Chapter 469: Moving Forward
The corpse of the giant stag god Amorn still floated silently in the dim, boundless space of the Shadow Realm. Shattered boulders and fragments of ancient starships drifted around the colossal divine corpse, which loomed like a small mountain. Everything was quiet and unchanged.
Gawain’s gaze was fixed through the window and protective barrier, locked onto the softly glowing godly corpse in the darkness. Yet the voice that had spoken in his mind moments ago was gone.
That voice had seemed like a hallucination, but Gawain was absolutely certain he had heard it. His instincts told him the sound had come from outside—from the direction of the giant stag Amorn.
Amber was the first to notice his odd behavior. She hurried over, bouncing excitedly and waving her paws in front of his eyes. “Hey, hey! What’s wrong with you? Why do you suddenly look so scary?”
Gawain grabbed Amber’s waving paws firmly, his expression grave as he stared into her eyes. “Did you hear anything just now?”
Amber shrank back, startled by his serious look. “No… maybe you’re just hearing things again?”
Gawain often drifted off or perceived things others couldn’t—visions or sounds from the Eternal Tablets or similar sources. Amber had grown used to his occasional oddities.
“I’m not sure… probably just my imagination,” Gawain said ambiguously. Then, setting the wide-eyed Amber aside, he moved to the large floor-to-ceiling window.
He stared intently at Amorn’s corpse, fully alert, and tried to communicate in his mind. “Was that you speaking just now?”
The corpse of the nature god remained silent, as it had for centuries.
After several minutes of patient waiting and multiple attempts, Gawain gave up. Though he still believed he hadn’t imagined the voice, he felt a bit ridiculous and strange for trying to communicate with a dead god.
Kamail noticed Gawain’s actions and immediately ordered the lab’s response system, “Alert system, report on the godly corpse’s status.”
Two seconds later, a distorted mechanical voice echoed through the room: “Scanning… all normal. Energy fluctuations from the godly corpse are stable.”
Kamail came up behind Gawain. “Lord, no abnormalities detected.”
Gawain nodded. “I know… maybe I’ve been here too long and am getting a bit paranoid.”
He turned away from the window. After one last glance at Amorn’s corpse, he pushed aside his swirling thoughts and refocused on the experiment at hand.
“We’ve reached the conclusion we wanted: charging the Holy Light runes with the inversion array is safe. Next, we can consider practical application in phase one,” Gawain told Kamail and Rebecca. “Using our experience designing the mana armor, we need to quickly find a way to make the Holy Light runes practical and produce usable ‘White Knight equipment.’ This will be crucial for our upcoming campaign against Luan City.”
After they nodded, he turned to Light. “You’re in charge of selecting the first batch of White Knights—no restrictions on gender or background. But there are two requirements: first, they must fully accept the new doctrine, have undergone a complete ideological transformation, and possess unwavering resolve. Second, they must pass the Civil Affairs Bureau’s assessment. I suggest you recruit from the Cecil Combat Corps—I’ll arrange for Byron to coordinate with you.”
Gawain paused, his gaze serious as he looked Light in the eyes. “In short—the White Knights must be not only steadfast believers in the new Holy Light but also loyal Cecil warriors. Do you understand what I mean?”
The research into controlling the Holy Light had reached a critical breakthrough. The White Knight could soon become a mass-produced profession. To prevent this powerful new class from spiraling out of control, some things had to be made clear from the start.
Light was an excellent priest, a committed White Knight, and a supporter of the Cecil path. But how far his faith in the Holy Light would carry him on this path depended on his own awareness.
Light’s expression grew solemn. He didn’t answer immediately but asked, “You once said that the old nobility and the Holy Light Church were corrupt because of their fundamental systems, and that what you want to build is a completely different system—one that doesn’t restrict by birth or social class, and truly operates for justice. Do you still remember that?”
“I do. And I promise that, at least in my lifetime, I will strive toward that goal.”
Light took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his tone steady and resolute. “If you uphold justice, then—divine right bestowed by God!”
The entire lab fell silent. After a moment, Gawain smiled faintly. “Divine right bestowed by God… that’ll make the Northern Church furious. But I accept that.”
Perhaps one day, this land will no longer have divine authority or kings.
Perhaps one day, humanity will find a higher, truer spiritual faith beyond the nature of gods.
Perhaps one day, the decaying Cecil dynasty will be overthrown by new progressive forces, and the White Knights will become dust in history…
But all that is in the future. What matters to Gawain now is the present—here and now, he finally holds the power of a god.
…
Typhon, Southwest Territory.
Mary, a black-haired mage apprentice, weaved through the bustling market of the small town.
