Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1143 Is the myth right beside us?
Half an hour later, Metien stood on the altar of Tianxin Church, looking at the dozen or so listeners sitting below, nodded with satisfaction, and felt relieved that he had finally taken the first difficult step on the missionary road. Although the average age of these listeners was about the same as his, and some were even younger than him, it didn't matter. The faith of the goddess was not divided by gender, age or young. As long as they were pious, anyone could take shelter under her wings and be inspired by the grace of the soul.

It might be easier to target people of the same age, at least you don't have to worry about your words being treated as a child's joke and laughed off. This was also Gloria's idea to Metien. As a resistance organization that has existed for almost as long as the fall of the Ansers region, the Ash Guerrillas have a complex group of people. In addition to knowing that they are all the most determined resisters and fighters, even Carson Borg, as the leader, finds it difficult to tell the identity and origin of each member.

Among them, the orphans displaced by the war are undoubtedly the most eye-catching. Many of them joined the resistance organization with only hatred for the invaders and the unique passion of young people, vowing to avenge their dead relatives or friends. For these seeds of the future, the Ash Guerrillas do not reject them like the Ash Hands or Forest Rangers, but only temporarily take them in and take care of them, and help them return to normal life at the appropriate time.

Revenge is not everything in life. Some people choose revenge because there is no other way to go. Compared to those people, you still have a long way to go. Carson Borg always warned, and most of the orphans understood his idea after careful consideration and chose to withdraw from this dangerous war. However, some people still decided to stay after consideration. For these people, Carson Borg did not dissuade them, but arranged for them to perform less dangerous tasks, such as logistics.

So far, there are only a dozen orphans who have been recognized by Carson Borg and allowed to go to the battlefield and fight alongside his warriors. They all appeared here, looking around with suspicion or vigilance. Even though they know that they are in a safe environment, they still cannot change their inherent vigilance.

The backbone of this young army was a boy named Mitch. He had short blond hair with a slight curl at the end, and a pair of bright and cautious amber eyes. He wore a black and gold military uniform, which should be the uniform of the 17th Army of the Axis Powers. It was obviously not suitable for a child, so he made some simple modifications, cutting off the long parts, tightening the cuffs and trouser legs, and grinding off the unit number on the chest and the legion epaulettes on the shoulders, so that it looked very decent. However, the high-tube military cap, which was obviously only worn by officers above the rank of lieutenant, was not worn on his head, but by a girl next to him who also had short blond hair, but the color was much darker. A few bangs that were dry and yellow due to lack of nutrition stubbornly squeezed out from under the brim of the hat, hanging in front of the girl's timid and uneasy emerald eyes, and swaying as she moved her head back and forth to observe the surroundings.

The girl's name was Kadora. Although she looked inconspicuous, she was actually the most trusted person in the team besides Michel. She and Michel had fought side by side for a much longer time than other older members had joined the team. The two of them worked well together and always had amazing performances on the battlefield. As far as Metien knew, the uniforms they were wearing were captured after they raided and killed a lieutenant-level officer of the Axis in an ambush. However, the price was that Michel was seriously injured, and Kadora also had a high fever for half a month due to the infection of the wound. It was at that time that her hair lost its original golden luster.

If Regina hadn't said it herself, it would have been hard for Metien to believe that this boy and girl, who were almost the same age as him, actually had more than three years of battlefield experience, and that the number of Axis soldiers who had died at their hands was too many to count even with the palms of their hands combined - of course, the number of relatives and companions they had lost in this war would be far more than this. Perhaps that was why they had never thought of leaving the battlefield and returning to normal life.

Can't go back anymore.

Metien looked at his peers with a complicated expression. They were all holding weapons that were almost half their height in their arms, and they had not let go even after entering the church. Mitch was holding a blue long sword with half of the blade missing and the magic circuit had begun to wear out; Kadora was holding a sniper rifle, which was rusted and the original metal color could no longer be seen. Only the scope on it was well maintained and shiny.

That's right, the weapons they used were all magic devices, which were undoubtedly captured from the Axis army. Compared with traditional supernatural or magic, the power of magic devices is not that strong, but the threshold is low. You only need to awaken your spirituality and have the most basic magic power, which is not a difficult task in the East Continent where mysterious knowledge is more popular. For example, young soldiers like Mitch and Kadora may not be able to access the power of supernatural and magic for various reasons, but as long as they pick up magic devices and train for a while, they still show good combat effectiveness.

However, without a regular magic system, lacking the power provided by the magic furnace and a variety of tactical plug-ins, and not being able to get support from technicians, these factors meant that they could not rely too much on magic devices to fight. Whether it was Mitch or Kadora, their magic devices were on the verge of breaking, which seemed to foreshadow each other's fate. As long as this war continued, their lives would always be threatened. Sooner or later, they would reach the end, perhaps with a wound, or perhaps a stray bullet... Is it very far away? No one could be sure, maybe it would be the next battle?

Yesterday, when Metien was healing their wounds, he noticed that each of them had many old wounds on their bodies, especially Michel, who had so many wounds that it was scary to look at them. However, when Metien whispered to him to take care of his body, his reaction was very indifferent - it was better to say that he was calm, a calmness that put life and death aside.

For someone who is destined to go to the battlefield, there is really no point in talking about taking care of your body.

But Metien felt that even if something was meaningless, someone had to do it.

If, if the goddess's teachings could bring them some comfort, and fill everyone's heart with the courage to live, then perhaps, that was why fate brought them to this continent?
The girl couldn't help but think in her heart.

