous faith that might lead to blindness.

Matia understood the blindness of someone’s faith very well. The convenience and danger of said faith. Yes, both of it. Therefore, it was impossible to accept that girl Filaret completely.

After all, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that that girl was using her faith to blindly follow a mere man.

Before Matia’s eyes, the knights of Heraldic Order were waiting for her words. Even so, Matia remained silent for a moment to show them a calm state, because, after all, everyone experienced many battlefields before. Many hardships and many defeats. So, a calm state of mind was crucial for moments like this.

They didn’t have the time to get involved with trivial matters.

Matia finally uttered some words with her tongue. The words that came out of her pale lips sounded like a congratulatory words, but at the same time, with a pinch of harshness in it.

「…Once, God told us to be ignorant. He was the one to carry everything on His shoulders. The one to give wisdom to the masses. But, he made us decide our paths with our own will. That was what God wanted us to do.」

A voice that soaked in the dark and radiated with light. The sound was rough, but it resonated quietly in the ears of the listeners.

The eyes of the knights from the Heraldic Order, which were staring fixedly at their Saint, had their thoughts entangled inside of their brains because of her words.

「Our Lord is the one who carried this free will to all of his subjects. It means that we are the bearers of our destinies. If you have ears, then listen, and if you have your eyes open, then just look closely. That protection is in our hands, and the decision is in our will…」

Her words were spoken in a brilliant way towards her knights. However, not just brilliance. There was beauty that spun somewhere in her words. Something that exalted from the depths of the heart. Something exciting and sweet. Yes, something that uplifted the spirits of everybody’s hearts.

She didn’t even force herself in order to convince her knights. Her serenity and direct talk crawled up into everybody’s chests. One could see the stream of emotions that burst from their eyes.

Filaret also blinked her dark eyes when she listened to the words of that Saint woman. Somehow, that woman’s talk was interesting and peculiar. Filaret wondered if that Saint trained hard for this moment. On the other hand, was that her talent? Was that her charisma? Yes, a charisma capable of attracting people and lift up their spirits.

If one thought deeply about it, Helot Stanley also had something similar to his persona. One couldn’t help but grab his hand. It was something so powerful that made you have to hold your own knees. This was what people called charisma and gravitational force.

Ah, but. Filaret’s cheeks moved slightly after she realized how similar they were. It was a rather bittersweet moment. Pleasant but bitter. How great. That woman’s tone was the best, just like his. The voice that once called Filaret. The one that gave her aid at first.

Matia’s voice increased in magnitude then.

「…So, look at that immoral city! They trample on the great sacraments of our faith and our holy land, and they even deceive the believers to have faith in their false God. They are blind and impure. Our Lord said that in times of rowing a ship into the ocean, we should rely in our faith of him, and decide the course of the journey with our own will!」

The eyes of the Saint woman were bursting with faith, just like the eyes of the girl that had a different kind of faith. Similar, but different at the same time.

The doctrine of the Great Holy Church was to delegate everything that human beings had to God. Mainly all the management. Even human beings who were born evil had no will. They just had to hang their heads to their God. They proclaimed that their doctrine invoked true happiness. That was the way for all humans to gain bliss.

Unacceptable. Matia never accepted such thoughts. It was an absurd philosophy that couldn’t be accepted by her, who thought that her doctrine was the best. Her words ran in the darkness, but with enthusiasm.

Her words weren’t just meant for the Heraldic Order. But, to every single living being. Matia sank into her euphoria and overreacted fervor. Her words were engulfed with mad passion. Her faith reached no bounds. No limits at all. Her faith was seen as a fanaticism to some, while others viewed it as their salvation. But, fanaticism could be a double-edged sword. Still, she wanted to use her fanaticism to change everybody’s minds and spirits and repaint the world.

Ann put her fingers in front of her chest as if she truly believed in the words of fanaticism. Those who confirmed that faith, held their hands to their chests. They recognized the need for battle. The need to change the adulterated world to a better world comprised of their ideals.

「Lift the anchor! The ship has sailed! The upcoming battle is not just a holy war! With our will and with our deeds, we shall stain this land with the blood of our hands in order to destroy the wicked! This is our divine call!」

*loud cheers*

After the Saint woman spoke aloud, the crowd around her responded with high cheers. Their voices were so loud and eager that it felt as if the dark space vibrated with pressure.

They no longer saw their beloved Matia with their eyes. All they saw was their holy crusade to change the world. To bring the wicked to their knees. It was like a cursing spell. The dark sparkle of their eyes seemed as if they were swallowed by that idealism.

In fact, Matia’s freak show was just like a trap. It was as if it were a prayer to heaven, while rebelling to heaven at the same time. A frightening scene.

A flash of light was seen in the distance.

It was the marking point from the neighboring town. It was the proof of a decisive action. A turning point in history.

In the darkness, the lightening signals on the sky dictated the crucial moment that was about to happen. A series of revolts caused by the Heraldic people, namely the Gospel War. That was, the battle against the walled city-state of Garoua Maria, the starting point.