Chapter 99: On Religion

To be honest, if you set aside the last bit of sermonizing that felt like a missionary’s spiel, High Lord had a rather favorable impression of Veronica. The saintly princess truly possessed qualities that were both captivating and worthy of praise: humility, politeness, gentleness, and approachability. Such traits were rare among nobles in this era, and High Lord could tell her warmth wasn’t an act or limited to him alone. As they passed through the camp’s chaotic construction sites, watching the busy, rough commoners and serfs, she maintained a smile, showing no hint of disdain or distance in her words, actions, or eyes. In stark contrast, the Count of Korn beside her wore a look of annoyance and contempt.

Even if Veronica’s performance of closeness to the common folk was an act, High Lord thought it was no small feat—after all, nobles of this time didn’t even consider pretending to be friendly with commoners.

But at the end of the day, Veronica was a devout follower of the Holy Light, having converted early on. And it seemed this wasn’t just a simple political alliance as the outside world claimed. She was wholeheartedly devoted to her faith, perhaps even to the point of fanaticism.

High Lord himself wasn’t opposed to religion, especially in a world where true divine power existed. He regarded religion as a natural and inevitable phenomenon here. Since the gods more or less protected their mortal followers, he harbored no baseless resentment toward them. What he found harder to accept was Veronica’s missionary-like attitude. Deep down, he still carried a bit of his past life’s “respect the spirits but keep your distance” mindset.

Veronica noticed the subtle shift in High Lord’s demeanor but didn’t overthink it. She took it as a normal noble’s wary reaction to an outside force meddling in their rule. After all, half of her title was “princess,” and she bore the shadow of royalty. So on this topic, she kept things brief.

At last, it was time for the distinguished guests from the capital to depart.

The “White Oak” was ready to set sail by the banks of the Whitewater River. High Lord watched as the saintly princess and her two attendants made their way toward the gangplank leading to the deck. Just before stepping aboard, Veronica suddenly paused and turned back.

“Duke Cecil,” she said, “I have a rather bold question I’ve been hesitant to ask. Could you indulge a junior’s small curiosity just this once?”

High Lord smiled warmly—his expression could almost be described as kindly, having played the stern elder for so long in front of these “youngsters.” “Ask away. As long as it’s something I know and doesn’t involve privacy or secrets, I’ll answer.”

Veronica smiled faintly. “I’m not sure if this counts as private, but… during those years you spent in the realm of the dead, did you ever see any gods?”

Though her smile was gentle, High Lord sensed a certain zeal typical of a believer beneath it. He chuckled awkwardly and shrugged. “No, I didn’t. Maybe I didn’t die thoroughly enough back then. The gods probably didn’t even consider me truly dead, so they just ignored me.”

“Is that so…” Veronica seemed a little disappointed, shaking her head thoughtfully. “Thank you for your answer. I will pray for you and your lands before the Lord.”

With that, the saintly princess, the Count of Korn, and the radiant priestess Sandy—who had shone quietly in High Lord’s sight the entire time—stepped onto the deck. Their figures soon vanished behind the ship’s railings.

The fleet departed, and High Lord and his companions left the dock, returning to the camp.

On the way, Hetty, who had come to see them off, seemed preoccupied. Noticing this, High Lord asked, “What’s on your mind?”

Hetty opened her mouth a few times but finally said, “Ancestor, I heard you refused Princess Veronica’s offer to help establish a Holy Light Church here?”

“An offer, huh…” High Lord pursed his lips and met Hetty’s eyes. “Do you think there’s something wrong with that?”

“The priests of the Holy Light have healing and comforting powers,” Hetty explained. “Our territory is short on medical personnel. Although Mr. Pittman is a competent druid, most of his energy goes into agriculture. The potions he makes are in constant short supply, especially with recent battles causing many injuries. Our medical supplies are nearly depleted, and we have to urgently purchase more from Tansan Town. If we had one or two priests of the Holy Light, even just trainees, it would greatly ease the situation.”

