Chapter 423: The White Knight and the New Faith

“To be honest, although I’m a druid and have studied the history of druidic faith transitions to some extent, I’m not entirely sure what this ‘lock’ you describe actually is,” Pittman said to Light after a moment’s thought. “In the process of converting natural divine magic into druidic spells, druids don’t seem to have encountered any such ‘lock’… But there is a historical detail that might be of some reference to you.”

“Oh?” Gawain’s interest was piqued. “What detail?”

“Have you heard that after the White Star fell three thousand years ago, while most druids successfully transformed their natural divine magic into druidic magic, a portion of them never managed to complete this transition,” Pittman recounted a little-known piece of history, his expression tinged with melancholy. “Even after accepting the fall of the nature gods, the failure of natural divine magic, and the fact that natural power now belonged to mortals, they still couldn’t break through some kind of barrier. Most of them remained unable to cast spells for life, and the few who tried forcibly were met with backlash… The reason why these ‘failures’ couldn’t cast magic remains a mystery.

“Many scholars have studied these old druids who failed to convert, and found no physical, mental, or magical perception issues. Yet, they simply couldn’t cast spells…”

Gawain couldn’t help but voice his guess: “Could this ‘lock’ be affecting them subconsciously?”

“Perhaps, just as Light described, there really is an ‘invisible lock’ in the subconscious of mortals. This lock limits every mortal’s ability to access divine magic. It’s connected to the existence of gods, but even after the gods fell, this lock still exerts some influence—though greatly weakened, allowing most people to break free,” Pittman nodded gently, then glanced at Light with a knowing look. “And Light… you might be the first human in history to have broken this lock through sheer willpower while the gods still existed.”

Gawain fell into deep thought.

A lock—possibly existing in the subconscious of humanity—that affects every mortal in the world, preventing them from escaping the influence of the gods without even realizing it, forcing them to rely on obedience to doctrine and worship to access divine magic… Was this lock naturally present from birth, or was it imposed later by some external influence?

Given that no one had ever been born free from this lock’s influence, Gawain believed this subconscious shackle was likely innate.

This was a world filled with all manner of supernatural forces, and the closer one approached the truths of magic, the more blurred the line between human consciousness and reality became. Gawain would never underestimate a “lock” existing at the subconscious level—even if it was invisible and intangible to the point that almost no one had noticed it. He knew well that when delving into the deepest mysteries of magic, such seemingly insubstantial things could be far more difficult to overcome than anything tangible.

Of course, more pressing than the future was another question: Could the change Light had undergone be replicated?

A pioneer who had broken the gods’ bonds and controlled the Holy Light through his own will and faith—Light’s power was more than a personal ability. To Gawain, it was a breakthrough for a new era. Lately, he had been pondering how to deal with the decayed, corrupt, and inherently flawed traditional Holy Light churches (and other sects that might fall into ruin). He couldn’t simply abolish these churches, but he also couldn’t let them become shackles on his domain. Light’s emergence seemed to offer a solution…

But one pioneer alone wasn’t enough to reform the church. If the new path of the Holy Light couldn’t be promoted and replicated, it would have no competitive edge against the traditional church.

He voiced his doubts, and Amber was the first to frown. “That sounds pretty difficult… The old man just said Light might be the first human ever to break the ‘lock’ by willpower alone. That means it’s definitely hard. Where would we find so many talented, capable, and strong-willed people?”

“Maybe it’s not as hard as it seems,” Pittman interrupted Amber. “First, since Light succeeded, it means the lock’s power isn’t absolute. Ordinary people might replicate the process—even if the odds are low. Second, the hardest part is the first breakthrough. If many Holy Light believers witness Light wielding the Holy Light by his own power, I believe many will waver, and the difficulty of breaking this subconscious lock will drop significantly. And I believe one thing: everything in existence follows certain laws. Since Light succeeded, there must be logic and rules behind it. If we keep studying, we’ll discover something.”

Gawain wholeheartedly agreed with Pittman’s words. What pleased him even more was that beneath Pittman’s scruffy, unreliable appearance lay a rare scientific mindset for this era. Gawain didn’t know if Pittman had this mindset naturally or if it had developed through leading research in the domain, but one thing was certain: as long as education and research continued to develop, and researchers like Pittman kept guiding apprentices forward, more people with this kind of scientific thinking would emerge.

