The little boy was bewildered by her question.
Why hadn't his god co to save him?
"That's because... because too many people believe in Him," the little boy stumbled over his words defensively. "There are so many suffering people in the world, how could God possibly save everyone?"
"Oh?" Luo Wei's tone carried a note of skepticism. "But isn't God supposed to be omnipotent?"
"How could God fail to save people just because there are too many who suffer?"
"And if your righteous gods are so benevolent, why would they let the world beco like this? Why would they allow so much misery to exist?"
The little boy struggled to find justification: "Because they're all sinners. Sinners must be punished by God - they have to repent for their sins."
Luo Wei scoffed: "Little one, by that logic, you must all be sinners too?"
"Have you repented then? What wrong have you done?"
Confusion clouded the boy's face: "I... I..."
He couldn't think of what he had done wrong.
Luo Wei pressed on: "Were your relatives killed because they were sinners?"
"Are these little ones behind you starving because they're sinners?"
The boy shouted: "The priest said we were born with sin!"
Luo Wei fixed her gaze on him: "A newborn baby, with no past life and no future life - tell , how could it possibly be born with sin?"
"I..." The boy was left speechless.
Why was he a sinner? Why were babies sinners?
The priest had said it was because their birth caused the death of the Creation God, so their very existence was original sin.
But if the gods themselves were born from the Creation God's scattered soul, why weren't they sinners too?
The boy believed in the God of Wisdom. He wanted to beco a hero like Aldrich, believing that wisdom could solve all problems.
But now he realized he wasn't clever at all - he couldn't even understand why humans were born with sin.
After wracking his brains for what seed like ages, realization finally dawned: "I... I'm not a sinner, am I?"
Luo Wei's eyebrows twitched slightly: "At least you have so sense and haven't been completely brainwashed."
She extended her hand toward the boy: "Co here. With that little mind of yours, Chronos, the God of Ti and Death wouldn't be interested anyway."
"Don't worry that I'll take anything from you. As you said, you have nothing. I simply want to do a good deed."
The boy hesitantly took a step forward, then turned to look behind him.
Five pairs of bright eyes gazed at him trustingly. They were so small they couldn't even climb up to the cellar exit.
The boy finally steeled his resolve and turned back to Luo Wei: "Alright, we'll go with you."
"A wise choice," said Luo Wei.
She withdrew her hand and called out: "Troy, please carry them all out."
"Very well." Troy strode over.
Monts later, a row of tiny children stood at the castle gate like little radishes, their small faces flushed from the cold wind. Beside them stood a knight as straight as a poplar tree, looking as serious as if he were standing guard.
Luo Wei couldn't suppress a smile at the sight: "Troy, you look like a villainous soldier kidnapping children."
Troy's lips pressed even tighter - he didn't like these children.
Just now when he was carrying them, a three-year-old boy had wet his armor out of fear.
Luo Wei stopped teasing him and turned to give instructions: "Chris, check how many soft biscuits we have left in the wagon and give so to these children."
"Yes, Master!"
"Belial, Gal, go get so dry hay from the stone house to make a fire for warmth."
"Yes, Master."
After giving her orders, Luo Wei turned to the little boy: "Who was that body in the cellar, and what would you like to do with it?"
"That was Grandpa Pigo," the boy's eyes welled with tears. "He was our tribal chief."
"I... I don't want him to die. Can't we just let grandpa keep sleeping?"
"We can," Luo Wei crouched down to look at him. "Little one, what's your na?"
"I'm Yage, Yage Augustnaya."
"Augustnaya?" Troy suddenly spoke up.
Luo Wei looked at Troy: "What is it?"
"Augustnaya is the na of the God of Wisdom." Troy's expression was complex.
"A descendant of the God of Wisdom? Royal blood?" Luo Wei questioned.
Troy: "No, the Western royal family mostly bears the surna Aldrich, not Augustnaya."
Although Aldrich was the son of the God of Wisdom, he had established a new kingdom in the Western lands. His descendants took his na as their surna to show their gratitude and reverence, creating a separate chapter in history.
There weren't many who actually worshipped the God of Wisdom - His followers were even fewer than those of the Thunder God and Fire God.
"It's just a surna, could be coincidence." Luo Wei turned back to the boy. "Yage, do you know what happened in the castle?"
Yage nodded, gathering his courage to recall: "Many days ago, Grandpa Pigo was teaching us to read here when a group of bandits ca charging down from the mountains..."
That day, the old chief was playing with the children at the castle gate when a sentry suddenly reported seeing a group of bandits approaching.
Grandpa Pigo hid them in the cellar, and from below they heard the sounds of fierce fighting.
The bandits charged into the castle on horseback, their iron spears piercing through villagers' hearts. Of the nearly hundred people in the castle, almost half died under the bandits' iron hooves.
When he finally climbed out, there were only about twenty bodies left - the others had all disappeared without a trace.
Grandpa Pigo said they had been taken captive and would beco serfs.
The bandits searched the castle several more tis afterward. They survived in the cellar for who knows how long, relying solely on the food Grandpa Pigo brought from outside.
But Grandpa Pigo had died recently - from starvation - though the other children didn't know that. They didn't even understand what death was, only that Grandpa Pigo had fallen asleep.
Yage wiped his tears: "That's all I know. I never left the cellar."
The stone slab had been too heavy for him to push open.
Gal had started a fire, and everyone sat around it, falling into silence after hearing the story.
Luo Wei pondered - what kind of bandits had both warhorses and iron weapons?
The Seko people had raided so many villages but could barely collect a few iron knives. Why were these bandits so well-equipped?
Unless they weren't bandits at all.
But rather a well-trained army.
Luo Wei looked up, catching Troy's knowing glance, and in that mont they both understood.
Kingdom troops masquerading as bandits to raid border villages for military funds was nothing new.
Given the proximity to West Sita Kingdom, the identity of these troops was obvious.
"Troy," Luo Wei spoke up, "Please make a trip later to escort them to Sisda Town with the griffin."
These children clearly couldn't join them on their long trek across the ice plains - they were skin and bones and needed proper nourishnt as soon as possible.
"Understood." Troy nodded. "I'll return before dawn."
A hundred kiloters away.
After letting out a roar above the castle, the griffin had flown off to wander.
It had been hunting wolves and rabbits on the ice plains, filling its stomach halfway.
As dusk approached, the griffin prepared to return to its fragrant master, when with a flap of its wings and a change of direction, it spotted sothing strange moving quickly on the ground below.
Huh?
It widened its amber eyes and flew lower.
What was that running thing?
Let it take a look?
In the snow, a silver-white wolf crouched on the back of a white bear as they raced across the ice plains.
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