The Rebels

"Richard." "Here. Hey, I have to say, your impression is remarkably good—even your tone of voice is identical. Did you enter my consciousness and read my memories? "Wait, that's not right. You're only supposed to sense the fluctuations in my faith. Besides, I never gave permission to open my mental space to you. Are you banking on the fact that I wouldn't dare report you? "Well, fair enough. I really don't have the guts to lodge a complaint against you. Sigh." "Richard, you can shut up now." "Yes! Exactly! That's the exact way he tells me to shut up! Totally identical!" "I am Karen." "I know, I know. You're imitating Karen right now. Honestly, before I entered this little room, I knew my faith would be lashed by you, but I really didn't expect you to have so many tricks up your sleeve." "It doesn't matter if you can't stay quiet. Just stay in this room and don't suddenly run out to end the test." Karen couldn't be bothered playing the endless game of trying to explain himself to this fool. He brought the quill in his hand into contact with the quill on the desk before him. This was the last uninspected quill. If it didn't contain an unfinished mental imprint either, there would be no way of knowing what Vice President Davins was up to. After a moment, Karen received a response. "Reporting to You: it does." "Bring it up for me to see." "Yes, Your divine will be obeyed." A black halo emerged from within the quill, gradually solidifying into a stone stele. However, only half of this stele was complete; the rest remained unfinished. Mental imprints could take a wide variety of forms. Magical inheritances hosted on rubbing scrolls were the most basic manifestation; back then, Sea God's Armor and Dark Moon Blade had been passed to Karen by Kevin and Pu'er through mental rubbings. A tier above that was the old man in his study. As for "Lord Dal" within the Gate of Samsara, that belonged among the highest rank of mental imprints. What set them apart from writing and various modern media was that they could express what lay within a person's heart in a far more direct and effective manner. Karen placed his quill against the stele and began to read it. *Hum!* The surrounding scenery shifted in an instant. Richard was gone, the desk was gone, and the little room was gone. Karen was now standing in a lecture hall surrounded by empty seats. *Click!* A figure appeared on the podium. He wore a mask, and judging by his build, he was a middle-aged man. Davins had altered his appearance here, which piqued Karen's interest even further. First, using public quills for private business in a completely baffling way; Then, disguising his appearance even inside a mental imprint he crafted himself; No matter how one looked at it, this gave off the distinct feeling of dancing on the razor's edge of forbidden taboos. Karen sat down in an adjacent seat. For now, he was the sole member of the audience. Once a mental imprint was completed, it could be duplicated onto scrolls. Distributing these scrolls would allow something akin to a book-club seminar to be organized; when everyone read from those scrolls together, the seats here could accommodate a large crowd listening to the lecture simultaneously. "Everyone, this session will continue the theme from our previous class. We will begin with a brief conclusion to the unfinished parts of last session, and then move on to a practical analysis and demonstration of the issues in today's class." Karen's attention refocused on the podium. *So it really is a lecture?* *And who is his intended audience?* "In our last session, we discussed the God of Order's future vision for the Church of Order. As I mentioned before, the *Light of Order* we see today is a version that has undergone countless revisions. In truth, it is more like a simplified edition tailored for adolescents. "When Lord Tyrannus wrote the *Light of Order*, he employed an argumentative approach, rather than the absolute declarations we see today." In front of Davins—or more precisely, at the center of the lecture hall—the figure of Tyrannus appeared. Tyrannus sat on the stone steps holding a quill, surrounded by a crowd engaged in deep discussion. This was an image Davins had "branded" himself, a manifestation born from his own thoughts. In truth, Karen had never seen such an approachable, easygoing Tyrannus on any mural. As the Church of Order's de facto founder, Tyrannus was always depicted as mysterious and majestic in the Church's propaganda. Furthermore, among those sitting cross-legged on the ground, scratching their feet while debating, Karen spotted a few familiar figures. They were all figures from murals as well, though of lower status than Tyrannus. Davins stepped into the crowd, appearing to blend into this "discussion." "You might assume that what I wish to convey with this scene is praise for a spirit of primitive democratic debate. In truth, it is not. Our time and energy are limited, and we will not squander them on such trivial matters. "This scene was created by me, but it is not a product of pure imagination. "Look closely at the background. Do you see it? Behind them is black smoke. This was a temple that had just been breached—a brief lull in the Divine War. "So, what were they discussing? "Do you imagine they were planning their next military operation? "No, they were not. "I have told you more than once: the God of Order we revere and follow is far greater than you imagine. "This scene and its description come from an extremely ancient version of the *Light of Order*, an archaeological discovery I made in an ancient tomb." Hearing the words "archaeological discovery," a faint smile couldn't help but tug at the corner of Karen's lips. "In this scene, what Tyrannus was discussing with the Church's founding forebears was how to establish a single rule in the future that would isolate and exclude the influence of other churches. "Very well, I know you might feel somewhat disappointed upon hearing this. You might feel this was something you could have guessed, and that it aligns perfectly with the overarching themes of the *Light of