The Visitor (2)
"The problem isn't the facts themselves, but that people believe these inflated stories without any shred of proof. Why? Because they sound plausible. Politicians are creatures who, once their true intentions are exposed, would rather twist them into knots than hide them."
"Are you saying that…?"
"Cellabris has already begun to move. Because they utilize the Water Temple, they gain a great deal through economic and political intelligence, so they had no reason to keep other temples in check. But now, Priest Hisoral has murdered the Lord of Cellabris and gone into hiding. Considering the relationship between the Hesno family and the Wind Temple, they will use the Water Temple to pressure the Wind Temple. If things go well, who knows? They might even establish a branch temple near here."
Hadonan sighed. It was a heavy topic, but it was undeniably realistic.
The Water Temple, true to its name, values the philosophy of 'flow.' It is a concept that can be applied to everything—power, funds, the movement of people. In other words, the Water Temple is far more attuned to the currents of politics and commerce than any other temple.
Furthermore, the Water Temple has an 'Originator.' A transcendent being who has lived for thousands of years, reading the flow of the world to deliver prophecies or oracles.
"What would you have me do?"
Hadonan asked. His voice was swept away by the incoming tide of reality and the foam of a bleak future pouring down upon it.
"Lift the Sealing of the Gate."
"Pardon?"
Hadonan asked back in shock. Lift the sealing? Shouldn't he maintain the seal and communicate with the Grand Temple via messenger birds until a solution was found to formulate a countermeasure?
"Lift the seal. That is the right path. It may not be a phrase I should quote right now, but to borrow from the Water Temple's teachings: 'Stagnation' is evil. Until now, you have kept the gate sealed, unable to ask for help from anyone. Meanwhile, Cellabris has been constantly maneuvering to handle this situation. It is no longer a time to 'stagnate,' but a time to 'move.'"
Rody quoted words befitting a retainer of the Hesno family, who were close to the Wind Temple. If the Water Temple values flow, the Wind Temple values movement. While it shares the same sentiment of constant change as the Water Temple's philosophy, it carries a more direct meaning in the Wind Temple.
"Are you telling me to run away? To abandon the temple?"
Hadonan was about to shout that it was impossible. He was certain that was the next thing he would say. With the whereabouts of the former branch head unknown, he intended to tell the fruit seller before him that protecting this temple was his duty.
But before Hadonan's words could escape, Rody shook his head first.
"No. You've misread the situation."
"Pardon?"
"I am not telling you to abandon the temple. I phrased that poorly. The 'movement' I speak of does not refer to you, the branch head."
"Then…?"
Rody spoke to the bewildered Hadonan.
"I am talking about the Hesno family. I, who have come to find you, am the cornerstone of that change. For active change to occur, one must be prepared to accept it—wasn't that the teaching of the temple?"
Hadonan pretended to look at the floor to hide his embarrassed expression. That was, without a doubt, the temple's teaching.
"Is that why you solved the predicament of the sealed temple?"
"Well, it worked out well enough, didn't it?"
Rody chuckled, then his eyes sharpened again.
"Because the Lord was murdered, this case will be handled by a judge dispatched from the capital of Cellabris. Cellabris wants a transparent conclusion. They want to hold the Wind Temple responsible for the Lord's death. Perhaps this branch temple might be closed, not just sealed. However, for a monarch to directly intervene in temple affairs ignores the unwritten rule of mutual respect they have maintained until now. That is why the Water Temple will intervene here."
Rody caught his breath for a moment and continued.
"If that happens, the actions of Priest Hisoral—which everyone intentionally views as apostasy—and your act of keeping the gate sealed will all act as poison. It is a natural law that stagnant water rots or turns into mud."
'A good wind? This?' Hadonan squeezed his eyes shut in his heart. He was a leaf. And the other was a whirlwind that trapped the leaf and forced it to dance.
If he couldn't get off the wind, riding it was the only way. Otherwise, the dried-up fallen leaf would be torn to shreds.
"Then, does the Hesno family have a plan?"
"It is difficult for me to explain everything in detail. Regardless, lift the seal and wait. The Hesno family will not officially help you. If they did, this case would officially become very complicated. In any case, it is an unavoidable fact that you and this temple will face difficulties. But if it is the priests of the Grand Temple that you and I know, they will likely arrive to help you at the appropriate time."
That was the end of the conversation with Rody. Hadonan saw off Rody, who said he needed to get some sleep before the fruit he was to sell tomorrow arrived at the wholesale market.
"Open the gate and wait, he says."
Hadonan sighed deeply as he carefully bolted the temple gate once more. The days ahead seemed destined to be incredibly grueling.
A mouth that seems to move and chatter without rest, yet remains quiet. Round, softly curled legs allow a predator to guess at the leg strength inherent in that small frame. The moment the long ears twitch, and the chain reaction causes the legs to stretch—the stone Akasa threw embedded itself precisely into the rabbit's head.
"Got it!"
Akasa ran over in a single bound, grabbed the rabbit, and lifted it up by its two ears with a beaming face.
"How about that? I told you I could catch it, didn't I?"
Urnil spoke as if dumbfounded by the sight.
[I've never seen anyone else set traps for rabbits and practice stone-throwing at the same time.]
Akasa thought it probably wasn't just him.
"I thought you'd at least praise me, though..."
[Of course, it's impressive. It's worth praising. But if you're going to learn how to throw things, I'd think it better to learn javelin throwing.]
"Javelin throwing?"
[Since you handle a staff. The weapon with the most similarity is the spear.]
"That's true, but... then if I throw my weapon, my hands are empty, aren't they?"
[I'll have to talk to you about that, too. But first, go and cook it. You're hungry, aren't you?]
