Chapter 197: The First Light
The soft rustle of pages and the distant ticking of a magical wall-clock were the only sounds filling the upper floor of the library.
Noel sat down beside Charlotte at the long, polished wooden table near the stained-glass window. She had already arranged three large tomes in front of them, each old but well-kept, their covers embossed with golden script and sacred sigils.
Charlotte beamed at him, clearly excited. "Ready to begin?"
"Sure," Noel replied, glancing at the books. "But which one do you think is best? I’d like to get a bit of an overview."
Charlotte picked up the first tome and tapped the cover with care. "This one is Elarin the First: The One Who Touched Mana. It’s about the god we worship—Elarin was the very first being to use mana. His main element was light, and it’s said he purified the world from malevolent creatures when they first appeared five hundred years ago."
Noel nodded. "I see. What’s next?"
’That one sounds promising. The Forgotten Son’s Diary mentioned there were two people who first touched mana, but this book only mentions Elarin...’
Charlotte set the first tome aside and lifted the second. "This one’s called Chronicles of the First Sanctuary. It tells the story of how the first church was founded to honor Elarin. Because of that devotion, Elarin granted us blessings—and faith was born."
"Hmm. That sounds interesting too," Noel said politely.
Charlotte lit up. "Right? I think the church’s origin story is really beautiful. I’ll tell you everything—every little detail."
Noel chuckled. "Hold on. What’s the last one?"
She presented the final book with both hands, like it was something precious. "From Flame to Faith: The Rise of Vaelterra’s Holy Doctrine. It’s similar to the second one, but it doesn’t focus on the first church. It’s about how the faith spread across all continents. It introduces key historical figures... and it’s the first record to mention the role of the Saint."