The night had swallowed the sky in its darkness, allowing the starlight to shimmer faintly behind a veil of thin clouds. A gentle breeze blew through the orphanage window, carrying the cold air along with the scent of damp earth left by the afternoon rain. Like every other night, the clinking of spoons and forks filled the dining hall, blending with the cheerful laughter of the children as they shared stories about their day.
However, to me, everything felt distant. My mind was still drifting back to the classroom earlier that day, where Preceptor Rozen's words echoed in my head like a lingering incantation.
A voice suddenly broke my reverie.
"Hey, Yohan. I heard you had a problem with Preceptor Rozen today?"
The voice belonged to Marine, who sat directly across from me. Her eyes were filled with curiosity, as if waiting for my confession.
I flinched. My body tensed for a moment, and without realizing it, I choked on the piece of bread I hadn't yet swallowed.
"Hmphh... Uhuk! Uhukk!!"
My coughing fit broke the room's atmosphere, drawing the attention of my friends.
Damn, the news had already spread to the other class.
I glanced briefly at the end of the table, where the Headmistress sat in silence. Her face remained gentle as always, but her eyes narrowed slightly as if observing me.
"Is that true, Yohan?" Her voice was calm but carried authority.
I swallowed hard, then nodded slowly. "Y-yes, Ma'am..."
"Hmm... You've never caused trouble before. What happened?"
"I-it's..." I struggled to find an answer—one that wouldn't invite anger or suspicion. But before I could string the words together, another voice spoke beside me.
"Yohan got scolded for questioning the teachings of the Holy Order, Ma'am."
Wilhelm.
I quickly turned to him, staring in disbelief at what he had just said.
"Why, Yohan?" But he only responded with an expression as if nothing had happened, as if he didn't realize the weight of his words.
(This brat...!)
I sighed internally. Without thinking, my foot landed on his with full force.
"ARGHH!" Wilhelm winced, his face tightening in pain.
The Headmistress raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Wilhelm?"
"Ah... It's nothing, Ma'am," he answered quickly, still trying to suppress the pain. "Just... a slight cramp."
"Do you need treatment? Let me see." The Headmistress looked concerned.
"No-no! It's just a normal pain. Boys experience this all the time," he said, grinning through the pain.
Wilhelm leaned in and whispered, "Hey, what's your problem, Yohan?!"
"Why did you tell her about that, you idiot?!" I whispered back in frustration.
"What's the big deal?" Wilhelm frowned.
I let out a long sigh. No point in explaining. It seemed he didn't understand the situation at all.
"What are you two whispering about, Yohan, Wilhelm?" the Headmistress asked suspiciously.
"Nothing, Ma'am," I answered quickly.
She nodded, then returned to the original topic. "Alright, Yohan, I want to know... what exactly did you ask in class?"
"It was..." I hesitated. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, I answered, "I only asked about the difference in treatment between commoners and nobles. Doesn't the Divine regard us all as equals? And my argument afterward might have been seen as disrespecting the teachings of the Holy Order."
After I said that, the room suddenly fell silent. The laughter that had warmed the atmosphere vanished. Some of my friends looked at me with confused expressions, while others seemed frightened. The clinking of spoons and forks stopped instantly.
The Headmistress was silent for a moment, her face unreadable. I lowered my head, bracing myself for her anger.
But all I heard was a deep sigh.
"You must be careful with such questions, Yohan," she said, her voice softer than I had expected. "Many people will not appreciate your thoughts. Questions like that... could make you appear as if you're undermining the Divine."
I nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Ma'am..."
"I'm not angry," she replied, her voice carrying a gentleness I had not anticipated. "I understand why you asked, but next time... be more cautious."
I lifted my head, surprised. She wasn't angry. No shouting, no scolding. Just a look filled with concern.
For some reason, my chest felt warm.
"Thank you, Ma'am..."
The Headmistress smiled. "Now, finish your dinner. Then, straight to bed."
The next morning, the sky was clearer than usual, but the sunlight had yet to chase away the lingering cold. Even the dew still clung to the grass, glistening like tiny jewels. We walked to the academy as usual, passing through the grand gate we crossed every day.
We reached the crossroads that separated our building from the nobles' building. A crossroads that always felt like an invisible boundary, dividing our destinies.
Upon arriving in class, the atmosphere felt strange. No laughter, no morning chatter like usual. Some students whispered among themselves, occasionally glancing at me with unreadable expressions.
A moment passed. Then, the classroom door creaked open. All heads turned in the same direction.
Preceptor Rozen entered with a calm stride. His white robe gleamed under the morning light, and his face remained as expressionless as ever.
"There will be no lessons today," his voice echoed in the quiet room.
Everyone turned their heads in surprise.
"Tomorrow morning, you will embark on a journey to Notstein Village," he continued. "You will go with a class from the nobles' building. This activity is part of the Holy Order's care for the people."
Whispers filled the class.
"Notstein Village? Where is that?" "Why do we have to go with nobles?" "Wow, does that mean we might see Princess Serena up close?"
The murmurs grew louder until Preceptor Rozen tapped his fingers on the table, silencing the room instantly.
"The village is located in the southern mountains, about a hundred kilometers from Celesterra. Its people live off agriculture. You will learn about their lives firsthand and help them with your abilities."
He paused, his eyes scanning the class, observing each of us.