Light wasn’t a researcher, but that didn’t stop him from understanding Pittman’s words and Gawain’s ideas. He knew what his regaining of the Holy Light meant to other believers who still trusted in the Holy Light gods, and he understood how desperately the corrupt and dark Holy Light church needed reform. So he was willing to do something about it. “I’ve been meditating these past few days to sense how the Holy Light flows, and I’ve asked Master Kamail a lot about magic. I feel the operation of the Holy Light does follow certain laws, but it’s different from ordinary spells. It seems heavily influenced by the caster’s… faith. I can’t quite explain the subtle connection, but I feel that whenever the Holy Light surges, it resonates and interacts with the righteous beliefs I hold in my heart.”

“That’s normal. Druidic magic is the same. The effect of druidic spells depends heavily on the caster’s own faith. The ‘Spirits of Nature’ sect emphasizes this the most. They believe only when the soul is truly in harmony with the laws of nature can druidic magic be effective,” Pittman nodded thoughtfully. “It seems that the power converted from divine magic to spell magic shares this trait—deeply influenced by ‘spiritual inclination.’”

Gawain was surprised to learn this detail for the first time. “So what about those corrupted druids from the Cult of the End of All Things? Could their dark magic contain their feelings for nature?”

Pittman opened his mouth to answer, but Amber cut in: “Hey, loosen up your thinking. Deep love and deep hatred are both deep—maybe there aren’t really corrupted druids. Maybe they just love this world in a twisted way…”

No one paid attention to Amber’s rambling. Pittman just shook his head. “Corrupted druids have their own understanding of the laws of nature. Life and death, growth and decay are fundamental laws without human moral factors. This is different from the Holy Light, which carries strong moral inclinations.”

To be honest, Gawain wasn’t quite comfortable with the idea that human spiritual factors could influence the macro world. This hypothesis was even more baffling than the quantum mechanics he knew. But since this world truly had mind-based powers, all related hypotheses were objective research targets. In the spirit of understanding and transforming the world, he had to face these assumptions.

“Perhaps we should start a dedicated project to analyze the mysteries of the Holy Light in Light’s body. It’s not enough for him to research it alone,” Gawain said slowly as he thought. “Also… Light, I want you to think about new doctrines alongside your study of the Holy Light.”

The moment he said “new doctrines,” Pittman and Amber’s expressions changed noticeably. But Light seemed to have expected this, remaining calm. He solemnly nodded to Gawain. “I understand. The church has been closed these days, and I’ve been thinking about this too. I need to carefully consider how to explain the true meaning of the Holy Light path to the believers…”

As he spoke, the strong, sturdy priest couldn’t help but show a trace of unease. “To be honest, I’m not confident. I’m just a low-ranking missionary. I don’t know if I can handle something this big.”

“You’re more than just a missionary. You’ve changed history. You should have some confidence,” Gawain smiled. “And I’ll help you. Though I’m not a Holy Light believer, I at least know how to guide the people. Since we want to return the Holy Light to the world and restore the righteous path to people’s hearts, guiding the masses is essential.”

Hearing this, Light bowed sincerely. “I’m truly grateful—I’m really not good at this…”

“Since we’re promoting new doctrines, the new church should differ from the original Holy Light church,” Gawain continued. “I haven’t thought of a name yet, but your priestly title should change. ‘Missionary’ is a title given by the Holy Light church, and there’s no need to keep it.”

Light didn’t seem to mind that a non-believer lord was defining the framework of a new religion. He simply pondered Gawain’s words. “I agree… but I can’t think of a better title right now.”

Gawain looked Light up and down, recalling the scene from a few days ago in the church.

Clad in battered armor, standing on the pulpit, bathed in light—the “knight.”

“The White Knight,” Gawain said the first word that came to mind. “You should be the White Knight, guardian of the righteous path. You are the one who must cut through thorns and brambles, carving a path through the already fallen and darkened Holy Light faith. May the Holy Light shine upon you like armor, and may you press forward without hesitation.”

“White Knight…” Light repeated the new title softly, the fog in his mind clearing.

The Holy Light shining upon him like armor, pressing forward without hesitation.

Yes, only a knight clad in armor could walk this path. These simple robes no longer suited him.

Light exhaled gently, feeling enlightened. The faint Holy Light that always surrounded him grew brighter and more concentrated, as if even the Holy Light itself rejoiced at the birth of the “White Knight.”

Within the gathering light, Gawain once again glimpsed something vague flicker before his eyes.

He didn’t want to break the solemn atmosphere of this historic moment, but Amber didn’t care. The half-elf lady reached out: “I’ve been meaning to ask—why does your Holy Light always have a shadowy double…?”

A small figure emerged from the Holy Light behind Light, drifting and dodging Amber’s grasp, locking eyes with her.

(End of chapter)