Chapter 67: As Witty As Me

“Meivis, the goddess of wisdom, is the smartest god.”

“She is beautiful, just, and kind… She wears a flower crown woven by belanka given by Father God and a long dress woven by moonlight, which was given to her by the moon goddess Karis.
She was walking on the road to the temple where the God of Creation rested…”

“Meivis wants to get a light gem for the Elf King Walsh to defeat the demons emerging from the abyss.”

In the church in Wissas, on the day of the traditional monthly mass1, there are countless believers praying devoutly in front of the God of Creation.

However, there is no day as crowded as today.

The church was jam-packed.

The outside of the church was also congested.

Among them, the most naughty children try their best to squeeze into the building.
Without seats, they squat on the adults’ legs, the aisles, or lying on the windows…

They occupied the front position as much as possible, just to hear what Bishop Grove was saying clearly.

The huge church was silent when Bishop Grove spoke.

It wasn’t until Grove closed the book in his hand, looked up, and said with a smile, “The story will end here for the time being.
The sequel hasn’t been released yet.”

“It’s probably not until the Thorns Chamber of Commerce sells the “Story of the Gods 2″ again that we can know whether the goddess Meivis has successfully asked for the light gem from the God of Creation for the Elf King Walsh.”

Grove couldn’t help but wonder.
In fact, he especially wanted to know the sequel’s development.

But there’s no way… Who let the lord not write the follow-up story yet…

I want to urge him to hurry up.

After Grove’s voice fell, eager discussions gradually sounded in the church.

“I really want to know the next story!”

“I bought a copy of “Story of the Gods” for this reason.
But after flipping through a few pages, I can’t read it…”

“I also bought this book.
Fortunately, my son is studying in school.
When he comes back from school, I will let him teach me.” A man dressed as a civilian said.

“I wonder what a long dress woven by moonlight will look like? It must be beautiful…like the gentlest goddess Karis, dazzling and charming…”

“God of Creation! If only I could see it with my own eyes!” A woman still wearing an apron stood outside the church and said.

Next to her stood several women, who nodded with approval and longing.

Someone said, “I’d say, if Elven King Walsh wants to defeat the devil from the abyss, he should invite the God of War Ludwig.”

“Ludwig, the God of War, is the embodiment of war.
He’s the most powerful god.
He can defeat the devil without looking for a light gem…”

“But the relationship between the God of War and the Elf King is not good.
He once laughed at the Elf King for being beautiful as a woman.”

“War God Ludwig is too arrogant and overbearing.
Moreover, not only does the Elf King have a friendly relationship with the goddess of wisdom, Meivis, but the goddess is deeply loved by the God of Creation.
She must be able to obtain the light gem!”

“If the Elf King wants the gem, why not go to the light god Griffith? He only needs to condense one with his divine power.”

“But he never intervenes in the affairs of other races.”

“The God of Light is aloof, doesn’t like to show up, and rarely interacts with the other gods… Only the call of the God of Creation can make the God of Light appear from the clouds… Oh, comparatively speaking, I like the warm and friendly Earth Goddess Nicola best.”

“No, I like the God of Love, Hilary the most.” 

“She is the most beautiful goddess, and she’s a lover of Leander, the God of the Sea.
Although they separated later because the God of Love was too affectionate…”

…

Grove listened to the people’s eager discussion and watched them file out of the church.

He waited until the cathedral gradually returned to its former quiet state.

He said to the priest beside him, “It’s up to you to give bouquets on God’s Day.
I’m going to Pal Mountain to report today’s results to the lord.”

“Yes, bishop.” The priest nodded.

Grove left the church and headed to Pal Mountain.

After several rigorous checks, he arrived at the castle on the shore of Lake Pal and was led into the study by the waiting maid…

When Grove finished speaking, Xia Zuoyi looked satisfied and handed him a picture scroll.

“This is…”

Grove took it with uncertainty and unfolded it.

After seeing the picture drawn on the scroll clearly, Grove’s eyes widened uncontrollably, with an expression of wonder on his face.

The scroll depicts a picture of the gods flying to heaven in the clouds.

—In the golden kingdom of heaven, the God of Creation wears a white robe and sits on a crystal chair studded with flowers and gems.

He is the supreme and insurmountable deity.

A pair of golden indifferent eyes without the slightest emotion stared down quietly.
Long black hair draped over the robes, winding down the shoulders, and finally fell to the left wrist…

And in the left hand of the God of Creation is a red sacred flower belanka.

Under heaven is full of colorful clouds.

A man with long blond hair holds a scepter in front and looks piously at the God of Creation.
Behind him is a goddess in a starry dress with a vine wrapped around her wrist…

Grove recognized each one of them.

—The man with long blond hair is Griffith, the God of Light.

The goddess behind him is the moon goddess Karis, followed by the goddess of wisdom Meivis wearing a crown of belanka, the sea god Leander who’s surrounded by the sea, and Nicola, the Earth Goddess with a divine bird in her arms…

The picture is very vivid.

The gods have different postures, but they all look devoutly at the kingdom of heaven where the God of Creation is.
There are countless beautiful divine birds dancing around the colorful clouds, and the divine flower belanka is in full bloom on the clouds near the kingdom of heaven… 

The picture scroll is filled with the sound of harmony and an atmosphere of celebration.

Seeing that Grove finally recovered slowly, Xia Zuoyi said, “This is a picture of God’s birthday.
What do you think?”

Grove exclaimed, “It’s really excellent!”

