Kingdom's Bloodline Chapter 528 - Fight Between the Eldest and Youngest

Chapter 528: Fight Between the Eldest and Youngest

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Niah closed the tal naplate and laboriously put it back into the luggage.

In the short silence, Thales thought about the story on Anzac’s naplate, or rather, the story lgen told using the naplates.

The old priestess redirected her gaze from the setting sun outside the window and waited for him patiently. She seed to have expected a silent mont like this.

“Beliefs and magic originated from the sa source. Holiness Exorcism Campaign led to the rise of humanity?”

Thales kept repeating this story, but what flashed through his mind was his first eting with Asda.

“Wizards pursued the truths of the world. They used all kinds of ingenious thods and wisdom to take advantage of the natural resources and energies in the world, to create an even more beautiful world.

lgen looked at him and spoke slowly, “But this is just the beginning.”

The old priestess’s tone contained a hidden and faint sympathy. “Since the foreign enemies had gone away, divergence gradually rose.

“The attitude towards the gods and beliefs caused the eldest and youngest son to go in separate ways in the end, and they gradually beca increasingly estranged.”

‘So, they used the eldest and youngest son as their explanation?

‘It’s so embarrassing for them to co up with a similar explanation so similar to Abel and Cain’s.’

Thales sighed secretly.

“When the eldest and youngest son of the gods face up against each other, one is full of loyalty, and the other is rebellious.”

‘Those who do not know...’

“...will think that this is Artanis’[1] hatred toward the zergs,” the prince criticized quietly. lgen, who had a sharp ear, frowned. “Artanis? Who?”

Thales raised his head, and he smiled innocently and sincerely. “Nothing. It is just one of the jokes from Northland...”

lgen pursed her lips, and the corners of her mouth curled up to make her look sharp.

Very soon, the old priestess returned to her lecture mode. “So, for thousands of years, under the gods’ observation and human practice, the eldest and youngest son, beliefs and magic, churches and wizards, were always in conflict with each other between their paths and beliefs.”

“Wait a minute?”

Thales narrowed his eyes at the perfect mont and interrupted. “So, according to what you say, the divergence between beliefs and magic is because the believers believe in the gods and the wizards do not?

“Can I understand it this way? The believers trust in the gods when it ca to things they cannot understand, and the wizards only trust themselves?”

lgen did not reply imdiately. She looked at Thales quietly, and her eyes showed fluctuating emotions.

She rembered that two days ago, when she ca to the temple blessed by God and visited Vicar General Stylia Nydis, who was looking for books and preparing for Thales’ class full of bright hope, while she also sent regards from Head Ritual Master Liscia, she unintentionally saw that he had grabbed Light Shines on Miles, which had one thousand and twenty-four verses of the temple’s classical hymns. She also rembered that she was there to inform him that the role of giving lessons to Prince Thales cum Duke of Star Lake would be replaced by her.

She could still rember the vicar general’s disbelieving shock and his well-controlled rage at that ti.

Certainly, as one of the vicar generals in Constellation, Stylia Nydis was young, promising, and had a bright future. Since he had preached to many nobles and high officials, and inspired many of his disciples, he would not miss any chance to read the holy scriptures of Sunset for the future King of Constellation to spread the grace of God and glorify the hold works of God, just like what Bishop Layden did for Tormond the Second and Bishop Clent did for Mindis the Third.

However, for those who were lucky enough to be showered with Sunset Goddess’ grace and blessings were too used to the bright light shining in front of them, so much so that they had forgotten where grace ca from.

They even forgot that the believers of the gods had to face trials and challenges from everywhere.

Stars shone brightly in the clear sky, but only after sunset.

“This is the most commonly seen, and also the most dangerous misconception.”

lgen smiled gently, and she nodded to the price gently and politely. “Especially for those who do not have a chance to understand, but made up their minds to hate this belief after they heard about so rumors.”

Thales frowned.

He showed a helpless expression and hoped to exchange a glance of tacit understanding with Gilbert, but Count Case beca quiet. He looked at lgen silently.

“Wizards do not trust in the gods? That is not true.”

lgen’s expression beca colder.

Her next sentence made Thales feel very doubtful.

“Of course they do. They believe in the gods and the beliefs around them, regardless of how many tis they deny it.”

lgen’s tone remained calm, but the content was powerful.

‘What?’

Thales blinked, “I do not...”

