Just as when they had walked from the classroom to this place earlier, the professor walked in front while Karen followed at his side. The professor spoke, and Karen listened quietly most of the time.
When reaching a certain point, the professor would deliberately lay some groundwork, pausing and waiting for Karen to chime in or answer.
And Karen's brief replies hit the itch in the professor's heart every single time, making him unable to suppress rapid, deep breaths, his body even beginning to sway slightly.
It was obvious that the professor was truly reveling in it.
In the eyes of many, history was dry and rigid. In truth, however, it was vibrant. When looking back on history, people often liked to liken it to a "long river of history." What many historians did was fish in this river: they not only had to know during which period a fish had swum past, but they also had to meticulously examine and record its scales, gills, and tail—even down to every single scale—all while discerning where it had swum from and where it was heading.
What set divine historians in the church apart from historians in the secular world was that their perspective could reach much farther, for the "lifespan of civilization" they examined differed vastly.
This professor was genuinely exceptional. Even though it was just a simple lecture for which he hadn't prepared beforehand, through his narration, the causes and manifestations of that rift between the God of Order and the God of Light were reconstructed and presented with exquisite detail.
Much of the historical material he cited came from archaic versions of mythic narratives from the major churches, and much of it had been gathered through his own search of ancient texts from extinct churches. In fact, he had even taken part in the excavation of numerous ruins in the first half of his life, his mind packed with untold amounts of unique, hoarded knowledge.
As they talked, the two arrived back at the classroom. The rest of the class was still fast asleep in sweet dreams, so the professor had Karen sit before the podium, and the two continued their face-to-face conversation.
"Actually, if one wants to scrutinize the rift, it cannot be separated from consensus, and that consensus is divided into several stages. Although gods are perpetually extolled by us as omniscient and omnipotent beings—and I do not dispute that claim—at least in the early eras, gods also underwent their own processes of contemplation and cognition.
"The earliest stage: [Light Awakened Order].
"Mhm, this account is no longer present in recent editions of Light of Order, but it existed in older editions, and it was clearly recorded in the mythic narratives of all the major churches.
"As for this 'awakening,' I don't want to limit it simply to the kind of 'awakening' typical of our church; it wasn't that the God of Light woke our God of Order from slumber.
"I prefer to understand it as the God of Light's tenets and philosophies gaining our Lord's agreement, inspiring our Lord's own train of thought.
"The dawn of the era of civilization began when the God of Eternity led the pantheon in raising the torch atop Mount Anlamende. It was the God of Eternity who brought an end to the dark history of the epochs; otherwise, the gap in earlier civilizational records cannot be explained.
"Yet the fall of the God of Eternity left him unable to continue leading his faction in the next phase of development after ending the darkness and ushering in civilization. He could no longer shoulder his subsequent historical mission.
"Of course, it is also possible that the God of Eternity knew he could not achieve it, and thus went chasing after the taboos of time.
"In any case, the bearer of the next historical mission was the God of Light. He shattered the era in which gods enslaved mankind, forging a hierarchical system where gods and humans coexisted. And the means by which he achieved that goal was the War of the Gods.
"Do you know what factor in the War of the Gods truly had the greatest impact on humanity's destiny and status?"
Karen replied, "The widespread participation of the churches."
Clap!
The professor struck his palms together, his goatee seemingly twitching upward.
"Correct! The War of the Gods, the clash of pantheons—it sounds like a conflict solely between deities, but the slaughter on the battlefield involved far more than just gods. That era was the golden age of the rise and flourishing of the major churches. As followers, subordinates, and supporters of the gods, humans took an extensive part in the deities' war.
"Old gods continually fell, and new gods were continually born. And where did those new gods come from?
"That is why I have never fully agreed with the thesis that the faction led by the God of Light established the new relationship between humanity, divinity, and the world. Because the participation of church forces was itself a crucial factor in the Light faction's ultimate victory in that war.
"This elevation in human status was not entirely a charity bestowed from above by the gods; it was won by the churches acting on behalf of humanity while cloaked in the mantle of divinity.
"Only when superiors require your power will they loosen their grip on your status. By the same token, when your power can sway the vital interests of those above, your status is naturally elevated.
"In short, whether willingly or reluctantly, the God of Light spearheaded this revolution. Which is to say, at this stage, the God of Light had already fulfilled his historical mission.
"Yet history keeps advancing. Perhaps it lay stagnant for many epochs prior, but from Eternity to Light, the wheels of history had been set in motion.
"When the God of Light could no longer bear the mantle of carrying this revolution forward, history chose a new executor—our Lord.
"It was then that rifts began continually emerging between our Lord and the God of Light. When the other principal gods carved up the spoils of victory after the War of the Gods, staking out territories and erecting wonders, our Lord repeatedly voiced explicit opposition.