“Exactly,” Rebecca chimed in. “We can’t afford a formal church right now. Hiring priests out of pocket isn’t cost-effective. The princess is willing to fund the church herself—that would save us a fortune! And the priests she sends won’t be some half-baked country clergy. It’s a great deal.”

“I don’t like the Holy Light Church,” Amber muttered behind High Lord. “They’re all superstitious, rigid, and stubborn. As a follower of the Night Goddess, it’s like I was born to be their enemy. They give me cold looks wherever I go…”

Rebecca rolled her eyes. “Maybe that’s because you keep sneaking into their churches to steal stuff?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! When have I ever been caught stealing? They don’t even know who’s behind it but still pick on me. That’s just stirring up trouble!”

High Lord and his two granddaughters stared in disbelief. The half-elf’s unbeatable logic had just scored a triple knockout.

He decided to ignore the “shame of all creation” for now. “I know Veronica’s proposal would be very cost-effective, but I have my own concerns. Do you really think her help in establishing a local church is just about building a chapel and sending a pastor?”

Hetty, unlike Rebecca, wasn’t so one-dimensional. She quickly caught on. “You mean… there might be royal and Holy Light Cathedral interests behind this? Surely not… Princess Veronica’s integrity and devotion are well known. She’s a true believer who would never let personal gain taint her faith…”

“Her personal faith doesn’t mean others won’t have their own agendas,” High Lord said with a wry smile. “Did you notice who she brought with her? A high-ranking priestess from the Holy Light Cathedral who barely spoke but never left Veronica’s side, and a court count personally appointed by the king—who was actually cut out from the Loren family in the Eastern Realm. The royal family and the church stand like bodyguards around the saintly princess, never letting her out of their sight. Her sincere faith clearly can’t stop less devout people from scheming. Under these circumstances, I’m not willing to accept her goodwill lightly.”

Hetty and Rebecca exchanged thoughtful looks. Hetty pondered the possible intentions of the crown and church, while Rebecca tried to make sense of what the old ancestor was saying.

High Lord continued, “There’s another thing Veronica said that caught my attention.”

Amber’s curiosity was piqued. “Which one? She said a lot today!”

“‘Though there are many gods, only the Holy Light God embraces all. At the end of the Holy Light lies the ultimate salvation for all foolish beings.’” High Lord repeated Veronica’s almost preachy words verbatim. “Don’t you think there’s something off about that?”

“What’s wrong with it? That’s just the usual line those Holy Light fanatics love to use,” Amber said, scratching her head. “They always brag about how loving their god is—as if the whole world were their child…”

“The latter part is definitely standard Holy Light propaganda,” High Lord said seriously, “but she added a phrase at the start—‘Though there are many gods.’ It was brief and said casually, but that’s not something ordinary Holy Light followers say.”

Hetty hesitated, uncertain. “Is she… placing the Holy Light God above all other gods?”

High Lord nodded slightly. “A subtle form of persuasion, but yes, that’s the implication.”

Everyone’s expressions turned strange.

This world was home to countless faiths—High Lord had known this for a long time. There were dozens of major sects with established names, hundreds of smaller cults spread across the countryside, and countless secret esoteric beliefs preserved within small groups. Almost every stable sect had its own divine magic, meaning they had a genuine source of divine power behind them—a god or something godlike.

Yet despite this multitude of faiths, the continent maintained a relative balance. Their equilibrium even transcended nations and races. Even when wars broke out between countries, mainstream religions generally stayed neutral.

Of course, this wasn’t always the case. History was littered with religious wars and conquests carried out under the banner of faith. Even when humanity was unified under one kingdom, the Gondor Empire often saw local conflicts between different religious factions.

During the years High Lord spent in the heavens, he had grown weary of watching these religious conflicts—especially since he couldn’t intervene or rest.

But no matter how fiercely the sects fought, they were peaceful now.

All disputes ceased the year the Gondor magical cataclysm erupted.

That year, the gods chose silence. They remained silent for an entire year.

(End of chapter)