Chapter 18: Deceiving Hearts
“Uh, the two of us are monks sent by the Light Church to preach in the Caucasus and Leon. Due to the long journey, we planned to rest here in Bruce before heading further south. I wonder what brings the two ladies to this Bruce fortress?” Karu smiled and took the initiative to speak before his companion.
“So you’re indeed monks from the Light Church. But I thought it was Priest Belan and Pastor Kustav who are in charge of preaching in the Caucasus and Leon. Why have we never seen you before?” The elf girl asked straightforwardly, without any hidden motives.
Karu inwardly groaned. He hadn’t expected these two to know the ones in charge of the Light Church here. Their own group, part of the Tribunal and the Church’s regular preaching organization, had little contact with them. They had only heard of Priest Belan and Pastor Kustav before coming to the Caucasus and didn’t even know them personally. If the other party were a bit smarter, they might expose their lie.
“Uh, we’re from Jazair. We heard that something unusual was going on in Leon and the Caucasus, so we came to investigate,” Boriz said quickly, trying to distance their origins a bit to avoid exposing themselves.
“From Jazair? Just the two of you? Don’t you two monks fear being torn apart by those half-orcs and barbarians? They’re not exactly respectful of the God of Light.” The elf girl retorted in a teasing tone, “And you still come to investigate? With just the two of you needing protection? Didn’t you encounter any magical beasts on the Greenland Forest Trail? That was just luck. If you really ran into wolves or grizzly bears, they would have eaten you for sure.”
Monks were beginners in the Light Church, usually doing menial work in churches. They had to gain considerable experience and make progress in magic training before becoming full-fledged clergy. The first rank among clergy was pastor. For convenience and to conceal their identities, Karu and Boriz chose to wear the attire of lowest-ranking monks. But they never expected that such a junior status would allow them to venture into Leon and the Caucasus, considered barren wastelands—a pure act of recklessness. After all, monks had almost no self-protection skills, so such a glaring flaw naturally left them speechless under the sharp-witted elf girl’s questions.
“Hehe, the followers of the God of Light have never feared sacrifice. Though we hold humble positions, we believe our faith is enough to change everything,” Karu continued, cunningly shifting the focus. “Whether it’s half-orcs or barbarians, the primitive deities they worship are nothing but products of emptiness in their hearts and fear of nature’s power—a manifestation of ignorance. For example, can the God of War, Mars, grant them the courage and strength to win? No. Otherwise, they wouldn’t grovel at the feet of mortals. I believe that as history and thought evolve, they will eventually realize that only the God of Light can save them from this chaotic spiritual world.”
“Sir monk, are you saying that all races can and should join the Church of Light and worship the God of Light, and that they should abandon their current beliefs?” The white-robed priest spoke with a calm certainty that revealed profound wisdom, his clear eyes shining with intelligence.
“Hehe, Miss Eve, I didn’t say that, but you can understand it that way. I’ve always believed that although the various races on the continent have different temperaments, their fundamental nature is the same. The pursuit of light and purity is an unchanging truth. Eventually, they will all gather beneath the feet of the God of Light, bathed in His sacred light. It may take a winding path, but if we, as messengers of the God of Light, don’t guide them, they will sink in confusion. This goes against the teachings of our Church—there are no barriers between races. As long as any race can sincerely perceive the truth, goodness, and beauty of the God of Light, I believe they can be transformed.”
Karu’s words were filled with sincerity and kindness. His persuasive language, combined with his body language and convincing tone, made them even more compelling. Even Boriz, standing nearby, had to admit he was far inferior to this unassuming companion in this regard.
The elven girl’s eyes sparkled with longing. Karu felt a slight sense of pride, but when he saw the thoughtful expression on the white-robed priestess’s face, he was taken aback. He had used spiritual magic in his words, in a very subtle way, so subtly that even Boriz might not have noticed. The elven girl had a pure heart and was easily moved by such grand and profound ideas. Yet he hadn’t expected the white-robed priestess to be so resolute, able to discern the essence behind his words. This was completely beyond Karu’s expectations.
