CG Chapter 64: Lost lambs, and the guarding eye.

 

Tom spent a couple of weeks exploring every corner of the Astral Library, reading as many books as he could, while filling any gaps in his knowledge he had about this world.

 

The more he read the more he realized the numerous lies that the royal families had woven into the mind of commoners. Unfortunately for them, Tom wasn’t going to be the grand hero they needed, he wasn’t a savior.

 

The only reason he wanted to know the truth was to best utilize this world to increase his power.

 

After finding out all that is to be found in the Astral library, Tom moved his search to the cathedral.

 

Entering the cathedral was the easy part; after all, it was a cathedral that was open to the public. However, getting past the guards and reaching the basement entrance to the Lumina Archive wouldn't be so simple.

 

…

 

The cathedral echoed with the voices of priests coming and going, while a sermon, delivered by what seemed to be the pope, echoed through its halls.

 

Behind the pope a statue of a woman with a thousand and one eyes stood, one of her hands was pointed to the sky while the other was opened toward the people.

 

The pope's voice possessed a majestic, yet comforting tone, capable of enchanting any believer.

 

"To know is better than not to know, and to see is better than not to see."

 

"Who brought light to us? It is our goddess Lumina."

 

"She who illuminated our lost souls."

 

"My people, my believers, I ask you today: What do you seek?"

 

"Don’t you wish to know your purpose in this harsh land?"

 

"Today, I come with good news, great news in fact."

 

"All your answers lie within this book, and from it, you will gain clarity."

 

"Open your eyes, for your third eye is about to open." The pope held a book adorned with the mark of an eye, speaking with all his strength.

 

On the surface, Tom appeared like a devout believer who was shaken by the pope's words. However, the truth was completely different, he meticulously scanned through the cathedral, searching for any flaws in security.

 

As his gaze wandered around, it inexplicably landed on the statue of Lumina. At first, he thought that it was just another statue made by the church to fool the idiots, but upon giving it a second glance he noticed.

 

‘Why do I feel some unusual energy coming from this rock?’

 

Figures of gods and demons appeared in front of Tom, and a charm like no other made his foot move unconsciously.

 

And an immense amount of energy surged through the sky, coursing through the statue's outstretched finger.

 

While Tom’s current situation within the cathedral was peaceful, things could quickly turn upside down if anyone noticed his strange actions.

 

*Click-Clack*

 

The bizarre statue seemed to call out to Tom as he began to walk near it, and the nearer he went, the faster his heartbeats became.

 

Just as he approached the area designated for the Pope and other high-ranking clergy members, a voice shouted into Tom's ear.

 

"What are you doing over there? Do you think just anyone can approach the Pope?" A holy guard extended his hand to halt Tom, unaware that he had just roused him from a deep state of trance.

 

Many of the clergy members turned their heads, noticing the commotion.

 

“Sorry, it’s just that the goddess is too magnificent. Among the seven gods, I admire the goddess Lumina the most. She is the most caring about her worshippers. Sometimes I think that her symbol, the eye, isn’t just about knowledge; instead, it represents that she is always there to guard us, her believers. She is truly caring.” Tom quickly collected himself as he began to fabricate a story to get himself out of the crisis.

 

Hearing his words, some of the clergy members and believers appeared shaken.

 

While the Pope was curious more than anything else, “Please, tell me more. Your understanding of Lumina seems to have reached a profound level.”

 

“You can think of her as the shepherd to us lost lambs. We who don’t know any better are living in peace all due to her. From Sera to Frey, they all represent the supreme pantheon that guards all of humanity.”

 

His words were those of a believer who had been studying the doctrine of the seven gods for centuries; the words he spoke weren’t something that a young man would speak.

 

Tom could have said something much simpler to extricate himself from the situation, but after feeling the energy emanating from the statue, his plans began to shift.

 

From simply focusing on the archive, his attention now encompassed the entire cathedral. He even planned to investigate the other cathedrals if he had the time.

 

The mysteries of this world began to surprise him more and more. once he uncovered one layer, a new one would appear.

 

The Pope's curiosity turned into admiration. "Tell me, are you a member of the church? And do you live in Danloor?"

 

Due to the number of people coming to Danloor for study, the Pope wanted to know whether Tom was a citizen or just a visitor, as people usually worshipped the god connected to their own kingdoms.

 

However, the rules regarding this matter weren’t too strict. People were expected to respect and worship all seven gods, but they would typically have one as their primary deity.

 

As long as one believed in the seven gods, and no other deities, they were considered to be in the safe zone.

 

Of course, you would generally be viewed more favorably if you worshipped the same god. However, this was mostly among commoners or devout believers like the clergy in front of him.