Chapter V: And in him, there is no darkness at all…
"Amidst the vast expanse of human existence, the illiterate peasant with faith shines as a radiant example of the power of conviction and purpose. While the intellectual aristocrat may possess knowledge and intellect, it is the peasant's unshakeable faith and connection to a higher power that imbues their life with profound meaning and direction. In this way, the peasant transcends their humble origins, ascending to heights of greatness that elude even the most erudite minds of the aristocracy."
—Words from the "First Brother" of the Legion of the Divine Sun.
Four years after the landfall…
Outskirts of the Kagenou Estate, Servant Area.
As the sun began its slow descent towards the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the earth, two boys sat on a grassy hilltop overlooking the rolling hills and verdant valleys below.
The first boy, with dark hair and intense, focused eyes, was hunched over a small pile of slimy, dark goo. He held out his hands, his fingers twitching with barely contained excitement, as he began to manipulate the slime using the power of his magic.
Solar Lights flowing, changing colors. Manipulating forms.
The dark-haired boy manipulated the form of the slime.
Sword, shield, coat, helmet, pillow, armor, and much more forms were taken by the slime at the behest of the dark-haired boy.
Slime. Great conductor for psychic energy. Malleable. Combined with absolute control of psi-arcane energy—perfect weapon. Total efficiency in terms of defense and offense.
And since the slime is very receptive to the magical output, Cid can manipulate it freely.
The second boy, a bald child, taller by at least two feet than the dark-haired boy, sat beside him, his shiny head catching the light of the setting sun as he watched his friend with a mixture of fascination and frustration. "How do you do it?" he asked, his voice tinged with exasperation. "I've been trying for hours, but I just can't seem to make the magic work. I can't feel anything!"
Cid, now a ten-year-old child, looked up at his friend, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "It's all in the inner control," he said, his fingers moving deftly over the slime as it shifted and morphed under his touch. "You have to really feel it, you know? Let the magic flow through you without losing concentration. It's all about focus and concentration."
"As you relax, your magical nodes will open. Let the arcane properties swim smoothly at your nodes. Then refine those arcane elements as they swim through your nodes. Refine and refine until it takes a coherent form in your mind. Whether it's flame, blade, or even muscular reinforcement. Focus, Refine, Concentrate." Cid instructed his friend.
The bald boy, Athanasius, seems to nod with understanding.
Once again, Athanasius closed his eyes.
And he practically stopped moving. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was at a perfect interval.
Absolute and Total Concentration. God-forged mental faculties immediately accommodated such benign tasks as basic concentration.
'Why can't I do it? I see the color of his aura. It's purple. So why can't I channel purple energy!' Athanasius frustratedly asked in his head, not breaking concentration.
Division of thoughts. One operating in the subconscious, one operating in the conscious. Such a thing is only possible for beings that have achieved Nirvana.
In the mind of Athanasius, he can see many colors.
Green. Red. Blue. Purple. Blue. White. Black.
But all of them look intangible so far.
He tried to grab the purple, as it is the color of Cid's aura. But it doesn't stay still, nor does it feel tangible.
Athanasius is frustrated, 'Gestalt damn it! Why can't I grab it?'
'If that is the case, then….' Athanasius looked at that one color. The color that is the most vivid, biggest, and attention grabbing in his mind.
Gold.
Pure Essence of the Divine Tradition.
Golden Solar Light.
It looks absolutely tangible in his mind. In fact, compared to other colors, this single color is the brightest and the biggest.
But Athanasius remembered something.
"You are not yet ready to utilize the Essence of the Tradition. Yes, you have an insane aptitude for it, but now is not the right time. Even when I was young, I could only utilize one strand of that golden light. And the wonders that it did for me were immeasurable."
The words of his teacher, Lord Kagenou, echoed in his mind.
'…..Just a little….That won't do anything, right?' Athanasius questioned. He is tempted, but hesitant.
Then, after a moment of hesitation, Athanasius began to reach out to the Golden Light.
He focused on the golden light.
It became absolutely tangible. Reaching out to it was so easy he didn't even need to concentrate.
He let a small amount of Pure Solar Essence flow through his nodes.
But he forgot something. His body wasn't that of a normal human.
God-forged nodes. Too thick and too big for unrefined Solar Lights to get in. Steely and Firm. Can absorb quantities of empyrean energy.
The raw, golden Solar Light charged into his nodes. Like it is hungry.
Like it just rushed it on someone, something familiar.
'W-wait hold-on!' Athanasius thought frantically.
Were it any normal human, their body would have exploded because of how fast the Solar Light flowed to the nodes.
But Athanasius once again proved that his body is different from the norm.
Techno-warp forged instincts and perception. Thunderbolt reaction.
He stopped the flow of Solar Light to his nodes. But it was too late.
Athanasius watched with horror as the Solar Light was automatically refined in his nodes.
His body glowed.
Then the world quaked.
=][=
Cid Kagenou watched his friend.
He is curious about him. After all, he was the first friend that he ever had.
Even in his previous life, he had no one to call a friend. All his peers are weirded out by him. Calling him sick in the head and unhinged.
That's why he hid his true self and his dream. Locked away and bottled up. Grinding and training daily for that futile, insane dream of his.
Then the orange star appeared in the sky four years ago.
He was grateful for that event. Not just because he can now fulfill his dream of being the monarch in the dark, but because he now has someone to call a friend.
In that solitary place, no one can understand him.
No one laughed with him. He is alone. Except for him.
He may not show it, but he is thankful.
His friend grows too fast. Even his sister stated so. Even his mother looks at Athanasius with doubt and discomfort present in her face.