“It is just that the god they believe in is an invisible existence who has no na, appearance, and solid form, but its power and status is greater than anything else in their eyes.” lgen did not let him voice his question. As of current, the priestess’ voice beca gloomy and serious.

She whispered, “They called it magic.”

Thales felt his eyebrows twitch.

lgen put her hands together, and her posture was upright, but she gave off an awe-imposing and suffocating presence. “Sotis, they will say use their thirst of knowledge as an excuse. They make it sound nice by calling it rationale, they decorate it by calling it the truth, they conceal it by calling it as their quest to seek advancent, and they argue that they are doing this for self-improvent. They worship it and call it as the supre thing.”

After she said a series of words that made Thales think, her face showed no expression. “Does it sound familiar?”

Before Thales was able to think further about these words, Priestess lgen’s eyes lit up. “No matter how fancy they make themselves sound, they cannot cover up this fact.”

In the next second, she spoke confidently, “Because magic itself is their god, their belief, and their supre law is where their ‘temple’ and ‘holy teachings’ belong.”

Thales could feel the power in lgen’s words.

“To a certain extent, its existence in their hearts is no different from the gods in our hearts, in fact, it is even greater.

“This unfamiliar ‘god’ holds a domineering nature, cruelty, indifference, and rcilessness that is greater than any other thing that has ever been worshipped.”

lgen’s tone gradually beca colder. “Its laws are strictly enforced, its domineering nature power stands supre, those who doubt it can hardly voice their questions, and those who rebel are killed.”

Thales asked in puzzlent, “So, are you trying to say that they treated the concept of magic and the rules as God, and they worshipped it?”

lgen snorted without replying directly,

“It will be worse since thousands of believers were brainwashed by it, regardless of whether they are wizards or were people who had no ability to use magic.

“They acknowledge themselves as the orthodox and accuse those who are different from them as fake believers. But they do not realize that they are more fanatic and hypocritical than other believers who trusted in the gods and demons.”

‘Do not realize that they are more fanatic and hypocritical than other believers...’

Thales started to fall into a daze.

However, he suddenly rembered what had happened a long ti ago, while he had been uneasy in Black Sand Region because his trip to Dragon Clouds City was filled with uncertainties.

During that ti, there was a strange doctor called Ramon who was interested in magic. He explained things to him in this way.

“‘Magic is a aning, an attitude, a belief, and a principle of life.”‘

Thales rembered Ramon’s expression and his nearly crazy tone.

“‘This is what it ans to be wizards! This is what it ans by magic! It is the most important, beautiful, and precious mont that was forgotten in human history when it rose to power!”‘

The priestess’ words were slowly filled with a judgntal tone.

“They are clearly heretics, yet they claim that they are atheists. They had their own stance, but pretend to be a neutral party. They have countless prejudices, yet pretend to be an objective person.

“They are obviously powerless, but they believe conceitedly that the supernatural fake human-shaped gods are toying with the world. At the sa ti they are idolized by millions of people, they say in a smug manner that, ‘This is the noble attitude to search for truth and research magic.’”

lgen’s expression tensed up, and it was clear that she was uncomfortable, but she insisted on finishing her words. “So not only do the wizards trust in their own god, they are also the worst and most fanatic believers, They do not need to pray, confess their sins and repent, baptize their believers, listen to sermons, perform holy deeds, or observe holy ceremonies in order to obtain motivation from their god, be filled with energy, and beco their god’s proud as well as arrogant servants and slaves.”

The old priestess coughed gently. Niah imdiately passed her a cup and rubbed her back gently.

‘Be filled with energy, and beco their god’s proud as well as arrogant servants and slaves...’

After listening to the long story, Thales took a deep breath and tried hard to get rid of the tall and cold man in the blue shirt who had automatically appeared in his head.

“Wo-wow.”

At the sa ti of being surprised, Thales took pleasure in this and thought, ”Asda, it seems... you t a strong opponent.’

When lgen finished resting, Thales had just organized his thoughts and tried to direct the conversation topic to the spots that sparked his curiosity.

“So, you are trying to tell that, it is wrong to have magic as my belief and wizards are evil as believers, and they conduct many evil deeds? And this is why we should resist and prohibit magic completely?”

Against his expectations, when lgen, who looked pious and hated magic, was asked this question, she was stunned for a mont. She seed to have started thinking and felt a bit lost and hesitant.

