Firearms in a Fantasy World

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Kevin leaned out of the carriage window and, at first glance, spotted the towering bell tower of the Holy City, breathtaking to behold. He had thought that the bell tower of the Gabella Imperial Capital was the tallest in the world, but now he realized he had been mistaken.

After more than half a month of travel, the Gabella emissaries—Scholar Aldridge, Mond, and Kevin—finally arrived at the Holy See's residence: the Holy City of Light.

In Kevin's eyes, this city was no less grand than the Gabella Imperial Capital. Even before entering the official urban area, the streets were bustling with people. Besides merchants traveling for business, many were devout pilgrims who had journeyed from far away. Many of the pious even prostrated themselves towards the Holy City every few steps, continuing their actions even when their foreheads bled.

He even noticed non-human faces among the pilgrims, highlighting the immense influence of the faith in the Lord of Light.

"It's hard to understand these fanatics," he murmured, shaking his head before sitting back down in the carriage.

"Haha, you'll see many more strange sights in the Holy City, but there's one thing to note," Mond reminded Kevin with a grin.

"Don't attempt to debate theology with the locals."

"What? Am I going to be burned as a heretic?" Kevin tensed up.

"Haha, not to that extent. The Holy See isn't that overbearing. What I mean is that everyone living in this city considers themselves a theologian; debating theological issues with them will only lead to humiliation."

"Even the beggars on the street?" Aldridge, who had been silent until now, suddenly mumbled, as if recalling some unpleasant memory.

Kevin was surprised, "In such a prosperous city, there are still beggars?"

Mond shrugged, "The larger the city, the greater its dark side. Moreover, the Holy See often holds charitable events to win over followers, allowing many beggars to live decently, which attracts even more beggars."

The three of them chatted their way into the Holy City, heading directly to the inn that catered to foreign envoys.

Upon entering, Kevin noticed a large crowd gathered in a small square not far away, a cacophony of voices suggesting some sort of argument.

"What are they doing?" he asked the receptionist.

The receptionist glanced at the square and replied nonchalantly, "They're probably from the Rational Society, arguing with someone else again."

"Arguing... for a fight?" Kevin was a bit confused.

"Yes, the Rational Society loves to get into fights over some bizarre issues, like whether the Father created man or woman first, or whether the earth is round or flat."

The Rational Society—Kevin recalled studying them at the Scholar's Tower. They were a peculiar faction within the Church of the Lord of Light, dedicated to continually researching the essence of nature to get closer to the divine. This had slightly softened Kevin's previous impression of the Church as closed and conservative, though only a little.

"Since we have nothing to do right now, shall we go take a look?" Mond nudged Kevin.

"Sure!"

The two of them walked side by side towards the square.

As they approached, the sounds of the debate became clearer.

"It's well known that a ship at sea first reveals its mast, then slowly its hull, and only then can we see the entire ship. This phenomenon can only be explained if the earth is round. Furthermore, during a lunar eclipse, the shadow on the moon..."

"Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous! If the earth is round, then why don't objects on it slide off and fall into the void?"

"I admit that our current knowledge is insufficient to answer your question, but that doesn't negate the facts we have observed."

"What you call 'facts' are purely imaginary, baseless imaginations."

"You... how dare you vilify our great discoveries!"

"I am merely stating facts. Don't spout nonsense in this sacred place, it is sacrilegious."

"You are the one who is sacrilegious! Your whole family is blaspheming against the divine!"

"Heretics! Heretics!" 

"You're the heretic!"

As the debate intensified, the exchanges grew more outrageous, ultimately escalating into a physical confrontation.

It was unclear who threw the first punch, but a large-scale brawl erupted.

Kevin and Mond stood at a safe distance, watching the commotion.

Soon, a squad of armored knights from the Holy See arrived, wielding large clubs to forcefully separate the two groups. Due to the sheer number of people involved and the inability to identify who had instigated the fight, the knight captain could only sternly admonish them.

Intimidated by the knights' clubs, both groups hung their heads in silence, leaving only their glares to clash in the air.

Once the knight captain finished reprimanding them, there was a moment of silence. Just as he was about to disperse the crowd, a voice rang out.

"In fact, there's no need for you to rush to debate. In three to five years at most, or as few as one or two years, this question will have an answer."

Everyone turned towards the voice and saw a young man walking slowly towards them, followed by someone who looked a bit embarrassed.

"What did you say, young man?"

Clearing his throat, Kevin spoke loudly to the crowd: "As far as I know, someone in the Aldor Kingdom has already begun to take practical action to verify this issue. He has dispatched three fleets, one heading west into the Endless Ocean and another sailing east along the continental coastline. If the earth is round, both fleets will eventually return to Aldor. If the earth is flat, they will find the legendary edge of the world, and at that point, this question will be answered."

"Return? Circle back?"

Even the staunch supporters of the round earth theory in the Rational Society were momentarily stunned. Although they believed the earth was round, they subconsciously regarded the land beneath their feet as being at the top of a sphere. Wouldn't they slide down into the void if they kept exploring outward?

Someone asked, "Excuse me, what is the identity of the person you mentioned?"

Kevin replied, "Earl Paul Grayman, a lord from the Bay of Aldo in the northwest of the kingdom."

Upon hearing Kevin's answer, murmurs of discussion spread through the crowd.

"How bold! He's doing what we've always wanted to do but couldn't."

"Ah... if I were a super-rich lord, I would have started it myself long ago. Why should it fall to him?"

"Don't be naive. What ship could withstand deep-sea voyages? I believe this Earl Grayman must possess some new maritime technology."

"Could it be sorcery?"

"Shh!"

As the knights were also captivated by Kevin's words, the debate returned to the initial arguments.

"Listen over there! Once a few years pass and the results are out, it will still be in this square, and the wrong side must apologize to the correct side properly and admit defeat. So, what do you say? Are you willing to agree?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Anyone who doesn't show up is a heretic."

"Hmph! Just wait!"

"You all wait!"

Under the knights' orders to disperse, both sides of the debate eventually broke apart.

Leaving Kevin and Mond sweating nervously in place.

Were these people really clerics directly governed by the Holy See?

(End of the Chapter)

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