It was a huge painting, the pignts of the artwork could be considered ancient and slightly dimd and faded, with many parts pitted and peeled, yet none of this diminished the painting's allure.
The silver-haired girl in the painting, dressed in a plain white gown, reclined on a chair, her eyes gently closed, seemingly asleep.
A pair of lively and spirited eyes are extrely difficult to paint, but painting them closed in slumber is much easier.
She is one of the Four Originals, representing the pure and ever-changing wind. She was the most revered sage, leader, and great figure of human civilization in the Fourth Epoch and the prototype for angels in later generations.
"Thank Her, our eternal Cradle's Wings, the pure and flawless Angel, humanity's Vesper, the miracle of stars, Her Highness Loranshir."
"Thank Her, the eternal Song of Stars, our beloved impeccable Angel, may you find peace and beauty in your dreams."
The church residents closed their eyes and bowed their heads, chanting Her Highness's na.
After reciting this three tis, they ended their prayer and opened their eyes.
"Now please join in reading the teachings, and please always keep sincerity, kindness, and peace in your hearts."
"Yes, my heart beats for this."
"Volu three, page twenty-six, She once walked to a place overgrown with wild grass, at that ti, countless beasts struggled to survive, slaying each other, blood-stained..."
"At that ti, She ascended and sang, illuminating the world like fire, driving away the cold like a blaze, so that clover spread across the land, ensuring all beasts had food and lived."
"She once taught: Take a step, then take another step, and the road will open up."
"Perhaps the result is not perfect, but compared to the past it is better, if you cannot reach the end yourself, strive to cultivate the next generation to take over this task, and one day arrive at the end."
Her Highness's teachings have long beco an enduring maxim, integrated into life, but as Tilan watched others earnestly reciting them repeatedly, she couldn't help feeling an indescribable sentint. Maybe this is the power of faith.
After reading the teachings, this week's prayer slowly neared its end. After concluding the closing prayer, the priest closed the thick book in front of him, the slight clapping sound of which seed like a signal, unlocking the sounds in the church once again.
People gradually rose, bid farewell to the priest, and left the church in an orderly manner.
As the people slowly dispersed, when Tilan was also about to leave, she heard the priest calling from behind.
"May I have a word with you, miss?" He approached.
The priest appeared to be in his sixties, with sparse white hair, holding a thick sacred text in his hands. It was said this contained the teachings of Her Highness Loranshir, which every priest devoted to the Primordial Wind had to morize.
Inside the church, all others gradually departed, leaving only Tilan and the priest, standing in the front row of the hall.
"You must be a visitor from the outside." He began kindly.
"Yes." Tilan nodded, wondering what had given her away.
"I have watched the children here grow up, and I know almost each one of them, so seeing you was a bit surprising."
"But since you could enter normally, it ans you aren't a bad person."
"I noticed so curiosity in your eyes, may I know what questions you have?" the priest asked proactively.
"It is indeed my first ti in Glance." Tilan thought for a mont, deciding there was no need to deliberately hide this.
"Although the legends of Her Highness are also known in the outside world, they don't seem to be as prevalent there as here, so it feels quite novel."
"I see, that is not surprising." The priest nodded slightly.
"Please take a seat, I think I can help clear so of your doubts." He then went to the podium, took out a worn cabinet hidden beneath it, and pulled out an aged, leather-bound book.
"This is a chronicle of the church's history. I used to read it almost daily when I was young, and still rember much of it, though I seldom share these with the residents, so I might not recall everything accurately now." He generously spread the book open on the lectern, flipping through it gently.
"Here it is." He said, stopping at a certain page.
"Do you know the history of this planet?"
"I am aware of so, it is said to have been established by people of the Fourth Epoch, and has continued to be preserved and passed down ever since."
"That's how it is, but not much is known by the outside world." He nodded.
"If you have studied history, you probably also understand Your Highness's influence on human civilization."
"Out of gratitude and rembrance, during the Fourth Epoch, people built this planet and set rules to make the environnt here resemble ancient Earth as closely as possible."
"Why do that?" Tilan asked, puzzled.
"Because this was once Your Highness's holand, the childhood and past she cherished."
"The more we understand Her Highness, the more we feel Her Highness's loneliness, and out of gratitude and recompense, the civilization of that era established this planet. The first immigrants here were extrely devout people who ca to live here to repay this gratitude."
"Does that an it's similar to guarding a tomb?" Tilan asked.
"Although there are similarities, saying so is not quite appropriate, because Her Highness is rely asleep, not dead. We are simply the ones keeping vigil over her dreams, quietly waiting for the day of Her Highness's Awakening."
"I see." No wonder, even though more advanced technologies exist outside, nothing has changed here.
"Do the local residents know about this?"
"Most of the ancestors of the residents knew, but few in modern tis know. According to Her Highness's teachings, we shouldn't impose this duty on the next generation."
"If they wish to leave and live in other Star Domains, they are free to do so."
"If they don't genuinely believe, exchanging deceit for beauty is no different from sin."
"I see..." As the young girl fell into thought, the priest asked her a question.
"Though it may be presumptuous, I must ask, are you the Angel who descended to Earth?"
"Ah, this..." Tilan looked up, a hint of surprise flickering in her eyes.
"Why do you think so?"
The priest lightly waved the star scepter in his hand, sending a gentle breeze through the entire chapel, as if carrying an unusually clear aura. When it touched the pews, the walls, the pulpit, and the priest himself, they all shimred faintly, displaying a subtle golden granulation.
Only when it passed through the young girl in front of him did it seem unimpeded, passing through her body.
"A person's soul is flawed. After all, the soul is a special product of the interaction between the physical world and the Aijieka Particle, also slowly ford postnatally."
"But you don't have such flaws. So pure, even the Wind of Purification has no effect on you."
"If every religion has its Miracle, then a consciousness soul as pure as yours is a Miracle."
"This..."
"I am not entirely clear about my origins. It is precisely because I want to know that I ca to this planet."
"I see." The priest's expression changed, showing a complex mixture of surprise, shock, doubt, and wavering.
Then he took a few steps back.
"If that's the case, I'm afraid I cannot answer your questions."
"However, I roughly know of a place that might help you solve your mysteries, located in the western area of this planet, the most prosperous city, Saint Carthanas. There they keep many ancient records and are guarded by nurous cult mbers."
"From your tone, it seems you have so fear of that place." Tilan keenly sensed the emotions revealed in his heart.
"Yes, if we rural chapel priests are still rather peaceful and worldly, then the cult mbers located in Saint Carthanas are especially extre elents."
"Ah, never mind, I won't particularly hide it. I can only tell you that the religious personnel within the Glance Starfield are roughly divided into Moderates and Radical Faction. Most churches in the cities are controlled by us Moderates, but our connections with each other are not tight, unlike the unity and strength of the Radical Faction."
"The Radical Faction has many fanatic legions in Saint Carthanas. This force has been passed down for thousands of years and has steadfastly stood here since the Fifth Epoch, protecting this planet from the destruction of war. They have ritorious deeds, and it is believed that it is this devout guardianship that allows Her Highness to remain at peace in her slumber."
"Such historical accomplishnts have intensified their fanaticism and made them very exclusionary. If you want to go there, you should best prepare."
"I see, thank you, I understand."
Reviews
All reviews (0)