Capítulo 36: Mythology
The grain was loaded onto a massive wooden cart, pulled by a hulking donkey magic beast.
The donkey magic beast was enormous, its steps steady.
Though its pace was slow, it was incredibly stable.
The grain was piled high on the cart. The road it traveled was uneven, strewn with stones, yet the cart never wobbled, as if the bumps and rough terrain meant nothing to it.
The soldiers marching alongside would occasionally glance back at the donkey magic beast, filled with admiration.
Despite its clumsy appearance, the donkey magic beast was an irreplaceable asset in the logistics division.
Naturally strong and tireless, it could haul massive loads of supplies across the most treacherous roads, ensuring a steady flow of provisions to the front lines.
These soldiers were part of the logistics unit, responsible for transporting food, armor, and weapons to the troops ahead.
They knew the grain had arrived safely, while the armor and weapons were still on the way, soon to join them.
The donkey magic beast continued its slow trek, its heavy breathing mingling with the sound of the soldiers' footsteps, creating the only noise in the marching column.
"You've really made a name for yourself.
Everyone's asking about your background these days," Heywood said with a look of excitement, clearly amused by the increasingly exaggerated rumors.
Borne paid him no mind, focused only on riding his horse and keeping his eyes on the road ahead.
He had no interest in the rumors, especially those involving Father Raphael. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the midst of it.
Seeing that Borne didn't respond, Heywood carried on, still full of enthusiasm.
"When I first heard those rumors, I was shocked. Some people were saying that Father Raphael is your relative!
I thought, if Borne had such an amazing relative, no way he wouldn't have told us."
"Come on, I'm his childhood friend—there's no way I'd miss something like that!"
Victor picked up on Heywood's conversation, clearly unimpressed.
He and Heywood continued chatting as they rode, occasionally glancing at Borne, as if trying to read something from his expression.
Borne sighed, still unwilling to engage with the two of them.
He knew well enough that these rumors had spun out of control because of Father Raphael and the immense power he had unleashed that night, which had sparked wild speculation.
People always liked to embellish mysterious events, and Borne had only become the subject of these baseless tales because he happened to have interacted with Father Raphael.
"Aren't you even a little surprised, Borne?"
Heywood pressed, as if hoping to pry some secret out of him.
"Stop asking, Heywood," Borne finally responded, his tone weary.
"There's no relation between Father Raphael and me.
The rumors are all false. Stop wasting your time on this nonsense."
Victor laughed heartily.
"I figured those rumors were nonsense.
But honestly, what happened that night was nothing short of miraculous.
Father Raphael's power… it's unreal.
Father Raphael's power is beyond anything we can comprehend," Borne said softly, his gaze lowering slightly.
He knew the truth—he had been there that night.
He had witnessed firsthand the sheer magnitude of Father Raphael's power.
Though Borne's words were brief, the complexity of his emotions was far harder to express.
He had stood witness to the awe-inspiring event, experiencing the overwhelming divine judgment in person.
Father Raphael's strength had far exceeded anything Borne could have imagined.
That night, thousands upon thousands of radiant swords had materialized behind Father Raphael, illuminating the sky, as if the heavens themselves had descended.
Each sword glowed with a brilliant, holy light, carrying an irresistible divine force, homing in on their targets with the precision of a heavenly judgment.
Swords of light descended like countless arrows from the sky, effortlessly obliterating those who dared to violate the sacred.
Borne could still vividly recall that moment.
The light had not only pierced through the night but also through his heart.
Standing beside Father Raphael, he had felt an indescribable sense of awe and reverence.
That power was so pure and immense, as though it transcended the realm of mortals, imbued with the grace and majesty of the divine.
Heywood frowned, curiosity gleaming in his eyes as he pressed on.
"That night, many said it was a miracle.
You saw it with your own eyes—what did it feel like?
Was it really as holy as the rumors claim?"
Borne was about to respond when Victor interrupted, unable to contain himself.
"That night, I was in the inn, sleeping, and suddenly I felt a massive surge of magic. I was nearly knocked out by it!"
Victor's tone carried both exaggeration and excitement as he recounted the event.
He still remembered the shock of it all.
The inn had been close to Father Raphael's church, and the overwhelming wave of magic had seemingly swept through the entire area, leaving him in awe.
"I was sleeping soundly, and then, bam, the magic woke me up."
Victor's face took on a more complex expression as he relived that moment.
"Can you imagine? The power nearly suffocated me—the air itself felt heavy."
Heywood, clearly more intrigued by these details, turned back to Borne.
"You were right there, saw it all—the swords of light, the brilliance, the miracle…
Was it really as unbelievable as people say?"
Borne paused for a moment, the memory of that night once again flashing through his mind.
Father Raphael had stood bathed in light, with countless swords of light hanging in the air behind him like stars.
The power had been pure and overwhelming, as though it came from another realm.
Each sword had shimmered with divine strength, evoking both reverence and an undeniable sense of pressure that made resistance seem impossible.
"I can't put it into words," Borne finally answered softly, his tone filled with barely concealed awe.
"In that moment, it felt like I was witnessing the resurrection of Alkis from legend, like a scene out of mythology brought to life."
Heywood and Victor's expressions froze, their eyes filled with shock.
Alkis—the legendary mentor of the first Pope—was the one responsible for the creation of the Curia.
Borne's comparison left them breathless, as they tried to imagine the awe-inspiring scene from that night.
"Alkis… resurrected…"
Victor muttered, still unable to fully grasp the possibility of such a miracle happening in their world.
Heywood's face shifted, his tone becoming half-serious as he joked, "If it was anything like what you're describing, we really did witness a miracle.
If I'd been there, I probably would have fainted."
Borne didn't respond, simply nodding in silence.
No matter how he described that night, it seemed impossible to fully convey the profound impact it had on him.
The power Father Raphael displayed had shattered all understanding of human limits.
The three of them sat in quiet reflection for a long moment.
No one spoke, and an invisible pressure seemed to hang in the air.
Each was lost in their own thoughts, unsure of what emotions stirred within them.
Heywood gazed off into the distance, replaying Borne's words in his mind.
A dull ache tugged at his chest.
He had always been a practical man, dismissive of miracles and divine intervention, but Father Raphael's power had shaken his convictions.
He didn't want to admit that he might have overlooked a deeper truth.
Victor, on the other hand, kept replaying that night in the inn when he had felt the overwhelming surge of magic.
That force had rattled him, not just physically but mentally as well.
Who exactly was Father Raphael? What kind of power did he possess?
Borne, still remembering the sight of Father Raphael that night, felt a torrent of conflicting emotions.
It was reverence mixed with an unspoken fear and a quiet sense of hope.
Perhaps there truly was a higher power in this world, and he had borne witness to it.
The three continued riding in silence, none of them speaking another word.
Only the sound of their horses' hooves on the ground echoed in the still air, the rhythm of their journey now the only sound in their shared silence.
Borne subtly touched his waist pouch. Inside it was something especially important—something Father Raphael had given him.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder