Chapter 49

The lands of the Western Continent that belonged to Pohelrnian were dotted with temples dedicated to the Migrant Faith.

However, among them, there was only one Grand Temple where the messenger of the gods resided.

It was the Grand Temple located precisely at the center of the capital of Pohelrn, the city of Pohelrn.

This majestic and massive structure, existing at the heart of the city boasting the highest population density among human cities, was completely isolated from the outside.

Surrounding the Grand Temple was a wide, deep moat.

The moat was filled with water, and remarkably, it was so transparent that one could see through it clearly.

Moreover, while still water would normally rot, the water filling this moat showed no signs of decay.

Though the depth of the moat reflected in the clear water did not seem very deep, only reaching the height of an adult male, immersing oneself would make it impossible to ascertain the bottom.

After several accidents where curious individuals fell into the water, the tale of how those who stepped into the divine grounds without permission would suffer eternally by drowning in the moat caused recklessness to diminish.

There were two methods to cross this moat.

The first method was to use the dock.

When a permitted individual approached a dock that connected to the divine realm, a boat made from the great branches of the Earth Mother, the World Tree, would approach from the Grand Temple to the dock.

What was astounding was that even when there were no oars or rowers on the boat, this mysterious vessel would precisely glide to the dock.

Once on board, the boat would move to the Grand Temple of its own accord, void of any power source.

Moreover, due to the clear water, it sometimes appeared as though the boat was floating in mid-air, leading pious believers to regard it as a vessel ascending to the heavens.

The second method was one that humans could not emulate.

Araya, the High Elf and messenger of the gods who only revealed herself to the mundane world during the Martial Arts Festival, crossed the deep moat as if walking on flat ground, while the divine deer Rudolf, who served her, could also leap across as befit a divine beast.

This grand structure, visible from any location within Pohelrn, existed majestically, not permitting the intrusion of anyone unauthorized.

Among many believers and citizens, numerous rumors circulated about treasures and wealth within the Grand Temple, or about a mystical elixir that could grant eternal life, or a staircase leading to the heavens.

The Grand Temple.

A place fitting for the gods, permitting access only to those chosen by the divine.

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However, in reality, it was nothing special.

I yawned while watching around forty of my disciples practicing basic martial arts in the grassy area inside the outer wall of the Grand Temple, sitting cross-legged on a rock.

While outsiders described the interior of the Grand Temple like a paradise inhabited by fairies, life in reality was much closer to a pastoral existence.

The Grand Temple was home to me, Rudolf, and 120 priests who had completely devoted themselves to the Migrant Faith, having no intention of returning to the mundane world. Additionally, it housed 45 disciples who had been chosen through five Martial Arts Festivals and had now become holy knights.

The priests tended to gardens, copied scriptures, and dedicated themselves to training to become proper holy knights.

It was a place entirely separated from the outside, with no great entertainment to be found.

This Grand Temple, blessed by the Earth Mother, typically produced an average of three grains of barley from one seed in a normal year and four in a good year, but the barley planted here yielded over twenty grains.

In addition to the date palm regarded as the divine tree and an incarnation within the Room of Worlds, many other date palms were cultivated inside.

Whether drinking from a well that produced clear water or the water collected in the moat, there was never any problem.

Thanks to this miraculous fertility, the size of the garden cultivated within the Grand Temple was sufficient to achieve self-sufficiency in food without any issues.

In fact, it was the optimal environment for studying or honing martial arts away from the mundane world.

“To be honest, I have no idea how this works.”

How clear water filled the moat dug in the middle of a human city, turning the land itself fertile and creating a divine realm was the power of the Earth Mother.

The abilities of Elder Roas, which could give birth to entire races like elves, succubi, and titans, produced natural phenomena that could not be emulated or imitated—these were innate powers and miraculous forces.

While martial arts or magic might feel mysterious, there existed foundational principles, and those stuck to the rules that did not deviate.

“It’s amusing to think that such beings could even be killed by their own creations.”

I considered the existence of Bruwon Krishaka, who supposedly caused tectonic shifts merely by being, and the absurd demise of Ul Kanadiel, who wielded the powers of night and death.

Unlike those two Elder Roas who had been betrayed and killed by their offspring when they weakened, it seemed that Mother World Tree had somehow become more vibrant since the religion began to prosper.

Originally, after creating the elves, it appeared she had spent an extended period considerably weakened, much like a mother after childbirth.