Except his father. His father seems to be too taken with his friend. He even heard his father one time spouting off words like "Divine Tradition" and "Solar Principle" or whatnot, and Athanasius seemed to eat all of it like a child at a candy party.
But he doesn't mind it. At the very least, his father wasn't that impotent of a parent anymore. If anything, he is more intense than ever before. And the matriarch of the household seems to love it.
Athanasius is weird. So what? He is weird too. That, he can understand.
At the very least, someone can understand him. He is grateful even for that.
Indeed, he is absolutely grateful that his eyes gave a look of concern when his friend started glowing.
'Is it the Luminescence of Persuasion? No, it's not! The golden lights emanating from him is too oppressive.' Cid grimly concluded.
"Hey, hey! Little Bro! wake up!" Cid shakes Athanasius.
But Athanasius didn't respond. He is still sitting in that same position with his eyes closed.
'Shit, he's in too deep with the refining process!' Cid thought with exasperation.
Then something happened.
One moment, Athanasius was just sitting, concentrating on getting the Solar Lights to his own nodes.
Then, at the very next moment, he is glowing gold. The glow is too bright. So bright that it would even replace the orange of the sky produced by the setting of the sun.
Then, the mound of land surrounding Athanasius was grinded into dust. While the surrounding landscape is showing signs of cracking.
'What the hell is happening?' Cid thought in a hurry. Immediately analyzing the anomaly surrounding him and his friend.
But his quick investigation was cut off when something inconceivable happened.
He rubbed his eyes. He rubbed it again.
"…I'm not dreaming, aren't I?" Cid said absentmindedly.
After all, it's not like every day you can see the fabric of reality itself crack.
The materium started to distort.
The empyrean dared to reveal itself.
The crack was like those in the flower vases. Spider-like cracks.
"Oi, oi, oi, Protagonist-chan, you are doing some excessive shit here." Cid said out loud while laughing nervously.
But he immediately stopped. If he does not do anything soon, something will really happen. And he hypothesized that he would not like it.
So, he calmed himself and analyzed Athanasius again, who was glowing like a lightbulb in a dark place.
'What is it... problems in the arcane process? Concentration mistake? Wait…..it's the nodes!' Cid determined after a moment of investigation.
'He was probably caught by surprise when he absorbed that golden arcane energy, that even I cannot absorb, to his nodes.' Cid stated.
'But why can't he just stop refining that specific arcane energy in his node—" Cid immediately stopped his wondering as he was cut off by the intensifying destruction in his midst.
'Guess I have no choice. I have to do this.' Cid stated with a sigh.
Cid focused again and refined the Solar Lights to his right hand.
His right-hand is glowing with vibrant purple circuits.
Absolute control of the Arcane.
"My friend, this will hurt a little." Cid said with a rather apologetic tone.
Then he walked to Athanasius, braving the surrounding destruction.
Then he placed his glowing right hand, laced with arcane circuits, on Athanasius' shoulder.
The ultra refined Solar Light did its work. It entered Athanasius and went to his nodes.
The purpose was to temporarily paralyze the nodes to stop the refinement of the arcane energy.
But once again, Cid was baffled.
'What the hell? Why is my ultra refined arcane energy not entering his nodes?' Cid asked with incredulity.
Demigod flesh, Deific soul. Crafted from the synthesis of the Material and the Immaterial.
Cid frowned. He refined his arcane energy once more at lightning speed—a hundred times. He refined and refined until finally—
'Yes!' Cid triumphantly thought as his arcane energy pierced the magical nodes of Athanasius.
The arcane energies did their work. It spread to all the nodes of Athanasius that were doing the refinement. It paralyzed the nodes temporarily.
The reality stopped its cracking. The spider-cracks on the land surrounding them ceased to spread.
For a few seconds, everything was calm.
Then Athanasius opened his eyes and screamed.
=][=
'I can't stop the quaking of the world!' Athanasius watched in horror as his otherworldly node kept refining the ultra-pure Solar Light essence.
'According to Teacher, if I absorb the pure golden Solar Light, refined it, and do not have a proper outlet, something will happen.' Athanasius thought back to his lessons with Lord Kagenou.
He did not want to imagine what would happen.
Damn it. Please work!
He concentrated once more. The refining slowed a bit as his extraordinary physio-psychical make-up did its work.
Immortis Gland. Organ of the God. Superhuman physical and mental control. Adaptive capability, maximum.
The quaking stopped for a moment, then it continued again. But it is slow compared to earlier, when everything in his mindscape seemed to be in a state of Armageddon.
If other magic users saw what he just did, they would die out of sheer shock and envy. No human or being alive can do what he just did.
'Gestalt damn it! I need a catalyst for this!' Athanasius thought.
Then, as he looked for help inside his mindscape, he saw something arrive.
A barrage of purple circuits rained down on him.
He was shocked, and then he smiled.
'Brother, you truly never cease to amaze me.' Athanasius stated happily.
Then he reached out to the purple circuits. He let them enter his magical nodes.
And the refining process completely stopped. His magical nodes were temporarily paralyzed.
Then he watched as the golden Solar Light dissipated from the area of refinement back to the empyrean.
He woke up.
And then he screamed.
=][=
"AHHHHHHH!" Athanasius woke up with a scream.
Clearly, he is in pain.
"H-hey, are you okay, little bro?" Cid asked Athanasius with concern.
Athanasius held his head and panted. He took a deep breath.
"I-I'm okay. Gratitudes brother. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would happen." Athanasius stated with gratitude present in his face.
"Heh don't mind it….but will you be okay though? What I did to you will probably render you wanting a bed for at least a week…" Cid said, a bit regretfully.
