I looked at my mother curiously, perhaps wondering what plan is she cooking in her head.
"For example?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"For example... Maybe about your training plan for Tomorrow ?"
I leaned back against the plush velvet seat "and What about it ?"
Mother watched me for a few beats, a knowing smile playing on her lips "...Don't tell me those two did not tell you about their plan ?"
"What plan ?" I asked, my internal alarms finally tripping.
"I see. they perhaps did not. They're planning to take you for a dungeon dive Tomorrow." she said, her tone as casual as if she were discussing the weather.
"Oh.. i see-wait! What?!"
I nearly jumped out of my seat.
A dungeon dive?! Tomorrow?! Why the hell was I the last to know? What happened to all those bullshit lectures from Boran about how a 'Master should respect the student's Will'? Some Respect you have! Boran!
Not that I'm complaining though. It's about time, I smash some monsters!
"Seems like they really did forgot to tell you." Mother giggled, enjoying my rare loss of composure.
Yeah, I doubt that. Knowing those two, they probably wanted to see the look on my face as they drag me to the Dungeon City.
"Maybe..." I muttered, regaining my composure.
"So you want to ask about anything ?"
"You've been to dungeons ?" I asked back.
"One doesn't have to experience the cold to know the winter, Ty. Let your mother tell you everything that you need to know about the dungeon." she said, her eyes glinting with a mix of pride and a strange, lingering shadow.
"...okay" I replied, settling in.
Honestly, i already know everything there i perhaps is, that i need to know. But if this is her way of spending time together, then so be it.
if this was her way of feeling like she is still protecting me—even if I have outpaced the world around me—I am not going to take it away from her.
Just like that almost half an hour passed and we finally reached our destination.
The central church.
We got out of our carriages.
The central church building was even larger than i expected.
The Central Church wasn't just a building. it was like a mountain of white marble carved into the shape of a prayer.
On Earth, even the grandest cathedrals that i had seen, including movies and as such, felt like they were reaching for the sky. But This place ? this felt like it was the sky itself. A large piece of artistic architecture.
At the entrance, a group of High Priests waited for us. Their robes were so stiff with gold embroidery, they looked like they could stand up on their own.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries with the King, the old lead priest gestured for us to enter the church's main building.
Only the Royal Blood and the 'Sword of the King' could enter the inner sanctum. So, We, the royal members and Sir George followed them inside the building.
The soldiers and Royal servants were left to wait outside, as thy were not allowed to enter.
As we walked, I noticed a separate, smaller entrance to the right, beside the main entrance.
And a long line of commoners were standing and moving in a slow pace.
How weird... Today is the Royal Oath Day—a ceremony of such political and spiritual gravity that the entire capital has been ground to a halt. By all rights, the Central Church should be a Building of exclusivity, off-limits to anyone without royal blood or a high-ranking status.
Then, why is there a line of commoners ? And that too, at this very time when the Royals are present in flesh.
Ignoring them, we followed the Pope into the Central Prayer Hall.
It was colossal, to say the least. Almost as big as the Palace party hall.
Oops... Comparing the goddess sanctuary to a party hall... It's not a sin, right? Right, Let's hope the Goddess is not the vindictive type.
At North most, there was a podium. On that podium stood the marble statue of a woman.
bathed in the glow of a thousand candles, stood the statue of The Goddess. She was carved from a single block of translucent marble, dressed in modest, nun-like robes with her hands clasped in eternal prayer.
That's the Goddess, worshipped by the Human race, Elaria.
Also popularly known as 'The Sovereign of Dawn'.
"So that's the Goddess who is worshipped by your kind" Aqua said.
[Yes, she is. but...] I answered and also decided to ask aqua something I am quite curious about. For a while. Something that perhaps only someone as old as her can answer. [Say, Aqua]
"Yes ?"
[Did Elaria exist ?]
"Hmm ? What do you mean ?"
[I mean exactly what I said. Does this Goddess, that the church speaks of, this Goddess who is worshipped by millions-if not billions of humans worship and about whom we have read in the religious books, Is she real ?]
She was silent for a bit before answering in a low voice, "...I don't know."
[Hmm...]
"I don't know if this Elaria of yours, exists or not. Or if she existed in the past. All I can tell you is, that I have never seen a God in my entire life. Only that much can I tell you."
I see... So even an ancient being like her is unfamiliar with the existence of Gods.
While Aqua and I held our private debate on atheism, the King and the A high Priest ascended the podium. The Priest donned a magnificent, jewel-encrusted Mitre hat—a crown of faith to match the King's crown of gold.
So that old priest was actually the Pope ? Hmm... Figures.
After that the Pope reached out for and opened a jewel decorated old looking leather bound book, which I think is the religious book of Humans, 'The Aureum'.
And he started to read it, His voice boomed, rich and theatrical, "in the Age of Grey, humans were aimless wanderers. When Our Goddess descended upon a high peak and struck her scepter against...."
It was basically the story of How During the 'Age Of Grey' or whatever, The humans were nothing but helpless lambs. And then The Goddess Descended upon this world, Showed us path, Taught us Mana, Zes, Magic and Blah Blah Blah...
I Kept listening to the pope's lecture and thought about what Aqua just said. Hearing the pope sing the praises of The Goddess's greatness and Aqua who denied her existence, made me think back to a question brought up by a certain anthropologist in 19th century.
'Did God create humans or did humans create God ?'
How terrifying.
There were a lot of benches in the prayer hall for the believers to sit and we, the royal took occupied three of them.
Two on the left and the third one was occupied by us on the right, isolated from the other Queens.