She cast a profound look at the sunset outside the window. “I do not know.”

Thales was a bit confused. “What do you an?”

lgen withdrew her gaze and shook her head.

“As for believers of my god, tolerance and strictness in behavior are our commandnts.

“Therefore, we cannot judge in this manner. We cannot form our judgnt first and say that magic itself is wrong because the consequences are bad.”

When Thales heard lgen’s reply, he was a bit surprised.

He saw the old priestess rub her arms. She was thinking while saying carefully, “All we can say is that in history, many wizards, people who used magic, and those who worshipped magic had done many wrong things.”

lgen seed to have clearer thoughts now, and she nodded imdiately. “But if many people who believe in magic as their creed did wrong things...”

The old priestess slowly sighed. “Who else can say that the supre magic itself is a pure entity and is sothing independent of its believers?

“Therefore, I do not know the answer.

“And I cannot mislead your answer.”

Thales was quite confused with these judgnts, which had attacked his perceptions fiercely before they released him gently. “You got confused.”

lgen turned around and gave Thales an apologetic smile. “But I can look from another perspective.”

The priestess resud the soft tone she adopted just now. “Just as I said, this is a piece of knowledge about humans.

“When I believe in my god, what is important is not about how great God is, although she is truly great. The main point is that when I trust in God, can I beco a better person and benefit those around ?”

lgen chuckled and looked at him. “Thales, I think that God does not want us to just worship them blindly.

“But God wants us to be rciful to one another, observe each other, and reflect on our own deeds.”

‘Does not want us to just worship them blindly...’

Thales’ expression beca weird. ‘These words are actually spoken from a believer’s mouth?’

lgen thought about it and sighed with great emotion.

“I think the reason we trust in God is to make ourselves beco better and not placing the gods on a higher pedestal. This is not and should not be our duty.

“As long as we do not misunderstand the gods, they will not mislead us.”

lgen took a deep breath.

“So, let’s co back to our question just now of whether magic is good or bad...

“The gods gave enlightennt to their two sons. Belief and magic originated from the sa source. The eldest and youngest son split their paths.”

lgen raised her head, but the gaze in her eyes beca much more determined.

“As the gods’ eldest son, when we believe in God, what we should believe is in the humility, introspection, sincerity and kindness we obtain when we co before the gods. This is the key for our beliefs.

“However, for the youngest son, throughout history, they were easily blinded by greed, lust, indignation, and arrogance, after they left the gods and beca their own master. This is the tragedy of magic.”

‘Humility and introspection when we co before the gods.

‘The greed and lust that ca after leaving the gods and becoming their own master.’

Thales subconsciously sat straight.

‘Strange.

‘These words... sounded so familiar.’

He realized that if he assud this old lady, who would think while she answered, occasionally stopped talking, and sotis appeared to be hesitant, to be a fanatic believer who only had the thought of “God is great” in her head, then he would be wrong.

anwhile, Gilbert had not interrupted her for so ti.

“Whenever the youngest stood in the way to ask people to doubt gods and beliefs, exclaim their own power and status, what they will show to be within their core is the arrogance and ignorance of humans.”

Thales frowned. ‘This is... a humanistic religion?’

“So, are you trying to say that magic is not wrong, but those who believe in magic could walk down the path that leads to the tragedy of magic? That they will walk down the path of depravity? And this will lead to evil consequences?” The prince had tried to catch up with lgen’s religious language for a long ti because that language was sothing lgen had adopted for a long ti.

lgen smiled.

“Not just magic, my child, not just magic.”

Her expression beca more motherly.

“Everyone in every generation will have their own beliefs and their own gods. The king believes in power, rchants trust in money, artistic people trust in love, nobles believe in status, scholars believe in knowledge... There are too many. Magic is not the only one.”

‘The king believes in power.’

Thales tensed up.

“No matter what you believe in, the belief that was supposed to be the most innocent and impeccable will be stained, and you will subconsciously change it.

“It can turn from the fear of God, realizing how insignificant you are, the need to be humble, and from the countless great things that can be brought by beliefs into sothing else.”

lgen said solemnly, “So, it is not magic that brought about the Path of the Youngest, but it is the Path of the Youngest that destroyed the people who used magic.”

