Nia closed the metal nameplate and dragged it back into the luggage with difficulty again.

In the brief silence, Thales thought about the story on Ansett's nameplate - or rather, the story told by Megan through the nameplate.

The old priest turned his eyes away from the sunset outside the window and waited for him quietly, as if he expected this silence.

"Faith and magic come from the same source. The battle to chase the saints, the rise of mankind?"

As Thales recited this story, what flashed through his mind was his first meeting with Asheida.

[The Master explores the truth of the world, uses various ingenious methods and wisdom, and uses the resources and energy of the world to serve a better world.]

Megan glanced at him and then spoke slowly:

"But this is just the beginning."

There was a touch of regret hidden in the old priest's tone:

"When the foreign enemies are gone, differences arise."

"The attitude towards gods and beliefs eventually caused the elder and younger sons to part ways and drift apart."

There are two sons, the eldest and the youngest, so this is their explanation.

It is really difficult for them to come up with a similar statement for Abel and Cain.

Thales sighed secretly.

"The eldest son of God versus the youngest son of God, loyalty and rebellion..."

If you don't know...

"I thought it was Artanis fighting the insect swarm." The prince complained silently.

Megan, who has very good ears, frowned:

"Artanis? Who?"

Thales raised his head and smiled innocently and sincerely:

"It's okay, it's just a Northland joke..."

Megan pursed her lips, the corners of her lips sharp.

The old priest quickly returned to lecturing:

"So, for thousands of years, under the attention of gods and the practice of people, the eldest son and the youngest son, faith and magic, the church and the mages, they fought endlessly, and saw each other back and forth on different paths and beliefs."

"Wait a moment?"

Thales narrowed his eyes at the right moment and interrupted:

"So according to you, the difference between faith and magic is because believers believe in God, while mages do not believe in God?"

"Can I understand that believers believe in gods on unknowable things, while mages only believe in themselves?"

Megan did not answer immediately. She looked at Thales quietly, with a slight wave in her eyes.

She remembered two days ago, when she came to the house of grace and visited Si, who was full of expectations and trying hard to find books to prepare lessons (Megan accidentally glanced at it, it was the church's classic hymn "Illumination for Ten Thousand Miles" with 1,024 lines).

Archdeacon Tilianides, and brought greetings from Archbishop Lysia, by the way...

Inform him that the responsibility of teaching Prince Thales and Duke of Star Lake will be taken over by himself.

She still remembered the archdeacon's incredible shock and perfectly suppressed anger.

It is true that as one of the fifteen auxiliary bishops in the territory of the stars, Stylianides is young and promising, with a bright future. He has preached for countless nobles and ministers and educated their children. He does not want to let go of being the future king of the stars.

An opportunity to recite the Sunset Sermon, spread divine grace, and glorify holy works.

Just like Archbishop Rondon to Thomund II, just like Archbishop Clement to Mindis III.

But, the lucky ones who are blessed by the setting sun and bask in the grace of God.

They will always become accustomed to the light in front of them.

So much so that we have forgotten where the gift came from.

What’s more, we have forgotten that for believers in God, trials and obstacles are everywhere.

The stars are shining brightly.

Only after sunset.

"This is the most common and dangerous misunderstanding in history."

Meghan smiled slightly, nodded slightly to the prince, and was gentle and polite:

"Especially for those who have not yet had a chance to understand it, but who, through hearsay, are resolute and disgusted with the faith."

Thales frowned.

He put on a helpless expression and wanted to make a tacit understanding look with Gilbert.

But Earl Casso fell silent and just looked at Meghan quietly.

"Mage doesn't believe in God?"

"No."

Megan's expression turned cold.

Her next words made Thales puzzled:

"Of course they believe it."

"Believe in God, believe in faith."

Meghan's tone is still steady, but the content is sonorous and powerful:

"No matter how many times they deny it."

What?

Thales blinked: "I don't..."

"It's just the gods they believe in," Megan didn't let him ask. The voice of the female priest at this moment was gloomy and solemn:

"It is an existence that has no form, no name, no form, no quality, no substance, but its power and status are superior to all others in their eyes."

She whispered:

"They call it - magic."

Thales' eyebrows jumped.

Meghan put her hands together, her posture was upright, but her momentum was overwhelming:

"But occasionally they will use the excuse of seeking knowledge, the good name of rationality, pretense as truth, pretense as pursuit of progress, sophistry as self-sublimation, and worship as the supreme one."

After uttering a series of words that made Thales thoughtful, she remained expressionless:

"Does it sound familiar?"

Before Thales had time to think deeply about these words, Meghan Priest's eyes lit up:

"But no matter how eloquent they are, they can't hide the indisputable fact."

The next second, her words were extremely certain:

"Because magic itself is their god, their belief, their supreme principle, and it is also what their 'church' teaches and where their 'teaching' lies."

Thales could feel the power in the other person's words:

"In a way, it is in their hearts as much as our God is in ours, or even more so."

"The tyranny, cruelty, indifference and ruthlessness that this strange 'god' holds in its hands far exceeds that of any existence that has been worshiped and respected throughout the ages."

Megan's tone gradually became cold:

"The prohibitions are extremely strict, the hegemony is supreme, those who have doubts have a hard time asking, and those who disobey will not be tolerated."

Thales said doubtfully:

"You mean that they worship the very ideas and principles of magic as if they were gods?"

Meghan just hummed and did not answer directly:

"As for those millions of believers who have been infected and brainwashed by it - whether they are mages or not, whether they are qualified to control magic or not - it is even worse."

"They regard themselves as orthodox and denounce dissidents as hypocrites. They are more fanatical than believers of all gods and demons, and they are twice as hypocritical. They don't even know it."

Extremely fanatical, twice as hypocritical, without knowing it...

Thales was stunned silently.

But at this moment, he suddenly remembered that a long time ago, when he was still on the way from Heisha District to Longxiao City, his future was uncertain and he was worried.

At that time, Ramon, the strange doctor who was very interested in magic, explained to him this way:

[Magic is a meaning, an attitude, a belief, and a principle of life!]

Thales still remembered Ramon's expression at that moment and his almost crazy tone.

[This is the mage! This is magic! In the history of the rise of mankind, the most important, most gorgeous and precious chapter that has been forgotten by everyone!]
To be continued...