394 394. You Are Venerating The Wrong Person, You Know?

Using the exquisite crystal energy core as storage for Void Energy seemed a bit wasteful, but there was no better they could think of to use it. Hence, using it this way seemed best for now.

Baiyi began to analyze the inner structure of the energy core. He poured in some mana and then some combat chi, attempting to provoke a reaction from the core's surface. He recorded the results afterward. On a surface area, this core had the same physical structure as Saint Quartz but not its superb magic conductivity. However, the energy core was quite sturdy; regardless of how hard Baiyi squeezed it, he could not leave a mark on it, let alone shatter it.

As Baiyi could not dissect the energy core, he was unable to conduct in-depth tests on it. 

The energy core was resistant to the corrosive property of Void Energy, so Baiyi did not have to worry about damaging it. The energy core's volume was massive; even after pouring twenty percent of his external power into it, the energy core was still half-empty. Baiyi was not even sure how much Void Energy was needed to fill the energy core up completely. 

The crystal energy core was really capable as storage for Void Energy. Its only shortcoming was how slowly it stored energy.

"En, I'll just continue infusing energy into it for now. Who knows, I just might need to use this one day; not that I wish for a day like that to come!" Baiyi said as he lifted the energy core. Its appearance had changed after he poured Void Energy into it. One half of the energy core was white, and the other half was black. Baiyi had not stopped pouring Void Energy into it, but it seemed it would take a while before the orb becomes more black than white. 

As for the gigantic Blood Tearstone, Baiyi would need a long time to process it, but 'a long time' was not a luxury Baiyi could afford right now. He had considered paying an alchemy refinery to process it for him, but he abandoned the idea because that would leave the Blood Tearstone open to being stolen. Annoyed at his inability to find a use for the Blood Tearstone, Baiyi considered selling the huge boulder off. This thought made the Alchemist Walker so angry that he almost coughed up blood.

However, Baiyi abandoned that thought as well. He knew that refining the Blood Tearstone into a product would earn him way more than selling it right now would. He decided to form a team of alchemists in the future, which will help him refine the Blood Tearstone. He knew that he would not reap any benefits from the Blood Tearstone any time soon, and he was fine with this because he was not short on money at the moment. 

Baiyi lived in peace for a time, even after the news of what had happened in Marle spread to Isythre.

The next day, Baiyi called his students over and asked them for their thoughts and insights on their last adventure, especially the battle they had been involved in.

Mia was asked to go first. She lowered her head and fidgeted with her twin horsetails, and moments later, she said, "I just think Mr. Hope was awesome; Big Sister Dale was awesome; Attie was also awesome; that little sabercat cub was very adorable, and our new friends were very pitiful. War is a frightening thing… I wish it never happens again."

'What sort of insight is that? That was the best you could do despite what you witnessed?! Your future is not bright!' Baiyi thought as he waved her away, then he called Attie the Kitty-cat Maid over.

Baiyi believed that Attie could now step up her game because she had regained the title of God's messenger.

Attie got in front of everyone and flashed Baiyi a sweet smile. "My Master is super cool! He helped me regain the War God's trust, and then he got the War God to help him! That was so epic and awesome! I love Master the most!!!"

Saying so, she attempted to dive into Baiyi's arms, but a small ice projectile knocked her aside.

"Owww! Master bullies me again! Lord War God, didn't you promise he would never bully me again?" Attie groaned as she returned to her seat.

'What's gotten into her?! Has she gotten so soft that she forgot her days as king of the steppe, where her words were law? Has Little Mia's desire to always act cute rubbed off on her?'

Feeling helpless, Baiyi called over a student whose reliability stood out amongst her peers — Nota. The fairy looked flustered as she stood in front of everyone, stuttering, "M-mentor's battle generated s-s-so much energy undulations. It made me so s-scared that I couldn't… I didn't… I didn't watch the fight..."

'Et tu, Nota?' Baiyi shook his head helplessly as she returned to her seat.

