Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 329 Divine Magic
The firewood crackled and popped in the stove, and the bright yellow flames flickered.

“If you’re implying that ‘all divine magic originates from church divine magic,’ that’s a bit too arrogant.” Winters put down his cup. “But it does seem like the usual practice of the Catholic Church.”

Saul placed the peeled beetroot on the stove, stoked the fire, and added more firewood: "No, quite the opposite."

"Oh why?"

Saul, with his back to Winters, did not answer directly: "You have seen heretical magic, haven't you? Judging from your attitude, it should be said that... you have personally come into contact with heretical magic."

Winters was not a devout believer and did not shy away from the fact that he had been saved by the shaman Hed: "Yes."

"You have also been exposed to church magic."

“Isn’t Kaman your priest?” Winters said without hesitation. “I’ve seen him heal the wounded.”

Upon hearing Winters' words, Saul shook his head: "What do you see as the similarities and differences between the two?"

Winters carefully considered his words: "Different paths, similar destinations."

"In other words, you also think they look very similar, right?"

“To the best of my knowledge, there are some similarities,” Winters replied cautiously. “However, I don’t know much about it.”

“For…” Saul paused, then calmly used the third person: “For priests, even just ‘similar’ is a serious offense.”

“Infidels also eat bread with their mouths, use knives and forks with their hands, and have limbs and facial features.” Winters frowned slightly. “Isn’t this blatant plagiarism even more offensive?”

The door was flung open, and Kaman stormed into the kitchen, yelling, "The Saracens don't eat bread! Nor do they use knives and forks! Saint Philip considers them the 'fourth nation,' so it's perfectly understandable that the Saracens look like us!"

"Why are you back again?" Winters asked helplessly.

“To allow leaks is also a violation of my oath,” Kaman replied curtly.

"Rest assured, Father Carmen, I have not broken my oath." Saul slowly sat back down on the bench and said with a sigh, "I am merely recounting some events from the past for those who wish to hear them."

"Can I sit in on the conversation?" Kaman asked immediately.

"Of course, of course."

The kitchen in the officers' quarters was cramped, with only two stools, one for the old man and one for Winters. Kaman refused to leave in a huff, but too ashamed to sit on the table or stove, so he just stood there.

Winters glanced at the woodpile and saw a bench, but he planned to tell Kaman later: "I'll consider that you've covered up the Saracens' origins. What about further east? Brother Reid also had two arms and two legs, right? He was from the Far East."

“There is also a wealthy and powerful Catholic country in the Far East, whose ruler is named [Priest King John].” Kaman suddenly became serious: “Therefore, they are also descendants of Adam and Eve, and naturally look just like us.”

Winters' expression turned somewhat subtle. He looked at Kaman with pity: "You...you weren't fooled by that old man Reid, were you?"

With the old man Saul present, Kaman couldn't afford to lose his temper. He suppressed his anger and earnestly explained, "Priest-King John is a descendant of the Three Wise Men of the East. By the grace of the Lord, he is immortal and ageless. [He is more powerful and richer than anyone else in the world. His roof and interior walls are made of gold, and the weapons of his army are also cast in gold.] In Imperial Year 237, the then Pope received a letter from the Priest-King, and successive Popes have sent people to find him many times..."

Winters found the story increasingly absurd, so he turned to the old man Saul and asked, "Do you believe it?"

Old Saul gave a half-smile, neither confirming nor denying.

Silence is the greatest contempt, Kaman said with some grievance: "Everything I said is clearly recorded in the archives of the High Cathedral."

Winters didn't want to continue the topic, but he couldn't resist the urge to refute: "Just because it's written on parchment doesn't mean it's true?"

The feelings of grievance and resentment disappeared, and Kaman gradually became cold and stern: "Your current thoughts are no different from the doctrines of the Protestant Church."

Winters remained silent for a long time, then whispered a reminder to Kaman: "Have you forgotten? I'm not your lamb."

Kaman's momentum was instantly shattered.

“If the dossiers are wrong, then the papal decrees may also be wrong. If the papal decrees are wrong, then the Gospels may also be wrong,” Old Saul said slowly as he peeled a beetroot. “The greater the authority, the less it can be questioned. People’s desire to defend their faith is always very strong, no matter when. Because that is not only denying the doctrine, but also denying the meaning of the clergy’s existence.”

“It’s okay to deny it, people still live on, don’t they?” Winters decided not to tell Kaman about the other stool: “Someone once told me that ‘existence comes first, meaning comes later, reality always precedes concept.’”

Old Saul stopped what he was doing: "Did the Enlightenment, which came first, develop after consciousness, and then spread to Plato?"

“I’m from Venetia,” Winters said, a little embarrassed.

