Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 530 - 529: Holy Light and Holy Light

On the way back to the feudal lord’s mansion, Gawain shared a carriage with Amber. Watching the Merchants Guildhall fade into the distance through the window, the half-elf couldn’t help but mutter, "Five years of mining rights... are you planning to exhaust the mines in that place within five years?"

"Exhaust it? Of course not. Even with advanced mining machinery and Rebecca Crystals to blast the mountains, it’s impossible to hollow out the White Sand Dunes in five years," Gawain shook his head, "but I can at least ensure that in five years, I outpace the Eastern Region’s fifty-year planned extraction volume—and if I don’t consider any subsequent impacts and opt for destructive extraction, that number could even double."

Amber blinked, seemingly at a loss for words for a moment, until after pondering it she suddenly asked, "To be honest, is it really okay to do this?"

Gawain glanced at her, "Do what?"

"...Selling weapons to the Anzu Kingdom’s military, selling alchemical potions to the Eastern Legion, making this civil war increasingly unmanageable..."

Gawain shook his head, "Even if I don’t sell, do you think this civil war can be managed?"

"That’s not what I mean," Amber scratched her head, "It’s just that the ones dying are all Anzu... doesn’t it bother you?"

Facing Amber’s questioning gaze, Gawain slowly replied, "To be honest, it does—or at least they’re precious populations, but at the same time, it doesn’t—because they’re not yet part of the Cecil Clan."

On this issue, Gawain didn’t plan on invoking any conscience or morality, because he’s indeed acting for the sake of profit, even if the interests he plans are for the entire southern borders. His target is all of Anzu, but he doesn’t yet have the capability, so his only choice is to quickly feed the industrial machine of the southern borders, even if this industrial machine has to drink blood and eat flesh—after all, he is now the leader of the southern borders, not the king of Anzu.

Judging from the inevitable future, the Kingdom military and Eastern Legion are bound to be enemies.

And from another perspective, exporting magic weapons and alchemical potions to the Kingdom military and Eastern Legion also has a second layer of consideration: he wants to try to compel Anzu to develop.

Promoting magic guide technology in the southern borders brought many experiences and lessons. This land is like a blank sheet, and after clearing away the old aristocracy, Gawain can freely ink it; even so, the development of magic guide technology here isn’t going smoothly, so what if he wants to spread magic guide technology across Anzu? Just how grand of a plan would that need to be?

The Typhon Empire is already eyeing from the side, just waiting for the Anzu to bleed to their last drop. If one day Anzu’s civil war ends and Gawain successfully controls this land, the Typhon Empire surely won’t give him time to slowly develop and catch up. To prevent the worst results, he has to start sending Anzu onto the train of magical industry now—even if it’s by force.

As industrial products, alchemical potions and magic infantry cannot exist alone. They require a complete industrial chain to support them; just like how Prince Edmund of the Eastern Region recognized the importance of factories and production technologies before departing for Beltira, the aristocrats of the capital will soon realize the necessity of magical industry to maintain an "industrialized army." Although traditional nobles might think narrowly, they are not incapable of thinking. They will not allow their lifeline to be completely controlled by Gawain.

Magic armor and magic weapons need maintenance, crystal grenades require Magic Web charging, alchemical potions need factory production, and factories likewise require the Magic Web. Building the Magic Web provides the foundation for importing mining machinery. With mining machinery comes ample metal ores, allowing for the manufacturing of more machines...

Even if the capital aristocrats and Eastern Region’s People don’t know how to build a complete magical industrial chain, they can at least lay the groundwork. The weapons and potions Gawain sells to them are a flower vine-wrapped noose, beautiful and alluring, but once they touch it, it’s hard to break away. Under the pressure of war, to ensure a continuous supply of those weapons and potions, to keep the machines used in their maintenance and production running, they must also initiate magical industry.

Amber fell silent again, seeming deep in thought, until they were nearing the city center when she suddenly muttered, "The people you’ve schemed against are really unlucky, losing their lives and still having to thank you profusely..."

"Do you think they don’t realize?" Gawain chuckled, shaking his head, "Everyone’s not that foolish."

...

In the church, Mr. Rhett stood on the wooden pulpit in Holy Light Cleric’s robes, addressing the congregation below with a low and powerful voice as he spoke about various aspects of the Holy Light.

"...The Holy Light is stirred by the hearts of people; the words and deeds closest to the virtues of the Holy Light provoke the strongest Holy Light phenomena...

"To perceive the teachings of the Holy Light through practical actions is the most effective way. For us followers practicing the new doctrines of the Holy Light, actual deeds are more effective than reciting texts or repeating rituals..."

Rhett paused. Below the pulpit, a strong, warrior-like man raised his hand, "Great Shepherd, you mention the Holy Light resonates with noble behaviors, but is there an unchanging standard for virtue? I’ve been studying history recently and see that the concepts of ’morality’ and ’righteousness’ seem to always change..."

Questioning the sermon during the clergy’s exposition was impossible in the traditional Holy Light church, yet it is what the "Pure Light School" (New Church) endorses in its manner of preaching. As long as the questioning rules are observed, everyone can consider the Holy Light as a knowledge subject to study and research, making the New Church’s place more like a learning institution than a place executing religious rituals—which is exactly the kind of environment Rhett is keen to cultivate.