"…No. Ju-just give me a moment." Athanasius said a moment later. Accommodating the pain and adjusting his breath.
Transhuman regeneration working at lightspeed.
"…what? A moment? Even an elephant would be panting now out of sheer pain and exhaustion…" Cid thought with exasperation.
A few minutes later, Athanasius stands up.
"Huuu… It's okay now! A thousand thanks, brother!" Athanasius once again, thanked Cid.
"….What the hell?" Cid murmured and whispered under his breath. Genuinely surprised.
'How did he heal that fast? Is that because of his cheat-stat body again? Damn protagonist luck!' Cid thought with mirth and happiness.
"Indeed….let's go back. It's going to be dark already. And I don't want my family to blame you because they are worried sick about me." Cid stated to his friend.
"Hah! Don't mind about me. Go do your mission…and if you need help, remember, I am always here." Athanasius stated with determination.
'Huh? Mission? My friend, what?' He thought with confusion.
No, Cid was genuinely confused.
But he ignored it and just nodded. 'Probably just his quirk…' he thought.
Athanasius nodded in response.
And then they both parted ways.
Both men had their own missions.
=][=
The darkness of the night spread throughout the countryside.
Stars are gleaming in the sky, with the bright moon above the world serving as the guiding light for the lost.
In the room under the Kagenou library, silence permeates the air, along with holiness and wisdom.
Two people, one man and one boy, sit on opposite sides of a long, rectangular table filled with books.
"Looks like you are ready to deliver the Good Word." The bald man, Lord Kagenou, suddenly stated with a hint of pride in his tone, breaking the silence of the night underground.
The bald boy, compared to other children his age, was a giant. He immediately stopped reading the thick book in his hands.
The boy looked at the baron of the house with a lightning speed that seemed to almost break his neck.
"Really!?" The giant boy, Athanasius, responded with such glee and giddiness in his expression.
"HAHAHA!You are really excited for this one, huh?" Lord Kagenou said while wearing a warm smile on his face.
"Of ourse! I did not study so much that I would be cooped up in a room for eternity! This is my mission. I was made for this!" Athanasius said, and in his eyes, a fire can be seen. Fire that disorients anyone who sees it.
Zeal and Fury. Gene-forged innate qualities.
"I-is that so?" Baron Kagenou lightly coughed out of discomfort but continued.
"It's time for you to enlighten the people about the Tradition of the Divine. Just like I did when I was in my youth." The baron suddenly closed his eyes and became melancholic.
"Ahh, the times where I was made fun of because of my zeal and quirkiness…" The lord said this while rubbing his chin.
"They even called me a heretic for blaspheming Goddess Beatrix…." Then the lord opened his eyes. Within his eyes, fires of anger can be seen, stirring and ready to spew out once more, just like they did in his youth.
"As if that…WHORE can be called a deity worthy of worship! As if that abomination of desolation embodies the Divine Tradition!" Lord Kagenou now ranted, with absolute anger in his tone.
"That pagan goddess, the gestalt? The Well of the Solar Lights? Pweh! If she embodies the Divine Tradition then my shoes embody them too!" Lord Kagenou said with such absolute disgust that he even spit on one side to convey his utter dislike.
Athanasius stayed silent as he listened to his mentor.
"And then, what's better, is that those effeminate pretentious degenerates that once condemned me for my so-called ""Heresy"", worship that whore as if she is the true guardian of humanity! I am the heretic!? How about I call you heretics too since you chose to worship such an abomination!?" Lord Kagenou talked to nothing with absolute anger.
But Athanasius, along the way, listened and even nodded in agreement.
"You imbecile child-fucking heretical priests! You can't even cure the demonic possession! Yet you call yourselves servants of the Divine? No one in your stuck-up ranks even embodies the Solar Principle!" Lord Kagenou finally finished his rant.
"…" Athanasius stayed silent.
Breathing hard, he looked once more at Athanasius and sighed.
"…I'm sorry you have to see that." Lord Kagenou apologized for his previous outburst.
"…No problem. In fact, I agree with most of what you said." Athanasius said with approving smile, neither condemning nor disagreeing with the outburst.
Then, both men, simply stared at each other and then laughed. They laughed at the absurdity of it all.
"Anyways, teacher, how can I spread the Good Word? We don't have any text regarding this. No single undisputed text or manifesto. Is it even possible to spread it?" Athanasius changed the topic once more and asked the Lord of the house for guidance.
But Lord Kagenou smiled and said, "No need to worry! The Divine Tradition is within the hearts of all men. It is just sleeping in slumber, like a mighty fuel waiting for a spark."
For the Law is written within the hearts of Men.
After Athanasius heard the words, he closed his eyes.
Total and absolute concentration. Transhuman mind divided between consciousness and unconsciousness, neither of which is contradictory. Simultaneously operating.
Then he opened his eyes again. Within his eyes is the knowledge that can be seen in the sages and warrior-cardinals of the many myths.
He nodded at his mentor and asked, "Where is the place that needs the Good Word?"
=][=
The town of Sunspear is a small village at the countryside of the Noble Kingdom of Midgar.
It is located just a few miles away from the lands of the noble House of Kagenou. In fact, Sunspear is a village just close to many minor noble lands in the countryside. In fact, the village itself belongs to a minor aristocrat who has forgotten that this small town is even within his domain.
Sunspear is a village that has been long forgotten by the dark knights and nobles who rule the land. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the countryside, it lies hidden among rolling hills and fields of golden wheat that sway in the breeze. This humble community is home to honest and hardworking peasants who have learned to eke out a living from the land, despite the many hardships they face.
