SWNOVELXO Chapter 107
Chapter 107. Knight (1)
I found myself in Aion, the capital of the Empire, showcasing the majestic scenery befitting its title.
‘When I looked at the streets, it felt like a different era compared to other regions.’
The clothing was much more refined and colorful, and just from their faces, I could tell people were well-off.
‘In contrast, the temple certainly had a decidedly ancient feel.’
The place Iris had introduced had an old-fashioned air, untouched by the advanced architectural styles. It seemed not neglected, but rather genuinely old.
“Stop right there.”
As I approached the temple, two knights came forward.
“This place is off-limits for ordinary citizens.”
“I have authorization.”
I showed the knights a necklace given to me by Iris. They examined it and matched it against identical necklaces they wore.
The necklace emitted a light as if resonating, confirming my authorization, and the knight returned it to me.
“Apologies.”
The knight stepped aside politely, allowing me to enter the temple confidently.
‘It didn’t feel like a library.’
It felt more like a warehouse or storage room. It was filled with all sorts of parchments and tablets, but they were surprisingly orderly and well-managed.
‘There were more spells than miracles cast here.’
Alongside alarms, spells for preservation like humidity control were abundantly applied. Although unexpected for a temple, such things were better suited to magic than miracles.
“A face I’ve never seen before.”
An elderly man with white hair spoke up from a corner, where he was busy with documents.
“Do you know the rules?”
“I’d appreciate an explanation.”
The old man sighed.
“Sigh… If only people would come prepared.”
“Iris the Saintess didn’t mention much.”
I tried mentioning Iris’s name.
“Well, that’s because the so-called Saintess never comes here. You need at least one working eye to read anything.”
His excessively frank response came back.
“The rules are simple: don’t meddle with the magic, and never contaminate the records.”
“Simple enough.”
“And let me tell you upfront, I am not a librarian, so don’t treat me like one!”
The old man muttered as he resumed his work with the pen. Wanting to examine the records as well, I realized I didn’t know where to start among the plethora of materials.
“But it’s strange.”
Though he didn’t want to be disturbed, it was the elderly man who started a conversation again.
“If the Saintess sent you, normally there would be something she wanted you to investigate, no?”
“I’m not following.”
“You seem younger than me, has your hearing already gone bad? You said Iris the Saintess sent you. She must have sent you for research, reference materials, anything, right?”
The old man scrutinized me carefully.
“And you certainly don’t seem like an Inquisitor.”
“The Saintess merely issued a permit. My visit here is driven by personal curiosity.”
“Ha! That’s incredibly comical. This isn’t a tavern. It’s quite unusual to just walk in because you’re curious.”
The old man put down his documents and approached. Observing me closely, he inquired,
“So, what are you so curious about?”
“… Didn’t you say you were busy?”
“In truth, I find this job tiresome. I just don’t want to dig up old inquisitor’s verdicts again if the Saintess orders it.”
I was so dumbfounded that I lost my words. The old man urged me,
“So, do tell. What prompted the Saintess to issue a permit? What’s your connection with her? Maybe you’re her father? Perhaps a secret lover she made in hiding!”
“That’s absurd, isn’t it? I just took on a mission with the Inquisitor. She gave me the permit because I’m interested in Hayat’s history!”
His outlandish speculation inadvertently raised my voice. I was currently disguising myself as Ahab, a persona with no romantic involvements.
“Eh… How dull. So, you’re interested in Hayat’s history?”
“I need records on miracles and symbolism.”
“Ah, are you trying to mimic a scholar at this age? Hmm… Wait a moment.”
The peculiar old man moved with surprising speed to fetch a bundle of parchments, which were quite voluminous.
“I brought the most fascinating ones. I’ll explain the difficult parts, but first, can you read?”
“You seem extremely averse to working.”
When I hinted, the old man burst out in frustration.
“Do you see this paperwork? These aren’t even my original duties, but that bastard Gray Calamity! How many priests has he killed…….”
“Hmm… Is that so? My condolences.”
“No, actually, it’s the bastards who deserved to die. They were bound to be executed by the Inquisitors sooner or later.”
I must have chosen wisely.
“In any case, I am Ahab. If you can manage the contents, I’d appreciate a summary of the key parts. I don’t have the luxury of time to read everything.”
“Good! My name is Redner. Not that names matter, so let’s get started!”
Redner’s narration of the history was profoundly captivating.
‘Not just Outer Gods, but Outer Gods originated outside this world?’
In this world, there were a few Gods, including Hayat.
Back then, Hayat was merely known as the God of light, without a significant place.
Subsequently, Ancient Gods and Demon Gods appeared one after another.
Their faiths spread rapidly, and the existing Gods lost their influence. It resulted in chaos as Outer Gods too descended upon the world.
“But…….”
“Yes? Don’t interrupt.”
“Weren’t they all considered Outer Gods if they came from outside?”
At my remark, redner laughed.
“Not incorrect. But Ancient Gods have influenced humanity since the primitive age, and Demon Gods appeared much earlier according to records.”
In contrast, outer Gods descended much later as invaders and calamities. Their sudden incursion rapidly reshaped the world.
The culmination of escalating conflicts was the ‘Holy War’, where all religions waged war against each other.
‘Ironically, Hayat’s golden age began after this.’