Afterward, feeling gloomy, Baiyi called over an exceptionally reliable student, Tisdale.

Tisdale's expression darkened when she heard her name. "Hello? Sir, the battle between you and that demon happened far away from where we were standing! Besides, the level of power shown by you two was so advanced that we could not possibly keep up! Other than 'Whoaaa, so cool!', what else can we say?"

Baiyi froze for a few moments, then he waved apologetically to Tisdale, signaling her to return. "Fine, I guess I was being a little unfair. Let's just move on to the next agenda."

"So, I've got good news for you all. The building of the new academy, which I am sure you all have heard about, is going smoothly. The estimated time for its opening is the end of this year."

The students beamed and began to talk amongst themselves about the academy. They had more to say about it than the battle between Baiyi and Molocchus. Young hearts really did yearn for new things.

"The major courses available will be magic, martial arts, alchemy, engineering, theurgy and many more. You all are encouraged to choose a special course that you want to specialize in for the next three years," Baiyi added.

"Whoaaa! So many courses! But… don't we have only Mr. Hope, Mr. Joseph, and Miss Aya to teach us?" Little Mia asked curiously.

"Other teachers will take up various posts soon. I will teach the subjects that I have not yet found teachers for."

"Wow. Mr. Hope is always so good! He knows everything, and he is good at everything!" Little Mia exclaimed.

"Splendid observation! There is simply nothing I cannot do in this world," Baiyi said with a laugh, blowing his own trumpet.

"Nothing you can't do? What about… this?" A mischievous grin appeared on Mia's face. She dropped to the floor and arched her back until her legs, which were clad in a pair of silky white socks, reached her chest. With both hands imitating the paws of a cat, Mia lowered her head and caressed her cheeks with the back of her hands. With her eyes half-closed and her tongue out, Mia had begun to act cute in front of everyone, again.

The other students applauded her, while the Gentlemen of the Void howled uncontrollably like a pack of excited wolves.

Baiyi had to admit he did not know how to do what Mia just did.

"Uh hem! Alright, places, everyone! We're in the middle of our lesson," Baiyi said with a cough, interrupting Mia's performance whilst trying to hide his embarrassment. "By the way, by the time our academy is built, there will be more students joining us, alright? Everyone, please learn to co-exist with others in harmony! Alright, that's all for today. I know you all just returned from a long trip and are still worn out, so let us have a few days break."

Cheers erupted within the classroom.

Hence, for the rest of the week, Baiyi led a normal life. He helped the fairies build their new home, monitored the construction of his academy, strategically dealt with Aya's over-friendly advances, and fooled around with his students. Despite word of the battle in Marle reaching Isythre, Baiyi was not faced with any trouble. Other than a few of his acquaintances visiting to ask him what had happened, no one else approached Baiyi.

Now, to him, this was unexpected; it was unlike like what had happened the last time a huge event occurred. Baiyi went out into town to learn how people were taking the news, and just as he had suspected, many had their own versions of the earth-shattering event. Someone said that a vast number of people had engaged in battle due to an unequal distribution of loot among themselves; some swore that the great battle had been fought between two evil gods, who were intent on getting more followers than the other; someone even boldly claimed that the awakening of a godlike existence was what brought about the destruction in Marle.

Baiyi was not mentioned at all. Although he had done nothing to hide his involvement, the world seemed to be doing Baiyi a favor. These gossip-peddlers did not even know that the other party involved in the great battle was Abyss Lord Molocchus itself!

"Well, this is a welcome development," Baiyi said with a chuckle after eavesdropping for a while.

"Tsk tsk. Do you no longer wish for the Church to sing your praises, calling you a messiah?" The Archmage asked sharply.

"Oh, not at all. I'm already grateful that they haven't come after me," Baiyi replied. "But, now that you mentioned it, how do you suppose they would try to contain me?"

Baiyi was not the only one interested in the answer to this question. At that time, in another location, two top figures in the Church, the Pope and the Supreme Chief Justice, were worried about the same thing.