“Perhaps she grows stronger the more believers she has?”

Surely not.

Could she really grow stronger in such a ridiculous way?

Chuckling at this nonsensical thought, I looked at the holy knights engaged in training.

Their skills… were, as expected, poor in my eyes.

All of them were mediocre.

The newcomers from this year were still at the beginner level.

Among the first cohort from the Martial Arts Festival, there were those who were nearing second-rate status.

I hadn’t provided haphazard instruction.

Generally, martial artists from distinguished families start learning martial arts from the age of five or six at the latest.

It was widely known in the Central Region that learning martial arts was easier when one’s blood and energy channels were clear of impurities.

While this was not entirely incorrect, from a masterless scholar’s perspective, it was only part of the truth.

A human body grows from where it is utilized and trained.

From childhood, one should prepare their vessel by looking forward to decades ahead, building a body that aligns with the martial arts they practice.

And above all, the mindset is the most formidable.

Human personality, concepts, and biases form mostly during childhood.

The infancy and early childhood stage, where nothing is drawn, merely establishes one’s worldview based on the information transmitted by the world.

If one has grown up valuing the accumulation of knowledge the most, then the center of their value judgments would continue to be academic learning even as they matured.

Learning martial arts from childhood, one would make appropriate judgments based solely on martial principles, regardless of the actions they take.

As one progresses to higher realms, the differences become ever more pronounced.

It becomes easier to enter a state of no-self by eliminating distractions outside of martial arts.

This is a preparatory process essential for achieving the harmony of spirit, matter, and divinity.

In contrast, those who had passed the Martial Arts Festival were all young people aged at most 30, some as young as 13.

Their bodies either had already finished growing and solidified or their mindsets contained numerous impurities, leading to many distractions.

While they were certainly excellent individuals who had retained their potential to win in the Martial Arts Festival among numerous others…

Given how tumultuous the era was, just living twisted their spirits considerably, and even if I taught them, it would take quite a while for adjustments.

In fact, it might be better to cultivate a five-year-old with ordinary talent in the long run.

Moreover, unlike Duberv or Priegoss, who had tailored martial arts to suit their bodies, the fact that future winners of the Martial Arts Festival would all learn standard martial arts contributed to this.

‘…That kid might be a bit of an exception, though.’

Even after reaching the physical limits through repetitive training, the boy, now known as Iscariot, gritted his teeth and synchronized with the senior class for training.

I couldn’t tell what kind of life this child had lived, but his thoughts and actions were extremely simple.

He harbored no unnecessary doubts when doing things and did whatever was to be done.

He dutifully followed orders as well.

Coupled with his inherent talent and youth, he was already at a level where one could describe him as a ‘martial artist’ among his peers.

He entered the realm known as the third-rate, commonly called “below average,” even a week sooner than the fastest child among the senior holy knights.

‘…It seems like he has a very clear goal, too.’

Like the slaves dragged to Pohelrn harboring hatred towards Priegoss, Iscariot felt similarly.

“This kid is definitely going to be something great, but… should I just leave him alone for now?”

It was challenging for Iscariot to take revenge solely on Priegoss himself.

‘Moreover, Alia is watching over Priegoss, so Iscariot likely won’t be able to achieve the goal he desires…’

Motivation is essential for someone to immerse themselves in their efforts.

Though it’s a bit late, he was a rare talent.

It was a pity that he had to resort to avenging anger and hatred as motivation.

A child now felt empty due to the many things he had lost to the world.

Hence, he might be trying to endure by igniting a fire of revenge within himself.

Just as it has always been, healing the wounds inflicted by people ultimately requires another person.

Just as his current family, who healed his past life’s wounds.

As a teacher, all I could do for Iscariot was to do my utmost to fill the void with something positive, to replace the negative emotions he harbored.

‘By the way, it seems I’ll need to refine my martial arts a bit more due to the existence of Deus Ex Machina.’

From the perspective of a masterless scholar, it would be one to define power obtained without ample effort as heresy.

‘But humans aren’t really in a position to be picky about such matters.’

Ignoring what was considered heresy, it was admittedly quite an interesting approach.

Manipulating energy in a way that had not existed in the Central Region, or rather, was fundamentally impossible to attempt.

How could I not find it fascinating, as I had to weave together theories exclusive to this world from scratch?

I finished my training in basic martial arts and fell into deep thought while watching the fatigued holy knights approaching.