He nodded at the robust man—he knew this person, a White Knight in apprenticeship. Apart from honing martial skills and battling beasts, this formidable soldier had a fascination for reading and learning, and only such a warrior-scholar of a new priest could sensitively discover points in the doctrines needing clarification, "Moral standards are indeed changeable; in the Ancient Era, the greatest virtues all revolved around food, while today’s moral standards have added traits such as loyalty, honesty, integrity, bravery, etc. These traits’ demonstrative words and deeds have always evolved with the times, thus we should encompass the concept of ’public morality,’ aligning with the most recognized morals, fighting for the group to embody the true essence of the Holy Light."

"...Then why is that?" The warrior-scholar in training asked with confusion, "Does the Holy Light think? Does it select people who meet its standards? Moreover, does it change with the evolution of human moral standards?"

This bold perspective sparked low murmurs of discussion among the congregation, and Rhett fell silent for a moment. After some thought, he candidly answered, "I don’t know the answer to that yet."

"You don’t know?"

"Indeed, one should earnestly face their ignorance," Rhett responded, "The road to absolute truth is endless; we can only ever comprehend ’relative truths’ within the bounds of our intellect. There might truly be answers that explain all the mysteries of the Holy Light, but I do not know them at present. I only know that this is what we’re striving to seek. I also wish to remind everyone here—never blindly follow anything claiming ’absolute correctness,’ since even I, as the Great Shepherd, cannot achieve absolute correctness. We should boldly pursue truth, yet cautiously verify it. By maintaining humility, we can continue along this exploratory road."

Rhett’s words incited another round of discussion, and after the discussion subsided, the sermon continued.

Eventually, this "sermon" concluded, and the congregation began to rise, leaving in small groups until the once-filled benches appeared empty. Rhett watched them leave, then got up to tidy the Holy Light Canon and other materials on the wooden lectern, when a flickering, small figure drifted near, holding a cup of water to Rhett.

"Drink some water~~ You’ve worked hard!!"

"Thank you," Rhett took the cup, and gently patted Emily on the head, "You’ve been good today, didn’t cause any trouble, you deserve praise."

Emily laughed happily, while Rhett casually glanced around the church and suddenly noticed a slender female figure wearing a hooded cloak sitting on one of the pews below.

Had she been sitting there all along? How did he not notice her before?

Rhett felt a sense of doubt, then approached the hooded woman who seemed to have no intention of getting up: "Madam, the service is over—do you need any help?"

"I do have some questions," the hooded woman lifted her head, removing the hood, and a beautiful face with a serene smile and long, pale blonde hair appeared before Rhett, "Great Shepherd of the Southern Church."

Rhett looked calmly at the golden-haired woman before him, while Emily gazed curiously at this unfamiliar sister whom she had never seen in the church: "Who are you, sister?"

Next, the little girl exclaimed: "Wow! Sister, you’re glowing all over!"

"Emily," Rhett gently patted the little girl’s head, "Go to your room and rest, I’ll talk with the guest."

Emily blinked at Rhett, then looked at the "unfamiliar sister," hesitated for a moment, and nodded: "Okay."

The little girl’s form gradually disappeared into the air.

Veronica watched everything quietly, without saying a word, the serene and harmonious Holy Light spread through the church, undulating softly like a gentle sea among the rows of pews. In this ocean of Holy Light, Rhett just stood silently in place, the rippling Holy Light flowing past him, as if ignoring his presence, or as if he were ignoring it.

A faint glow enveloped his own body.

Veronica finally broke the silence: "In a church, there are no guests, only lost lambs, isn’t that so?"

"That’s your way of saying it, we’ve recently stopped using that," Rhett said calmly, then sat next to Veronica, "No one is a lamb needing guidance; those who come to the church are all spiritual seekers alike."

"Indeed, a novel and radical doctrine," Veronica nodded slightly, "just like your sermon, but both are quite interesting."

Rhett looked somewhat surprised at the living saint from the Northern Church before him, at this Saint Princess who could represent the conservative church force: "You find this interesting?"

"At least I’ve never heard of similar doctrines, which makes it interesting enough," Veronica said, looking into Rhett’s eyes, "Could you tell me about your doctrine?"

Rhett suddenly found the situation somewhat amusing.

He knew the living saint from the Northern Church had come to the southern borders, but he never expected to have a calm conversation with her under these circumstances.

Yet regardless, explaining the doctrine was his duty, so he nodded: "If you’re really willing to listen."

"Today, I am merely a listener—ah, according to your terms, a seeker."

Rhett gathered all his doubts and absurd feelings, sat upright, and began to narrate the doctrine with ease.

This special "sermon" did not last long, the New Church’s teachings were not complicated and far less extensive than the Old Church’s doctrines. Rhett used his unique simple words to convey his understanding and insights into the Holy Light, and Veronica listened silently throughout.

When the "sermon" concluded, the Holy Light rippling through the church gradually faded away.

Rhett looked at the "Saint Princess" before him, wondering what she would say, but Veronica simply stood up, slightly bowed to him: "A wonderful explanation, Mr. Rhett."

After saying this, her form disintegrated into countless drifting particles of light, gradually disappearing into the air.

"As expected, it was just an avatar..."

Rhett watched the last trace of light fade away, muttering softly.

"What did she come here for after all?"