Hayat, who was previously not regarded as a supreme God, rose in prominence following the Holy War. While other indigenous Gods vanished, Hayat remained.
“And that’s why Hayat is not categorized with those Outer Gods as the sole true God remaining!”
Technically, Hayat could be considered an Ancient God older than the ancients, but was not called an Ancient God.
This categorization was established by the Hayat faith to classify the Gods of other religions.
The term Ancient Gods referred to those Gods who had an influence from a very early age, while Demon Gods were defined as those that crossed dimensions overflowing with demons.
Lastly, the Gods who appeared the latest as invaders were known as Outer Gods.
“Hayat is distinctly different from such Gods!”
Redner displayed pride in Hayat.
During the wars amongst Outer Gods, Demon Gods, and Ancient Gods, Hayat stood alone, following a different path.
She gathered those weary from war, those who fled, expanding her power.
‘No demand for sacrifices, treating everyone as equals. Intriguingly similar to Christianity as I know it.’
I suspected similarities with modern Christianity.
“This is why Inquisitors are so sensitive to heretics, perhaps?”
“Indeed. But the current knight orders diverged significantly from their original intentions.”
Redner unfurled a parchment, depicting three knight insignias alongside portraits of three knights.
“The Inquisitors were founded by Paula Livester.”
According to Redner, the Inquisitors back then were not the grim, ominous order they seemed today.
During the ongoing Holy War, heretic believers infiltrated and instigated terror, unsettling the followers of Hayat.
It led to indiscriminate persecution and hunting of heretics.
“Paula Livester was the first to judge those who did such things.”
Subsequently, they established rigorous, fair criteria to identify heretics accurately and gathered individuals who shared their ideals.
The order was created to restore order, not to indiscriminately kill heretics.
‘I wonder why they’ve become lunatics who even pluck children’s eyes these days.’
Redner continued his explanation.
“Luminaries, founder unknown! It was established under a simple ideology. Lead by example, though that’s been taken too far now.”
Apparently, there weren’t other significant issues, so Redner moved on.
“The biggest issue is Stigmata.”
I too found their existence puzzling and listened intently to Redner.
“Many now believe it should cease to exist. Its nature has mutated excessively.”
Stigmata consists of penitents. Their origin stems from heretic warriors who, tired of endless slaughter and war, longed for Hayat’s light.
“Back then, they were the enemy who killed their own believers, so views towards them weren’t kind.”
They accepted their sins and aimed to cleanse them through the most arduous and challenging work.
At the time, they engaged in volunteer work akin to Luminaries but more varied.
As a penitential order, they accepted sinners, offering them opportunities for redemption and penitence. But at some point,
“The most difficult tasks turned into the filthiest jobs!”
When exactly this change occurred is unknown, but they adopted a strange ideology.
The concept of ‘shouldering others’ sins and cleansing those sins through death’ emerged.
This odd ideology became Stigmata’s very essence, turning them into a contradiction of a penance order that accrued sins.
“That’s quite a pity.”
“It’s absurd! Now they’re obsessively recruiting more, indiscriminately dragging in criminals they can’t properly manage.”
Redner, who seemed to have a grudge against Stigmata, fumed as he explained.
“It’s end times, end times! Same with the knights and the priests! How can there be no proper individuals?”
“Well, that’s only natural.”
I shrugged, sympathizing with Redner.
“It’s always easier to follow corrupt paths rather than righteous ones. Don’t let it rile you up. Continue, please.”
“Sigh, you’re almost robotic in your monotony.”
Redner grumbled but proceeded to the next matter.
While other countries worshipped Ancient Gods, gaining knowledge and blessings in various fields, the Empire upheld its advancement solely by serving Hayat.
“This is because Lord Hayat is also known as the divine being of inspiration. Therefore, Hayat’s words manifest through inspiration.”
I briefly pondered the connection between light and inspiration but realized it wasn’t problematic.
After all, Ancient Gods were known as Gods of diverse domains.
“Are there records about Hayat’s miracles?”
“Of course. A God’s miracles often reflect its nature.”
Hayat’s miracles were categorized into three aspects,
– ‘Wisdom’ that guides and inspires people.
– ‘Order’ that discerns deception and rectifies confusion.
– ‘Protection’ encompassing healing, defense, and enhancement.
“Does Hayat always tell the truth? Are there instances where truth was hidden for the greater good, delivering alternate inspiration?”
“That’s a highly debated topic. Was it a misinterpretation of Hayat’s rightful guidance or deception by a priest? Variables are plenty, hard to definitively answer but…….”
Redner stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“They are Gods, after all. It’s likely humans can’t fully comprehend their every intention. The scenario you described may be possible or simply a misconception.”
The response wasn’t particularly enlightening, and I frowned slightly. It appeared the matter could only remain ambiguous.
“So, next, about the interpretation of doctrines-”
“No, I’d rather move on to symbolism. Are you well-versed in that as well?”
“Symbolism, huh? Fortunately, yes.”
Redner glanced toward the entrance.
“There happens to be someone who came seeking knowledge on that matter. They planned to visit today, so they should be arriving soon.”
“I don’t mind having company-”
“Everyone, your hard work is appreciated! Here is the necklace!”
A booming voice resonated from the entrance, and I froze on the spot.