Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 1149 Don’t want to be the second him?
The truth that everyone understands is difficult to put into practice; the truth that no one wants to practice, if someone does it, will immediately become the target of public criticism and be attacked by everyone. It seems that this truth can only exist in word of mouth, like an illusory rumor or a beautiful vision. Once it becomes a reality, it will only make everyone feel unhappy.

The teachings of the Goddess of Creation are like a mirror, deeply reflecting the ugly and despicable faces of other churches, but people usually do not reflect on themselves, because compared to reflection and repentance, it is easier to destroy things that make them unhappy.

As the Assyrian uprising became more and more powerful, the uprising spread to a wider range, and more and more people knew the teachings of the Goddess of Creation. The people's hearts were in favor of the power, which made the gods and humans above feel panic and fear. Therefore, even religions that had nothing to do with the war, under the command of the gods, set foot on the battlefield.

The paladins who uphold the will of God are armed to the teeth and gallop across the battlefield, calling out for the glory of God. They pierce the enemy's bodies with their spears and chop off the enemy's heads with their swords, just like the god of death, plundering hope and bringing despair. Even the priests in charge of preaching take off their robes and put on battle uniforms. They drive the plague into the enemy's camp and ignite fire to burn the enemy's corpses. Even their souls have to be completely purified with baptized holy water to ensure that these people who are more hateful than pagans and heretics will be completely eliminated and will never get the chance to reincarnate into the underworld.

They didn't even need to consider whether there were innocent people among them. God had already ordered that all sins must be purified. There was no possibility of pardon for any soldier who joined the rebels. The risk of killing them was no greater than hunting the lord's hare, and their heads could be exchanged for considerable merit and actual rewards. Whoever could hunt more pagans would be appreciated by God and even become a high-ranking official in the church.

Other countries that had nothing to do with the war also sent intervention troops to assist the empire in suppressing the rebellion under the joint pressure of almost all religions in the East Continent. Merchants were forbidden to sell supplies to the rebels; civilians would be punished for being implicated if they found out that any of their relatives or friends had joined the rebels; hunters or farmers in the countryside, as long as they had contact with the rebel soldiers, whether they knew about it or not, had to go to the trial and be purified. Only if they could survive would they prove the purity and piety of their faith.

For the people of the Creation Goddess Cult and the Assyrian rebels, this war carried their great ideal of creating a new order and was undoubtedly a holy war; and for the believers of these religions, since it was an order from the gods themselves, then eradicating evil must be beyond doubt, and this was also a holy war.

Unfortunately, despite a lot of preparations made in advance, despite the support of many people, despite the fact that the Imperial Ian who led the rebels was a charismatic leader, and despite the fact that the rebels also recruited a number of outstanding talents, all of this still seemed too weak compared to their enemies.

So, a choice was placed before Ian.

Should he stick to his ideals and continue to be an enemy of the whole world? Or should he compromise with reality and settle for the next best thing?
Later, we all know what choice he made. On the one hand, it is a pity, but on the other hand, it is full of complex relief. The pity is that the cause of the rebels ultimately failed. After experiencing this lesson, the Yalas Empire strengthened its ruling power over the people in various ways. Without external pressure, the possibility of a large-scale uprising would have been basically eliminated. The relief is that until the moment of failure, Ian was still the great leader recognized by the believers of the Goddess of Creation, trusted by the fairies of Assyria in Paradise, and even followed to death by many people of different races, classes and identities.

He was not changed by reality.

"What a respectable person." Ling Ge pursed his lips slightly, not knowing what he remembered, his eyes had a complicated look.

"To this day, his name is still spread in every corner of this continent. Some people even say that wherever there is oppression and suffering, you can see his ghost wandering around, guiding people to rebel against the reality visible to the naked eye and the fate invisible to the naked eye. If the rebellion is successful, he will cheer for you and bless you; even if you fail, don't be afraid, he will lead your soul to the paradise of eternal bliss. Therefore, some people call him a rebel, and some people call him the defender of Assyria."

Carson Borg paused and continued, "After the outbreak of the colonial war, he even became the spiritual leader of our resistance organizations. Anyone who was determined to resist the invaders would basically swear in his name, saying that they would fight to the end like Ian and would never compromise with anyone. But the irony is that these resistance organizations risked their lives to drive out the invaders and protect the countries that, a hundred years ago, all participated in the war to suppress the Assyrian uprising. Although the Kingdom of Noah was a small country, it was no exception. It is said that the king at that time was pressured by the Holy Order of Monks and sent an intervention force of 800 people to the province of Atorica. In the end, none of the 800 soldiers came back."

Having said this, he sighed quietly, feeling helpless about the twist and mockery of fate.

Lingge didn't know how to comfort him, so he could only change the subject abruptly, or rather, a topic that interested him more: "After the uprising failed, what happened to the Creation Goddess Cult?"

"It is said that they suffered heavy losses and were forced to retreat to the paradise town of Assyria to recuperate. To this day, no news about this church has been heard for a hundred years. But what you said about the rebels being a complete failure is not entirely true."

Carson Borg said: "The rebels were defeated on the banks of the Atorica River. Ian had the opportunity to escape, but he chose to stay behind to cover his retreat, and let his sister Shelly lead the survivors to evacuate the battlefield. These people eventually disappeared. Some people suspected that they followed the Creation Goddess Cult and entered the paradise town of Assyria, and then escaped from the pursuit. But three years later, Shelly and the new rebels she led reappeared in the world's vision, claiming to have inherited her brother's ideals and will to continue the uprising war against the brutal rule of the empire. However, the scale and momentum of the new rebels were much weaker than those of the Assyrian rebels. For a long time, they could only conduct guerrilla warfare and harassment against the imperial cities within the Atorica province. There was no sign of support from the Creation Goddess Cult behind them, so they did not arouse the fear and siege of religious forces like her brother. Except for the fact that the empire repeatedly sent troops to suppress them, they did not cause much waves."