"This activity is a form of the Holy Order's care for all people. Although there are differences in status, the Order believes that all followers deserve to prosper in the Divine's light. That is why this activity is important, and all students must participate."
Some students looked excited. Others remained silent, indifferent.
Sitting at my desk, I merely listened.
Notstein Village... Helping the common people? Does the Holy Order truly care for everyone's welfare and strive to make everyone feel equally important?
Various thoughts swirled in my mind, making me feel a twinge of guilt.
"Prepare yourselves. You are dismissed early today," Preceptor Rozen said, turning to leave without waiting for a response.
The class erupted into chatter again.
I remained still, staring out the window as sunlight streamed in. Slowly, I began to reconsider the question I had asked yesterday. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked it, because maybe the Holy Order truly had noble intentions for all of humanity.
And maybe, I deserved that slap—to remind me that I might have gone too far.
Since childhood, I had always admired the Holy Order's clerics. They taught love, justice, and how we should all live in harmony. I was also well aware of the many good deeds the Holy Order had done—they regularly sent aid to orphanages, always supported our needs, and even granted us the right to attend school for free.
I let out a quiet sigh.
Perhaps I was overthinking things. The Holy Order surely never intended for such inequality to exist. But inequality would always persist as long as humans lived within a complex social system where they played different roles, and that inequality naturally emerged as a cause-and-effect relationship from those differing roles.
For a moment, I imagined the journey to Notstein Village tomorrow. I had never been to a village far from Celesterra, and this opportunity might open my eyes to the lives of people outside the city. If I could see firsthand how the Holy Order helped them, maybe I could understand that this world wasn't as terrible as I thought.
With that thought in mind, I rose from my seat.
"Let's go, Wilhelm. Time to head home," I said, patting his shoulder.
Wilhelm furrowed his brows. "Huh? Wait a second, I'm not ready yet."
I just smiled faintly. "Hurry up, slowpoke, or I'll leave you behind."
I stepped out of the classroom, my steps lighter than usual, while Wilhelm trailed behind me in a slight rush. That morning, I walked home with him, feeling better than I had the day before.
Deep inside, I hoped that my days ahead would be far better than before. And perhaps… I needed to apologize to Preceptor Rozen for what I did yesterday so that no more misunderstandings would linger between us.
——————————————————————————————
Meanwhile, that night, far from the innocent thoughts of a boy named Yohan, something was happening—something that might change the world forever.
Inside the Sanctum Aureum, within the vast and grand sacred hall, the highest leaders of the Holy Order had gathered. Candlelight filled the room, illuminating the silhouettes of the dignitaries seated in long rows, their faces marked by solemnity.
At the center of them sat an old man clad in a white robe adorned with gold, more elaborate than the rest. This was the man known as the Grand Lector of the Holy Order.
That night, they had convened to discuss matters concerning the land of Eltheria—matters unknown to those outside the Holy Order's authority.
As the sacred meeting was underway, something both astonishing and terrifying suddenly occurred. A golden light emerged in the center of the room. It was so bright that all those present had to shut their eyes, bowing their heads in trembling reverence.
Yet at the end of the table, one man remained sitting upright as if this was an ordinary occurrence for him—the Grand Lector of the Holy Order.
He gazed upon the light with calm composure, and then, in a deep yet unwavering voice, he spoke:
"Be still and kneel, all of you… for the Divine has appeared before us."
At once, the room, which had been filled with fearful murmurs, fell into complete silence. Every person present immediately prostrated themselves, cold sweat drenching their bodies.
From within the light, a voice resounded majestic, as if echoing from both heaven and earth at once, filled with wisdom and authority. A voice no human on this earth could ever possess.
"Rejoice, for the first time, I reveal Myself to mankind beyond the Grand Lector of the Holy Order, the one who serves as My hand in this world."
The voice reverberated, carrying an overwhelming presence, as if it filled every corner of the room. Those present found themselves utterly powerless, unable to rise, unable even to lift their heads.
"I have shown Myself to you all because a great event is about to shake this world."
Everyone held their breath.
"Know this: soon, a great war shall come… A war that will bring destruction upon many—both among you and among your enemies. You must prepare to fight in My name, for the ones you shall face are the defiant humans who have chosen to walk alongside the demons."
The entire room quivered. Yet, the voice from within the light was not finished.
"And know this: the demons will once again choose one among you humans to lead their war… A person who will bring devastation upon this world. You must find him before he destroys you."
With those final words, the light slowly dimmed, leaving behind an oppressive silence within the sacred hall of the Sanctum Aureum.
The leaders of the Holy Order remained prostrated, trembling, not daring to lift their heads.
Only one man remained standing.
The Grand Lector of the Holy Order.
With a firm, unwavering voice, he declared, "Raise your heads. Prepare everything, for the great war against the defiant humans—just as it was a thousand years ago—shall soon return."
Slowly, they lifted their faces, their expressions still shadowed by fear.
"We must find the one who bears the mark," he continued, "before that dark history repeats itself and brings ruin to countless lives."
One of the Lectors seated nearby hesitantly spoke, "Should we inform the people?"
The Grand Lector turned to him, his gaze sharp yet composed.
"No. Do not tell them yet. Panic will only bring unnecessary chaos. I will be the one to inform them… at the right time."
The Lector bowed his head in obedience. "I understand."
The room fell silent once more. But in their hearts, one thing was now certain, a great war was coming.
A war that would decide everything.