Thales thought about it for a mont before he asked, “For example?”

lgen remained silent for a while and started to think. Her expression slowly changed. She appeared dejected at one ti, then full of grief at another. “For example, every ti a human’s greed toward the world matters in their eyes overflowed so greatly that they desire more than what they should get, this kind of greediness could make them ignore the pain, the price to be paid, life and happiness. They would kill when they raise their hands and tear apart their souls while seeking for an extrely perfect version of their selves...”

‘Extrely perfect version of their selves...’

Thales seed to be touched by sothing.

In reality, lgen continued speaking. “Every ti, when humans do not fear the gods, no longer glorify their beliefs, no longer admit to their limits, and no longer believe that there is sothing that they cannot obtain in this world, cannot know, and that there are no laws that they cannot break...”

Thales suddenly rembered the night where his life changed—the first eting between him and Asda in the chess room.

‘”...with a foothold beyond space, surpassed all the gods, and prevailed over all living things!”‘

The priestess’ words started to mix with the voice in his mind, but it was very clear.

“Each ti when humans refuse to be humble and accept their own weaknesses, as well as ignorance, and use that as excuses for their endless greed...”

What flashed in Thales’ eyes was the Prison of Bones, the dark entrance to Black Prison, the strange mark that looked like a profound eye, along with words beneath it.

“‘Toward... Omniscience.”‘

lgen’s sigh could be heard slowly,

“When humans tried every ans in their disposal to beco stronger or powerful, they thought that it was the only and correct way to do so.”

Thales lowered his head and frowned. The Strange Doctor’s passionate words appeared while he recalled the past.

“‘Magic is the sum of all acquisition of knowledge, discoveries, and truths. The advancent of magic will bring us a more glorious future. Humans can beco more perfect, mightier, improve themselves and beco closer to the truth.”‘

lgen’s sigh pulled Thales back to reality.

“Every ti, when humans believe in certain matters or things, they do so at all costs and behave in an extre way...

“We will then that the days where the Path of the Youngest will be brought to light and when the people fall to depravity and suffer from their own consequences will not be too far away.”

lgen remained silent for a while and picked up the teacup refilled by Niah.

Thales quietly rubbed the scars on his left hand and said nothing.

A mont later, lgen finished drinking, and she slowly said, “Two thousand years ago, the united beliefs toward the supre Bright God had led to the endless glory of the Ancient Empire.

“A thousand years ago, the beliefs toward Holy Sun rose to great power, and bore witness to the rise and fall of the Final Empire.”

When she said this, longing and respect inevitably flashed in the priestess’ eyes.

But her eyes soon beca gloomy.

“However, when the utilitarian creed of magic overshadowed the noble determination of beliefs, Bright God Church collapsed by itself, and it predicted the fall and division of the Ancient Empire.

“And the wizards madly sought for whatever they wanted without limit, which brought the greatest crisis since ancient tis. Then, the Battle of Eradication ca. They beca the victims of their own evil deeds and underwent self-destruction, and that marked the end of the Final Empire.”

lgen raised her head and stared sternly at Thales.

“And you, my child, you have seen the power, terror, cruelty, and madness of those monsters.”

Gilbert, who was in the distance, held back his words.

Thales took a deep breath and felt that his thoughts had beco complicated. “The calamities?”

lgen observed him and nodded slowly. “The calamities. And that is just one of the evil consequences for them, even though that was the worst.”

Even though Thales had obtained the answer multiple tis from Ramon, Asda, and the hints from ancient records, when the powerful church in this world told him about this in such a straightforward manner, he realized that he was still not used to it.

When the young duke rembered the night that led to Dragon’s Blood, the bloody sll that had beco faded in his mories seed to have returned.

And that made him feel disgusted.

“Rember. This is the ‘Path of the Youngest’. It originated from arrogance. After going through countless things, it will turn into hatred in the end. It is the favorite of demons, the beloved son of evil, the cradle of disaster, and the beginning of misfortune.”

lgen suddenly sounded stern. “And Thales, you must be aware.”

The prince was shocked.

‘?’

lgen spoke seriously, “Because the Path of the Youngest hard many people. It has many different looks and nas, and it can change into many forms. It appears in every generation, and it is just like the shadows—it cannot be dispelled. Those who seek power will say that they are doing it to survive, those who seek profit worship prosperity, those who indulge in lust praise freedom, those who seek status use dignity as their excuse, and those who seek knowledge appeal to curiosity...

