He Is Not a God!

Karen picked up a spoon, scooped out a spoonful of condensed milk, and added it to his coffee. Then he poured in some milk, sprinkled a pinch of powdered sugar, and finally began stirring with the spoon. Truth be told, he had originally intended to create latte art, but figured whatever pattern he made was bound to look terrible, so it was better just to stir it smooth and tell himself this was true purity. Besides the cup of milk coffee, the tray held a teacup already filled with tea leaves, along with a saucer of raisins, a saucer of sugar cubes, and a saucer of candied fruit. Carrying the tray in his right hand and taking a freshly filled thermos in his left, Karen walked up to the third floor. Just then, the wall clock on the third floor began to chime. Just as Karen reached the door of his grandfather's study and was about to set down the thermos, the golden retriever lying beneath the windowsill got up. It reared onto its hind legs, pressed down on the door handle with its paws, and pulled the door outward. As the door swung outward, its paws stayed hooked over the handle, its two supporting hind legs hopping backward in rapid little steps. Finally, when the door swung fully open, the dog let go, lost its balance, tumbled backward, and rolled over. "Heh heh." Karen chuckled, stepping into his grandfather's study just as the clock struck its final chime. The golden retriever scrambled up at once, followed him inside, and hooked the door with a hind paw. *Click.* The door clicked shut. Just as the retriever was getting ready to flash an endearing smile and wag its tail at its master, it saw Karen—already seated behind the desk—naturally resting both hands on Purr, who was lying atop the desk. Purr lay there quietly, letting Karen use her as a hand warmer, sparing a disdainful glance for the golden retriever sitting on the floor. The dog shook its head, walked over to the foot of the desk, and lay down against it. Once his hands were warm, Karen opened the black hardcover book Diss had left on the desk. Its title was also *Light of Order*, but the publication date appeared to be much earlier than the copy Diss had given him. Letters were tucked inside, more than one. Karen turned to the place with the first letter. Coincidentally, this volume recounted the story of the God of Order before his ascension to godhood. Interestingly, the God of Light appeared here, but the text did not say that the God of Light had awakened the God of Order; rather, it mentioned that the two had once joined forces to suppress an evil god. Still, this was already much better than his own edition, where the God of Light didn't even have a single scene. Opening the letter Diss had slipped here, he saw rigorous handwriting characteristic of Diss's style. This letter had likely been written recently—not an old "reading note," but something written specifically for him. The contents read: "In my youth, I once believed that Order was an insurmountable dividing line, cleaving this world into black and white, completely separating the divine world from the mortal realm. "Let the gods attend to the affairs of gods, and let mortals attend to the affairs of mortals. "Order was the boundary between god and man. "With it, "Gods could no longer brutally interfere with mortals, and mortals would no longer have to live in trembling dread of gods. "Gods could remain aloft, while mortals could raise their heads and admire them. "The God of Order was born in the previous epoch, an era when the gods vied to manifest in the world. "Gods fought gods, "While the mortals who worshipped them slaughtered one another. "Wars waged in the name of the gods rose above nations and peoples, an inevitable reality that none could deny, for the gods would brook no blasphemy. "Yet the God of Order "Was the only god who chose self-discipline; "He cast his errant daughter into the jaws of a ferocious beast, letting it tear her to shreds, and in doing so, ignited the Light of Order. "Perhaps "That was where the God of Order's allure lay: in an era when gods stood aloft above all else, he, a god himself, established rules for the gods! "That was also why I believed in him, why I believed in Order. "Beneath the shining radiance of the Light of Order, "Humble mortals had, for the first time, the chance to puff out their chests before a god. "To the God of Order, 'god' "Should have been a symbol of strength, not a symbol of status. "But gradually, "I discovered that I was wrong." *** "According to the *Code of Order*, you stand accused of apostasy, straying from Order, insulting the faith, and other offenses. I now formally announce your interrogation; "Diss, "Do you admit to these charges? Do you acknowledge the wrongs you have committed?" Diss stood upon the church steps, looking toward Rasma in front of him. Floating on either side of Rasma were two books: one was the *Code of Order*, and the other was *Light of Order*. The Church of Order was not a nation, but when a religion developed to a certain point, it inevitably bifurcated into secular governance and elite mystery. The Temple represented that true elite. The Temple Elders held the Church of Order's genuine secrets, along with the authority to convey and interpret the will of the God of Order. As the High Priest, Rasma stood at the pinnacle of the Church of Order's secular side, possessing nominal supreme decision-making power within the system governing the church's operations. Yet before the Temple Elders, he was merely an older child left at home to mind his younger siblings while their parents went out to work. Thus, the operational structure of many great churches, including the Church of Order, was a two-tiered system: the former controlled everything, while the latter controlled the former. "Diss, do you acknowledge the wrongs you have committed?" Rasma issued his questioning for the second time. Diss gave no answer; he simply stood