The village itself is a collection of modest, thatched-roof homes, huddled together around a central square where simple wooden gallows stand. This rustic centerpiece serves as a reminder of the harsh realities that the villagers face every day, in a land where justice is often arbitrary and brutal.
But despite the many challenges they face, the people of Sunspear are hardy and resilient. They have grown accustomed to fending for themselves in the absence of any real protection from the outside world. This has forged a close-knit community, bound together by shared struggles and a deep sense of camaraderie.
In this forgotten village, life is tough, and the people must work hard just to survive. Yet despite their hardships, they remain steadfast and true, living each day with a quiet dignity that is all too rare in the world beyond their borders. Though they may be neglected by the powers that be, the people of Sunspear continue to persevere, ever hopeful that better days will come.
But even then, the destitute residents of this humble village can only take so much.
Lucanus is a nine-year-old child with crimson-red hair born to peasant parents. He lives an honest life, follows the rules, helps the other farmers in his village till the lands and plant the crops necessary for sustenance, and pays respect to his noble lord.
He was a kind boy. He never complained or whined, despite his harsh childhood. After all, as long as he has his mother and father, he is content.
But now, Lucanus is reaching his breaking point as he stares at his parents lying in their meager bed, panting hard during the amiable bright morning.
His parents, both his mother and father, are suffering from an extreme fever. In fact, their temperature is horrendously high compared to a normal fever.
Over Exhaustion. Internal bleeding. Infection.
Lucanus probably thought that it happened because of the incident yesterday.
His mother and father toiled under the hot sun, planting their crops with sweat on their brows and dirt under their fingernails. The earth was hard and unyielding, and it took all their strength to break it. They worked long hours every day, scarcely taking a break, until their bodies grew weary and their muscles ached. Along with their exhaustion, they also had wounds that they tried so hard to ignore. After all, they don't have the luxury of being near the doctors to cure their wounds or illnesses.
Despite their exhaustion, they persevered, knowing that the crops they planted would provide sustenance for their family and their village. But their labor took a toll on their health, and now….
Lucanus doesn't want to think anymore of the result of their backbreaking labor and its effects on their constitution.
If his parents weren't sick, they would all be together out in the fields, planting crops for their livelihood today.
'Maybe if those damned nobles and aristocrats actually did their work instead of just asking for tithes and crops, none of this would have happened!' Lucanus thought with wrath and frustration.
Indeed, the nobles ignored them, even though his village was within their domains. After all, who would give a damn about a village in the middle of nowhere?
But Lucanus immediately calmed himself. It's no use to think of the what-ifs now.
Lucanus ignored all the theoretical aspects of the situation. He thought of only one thing: 'Mother, Father…..please stay strong.' He pleaded in his heart and prayed with his hand to the Goddess. After all, isn't she the weatherer of Storms? The goddess that guided the heroes? It isn't a big thing to ask for something like this, right? To cure his parents of their chronic fever. It isn't too much to ask, right?
If the nobles wouldn't act, then maybe Goddess Beatrix would?
So, Lucanus decided to pray. He made the sign for the prayer of Beatrix. But even then, something lurked within his mind as he looked at his parents. Something that stopped him midway through his prayer.
Since he was young, Lucanus has only known how to pray. He has nothing within him except prayer. He was frail. He was not some sort of larger-than-life figure. When something bad happens, Lucanus decides to pray. He prayed so that maybe the goddess Beatrix would do what his body could not. But this time, he thought of something as he looked back at his parents, sweating and panting in pain.
'….Maybe I should act for once. Instead of expecting others to act…' Lucanus thought.
Action rather than contemplation.
'No….It's impossible….I do not even know how to cure them! I can't even find a doctor!' The child shouted in his mind.
But the will to act was immediately killed by despair.
And so, Lucanus stayed at their meager thatched house.
He stayed with them until he heard commotion outside their meager house.
Lucanus got up from his seat after kissing the heads of his parents while stating, "Mother, Father, I will be out soon. Stay strong."
His parents did not respond as they slept, panting and breathing hard in a fever.
He walked outside his house and saw a swarm of people gathering in the middle of the small town of Sunspear.
'Why are they gathering in the middle?' Lucanus, despite being a young child, was already mature and knowledgeable enough to know that something like gathering the denizens of Sunspear in one area was certainly strange.
Then, he saw one of his playmates, a brunette boy named Baltazar, running to the place where the crowd was gathering. He asked him, "Hey, do you know what is happening?"
To which Baltazar replied, "I don't know, all I know is that they said a young sage is preaching or whatever!"
"Preaching of what? Words of Goddess Beatrix?", Lucanus asked once more.
"…Apparently not…Wanna see it?", the brunette asked Lucanus.
"…." Lucanus stayed silent.
'Not Goddess Beatrix? A heretic then? But, aren't heretics dangerous? That's what those old men said in Li-li-Lindurm? Lindwurm? Yes, Lindwurm. That's what those old men from Lindwurm always say. Lucanus seems to hesitate.
"Whatever, I'm going there. Besides, I'm bored! Anyway, please say to your parents that they have my sympathy and that I wish for them to heal soon."
Lucanus nodded as Baltazar ran off to follow the commotion.
The crimson haired boy seems to be thinking something.
'Well, since I got out, I might as well check the whole situation.', the crimson-haired boy thought.
And so Lucanus goes to the middle of Sunspear.
=][=
Lucanus got to the scene of the commotion. But as he got closer to the center, the people became quieter and quieter, as if it were a sanctum of the holiest grails itself.
There are many people there, crowded, looking at something in the middle.
But Lucanus couldn't see it, as his stature was far too small compared to others in the crowd.
And then, someone's mouth opened. From the center of the gathered people. A view that he can't see as it is too crowded and he is too short to get an overhead view.