Saul seemed to chuckle as he continued peeling the beetroot: "Actually, looking at Kaman... Father, you should be able to understand why the clergy don't believe—or don't want to believe—that the heretics' magic comes from [the First Schism]."

Winters hadn't fully grasped the meaning yet and waited for Saul to continue.

“Divine magic is a definite miracle, a direct expression of the Lord’s will,” the old man Saul said bluntly. “If the heretical divine magic of the North comes from the First Schism, it means that heretics can also use Catholic divine magic, and the definition of divine magic will fall into a paradox.”

“Hmm.” Winters asked thoughtfully, “Like the paradox of [goodness and omniscience]?”

"Yes."

Winters glanced at the silent Kaman: "But someone has given an answer during a sermon—the Lord sends down suffering so that mankind will love Him."

“If you’re willing to accept that explanation, then so be it,” sighed the old man Saul. “Religious studies and religion have always been two different things, just like politics and political science.”

Winters couldn't help but burst into laughter, while Kaman's eye twitched slightly.

"So what? What does all this have to do with you and the Reformed Order? You still haven't told me." Winters' smile faded, and his posture became more upright. "Why does the Church of Gevodan want to kill you? Why is the Church of Gevodan so eager to kill you?"

"After the First Great Schizond, the exploration of divine magic has always been a taboo within the Church." As if acknowledging Winters, the old man Saul stopped beating around the bush: "But exploring the unknown is a human instinct, and you can't kill them all. After coming into contact with the 'evil magic' of the North, most clergy were on high alert, but a small number of clergy felt exhilarated..."

Like a thin mist blown away by a storm, Winters realized: "What you want is heretical magic!"

The old man lowered his eyelids and tacitly agreed with Winters' words.

"Because exploring Catholic magic is taboo, they circumvent the restrictions by studying heretical magic? So this is what the Reformed Order does?" Winters chuckled. "Then the name is too conspicuous. To call itself a reformer is just setting up a target for others to attack. Perhaps... it would be better to put up the Inquisition's sign."

Kaman stood out of Winters' sight, his fingertips trembling slightly, his pupils dilating rapidly without his awareness.

“Mr. Montagne,” Old Man Saul put down his paring knife and beetroot, straightened his back, and looked at Winters solemnly: “The Reformed Order is named after its founder, Brother Sephiroth, so please do not joke about this matter.”

Winters realized he had been somewhat rude: "I'm sorry... What happened next? What happened after the Reformed Order was founded?"

The old man picked up the paring knife again: "Then it's time to apply for a decree from the Pope."

"And then?" Winters raised an eyebrow slightly.

"It took two hundred and eleven years to obtain the imperial edict," the old man said, slowly peeling a beetroot.

Winters' first reaction was not to admire the Church's amazing efficiency, but to compare the timelines given by Saul with the timeline of the Empire's expansion into the North.

"Two hundred and eleven years?" Winters frowned again, almost unconsciously. "Around... the middle of the third century in the Imperial Calendar? The Emperor failed to reclaim the Via Crown, and the Great Northern War broke out? By then, the North had already converted, right? If the North converted to Catholicism, what about the demigods? Where did they go?"

"They're all dead."

"died?"

“That’s right, dead.” Old Saul peeled the beetroot intently. “The Reformed Order killed them, we killed them.” Winters didn’t react at first, but the moment he understood the information, he stood up abruptly: “You’re a priest too? You’re a user of divine magic?”

The old man slightly raised his eyelids and met Winters's gaze: "All members of the Reformed Order are users of divine magic."

……

"Madam," Mrs. Medellin, her hair tied back with a black veil, entered the living room. "Mr. Montagne has returned home."

Although she had heard it countless times, Anna's cheeks still felt a little hot whenever someone called her "Madam".

Anna sat up abruptly: "He went home?"

The single officer's quarters were small; the hallway after the entrance was separated from the living room by only a thin wooden wall. Winters' footsteps were also very distinctive, and Anna could always easily recognize them.

Mrs. Medellin said Winters had come home, but Anna was certain she hadn't heard Winters come in.

"Where is Monsieur Montagne?" Anna picked up her coat. "The stables?"

“The kitchen,” Mrs. Medellín replied.

To prevent fires, the single officers' quarters did not have separate kitchens; instead, a large kitchen was shared by the entire courtyard.

Just as Anna arrived at the kitchen door, Winters happened to push the door open and come out.

Anna had intended to ask Winters why he went straight to the kitchen when he got home, but she could tell that Winters was in a bad mood, so she asked instead, "What's wrong?"

Seeing Anna's concerned gaze, Winters forced a smile: "It's nothing, are you cold?"

