Chapter 113: Honest Exchange, Brian’s Doubts

The heavy oak doors.

Were slowly pushed open by Brian.

Breaking the sacred stillness that had nearly solidified within the church.

He stepped inside without looking back.

He only left a calm instruction for Liz behind him: “Wait for me.”

Liz pressed her lips together, then finally nodded gently.

She stood solemnly with her hand on her sword, guarding outside the door.

As for the believers who had remained within the church earlier, they seemed to have received some sort of message and all quietly left.

The church was now empty.

The light within was hazy and sacred.

Colorful halos flowed down through the stained-glass windows, dyeing the air with dreamlike hues.

In the end, they slowly gathered before the altar.

Upon that ancient angel statue that emitted a faint, gentle radiance.

Brian turned around.

His gaze showed no hesitation, no awe-induced fear.

It landed directly on the statue.

He no longer needed to speculate or to probe.

Because the moment the doors had closed—

That vast, boundless divine will—

No longer concealed itself but filled the entire sanctuary!

Silent and soundless.

As if space itself were whispering.

Before the altar, the air above the statue twisted faintly.

Then—

An indescribable light emerged, like the first bloom of dawn.

There was no thunderous proclamation.

No space-rending pressure.

Light—

Simply and naturally took form out of the void.

Sixteen immense wings that shimmered like flowing liquid gold,

Their edges burning with pure holy flame,

Unfolded slowly.

Each minute movement sent ripples of visible holy radiance across the air.

At the center of that light—

Stood a figure beyond all mortal measure.

Its face veiled in endlessly shifting halos.

Only an overwhelming sense of supreme existence could be felt!

…

The ever-calm expression on Brian’s face—

Finally changed completely.

He had fought countless battles.

He had witnessed the luxury of the Imperial Royal Family.

He had faced the terrifying pressure of Undead Demigods.

He had even glimpsed fragments of the ancient Divine Wars in old records.

But the existence before him—

Shook the heart of steel within Brian like never before!

It was not the oppressive force of power.

Brian could clearly perceive that the energy level of this projection—

Might not be vastly stronger than his own.

Rather—it was status!

A fundamental difference in the level of existence itself!

Like an ant gazing up at the heavens, a stream beholding the vast ocean.

This form, built entirely from the power of faith—

Radiated a “divinity” he could not comprehend yet instinctively revered.

More importantly—

With his seventh-tier Sanctuary-level mental power, he could faintly sense—

That the source of this exalted will was not the brilliant figure in the air,

But was rooted deeply within… the church itself!

That meant—

Its true form was the church!

Not the angel Liz had always worshipped!

This realization was nothing short of astonishing.

A church that could manifest such a will and gather faith on its own?

It was even more terrifying than the hidden demigod Brian had once speculated about!

If word reached the Imperial Capital, few would believe it.

Yet—

The being before him had made no effort to conceal this secret.

It was a sign of openness, and a silent gesture of sincerity toward him!

Brian could stand tall before princes of the Empire without flinching.

He was as unyielding as an iron-backed beast.

But now, he drew in a deep breath.

His straight spine bent slightly.

He placed his right hand over his chest and performed an ancient, solemn knight’s salute.

“Brian Price.”

“Pays his respects, Your Excellency.”

This salute—

Was half born of respect for the being’s honesty,

And half from heartfelt gratitude for taking care of Liz.

Brian despised hollow courtesies, but he distinguished kindness and grievance clearly.

…

The sixteen-winged figure of light slightly inclined its head.

Then a majestic voice resounded within Brian’s soul.

【No need for formalities.】

The tone held no emotion, yet carried a power that soothed the heart.

Brian straightened, silently analyzing.

He disliked beating around the bush—

Especially now that he had confirmed the other’s fundamental stance.

He directly asked the greatest question in his mind:

“Your Excellency, your purpose—what is it?”

The figure of light fell silent for a moment, as if considering.

Then spoke as though stating the simplest of truths.

【As you see.】

【To protect this place, to preserve hope.】

Concise words—

Yet weighty as mountains!

Brian fixed his gaze upon that radiant figure.

He sensed not the slightest falsehood.

The purpose was pure—simply to protect life.

Perhaps, for divine beings,

The faith of believers was their basic sustenance—

As humans required food.

But the process itself was indeed the fulfillment of their promise to protect!

And Brian—judged only by result, not by motive.

That alone was far nobler than the lofty slogans of the Imperial high command…

Brian nodded slightly and asked his second question—

A question that had puzzled the wise across the Bromley Continent for millennia:

“The gods disappeared—why?”

This time—

The sixteen-winged figure fell into a longer silence.

The holy light wavered faintly,

As if shifting with its master’s deep contemplation.

Brian waited patiently.

He could sense—

The being was not unwilling to answer, but was tracing memories from an unimaginably distant past.

At last—

That voice echoed once more in his mind,

Carrying a faint, elusive remoteness and confusion:

【When I fell into slumber here, the gods of the heavens still performed their duties, order intact.】

【When I awoke a millennium later, the divine realm was desolate— the gods… were gone.】

!!!

The amount of information was staggering!

Brian’s heart trembled.

This divine being—had fallen asleep before the gods vanished?

And upon awakening, found all its companions gone?

This confirmed what the greatest minds of the continent had long suspected.

The disappearance of the gods was not due to a decline in power—

But because, at some unknown moment, something terrible had occurred!

As for this being—

Having slumbered here—became the sole “remnant”?

Brian looked at this divine presence, whose rank was supreme, yet whose power was still in its early recovery.

A complicated feeling rose within him.

Was it fortune? Or misfortune?

Perhaps… both.

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