A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 264 Upper Class and Lower Class (Part 2)
A spacious carriage bearing the Branson family crest slowly came to a stop in front of St. Mary's Girls' School.

The wheels were parked perfectly close to the side of the road.

The young lady was being driven by Katrin. This female knight, who had risked her life to protect Chaldale in the Goblin Cave, had obtained a Sequence 8 potion and was also very fortunate to have survived the ascension ceremony.

Now, Chaldale's safety is entirely entrusted to her, and she has gained Jenny's trust, being promoted to a security team manager, just like Graham.

With her Sequence Eight strength, she was virtually unmatched in the city of Aswell. Furthermore, she possessed the archer's destiny, boasting unparalleled observational skills among all combat classes; even the Branson family couldn't find a better bodyguard.

St. Mary's Girls' School is located in the highest part of Eastville, yet the surrounding area is remarkably quiet. It's only a five-minute carriage ride from Cloud Drive, but the bustling buildings, shopping malls, and hotels are all hidden by lush trees. To ensure the girls' privacy, the school has planted a large grove of trees on this prime lakeside location, and Mirror Lake lies behind the school, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, a tranquil and pleasant place.

Katrin got out of the car and looked around before slowly opening the car door.

Her gaze swept around again. Katrin felt inexplicably uneasy today, as if someone was following her, but she couldn't catch him.

Many horse-drawn carriages were parked at the school gate, and the elegant and melodious sound of "Gui'an" rose and fell. The pure white robes were like flowers blooming on the lakeside.

Xia Dai handed the dog she was leading to Katrin and walked into the school gate alone. Many girls came up to greet Xia Dai, and she was quite popular.

Only after watching Chaldale enter the school did Katrin take one last look around before turning and leaving.

Perhaps you're overthinking it.

She doesn't need to stay here all day; bodyguards and maids are forbidden from entering St. Mary's gates, and the school is safe enough.

St. Mary's School for Girls was built 1,300 years ago as a monastery of the Church of the Holy Spirit and Order.

The Second War Against the Demon King broke out, known as World War II. The Demon King perished at the academy, and Mount Aswell's terrain was completely altered after the war. The towering peaks were leveled, and the final battle between the Demon King and Merlin left a bottomless crater, which later became Mirror Lake. It is said that the Demon King's curse still lingers at the bottom of the lake after a thousand years, and the waters of Mirror Lake are calm and still.

The monastery was also reduced to ruins after the war. It wasn't until the era of the Fourth Hero, Tetsuya Amamiya—the year 940 of the Divine Calendar—that the island nation founded by the hero rose to prominence in the East. His state religion, the White Religion, also ushered in a golden age of development. The ruins of the monastery, which were used as a memorial to World War II, were restored and began to train White Religion nuns to be stationed in the three countries of Ron, Britain, and Hema.

The White Church is quite unique among the seven major theocratic religions of the Temürlan. Most of its followers are wealthy people, and this monastery, located in a special position, has received a lot of funding, including not only from the Eswell family, but also from many nobles from neighboring countries.

The teachings of the Kagyu school are not outdated; even those who do not believe in the goddess can enter the monastery for spiritual practice, provided they pay money. Thus, after the monastery reopened, wealthy families who had donated to it sent their daughters there to study. Even if they didn't study theology, the Kagyu school's expertise in medicine and law was considered a prestigious skill that would enhance their marriage prospects.

As time passed, more and more wealthy and powerful people enrolled in the Ashwell White Convent, and the social circles and networks they brought deviated from the original purpose of the convent in training nuns. In other religions, these people would have been expelled without hesitation. Nuns serving God must possess both physical and spiritual purity; how could they allow daughters of wealthy and powerful families, who were competing in terms of family background, to create such a chaotic environment?
But what makes the White Church so special is this: seeing the potential for business, they debated internally for a long time, with the abbess herself pondering it for a full year. She constantly considered whether to skip the "monastery" and upgrade directly to a "school"—those were incredibly agonizing days, countless nights spent counting money with barely any sleep. The White Church repeatedly analyzed the situation, finally convincing the senior management overnight. Ultimately, the White Church decided: no compromise, no settling! Withstanding all the pressure, they changed the name directly to—St. Mary's Girls' Private School! The name alone elevated it by 120% compared to a monastery.

