Chapter 19: The Saint Laws of Terra, Mare, Celioum, and Setra
Rohan, the professor who had listed representative saint laws from the four denominations—Terra, Mare, Celioum, and Setra, excluding Lanur and Solem—continued.
"As you all know, the denominations of Solem and Lanur have no common saint laws to speak of, so I'll just explain the characteristics of their saint laws and then move on to the other four denominations' common ones."
He began his explanation of Solem and Lanur's saint laws.
"Solem's saint laws generally deal with light and flame, making them aggressive at times, with a particular strength against erosion beasts. No other divine power can match Solem's in terms of sheer offensive might. However, since everyone who possesses Solem's divine power is a member of the imperial family, actually witnessing Solem saint laws isn't all that common."
At those words, every Innocence-rank student in the lecture hall instinctively glanced at Ashytara.
There was, after all, someone in this very room who possessed that rare Solem divine power.
Professor Rohan was well aware that Ashytara was in his class. He would have loved to ask her about Solem's saint laws himself, but since this was a lecture on the denominations' common saint laws overall, he held back and shifted to explaining Lanur's.
"Lanur's saint laws, on the other hand, generally shatter laws and conventions. They break down established common sense or rigid frameworks, so there's no such thing as a 'common' saint law for them. As a result, the saint laws wielded by Lanur priests are invariably wondrous and bizarre. That's why finding a Lanur priest is so difficult. Anyway, that's all I'll say on Solem and Lanur. Now, onto the common saint laws of the other four denominations..."
Professor Rohan then launched into a lengthy explanation of the common saint laws.
For instance, Terra's foundational ones involved protection and terrain alteration. Celioum's included flight and wind manipulation. Mare's covered healing and water control. Setra's involved memory reading and future precognition.
When explaining Setra's saint laws, Professor Rohan added a note.
"Oh, and while future precognition is classified as a common saint law... it's practically a taboo. Touch it carelessly, and you'll go mad. Pinpointing the intersection of countless possible futures is all but impossible with human capabilities."
"Then is reading the past also taboo?"
"No. Reading the past, unlike precognition, only shows a single event that already happened, so it doesn't shatter the mind. In any case, if there's a student here who's awakened Setra's divine power, remember this: never use future precognition. Do it wrong, and you might lose your sanity."
Countless saint laws flowed from Professor Rohan's lips, and the students listened with rapt attention—fascinated when they recognized one, tilting their heads curiously at the unfamiliar ones.
Ludenberg felt a slight headache from the barrage of saint laws, but he diligently jotted down everything Professor Rohan explained.
"Finally... this might be the most important part for you all. How to use saint laws against erosion beasts. Now that you've learned about them, it might be good to think about practical applications."
Suddenly, Professor Rohan began sketching on the blackboard: a grotesquely massive erosion beast and a tiny human figure.
"You're knight faculty students, so you'll wield a sword, of course."
He added a sword to the little human.
"There. You've used your divine power to strengthen your body. Reinforced as you are, you can contend with that erosion beast larger than yourself."
Professor Rohan then drew all sorts of bizarre protrusions erupting from the erosion beast's body. Wounds multiplied on the sword-wielding human figure.
"But it's too much. Wounds accumulate on your body. At your current skill level, you can't overcome it yet."
The Innocence students found themselves unconsciously drawn into the crudely drawn scene, imagining themselves in that dire spot.
"You rack your brain to break the deadlock. Your flesh wearies. Your mind fatigues. Your thoughts eventually turn to saint laws."
Professor Rohan erased the standing human and drew one kneeling instead. Strangely, the crude sketch was easy to grasp.
"However... here's the problem! All you know are common saint laws. Unfortunately, you lack your own unique saint law to strike a decisive blow. To survive, you must somehow use a common saint law to repel it or escape."
He added wounds to the kneeling human's body. Around it, he sketched small circles, each emblazoned with a god's symbol: sun, moon, earth, water, wind, star.
"In this situation, discuss which common saint law would let you survive the erosion beast. Then, on the paper I'm handing out now, write how you would repel or escape it. This isn't homework—it's just to see your thought processes, so participate freely."
"Professor. For common saint laws, shouldn't we exclude Solem and Lanur? They don't have any."