Ling's face slightly changed when he heard this. Carson Borg saw his reaction and had long guessed what he wanted to ask. He smiled softly and said, "But some people also rumored that with the scale and strength of the new rebel army, how could it be possible to be unscathed after being ambushed repeatedly by the imperial army? Therefore, she must have the support of other forces behind her. Maybe it is the Goddess of Creation and Paradise Township Assyria, who feel guilty about Ian's death and secretly support his sister to continue the fight?"

He looked at Ling Ge deeply and said, "So, if you want to get accurate information about the Goddess of Creation and Paradise Assyria, the most convenient way is to ask Shelly herself. Otherwise, the Goddess of Creation is mysterious and mysterious, and Paradise Assyria is hidden from the world. If they want to avoid the world, even if the religious forces of the entire East Continent join hands, they will not be able to find their hiding place. I think smart people will not pin their hopes on their luck."

"Will she be willing to share this information with us?" Ling asked, "rather than suspecting us of ulterior motives?"

"If it's someone else, I'm afraid it won't be the case. But if it's you, there's great hope. Although I've never met the leader of the new rebel army, the sister of the legendary hero, from her words and actions, she should be an idealist no less than her brother. It's a well-known fact that idealists are the easiest group to resonate with."

At this point, Grayhill Eagle glanced at Linger again, which made the young man react belatedly: "Are you trying to say that I am also an idealist?"

"No doubt about it." "Just like you?"

"This point... is debatable."

The leader of the Ash Guerrillas didn't seem to think he was an idealist. Was it his past experiences that bound him, or did this man feel from the bottom of his heart that he didn't have the qualifications? But no matter what, Linger was convinced. As Carson Borg himself said, the composition of a person should not be observed through conjecture, but through his words and actions.

At least, in this vast dark forest, the young man has not met a second idealist.

Carson Borg seemed not to want to delve into this issue, and said to Ling: "However, if you plan to go to the Atoriga Province of the Yalas Empire to look for the new rebel army and the successors of the former heroes, I have the obligation to remind you to pay attention to two things at all times."

"Appreciate further details."

"First, dealing with the new rebels may damage your reputation. I'm not referring to your reputation in the Empire, but in the entire Eastern Continent. Remember what I told you before? Some people suspect that the forces secretly supporting the new rebels in their resistance activities are the Creation Goddess Cult and Paradise Township Assyria, but in reality, only a few people believe in such rumors. More people prefer to believe that the Axis Powers are behind the new rebels."

"Axis Powers?" Ling Ge was surprised at first, but after reacting, he quickly figured out the logic: "Because during the most critical period of this colonial war, the new rebels carried out resistance activities in the territory of the Yalas Empire, making it impossible for this core country of the Holy Alliance to put all its forces into the front battlefield. So people suspected that the Axis Powers were secretly funding it, trying to use this nail to disintegrate the morale of the Allied forces?"

"That's right." Carson Borg nodded slightly. "Of course, any wise man can see that this statement is even more absurd. Not to mention that the activities of the new rebels are limited to the province of Attolica and have not touched the core territory of the empire, judging from the results alone, the empire is unwilling to send more troops to the front battlefield. Isn't it hoping to preserve its strength and let others die first?"

At this point, the Eagle of Gray Hill smiled coldly. Obviously, the Kingdom of Noah was also among the sacrifices. The corruption of that ancient empire was deep in its bones. Its pity for life and fear of the enemy were probably far greater than that of an old wolf dying in the Ash Forest. "However, with the deliberate spread of some people, this rumor has spread more and more widely. In addition, the new rebels did not respond, so many people believed it to be true. If you want to deal with the new rebels, you must be prepared to be slandered for colluding with the Axis Powers. In today's Eastern Continent, this is not a good reputation, and it may even affect all your subsequent actions."

He advised sincerely. Ling Ge thought for a moment, then shook his head slowly: "I am originally a nobody in this continent. I don't need to care about these material things."

Nobody? Solomon didn't think so.

Carson Borg thought the young man was being a little modest, but he did not refute him. He just talked about the second thing he needed to pay attention to: "In addition, if you want to arrive at Atorica Province safely without attracting anyone's attention or entanglement, then you should do less of what happened today."

What happened today? Ling Ge immediately realized that he was referring to his preaching to Mitch, Kadora and others.

"The Holy Goddess religion you believe in is so similar to the Creation Goddess religion of the past. Not only are their names so similar, but their doctrines are also almost identical. It is difficult for those who are interested not to connect the two together." Carson Borg said softly, "I don't object to your principles, Mr. Ling, and I don't even object to Mitch and Karado continuing to go to the Tianxin Church to listen to Miss Metien's sermons. But, it's limited to this, limited to the black forest under our feet. Although the darkness here is deep and shapeless, it can accommodate many things that the outside world cannot tolerate. But once you leave, it's not that simple. No matter how noble your character and how great your ideals are, if you can't realize them, everything is meaningless."

How to achieve it?
At least, protect yourself first.

Don't be another Ian.

The eyes of the Gray Hill Eagle undoubtedly convey such a sincere meaning.

As he said, he did not dislike the teachings of the Holy Goddess Church, and even agreed with them in a sense. If he did not believe in those principles from the bottom of his heart, how could he use such straightforward words to remind Lingge?

The young man was silent for a while, then slowly replied: "I understand."

Give me some meow