"Aren't you going to start yet?"

Perhaps she had been thinking for too long, the boy named Mitch urged her impatiently, his heels tapping on the church floor, making a rhythmic echo, and people could feel his dissatisfaction and irritability.

“Oh, sorry!” Metien came to his senses and apologized quickly: “Sorry for keeping you waiting. I’ll start right away!”

"That's right!" Leticia also echoed, and she stood guard at the door of the church, as if blocking everyone inside to prevent them from escaping. In her opinion, what was there for this arrogant brat to be anxious about? Metien helped so many of you to heal your wounds, and she was so tired that she couldn't sleep well last night. In return, she just asked you to come and listen to her preaching, and she didn't require you to join the church. If you are not satisfied with this, she will be even more dissatisfied: "Metien just needs time to prepare, why are you in such a hurry?" "Waaaaa!"

Shemi rushed over and flew back and forth in front of Leticia like a big moth. While flying, he lowered his voice and said to his friend: "Don't be so aggressive, Leticia! Don't forget that Metien still needs to preach to them. If you annoy them, they won't listen to Metien seriously!"

"Mitch." Cadora also pulled the boy's sleeve and whispered in his ear: "Calm down and think about what Sister Regina said to us."

Just think of it as a chance to relax and make some new friends - that's what Regina said before coming here.

Regina's concerned face suddenly appeared in his mind. Mitch curled his lips and didn't say the words he wanted to retort. He just muttered in a voice that only he could hear: "Anyway, just listen casually..."

After Shaymi's persuasion, Leticia gave up the idea of ​​pursuing them. However, she was still a little indignant and muttered, "They were just listening anyway..."

The two of them reached a surprising agreement at this time, but Metien was standing on the altar, far away, so she didn't hear it. Seeing that the minor friction between the two sides seemed to have subsided without her mediation, she laughed dryly twice, and before the next friction occurred, she announced the start of today's sermon: "Ahem, since everyone seems to be in a hurry, let's get started quickly. First, eh, please allow me to introduce to you the creator of the two universes, the Lord of Magic, the creator of all reality and fantasy, order and chaos, Her Majesty the Great Goddess!"

This long list of names shocked the audience. As everyone knows, the names and titles of true gods cannot be taken arbitrarily. They symbolize their rank, power, and domain. If they go beyond that, they will become the target of public criticism. At the very least, they will be criticized or condemned, and at the worst, religious wars will be triggered, which will never end. Therefore, the Spirit Prayer Society reveres its saint as "the master of all spirits and the pioneer of civilization", and the Dawn of Disaster calls its god "the source of disasters and the dawn of the end". As for the church they are most familiar with, the believers of the Church of Original Night will call the god who has disappeared "the symbol of original darkness and eternal night". It's the same reason.

As for the so-called title of "the creator of two universes, the lord of magic, the creator of all reality and fantasy, order and chaos", if any religion dares to spread its faith under such a name and has survived to this day, there are only two possibilities: either its existence is too inconspicuous and no one will care how an ant brags about itself; or its power is so strong that other religions have to acquiesce in its usurpation of the name.

But, the Holy Goddess Cult shouldn’t be the former, right?

After realizing this, the audience, who were originally somewhat careless, began to take it seriously. Even Mitch, who was leaning on the back of his chair, quietly straightened his back, put his hands on his legs, and sat upright. This was based on the most basic courtesy to a great god, but at the same time, it was also a kind of implicit expectation. The original God of Night had abandoned his believers and the kingdom of God. He was thinking, but who said that there couldn't be another god to save this land?
They were extremely disappointed with the original Night God, so they were willing to follow Brother Carson, abandon their faith, and stop being his disciples. But if the gods could really hear their wishes and respond to the prayers of the people, then the piety that had become dead would be rekindled, and it would surely burst into a brighter light than before, right?
Perhaps sister Regina and brother Carson had the same idea, which is why they allowed them to come here and listen to the preaching of an immature pastor?
After all, this is a land shrouded in faith. Not only do gods need believers, but believers also need their gods.

With a hidden expectation, Michelle finally began to look at the young priest on the altar, even though they were almost the same age.

Metien was naturally not aware of the audience's psychological activities, but seeing that everyone was listening to her speech attentively, she couldn't help but feel a little happy. From the perspective of a pastor, she was indeed very immature, and she didn't even know how scary the title she reported was. The girl felt that she was just telling the truth: The creator of two universes, didn't the goddess create the old universe Eden and the new universe Mirror Star? The Lord of Magic, isn't the goddess the source of all magic, spirituality and mystery in the world? As for the creator of all reality and fantasy, order and chaos, this is easier to understand. If she wasn't afraid that these people wouldn't understand, she would even want to add "The Ruler of the Stars, the Sleeper of the Lightless Sea, the Guide and Protector of Civilization, the God of All Gods" and other titles all at once.

But that seems too long?

Well, as long as the result is good!
The pink-haired little girl was greatly encouraged. She opened the thick "Scripture" with some difficulty and began to tell the audience a mysterious story about how the goddess created the world, creatures, laws and symbols within seven days and the fourteen royal maidens.

This story may sound very distant, even dating back to 120 million years ago, when everything was still hazy and ignorant.

But perhaps, the myth is actually right next to you?
As the girl spoke, she secretly glanced at the gray-haired nun who was standing behind a pillar, smiling silently.

Give me some meow