He heard a loud voice proclaiming something.
"Let those who have ears, listen to these words endowed with humility…"
A voice overflowing with sincerity.
"I did not come here to coerce…I came here to say the Good Word."
A voice that is absolute. Sounds that captivate all its listeners.
The people stayed silent. Listening, like a disciplined cohort of Midgarian Dark Knights during the Great War with the Kingdom of Oriana.
Once the voice echoed throughout the crowd, no one dared to even let out a whisper.
Lucanus was now getting irritated, 'I'm too damn short!' he thought.
Then he turned his head around, looking for a spot. As he looked to his left, he was immediately surprised and stupefied.
Then he felt relief.
Because, as always, his brunette friend, Baltazar, was always there to help him.
Baltazar, the ever-resourceful child, stood on a used-up wine barrel as a form of support in order to see the speaker.
What surprises Lucanus is that there is another wine barrel besides Baltazar.
Then, as their stares met halfway, Baltazar grinned and raised his right thumb at Lucanus as if saying "Hehe, I'm clever, aren't I?".
Lucanus, although his mood was utterly sad and in ruins because of the malady that is hurting his parents, still managed to give a familiar smile.
And then Lucanus proceeds in the direction of Baltazar and decides to get up on the wine barrel.
=][=
The boy who was talking was glowing.
No, he is literally glittering gold.
And he is tall. No kidding! His face looks so young, yet he is already tall.
In fact, when Lucanus saw the face of the bald boy, he already determined that the glowing child was the same age as him. But his height….He's taller than the tallest boy in his village! And much bigger too! His body is much bigger compared to some of the bulkiest children in Sunspear.
He's also wearing a robe and tunic. Simple and down-to-earth.
Lucanus, standing on a wine barrel, rubbed his eyes.
After he rubbed them three times, he determined that what he was seeing wasn't an illusion.
Along with his glowing figure were his words.
Voice filled with zeal and wisdom.
"I came here to say the Good Word…and the good word is this: The Great Awakening is at hand. Evil will be sundered. Light will triumph. The time of Action is here!" The young boy, with a firm and fiery voice proclaimed.
The people of the small village of Sunspear listened. They did not interrupt. They simply lend their ears to the speaking boy.
"Perhaps you are expecting a long lecture? Perhaps even a Holy Text, which I will impart to you? Perhaps you don't care at all? Or perhaps a talk of salvation?" The golden child asked his listeners.
The people nodded. Especially with the word "salvation". After all, the neglected village of Sunspear is not just attacked by brigands and rogue thieves since it is on the borders of the kingdom, but also by natural ones like famines and sickness.
Just like the parents of Lucanus, who were struck with fever due to infection and overexhaustion.
"I understand your plight, Oh citizens of this humble village! The rogue brigands attack you and steal your belongings! The aristocrats don't even look your way! The priests don't even bless your produce and houses because, after all, it's too plebeian!" The golden child said such words with passion.
A man who understood the sufferings and glories of even the humblest.
The people of Sunspear nodded. Yes, they are cheerful. Yes, despite the hardships and suffering, they managed to put a smile on their faces. Despite being raided, they stood strong. The community stood strong. But everyone has a threshold.
"And I also know that some of you, despite working so hard to feed yourself and to offer your tithes, were afflicted with sickness! Oh, how unfair the reward! That instead of living healthily under the warm sun, you were gifted with sickness that blights the day with darkness despite the harsh glare of the bright star!" The golden child proclaimed it with sorrow in his voice. Closing his eyes even, as if the sufferings themselves afflicted the proclaimer.
The best and worst traits of humanity. To empathize and sympathize.
Lucanus nodded. His eyes were getting teary, remembering the suffering of his parents. Just to provide for him. Just to live one more day. Just to survive at the moment.
The people listening were somber. They knew the harsh realities of life. Some were born into power, some into riches, some into poverty, and some into darkness. It will never change. Such were the laws of the universe.
"But even still….You managed to smile! You manage to see the good in everything! You survived despite the odds stacked against you from the moment you were born! Despite being surrounded by darkness, you managed to emerge with light in your hearts! If that is not admirable, then what is? The dark knights and their magical arts? The aristocrats? The elves and their long lives forged in glory and wealth? The beastkin and their strength? The learned intellectuals who did nothing but commit orgy, debauchery, nihilism, degeneracy, and faithlessness? This is what you call glorious and admirable?" The golden child, waving his hands, said with so much passion. In fact, he said the last statement with such disgust in his voice.
The arrogance of the Aristocrats. The debauchery of the Intellectuals. The greediness of the merchants. The heathenry of the priests. The faithlessness of the Knights.
The people listened with bated breaths. They are fully hooked now. Some were even crying.
Baltazar was practically boiling with rage and passion. While Lucanus let his tears freely fall.
"The Sagas of the Heroes. The glories of the Knights. The beauty of the aristocrats and the princesses. The longevity of the elves. The strength of the beastkin. The dark beauty of the vampires…I've read everything about them. Yes, they are strong! Yes, they are powerful! In fact, when compared to them, all of you were practically pathetic!" The golden child continued his fiery speech.
The people listened. Heart ablaze with passion.
"But I found something that all of them lack….They lack the Principle of the Sun…The Divine Tradition….The Solar light that guided us through our darkest moments. But instead, I saw them in you!" The child pointed at his listeners.
"You, simple men and women of this humble village, embodied the Solar Principle more than all of them combined. Compassion, Faith, Zeal, Strength, Stoicism, Self-Sacrifice….YOU are the ones that embody them to their purest! Yes, the heroes in those stories embody them too, but the purity IS NOT THE SAME! You, the humble farmers, shopkeepers, shoe shiners, mine workers, mechanics…. You kept the faith and embodied the purest essence of the Sun! You smiled where others could not even smile! You acted where others just sulked and contemplated!" The tears in his eyes cannot be contained any longer. His hands waving, he proclaimed what he truly felt.