Order* and the *Order Regulations*. "However, two events occurred before and after this meeting. Once I provide that context, you will gain a far deeper understanding of the gathering in this image. "Before this meeting took place, our God of Order reported the God of Samsara's unusual maneuvers to the God of Light—the very Gate of Samsara that exists today. Recently, Rielsa nearly broke out from within the Gate of Samsara, though I do not believe she is the true god Rielsa; she should instead be defined as a powerful entity. But let us not stray too far off topic. "At that time, the God of Light was the leader of the faction, and our God of Order stood behind him. Although many references to Light have been excised from the current *Light of Order*, I trust that those capable of attending my lecture already possess this basic knowledge. "The God of Order reported the God of Samsara to the God of Light, arguing that the existence of the Gate of Samsara violated the order between life and death. "From our perspective, the God of Light shielded the God of Samsara. "Because in the end, the Gate of Samsara was still constructed by the God of Samsara, and to this day it stands in Samsara Valley. "At the same time, I believe this incident was the fuse that triggered the schism between Order and Light. "In your understanding, was this a fracture of alliances? A struggle for power? "Like the tales of secular nations throughout history, fighting for territory and supremacy? "No, no, no. In my view, this marked a doctrinal divergence between Order and Light. "The vision pursued by the God of Eternity's faction was to construct a set of operating rules for this world, cascading downward tier by tier from the Supreme God, forming a pyramidal structure. "The God of Eternity believed that only this could ensure stability between each hierarchy. "Yet because of this, social mobility between classes was suppressed. "In the mythological narratives of many churches, the Light faction's assault on the Eternity faction is framed as the challenge of a new generation of gods against the old era. "That statement is not wrong. "Now, are you wondering where the significance lies in what I emphasized earlier? "My point is that, in terms of the overarching framework and trend, that was indeed the case. I do not deny that it was a war of succession between two generations of gods. But within it, the stance of one particular god was entirely different—our God of Order. "I believe that when the God of Order initially stood behind the God of Light, it was neither to seek a patron nor to secure a hospitable environment for his own growth. Rather, the God of Light's doctrine of 'shining light upon mankind' aligned with the God of Order's perspective in that environment—note that this was set against the backdrop of the God of Eternity's unchanging permanence. "Once the Light faction gradually suppressed the Eternity faction, a new contradiction arose. "The God of Light wished to use his methods to achieve a flowing harmony between gods, humanity, and this world. What Light sought was the harmony and cadence of the cosmos, like a forest in spring, bursting with vitality and thriving growth. "Yet in the eyes of our God of Order, the very force disrupting the stable framework of this world was 'gods.' "Yes, everyone. "What I am telling you now is that the enemy of our God of Order is gods—even though he himself was a god. "This is also why our Church of Order is the only faith without branch gods: because the God of Order disliked the very existence of 'gods.' "I suspect the God of Order's ideas at that time may not have been quite so extreme—forgive me, perhaps 'extreme' is the wrong word, but you should grasp my meaning. "Yet when Light shielded Samsara, our God of Order likely realized that he and Light walked different paths. "Next came the meeting where Tyrannus and the founding forebears of Order sat together to discuss the *Order Regulations*. "And following that, another incident occurred. "A disturbance broke out in the God-Burial Grounds. We all know today that gods are buried there, but in truth, it was the collective resting place of a host of severely wounded gods from the Eternity faction after a divine war. "They were dead, yet they were not entirely dead. A god's concept of life and death differs from our understanding. "Both the God of Light and, later, our God of Order visited the God-Burial Grounds. "The God of Light chose pacification as his solution, whereas our God of Order chose banishment. "Now, look back at the scene of that discussion, and you will discern a very different meaning. "Starting from that image, the four great attendants represented by Tyrannus, the Twelve Order Knights, and the various founding forebears had already received the divine will of the God of Order. "The Church of Order exists to banish gods from the world of mortal men! "So why were these accounts erased from the *Light of Order*? Because it was too conspicuous, and anyone with discerning eyes could easily perceive this underlying truth. "And what was the purpose of erasing them? "Look! "Look at what they are doing right now! They are actually altering mythological narratives in collusion with other churches! "Take a recent example: to assimilate the Church of Pamires, they altered the shared history between the God of Order and the God of Pamires, reducing Pamires to a mere messenger under the God of Order. "After the Church of Samsara was defeated, they altered the history between the God of Samsara and the God of Order. The two primary gods were clearly at odds, yet Samsara was recast as a vital aide and comrade-in-arms standing behind the God of Order. "And now, they are conducting negotiations with the Church of the Moon God. I believe that once the negotiations conclude, our great God of Order will gain a divine lover. "Yes, you might think we have profited. The Church of Order is growing stronger and stronger, dismantling, defeating, and absorbing the strength of other faiths step by step. Our Church of Order will become increasingly mighty, and our God of Order will appear