Glan Natural Science Academy

Chapter 1

Glan Natural Sciences Academy – Chapter 1 Heliocentrism

It has been a long period of time since such a sacred religious trial has been held in front of the resplendent Cathedral of Light in Aurora.

A sea of people gathered on the bright, white marble floor of the plaza. Their breaths were ragged as if they were under great pressure. The followers jostled and shoved to get a glimpse of the supreme glory of the Cardinals.

“The Great Canon of Light says, the Light Creator-Deity created Heaven and humans should have lived in Heaven without worry. Yet because of desires, they opened the Box of Original Sin, the world of Star-Veil , and thus fell into it. Only through selfless dedication can they complete their redemptions and return to Heaven. “

The Cardinals looked at Baniwens who was tied to a stake with eyes full of compassion. It was a look of pity towards the ignorant, as if looking at a child who knew nothing

“Duke Baniwens, your theory of Heliocentrism believes that the Sun is the centre of the universe, that Star-Veil is a large spherical celestial body, that there are countless celestial bodies similar to Star-Veil orbiting the sun. This contradicts The Great Canon of Light. Out of consideration of your rank as a duke, you can now complete your final redemption by changing the heretic views that blasphemes against the Light God in your book.”

At this moment, Baniwens, who was on the cross, was immeasurably calm. He looked at the juries of the ecclesiastical court; at the pope who overlooked him; at the boundless light above the Aurora Cathedral of Light; at the scholars of their respective academies hiding in the crowd.

He could compromise. He could revise parts of his book that contradicts The Great Canon of Light and use that as a condition to save his dukedom1. He could also try to make a call for action and rally the scholars hiding among the crowd to fight for him.

But when he looked at the furious looks of the countless followers, what he found were the uncompromising looks aimed towards a heretic. At that moment, he knew his decision.

Baniwens knew that if he resisted, Heliocentrism would become a heretical theory in their hearts forevermore. Ignorant faith would govern people’s thoughts longer. The truth will face more difficulty penetrating the dense nightscape to bring wisdom, rationality and the radiance of a civilisation.

He slowly turned his head and looked at the 12 cardinals on the platform. In their eyes, Baniwens could almost see mercy and pity directed towards him. His Heliocentrism, which he’d held onto for dear’s life, was nothing more than the delusions of an ignoramus to them.

This world needs a Martyr to let out a scream of rationality and die for the sake of upholding the truth.

" "

“There is no Heaven of Light in the starry sky of the universe”. Roared Baniwens, looking at the crowd of people who, because of his words, were filled with anger and hatred.

“Damned betrayer, he still believes in his heretical theory! Burn him!”

“May the Lord have mercy on this lost lamb…”

“What a joke. He says that Star-Veil is a large spherical body? If that’s the case, why hasn’t it fallen yet. Hahaha!

“He’s actually saying there is no Heaven! I will not allow him to desecrate the great Light Creator’s sanctity. What a dirty, stupid fool. Those who desecrate the Light Creator are heretics. They should be burned to death!”

Some grabbed stones and hurled it towards the stake to vent their anger.

The individual scholars among the crowd were thus insignificant. They looked at the countless believers of Light around them and at the pioneer on the stake who bore the anger of the believers, and unwillingly shed tears.

Baniwens, however, endured everything calmly. He looked up at the sky shrouded by holy light and let out a touching shout from the depths of his heart. “The True Law will never be extinguished by violence. The ways by which celestial bodies operate is something even the so-called Light Creator-Deity can never change. “

The 12 cardinals expressed their disappointment. This poor thing who would die of ignorance was no longer worth saving. His soul shall descend into purgatory and experience eternal torture.

And yet!

At this moment!

What accompanied the agitation of the holy light atop the Cathedral, was the fury of the Light Creator. Among the chorus of ‘miracle’ by the excited, tearful followers, the originally calm, collected pope suddenly stood up. A spark of vast, majestic divine power descended and engulfed Baniwens.

Baniwens looked up at the grand, preternatural beam of power in the sky and smiled calmly while facing death face on. “You too feel anger. You too feel fear. In the end, you are merely a higher-class organism, a life form that proclaims to be the God of Light and not the omnipotent creator. “

The divine blaze of light thoroughly engulfed Baniwens. Countless followers prostrated one after another. They, so emotionally charged because they could witness a miracle in their life, vowed to get rid of every heretic till their death.

Even the scholars among the followers can only choose to yield to the theocratic power and bow down unwillingly.

In this moment, theocratic power prevailed over imperial power; natural sciences lost to Light theology.

But…

In the crowd of people, there were some rational people who were devout believers of the Light God. In the moment when they witnessed the descent of the divine power of light, the incineration of Baniwens who looked at death in the eyes fearlessly to uphold the truth, they were shocked. They felt their faith in the Light waver ever so slightly.

O mighty God of Light, can you not have mercy on this ignorant person?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several hundred years later.

Glan1 Principality, little town of Agate Lake.

“I understand your feelings very well.” The pastor’s eyes revealed a daily kindness and patted the boy’s shoulder with his sleek, white hand to show consolation.

“Even though you already have the power of prayer and have proved your staunch belief towards the Lord, Sir Bob has donated a hundred gold coins to support the Church’s expedition to punish the heretics and proselytize. Through selfless contributions he has obtained the position of the preacher in advance. You can only wait till next year.”

It had been 40 years since the last Light crusade against the land of Night and rumours say that the succeeding pope couldn’t wait to wash the stain of shame from the previous failed expedition.

Ryger looked at the pastor with an unwilling expression. “You said the same thing when the previous year’s quota was taken away by uncle arbiter from Ra’as.”

The pastor’s eye was still full of bewailing compassion. “A hundred gold coins is enough for the Church to train some outstanding Light knights and maybe even an arbiter. By letting out your spot, you would be doing a form of self-sacrifice and complete a cycle of self-redemption.”

“But!” Though Ryger looked thin and frail, he was still a 17-year-old boy with a lot of energy and he was reluctant. “They have no power of prayer and can’t spread the greatness of the Lord. Whereas me, my mother chose to sacrifice herself 17 years ago during dystocia because of her belief towards the Lord. I’ve carried around original sins ever since I was born and I’ve been working all these time to redeem myself. My father is the most devout of followers in this town and his greatest desire was for me to be a preacher and spread the greatness of the Lord in distant, barren lands. Now that he is sick in bed, only after I become a part of the clergy can I ask for mercy from the Light God …”

“Enough of this!” The pastor said angrily. “Your eyes are full of anger and envy. You don’t understand the true meaning of self-sacrifice and redemption. All you care about is your little family. You pay no regards to the vast number of believers persecuted by heretics. Come back after you’ve understood the Lord’s selfless contributions.

The pastor walked to the bright, holy church after finishing speaking and no longer paid any attention to the pleading Ryger.

…
Translator here. Do report any errors you found.

Also this chapter feels like a prologue for a RPG game