The listeners, at this very moment, cried. They endured too much. Every year, every month, every day. All of it was gruel and grinding. Yet, they smiled and lived. They acted to live. They did not sulk in one corner.
"With humility, you acted. Instead of tinkering and mindlessly contemplating like a degenerate aristocrat and a man of ""reason"", you acted like the Heroic Beasts of old." The golden child proclaimed.
"This is the Great Awakening happening in your hearts. The moment when the light of the divine ignited your Will to Act. To preserve the light not with incessant preaching but with unflinching action." He proclaimed once more.
The Will to Act. Deeds rather than words.
This time, the listeners were nodding in agreement and admiration.
"This is what I preach. I do not serve Beatrix! Nor do I serve any gods like those heretical and heathen priests from Lindwurm!" He said the words with disgust on his tongue and abhorrence in his tone.
His listeners would have balked at such blasphemy, but they are too taken with the passionate words of the child.
"I serve the Divine Tradition! The source of light that lit up your hearts in your darkest moments! The fire that reigned in your being to go against the dark!" The golden boy proclaimed without fear and with the certainty of steel.
The voice that has the ability to turn the universe on its head.
"I preach that you keep that light in your hearts! That you endure despite the darkness! I preach that you act instead of contemplating as you wither! My God is that of Action!"
The will to live. The will to act. The will to fight.
"When you act to do what is good, when you fight for what you think is right, when you demonstrate your zeal and righteousness with action…That's the moment you embodied the Principle of the Sun. That's the moment that you demonstrated that you have faith in my God. That's the moment I realized that you were my brothers in faith…"
Brotherhood forged by the Sun. Collective manifestation of the Solar Principle of the Divine Tradition.
"That's why, I ask of you, my humble listeners—nay—brothers, will you act?" The golden child concluded with such a tone. As he uttered the last words, the winds howled in silence. The mountain range beyond the land carried the echo of his voice.
The Cult of Action. Brothers-in-Faith through works and deeds. Such infectious belief.
The clouds parted the way for a ray of sunlight.
The crowd stayed silent. The tweeting of the birds and the howl of the wind can be heard in the absolute silence.
Then, the people raised their left hand towards the sun and chanted repeatedly, "HAIL THE LIGHT!" "HAIL THE LIGHT!" "HAIL THE LIGHT!"
Arms pointing towards the heavens. Venerating the Sun. Reaching for the Divine.
The noise broke through the mist of the dark. The chants of the humble crowd echoed through the village and through eternity.
In a humble village, a brotherhood of faith was formed. A bulwark against the creeping darkness.
Baltazar was enthusiastically raising his left hand and shouting the chant with passion.
Lucanus, by the works of the Arcane, or perhaps the giant child in the tunic did something to him, was one of the ones that chanted the loudest.
""HAIL THE LIGHT!"" The crowd keeps chanting until their throats have gone dry.
It continued until the noise died down. But the crowd was still smiling.
Lucanus, despite going through hard times, kept smiling.
'This time…..I will act. I will not cower anymore. For my mother, for my father.' He thought with absolute determination. Ready to weather the storm to cure his parents' affliction.
Despite knowing no way to cure them, he will act. He will find a way. As long as he is alive, he will always find a way. Lucanus promised himself this.
The Will to Act. Manifestation of the Solar Principle.
He stepped down on his barrel, ready to act. Well, that's his plan anyway, until a gaze that he felt down to his soul stopped him from doing so.
He returned his gaze to the boy. And to his absolute surprise and astonishment, the boy gazed back at him. His eyes are glowing, and his expression is zealous and smiling.
Their eyes met.
Lucanus was stunned for a moment.
The boy who was glowing widened his smile further and asked him, "What is your name, brother?"
Lucanus, maybe because of some magic or arcane means, automatically responded, "M-my name is Lucanus….."
Lucanus responded with the voice of a child. Full of vigor and nervousness.
The bald young boy wearing a simple tunic walked slowly to Lucanus' position as he rubbed his chin.
The golden-bald child asked him once more, "For whom do you act?"
Lucanus looked down, his hair covering his eyes. Then he looked back once more at the golden child.
His stare was filled with determination and conviction. He answered, "For my loved ones."
For his loved ones, man will fight even against the hands of destiny itself.
After the answer, the golden child practically made his grin almost split his head into two by how wide it is.
Then the giant child walked to the front of the small Lucanus. Then he extended his hand.
"Well then, Brother Lucanus, my name is Athanasius. Your fellow brother in light."
Lucanus took his hand, symbolizing something.
Brotherhood in spirit.
The people of Sunspear watched. Immersed. Their eyes glittered with fire and zeal.
Those words enlivened their fire.
Then, the silence was broken by the proclamation of a certain brunette child.
"His parents have been afflicted with illness since yesterday! And their fevers only got worse this morning!", proclaimed Baltazar, the ever-concerned friend of Lucanus.
Lucanus glared at Baltazar. Annoyed at him for letting others think about his own problems.
He doesn't want to bother others.
When Baltazar saw his friend's glare, he hesitated and laughed nervously.
"Ehehehehehe, just a concerned Brother…" Baltazar simply scratched his head while laughing nervously.
The people of the village nodded. All of them knew the situation of Lucanus' parents.
"Indeed! They practically worked themselves to death! We tried everything, but we don't have the necessary specialization or cure available for the illness that this boy's parents were afflicted with." The voice of an old woman, the cloth shopkeeper in Sunspear, spoke with a concerned voice.