there. In truth, The atmosphere was delicate. One side repeatedly demanded to know if his counterpart admitted his wrongs, while the other just stood in silence, which in itself exuded boundless mockery. On the painted walls of the church, one side depicted a god descending to the mortal world to bring blessings to mankind; the other showed a god leading humanity to vanquish demons and rebuild their homes. This was a small church. Although it had a god, it was an amalgamated god— Because that god did not exist at all, or rather, its existence merely served to satisfy the spiritual needs of ordinary folk. Cobble together some plausible doctrines, fabricate a few familiar fables, set up a respectable-looking church, and find a priest who looked reasonably kind, and that was enough. One could even liken this church to a public park, a necessity for the spiritual lives of the neighborhood residents, no different from a train station, a hospital, or a police precinct. Yet precisely because of this, Looking at the smiles beaming from the faces of god and mortals on the murals made the scene utterly dripping with irony. The figures in the murals seemed to scoff: *"Look at that—he already hailed the God of Order as raised by a whore, yet the other fellow keeps asking if he admits his wrongs. What, are you deaf? You must be deaf!"* "Diss, I ask you one more time: do you acknowledge your wrongs?" This was the third interrogation. Still, Diss said nothing. "Diss, you proposed negotiations, and we agreed to your demand. We came here today because of your invitation. "So what do you mean by this?" Diss finally spoke. "I invited you here to negotiate, not to interrogate me." With that, Diss pointed a finger at Rasma. "If you persist in cross-examining my sins, I will consider the negotiations over. There will be no need to waste any more time, and we can proceed directly to the next phase." Rasma's expression flickered uncertainly. He wanted badly to turn and seek guidance from the three Elders behind him, but he also knew full well that they could not offer him any instructions right now. For this was no honorable affair. No matter how one tried to disguise it, what was unfolding here today was an internal schism among the upper echelons of the Church of Order, a stain upon its history. A god could not stoop, or rather, unless forced to the absolute brink, a god would preserve the radiant halo about himself without allowing it to dim. The same held true for the Temple Elders. Carrying divinity within them, they naturally guided their every word and deed in the mortal realm by far stricter standards. Therefore, the dirty work and hard labor had to fall on Rasma, and Rasma alone. The Temple did not want to lose Diss; Until all hope was gone, every effort had to be made to pull Diss back into the Temple. "Heh..." Rasma chuckled. He waved his hand, and the *Code of Order* hovering beside him dropped straight to the floor. Then He stepped forward of his own accord toward Diss. He did not go all the way to him, but instead sat down on the front pew, looking up at Diss on the dais. "Truth be told, I do not accept those accusations against you. I consider them slander and nonsense. "The Inmerlais family has a long heritage within the Church of Order. Nearly every generation of Inmerlaises has made tremendous contributions to the Church. "So how could you possibly do such things, Diss? "Besides, "What you called the God of Order earlier— "I don't consider it an offense, either. "Because my mother was a whore, and I was raised by a whore. "Therefore..." Rasma tapped his own ear. "Therefore, to my ears, the phrase 'raised by a whore' holds no insult whatsoever. On the contrary, it makes me feel warm, because it reminds me of my late mother." Diss looked at Rasma. Ultimately, he took half a step back and gave Rasma a slight bow. "My apologies." Rasma, sitting on the pew, appeared somewhat embarrassed instead, waving a hand. "It's nothing, really. Since you are willing to take back your words, we can now enter real negotiations. You see, I've already tossed the *Code of Order* down there, and floating beside me now is only *Light of Order*. "Right now, I am not the Church's High Priest, and you are not the Church's Inquisitor. There is no disparity of status between us. We are both believers—believers in Order, believers in the God of Order." "No. What I said earlier, I will not take back." "Uh..." Rasma froze. Diss turned his gaze onto the three Temple Elders. "Perhaps one of the three of you knows whether what I said was true or not?" At this moment, Sidi stepped forward and barked in a deep voice, "Insolence!" Diss's eyes narrowed slightly, and he pointed at Sidi. "It seems you do not know." Just then, The over one hundred red-robed clergy of the Church of Order outside began chanting of their own accord. Using their bodies as focal points and their power of faith as connections, they soon manifested the colossal phantom of a divine throne above the church... the Throne of Order. All the red-robed clergy floated into the air, closing their eyes almost simultaneously. "In the name of the God we revere, we beseech Your divine might to descend and wipe away the dust on Order." "In the name of the God we revere, we beseech Your divine might to descend and wipe away the dust on Order." Under these invocations that gathered into waves of sound, the Throne of Order began to press downward slowly. Finally, A tremor that seemed to penetrate deep into the soul rippled outward with the church at its center. Once the dust had settled, The four legs of the Throne of Order planted themselves around the church, leaving the building entirely encompassed beneath the Throne of Order. At the same time, The statue of the amalgamated god inside the church began to twist and distort; the murals on both walls began to melt away. In the end, The amalgamated god behind Diss transformed completely, turning