"However, the God of Light was the representative of the faction, carrying the collective interests of that camp, while our Lord back then was an exceptional minority within it.
"In the end, our Lord chose to break away from the Light faction. A small number of deities who at least shared the same convictions gathered around our Lord, the most famous among them being the Seven Founding Gods of the Church of the Crypt.
"Yet during that time, over a very long span, the friction between our Lord and the Light faction never erupted sharply. Many historians believe this was because the God of Light was still present. One must understand, a large part of why the Light faction won the War of the Gods was Eternity's fall, so those historians take it for granted that Light's disappearance gave our Lord an opening.
"I disagree with that view. I believe it was the presence of the God of Light that preserved the moral baseline of the gods during that era. Once the God of Light disappeared, the gods lost that baseline and began gradually devolving into the very old gods they had once conquered.
"Thus, in my view, our Lord's mad slaughter of the gods at the end of the previous epoch and his rise to supremacy was not a betrayal of the God of Light, but rather..."
The professor paused.
Karen chimed in, "Succession and the deepening of reform."
"Hiss... Whew..."
The professor began trembling, like an old smoker who had been deprived of tobacco for ages finally taking a long, deep drag.
Karen said, "Professor, you practically laid out the answer for me with your groundwork."
"Ah, as a teacher, receiving the desired answer from a student after laying the groundwork is an enjoyment in itself."
"I understand."
"In fact, from Eternity to Light, and then to our Lord, the roles they assumed over the span of two epochs and the historical missions those roles carried were all for one single purpose: to allow this world... to gradually return to a normal civilization.
"Do you know what my 'historical mission' refers to here? Wait, let me rephrase that so it's easier for you to answer. It should be..."
"Are you asking about the perspective? The perspective of one's historical worldview?"
"Yes, exactly! Excellent clarification."
"Humanity."
"Precisely! Humanity. That is why I never consider my discourse to be objective and fair. I could even slap a label right onto my forehead: Absolute Bias.
"Because the foundation of my theories and research stems entirely from the vantage point of humans. Because... I am one of them. What do you think?"
"That is right. One should stand on the side of the vast majority of humanity, and one's perspective should stem from their most fundamental interests."
The professor blinked, seemingly feeling a bit inspired himself.
"I know there is darkness, injustice, oppression, and exploitation in human society," Karen said. "Yet ever since I began witnessing the conduct of other churches, and after personally experiencing it up close during my visit to the Church of the Crypt... I came to deeply understand what our church truly protects."
"Yes, exactly! As a follower of Order, conducting research on divine history at Order University is a blessing—because our church, our God, and our standpoint actually align.
"Of course, many people don't see it that way. The divine historians in outside churches don't see it that way either, because many of them no longer view themselves as human."
"They have divorced themselves from humanity."
"Indeed." The professor gave a long stretch. "Though this part of history is rather tricky to lecture on nowadays. You know, because in this epoch, our church went through an enduring confrontation with the Church of Light. It's only been a thousand years since our church achieved victory, and even now, Light believers are still defined as Light remnants."
"Yes, but that's a practical necessity."
"Heh, I've never lamented the disappearance of the God of Light, let alone grieved over the demise of the Church of Light. Even though Light once awakened Order..."
Karen spoke up, "A dead Light is the best kind of Light."
"Heh-heh, precisely! And it's only because Light is dead that we can sit here freely discussing the historical role of the God of Light and the Church of Light, reminiscing with a hint of nostalgia. Otherwise, the topic of our chat would be just like it was a thousand years ago—racking our brains over how to kill it."
The professor checked the time; the lecture was almost over.
"Time really flies."
"Listening to your lecture, one truly loses track of time."
The professor swept a gaze over the students below, his eyes benevolent, as if gratified that the future blossoms of the church had been nourished with more than enough sleep.
"By the way, you mentioned having encountered quite a few other churches and even visiting the Church of the Crypt. Young man, your family must be quite well-off, huh? Heh-heh."
"It was official business."
"Official business?" The professor was slightly surprised. "You already hold a post?"
"Yes, I do."
"It seems your family values you greatly. You'll have a bright future. I believe people who love history can see through to the essence of things more clearly. No matter which department you're in, you'll do very well—so long as you don't come to the History Department."
Karen retrieved his attendance form from his pocket; he needed the professor's signature to verify that he had attended the class.
Seeing this, the professor was rather surprised:
"Oh? You're a student on detachment? It seems your leadership takes your development quite seriously."
Taking the form, just as he was about to sign, the professor's eyes swept over it and immediately widened.
"Oh... so the leader who values you so highly is yourself."
After signing, the professor didn't rush to hand the form back. Instead, he chuckled and said, "So you're Karen. No wonder you looked familiar. I've seen you in the papers. For a time—and even now—I often saw female students around campus using your photo as a book cover. I suggest you wear a hat or a mask when walking around campus. The female students nowadays are getting bolder and bolder. Mm, male students too."
