"A philosopher from an eastern kingdom?" The First Apostle Jacob regarded Francis with puzzlement.
He wasn't questioning the stranger's legitimacy — having passed the trial of Avando, God of Fire and Destruction, and earned the trust of Earl the "Crown," Jacob, as a devout believer, dared not and would not doubt. His purpose in speaking was simply to gather more information so he could make a reasonable judgment about Francis's proposal. After all, he was the principal leader of the Secret Prayer Society's mundane missionary work.
Jacob's attitude mirrored what the other apostles were thinking, and even Lucian wore the same expression.
"This world is special — it's riddled with false gods, and quite a few hold 'divine authorities' related to the moon. So it's not entirely implausible that when the true Silver Moon Goddess Etnera fell into this world, she was drawn by similar 'divinity' and attempted to 'absorb' them to restore her own rank. After all, she's also the progenitor of the vampires — absorbing blood and divinity are latent abilities." When it came to the study of the divine domain, the Arcane Council was rather backward. The vocabulary Lucian used was basically imported from the Church: divine authority, divinity, and so on. He could grasp their general meaning but couldn't pin down what they truly were.
With that premise established, Lucian mused inwardly: "In the absence of any better way to locate Etnera of the Silver Moon, keeping tabs on and monitoring false gods with moon-related 'divine authorities' could be an effective strategy of 'waiting by the stump for a rabbit.' But is Francis from the Southern Church, the Northern Church, or one of the churches serving the false gods northwest of the Dark Mountains? Well, to be fair, the Council, the Dark Council, and similar forces could also attempt something like a religious overhaul — hearing about it constantly, it'd be hard not to pick it up. Though the more stubborn elves and druids certainly wouldn't bother."
The concept of a mature religion that Earl had mentioned — the path of salvation and spiritual comfort — Lucian could muddle his way through a rough version of it himself. That alone couldn't determine Francis's identity. And if Francis truly was a churchman helping a false god undergo religious reform, it would seem to go against his own faith. Of course, when it came to the top priority of finding Etnera of the Silver Moon, slightly bending one's faith wasn't something that would give pause to certain high-ranking Church officials or members of the Night Watch.
At the thought of this, Lucian grew even more wary and cautious. Most of his arcane magical items were damaged and awaiting repair, which wouldn't favor a prolonged fight. And he had no idea whether Francis had companions lurking nearby.
Earl smiled and gestured toward Francis. "Mr. Francis hails from an oasis kingdom in the eastern desert. He has profound expertise in philosophy, theology, and the occult. He came to the Erdou Peninsula because while observing the stars at night, he noticed a particular star flare abnormally bright for a short period before quickly fading — a sign corresponding to the rise of our Father God, so he made a special journey to pay homage and exchange ideas."
What a charlatan… Lucian cursed under his breath, becoming ever more convinced that something was off about Francis. The celestial change he described was plainly the symbol of an "Old God" falling and a new god ascending to power. What did Avando have to do with rising?
Was he ignorant of astronomy and making it up on the fly, or was he deliberately saying it to mock Avando and Earl for their ignorance — two illiterates?
Francis casually settled into a silver chair, wearing that faint, seemingly permanent smile as he glanced over the apostles. "The reason the great God of Fire and Destruction no longer enjoys the same worship from the Barbarians as before is not merely because of a missionary approach based on pure intimidation and coercion — it is also because He was genuinely defeated by Annatans. The Barbarians, who once feared His terror and might, discovered that the God of Fire and Destruction seemed even weaker than they had imagined."
"That was because of the betrayal of other gods!" the Second Apostle declared loudly, unwilling to admit that the fire god Avando — who could supposedly destroy the world — had actually lost.
Francis leaned back leisurely against the chair. "Regardless, He lost. For a god, defeat is a more tragic fate than falling. Therefore, I suggest that the great Avando temporarily abandon His former image and spread His gospel as a new god. We can say that within the flames of destruction, the savior Earl was born. The previous defeat was nothing more than a trial the great Avando imposed upon His believers. Those who failed the trial must repent devoutly to receive Earl's redemption and reap their harvest on the fertile land after the flames."
"This creates an entirely new god — Earl, God of Resurrection, Abundance, and Redemption. Going forward, He will gradually absorb Avando's image and incorporate the divine authorities of fire and destruction, making the believers understand that Earl is Avando, and Avando is Earl. They are two aspects of one being. Only thus can they become truly powerful gods."
"From now on, no matter what happens, it can all be explained as a test from the gods."
The six apostles around the round table fell silent. What Francis said sounded reasonable, but the idea that anything and everything could be explained away as a divine test felt almost like a mockery of the gods.
Lucian, however, noticed that when Francis spoke these words, not only was there no trace of mockery in his expression and gaze — there was even a hint of fervor that lent him an air of genuine conviction.
"Is he simply an exceptional actor, or does he have some other purpose beyond finding Etnera of the Silver Moon?" Lucian grew ever more certain that Francis was a "visitor" from the primary material world.
Seeing that the apostles remained silent, Francis stood and pressed his hand to his chest in a bow toward Earl.
"The will of the gods is something we mortals cannot truly comprehend. When our actions go astray, it is because our understanding is insufficient and we have overlooked the trial."
"The gods are eternal and self-existent. They do not need our faith, but we need to believe in the gods to receive redemption."