“My lord, you are planning to…”

Soon it will be God’s birthday, that is, the day when the God of Creation was born and brought into being everything in the world.

Xia Zuoyi said, “I’m going to find someone to carve this picture on the wall outside the church, and then print it into a book and sell it at the Thorns Chamber of Commerce…”

Grove interrupted involuntarily, “My lord if this picture was carved on the wall outside the cathedral, isn’t it a little…”

After all, this is just a fabricated story of the God of Creation.

Although novel and interesting, it is very attractive, but the story isn’t true after all… Will it arouse the Holy See’s dissatisfaction?

Xia Zuoyi’s reply was to put the Pope’s Order on the table.

“You just need to obey the order and do it.
Don’t worry about the rest.
I’m here.”

Grove nodded silently.

Xia Zuoyi: “It’s just a story anyway.
So what if they took it seriously.”

He picked up Brown Sugar who’s lying on the table and licking his paws, took him into his arms, and leaned back on his chair.

Brown Sugar must have been held in this way many times and has adapted well.
He just slightly shook his small round ears, stepped on a comfortable position, and continued to lick his fur.

Grove’s eyes couldn’t help falling on the little black panther.

This is a gift from the Pope to the lord.

He also remembered that the Pope had lived in the castle for a long time… Presumably, the relationship between the Pope and the lord must be good…

No one knows what his brain has supplemented, Grove immediately put his mind at ease and went to do what Xia Zuoyi had instructed.

On God’s Birthday, the cover surrounding the church was finally to be removed.

Since the mass, the outside walls of the church have been blocked by a circle of a black curtains.
Every day, there will be clanging and beating sounds in there, making the people who often come to the church to pray particularly curious.

Today, Bishop Grove stood outside the church together with the priests.
Several soldiers grabbed the edges of the black curtain, and under Grove’s command, pulled it together—

With a “swish” sound.

The black curtain fell to the ground and made a heavy noise.

Everyone’s eyes had been glued to the renewed wall for a long time, with wide eyes and open mouths, looking as if they’re in a trance.

Even Grove, who had already been prepared, could not help but be stunned and stood where he was for a moment without talking.

The picture on the scroll was amazing, but the murals carved on the wall shows an unparalleled impact, lifelike, in both form and spirit.

This is also due to the craftsmen selected by Xia Zuoyi.

He repeatedly told them to sculpt it out bit by bit according to the drawing on the scroll.
Whether it’s the subtle expressions or emotions on the faces of the gods, their movements, the folds of their clothes, and so on, they must be carved with great precision.

Not only that, but he also requires craftsmen to achieve a “realistic” effect of carving.

Especially the God of Creation sitting on the crystal chair with golden eyes looking down, the pious expression of the gods, and so on.

The craftsmen were simply tortured by the “Party A” with bald heads and pain in their brains.

However, when all of this is revealed, the resulting visual experience is beyond words, it’s as if you were there.
People seem to be witnessing the scene of the gods celebrating the God of Creation.

Especially when being watched by the eyes of the God of Creation—those lofty eyes seem to really look down on the creatures He created from the distant kingdom of heaven.

“God of Creation high above!2“

Some people could not help kneeling on the ground and praying to the God of Creation.
Then, like a signal, many people knelt down.

“God of Creation high above…”

Grove couldn’t help but breathe a long sigh of relief.
He put his right hand on the back of his left hand and pressed it against his chest, his face bowed reverently, and his mouth chanting prayers.

At this moment, he really believed that the gods were real…

Xia Zuoyi sat in the carriage and quietly watched what was happening outside the church.

After a while, he lowered the curtain and whispered, “Udit, let’s go.”

“Yes, my lord.” Udit replied in a low voice.

Immediately, the carriage gradually moved away.

The effect of the church frescoes is undoubtedly a sensation.
The people in Wissas rushed to go when they heard about it and came in an endless stream at the church door.

Even the people in Fort Comoy and other cities want to come and watch the murals of the gods celebrating.

Over time, this sculpture became famous.

The churches in the other cities began to submit documents to the mayor of their city, hoping to also have a carving of the gods celebrating.

Then the mayor will submit it to him.

Therefore, Xia Zuoyi ordered the mural carving craftsmen to go to the other churches to fulfill their demands.

In this case, the printed book of the gods celebrating began to be sold in the Thorns Chamber of Commerce.

The guys in the chamber of commerce got the order to propagate—take this picture book when entering the church and pray more sincerely.
The God of Creation will definitely bless you and the gods will also listen to your prayers!

What are you waiting for? Buy it!

Therefore, after “Story of the Gods”, this picture booklet sold like crazy immediately.

After listening to Gibran read the financial statements of the chamber of commerce in his study, Xia Zuoyi smiled with satisfaction, his beautiful eyebrows bent into the shape of a crescent.

Gibran said, “My lord, our next arrangement is…”

Xia Zuoyi puts his hand on his chin, “How’s the research on the dyeing process sent by Boris?”

“It has been thoroughly studied.” Adai said.

Adai, a Trak native, is now Xia Zuoyi’s alchemy assistant.
He is mainly responsible for some key research items, and the dyeing process is one of them.

Xia Zuoyi: “In that case, let’s start making the first goddess clothes—the Goddess of Wisdom’s, Meivis, moonlight-woven dress.”

“Yes, my lord!” Gibran and the others were full of enthusiasm.

 

 

Translator’s Notes:

 每月慣例的神講日這天 (The customary God speaking day of the month) ????  創世神在上! – I know there’s a more appropriate term for this but I just couldn’t grasp it at the tip of my tongue…