Warrior Training System

"Magic is a gift… and gifts come only from the divine… Josai, the Light of Judgment…"

Cassian read it out loud, a slight frown forming on his face.

Lucy and Ravees were just as confused, reading the same line silently to themselves.

Magic could be called a gift, sure—but not in the way this implied. Anyone could learn magic if they were skilled enough, disciplined enough. The word gift only really applied to those born with overwhelming talent—people like Katherine… or Magnus Edrion, the Tower Master.

But divine?

No.

Their power didn't come from something above.

They were the ones others would call divine.

Magnus Edrion especially—he wasn't just a mage, he ruled over his own arcane dominion like a living god.

So Josai's words… didn't sit right with any of them.

And it seemed they weren't the only ones.

The place was empty.

Not a single person in sight.

Yet it was clearly maintained—the garden outside was neat, carefully tended, and inside, the floors were polished, the space clean and filled with soft natural light.

Despite that, the large hall stood completely silent.

As they looked around, the place felt… peaceful.

A sharp contrast to the noise and movement of the city outside. It was the kind of place someone could come to just breathe—to escape the chaos for a while. Quiet, still… almost too still.

At the center stood a statue—the god this place was devoted to—raised slightly above the ground, with another, smaller one placed lower in front of it.

They were just about to step closer for a better look when—

"Welcome."

A voice came from behind them.

They turned to see a young man approaching.

He wore a simple white linen robe, more like a large piece of cloth draped over his body and tied at the waist with a black sash. From it hung a small black star, swaying slightly as he walked.

If not for his well-kept hair and clean face, he might have passed for a beggar on the streets. Even the footwear—simple wooden shoes—only added to that impression.

"Welcome to the shrine. Are you all here for a pilgrimage?" the boy asked, about the same age as Cassian, his tone gentle, a kind smile on his face.

Lucy smiled back and shook her head. "No… we were just looking around…"

The boy's smile widened slightly.

"Looking for what… God?" he asked.

That made Lucy pause, her smile turning a little awkward. "No, I mean… just looking around. That's allowed, right?"

For a moment, the boy's expression shifted—just a hint of annoyance slipping through.

But before he could respond, an older man stepped in from behind him.

"Of course you can," he said with a calm, welcoming smile. "Everyone is welcome here… even if it's just to look around."

The boy quickly bowed as the older man motioned him away with a small wave of his hand.

"I am Camroon Agris…" the man introduced himself, his tone calm but carrying a certain practiced weight. "…a follower of one of the Ten Divines—the ruler of the seas, the mother of all life… the Sea Goddess, Lirielle."

He wasn't old—just older than the boy. Tall, well-built, with a clean, handsome face. Even in those plain, almost beggar-like robes, he carried himself with a natural charm.

Unfortunately for him… his audience wasn't exactly receptive.

One of them like them young.

And the other… had little interest in men to begin with, as for last one he also had not interest in men

Also he had almost lost track of his name halfway through the long introduction about his goddess, but he still gave a small nod.

"Sorry if we came off as disrespectful," he said casually. "Didn't mean anything by it—we were just curious, so we stepped in."

"Don't worry… you haven't," Camroon said, smiling brightly.

A little too brightly.

For a moment, it reminded Cassian of those unsettling portraits he had seen during his first case here—perfect smiles that felt just a bit off.

"How could the three of you be disrespectful just by stepping into my goddess's shrine?" he continued smoothly. "She loves all… welcomes all. All life begins from her… and returns to her…"

But as he spoke, something shifted.

His smile thinned.

Then twisted.

"The only disrespect here…" he added, his voice dipping, "…is that damn statue."

There was pure hatred in his eyes now.

"That bastard… a so-called saint—more like a devil. And yet his statue stands in front of our goddess…" His jaw tightened. "May she forgive us…"

He exhaled slowly, forcing some of that tension down.

"But… knowing her kindness," he went on, his voice steadier again, "she will… just like she forgave him…"

As he spoke, the four of them walked closer to the statues.

The smaller one stood in front—a man holding a sword, a crown resting on his head. His face was carved with sharp detail, filled with resolve, like someone who had fought through countless battles. Whoever made it had done an impressive job.

But he didn't look like a saint.

He looked like a king.

Behind him was the taller statue of the goddess Lirielle—and this one… truly felt divine.

The craftsmanship was even more striking. The veil draped over her head flowed like the surface of the sea itself, deep blue and shimmering, filled with faint carvings of aquatic life woven into it. It almost looked like something out of a child's imagination—only far more refined, more real.

Her expression was soft, kind.

A gentle smile looking down at them.

Her arms were open, wide, as if welcoming anyone who stood before her into an endless embrace.

"Why do you call him a devil…? Isn't he one of the saints?" Ravees asked, speaking for the first time since they had entered the church.

"A man responsible for the deaths of millions?" Camroon replied, his voice sharpening. "That's worse than a devil."

There was no trace of warmth left in his tone now.

"If it were up to me," he continued, "his name wouldn't even be allowed to exist in my goddess's presence… let alone stand before her like this."

He exhaled, but the bitterness didn't fade.

"The only reason he's here," he went on, "is because during the Epochal War, he protected the followers of the goddess."

A pause.

"But before that… he was known as The Faith Reaper." His eyes flicked toward the statue. "He slaughtered anyone who didn't follow divine magic—anything that didn't come from the Ten Goddesses… he erased it."