Only God

Returning to camp and reporting to Bright, Eden then went back to his own tent, where he reached up to touch the pendant around his neck, still feeling incredulous.

"Why is this..."

Eden muttered incessantly.

He still felt that everything that took place there seemed like an illusion. How could God fall once again, and how could another become His successor? If all this was real, what was the point of the True Religion's faith?

"If all this is real, it's like believing in a God that doesn't exist."

Upon thinking this, Eden shivered, and he quickly recited scripture, begging for God's forgiveness,

"Lord, forgive me."

After he finished, a sense of calm returned to Eden's heart. At that moment, he felt how absurd his thoughts had been.

"How could God fall again? That was nothing but a collective daydream of heresy. Even this pendant is merely an illusion, not reality."

Eden thought this and firmed up his conviction once more.

...

The next morning, the scouts who had gone to track the group of assassins already returned. The assassins had escaped in time, and the scouts came back empty-handed. Soon after, the news to break camp and depart came from the general's tent.

Eden and Veldor boarded the carriage, the priest looked at the old man, touched the pendant on his neck, wanting to say something, but then stopped himself.

"It's dangerous. I didn't expect the Princess's marriage to be so perilous. I thought it would be smooth sailing."

Veldor peered through the carriage window at Arsia's lead carriage ahead and said so.

Eden nodded as if he had remembered something and suddenly said:

"She killed someone."

Veldor turned his head,

"Who? The Princess?"

Eden nodded slightly.

"That was self-defense, it's not a sin."

Veldor said so.

"But her expression... it was like... like a maniac."

Eden recalled, involuntarily speaking:

"I can't imagine the Queen having such a daughter."

After he spoke, Eden waited a moment, to his surprise, the Dwarf priest didn't say a word.

The priest turned his head, only to see the Dwarf priest staring straight at him, silent.

"What..."

Eden asked, puzzled.

"Do you know what kind of person I am?"

Veldor said in a gentle tone.

"A man who has seen the Prophet... isn't it?"

Eden saw Veldor shake his head.

"No, I mean before I saw the Prophet."

Veldor said.

Eden thought for a while; he realized he hardly knew the man who saved his life. He only knew he was a man who had seen the Prophet.

"A long time ago, more than fifty years ago, I was a Wanderer, a sinner. I set fires, burnt down clan houses, and almost killed my father. I've stolen, tricked, and cheated. I turned to the True Believers, took to God, just for the wealth of the Sects."

Virtually without reservation, Veldor slowly laid bare his past ugliness, as if talking about someone unrelated.

Eden was stunned; he had thought Veldor was an almost flawless True Believer, like the Queen. But he never imagined Veldor had such a past.

"I remember the first time I heard the Scripture, I wept bitterly. But that was just an act, and I actually despised it. At that time... I did whatever it took to blend into the Sects."

Veldor looked up and slowly said:

"Do you understand what I mean?

Back then, I was weak, a sinner."

Eden murmured:

"I can't imagine."

Veldor gazed at Eden and said softly:

"Yes, unimaginable. I couldn't imagine it either. A Wanderer, almost abandoned by the entire society, yet the Sects still took me in, my Godfather accepted me and led me into God's grace."

After he spoke, Veldor paused, then continued:

"I can tell you have some prejudice against the Princess,

but how do you know people don't change? People are baptized, and when the water falls, it wets their hair. They might be indifferent, but at some moment, God's grace will eventually cleanse their souls. With God, nothing is impossible."

After these words of counsel, Eden's heart slowly eased. He gazed at the luxurious lead carriage for a moment, saying nothing, his thoughts unknown.

The vast convoy continued its journey day after day, increasingly nearing the Ausenco Kingdom.

They passed through the southern border province, stopping for several days to replenish supplies.

This was one of the few idle times on the journey. How could Arsia miss it? So, she rang the bell and called Eden over.

"You seem to treat me as a servant at your beck and call."

Eden said to Arsia, rather helplessly.

The tall Princess shrugged,

"Why not? This is the Empire's border. If something were to happen to me, how would you explain it to my mother?"

Eden pointed a finger,

"It's not about explaining to your mother. Your safety is merely incidental. We're heading to Ausenco to investigate that Sect."

Arsia nodded repeatedly,

"I get it, I get it. But if something happens to me, the convoy would have to turn back. Wouldn't all your days of work be for nothing?"

Faced with the Princess's impudence, Eden had no choice but to sigh.

"Alright, where do you want to go?"

Eden thought about it and asked directly.

Arsia clapped her hands,

"The execution grounds."

Eden frowned in confusion,

"The execution grounds? What are you doing there?"

Arsia turned around and pointed to the Governor's Mansion:

"I've made inquiries. Today, five convicts will be executed, and one will be publicly humiliated in stocks. Let's head over now; I'll take the Executioner's job right out of his hands."

Upon hearing this, Eden was shocked. He thought the Princess had absolutely lost her mind.

In any race or nation, Executioners are despised and feared professions, and people even believe their souls are unclean from birth.

Hence, those who served as Executioners were usually the impoverished, vagabonds, or other low-strata of society.

But now, this Princess was entertaining the mad idea of taking the job from an Executioner.