Isekai Journey Of The Magic Archer

[Eon's POV: ]

Cradle was a special case that had her own circumstances. It was completely understandable why she didn't believe in the beings that these hundreds of thousands of people did.

She was not completely human so siding her in the same category as us humans was not right in the first place.

'Just like how Rein didn't have any faith in these gods ever since she was young, Cradle also didn't have any reason to worship the beings that never helped her with anything.'

[{ "I remember the day mom died…" }]

Cradle loved Rein even though she knew there was nothing at the end of this path, there was no fruit that she could have after doing all that she could, she knew that.

'She was suffering being only friends with her. Being with her was soothing for her soul but seeing both of us together was painful… and she knew she had to endure that pain for as long as she was with us.'

There was no way around this situation for her and it was best for her to just let go of her feelings.

However, since her stubbornness wasn't going to allow her to do that, she was going to have to live with the same pain she had as she looked at Rein reciting her sad past.

[{ "There were againsts of gods around there, I saw those blessed by these gods, there were even the ones that were directly connected with them… the stigma holders. And still, they could only give us their condolences." }]

She was older than Cradle and me, however she was also young like all of us once.

She was also a little girl that had not seen the blood and blood battlefields where humanity showed their true nature.

She was from an important household and her mother used to be one of the most important people of their time.

Her authority rivalled that of the emperors in her time. She was that master of the south that countless 'nations' feared.

And she loved Rein more than anything else in this world… which Rein knew better than anyone else in this world.

'When the previous duchess died, her grandfather the current Duke of Atraxia was not even born in this world. And just like him, many individuals that are prominent in this age were not present.'

Those were different times, but the Temple was still the same as it is right now.

The gods were still there and there was more influence of those higher beings than the current day rulers that have a completely different influence over the rest of the population.

[{ "They said there is nothing they could do even though there were many things that they could have done.

She didn't die a natural death, I know for a fact that her life force had not depleted back then.

She was still there. Perhaps some kind of illness that she was always trying to hide from me took her away from me. It was definitely not something normal and I know they could have done something for her… something…

But, no." }]

Rein didn't like talking about her past. Even when she is with me, she has difficulty talking about things that she had not told anyone else ever before.

'Though, for things like these that they could know if they pick up some history books, things that she had already told me and a few others, she didn't feel uncomfortable telling all these to her dear friends as well.'

She wanted to tell them this a while ago and since the moment was just right for a talk like this one, she was freely talking about something that was clearly not sweet to remember.

[{ "They placed flowers on her coffin and offered us their condolences.

They didn't try the ritual of revival even though they could have done that… I was young back then so understanding their position wasn't possible for me.

The politics, the reasons, the restrictions, their own limitations and the weakness of those all powerful beings… I didn't understand any of it, blamed them for being fucking bastards and bitches, left the home, and started a new life.

There wasn't much to a life without a family anyway, so, there was no need to believe in any god or higher power that was running things because they weren't meant to be that way." }]

She was just a young kid back then and then she spent a hundred years of her life on the battlefields among the dead soldiers, with the corpses and with the individuals that she later saw dying right before her eyes… or in her arms.

She did not understand why she was stuck in the body of a fifteen year old back then, and she did not understand why her mom had to die before her.

'Her mom was old, sure, but she wasn't even as old as mom.'

She was healthy and she possessed one of the most powerful kinds of Authority of the history of this empire.

'She could have still been alive, healthy and pretty even now had she lived back then.'

But that didn't happen.

She passed away.

Left her only daughter in this world with her only sister.

'The elders of Atraxia were a completely different faction from the main house, there were branch families that still existed, and the entire Atraxia was a much larger household than the one estate where Rein and her family lives right now.'

The house politics was something that even she loathes right now, so she stays as far away from it as possible… but we both know as soon as we finish this school year, we will have to go face those old bastards.

'And it's inevitable.'

The Kaksha was visible in the distance but there was still some time left before we reached that humongous structure.

[{ "I don't care if they exist or not anymore.

They didn't hear my voice even though they were listening through their own apostles. They weren't there when I was fighting things on the battlefield, and they still weren't there when grandma was cursed.

They have never listened to me, and I have never asked them for anything.

I love this world, I love what I have, I accept what has happened and I have faith in this cursed, everflowing time.

I don't need to believe in them, or the bullshit that these dumb people believe in.

It is what it is, and those bastards weren't going to come down and perform some unprofitable miracle for any of them.

It's a show and they are the audience captivated by the magic of the conductor.

That is all." }]

The Kaksha was made train those who had potential and talent for light attribute, holy attribute, attributes that were particularly more powerful and intense in them than the common individuals, and for the individuals that possessed powers that were unique to them alone.

'They were much like the Great academy, but unlike the academy where every individual had their own complete freedom, these people had a different way of training their students.'

They were a religious organisation, so they taught them things that would help them in their lives as the holders of their unique positions in the Temple.

They taught their students discipline, they taught them how to focus on things and they taught them how to have faith in their chosen gods.

'They practically raised them as their soldiers.'

Some of them became priests, some of them became nuns and sisters, some of them joined the knight units and became Holy knights of the Temple, while some who possessed unique healing abilities joined their special units.

The [Temple] was a big organisation that, similar to Adventurer's association, had branches in all countries of this world.

And [Kaksha] this very facility was the core training centre for all chosen individuals of this world.

[{ "Rein… I'm… I didn't know-." }]

[{ "Ah, don't worry about it Del~." I don't care about those things anymore.

I have a family now, a bastard that will soon be my husband, and friends that I can share things like these with.

I'm happy~. What else do I need~?" }]

She was telling the truth. And she loved how things were right now… even with all this chaos and demons, and wars, and whatnot, she loved how things were right now.

[{ "I… see…" }]

Cradle didn't know any of this before so she was suddenly shocked how Rein was still working so well even after all these things.

She was feeling sympathy, which she shouldn't, and she was also sorry for all the pain she had to bear, which again isn't something Rein appreciated.

She was who she was and she did what she did. There wasn't much to it. It was history, and it had already passed away.

[{ "Alrighy~. President's turn~." }]

President understood Rein and her position since he had also seen, experienced, and been through things that were just not something that people liked sharing.

But if she was telling these things to them, it just showed how much she trusted them.

And he respected her for that.

[{ "My reason for not having what people of this place call faith is pretty simple…" }]

Kaksha was an institution made to produce the future prospects of the Temple and the young Saint Lumiare was an individual that was especially important to this institution as not only someone that will succeed the current pope of Meyat but also someone that will most probably receive her stigma in the coming years.

He was a rare individual that was practically one of a kind in this world with his unbelievable affinity for this position so, the Temple took extra special care of him.

'It was difficult to get close to him even though he lived in this facility, so we knew it was going to get difficult.'

And that was exactly the reason why we were going there in a unique disguise.

[{ "The beings that the people of this place consider 'Gods' aren't actually what they believe them to be…

They aren't Gods, in the first place." }]

We knew it wasn't going to be easy.

However, after all the planning and our long talk last night… we also know it wasn't an impossible task.