Chapter 61: A Lucid Dream
After a long silence, Nyx spoke to Corleon's back.
“Is this the faith you are spreading?”
“This is merely conveying the Lord's teachings to them,” Corleon replied without turning around.
“Is there a difference between this and faith?” Nyx asked.
“Of course there is,” Corleon said.
“Mr. Nyx, as a scholar, may I ask, what is faith in the eyes of a scholar?”
Nyx straightened his posture and said,
“It is a spiritual solace for people, a form of knowledge that alters cognition, a way of forcibly guiding thought.”
“This is our contemplation based on the value of the church's existence for commoners, nobles, and the mysterious.”
“For commoners, what faith is doesn't matter; what matters is that they need a faith. Only then can they have a sliver of hope in their painful lives.”
“For nobles, what faith is doesn't matter; what matters is that faith can change the cognition of commoners, making them believe that accepting noble leadership and exploitation is natural, that they are born to suffer.”
“For the mysterious, what faith is doesn't matter; what matters is that through faith, one can guide human thought, changing the basic cognition from 'rain follows clouds' to 'blowing the horn summons rain.'”
“Faith is a method, a way to change reality by manipulating thoughts.”
Nyx didn't mind Corleon's use of questions to answer his inquiries; instead, he explained earnestly.
“We believe faith is dualistic; good faith concentrates power, while bad faith causes danger.”
“Therefore, we scholars also have our own faith to keep us going on the path of seeking knowledge.”
“Scholars' faith?” Corleon turned around and asked.
“To seek truth for the future of humanity,” Nyx said solemnly.
“This is recorded in the current ten-thousand-year general history, the words of the first legendary scholar, Fide Truman.”
“I see,” Corleon nodded.
“Then, what about the faith of a priest?” Nyx asked again.
“My faith…” Corleon caressed the Holy Scriptures in his hand.
“Merciful Heavenly Father, Almighty Lord, You are the past, present, and future, the Creator of heaven and earth. You set the world's operation with words, created the cradle of life with power, distributed the trajectories of stars with wisdom; the seasons change in Your hands, and dew descends from Your throne.
Your love reaches the heavens; You teach us to love one another as ourselves.”
Corleon recited, without opening the Holy Scriptures in his hand.
“The Lord says, 'People are confused, so I send down My teachings to guide them forward.'”
Listening to Corleon's words, Nyx couldn't help but show a shocked expression.
“You want to create one?”
“You want to redefine the One?”
Corleon shook his head.
“I just believe that everything in the world has already been set with rules, and just as the Lord's Words recorded in the Holy Scriptures, this defines good and evil.”
“And we only need to follow the Lord's teachings, distinguish between good and evil, and love one another as ourselves; thus, we will be blessed.”
Corleon looked at Nyx.
“Just like the believers who build the Lord's Throne, they labor, which is good, and the rewards they gain from their labor are their blessings.”
“They believe in the Lord, in the Lord's Words, and believe that by acting according to the Lord's Words, they can receive blessings; this is their faith.”
“But they only receive rewards because they work for the church here,” Nyx couldn't help but say.
“But they are the lord's people, need to serve the lord, need to pay taxes; their labor cannot receive due rewards.”
“This does not align with your faith.”
“Then, when the lord also acknowledges the Lord, believes in the Lord, he can follow the Lord's teachings, allowing laborers to receive rewards, allowing them to be blessed; this is the Heavenly Kingdom on earth,” Corleon said.
“No, impossible, you not only want to create one, but also want to redefine order!” Nyx shook his head repeatedly.
“This is impossible to achieve, absolutely impossible; this is not correct.”
“Then, Mr. Nyx, since your faith as a scholar is 'to seek truth for the future of humanity,' is it truth that labor should be rewarded?” Corleon asked.
“Is it truth that a scholar gains knowledge after diligently studying?”
“Is it truth that a farmer gains a good harvest after sowing wheat and working hard?”
“Is it truth that a knight becomes stronger after training hard?”
“These are naturally truths, but…” Nyx stopped halfway.
He closed his eyes, adjusting his emotions. When he opened them again, he had regained his composure.
“Priest, perhaps I understand the faith you speak of,” he said.
“What you believe in is the reason you recognize, the truth you acknowledge.”
Before Corleon could speak, he continued,
“But priest, have you truly recognized this world?”
“This world is a massive curse; everyone is in a lucid dream.”
“Do you know why there are knights and nobles, and why nobles must be enfeoffed by royalty, and knights must be enfeoffed by nobles?”
Without waiting for Corleon's answer, he continued,
“This is not truth, but the law of the world's operation set by the curse.”
“Only nobles enfeoffed by royalty have the rights of nobility.”
“This is not about their territory, not about setting their own laws in their lands.”
“But about them possessing noble bloodlines, having more magic power, being stronger, and their descendants maturing earlier.”
“This is the right of nobles set by the curse.”
“Do you know why nobles have so few descendants?”
“Yes, precisely because of the curse.”
“This curse grants nobles the rights of nobility, and the price is their scarce bloodline.”
“This is the curse of nobles, and knights have the curse of knights, commoners have the curse of commoners.”
“Do you know the standard for legendary scholars?”
“To become a legendary scholar, one must change a curse to be called legendary.”
“And the higher survival rate of nobles' illegitimate children is precisely the curse changed by the legendary scholar Fide Truman.”
“This is a curse, and also a shackle, a shackle that binds the future of humanity.”
“Your truth is to advance human civilization, but these shackles have tightly bound humanity. At least for now, we can only follow the shackles set by the curse, the laws of the world's operation set by the curse.”
His voice carried suffocating despair.
Corleon remained silent.
“Then, does one need a scholar's enlightenment to be literate?” he asked.
“Yes, this is also a curse, and the most powerful curse,” Nyx's voice was hoarse.
“Only those who have received enlightenment can remember words, and those who haven't not only can't remember words but will slowly forget even the mysterious.”
“Just like using a treasure in front of a commoner; they can see the mystery at the time.”
“But as time passes, they will gradually forget these mysteries, eventually turning them into legends, and commoners will live again in their lucid dreams, restricted by shackles.”
“Then priest, can your truth exist in a lucid dream?”