**Chapter 37: Learning in Progress~**
The soft, silvery moonlight spilled onto the ivory curtains, like a layer of delicate silk draped over them.
Holding a book as thick as a dictionary, I pulled out the chair in front of my desk, plopped down, and laid the book flat on the table.
The title of the book was “A Universal History,” which I had borrowed from the duke’s study. He was quite the bookworm, his five massive bookshelves overflowing with all kinds of literature. From specialized academic texts like “Introduction to Metallurgy” and “Industrial Technological Revolution” to intriguing titles like “The Key of Leiya” and “bl**d Sacrifices and Curses,” it was a dizzying collection, not to mention some hand-drawn books that were visibly rare collector’s items.
I stood in front of the shelf, wavering for what felt like ages, feeling the insatiable urge to read everything and know all, but in the end, I grabbed “A Universal History.”
If I wanted to uncover the truth, I first needed to know history. This book chronicled the development of the world, which was exactly what piqued my interest, so I took it back to my room.
The cover was ancient and aged, smelling heavily of sawdust, with noticeable wear at the bottom of the pages. As I opened to the first page, I saw a row of tiny black letters printed on somewhat yellowed parchment.
[Prologue: The Origin of Life — The origin of life is beautiful; it resembles a flickering flame, gradually spreading, growing, enduring, and being passed down. Thus, time and the world came into being.]
What does this mean? Are they suggesting that life gives meaning to time and space? Sounds a bit one-sided, doesn’t it?
Furrowing my brow, I turned to the next page.
Knock, knock.
A knocking sound came from behind.
“Who is it?”
“Miss Silvya, I’ve brought you some snacks.”
“Come in.”
The door swung open, revealing the young maid carrying a small plate of donuts from Captain Gray and a cup of steaming hot milk, gently placing them on my desk.
“This is prepared specifically for you by the lady.”
“Thank you!” I flashed her a sweet smile.
She must not have experienced this level of politeness often; her eyes darted nervously as she waved her hands at me.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I should be doing this. The lady also specifically instructed me to say that your eyes aren’t fully healed yet and you shouldn’t read for too long tonight—get some rest early.”
“I know, I know.”
“Then I won’t disturb you any longer.”
With that, the maid exited the room, and as soon as I heard the door close, I eagerly grabbed a donut, opened my mouth wide, and took a big bite.
The food filled my cheeks, and after a few laborious chews, I picked up the cup and gulped down a generous amount of milk.
Ah, bliss!
Then I dove back into my book.
[Over a thousand years ago, this world was filled with countless colorful, magical beings; human society was still in its most primitive stage…]
Before long, I found myself completely absorbed in the content of the book.
Had I not looked, I would have never imagined this world was so much more wonderful than I thought, filled with numerous enchanted intelligent races.
Like the ones mentioned in the book, the Immortal Race hidden deep within the Amigil Mountain Range, rumored to live for ten thousand years without aging. Then there were the Flying Ones with wings like birds, the Mermaid Clan that sings under the moonlight, and the Fairy Clan that brews drinks from dew… could they be elves? Not to mention the famed Flower Clan and the magnificent, unmatched Dragons… and more, and more!
I was genuinely taken aback; a book on world history felt more like a fantasy novel!
The descriptions of these races were very vivid, sometimes accompanied by rudimentary hand-drawn illustrations that brought those magical beings to life in such a way that I wished I could see them right away—ideally with a chance to chat with them!
While others who travel dimensions meet enchanting elf maidens and cat-eared maids, the only “exotic” being I’ve encountered is a big white dragon, and aside from that, it’s all just humans.
And that big white thing is a dragon! Although it’s clever, it doesn’t turn into a human, so I can’t grasp that “exotic” vibe at all.
Remembering the big white dragon made me curious about something. The illustrations in the book showed dragons unmistakably standing on all fours, with horns and wings, breathing fire. Their appearance completely contradicted that of my fluffy, terrifying big white fellow.
Is it really a dragon?
Carlos says yes, because at that moment, the big white returned to its Land of Dragons, a space created by the deities to prevent humans and dragons from escalating conflicts. If what he says is true, then the big white undoubtedly qualifies as a dragon, but why does it look nothing like a dragon?
Also, given the existence of so many magical races, why have I only seen the big white dragon so far? Forget other races; I haven’t even heard anyone talk about them. Where on earth are they?
Before I could ponder further, the book provided an answer.
As for the fate of these races, the book states, [Centuries passed, and humanity gradually grew dominant in this world. Those magical and beautiful beings have long since faded into the depths of history, resting under sorrow and solitude.]
Just that succinct phrase—no narrative, no elaboration. They vanished over the millennium before this current era, as if they had never existed at all.