Saint Mary is one of the saints of the Kagyu school. Her most distinctive feature is that she did not believe in the goddess in the first half of her life, but did things that were in line with the Kagyu doctrine, thus demonstrating the school's principle of education for all.

This school has no enrollment system; it relies entirely on recommendations from the board of directors. Admission requires a letter of recommendation from a family involved in the monastery's reconstruction. Its students are exclusively wealthy and noble, and over the centuries it has become a veritable school for young ladies.

"Miss Xia Dai'er, good day~"

"Dair! Good morning!"

"Miss Branson, good day."

Along the way, greetings to the girl rose and fell, and Xia Dai'er responded calmly. Her pretty face held a smile that was neither overly enthusiastic nor cold, and her eyes were as clear as water. Her every move exuded a natural sense of refinement.

She walked through the school's main building, and every girl she passed was unhurried, their conversations as graceful as classical poetry.

Every building in sight is pure white, even the green trees by the lake are painted white on their trunks, and the long corridor meanders through this white world, as clean as a snowfield at the end of the world.

At the heart of the school stood a church with a bell tower, a Gothic white marble building. Faint sounds of hymns drifted from within its doors. Chalier went inside and quietly found a seat.

She clasped her hands together in front of her nose and began her daily prayer.

At the far end of the church, high up, lies a pure white flowerbed. These are the 'Holy Spirit Flowers' of the White Church. In the center of the flowerbed stands a statue of a holy white goddess, holding scales, as tall as the light.

Anyone who glances at the statue of the goddess will be moved by her otherworldly beauty. She is a goddess so holy that only beauty remains. Magnificent wings cover her divine body, and nuns sing at the flower bushes at her feet.

The statue of the Holy Spirit has no face, only a pair of closed eyes looking down upon all living beings.

The White Church allows for free prayer at any time of day. Unlike the Vatican, which requires prayers to be offered at sunrise, or the Eternal Church, which requires members to stand still when the bells ring, White Church members can pray at any time of day.

The poor praise the sun, praying for a bountiful harvest. Kings worship the dragon, praying for eternal youth. The rich and powerful, however, prefer to pray to the goddess for protection before going to court, hoping to win their cases.

St. Mary's School for Girls retains some of the traditions of the convent, with fixed times for morning and evening prayers. About half of the students are believers in the goddess, and classes begin only after morning prayers.

The women sitting on the ground, singing with their legs curled up in front of the flowerbed, were pure Pali nuns. Their white robes were embroidered with silver patterns that were different from those of the students, making them quite gorgeous and noble.

Morning prayers continue until nine o'clock.

The nuns finished singing, raised their arms, and cried out: "Lord of the Holy Spirit! You are the judge of justice, compassion, and law. We praise your name—for your love endures forever, that the earth may give birth to mankind!"

The loud voice woke the girls in the audience who were pretending to pray but actually catching up on sleep. One by one, they stood up, clasped their hands together, and chanted, "The Holy Spirit endures—"

After sincerely reciting this sentence, Xia Dai'er stretched and got up to line up to water the Holy Spirit Flower in the Goddess Flowerbed.

Sleeping during prayer is considered highly disrespectful, but it's permitted in the White Church because sleep is seen as an act that "purifies the spirit." Of course, Chaldale still secretly sleeps, since morning prayers are part of the school's grading system.

Sunlight streamed through the pristine white windows, pouring in from behind the statue of the goddess and illuminating the mist sprayed from the sprinklers. This was ordinary lake water, drawn from the neighboring Mirror Lake, but it produced a wondrous reaction upon landing on the sacred flowers in the flowerbed. A unique fragrance, like pollen scattered, was aroused by the water droplets and drifted into the girl's delicate nose.

It was a fragrance that was hard to describe. It made Xia Dai'er feel happy, and she couldn't help but smile with simple joy.

The nuns watched all of this silently.

