Chapter 113 — Gaosong's Morality

Amber, as if deliberately sulking, insisted on finding fault: "That's just naive. How can one man change so much? You should know that in this world the rule is the strong prey on the weak, and the strong standing above the weak is itself morality."

Gaoyang looked at Amber and suddenly could not help laughing: "Quite right. The strong prey on the weak—that is indeed the rule of this world, even the rule of nature. The strong ought to make the rules, and the weak have no choice but to obey."

Amber blinked: "Then you..."

Gaoyang's smile grew even harder to suppress: "So haven't I already begun making the rules?"

Amber: "...You can do that?!"

At that same moment, aboard the White Oak, which had long since left Cecil Domain behind and was sailing with full canvas on the Whitewater River, Virodai was in her prayer room.

She still wore a plain white nun's habit, her pale golden hair falling softly down her back, without a single ornament of luxury. She knelt before the statue of the God of Holy Light, her hands folded over her heart in imitation of the two crossed beams of holy light upon the sacred emblem, and the abundant element of light swirled and danced around her, like so many translucent little angels encircling and guarding this most devout believer in the Holy Light.

She prayed devoutly, letting the radiance gradually settle upon the statue of the God of Holy Light, whose features were blurred and indiscernible to the naked eye. Only when she had finished a section of the prayer did she open her eyes and look at the thick candle burning before the statue.

The flame of that thick candle leaped a few times, then suddenly shifted from orange-yellow to pure white, and the flame swelled several times over, becoming a column of pure light. The light-flame trembled and contracted, gradually taking the shape of an old man.

The old man sat in a chair, looking dignified enough, yet plainly aged and frail. And had any believer of the God of Holy Light been present, they would likely have recognized at first glance that this was the supreme ruler of the Yaochen Church, Pope Saint Ivan III.

Virodai bowed her head slightly: "Your Holiness."

From the light-flame came the Pope's voice, slightly distorted: "Child graced by the Holy Light, you have begun your return journey?"

"Yes. I have left Cecil Domain, and the fleet should now be nearing the mouth of the Dolgon River."

"Has everything gone smoothly on this journey? Is that Gaoyang Cecil an enemy of our Lord?"

Virodai pondered for two seconds, then answered in a gentle voice: "All is well. Gaoyang Cecil is indeed that legend from seven hundred years ago, and not some evil soul that usurped a hero's body and lingers in the world. He spoke and bore himself with ease beneath the Holy Light, and he is a man of noble character."

"Then it is well. In recent years I have often heard the voice of the Lord; He bids me carry the true way of the Holy Light to the world, and that Gaoyang Cecil should revive at this very moment is a matter of no small concern. But now that you have confirmed he is not the Lord's enemy, I am much reassured."

Virodai folded her hands and bowed deeply: "Our Lord's true way will surely spread across the whole world."

The candle was burning down, and the power of the divine art had reached its limit. The voice from the light-flame grew faint: "Return as quickly as you can. Do not linger on the road, lest the corrupt world taint your pure Holy Light. Return to the Yaoxiao Cathedral..."

The light-flame vanished, leaving only pale ashes of the candle, and the Pope's presence withdrew from that place.

Virodai waited a few more seconds, then slowly rose and stood quietly gazing at the statue of the God of Holy Light.

She spoke softly, as though to herself:

"He is in truth a faithless man, is he not?"

"Yes—not only without faith, but resistant to the Way of the Holy Light."

"It seems he resists only the gods, not the Holy Light itself..."

"In any case, he is neither a servant of the Holy Light nor a claw of the darkness."

"Very interesting..."

"Very interesting."