“All who are blinded by these things will invite destruction upon themselves. It is definitely not limited to magic alone.”

lgen paused for a mont.

Thales sucked in a deep breath and tried his best to clear his chaotic emotions while he seized the train of logic in this conversation.

“But... Based on what you said, Lady priestess, would your beliefs and your god not turn into the victims of the Path of the Youngest?”

lgen’s expression changed slightly.

Thales observed her reaction. “For example, when the people in the world believe in Sunset Goddess to the point that they believe in her blindly and fervently suppress those whose beliefs are different from theirs at all cost, as well as declare that all those with extre beliefs were either with you or against you?

“In fact, based on what you said right now, is not such a resolute answer also part of the pattern of the Path of the Youngest?”

The elderly priestess fell silent.

But against his expectations, Thales, who originally thought that she would pick light topics and avoid the heavy ones or provide an explanation, only saw lgen’s expression turn slightly dark.

“Of course.”

The priestess beside Niah listened very seriously. Thales absolutely believed that if she had a pen, she would imdiately begin to write notes, and the notes would be very detailed and complete. Perhaps there would even be so of her thoughts on certain important points.

lgen sighed deeply. “Even though I do not want to ntion it, indeed, what you said is correct.”

Thales frowned.

“During the period of ti our ancestors, magic, and wizards fought against those from the Path of the Youngest... Bright God Church, whose beliefs spread far and wide, once enlisted the Holy Temple Guardian Army to cast judgnt on the heretics.

“The magnanimous and selfless Church of the Holy Sun once set up a Judgnt Hall to correct the people’s ways.”

lgen’s expression was solemn, and there was wariness in her eyes.

“Fanatic believers will not set any limits on themselves. They get rid of heretics based solely on their standpoints. They will suppress all remaining voices of objection, assuming an air of self-importance. The thods they resort to are also incredibly sinister. They use every thod possible...

“There has been no benefit in spreading their religion. Their efforts were futile, and they also made countless enemies. Their infamy spread far and wide, and in the end, they lost themselves, and their sins were great.”

lgen looked up with a stern expression, and it looked as if the thing pressing down on her shoulders was no longer the cloth from her robe, but the great weight of history.

“That is the ugliest and deplorable page on the history of beliefs and churches.”

Thales frowned as he watched her.

“If we revere sothing or so belief too much and infinitely increase its status to the point that we cast aside respect and limits to look down on the other paths and choices as well as ignore the other people’s wishes and aning, this will be the source of the disaster brought by the Path of the Youngest.

“In history, quite a number of believers who were supposed to be the eldest of gods, my brothers and sisters in the god I believe, gradually lost their conscience and forgot their duty to heaven. In the end, they tragically walk down the sa path of boastfulness, arrogance, and ignorance, but not knowing of their own ignorance.”

lgen sighed softly, and it was clear how much she found this regretful and sad.

“They did not pass through the test and walked on the path that they should have done everything they could to reject.”

When she said this, lgen put on the stance for prayers again, and she terrified Niah, who was listening intently by the side, to quickly pray with her in a flurry of motion.

“Gods are perfect, and perfection can even tolerate imperfection, such as their believers.

“The gods’ might is infinite.”

The priestess then continued saying, “But that does not an that the people who believe in them also have infinite power and supre might, can act on behalf of heaven, and speak on behalf of the gods.”

lgen’s voice echoed in the room, and it caused people to fall into deep contemplation.

“That is why when we reflect on the disaster brought by magic, we also have to carefully reflect, perform self-examination, and ask ourselves questions. We cannot be used by the opponents that we are wary of the most and fall just like this.

“Only when we glorify ourselves can we glorify God.

“If we put too much blind faith in the gods, it will be easy for us to lose sight of ourselves.”

Once lgen finished praying, she stopped speaking.

The room fell into silence for a long ti, as though a conclusion had been made.

Thales tried his best to pull himself out from the solemnity he experienced just now, and he thought of so things that were rather relaxing.

‘Interesting.’ He quirked up the corners of his lips. ‘So, based on what Priestess lgen just said, not only must I believe in God, but I must also not believe in them too much.

‘If I don’t believe in God, there will always be sothing missing in my world, but if I believe in God too much, the Path of the Youngest will be waiting for .

‘So, do the gods have a sugar and ice personality or sothing?’

Translator’s Notes:

[1] Artanis and the zergs are characters from the video ga, Starcraft