Watering the Holy Spirit Flower evokes joy in everyone, considered a gift from the goddess. But the genuine, serene smile that Xia Dai'er displays is truly unique in this school.

They exchanged a glance, and finally the eldest nun smiled and spoke, "Branson Chaldale."

"Ah yes."

Lost in her joy, Chaldie snapped out of her reverie, blinked, and asked somewhat nervously, "Ms. Tracy, is there anything I can help you with?"

Ms. Tracy's nun's habit was more ornate than the others'. The silver patterns on her white robe formed the shape of a Holy Spirit flower.

"Don't be nervous, my child."

She glanced at the watering can in the girl's hand and asked with a smile, "Can you tell me how it feels when you water the flowers?"

"Uh, you're... really happy?" Xia Dai'er didn't understand why she asked that. Had she been too rude to her goddess?
"What's the reason for your happiness?" Tracy then asked.

"No reason."

“My child, you have never felt such joy during your morning prayers before.”

Xia Dai'er held the water bottle in both hands, her fingers intertwined shyly.

"It only started happening recently. About two weeks ago?"

She wondered if it was because she had found a lover.

This kind of happiness is different from eating delicious food, being praised by one's mother, or having Quinn hold one's hand. It's just pure joy, like emotions guided by the fragrance of flowers, a natural reaction like a deep sleep.

"This is the joy that the goddess has bestowed upon you, my child."

After saying this, Ms. Tracy knelt before the statue of the goddess and prayed with her hands clasped together.

What is she praying for?
Xia Dai'er was at a loss, unsure whether to leave or stay.

The church windows all face away from the statue of God, and the sunlight is completely blocked by the wings, cutting out light and shadow that resemble the outline of God. The faceless goddess should appear blurry and dark in the backlight, but from any angle, it can be felt to be more dazzling than the sunlight.

Sha, shasha
Chaldale looked at the flowerbed in surprise. It was the sound of the wind blowing—she hadn't felt any wind, yet the Holy Spirit flowers were swaying in the breeze, and even Ms. Tracy's headscarf was gently lifted.

The nuns watching nearby suddenly became excited; their eyes widened, and they clasped their hands in prayer. Meanwhile, the students queuing behind Chaldale seemed oblivious to anything amiss, continuing to chat quietly about the latest happenings in town.

Ms. Tracy opened her eyes.

She was helped to her feet, and then said seriously to Chaldie, "Please come to the church during the lunch break."

"Lunch break?" she asked, puzzled. "Is something the matter?"

Ms. Tracy smiled and shook her head.

"We'd like you to come and clean the house, is that alright?" "Huh?" Xia Dai'er was a little confused, but still subconsciously said, "Of course."

As a private school for young ladies, St. Mary's has an administrative team comparable to that of a hotel. The girls don't need to do anything about cleaning. In their view, the classrooms automatically become clean and tidy every morning, just like goods automatically growing out of the shelves.

Xia Dai'er felt a little strange, but didn't ask any further questions. After all, her parents had taken her and her brother to participate in church services before, and the White Religion's charity donation events always included such activities to demonstrate that the wealthy and noble were no different from ordinary believers, regardless of their social status.

"Am I alone?" Xia Dai'er looked around. The church was quite large, and there was also a side hall for storing books.

Fortunately, it was very clean, and she couldn't see where it needed cleaning.

“Of course, no one else will be coming in here at noon,” Ms. Tracy emphasized, “Even we have other things to do before two o’clock in the afternoon.”

This was a minor disturbance this morning.

After morning prayers, the day's classes begin.

The education system in the world of Temuran, after being improved by heroes, is now very similar to that of Earth. Excluding ancient institutions related to mysticism such as the Arcane Academy or the Clock Tower, it can generally be divided into primary school, secondary school, and university.

In the developed countries of the South Pacific, the first three years of primary school are compulsory education, which is the responsibility of the respective national ministries of education.

However, because the Taimouran script is extremely difficult to learn, three years is only enough to barely learn some everyday words, let alone understand a newspaper. To systematically learn the script, apart from geniuses with exceptional memory, most people need to start from preschool education and continue until the end of secondary school, that is, until they reach adulthood at the age of sixteen.

