Chapter 423 — The White Knight and the New Faith

Pi Yun opened his mouth to speak, but Amber cut in. "Hey, broaden your thinking a bit—deep love and deep hate are both deep, aren't they? Maybe there are no fallen druids at all. Maybe they simply loved the world until it twisted..."

No one paid the slightest heed to Amber's nonsense, and Pi Yun merely shook his head. "The fallen druids also have their own understanding of the principles of nature. The life and death, the waxing and waning of all natural things—as a fundamental law, it contains no human moral element. In this it differs from the Holy Light, which carries a strong moral inclination."

To be honest, Gaoyang had not quite grown accustomed to this hypothesis that "the factors of the human mind can interfere with the macroscopic world." It was even more bizarre than the quantum mechanics he knew of. But since this world truly possessed powers grounded in the mind, then all hypotheses connected with them were research targets that objectively existed; in keeping with the scientific ideal of understanding the world and remaking it, he too must confront these hypotheses.

"Perhaps we could establish a dedicated project to unravel the mystery of the Holy Light in Wright. It is not enough to leave the study to him alone," Gaoyang said slowly, deep in thought. "Also... Wright, I hope that while you study the Holy Light, you will also give thought to a new doctrine."

The moment the words "new doctrine" were spoken, the expressions of Pi Yun and Amber changed at once—but Wright, as though he had long expected it, remained calm. He only nodded solemnly to Gaoyang. "I understand. These days, with the church closed, I have been thinking of this very matter. I must think carefully about how to explain the true meaning of the Holy Light's way to the faithful..."

Even as he spoke, a trace of unease showed on the powerful pastor's face. "To speak frankly, I am not confident. I am only a low-ranking preaching pastor, and I do not know whether I am capable of accomplishing something so great."

"You are not merely a preaching pastor—you have already changed history. You should have some confidence in yourself," Gaoyang said. "And I will help you. Though I am not a follower of the Holy Light, I at least know how to guide the people. Since we mean to return the Holy Light to the world and restore the true way to human hearts, guiding the people will be indispensable."

At this Wright bowed his head in all sincerity. "I am deeply grateful—I truly am no good at this..."

"Since we are to spread a new doctrine, it ought to differ somewhat from the original Netherglow Church," Gaoyang went on. "I have not yet settled on a name for the new church, but your pastoral title should be changed. 'Preaching pastor'—that is the title the Netherglow Church gave you, and there is no need to keep it."

Wright seemed not to realize anything amiss in a non-believer lord determining the framework of a "new religion"; he merely followed Gaoyang's words and fell to thinking. "I think so too... but I cannot think of a more fitting title offhand."

Gaoyang looked Wright up and down, and the scene from a few days ago—when he had seen the man in the church—rose unbidden in his mind.

A "knight" in battered armor, standing before the pulpit, bathed in light.

"White Knight," Gaoyang said—the first word that had risen in his mind. "You shall be the White Knight, guardian of the true way. You are one who must cut through thorns and brambles, who must carve a path through a faith in the Holy Light already sunken into darkness. So may the Holy Light clothe you like armor, and may you press ever onward."

"White Knight..."

Wright repeated the new words under his breath, and the fog in his heart slowly parted.

The Holy Light upon him like armor, pressing ever onward.

Yes—only a knight clad in armor and bearing arms could set foot on this road. These plain cloth robes truly did not suit him.

Wright let out a soft breath, and his heart suddenly opened clear. The Holy Light that had always hovered faintly around him grew brighter and more concentrated, as though even the Holy Light rejoiced at the birth of the "White Knight."

Within that gradually coalescing Holy Light, Gaoyang once again saw something indistinct flit past before his eyes.

He truly did not want to break the mood of this historic moment, but Amber at his side cared nothing for that. The half-elf lady reached out her hand outright. "I've been meaning to ask—why is there always a double image in your Holy Light..."

A tiny figure emerged from the Holy Light behind Wright, drifting and darting just out of reach of Amber's grasping fingers, and the two stared at each other, wide-eyed.