"Thank you for the advice, Professor. It was a pleasure attending your class and listening to your teachings."
"My name is Hiderod."
"Professor Hiderod."
"Speaking of which, Department Head Karen, won't you really consider doing historical research? Wandering freely through the long river of history, occasionally flipping over to let the sun warm your belly—it's quite a delightful life."
"Professor, that's my dream for the future."
"And for now?"
"While I'm still young, I want to try making history first."
"Ha ha ha ha!" Hiderod burst out laughing. "You rascal. Too bad my granddaughter is too old, or I'd love to introduce her to you. Then we'd have plenty more chances to meet and chat."
Hiderod naturally understood that students on detachment were just here to pad their credentials, and the higher their rank, the more it was just going through the motions.
"Ah!" Hiderod slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot, my granddaughter is actually already married."
"Haha." Karen gave a polite smile.
"Do you have classes this afternoon?"
"Do you have classes this afternoon, Professor?"
"None for me. My lectures are usually in the mornings and evenings so it's convenient for students to catch up on sleep or turn in early."
"Then I do need to attend a class this afternoon."
"What class did you register for?"
"Judgment and Recognition of Cults."
"The courses you pick are certainly obscure. Can't you choose something that looks a bit more normal?"
"Do you mean practical?"
"Mm, yes. Oh, I see. Fair enough, you probably wouldn't look twice at practical subjects. What about array courses? Array lectures usually have the most auditors, and students on detachment love taking them."
"I'm not particularly interested in arrays."
"Ah, so that's it. Come on, then. I need to go cook lunch for my granddaughter before she starves to death."
"Me?"
"How about joining me for lunch at my place? The professor teaching your afternoon class happens to live right next door to me. I'll invite him over, and you two can head to class together this afternoon."
"Thank you for the invitation..."
"Let's get going, then. Catching up on sleep is important, but I don't want to run over time—I worry the students won't be able to hold their bladders."
Clap!
A crisp smack rang out.
Having enjoyed a fine sleep, the students raised their heads one after another, feeling utterly refreshed.
In truth, the students of Order University were of very high caliber, and those looking to slack off were in the minority. Yet while Professor Hiderod's lectures were dry and tedious, they were perpetually oversubscribed.
Because in this class, one could even cure insomnia.
"Mmm-mmph..."
Richard also lifted his head in utter comfort, wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth with his elbow, red marks pressed into his wrist and cheek.
Then, he noticed a pair of white false teeth resting before him.
"Hm? What's this?"
The false teeth suddenly spoke:
"Richard, head back to the guest house. I'm going to the professor's house for lunch."
"Oh, alright."
Richard put the false teeth away, then leaned forward slightly and tapped the student in front of him:
"Hey, classmate, where's the restroom?"
"Out the door and take a left."
"Right at the left turn?"
"Just look for the longest line."
...
"Department Head Karen, which period of history interests you the most?"
"I'm your student, Professor—you can just call me Karen. The period that interests me most is the end of the previous epoch... as well as the history of the Church of Light's demise."
"Just like most people, haha. However, due to certain unique reasons, there is actually a gap in the records at the end of the previous epoch, which is also one of my research topics. But the demise of the Church of Light cannot be divorced from one person: the last Mad Pope. I've conducted systematic research on him."
Saying this, Hiderod inserted the key, turned it, and pushed the door open.
"Come, let me first verify whether her ladyship my granddaughter is still among the living."
Passing through the entryway into the living room, Karen saw Hiderod's thirty-year-old "little granddaughter."
She was awake, sitting on the sofa in pajamas, barefoot, her hair disheveled, holding a lit cigarette between her fingers.
Anyone who had just woken up was bound to look "messy" and could hardly appear refined.
The "little granddaughter" looked up, meeting Karen's gaze.
She frowned.
Karen silently bowed in greeting. "Regional Chief."
Gaspol turned her head to look at her grandfather. Hiderod chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, I really didn't expect you two to be working in the same regional department."
Gaspol snubbed out the cigarette butt in the teacup before her, stood up, gave Karen a nod without uttering a single word, and walked toward the bathroom.
Hiderod called out loudly after her retreating figure, "So that subordinate department head you mentioned, the one who completely hollowed out your power and left you doing nothing but shuffling side to side—that's Karen?"
Slam!
The bathroom door shut with a heavy thud.
Hiderod shrugged, looked at Karen, and laughed. "What a coincidence."
Karen nodded. "Yes, quite a coincidence."
The Regional Chief had told him she would arrange a dinner gathering for him tonight, but Karen hadn't anticipated she would return so early, nor that the instructor of the very first class he chose would turn out to be her grandfather.