After compulsory education, the last three years of primary school cover some basic math and science knowledge, while secondary school begins to teach history and advanced blue-collar vocational skills. In university, the type of study becomes extremely specialized, mostly related to engineering, business, or architecture.

The tuition fees for primary school alone are staggering. White-collar workers in big cities can grit their teeth and persevere if they only have one or two children, but if they have many children, they can only choose the most gifted offspring to study. This is the common practice in society.

Some wealthy nobles would implement six years of compulsory education in their territories, personally subsidizing three years of tuition for their subjects in exchange for a good reputation and loyalty. However, in the later stages of secondary education, the tuition fees would be prohibitive for ordinary people, and public schools could only be entered by children from wealthy families. Literacy was a watershed in the social class of the South.

Of course, among the many countries on the four continents of Tamiune, there are exceptions—

The Philippian Empire of the Northern Continent is a unique exception; all schools are free, provided the student has the ability to pass the entrance exams. This system has been in place for nearly a thousand years since the emperor's ascension to the throne. Commentators in the Southern Continent describe it as "the imperial government's cruel exploitation of good teachers, building numerous 'schools' in name only, attempting to create the illusion that the average education level of its people is higher than that of the Southern Continent."

If one wants to study for free outside the empire, there is only one path left—that is, church schools run by the church.

Church schools are not full-time; they incorporate scientific instruction into their theological teachings. Celia's younger brother, Uther, attends a school affiliated with the Eternal Church. Church schools are usually free, but they only admit the children of the most devout believers and require entrance exams; children who are not aptitude-bound are not considered worthwhile.

As for St. Mary's Girls' Private School, it is, like Salem Noble School, exclusively for Celestial Dragons.

Children from ordinary wealthy families don't even have a way to get in. If you say your dad owns a factory, the girls here will just think you're applying for a factory job. They don't dare to speak loudly unless their parents have a lifelong title.

Because of its geographical location between two great powers and the natural political refuge provided by Grindelwald, many nobles from Ron and Britain would send their youngest daughters to study there. Among the students were even a large number of illegitimate daughters of political figures. Even with Chaldale's family background, she could not compare to a few low-key girls in the school whose surnames sounded like those of kings in a dramatic poem.

Graduates of this school can gain direct admission to almost any university in the Southern Continent without taking exams, and naturally, they don't need to study ordinary subjects. Besides theology related to the White Religion, they also offer courses in art, music, nursing, law, finance, management, and even bride-making.
The last period in the morning is a political education class.

Although the social trends in the Southern Continent were not as open as in the Eastern Kingdom, a systematic sex education curriculum already existed in Aishwell. On Xia Dai'er's desk lay textbooks; her head was resting on one elbow, her hair falling in front of her eyes, and she listlessly looked at Merlin's famous quote in the book.

When a young girl, just beginning to experience romantic feelings, is infatuated with you, it's your responsibility as a grown man to ignore it and treat her like a little sister, no matter how mature she may seem. These women will eventually grow up, and they will forever be grateful that you didn't take advantage of their youthful innocence.

Every time Xia Dai'er saw this sentence, her gaze would stop.

She, who loved stories of heroes, knew that this was what Merlin said when asked why he rejected the princess.

The story of the hero and the princess from a thousand years ago is known to everyone in Aishwell. At that time, the imperial princess, who was not yet of age, even traveled halfway around the world to Aishwell in order to pursue Lord Merlin. The palace built for the princess was right next to Merlin's house and still stands on the shore of Mirror Lake.

Merlin did not accept the young princess who was not yet an adult. The heartbroken princess eventually returned to the empire and obeyed her father's arrangement to marry the Witch King of Letania, becoming another victim of the political marriages that spanned the vast territory of the empire.

The little princess never returned to the south, to the arcane castle that haunted her dreams. Her wizard husband did not live the primitive life of legend; the beautiful princess was said to have had a very happy marriage, bearing a son and a daughter, and never mentioned the name "Merlin" again until her death.

Chaldie lay on the table, wondering if she would be grateful to Merlin.
Will the friendships formed in our youth really fade away with time and become insignificant memories as we grow up?