At the Innocence student's question, Professor Rohan smacked his forehead with a laugh.
"Exactly! You've been paying close attention. As that student said, Solem and Lanur only have unique saint laws, so we'll set them aside here. And there's no single right answer—just lay out your ideas, no matter how outlandish."
The Innocence students began chatting among themselves.
"Running away seems safest, right?"
"You might get caught. Exhausted as you are, your stamina's worse off than the beast's. Escape only works with Celioum saint laws."
"What if we trap its body instead? You're Terra denomination. You have terrain alteration. Warp the ground to cage it like a tiny prison and bolt."
"Oh, that's solid? Simplest is best—no need for fancy escapes."
"Wait. What if it breaks the cage?"
"Hm... Make the cage, then quickly sprout spikes around it on the ground? Divine power cost isn't that high."
The students filled their papers, weighing success and failure scenarios.
A Celioum divine power user suggested flying away or whipping up a gale to blind the beast and pierce its heart.
A Mare user explored healing the body to fight on.
"Hey, how about Setra divine power?"
"Show it an illusion of you getting pushed back from moments ago? Setra saint laws can reveal pasts and illusions."
"Maybe? But would an erosion beast fall for it? Never faced one myself."
"Worth a shot."
The Setra user settled on summoning past echoes to confuse it and exploit the opening.
Everyone gradually filled their blank sheets—except Ludenberg, who left his empty.
Not that he couldn't fill it; he simply chose not to.
In the end, this lecture's point is to figure out how to use saint laws against erosion beasts on your own... but it means nothing to me.
He had no divine power. He couldn't use saint laws.
Filling the paper by hypothetically assuming some other saint law would be self-deception.
If he couldn't use it in real combat, agonizing over it here was pointless.
So he stood immediately, blank paper in hand, and submitted it to Professor Rohan.
"Hm?"
Professor Rohan blinked at the empty sheet but nodded upon seeing Ludenberg before him.
"I see. Good work. You're dismissed."
He already knew Ludenberg lacked divine power, so he neither scolded nor reproached the blank submission.
Dwelling on it or suggesting he brainstorm saint law applications anyway might wound the boy unnecessarily.
"Thank you."
Sensing the professor's consideration, Ludenberg bowed and left the lecture hall.
But as he headed back to the dorm, a voice like an auditory hallucination whispered suddenly in his ear.
Do you want divine power?
"Tch."
You again.
Ludenberg clicked his tongue and snapped back.
"Don't need it."
Don't you feel pathetic?
"I don't."
You're just trying desperately to believe that, aren't you?
Irritated by the voice's persistence even after he'd said no, Ludenberg shot back sharply.
"Shut up. Whatever bullshit you spew, know this: I won't fall for it. Damn voice."
Tsk tsk. Bullshit? How harsh. Have you forgotten all those moments of scorn because you lacked divine power?
"I haven't."
No sooner had Ludenberg replied than the voice buzzed excitedly.
Yes! Exactly. You couldn't forget if you tried. Think about it. With divine power, those scornful gazes turn to awe. Everyone praises your talent, and you gain that longed-for strength in an instant.
"Hahaha!"
Ludenberg laughed. The voice took it as affirmation, whispering eagerly.
Doesn't just imagining it give you chills? Everything around you reverses.
"Imagining it makes me sick."
Contrary to the voice's hopes, Ludenberg twisted his face in disgust.
"What meaning is there in praise from those who flip their attitudes? Even if those who turned on me the moment I was down start worshiping me again, you think I'd feel pleasure? No. I'd just find it revolting."
Trembling with rage, he ground out at the voice.
"Listen well. What I want isn't sweet lies from scum like you or divine power handed over on a platter. It's advancing solely on my own strength. Even if divine power were offered now, I wouldn't touch that garbage."
If you insist on that thorny path, I'll help. Remember: you'll dance in the palm of my hand. Go on—try overcoming it.
The voice turned icy in an instant.
"No matter what bullshit you pull, I won't end up in your grasp."
Ignoring it, Ludenberg spat his utmost contempt.
At his fierce rejection, the voice vanished promptly.
He stood frozen, realizing he had to escape these bizarre events surrounding him as soon as possible—and engraving a new resolve in his heart.
A vow never to waver due to anything but his own will.