NOVEL WEB
Chapter 84.1 - The First Year at the Academy - The Wall To The Top (1)
Around the noon bell rang, I met up with Lambert, Felix, and Elphimia at the intersection of the main street.
Our destination was the Milad Temple, and our purpose was to offer our first prayers a day earlier.
We invited Lora too, but she declined, saying she wanted to spend time with her family until the evening when she would join us.
Ted, Gemma, and Lily also said no.
While they expressed gratitude for the relief efforts conducted at the Milad Temple, they were not fond of the presence of refugee children in the city, especially during the crowded year-end period.
They likely had personal experiences that shaped their perspective. Nails and Elliot, following the leader's will, also declined together, saying, "We won't go!" They seemed to have a good relationship. Even though they were slightly offbeat.
As New Year's Eve approached, Selene became increasingly chaotic.
Speaking of which, there are oddly a lot of people here.
While walking and surveying the area, Elphimia spoke up.
"Everyone is heading towards the Milad Temple."
"Is everyone going? I knew that the Milad faith was popular, but…"
"Oh, no, they believe in different gods. It's only natural to pay respects to the most revered god in Selene. Besides, the other temples are smaller."
"It's quite haphazard…"
Faith in this world seems rather casual.
It may be due to the polytheistic nature of their religion, but it also stems from the framework of having mostly benevolent gods.
"But not everyone believes in the Mirad faith, right?"
"I worship Lactos. It's the mainstream in the capital."
"We are Miltiva."
Lambert responds, and Felix laughs to himself.
"In Keten, the only other big temple is the Lactos."
"Our choices were limited to those two as well."
I'm not religious, by the way.
If I had to pick, it would probably be Miltiva since I owe a lot to Ceres.
As we engaged in such casual conversation, we arrived at the Milad Temple.
Being a large temple, which is rare in magic-loving Selene, its bell tower shared the responsibility of timekeeping with the Joint Government Building.
A line had formed in front of the temple, and we joined the queue.
Upon closer inspection, I saw stalls near the temple entrance, and most of the people in line were purchasing small bags from there.
Those must be the offerings.
When people go to that point, everyone paid a few copper coins without hesitation.
When I peeked inside, I found wheat.
Milad is also the god of agriculture.
Milad is revered in Selen because he was a real person and an exceptional mage. He lived over 1,500 years ago when the Veliates collapsed.
Milad used his magic to bring prosperity to many lands, taught agricultural techniques, and saved countless people from hunger. He bears a slight resemblance to Alphas, but he seems to be more focused on production-oriented magic. He's also a Miltiva priest and is usually considered a subordinate god at Miltiva temples in most cities. Selene is where probably the only place where he is celebrated independently.
As we entered the temple, stood a statue of an old man in the back. freeweb .co m
He was wrapped in simple clothing, gazing into the distance with a gentle yet strong gaze.
At his feet, the wheat bags people had purchased were piled high.
When it was our turn, I stacked the small bag and kneeled.
Usually, it is a time to express gratitude for safely passing another year and pray for safety in the coming year…
A legendary mage, huh?
I feel he would provide more blessings compared to the uncertain existence of the sun god Lactos or the earth goddess Miltiva. He did exist, even if he didn't become a god.
But in terms of rank, the little fat man takes the cake. He's on par with the creator god.
n the first place, the only known god in this world is the nameless creation god. If there are other gods, they would be subordinate gods created by the creation god.
It's a story from ancient times, but there was said to be a battle between the benevolent gods and the evil gods.
The victorious Lactos and the benevolent gods created the human race and entrusted them with the governance of the land.
It's the so-called creation myth.
I think that story was mostly fabricated by the Lactos Temple. If not, it was just a conflict between something incredibly powerful that could be mistaken for a god.
Regardless of definitions and names, there's one clear thing. In this world, a god's enemy is another god.
Demons are rare beings that come from another world, synonymous with evil spirits, and are rarely encountered. On the other hand, evil gods appear even after the birth of the human race and bring catastrophic damage.
The famous ones are the [Mad God] Beveon, worshipped by the creature known as Com Hang, who appeared before Veliatess and destroyed the civilization of that time. Another well-known figure is the [Multi-Headed Dragon Immortal] Haruva, who had a confrontation with the [Gluttonous Evil God] Adudou.
The reason why religion in this world is not politically powerful is precisely because of that.
The insectoid creature that killed me used Holy magic and obtained a Holy attribute magic stone from Com Hang. No matter how much Holy magic is glorified as a miracle.
Even if the opposing evil gods could grant their favor, it loses significance. Thanks to that, we have peace without being entangled in religion, although there are still monsters.
Regardless of the study of religion, I wonder if it would be possible to use Holy magic if one genuinely believes.
I have been training, trying to visualize the structure of the human body and replicate the healing effects of potions, but I have had no progress whatsoever. If faith is not a factor, there is also a possibility that I lack the aptitude. Maybe it would be good to undergo an examination at some point.
Well, for today, let's entrust it to Milad-san.
I'll offer a prayer with heartfelt wishes to be able to use Holy magic.
I had a slight expectation something would happen, but I finished the prayer without any signs.
Yeah, I knew it.
I quickly give up and raise my head.
To my surprise, I find myself surrounded by unfamiliar men.
"It's this way."
Lambert calls out to me from a distance away from the line.
It seems like I've been alone for quite a while.
I hurriedly head over there and apologize.
"You seemed quite absorbed in thought."
"Just had some things on my mind."
For some reason, everyone's shoulders droop.
"You… you're in front of a god, you know?"
"Yeah, I know."
While agreeing, I look up at the statue of the old man.
I won't acknowledge a god who doesn't grant me Holy magic.
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