Akasa decided to do just that. It takes time to roast meat, too. Right now, Akasa's stomach found even that waiting time difficult to endure.
Returning to the campfire he had painstakingly lit and was maintaining, Akasa pulled out his knife and began to dismantle the meat.
Having done it a few times, he was now proficient in the process of skinning and removing the entrails. Seeing that, Urnil said.
[You've improved a lot, though.]
"Yes? In what?"
[Butchering.]
Akasa hesitated, then went back to sliding his knife smoothly.
"Actually, I didn't really want to improve at this."
[Hmm.]
Urnil did not say much more. It hadn't been long since they had gone through a battle with a cannibalistic serial killer. And there was Akasa's personality to consider. Wasn't the fact that he mostly procured food through fish caught in traps due to his dislike of seeing blood?
Urnil's silence still yielded good results. Akasa focused his attention on cleaning the prey and cooking.
As countless days passed, Akasa learned many things necessary for survival from Urnil.
And he had to. Having crossed the river, Akasa had to start everything anew. Urnil taught him all the knowledge he possessed within the limits of what Akasa could absorb.
How to start a fire on his own. How to butcher animals. Smoking methods. Plants that serve as various spices or medicinal herbs. Mushrooms that are safe to eat. How to distinguish and collect rock salt. Hunting methods and how to set traps... Setting aside the training, Akasa diligently learned everything. And Akasa made this assessment of Urnil.
"But really, you know everything except for cooking."
To be more precise, Urnil knew everything 'necessary' for cooking. However, when it came to the process of 'cooking' to eat those things, he would never open his mouth. A god who does not know taste was strict with himself on that part.
Even to his own disciple who pointed out that fact.
[You have a knack for poking at that, don't you?]
"Ah, it's all cooked!"
Akasa feigned ignorance on purpose. But the bracelet on his wrist was watching him. Akasa, his efforts rendered futile, put on a sheepish expression and decided to focus on his meal first.
Akasa closed his eyes and focused his senses. To Akasa, the pale power of Essence slowly flowed in through the bracelet.
[Firmo.]
At Urnil's follow-up words, Akasa grasped the essence and matched it to the surface area of his body. The essence, which first extended from his nearest left hand toward his arm, soon spread thoroughly to fit every part of his body.
[Good. Maintain it just like that.]
Just as he had done until now, Akasa held on, maintaining the essence. The essence, which at first couldn't even be wrapped around his body's surface area, let alone for 10 seconds, was now sticking to his body quite comfortably. Still, beads of sweat formed on Akasa's forehead.
[Good. 30 minutes in place achieved. Now, practice while maintaining Firmo.]
Akasa moved at a speed that wouldn't disrupt his concentration on controlling the essence. He rose slowly, picked up his staff, and followed the stances he had learned so far. That alone required considerable willpower and mental strength. He held on well, until at one moment, his concentration flickered, and the pale essence leaked out through the part where his focus had broken.
[Once.]
Akasa gritted his teeth. During this training ordered by Urnil, he was always given two chances. Even if the essence scattered once, he had to build up the state of Firmo once more.
[The criteria for living beings to perceive and handle essence consist of three main things. What are they? Akasa.]
Akasa answered while maintaining his concentration so it wouldn't break.
"Firmo, Aurio, and Moror."
[Explain.]
He organized the content in his head and thought ahead to pronouncing it with his mouth. For Akasa to still maintain the essence, he needed to repeat this connection between thought and action several times. Just as one reads a book carefully so as not to miss the rhythm of the story. That was the reason Urnil made him talk.
Akasa took his basic stance with his staff and spoke slowly, with clear pronunciation.
"All practitioners of the temple, without exception, cultivate essence through these three methods. Firmo is reinforcement. It activates the essence dwelling in the body to strengthen it. It is the main training method for martial priests, used to powerfully handle the weapons in their hands and their own bodies."
Akasa caught his breath once before speaking.
"Aurio is release. Those born with a natural vessel in their bodies are skilled at this, so they learn how to utilize essence according to the attributes of their respective temples separately. That is why many walk the path of a mage. As such, the power of the essence poured out at once through Aurio is powerful."
[But not everyone can become a mage. The reason?]
"Because of Moror."
[Explain.]
Akasa gritted his teeth. This was a Q&A that had already been repeated dozens of times, but this Q&A was to check how fully Akasa was exerting his concentration, regardless of whether he knew it or not. Therefore, Akasa had to stop talking for a moment whenever he felt his concentration wavering. Of course, this was proof that he still lacked enough focus to handle essence, so he had to answer within a few seconds.
Urnil gave him only 3 seconds of grace time.
Fortunately, Akasa was able to answer in 2 seconds this time.
"Moror is retention. It is the comprehensive ability to control and handle the essence within the body, or the essence emitted through Aurio, with the practitioner's own will. For more powerful Firmo and Aurio, one must learn how to always focus all one's attention on handling essence. As the total amount of concentration increases, the ability to handle Moror naturally increases as well."
[Is Moror concentration?]
"No. It is retention."
[Correct. Just as you can find Moror in Firmo and Aurio, concentration is merely one branch of Moror.]
Akasa succeeded in giving the answer even to the unexpected question. Akasa recalled the memory of answering "Pardon?" to this at first, only to have his training for that day stopped immediately. It was a very frustrating memory.
[Kam. You may release the essence.]
Kam. It meant release. Akasa released the essence, and now that the talk was over, he began to swing his staff slowly with his sweat-drenched body. The movement of power through his own body and the staff. In what situation, and through what process, should that power reach the staff?
What lies at the end of it?
Every process Akasa performed was Moror itself. Thinking, contemplating, and finally adapting. Under Urnil's guidance, Akasa's body was gradually building a vessel to contain essence.
A very sturdy vessel.