Then came the modern calendar, and the Holy Church was formally established.
Nibbling on the donut in my hand, I turned to the next page.
[Chapter 1: The Origin of the Church — Many years ago, weak humans prayed to the deities for miracles to grant them blessings, hoping to strengthen their kin.]
The Holy Church was humanity’s leader. According to the book, the earliest history of the church dates back before the modern calendar. Back then, it wasn’t even called the Holy Church; it was just a group of people blessed by the gods. They leveraged divine power to benefit humanity. The miracles of the Mother God of Abundance ensured bountiful harvests; the God of Healing’s miracles fended off diseases and healed wounds. The miracles of God Danalcis allowed humans to match the strong races and jointly fend off enemies alongside angels appointed by the gods… One can say that without divine blessings and the existence of the Church, humanity, the weakest of all intelligent beings, would never have developed to this state.
I couldn’t figure out what the concept of gods was around here; the book didn’t provide any specific descriptions, except for a final illustration depicting a glowing, indistinct giant, beneath whose feet knelt a group of tiny but devout people. Those people must have been the embryonic form of the Holy Church.
Hmm… couldn’t quite grasp it.
As I flipped to the next page, voices drifted in from outside the door.
“Master Pasifal, you’re back!”
“Yeah, I’m looking for my sister. She’s in there, right?”
“Uh, well… The master instructed me not to let anyone disturb her…”
“I’m not here to disturb, I just want to talk to her… Pepé, are you in there?”
“Master! Please don’t do this, the duke will scold me…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! Just don’t tell him, don’t be so rigid… Pepé, I’m coming in~”
“Master Pasifal—”
Creak.
The door behind me swung open.
“Shh! I’ll just be here for a bit and then leave; just pretend you haven’t seen me, okay~”
“But Master—”
Creak. The door closed again as annoying footsteps approached.
“Pepé~ What are you doing… oh, reading?”
I lifted my head to glance at him, scrunching up my nose in displeasure, not planning on acknowledging him.
“Are you still mad at me?”
I ignored his question and returned to my book.
The next part described the power of faith, the blessings granted to humans by the deities.
What’s known as divine blessings are those varied miracles that can be utilized for oneself. Naturally, since the deities granting the blessings are different, the miracles are categorized in many ways. For instance, those given by the Mother God of Abundance belong to nature; the blessings from the Goddess of Sin fall under punishment, and the golden bell of that old robe-wearing man falls into this category. The miracles from God Danalcis provide humanity with the essence… Wait, what’s this about “essence”?
“Ah—just back from patrol, I’m so tired… Pepé, guess what I bought for you?”
If I remember correctly, fire, water, earth, wood, wind, and thunder are the six fundamental elements of the world. But isn’t the power to wield these elements the Power of Order?
How then does it turn into the essence of miracles? Was there a mistake in the book’s description, or did I misunderstand?
Could it be that the “essence” referred to here is not the same concept as the essence of the Power of Order? Is there a distinction between the two?
“Pepé, look! What is this!”
“……”
He pushed my shoulder a few times, breaking my focus, so I reluctantly looked up at him with impatience.
I absolutely hate being interrupted while reading!
“Ta-da! A white pearl bracelet from the Aifdred Store!”
Pasifal held up a translucent, soft, jade-like bracelet, looking down at me with an expression of a child who just wants praise.
“I spent nearly a month’s allowance on this, how do you like it?”
How could I like it? What would I do with something meant for little girls… wait, why is my hand reaching out?
By the time I realized, I had already placed the bracelet in my palm.
I gently touched it; it felt smooth and had a white jade color that gently shimmered in the firelight.
“Hey, if you like it, don’t be mad at me, okay?”
I shot him an eye roll.
“I don’t like it.”
Yet my hand didn’t hesitate in the slightest, quickly putting the bracelet on my right wrist and extending my fair arm to admire it under the gentle candlelight.
…It’s actually kinda pretty.
“But you’re wearing it now; if you don’t like it, give it back.”
“I’m going to read now. You can leave.”
“Don’t! I want to chat with you for a bit~ What book are you reading?”
“A Universal History.”
“Ugh, why are you reading such a boring book? It’s just like old man dearest. Didn’t you used to love stories about knights?”
Not bothering to respond, I scanned to the next line in the book.
[…The divine blessings protect us, securing our safety in this life; yet they still fail to appease the ugly hearts of villains. In the year 864 of the modern calendar, the heretics led by Isaac Lesley were seduced by demons, betraying the Church and becoming bloodthirsty devils, subsequently forming the deeply sinful cult known as the Gate of Truth within the next ten years.]
