[Vol. 5] Chapter 186: Heresy
“As we all know, faith-based magic is a widely applied force throughout the Holy Empire in various industries, having a trendous impact on both production and daily life. It is, one might say, one of the fundantal pillars shaping the structure of the Holy Empire today.”
“Faith-based magic is also a miraculous power. Its use requires no magical aptitude, with standards so low that almost all intelligent beings can master it. And the only cost, it seems, is offering devout faith to the Goddess… and nothing more.”
“According to one of the two world-famous theorems proposed by our academy, the ?Theory of Energy Conservation?. We know that the total amount of energy in the world, without external interference, remains absolutely constant, only undergoing transformations in form.”
“This brings about a question: what is the true source of power for faith-based magic? Why can it grant beings who lack magical aptitude, or even those without internal magic, the ability to use ‘magic’? Magic cannot simply appear out of nowhere.”
“The main argunt in the academic world of the Holy Empire broadly attributes this to the omnipotence of the Goddess of Light as the supre deity. However, I believe…”
The allotted fifteen-minute ti limit for the speech flew by in the blink of an eye. At the mont the announcer officially rang the bell to signal the end, Ayla Light, the Lightborn Tribe girl, had just finished her presentation.
“That concludes everything I can publicly share at this ti. Of course, due to so external factors, I wasn’t able to conduct precise asurents for most of the data above. My conclusions are based on theoretical values, so literature, and a small amount of experintation, so the actual situation may vary. Nonetheless, the data is certainly worth considering.”
“……That’s all. Thank you.”
With a slight bow, Ayla acknowledged the silent audience and judges, who didn’t even offer the perfunctory applause that had greeted previous speakers. Her heavily shadowed eyes shifted slightly as she glanced around the room, seemingly letting out a barely audible scoff of disdain. Without hesitation, she packed up her research papers and walked away, showing no sign of lingering.
At that mont, the scholars around Miss White Fox finally began to recover from their shock, quietly murmuring to each other.
“This is… really getting out of hand.”
“Her statents have completely crossed the line. Even if she truly believes this, she shouldn’t be saying it publicly… Isn’t she afraid the Holy Court will co after her?”
“That may be true, but if you think about it carefully, what she said does seem to make sense. From a purely rational perspective, it’s actually quite persuasive…”
“Shh! Watch your words!”
Such whispers echoed throughout the assembly hall, but unlike the previous speaker, the scholars seed to have an unspoken agreent not to delve deeply into the validity or feasibility of Ayla’s viewpoints. They kept their voices low, as if wary of being overheard.
The reason was simple: the girl’s presentation was logically sound, her argunts well-organized, leaving little room for criticism. This made the scholars even more hesitant to discuss it further.
After all, no matter how independent the Hall of Theology might be, it was still part of the Holy Academy, which itself was located in the Holy Capital and partially aligned with the ?Goddess Church?. Anything said here could easily reach the ears of powerful individuals.
Ayla Light’s ideas were simply too shocking, almost to the point of being considered “heresy.” If proven true, they could potentially shake the very foundation of the Holy Empire.
“Ayla Light… hmm~ I’ve found soone interesting…”
“Miss Dawn?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s keep listening.”
……………………
In the Hall of Theology, Violet and her companions had spent a long ti listening to the speeches in the assembly hall, from noon all the way until nightfall.
It was only after dozens of tightly scheduled presentations that the event finally ca to an end.
Among them, there were indeed many unique and creative ideas, so of which even impressed the priestess, drawing rounds of applause and lively discussion. The originality and imagination on display often exceeded the limitations of the current era.
The Hall of Theology certainly lived up to its reputation as an academic sanctuary, which explained how it had produced those two groundbreaking theories.
However, external influences still imposed certain limitations.
One presentation, in particular, sparked the priestess’s deeper interest—that of Ayla Light, the Lightborn Tribe girl, and the argunts she had made.
After bidding farewell to Edwina and returning to her villa in the inner city, which belonged to “Dawn,” Violet handed the famished Eudora to Theresa’s care. After greeting them, Violet stepped out alone.
Stepping out of the villa’s front door and into the garden, the rustling of leaves mingled with the distant glow of the city. Yet where Miss White Fox stood, there was a certain quietness and darkness, as no lights had been lit.
“So late, and Master is going out?”
A voice ca from the shadows of the night.
Violet, unsurprised, turned around and saw the blonde girl leaning against the wall beside her. Folding her arms, Violet replied with a gentle smile.
“Yes, I t an interesting young lady today. I thought I might try to approach her. Why, is there sothing wrong?”
Violet wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but when she ntioned “young lady,” the dragon girl might have raised her eyebrow slightly, though she said nothing further. Instead, she changed the topic.
“This afternoon, soone ca looking for you… that guy nad Clatius. But since you weren’t here, I sent him away.”
“…Clatius?”
The image of a young man dressed in white armor, with a gentle yet resolute expression, naturally ca to the priestess’s mind.
Wasn’t he supposed to be busy coordinating the troops and training tactics at the military camp outside the city? Why would he co into the city at a ti like this?
And how did he know about this place?
“What did he say?”
The dragon girl shook her head.
“Leila and the others were busy at the ti, so I was the only one downstairs. When he heard you weren’t ho, he left right away. He ntioned that when you return, you should go et the Bright Light Saintess outside the city as soon as possible.”
“I see…”
Speaking of which, Edwina also ntioned today that there have been so changes on the eastern front. Could sothing have happened?
Since they went out of their way to co looking for , I’ll go check outside the city first thing in the morning.
“Understood. Anything else I should know?”
The blonde girl shook her head again, her long, smooth white tail under her short skirt swaying playfully in the air before she suddenly spoke up.
“Master, can I go out with you tonight? There’s nothing to do lately, and I’m so bored just staying here every day~”
“Hmm?”
Slightly caught off guard by her dragon’s pleading tone, the priestess hesitated for a mont.
Given concerns about secrecy and perception, Violet was wary of spending too much ti alone with the Xiao Guang humanoid while in her “Dawn” persona, given the risks and certain cognitive concerns. But the dragon girl’s hopeful, wet eyes and the way her tail wagged despite her efforts to control it made it difficult to resist.
“Alright… but behave yourself, no tantrums, and be mindful of how you address . Don’t forget…”
“Knew you were the best, Master~!”
“Hey! Don’t lick like that!”
Thus, amidst a commotion that didn’t match the tranquil night, with a few envious gazes peeking from the second floor of the villa, the two girls’ figures once again disappeared into the lights of the sleepless city.
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