The vendors’ shouts and the tempting aromas from food stalls filled the street, stirring Mary’s appetite and emotions. Clutching a bundle in her arms, she walked slowly with her head down, eventually stopping in front of a stall.
The vendor called out warmly, “Miss, try some muffins! Sweet and fragrant!”
Mary tightened her grip on the bundle, glanced briefly at the muffins, but restrained herself and quickly turned away, continuing down the street.
Her mentor hadn’t given her extra money for treats like this.
She walked on toward another shop her mentor had instructed her to visit. Occasionally, she looked up at the livelier-than-usual street, her eyes reflecting a mix of feelings.
If only she could stay here a little longer…
Opportunities to leave the mage tower or the mountain village were rare. The town was half a day’s journey from the village, and unless it was to buy necessities, the old mage forbade apprentices from leaving his watch for an entire day.
So days like today, when she could roam the town all day, were precious.
Mary touched the cold rune iron collar around her neck and shook her head hard, pushing away those unrealistic thoughts.
Her mentor’s temper had improved somewhat recently. The fits of hysteria and sudden rage were less frequent. Though apprentices were still sometimes whipped or subjected to strange experiments, at least no one had been thrown into monster-infested pits lately. Mary was grateful for these “good days” and neither wanted nor dared to do anything to anger the old mage while things were improving.
Suddenly, the sound of music and fanfare drifted from afar, causing Mary to stop.
She looked toward the source—the town square.
The Harvest Festival was approaching. The town was preparing celebrations. As usual, the mayor and wealthy patrons had invited bards and the “Black Mountain” circus troupe. Before the festival officially began, these performers would start small shows in the square. These few weeks were the liveliest time of the year.
Mary hesitated, then slowly moved toward the square.
She could listen to the bards’ stories… or watch the circus clowns’ free street performances.
None of it cost money, and watching wouldn’t leave muffin crumbs or scents on her, so her mentor wouldn’t notice. The tower’s spirit guardian wouldn’t notice either…
She only needed to watch for a little while. It was still early, and the shops she needed to visit were near the square, so it was on the way.
If she missed this chance, there might not be another. She only came to town a few times a year.
Mary’s steps finally took her fully toward the square.
The young apprentice darted through streets and alleys, emerging into the town square. Just as she expected, the bards and circus had set up stages, and the music and fanfare came from those platforms.
Many townsfolk had gathered, but since the performances were small-scale, the crowd wasn’t so dense as to be overwhelming. Mary clutched her bundle tightly, eyes wide as she weaved through the crowd, trying to imprint every detail in her mind.
Some verses from the bards were new to her. Though still the usual knightly tales, they were fresh and interesting. The clowns’ acts were simple magic tricks, occasionally sprinkled with minor magic—the circus’s best acts—but still amazed Mary.
Mary had already reached a formal spellcasting level. Though still an apprentice, her magic was official. But these street tricks were completely different from the deadly skills she learned in the mage tower.
She had only seen such performances a few times in her life.
For a moment, the young apprentice forgot her mission. She wandered the square, taking in everything that caught her attention, until she reached the bulletin board, where several newly posted papers caught her eye.
The literacy rate among Typhon’s people had only improved in recent years. Since the emperor implemented new policies and established fair, detailed contract laws, everyone could rent farmland, draft oxen, and obtain seed grain from the state through contracts. This created a demand for reading and writing, which gradually raised literacy rates. The town’s bulletin board had replaced soldiers who once read out decrees.
Mary knew the board often displayed new imperial edicts or major local news. Though these seemed far removed from her life in the mage tower, she was still curious.
Her curiosity was strong—though it had led her to sneak into the mage tower years ago and become a prisoner wearing a collar, it still remained.
She saw new edicts posted, some signed by the emperor, others issued by local officials:
“…By decree of Emperor Irosetta, continuing to promote basic education; the city will expand school facilities…
“…Recruiting volunteers for the army; one person per family enlisting exempts the household from three years of taxes. For details, inquire with the local sheriff…
“…New imperial decree establishing the position of ‘Agricultural Supervisor,’ to be held by the region’s best farmers, responsible for organizing and promoting planting techniques. Compensation and selection details available from the local civil officer…”
[The text continues.]
“Order to build the Fuelstone Acid Workshop… recruiting apprentices…
By decree of Emperor Ilosetta, outstanding mages will be recruited regardless of background. Candidates must be highly skilled in runic arts and proficient in the study of magic circles. Note: Preference given to those knowledgeable in ancient Gondor magic and familiar with self-charging magic circles.”
(End of chapter)