If Quinn had rejected me, and he hadn't shown up on the train station steps that day, would I, like that little princess, have a future that others would consider happy?

As Xia Dai'er looked at the princess's portrait copied by the painter in her textbook, she always felt that the woman in the painting was not as carefree as described in history.

If that were the case, I would definitely not be happy.
Merlin never married and had no children. The only woman he was rumored to have had an affair with was Tiresias, the Elf Queen who co-founded Grindelwald with Merlin, but historians do not believe that there was anything between Merlin and Tiresias.

Although the elves are extinct, they were the most loyal race recorded in ancient times and were often used to represent the beauty of love. Even in modern times, the Grui race, who have faith in the elves, still maintain monogamy. The Elf Queen's husband is the First Hero Link, and it is impossible for her and Merlin to have any feelings other than friendship.

But Chaldale always felt that Merlin must like Tiresia.

She couldn't explain why, but that's just how she felt as she read those stories from a thousand years ago.

"Being attracted to adults is a very normal adolescent behavior. It means that you yearn for maturity, crave recognition, or have experienced something new and exciting."

The teacher's voice came from the podium. Teachers who can teach at St. Mary's are not necessarily white believers, but they must be well-known leaders in the field of education.

"Ladies, before you receive your bouquet from your mother at your coming-of-age ceremony, if any adult tries to establish a close relationship with you, you should at least realize that this is by no means gentlemanly behavior."

"You two are far apart in age, and this is absolutely irresponsible. You may develop feelings for each other, but that doesn't mean you're ready. This is a reprehensible and shameful relationship."

"These kinds of relationships usually end early. Please allow me to use harsh language, but I must say this: once they get tired of you, or realize that you've matured to the point where you're no longer easy to control, they'll hastily and coldly dump you."

Xia Daier lowered her head deeply, pressing her ears with her arms, not wanting to hear anymore.

Does everything suddenly become fair once you pass your coming-of-age ceremony and suddenly turn sixteen?

He's only twenty-four, he's not old at all.
Eight years apart isn't much.

The young girl naively believed that her lover was different from others and that they would definitely be together in the end.

When I looked up from the desk, the classroom was empty.

The teacher naturally dared not wake the girl who was sleeping in class. The teachers at St. Mary's were service industry workers, while the dozing Chaldale was the daughter of the school board member.

Xia Dai'er stared blankly at the alarm clock. The side of her face that was pressed down by her arm was flushed and a little swollen, like a freshly baked sweet potato. She was quite adorable.

Just as a steam oven needs to be preheated before it can be turned on, she needs to space out for a while after waking up from a deep sleep before she can fully wake up.

It took her a while to see the hour hand on the alarm clock pointing to "12".

"What? It's this late?" she mumbled, looking rather dazed.

But soon, the girl suddenly stood up from the table, the fabric in front of her chest trembling with the violent movement, as she remembered Ms. Tracy's instructions.
"Oh no, we have to go to the church to clean!"

When the girl rushed to the church, the door opened and the tables and chairs were spotless, the floor was as smooth as a mirror, and there were still water stains left from the mopping.

".Eh?"

She looked somewhat blankly at Quinn, who was sitting in front of the goddess statue, with a mop and a katana beside him, a rag hanging from the katana's scabbard, and who was reading prayer scriptures.

The girl rubbed her eyes.

She stammered, thinking she was still half asleep.

"How did I get in?" Quinn chuckled. "I was waiting for you at the school gate after school when an old nun asked me what I was doing. I told her I was waiting for my girlfriend."

"She said I could go in and wait, but only if I helped clean the church. Oh, and I couldn't go into the girls' restroom in the school building."

"I thought this was an all-girls campus, but it turns out it's... Anyway, are there any classes this afternoon?"

Of course there are.

But she still asked, "Are you going on a date?"

"Pretty much. Want to go to the casino in Seaville?"

"No classes! Let's go!"

Under the goddess's closed eyes, the girl ran over as lightly as a butterfly, jumped into his arms, and twirled around.

(End of this chapter)