ever more glorious. "But is this truly what the God of Order wanted? "They know it is not, which is why they excised those records. "Perhaps you believe that when our Church of Order becomes so powerful that it has no rivals left, the God of Order's goal will finally be realized. "No! "You are wrong! "When that day comes, all we will have done in the name of 'Order' is create the most powerful enemy Order could ever face! "If our great God of Order were to return one day, what he would behold is a colossal monstrosity that looks remarkably like himself. It could be called 'Eternity,' or it could be called 'Light'—but it would never be Order!" Davins began taking deep breaths. During his lecture, every time he cited an example or described a scene, the corresponding visual materialized in the lecture hall. The experience was extraordinary, and even Karen had found himself drawn in. When Davins paused to rest... *Well,* Karen mused, *Davins in the real world, crafting this mental imprint with his quill, probably paused to smoke a cigarette.* Karen detached himself from the lecture atmosphere. A hypothesis formed in his mind: this was likely an internal "rebel faction" within the Church of Order, with Davins serving as their theoretical mentor. They believed that the Church's current leadership had betrayed the God of Order's original purpose. All ideological groundwork ultimately forged either a banner or a blade; that was an objective law. Just like owning a gun: if you clean and oil it with devoted care every single day, could you truly resist firing a shot? Davins differed from Mr. Gandilo. What Mr. Gandilo was doing amounted to fundamentally overturning the God of Order—he was deconstructing the God of Order's abilities. Davins was an internal reformist; Gandilo was a subverter. So where did Karen stand? And for that matter... which faction did Neo belong to? Davins had presumably returned from his smoke break. He had taken a brief rest, which also allowed his audience time to digest the material. "They have betrayed the God of Order. Worse still, they have committed an even more terrible deed..." Two moving scenes appeared in the central area of the hall. In one scene, a man sat in an open-topped car, waving to supporters on all sides. Karen recognized him. He had appeared repeatedly in the *Order Weekly*. A mortal named John Rodini, the mayor of Manral City, campaigning on a platform of freedom and democracy. According to political analyses in secular newspapers, he was very likely to become the leader of his party and run in the next general election, with a real shot at competing for the position of Prime Minister of Wien. The other scene showed an old acquaintance Karen had encountered on the street more than once: Mr. Coma Luther, the leader of the purple-haired equal rights movement. Order priests stood at his side, protecting him. Long ago, Karen had wondered why he so often saw news about these two mortals in the *Order Weekly*. It seemed even more absurd than a leftist newspaper running extensive front-page features praising the refined upbringing of old aristocrats. Davins spoke once more: "I originally thought they had merely strayed from the God of Order. But I never imagined that they were already denying the God of Order! Because they want... to create gods! "I will never allow such a thing to happen. I believe no follower loyal to the God of Order could stand idly by and watch this unfold. We must take action! We must—" Both image and sound abruptly cut off. The mental imprint had not been finished. Karen closed his eyes, then opened them again. His consciousness returned. He saw Richard leaning in right before him, their faces practically touching. "What are you doing?" "Ah!" Richard jumped in fright and tumbled backward onto the floor. He had assumed Karen was a phantom conjured by the quill to enhance its reprimands. Only when he saw Karen holding the quill with his eyes closed in silence, and noticed that the quill was no longer speaking either, did he realize this was likely the real Karen. "Karen, is it really you? How did you pull that off?" "The quill deemed me exceptionally loyal to the God of Order, so it appointed me study group leader to inspect your faith. If I put it that way, do you believe me?" Richard nodded, then said, "I don't." "Right. Can you keep this quiet?" "Of course!" "Good. Carry on, then." Before leaving, Karen turned to the quill on the desk and said, "Increase the intensity." "Yes, Your divine will be obeyed." Karen returned to his own little room and sat on the chair for a while. He digested the information he had just absorbed, bracing himself mentally. It was hard to imagine that this idle vice president with no real authority was such a figure in secret. Seeing that enough time had passed, Karen decided to conclude his test. "Give me a score." "Please provide a specific score, My Lord." "A ten will do." Karen had no desire for an overflowing faith score. An overflow of soul power could be explained away as exceptional talent, but what would an overflow of faith imply? What were you plotting? A sheet of paper drifted downward and settled onto the desk. Karen stood up and found that no score had been written on the sheet. "What is the meaning of this?" "I am guilty. I am unworthy of evaluating You. Please grade Yourself, My Lord." Karen picked up the quill and wrote "10 points" on the page. Grading oneself did feel rather nice. "While preserving the third consciousness stream, erase your memory." "Yes, Your divine will be obeyed." Karen stepped out of the room. As it turned out, he was still the first one out; the other two had yet to finish. ... Inside Richard's room. The quill: "The next transgression for which you must be reprimanded is..." Richard: "I beg you! I'm begging you! Please end this! Let me out! Let me out! I can't take it anymore! I really can't take it anymore!" ... Inside Alfred's room. Alfred: "The next error of yours that needs correcting is..." The quill: "You already have a perfect score! You may end the test and leave! Truly, I beg of you, please leave! Please leave!..."