Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest
Chapter 176 - 13: All Gods Are Meaningless

Chapter 176: Chapter 13: All Gods Are Meaningless

Roman tied his white horse at the foot of the mountain.

He then went up the mountain alone with two girls.

In fact, it was Gwivelle who was leading the way.

Familiar with the path, she brought Roman to a cabin where a dirty healer was squatting on the ground, sorting through herbs.

"Grandpa Galin!"

"Gwivelle, you’ve brought something again... uh, this time empty-handed... not really empty-handed, you’ve brought someone I don’t want to see."

"How dare you!"

"Alas, wasn’t taking Jet and Dick away from me enough? Can’t you leave me a piece of peace?"

"No one on this land has the right to refuse me!"

"Alright, you’re the Lord, whatever you say goes. But if it weren’t for Gwivelle’s sake, nor for the sake of All Gods, at least spare an old man’s life."

"I have business with you."

Roman walked into the cabin; it was his second encounter with Galin, but their relationship had grown much closer than before.

The master of medicine in Sige Town.

But Roman was not here for that; he cut straight to the point.

"How can one cultivate a qualified Witch?"

"I don’t know!"

"Tell me!"

Galin sighed heavily. "Why bother seeking the forbidden?"

Roman scoffed, "If I don’t seek it, someone else will. So why can’t that person be me?"

In the silence that followed from Galin, Gwivelle seemed distracted, "I’ll leave for a moment and will be back soon." She picked up her skirt and quickly disappeared into the forest.

Galin repeated, "I truly don’t know."

"I don’t believe you! When did the Witch hunts start, a hundred years ago? Two hundred? Or even longer? What are you afraid of?"

Apart from the Witches themselves, who knew better than the Clergy?

"A phrase long circulated inside the Church Court." Galin’s expression turned bitter, as if tasting the bile of a cow. "Devils hide in the mist."

The young Lord sneered, saying nonchalantly, "What if I said your Pope was a Devil in disguise and then burned him at the stake? Would the Devil reveal his true form?"

Galin blurted instinctively, "No... you can’t do that!"

"But that’s what you do, which I find laughable." Roman lifted his chin, "So don’t play gods and ghosts with me! On this land, only I have the right to define others!"

"You should know better..." Galin sighed, "Alright, ignorance is bliss."

"That phrase should be for you."

Galin had seen too many people in his lifetime.

Brave Knights, despicable slaves, filthy Nobles, greedy merchants...

But he had never met a young despot like this.

One who scoffed at All Gods and despised the Church Court.

His attitude was even more superior than that of the Black Iron King—as if he alone was the most noble under heaven and earth. What wasn’t he daring to say?

Galin really wanted to tell him that when his ancestors and the Church Court had their bloody battle in Silent Valley, they still maintained respect for All Gods.

But he was sure he had no reverence.

If you told him about his ancestors, he would just say ancestral merit does not set a precedent, and call them fools, telling them to go to hell—he simply didn’t care that everything he possessed came from the protection of his ancestors.

Look at him!

Look! How did such a blasphemous man, with no god or father in his eyes, manage to secure his position?

Yet his domain is thriving, and the rate of development is terrifying.

"If I say that witches are not devils but travelers who have strayed into the fog, have you heard of the legend of Cangyue? When the mist is thick, the best course of action is to stay put and not move. The wraiths of the fog only hunt those who are alive and moving... Just by looking at your face, I can tell you didn’t know this. No wonder, why would the Grand Duke Riptide tell you such things? That’s why people of Cangyue remain still in the fog, while the rest of the world could not care less."

"So who is the devil then?"

"Listen to me, child... forgive me for addressing you as such. In any case, stop pursuing this matter. Can you bear the thought of Gwivelle wandering alone in the mist?"

"Anyone can get lost, why not Gwivelle? I’ll tell you, everyone dies eventually, but she must die for a purpose, otherwise her life is wasted... Are you talking about the Devil Clan?"

"Damn it! You guessed it."

"The answer lies on the riddle itself... How boring, I thought you were referring to All Gods and demons."

Galin was shocked. "Why would you think that?"

Who would consider gods and demons as their hypothetical enemies? He wondered, his heart suddenly lurching, giving rise to a bone-chilling dread.

"Nothing." Roman pondered for a moment.

He only knew that the Grand Duke Oak’s army was stationed at the Bar Mountain Range and the Nether Sea, that Grand Duke being called the Watcher of the Nether Sea, sent by the Conqueror to ward off invasions from the Demon Clan.

Yet the coast had been calm and quiet ever since.

Over a hundred years had passed, and not a single trace of the Demon Clan had been seen on that land. At most, there had been skirmishes with the North Ice Pirates—those unfortunate souls who dared to traverse thousands of miles, enter the Nether Sea, loot along the coast, hoping to emulate the traditions of the Northern seashore.

But...

It’s ridiculous, to rob and run into a Grand Duke on guard duty.

Those guys were truly not afraid of death.

"I don’t care about all that, you have to come and train my witches," Roman stated unequivocally.

The old man’s bushy beard quivered as he retorted angrily, "What do you think I am?"

I’m a Clergy after all, can’t you show some respect?!

Roman huffed, "I don’t think you’re a fool!"

Galin couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

"The witch hunt has been intensifying within the Church Court for years now, with the Pope and the Cardinals arguing endlessly over it. One faction advocates burning the witches, another advocates burning the witches’ families as well to ensure the purity of the Human Clan’s bloodline, destroying all literature related to witches—

"So how could I possibly know the heritage of witches."

Roman asked abruptly, "Which faction were you a part of before?"

"My previous position had nothing to do with the witches."

"And now? You have left the Church Court, why still follow the rules?"

"I am just a Hermit now. If I could teach Gwivelle spells, I would have done so already. But that child is not normal—I mean her abilities. You must have noticed it too, otherwise you wouldn’t have come to me. But I must tell you, not everyone can play with Destiny! This is the domain of All Gods..."

Roman looked dissatisfied, "What is there to respect about those All Gods?

"I have lived in this world for seventeen years, and your age probably requires this number to be flipped around. Don’t you have a deeper understanding of this fantastical land than I do?

"I actually respect the Wisemen, so as a Wiseman yourself, you must also be aware of what our world is like—civilization and savagery, poverty, scarcity, what have the All Gods done about it?"

Roman said,

"I don’t like to talk to Believers, just take Gwivelle for example. Even if she does nothing, the Church Court wants to burn her, and devout believers think she deserves to die.

"There’s no reason to it, but I very much agree with this unreasonable rationale.

"Because that’s how the times are, and therefore, the more devout the Believer in the Church Court, the more, in my opinion, they deserve to die. Do you think I’m being unreasonable?"

Galin turned away, and Roman laughed heartily,

"Alright, I don’t mean to target you particularly, and I don’t hate the All Gods, they are like passing clouds to me, but! Dirty old man! You have to admit one thing."

"All Gods are meaningless to the progress of civilization!"