Lucanus felt warmth when he heard the voice of the old woman.
Bonds from the community.
'…All of you….' The little crimson haired boy, Lucanus, thought with tears daring to come out of his eyes.
The golden child watched in silence. His eyes were closed. Then he opened it again. This time, it glowed gold.
"Brother Lucanus…May I visit your humble home?", asked Athanasius with a smile on his face.
=I=
The house of Lucanus was a very simple one. Warm and yet humble.
Constructed from natural materials such as timber, stone, or thatch, it blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, providing a cozy retreat for its inhabitants. Inside, the house is sparsely furnished, with only the essentials required for daily living.
The floors are made of wooden planks, and the walls may be decorated with tapestries or animal pelts. The kitchen area is equipped with a fireplace or hearth for cooking, while a small table and chairs may be used for meals.
The bedroom is typically a simple sleeping area, with a bed made of straw and a warm blanket to keep the occupant comfortable. Despite its humble appearance, a house such as this can be a place of refuge and tranquility in a world filled with danger and uncertainty.
When Athanasius reached the house of Lucanus, the smile on his face didn't disappear. He does not discriminate based on one's status. Only to one's faith.
Lucanus walked to the small room within his home and faced Athanasius.
"This is where my parents are recuperating. Well, I don't know if it's the right word….their situation hasn't gotten any better since yesterday." Lucanus spoke with sorrow in his voice.
Athanasius nodded with understanding.
Then the creak of the door was heard. Lucanus opened the door where his parents dwelled.
His sickly parents lie in bed, barely able to move or speak. Their skin is hot and clammy, soaked with sweat that drips down their foreheads and stains the sheets beneath them.
Each breath they take is a struggle, and their chests heave with effort. Their faces are drawn and pale, and their eyes are sunken and hollow. It is clear that they are on the verge of passing out, their strength sapped by the illness that has taken hold of their bodies.
Despite their weakened state, they cling to each other, offering comfort and support in the face of their imminent mortality. The air in the room is heavy with the weight of their suffering.
A somber reminder of the fragility of life.
"Mother! Father!" Screamed Lucanus as he ran beside them, holding their hands.
Their situation got worse. The infection is spreading.
Lucanus cried. He wanted to cure them, but he couldn't. He can't act!
'All those words I've said earlier….were they meaningless!? I can't even move right now! Conviction!? Who am I kidding!? I'm just a little boy!' Lucanus thought with hopelessness. He was scared and cowered. After all, a boy his age shouldn't have to worry about things like this.
Athanasius simply stared. Neither changing his expression nor moving. He watched.
Lucanus gripped the hands of his parents harder. Blood flowed through the veins of his hands, making it apparent just how hard he was gripping the hands of his loved ones.
Despair. Hopelessness. Fear. Inaction.
Lucanus was frozen beside the bed of his sickly loved ones. But then….he remembered his promise earlier.
"I will not cower anymore."
Those words…he closed his teary eyes.
In the darkest depths, the light glows the brightest.
He opened them again. Once more, the fire returned.
'Even if it's hopeless…Even if the result is for naught…..Even then, I will move!' He thought, standing up.
For those that we cherish—
He kissed the foreheads of his parents once more. His movements were swift. He's walking out of the room. He ignored the idols of the Goddess on the table. He will find a way. No matter what it is. He will act.
The manifestation of the Solar Principle. Path to both glory and ruin. The principle of Action.
Athanasius broke his silence, surprising Lucanus.
"For whom do you act?" He asked the same question again.
The crimson haired child stopped walking. His back was facing Athanasius. He did not turn back.
After a moment of silence, he stated, "For those that I cherish."
Heart filled with Gold. To self-sacrifice.
Athanasius sported a big grin.
Then, the golden child walked beside the bed of the parents of the crimson-haired child.
"Through action, one gains faith. Through faith, one acts." Athanasius stated.
His hands hovered over the heads of Lucanus' parents.
Lucanus, with his feet frozen, watched the scene with concern.
"The Will to Act is connected to the Divine Tradition."
The boy glittered. The golden light permeated throughout the humble house.
When one believes, how can anyone fight his convictions?
"When everything goes dark and the evil is at the gates, everything is thrown away."
The fear when the enemy is at the gates.
"Riches became naught, fear took the place of decadent pleasure, reason became useless, steel was filled with rust, intellect crumbled, and strength dissipated."
Those things that came from dust, returned to dust.
"When the night of terrors came, nothing remained. All was sundered. But one thing is eternal."
The luminescence of the golden child became more vivid.
"When everything was lost, Faith remained." He stated.
The immutable quality within man.
"Through Faith, the terrors of the dark were pushed back. Through Faith, the Will to Act was ignited. Through Faith, all that was dust became something more. Through Faith, light was ignited in the hearts of men."
For as long as one has faith, even the mightiest of mountains become as light as a feather.
Then, Athanasius touched the foreheads of the sick parents of Lucanus.
"And through Action, Faith was spread like mustard seeds in the dark, blooming into trees of light."
Lucanus watches in awe. As if everything that was happening belonged to the myths from the Great Library of Lindwurm.
"Rejoice, Brother Lucanus… Your faith was not lacking. Your will to act was not found wanting." Athanasius smiled.
Then, his parents glowed.
Advanced Biomancy. Manipulation of the Biology. Ancient techno-arcane technique from Mankind.
Lucanus was gobsmacked, '…..What?' He simply thought. He cannot speak.
Words were not enough.
