Only God

The prison was stiflingly hot, and nearly every cell was packed to the brim with the stench of evaporating sweat everywhere; among so many True Believers, only Eden had been isolated in a cell.

This undoubtedly reflected the local Arota's emphasis on this Priest.

Eden sat on a pile of straw, and as it happened, this was his second time being incarcerated.

The first time he was thrown into prison was because of the Emperor, and the second time was due to the local Arota. It was as if all the rulers of the world were against him.

Eden held the Stone Pendant at his chest, looking around the crowded cell.

"Two days have already passed, and I've yet to return to my original world.

Could it be... I'm to stay here forever?"

Eden wondered, though he felt the possibility was low.

He had returned to his original world before, and he should be able to do the same this time.

"I need to go back; I must go back."

Eden observed each True Believer, resolving firmly in his heart.

These people, they are so devout, persisting in their faith even in the darkest times, yet deceived into falling into prison; Eden, who could see directly into souls, saw many among them whose spirits were pure, almost untainted.

But how were these people treated?

During these days in the cell, Eden had heard from the True Believers the many horrendous methods the Giant King believers employed against True Believers.

The simpler ones were to restrict the True Believers' gatherings and masses, forcing them to convert or face an extra levy of tax.

And the more complex, crueler methods were plentiful.

Those Giant King followers would demolish churches on a large scale, threaten lives to force others to convert; if one did not convert, they were either executed on the spot, sold into slavery, or forced into despicable acts.

Eden also heard that they had piled the heads of other believers into small hills several times over, ordering animal dung to be poured over it as a desecration of the opposing believers' faith.

In the heathen's Law, it was said that one should not enslave another, but under the heathen rulers' interpretation, they had cited another Scripture that stated those who did not believe in the new gods had already lost their rights as humans. Therefore, enslaving other believers not only did not violate the Law, it was an act glorifying faith.

Extremists even declared that they were entitled to kill all people, rob all cities, smash all idols, trample all women, and the more cruel the act, the greater the recompense in Heaven.

Eden also learned that one-third of the heathen Law targeted different believers.

All these rumors left Eden shuddering for the future of these True Believers; though they were strangers, meeting these True Believers in this heathen city felt like encountering long-lost brothers.

Moreover, as a Priest, it was his unshirkable duty to help these lay Believers with all his might.

"I must return, only then can I save them."

Eden silently vowed.

Just then, outside the cell, a faint sound of footsteps arose.

Eden looked up to see a group of heathen soldiers approaching. They wordlessly opened the cell door, brutally pulled the Priest off the ground, as if to take him somewhere.

The True Believers erupted in panic at this scene, emitting urgent cries for help, loudly scolding, and even cursing the heathen soldiers, but they were all locked in the cell, unable to extend a helping hand to Eden.

Eden was escorted by the heathen soldiers to a room resembling an interrogation chamber, and there he saw a familiar face almost bursting with the fire in his eyes, itching to pounce and tear the man apart.

It was none other than Priest Bruce.

Just as Eden was about to pounce, he was firmly restrained by the several heathen soldiers, nearly dragged and pulled onto a chair.

"It was you..."

Eden said through clenched teeth.

"Your soul is filled with numerous sins; it is utterly filthy!"

Priest Bruce raised his eyebrows, merely taking the statement as an exaggerated provocation.

"It is I,

and I have come to persuade you."

Eden stared intently at him and said,

"What do you want to persuade, what can you persuade when you have already betrayed God? You have tricked His lambs, led them to the slaughter, and then, while enjoying the splattering of fresh blood, counted the coins in your bag."

Priest Bruce did not get angry; he slightly bowed his head as if in silence, while the heathen soldiers pressed Eden even firmer.

After a while, Priest Bruce suddenly spoke,

"Priest, you should have been a priest.

With your sympathy and mercy, you stood up at that time and commanded them to break the siege.

But you were wrong; you should not have let them break the siege. You thought you were being kind, but in fact, you harmed them."

"Harmed them? You were the one who betrayed them!"

Eden said angrily.

"Yes, I betrayed them, but it was a deceit of goodwill,"

Priest Bruce said slowly, with a tone as if a wise man looking down on a fool:

"To live better, they should have abandoned the faith, truly abandoned it."

Eden glared at Priest Bruce,

"No, they have kept their faith till today, not to abandon it."

Priest Bruce suddenly asked:

"Do you know what happened to my previous seven priests?"

Eden slightly shook his head.

"They all died, they all became martyrs!" emphasized

Priest Bruce:

"And they did not die alone. Many who supported them, who listened to their masses, died with them. Every time there was a martyrdom, a group of True Believers was implicated and sacrificed along with them because of these priests, and countless people bled time and again."

Eden was slightly startled, aware that Bruce was telling the truth.

After a moment, he responded coldly:

"Ridiculous, truly ridiculous. The murderers are someone else, yet you want to blame the priests?"

Priest Bruce stared at Eden, persuading him earnestly:

"If you do not blame the priests, would you blame the heathens?

How absurd.

This land has been conquered by them; isn't it their affair how they wish to rule it?

They have their god, they have their Law; what sins can the ruler who decrees the Law have?

No matter how many True Believers there are, they are but their subjects; under their rule, they must follow their Law.

This land no longer belongs to the True Believers. If you want the Law of the True Religion, then you must want the Empire to take control here again! Sadly, Danschel cannot do it, can he?"