Chapter 398: The Faith of the Sun

Chapter 398: The Faith of the Sun

Treir, the capital of the Intis Republic, is renowned for the rise of the God of Machinery and Steam, and the stories intertwined with Roselle.

The level of mechanization here surpasses that of Ruen's Backlund.

From airships powered by steam and extraordinary forces to ordinary household clocks, mechanization is ubiquitous.

Many places here exhibit the presence of steel and gears.

Even passenger carriages are built with steel frames, chains, gears, and wheels, with horses providing the necessary power.

There are also iron box cars that do not require horses for propulsion, though they are currently much slower and less agile than horse-drawn carriages.

However, they already hint at the future of technology.

Around 8 PM, under the bright crimson moon, Hastur and Sharon walked along the streets of the western district of Treir.

Unlike the western district of Backlund, the most affluent and prosperous area of Treir is in the east.

Locals say that Emperor Roselle had a particular fondness for the east, so he specially developed the eastern district into the best neighborhood.

Intis customs differ from the conservative Backlund. Sharon's black court dress stood out on the streets, contrasting sharply with the other girls out for a stroll.

Some even approached her, asking where she had her retro dress custom-made.

Words like "retro," "old-fashioned," "outdated," "cumbersome," "rigid," and "feudal" were used by Intis girls to describe Sharon's attire.

Even Sharon, who usually showed little emotion, appeared somewhat irritated. When Hastur suggested they buy some Intis-style clothes to blend in, Sharon frowned and glared at him, clearly upset.

"I personally think these exquisite and beautiful court dresses look better—elegant and grand, much better than those outfits that casually expose arms and thighs."

Hastur, sensing the need for self-preservation, quickly added. As expected, Sharon's expression softened considerably.

It turned out Sharon cared deeply about such opinions. After all, what girl could tolerate her favorite dress being completely disparaged by others?

Hastur understood and wisely refrained from mentioning it further.

After strolling for a while, they passed a clothing store that was still open. Sharon stopped and looked through the transparent window at the various light, simple dresses and revealing women's underwear on display.

Hastur glanced at Sharon and noticed her ears slowly turning red. She quickly looked away, calmed herself, and then walked away as if nothing had happened.

Hastur also took a look and couldn't help but click his tongue, marveling at how Emperor Roselle had left no room for future travelers.

These dresses and women's underwear were almost identical to those in lingerie stores from his previous life.

For Sharon, who had lived in Backlund for years, such a blatant display was a significant shock.

From bustiers to modern underwear, each advancement revealed more individuality.

In this regard, it was indeed quite free.

Thinking of this, Hastur became curious about whether the swimsuits in this world were similar to those in modern society.

Sharon in a swimsuit?

Given Sharon's personality, she would never wear something like that.

Hastur felt a bit regretful.

When he looked back, Sharon, who had walked two steps ahead, was looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Ahem, I was just curious," Hastur explained. Sharon gave him a look that said, "Do you think I believe you?"

"Hehe, young lady, dressing like this will make your boyfriend unhappy. Men prefer girls to wear less but not nothing at all. How to dress appropriately is a profound art."

A woman, dressed like a modern office lady, who had just come out of the clothing store, glanced at Sharon's outfit and shared some tips with a smile, completely ignoring Hastur's presence.

Another wealthy merchant's wife passing by joined the conversation.

"A woman should treat herself well. Clothes and underwear should be frequently updated. Like me, I get new styles every month, or else my husband would have long gone astray."

"..."

Sharon's mouth opened slightly, seemingly shocked by their bold discussion of such matters in public. She glared at Hastur, signaling him to leave quickly.

Hastur suppressed a laugh and thanked the two kind women for their advice before leaving.

After this small episode, Sharon lost interest in continuing to stroll and immediately hid in the mirror upon returning, not coming out.

Hastur could only sigh at the unique charm of Intis, understanding why Emperor Roselle had so easily integrated into this world and even surpassed it in some aspects.

...

In the basement of a luxurious villa in the western district of Treir's capital, a black tree about five meters tall stood. Its crown touched the reinforced ceiling, and its roots, unable to spread, coiled into clusters.

The divine offspring Seara stood up from a root buried in the soil, gazing at the crown, where a tightly wrapped sun emitted no light.

For some reason, he had a premonition that something significant was about to happen, waking him from his slumber.

This was the capital of Intis, with the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun nearby. To avoid detection, he had to hide his presence by sleeping.

But now, he was awakened.

His spiritual intuition never deceived him, indicating that a major change was imminent in Intis.

He did not dare to blindly peer into the future, fearing that he might glimpse an unseeable entity and expose his location.

Now, he could only hope the change would come a bit later.

He needed just another year or so for the new sun, nourished by the faith of the Eternal Blazing Sun, to be born.

By then, even if the Eternal Blazing Sun descended again, it would not change the overall situation.

His divine mandate was to hide in the shadows and protect the birth of this new sun.

Seara looked at the motionless black tree once more, then lay back, merging into the thick roots.

...

The Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun.

Recently, with the Kingdom of Ruen declaring war on the Fosa Empire, the Intis Republic followed suit, causing the priests of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun to become busy.

However, the absence of the Pope from the church led to irreconcilable conflicts among some bishops.

Once united in praising the sun, the church was now shrouded in a strange atmosphere.

An hour before dawn, the bell for the divine meeting rang, summoning all bishops still in the capital, Treir, to the church.

As the first rays of dawn shone into the cathedral through stained glass, the long-absent Pope donned the golden holy crown symbolizing his position.

He stood there quietly, like an incarnation of the sun, making everything around him warm.

In his presence, all ice and darkness would melt away.

"God says, all heretics shall be burned at the stake. Only on the pyre will they cry and repent for their sins."

Ross Hurley surveyed the six bishops below, holding the Pope's staff with a golden orb at its tip, radiating golden light throughout the cathedral.

Some sharp-eyed bishops noticed this was a binding spell, a means to prevent anyone from escaping.

Similar scenes had played out decades ago.

"God is merciful, but this does not mean anyone can betray their faith and blaspheme the deity."

His majestic voice echoed through the cathedral. With a shout, two pyres rose from the ground, burning with golden flames.

"This is your last chance."

Ross Hurley's gaze swept over the six bishops, but no one stepped forward.

"You have betrayed God's mercy and my trust."

With a whisper, two bishops suddenly flew towards the prepared pyres, their faces filled with terror.

They struggled desperately, but here, the Pope, wearing the golden holy crown, was the incarnation of the sun.

"The new sun will surely rise!"

"The old, decrepit sun should sink into the abyss. Haha, that is its final destination. The heavens belong to my Lord's divine kingdom!"

The doomed bishops shouted in anger and madness.

But their voices were soon replaced by extreme screams of agony.

The remaining four bishops looked at each other, not understanding what was happening.

A new sun?

Could it be...

They held their breath, afraid to think further, as their hands and feet grew cold.

In such a short time, two bishops had changed their faith under the deity's watchful eyes!

If the Pope had not returned in time, one day, the faith of the sun would no longer belong to the Eternal Blazing Sun.