Then, the constitution of Lucanus' parents changed. They are not pale anymore. Sweating stopped. Fever is rescinding. The intense sweating stopped. Sunken eyes that were previously there disappeared like merely dust taken away by the harsh howl of the wind.
Phenomena that cannot be conveyed through words.
"…How?" Lucanus blankly asked, mind and soul in awe.
Truly, it can only be called—
"For those you cherish….Your actions were not wasted." Athanasius simply stated.
—A miracle.
Later that day, at the entrance of the village of Sunspear, something was erected. When one enters the village, one can see a flag standing against the howl of the wind. The color of the flag was stark black. At the center of the flag, a symbol can be seen. At its core is a circular, gold-colored shape, evocative of the radiant sun, with four evenly spaced arms extending outward. A cross encased within a circle.
Symbolizing the golden light amidst the darkness.
A Sun Cross.
At that day, on the humble town of Sunspear, an awakening that will shake the world down to its foundations occurred.
=I=
Kagenou Estate, Servant Area.
It's been a week since Athanasius came back from his pilgrimage to the humble village of Sunspear.
He finished his glorious task of awakening the hearts of the people and implanting the flag of Divine Tradition at their core.
The seed of light was planted.
Lord Kagenou congratulated him. He praised him for his superb dedication and his progress in awakening the people against the darkness.
Though during those days that he was missing, his soul brother, Cid, seemed to be on the move too.
The Shadow moved in tandem with the light. To stop the resurrection of an ancient demon.
His soul brother was not passive. He's working hard and giving it his all to protect everything that is good. Everything that has light. Everything that the Divine Tradition stood for.
To protect the light. No matter if he is hated. Even if he wallows alone in the darkness.
He remembered his brother-in-faith, Lucanus. He's probably the same as his soul brother.
'For those that we cherish….huh…' Athanasius thought with determination, recalling the words of Lucanus.
That's why he's practicing at the breaking of dawn. His daily routine of practicing the art of brutality continued until the sun broke through the clouds.
Then, as the sun rose, he wiped his sweat. Smiling at the Sun.
The symbol of the Gestalt.
He walked back to the servant area of the Kagenou Estate.
The servant area is a sprawling complex of modest buildings tucked away from the main estate. A series of interconnected structures, made of brick and timber, are arranged in a horseshoe shape, surrounding a small courtyard.
Athanasius smiled. 'The bloodline of Kagenou truly embodies the Divine Light! Not all noble houses provide such accommodations for humble servants.' He thought as he praised the noble family of his soul brother and mentor.
Inside, the area is bustling with activity, with servants going about their daily tasks. Each building houses several rooms, providing ample space for the many workers who call this area home.
The rooms are sparsely furnished but functional, with a narrow bed covered in a simple blanket and pillow, a small table or desk with a chair, and a dresser or chest of drawers for storage. Thin curtains cover the windows, allowing a soft, filtered light to filter in. The walls are painted in muted colors, providing a sense of calm and tranquility amidst the busy activity outside.
At the center of the courtyard, a few trees provide shade, and a small fountain gurgles gently, providing a soothing sound. Despite its humble appearance, the servant area is a bustling hub of activity, a place of community and camaraderie, where workers come together to share meals, stories, and laughter.
The Kagenou servants, when they saw Athanasius, simply smiled. They appreciated him. After all, his larger than normal constitution and weird strength helped them in their daily work.
Athanasius smiled back at them as he went inside his modest room, where a servant of a noble house dwells.
As he rested his sword beside his door, he walked on the desk. Ready to, once again, write his journal regarding spirituality.
As the pen in his hands prepared to write in his notes, and before someone asks, yes, a pen. Such a technological marvel was gifted to him by his mentor. Certainly better than a quill and its incessant use of ink.
Thoughts and ideas streamed from his head, manifesting in his hands as he wrote on the paper and notes provided by his mentor.
As he is too busy to write, he didn't realize that there was someone dwelling in his room.
In fact, the person in his room was ignored until he finished writing the first section of his journal for the day.
He smiled as he finished the first section, and then his Transhuman mind screamed in alarm.
He looked to his right, beside his wardrobe.
Golden hair. Lithe form. Beautiful face. Blue eyes. Pointed ears….
His mind screamed something, a primal warning.
Xeno!
He was immediately on his feet and asked, "Who are you?"
Athanasius was beside his door now, preparing to get his wooden sword.
Wooden. Blunt. Still, an instrument for killing.
His god-forged mind immediately formed a thousand ways to kill the being in front of him.
Throat. Eyes. Head. Nerves. Spinal Cords. Tendons. Heart. Lungs.
His mind, which can process a thousand thoughts in a nanosecond, worked to find some openings.
The creature no, an elf, if what he read in his books were right, along with her dark robes, kept staring at him. He already read about their species in the Kagenou library, but it did not reduce the primal discomfort that he felt about the creature.
"….What does Shadow-sama see in you?" The golden-haired elf simply asked.
'Shadow….Soul brother!' Athanasius stopped. Relief filling his veins.
It looks like his soul brother made his move in the dark.
"Are you a comrade of my brother?" Athanasius asked; this time he was calm.
"…My name is Alpha. And I serve Shadow-sama…" The golden-haired elf simply stated.
Athanasius confirmed his suspicions. She is indeed a comrade of his soul brother.
"…"
"…"
Both stayed silent in the room.
The eyes of the golden-haired elf are scrutinizing. Analyzing. Investigating.
The bald child quelled the primal warning roaring in his head.
Then Athanasius broke the silence.
"Do you want to listen to the Good Word?"
=I=
Hu! That's a long one. For this one my readers, I will ask you of what Athanasius asked to Lucanus, "For whom do you act?" just kidding. Thank you for your support and wait for the next chapter as always.