Anna cupped her face, drawing out her words in a soft, coquettish voice: "It's cold..."

It wasn't all just coquetry; the Navarre sisters grew up in the Blue Sea and never experienced the harsh winter of Palatine.

Despite the biting wind that could crack skin, Anna would occasionally venture out, while Catherine remained completely sedentary. Young Lady Navarre even turned down all invitations to balls, leaving the young men of Gevardin disappointed each time.

As luck would have it, Kaman pushed open the kitchen door and walked out.

Anna was so ashamed she wanted to disappear, but fortunately Father Kaman also seemed preoccupied. Kaman gave Anna a blank bow and then quickly left.

"What are you doing in the kitchen?" Anna asked curiously. "Why is Father Kaman here too?"

Winters sighed. "It's a long story."

Anna could sense that Winters was in a heavy mood, so she reached out and took her lover's arm: "It's so cold, let's go home first."

After much deliberation, Winters decided not to tell Anna for the time being.

At that moment, he began to understand the deeper meaning behind his adoptive father's words, "You have no idea what we have sacrificed."

Can love make one person accept another person completely without reservation?

Including all flaws and dark sides?
Who knows?

Putting aside romantic love, even if it were just blood ties, could a son accept his father's "evil deeds" without reservation?

Winters wanted to be honest with Anna, saying that the saddest thing in the world is not being understood or known by anyone.

It's like a middle-aged farmer stopping his farm work, wiping the sweat from his brow, and looking up at the horizon.

Passersby might think the farmer was slacking off, but who dares to say that the inner world of an ordinary farmer isn't turbulent? And who knows what hardships he has endured in his life?
Or, the contrapositive is easier to understand: having a "true friend" is the most fortunate thing in life.

But Winters dared not say it, because he had a vague feeling that the process and outcome of this matter would not be pleasant, and he did not want Anna to fear him or think that he was a "bad guy".

Winters finally understood why the Church of Gevordan was so determined to kill Saul and offered such a high price—the Church of Gevordan did not want to kill a heretical theologian, but a divine sorcerer who was likely out of control.

Perhaps the church in Jevodan had been waiting for Saul ever since the Reformed Religious Order was purged.

Perhaps they sent people into the tribes of Hart to investigate, but to no avail.

So they could only wait and see; if there was no news, they would just keep waiting, and if there was news, they would immediately find a way to execute him.

Winters even had an unspoken suspicion: Father Carmen might be the one waiting for Saul.

The best weapon against a magician is another magician. So, what if we send one priest to fight another priest?

The Alliance army does not have a dedicated department for eliminating spellcasters—or rather, Winters is unaware that the Alliance army has such a department.

However, after self-assessment, Winters concluded that without such a law enforcement agency, it would be extremely dangerous if law enforcers were to get out of control.

For example, if an out-of-control Winters were allowed into the throne room where a meeting was being held, not a single Venetta officer would emerge alive.

The fact that the Alliance doesn't have it could be explained by the fact that 'the spellcaster system is still relatively new and incomplete'.

As an organization that has existed for thousands of years and can command users of divine magic, does the Catholic Church have an 'enforcement' department?
However, this conjecture has some flaws. For example, if Saul doesn't show up, would Kaman just keep waiting? Would the Catholic Church really be willing to go to such great lengths for a priest who might already be dead?

Winters then thought of the delicate relationship between Kaman and Mrs. Ellen Mitchell... and his skull throbbed with pain again.

Let's return to the old man Saul.

It's one thing to shelter an old, heretical theologian; it's quite another to shelter a user of divine magic.

Moreover, the risks and rewards are far outweighed; the elderly users of the divine arts, though exterminated, remain devout.

According to Winters, if piety could be measured, Saul's piety was even greater than that of Kaman.

Kaman cannot tolerate any attack on the church, and will stand up like a hedgehog when provoked.

Saul, on the other hand, could calmly discuss 'heresy' and was a model of 'I am a sinner, I have converted, but my soul belongs to the Lord forever'.

"Anna," Winters called softly as he entered.

"Mm." Anna helped Winters take off his coat.

"I'll explain it to you later, okay?"

"Ah."

Winters let out a long sigh of relief. He hugged Anna from behind; physical contact with Anna always gave him a special sense of security. "I want to say something sweet that will make you blush, but I don't know what to say. Try to imagine it yourself?"

“This is the hallway,” Anna said, her cheeks flushing. “Mrs. Medellin will be coming.”

"Then let's go to the bedroom? I'm fine with anything."

"You bastard! You really are!" Anna gritted her teeth and stomped hard on the toe of Winters' boot, then suddenly felt a little disappointed: "I think we can't delay any longer with Mr. Leo."

(End of this chapter)