Hiderod asked, "Karen, what kind of food do you like? Oh, you're from Wien, right? We have some bean paste at home. Shall I make you a Wien-style meal?"
"Professor, let me do the cooking."
"How could I let you do that? I invited you over for lunch—how can I make you cook?"
"I'll cook, and you can lecture by my side. For instance, on the Mad Pope."
"Would that be alright?"
"Trading labor for knowledge strikes me as a great bargain."
"Oh, damn it all! The Whip of Order has robbed the world of a future great scholar."
The kitchen was well stocked with ingredients. Karen rolled up his sleeves and set to work cooking, while Hiderod stood in the kitchen and began his discourse.
He did not disappoint Karen. His account differed entirely from the official historical records, opening with:
"In his youth, the Mad Pope was an exchange student in the Church of Order. In the alumni album sealed away in the university archives, there is still a group photograph of him. Among his classmates from that year were two exceptionally brilliant alumni.
"One of them—you can still find his statue on our campus—was Budalas.
"If you compare all the High Priests of our church over the past three thousand years, he undoubtedly ranks among the top three in terms of contribution."
During High Priest Budalas's reign, the Church of Order triumphed in the protracted struggle against the Church of Light in this epoch; the Church of Light fell, and the Church of Order became the premier church in the world.
His name was destined to be inscribed in the church's annals, worthy of commemoration by generations of Order believers.
Hiderod continued, "The other rather famous classmate later entered the Temple of Order and became a Temple Elder. More than three hundred years after Budalas passed away, his borrowing records could still be found in the university archives."
The lifespan of Temple Elders was generally three to four hundred years, far longer than that of ordinary people.
Blanching the bitter melon in boiling water, Karen asked, "So, was the Mad Pope targeted by our church's machinations early on?"
"No, no, no, I don't believe so. In that era, the confrontation between Order and Light was practically white-hot. The entire ecclesiastical sphere had split into two camps locked in opposition. Although Order and Light never waged direct war, the proxy wars supported behind the scenes by both sides never ceased.
"Even so, exchanges between Order and Light were never severed entirely; on the contrary, fueled by the atmosphere of the time, they became even more 'fervent.'
"Exchange students...
"Our High Priest Budalas and that Temple Elder had also studied together at the Church of Light's university back then, heh.
"Moreover,
"I have reviewed documents that haven't been declassified and obtained through my own channels some of the assignments and essays the Mad Pope wrote while studying at this university. He was an exceptionally brilliant man—brilliant to a terrifying degree.
"Do you know, Karen, in the eyes of us historians, there is a clear archetype. We have a hazy yet distinct concept of what kind of person can achieve monumental greatness in the future.
"The Mad Pope gave me precisely that impression.
"So do not naively assume he was 'deliberately influenced' or 'brainwashed with loyalty' back then. He was never an undercover agent planted by our church within Light.
"Later on, as he gradually climbed to key leadership positions within the Church of Light and during his early reign as Pope of the Church of Light, he even temporarily reversed Light's declining fortunes in its confrontation with our church.
"As for his subsequent descent into madness... Hm? What cooking technique is that?"
Karen covered the pot with the lid and said, "It just needs to reduce over high heat. Please, go on."
"What I'm about to say is my own understanding, which might run somewhat counter to conventional wisdom."
"I have absolute faith in your expertise, Professor."
"Though everyone refers to him as the 'Mad Pope,' I have never considered him a madman. I believe he was a genius... a genius who commands awe, praise, and even reverence.
"He always knew the heavy burden of Light he carried, so he understood perfectly that he had to deeply study his future adversary—our church.
"Thus, he not only read our church's doctrines inside out, but he also conducted extraordinarily deep research on them.
"I would even venture to guess that he was the person with the deepest comprehension of our church in that era—and even up to the present day.
"Yet that is precisely where the problem lay.
"He was too intelligent, and his research was too thorough, and then... he understood the true essence of Order better than the vast majority of Order believers in this world."
Karen lifted the lid and began dishing the food onto plates, remarking, "That... truly is surprising."
As an adversary studying the enemy in order to defeat them, he had studied and studied... only to suddenly stumble upon the truth.
"Karen, do you recall the historical mission I spoke of during class?"
"I do."
"The Mad Pope believed that the God of Light did not disappear, nor was he slain by our Lord. Rather, the God of Light realized he could no longer shoulder the next historical mission, and in order to make way for our Lord and create a world without gods, he chose... suicide.
"Absurd, isn't it?
"His own principal god had made such a choice back then, yet here he was, still leading the Church of Light in a bitter struggle against our church.
"And so, he climbed the Tower of Light, stood upon its spire, and cried out that very line:
"'I do not believe there is a God of Light in this world!'
"The world believed
he was indulging in mad abandon,
yet I believe
he was in clearheaded agony."
Chapter 727