Only one Chief Judge of the Church knew of Baiyi's secret, and he did not divulge it to the public. However, he did use a secret method to share the secret with the Supreme Chief Justice.

When the Supreme Chief Justice learned of the truth, he knelt before the statue of his hooded god for three days. Afterward, he blurted out the truth to the Pope.

When the Pope learned of the truth, he secluded himself within the Temple of Auguries, the core of the Church, kneeling for three days. When the Pope finally exited the temple, he did so with an expression of calm, as though he had come to terms with what he had just learned.

He chased everyone out of a room and summoned the Supreme Chief Justice. When the Supreme Chief Justice arrived, the Pope set up an extensive soundproof barrier, then he began a secret meeting with the Supreme Chief Judge.

"I don't know what to do. I have turned this matter over in my head for three days, but I was unable to come up with anything useful. I even asked the True God for a sign, but I was given nothing," the Pope said with a tone of helplessness. "I even believe that the reason I can still talk to you, without falling into a state of delirium, is because I am no longer faithful. As a matter of fact, ever since I became Pope, the amount of time I spent politicking is much more than the time I spent praying."

"Same with me," said the Supreme Chief Justice. "Back then, when that godless heathen, Lord Haart, beguiled me, all I felt was misery and hopelessness. That was when my faith wavered. Although I have regretted it ever since, I still cannot believe that this little misgiving would help me retain my sanity. My mind went blank when I learned the truth. It was as though the sky had crashed down on me."

"How could this have happened?" The Pope somberly asked. "Why is that place the fate of everyone who treads the path of Ascension? Who got it wrong? Saint Joel, who we have revered for thousands of years? Or, our God…?"

The Pope knew his words were borderline blasphemy, worthy of earning him immolation as punishment. This was why he had not continued down that train of thought.

"At first, I was skeptical about this piece of information, but after thinking it over, I realized that the Chief Judge who revealed it to me did not have the guts to play a prank on me. Furthermore, some days ago, I received some intel…" the Chief Judge said, producing a secret envelope from his inner pocket, which he handed over to the Pope.

The envelope was filled with written reports about the feats of a certain hammerhead shark plushie in Marle, during a battle that broke out in Eom Village.

Neither Baiyi nor his students nor the hammerhead shark plushie, which was being controlled by the Cleric Walker at the time, had attempted to hide their performance. Hence, curious parties had easily obtained news of what the plushie had done. Some had gotten information from the Fairy King's experts who had escaped the village after the failed attack, while some obtained their information from a few displaced fairies of Eom Village who had decided to remain in the Fairy Kingdom. It was no surprise that the Church, too, had obtained information about Saint Joel's stellar performance.

With a gloomy expression on his face, the Pope took the envelope and began to read its contents, and his face darkened by the minute. "A perfect 'Word of God'? If one considers the unique theurgical spell that Laeticia, the Saintess candidate, had mysteriously learned back then, it'll become obvious, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the hammerhead shark plushie was Saint Joel himself. But, why was he content with staying within a little girl's plushie?"

"If we respond this way to the huge secret we have just learned, then what more you expect from someone who's bearing the brunt of truth? It'll not be out of the ordinary for someone to change completely after such a revelation; even changing into a pervert with a fondness for little girls is understandable," the Supreme Chief Justice said with a dark expression.

"No, that can't be it. He could still use the Word of God. This means that his faith is still strong, and he still believes in God, and in return, God still loves him. Without that love, he would not be able to use that spell," the Pope replied with certainty.

He proceeded to divulge a meaningful secret about himself. "Honestly, I have not been able to use Word of God for a long time."

"You…?" An expression of extreme shock appeared on the Supreme Chief Justice's face.

"Yes; I'm no longer faithful enough. Saint Joel, however, is a true Apostle. Despite finding himself stranded in a land of hopelessness, he remained true to himself. This is simply worthy of veneration!" The Pope muttered, awestruck.