Chương 8: The Church of the Heavenly Supreme

Year 1626

A year has passed since the bloody conflict between the Aurion and Inlori kingdoms ended. The entire East is now unified under Aurion's rule. However, significant changes have occurred in the aftermath of the war. The noble families who participated in the rebellion were completely wiped out, and their surviving members faced public execution.

One notable development is the founding of a new religion by King Evan, in honor of the deity who granted him magical powers. This religion, known as the Heavenly Religion, quickly gained prominence. In the capital of the Aurion Kingdom, a grand structure, The Church of the Heavenly Supreme, was erected. This church not only serves as a place of worship but also holds significant power, granted by Evan. It has its own army to defend itself and to spread its influence and beliefs more effectively.

Year 1627

By now, King Evan has progressed to become an adept mage, having absorbed mana from the environment. His advancement was swift, but he has come to a troubling realization. He feels that he has reached his limit, that his innate potential and talent have been fully tapped, leaving no room for further growth or improvement. This realization brings a sense of stagnation and frustration, as he confronts the boundaries of his abilities.

In this year, the influence and power of the Heavenly Church, also known as the Church of the Heavenly Supreme, have surged remarkably, reaching a level of influence comparable to that of the royal Aurion family. With its newfound strength, the Church has begun to exert pressure on existing religions within the kingdom, targeting them in an effort to expand its own dominance.

Among the religions now under threat from the Heavenly Church are several with deep roots and significant followings in the region:

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Path of Ancestralism: This religion revolves around ancestor worship, holding the belief that the spirits of the deceased continue to watch over and protect their descendants. Its teachings emphasize respect for one's forebears and the importance of lineage and family heritage.

Spiritism of River and Sea: As the oldest of the three major religions, dating back over 600 years, it has a large number of adherents. Its origins lie in the early human civilizations of the East that relied heavily on rivers and seas for sustenance and survival. Followers of this faith revere these water bodies as guardians and protectors of humanity, offering rituals and prayers to honor them.

Celestrism: This faith is centered around the worship of celestial bodies, specifically the sun and the moon, as well as reverence for the earth. Followers believe in a sun god and a moon goddess, viewing these celestial bodies as divine parents of the earth.

According to their belief, the sun and the moon eternally orbit the earth out of their love and protection for their child, and the earth is seen as a sacred ground blessed by their presence.

As the Heavenly Church grows in power and begins to challenge these established religions, tensions rise within the kingdom.

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The confrontation between the new, aggressive doctrine of the Heavenly Church and the traditional beliefs of these older faiths threatens to disrupt the social and religious harmony that has long existed in the region.

King Evan, in collaboration with the Heavenly Church, initiates a plan to take in many orphans left by the war that ravaged three years prior, all under the Church's auspices. Their ambition is to educate these children in the ways of magic, using spells and techniques provided by Evan himself. The ultimate goal is to mold these orphans into future magical soldiers, a formidable force intended to explore and conquer new lands on behalf of the kingdom and the Church.

By the year's end, the Church has adopted over 10,000 orphans, immediately commencing their education in magical arts.

Year 1632

In just a few years, the Heavenly Church succeeds in converting a third of the entire kingdom to its creed. However, their methods grow increasingly coercive; initially, they wield threats of divine retribution, but as their power consolidates, they resort to demolishing the sacred sites of the three major rival religions. The capital and other significant cities soon fall under the complete influence of the Heavenly Religion.

Despite pleas from the followers of the old religions for justice, King Evan, a devout adherent and the founder of the Heavenly Religion, disregards their appeals. Statues of Solarian, crafted from Evan's recollections of their encounter, rise throughout the kingdom, symbolizing the widespread acceptance and reverence of the new faith.

Year 1640

The Heavenly Religion is officially declared the state religion by King Evan. Other faiths are branded heretical, with their adherents facing public persecution. The orphans raised and educated in magic under the king and Church's care have now matured into mages, tasked with quashing any remnants of the heretical beliefs. These mages, indoctrinated to serve the Supreme Deity, the Heavenly God, the Creator, show no mercy to non-believers.

However, among the tens of thousands of orphans taken in, only approximately a 1000 succeed in becoming full-fledged mages. While all the children can sense and absorb mana, the majority struggle with spellcasting. Beyond basic spells like "light ball," their magical capabilities are severely limited,

Year 1650

The influence of the three ancient religions dwindled to the verge of extinction within the kingdom, largely due to the conversion of most nobles to the Heavenly Religion. With no protectors left to advocate for them, these religions vanished from public consciousness. The Heavenly Church ascended to unparalleled authority, second only to the king, its power unchallenged across the land.

To spread its doctrine far and wide, the Church organized expeditions of skilled mages, designating them as missionaries to explore and establish a foothold in foreign territories, including the lands of the barbarians. Additionally, an elite force known as the Guardian Force was established to maintain order within the kingdom. This force, comprised of adept mages, not only protected the citizens from criminal elements but also served as judge and executioner, delivering swift justice to lawbreakers.

Year 1669

The era of King Evan came to a close as he passed away from natural causes. His legacy was inherited by his son, Prince Hariu, who ascended the throne with the backing of both the Heavenly Church and the kingdom's mage army. Despite his youth at just 18 years of age, Hariu demonstrated remarkable magical prowess, having advanced through the ranks of magic at an extraordinary pace: reaching the novice stage at 7, the apprentice stage at 12, and the adept stage by 17.

Hariu's devotion to the Supreme God and the Heavenly Religion surpassed even that of his father. Within just a year of his reign, he commissioned the construction of more churches than his father had in his entire lifetime. He mandated the Church's holy scriptures as compulsory reading in all educational institutions, thereby intertwining religious doctrine with the kingdom's educational system.

Furthermore, Hariu elevated the main Church of the Heavenly Religion to a status rivaling that of the royal palace itself, both in splendor and importance. Under his direction, missionaries were sent far beyond the kingdom's borders to disseminate the tenets of their faith and to discover new lands,

Year 1675

In the thick of the jungle, a band of robed figures made their way through the dense foliage.

One of them piped up, "Captain, do you really believe there are other lands out there?" He was addressing the man at the lead, who was engrossed in reading from the heavenly bible.

With a gentle smile, the leader replied, "Absolutely, other lands are out there. The Heavenly Church tells us so, and their words are the words of the Supreme Deity, the Heavenly God. What He tells us is bound to be true." This group was no ordinary band; they were the top missionaries sent by the church to discover new lands and spread their faith. The team was formidable, comprising six apprentice mages, and the captain himself was an adept mage.

They trekked through the jungle for weeks until they finally emerged from the dense trees. What they saw before them left them in awe—a city sprawling across the plains. They had discovered a city, which meant they had found a new land.