from a man into a sword—the form of the Sword of Order. Meanwhile, the murals depicting that amalgamated god on both walls reshaped themselves into the silhouettes of black-clad knights. The knights sat on horseback, Some holding bows, some holding blades, some holding lances, some raising shields... They bore all manner of weapons, yet their faces were pitch-black, their features entirely obscured. There were twelve knights in total. In the mythological lore of the Church of Order, they were twelve mighty warriors "resurrected" by the God of Order. Summoned back by him, they had become his most loyal guards as well as executors of his will. They had even hunted and slain deities. A black drop dripped from the church's eaves. The drop rapidly expanded, ultimately turning the church—originally dominated by pure white tones—into a solemn, black-toned... place of Order's judgment. Rasma did not shift his posture. He crossed his legs, appearing quite at ease. This was not an act; after his initial awkwardness, he had completely let go. For this was not a game he could take part in. In fact, he wasn't even the host; he was merely serving as an intermediary transition. Since that was the case, why carry any mental burden? Rasma spoke once more. "Diss, as long as you are willing to bow your head now, the gates of the Temple of Order will remain open to you. "The Light of Order will continue to shine upon us both, and God will forgive you for everything." "Rasma, do you know the truth behind the Light of Order?" Diss asked. "The Light of Order symbolizes the supreme majesty of Order," Rasma praised. "It is a beam that shines upon the relationship between god and man, like the gaze of a benevolent father." Diss shook his head. "Once, when Ankara was young, she was in a foul mood. To amuse her, the God of Order gave her three purple bookmarks and told her to write down the names of three deities she disliked. "Not long after, those three deities fell; "Ankara smiled." "That is precisely the human side of the God of Order, and the fundamental distinction between our Church of Order and other churches," Rasma said. "Those three purple bookmarks also became a symbol of status in our Church of Order. Only Temple Elders are qualified to bestow such bookmarks, symbolizing the authority to execute punishment in the name of Order." Diss countered, "Then why, later on, when Ankara erred, did the God of Order cast her into the beast's maw, letting that ferocious beast tear apart both her flesh and soul?" "That is precisely the greatness of the God of Order! For the sake of Order, he sacrificed so much. Just like us, and even more like your Inmerlais family, we willingly dedicate ourselves and sacrifice so that the Light of Order may shine for eternity." "But have you ever considered this: back then, the God of Order could bring about the downfall of three deities simply because their names were written on bookmarks, all just to bring a smile to his daughter's face; "Yet later, when Ankara made a mistake, he could so coldly cast her into the maw of a gigantic beast?" "Diss, the God of Order has both a human side and a divine side. He is a father, and at the same time, the god who guides us. We worship him and love him." "No. It was because he was hungry!" *** "Because the God of Order was hungry?" Reading up to this point, Karen's hand had just picked up a sugar cube to pop into his mouth, but he froze mid-motion. In the letter: "He was hungry, exceedingly hungry. At first, he could still invent special pretexts to hunt down weaker deities and treat them as his sustenance. "But later, he began to realize that his appetite could no longer be satisfied. "He was too hungry. "I do not know the exact cause behind all this, but I know he needed to expand his hunting grounds, even turning his sights toward the powerful true gods. "Therefore, "He cast his own daughter into the jaws of the beast, inaugurating the Light of Order! "Beneath this light, "The God of Order could stand upon the rules and lead his followers to suppress any deities who violated them, branding them wicked gods and evil gods. "The Light of Order is merely a facade; "Beneath it lies a twisted and ravenous face. "This was my original thought. "But because of what you told me a while ago, Karen— "What if that beast was like the Purr of our household? "Therefore, "The God of Order might not have truly killed his daughter. Ankara was very likely just going through the motions; she is still alive, shielded by her father. "Yet if that is the case, "The God of Order doesn't even possess the nature of an evil god. "If he were brutal, he could be a wrathful god! "If he were insidious, he could be an evil god! "A god "Is a face— "A pure, unblemished face. "It can represent only a single belief, and that belief, like a single face, can only bear one solitary emotion. "Yet upon his face lie many emotions. "With illusions, he deceived his followers, and even deceived this world. He created the Light of Order, but it is a light of hypocrisy. "He wears the majestic mask of Order, "Yet beneath that mask "Is a hawkish face, constantly shifting. "The God of Light, the God of the Abyss, the God of Principles, and other true gods were born from the invocations of their believers. Belief came first, and only then did the god arise. "When the gods appeared, "They were already divine. "But our God of Order was different. "He first frantically hunted down weak deities in the previous epoch, and then fabricated a faith of his own making; "He is not a true god born of faith, "But a... fraud." *** Inside the pitch-black church, Diss, dressed in priestly robes today, was the only trace of white present. Beneath the high-hanging Sword of Order, Under the "gaze" of the twelve Order Knights upon the murals on either side, He raised both hands And shouted: "Our God of Order is not a true god at all. Everything he did was solely to attain godhood!"