“Sir Monk, I must admit your words are quite philosophical. For us humans, the pursuit of beauty and truth never ceases, driven by the wisdom of the wise. Yet the world is vastly different—what we mortals consider beautiful and noble may not be so for other races. We should respect their traditions rather than look down on them with an attitude of savior or liberator. Traditions may not always align with truth, but they are often the accumulation of a race’s history and civilization, not something that can be easily discarded. We need sufficient patience and perseverance.”
After much deliberation, Eve spoke softly. Truly worthy of being from the Inquisition—without mentioning anything else, her eloquence and understanding of doctrine were beyond what ordinary people could match. Eve even felt a sense of frustration at being persuaded by her.
Karu and Boriz were truly astonished. Such profound and insightful analysis was not something ordinary people could come up with. It was well-structured, logically sound, and even touched directly on the core issues faced by the Light Church in the southern regions. Karu even had a strange thought: if this priestess in white could join the Light Church, with her eloquence, thoughts, and holy, approachable appearance, she would be nothing short of a saint! Whether for mortals or other races.
“Miss Eve, I greatly admire your perspective. However, I personally believe that if we could do something to help them move from chaos to reason, their civilization might progress more quickly. But this is just my opinion; it doesn’t represent the Church.” Karu smiled slightly. “Miss Eve, I wonder what your next goal is. Could we have the chance to travel together? My companions and I find Miss Eve’s views very innovative, and we would greatly like to discuss further ideas regarding missionary work with you.”
Here they are, finally! If it weren’t for her preconceived notions about the Church of Light, Eve thought she might be impressed by these polite monks. Yet she still had to admit that, no matter how much darkness and corruption existed within the Church of Light, it remained a great force. Without its support, the orcs roaming the Mogan Wasteland might have long since invaded the Northern Plains. Similarly, without the Church of Light’s restraint, the South might have already fallen into the hands of dark forces. Although Eve no longer held a favorable view of the Church of Light, that didn’t mean she agreed with the dark side. In her eyes, if the Church of Light was a tree gradually decaying from within, then the dark forces were nothing but weeds spreading across the wasteland—vibrant in life force but utterly useless.
“Oh? But our itinerary doesn’t include the Caucasus. Phineas and I plan to visit the Leon region. I heard that dark beasts have appeared at the northern foot of the Volt Mountains, harming the local residents. We want to investigate.” Eve’s cold expression made it impossible to guess her thoughts. Even Phineas secretly admired how this composed priestess could remain so calm in front of two Inquisitors.
“Hehe, Miss Eve and Miss Phineas are heading to Leon? That’s great! Leon is also within our patrol area. My companion and I have been worried about lack of security. If we can travel with a skilled healer and a brave female swordsman, I think we won’t have to worry.”
Karu’s words were filled with surprise and relief, causing Boriz to shiver. His companion’s acting skills were truly extraordinary. Despite having known him for some time, he had never realized his talent in this area was no less than his skill in magic.
“Oh? If the two monks don’t consider our trip to Leon a burden, I wouldn’t mind traveling with you.” Without showing any signs of joy or displeasure, Eve’s face remained calm and serene as ever.
“Very well, then it’s settled. My companion and I are not familiar with Leon, so we’ll follow Miss Eve’s itinerary. Anyway, we still have plenty of time.” Karu nodded and gave his companion a subtle glance. “I wonder what the situation in Leon is like now. Where does Miss Eve plan to go first?”
“It seems the two monks are indeed not very familiar with Leon. The situation there is quite stable at the moment. If you want to see how Leon differs from other regions, let’s head from Banasha to Izmel, then enter the Vot Mountains. If the two monks are in a good mood, they can even cross the Vot Mountains to reach the Caucasus,” Eve replied meaningfully.