In the silent atmosphere, Ronald watched the Holy Priest carefully.
At this moment, Martha was standing next to him, her body under the black priest's robe seemed to be shaking faintly, but when she turned her eyes in front of her, she could see that her hands holding the book were in a relaxed posture.
What is the state of this church person at this moment? What is he thinking in his heart?
Ronald was a little uncertain.
He didn't know how Martha would react when she saw such content.
After all, the other party is now an important person in the church, and it is no longer possible to make judgments based solely on emotion when dealing with certain things.
Right now, even if he chants a spell to summon the black fog from hell, Ronald is not willing to blindly believe in the result.
So, he tried to ask in a gentle tone:
"Malda...are you okay?"
Martha nodded slightly and looked at him with a smile:
"Of course I'm fine, why do you ask this?"
Ronald tried to organize his words:
"You...don't you think the text in this book is a bit shocking? Or maybe the content it records is quite funny?"
"Ah, that's what you're talking about." Martha was immediately relieved and responded with a shrug, "I already knew the above content to a certain extent. It was when I left the monastery and prepared to become a holy priest.
experience."
"Have you known this for a long time?" Ronald opened his eyes wide, "So the branch of the church that left the southern continent back then also knew everything that happened here?"
"That's not the case." Martha shook her head and said calmly, "These news are just inferences based on the facts. If we knew everything, today's situation would never be like this."
Ronald accepted Martha's statement.
But when I thought that the holy priest in front of me, a devout person, actually knew the nature of the "god", the absurd feeling of reality immediately came to me.
Martha also saw this, so she continued:
"It's actually not that hard to figure out."
"I like the quiet and peaceful life in the church. I like helping others, teaching children, and taking care of the elderly. I like to be comforted and cleansed when I pray every morning and evening. I like the strength and hope that faith gives me."
"Even if something doesn't exist..."
Speaking of this, Martha suddenly smiled gently.
"But so what?" she continued, "Faith comes from myself, and I have gained peace in my heart. That's enough."
Martha's attitude was calm but firm.
Ronald looked at the other person and felt that he had a new understanding and respect for this holy priest.
"You are really an amazing person." He couldn't help but admire.
"Thank you." Martha lowered her head slightly, "In my eyes, you are actually a special and great person."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
The tense atmosphere between the bookshelves just now disappeared.
Next, everyone's work returned to integrating and organizing the data, and Ronald also continued to read the subsequent contents of this record.
In the past, due to the obstacles of the times and cognition, the church was unable to explore the essential mystery of the birth of gods. However, the investigation and analysis of events and phenomena were absolutely accurate.
There are no gods in this world.
The 'god' that fits the church's beliefs is indeed born from people's beliefs. This process does not even involve magic and spells, but some kind of wonderful realm that people have not yet entered.
"..."
As the reading ended, Ronald put the book back on the table and felt tired.
He has been in the library for a while, and even though his body is still full of energy, his brain that receives information cannot do so.
So, Ronald was going to go downstairs to find Orel.
After all, the content in the book is just words. Regarding some details, he still needs to have a good chat with Orel, the 'client'.
Although this king of beasts hides many secrets, he has to admit that the other party is indispensable in this incident.
There are many things that I can only go to Orel for now.
Ronald walked down the stairs, planning to find the other party and help everyone on the second floor get some water and food.
It was getting late by then.
When he reached the middle of the stairs, he noticed that the lights on the first floor had dimmed, and only the faint light of an oil lamp was still flickering.
"..."
Ronald frowned, feeling a little strange.
Although Orel is not a human being, he still has basic physiological activities. And when he reaches this position, with Ronald's hearing, he can't even hear the other person's breathing.
We made an appointment with Aurel on the first floor. Did he leave because of something?
Walking down the first floor, the situation was exactly as Ronald guessed.
The door to the library is closed, and in the quiet first floor there is only a flickering light on the table. On the table with the lamp erected, paper, pen and ink are placed on it, and there is a crescent-shaped metal craft holding it down.
Ronald hurriedly walked to the table and found that the ink on the paper had long dried.
When he picked it up and looked at it, his heart suddenly sank.
The handwriting on this page is elegant and arrogant. Although I have never seen it before, I know it is Orel's handwriting without even thinking about it.
Then he glanced upward——
"Farewell letter?"
"Are you kidding me!"
Ronald subconsciously rushed to the door, trying to catch up with Aurel.
Halfway through, Ronald's footsteps were stopped by the sound of singing outside.
He hesitated at the door.
Then he turned back and sat down with a gloomy face, and began to read the farewell letter carefully.
【Powerful caster——
You may not believe it, but I leave this letter only for you.
I know there are many secrets and lies between you and me, but I want to show you part of my true identity and mission at the last moment of my departure.
Because I feel a certain quality in you.
Some deep quality that allows people to tell you these things.
In the past that is so long that people forget how many years have passed, I was the king of the species called the Dust Behemoth, leading my compatriots to live in this world.
This was once our home, and everything went according to our wishes.
The years pass by quietly like this.
A disaster struck just as quietly.
Invaders from the outside try to destroy us and occupy this world. In order to protect our homeland, we fight them with the most powerful force and finally defeat them.
But as the price of victory, the dust behemoth also suffered heavy losses.
The remaining clan members fell into a deep sleep, while everything in the outside world continued to grow with the possibility of life. As the king, I saw everything and was quietly waiting for the recovery of the giant beast clan.
With a long life, we never lack time.
Until...the emergence of humans.
For your species, unlike my sleeping companions, I have seen more and understood a lot. Something about the short-lived species changed me, so... I became a member of the church.
There is no need to go into details about what happened next. I ended up guarding the seal of the Holy City here.
After thousands of years of thinking, my views on [Singing in the Forest] have also changed, but the key is hard to choose. The longevity species' view of time does not require impatience, just wait slowly.
In recent days, I have felt cracks and fluctuations in the seal.
This means that an intruder has found the seal and entered here, and his purpose is obvious.
If they succeed, then the world of [Singing Forest] will be destroyed.
I don't have to make a choice.
As for stopping them…
In short, I had to make a difficult decision: bid farewell to my past identity, go to this new world, and find a new self.
——The key on the table.
That is the key to my treasure house, and it is where the treasures of the Church's past lie.
I also ask you to pass it on to the Holy Priests, as this is something they should inherit. At the same time, I hope you can use this to strengthen yourselves, or get a lot of help in stopping intruders.
Finally, please forgive my selfishness and my deception.
In an unknown time and space, an unknown world, or a dream phantom, in an eternal moment, I will hear the story that happened here.
--Bye now.
The former dust beast, the church saint, Orel.】
Snapped!
Ronald put the pages in a row on the table next to him, with no good look on his face: