Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 292: Have you decided on the location for the ceremony?

Rochelle returned the paper list to its original owner. Professor David took it and took a look. He found that Rochelle had only contacted a part of the list, and the people he had contacted were all the same type of people, that is, those who were in poor living conditions and desperately needed the support of faith, such as the poor living in the sewage rivers in the suburbs, the maintenance workers or cleaners at the small docks, and the down-and-out vendors on the verge of bankruptcy; as for those believers who were famous in the city and had certain power, such as government officials, doctors, lawyers, and even the nobles in the central city, he did not contact any of them.

This is a very smart choice. Firstly, these believers are basically the key surveillance targets of the combined sects. Any abnormal behavior of theirs will arouse the vigilance and attention of the night watchmen. Under such circumstances, it is too risky to contact them rashly. Secondly, the ritual of summoning gods only requires the amount of power of faith, and has nothing to do with the identity and status of the participants. These believers may still have pious faith in the spring spirits, but after a hundred years and several generations, it is difficult for them to reach a fanatical level. It is basically impossible to persuade them to devote themselves to a distant and illusory ideal or a grand and huge goal.

In this case, there is no need to waste time on them, which only increases the chances of being exposed.

It seems that Rochelle has always maintained his composure and has not been overwhelmed by the approaching dawn, or he knew from the beginning that he was not qualified to make mistakes. To brew a torrent and trigger a landslide under the nose of the behemoth beast of the cult alliance requires greater courage than a tiger or bear, more careful thinking than an eagle, and a calmer mind than a wolverine. The walkers of the Fertile Soil Sect have been tempered and now have all three, and they still show a calm and cautious attitude.

From the mountain man in front of him, Professor David deeply realized a truth: sometimes, madness carefully packaged with reason is more likely to deceive the world, but it is also more dangerous.

He looked at the walker deeply, then put away the list and asked, "Are these people enough, Rochelle? Don't forget, what is the only core element in creating a conceived god?"

Rochelle certainly would not forget it. It should be said that he remembered it in his heart, so he replied in a low voice: "Only when everyone is united can we achieve success."

The meaning of this sentence is as simple as it says. As long as there are enough believers participating in the ceremony and the power of faith they offer is large enough, the created god will also gain corresponding power according to its size. However, when Rochelle excluded some high-risk personnel from the list, and another part of the people rejected his invitation due to ideological differences or other reasons, the remaining believers who could participate in the ceremony were less than one-third of the original number, about one hundred people.

It is true that their faith is very devout, and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as fanatical, but they are basically ordinary people, not even a magician, so the quality is still not enough to make up for the difference in quantity. Even if the ceremony of inviting gods is successfully completed in the end, the conceptual gods created will not be too strong, and may not even cross the threshold of demigods, let alone compete with the constructed mechas of the cult.

"So, where do you want to find a magician who believes in spring spirits to participate in your summoning ceremony, Rochelle? If I remember correctly, you have basically excluded all the believers who are magicians on the list. Could it be that His Majesty Keliul has sent other helpers to you?" There was a hint of sarcasm in Professor David's voice, which was completely different from his usual gentle and elegant image.

A ridiculous possibility flashed through the professor's mind, and he was incredulous: "Are you crazy!?"

As expected, Professor David sneered in a low voice, and was about to continue to mock his impracticality, when he suddenly saw a solemn expression on the walker's face. He stared at himself quietly, and in those silent eyes that were deeper than the night, in those bronze skin that was as hard and stubborn as a rock, and even in those broad eyebrows that were more distant than the earth...all of them naturally revealed a kind of compassion and piety for pain, as if he had made some kind of enlightenment, and therefore was given all the wisdom and intellect of being born as a human being by the true God above the world, so that he could complete all great missions, even at the cost of sacrificing himself.

Was it that such a huge sacrifice was made just to add another glorious record to the Earth Witch, the Scarlet Night Gate's Judgment Cannon? Professor David could not understand.

If this is the case, Rochelle's plan, as well as the situation that many animist believers, including the head of the church, His Majesty Keliul, have painstakingly planned, will not succeed.

Rochelle shook her head slowly: "There are no other helpers."

"It's okay." Rochelle said calmly, "What we lack in quantity, we can make up for in quality."

"Personal awareness," Rochelle replied, "is actually closely linked to God's fate. There is no absolute cruelty, and naturally no absolute loneliness. For example, I have seen the scenes in the trials where mountains and great peaks collapsed and earth and mudstone washed away and buried."

So the fallen leaves will blend into the soil, the moss will cling to the faint light, the corpses of flying insects will fly again under the support of rocks, the rotten seeds will sprout again in the cycle of humus, and the broken grass roots will fall in the dust all over the sky like giant trees from ancient times... When the old dies, the new is born. This is the truth that Rochelle realized after traveling all over the earth and in countless trials.

"But you are not a believer of the Spring Spirit!" Professor David scolded: "You clearly believe in the spirit of the earth, the kind and benevolent Earth Mother... but you want to participate in the ritual of summoning the gods of the Spring Spirit believers!? What are you thinking about? Do you want to create a new monster?" "It seems that you know nothing, David. If your father stood here, he would not ask the same question today, because he is a true animist." Rochelle glanced at the professor and said in a flat tone: "All things have spirits, and the overflow of spirits is God. If the spirituality of all things has the same source, then the unity of these spirits will create nothing more than the god standing at the source, not the monster you think it is."

What he meant was that he was accusing Professor David of having a superficial understanding of animism and that he was not a true believer in animism at all.

Although this explanation is reasonable from the perspective of mysticism, Professor David still thinks this approach is too absurd and full of logic that normal people cannot understand. When he heard Rochelle mention his father and vaguely thought that his belief in animism was the real piety, the professor could not help but sneer, and the laughter was full of irony that only he understood.

"All things have spirits, and our mission is to unite all spirits. I will take the first step in this city. This is a glorious return." Rochelle added: "I wanted to invite you to share this glory, but it seems that your body and mind are not yet ready, so you are not qualified to be the carrier of God, David. Missing this glory will be the biggest regret in your life."

Is it the honor of being a fanatic? Or is it the qualification to create monsters?

Professor David replied coldly: "I don't need this honor, nor do I need this qualification."

Because of this, at least there is still a future in my life.

Rochelle shook her head and said nothing more.

The topic returned to the beginning, regarding the preparations for the ceremony of summoning gods. In addition to the devout believers who participate in the ceremony, a suitable venue is also needed, preferably one with sufficient spirituality, so as to effectively reduce the difficulty of communicating with the gods; the various materials and utensils required for the ceremony were well preserved when the Holy Spring Monks evacuated the city of Nimsher in the past, in case of emergency; there are also a large number of magic crystals, which serve as the medium of the ceremony. At the same time, it requires huge magic power to accommodate spirituality and create a carrier that carries the will of the gods.

"I have chosen a suitable place." Rochelle looked around, his eyes passing between the luxurious and bright wall pillars and the cold and transparent glass display cabinets, and said, "The Lubeon Museum has been closely monitored by the cult, and it is not the most suitable place to hold the ceremony. Fortunately, before I set off, His Majesty Kellur told me an ancient secret in Nimsher City, which may be the key to breaking through the cult's blockade."

The ancient secret of Nimsher?
Professor David looked thoughtful when he heard this. He seemed to know where Rochelle wanted to hold the ceremony. After all, the David family was a noble family with a long history in Leisenburg, and they had also heard about this secret.

"If it's that place, it won't be difficult." He said, "During the World Expo, the city government has relaxed its management regulations. I will arrange for people to secretly transport the materials, utensils and magic crystals required for the ceremony. However, you'd better give me a clear time when you want to hold the ceremony."

Rochelle spoke without hesitation, as if she had already thought of the answer many times in her mind, so that she could answer it without any hesitation: "Tomorrow afternoon, when the sunlight reaches the top of the spire."

"I will hold a ceremony to invite the gods there."

The voice echoed in the top floor of the museum, steady and firm.

In the dark, fate is destined and gradually moves towards a known path.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)