Atop the hastily constructed wooden platform, Nuo's sermon resonated with the many listeners. Or rather, those who had survived the great flood inherently possessed a purity of spirit unlike others.
The doubtful, the deceitful, or those who harbored malice towards others naturally would not believe in the unexpected kindness of others. They did not believe Nuo's words and, as a result, perished in the flood.
In contrast, the audience here clearly did not fall into that category. Especially after narrowly escaping death, they were particularly moved by Nuo's words as they gazed upon the desolate city.
Despite the resonance Nuo's words found with many, there were still those in the crowd who expressed different opinions.
"What you say makes sense, but Nuo, perhaps not all deities on Mount Olympus are so unworthy; at least in the previous disasters, it was a goddess who protected me."
Stepping out from the crowd, Cavi was still dressed in the ceremonial robe of Hestia. He respectfully saluted the Sacred Fire before turning towards Nuo.
"There's nothing to hide now... Indeed, as you all have guessed, in the past, priests deceived others, deceived deities, and deceived themselves. But when faced with death, I ultimately abandoned those thoughts, confessed my sins to the incarnation of all fires, and awaited the punishment she would bestow upon me. Yet, contrary to expectations, just like every one of you, I survived the disaster."
As Cavi spoke, dozens of people stepped out from the crowd, sharing experiences similar to his.
"Perhaps the gods are not all merciful, but not every deity turns a blind eye to mortal calamities; Princess Hestia is one such deity."
With sincere expression, Cavi truly felt this way from the bottom of his heart.
Sighing, Nuo felt a tinge of regret but still blessed his fellow survivor. Across from him, Cavi nodded back, then lit a flame with a fennel branch.
"I will leave this place and follow in the footsteps of Princess Hestia, whatever your intentions may be, I wish you a smooth journey"
After Cavi left, followed by several dozen followers, Nuo did not hinder him, only watching with others as the group departed.
After all, differences in faith at this point were not sufficient to escalate to violence; moreover, in Nuo's impression, Goddess Hestia indeed was a kind deity. She did not hand down punishments like the Divine King, nor did she bring floods like the Sea God, nor did she take Prometheus like the God of Sun. Therefore, Nuo accepted Cavi's choice.
"Lord Cohen, are you another who survived by the protection of the Divine?"
After seeing off Cavi, Nuo turned to look at the edge of the square. In fact, he had noticed Cohen's arrival while he was speaking, but only now did he have the chance to greet him.
There is a limit to mortal sight, and he had not seen the battle between Cohen and Triton as the flood approached, but that did not prevent him from recognizing Cohen. After all, as a swordsmanship instructor, Cohen had some reputation in Aurora City. Seeing him arrive, Nuo thought he might have just woken up in the city.
"I don't know."
Meeting Nuo's gaze, with the dream from a millennium ago that had benefited him to this day flashing through his mind, Cohen gently shook his head.
He glanced again at the surrounding crowd but still could not find any familiar faces.