Glan Natural Science Academy

The cardinal gazed deeply at the books.

“These books, seven thousand three hundred and fifty-two of them tried to use all sorts of ways and tricks to prove the Lord is not almighty, five thousand two hundred and twenty went as far as comparing The One Only, the Light Creator Deity to the specimens of higher-order beings they researched and tried to peer into the Lord’s might, and twenty-one of them actually supported the heretical theory of 《Heliocentrism》…”

Earth-shattering roars of anger sounded, and there were frenzied and fanatical followers constantly shouting to destroy the Glan Natural Sciences Academy. In this moment, the Academy needed, of all things, the Church’s knights to maintain order.

It must be said: such irony.

How could the many scholars not be infuriated by such a spectacle!

Atop the platform, the cardinal, seeing the wild excitement of the horde of followers, knew that he had shown enough of the Church’s influence to those ignoramuses for deterrence purposes. Now, it was time for this charade to end.

“There actually still exists people that believe in some heretical theory several hundred years ago. The Sun is the centre of the universe? Star Veil is a large spherical body? There are countless other spherical bodies like Star Veil in the universe?”

The cardinal snickered.

Ignorant and idiotic! Pathetic and laughable! Is even several hundred years of teachings and edification insufficient to save them from their one-track mind? If Star Veil really is a spherical body and not the Box of Original Sin, how come we’re still standing here? Wouldn’t we fall?”

Hahahaha…

Seeing the cardinal actually making a light-hearted joke, the high-spirited followers laughed together, ridiculing the Glan Natural Sciences Academy for their arrogance and foolishness, sympathising with the scholars with their ignorance.

“Today, I stand here as a faithful servant of the great Light Creator Deity in this world, and declare these seventeen thousand four hundred and forty-two books that blasphemes the Lord to all be burned! As well, the thirteen laboratories went against the will of the Light shall be sealed forevermore and all experimental apparatuses shall be destroyed!”

“Burn!”

“Judgement!”

As shouts of praise from the frenetic followers sounded, the heads stirred and at a place outside the crowd, unreachable for Ryger, roaring flames burned and reached for the sky.

Indescribable sorrow filled Ryger’s heart.

He looked at the elation, the joy, the excitement flowing from the crowd around him and heard the curses of a farmer nearby – something about how they should’ve burned those books and how those good-for-nothing nobles had too much time on their hands to actually think of studying books that blasphemed against the Light God – and other similar scoldings.

Yet his heart was calm. Unprecedentedly calm.

“One day, rationality will prevail over ignorance and the universe’s True Law will utterly destroy the gods’ power of faith!”

Taking in a deep breath, Ryger slowly closed his eyes.

 

After about two hours.   

Amid the content sounds of prayer, the followers, as the rain of spring fell, gradually dispersed together with the radiant knights. Ryger, amid the crowd, never once laid eyes on the cardinal from start to end, only standing there silently, staring dully at the distant fire.

Pitter-patter…

Probably because of the miracle, after the gloomy clouds once again gathered atop, rain gradually fell and only got greater as it went on. But even these rainwaters were unable to quench the flames containing the divinity of Light.

These books were the crystallisations of wisdom of the Academy’s forefathers in their search for the truth, their results manifest. Now, they were torched by the Church and completely incinerated!

It wasn’t only Ryger. Countless other scholars stood there dully, letting the rain fall on them and drench their scholar robes, looking silently at the fire of Light divinity crackling, blazing amid the rain.

“That’s…”

Suddenly!

With fewer and fewer people in the rain, Ryger’s gaze passed the crowd of people dispersing to avoid the rain, and through the curtain of rain to dumbfoundedly land on that lone old man.

“Mentor Kubo!!!”

Ryger rushed over, disregarding everything, took out a blanket from his spacebox and draped it over Kubo. Yet the rain made short work of the dry blanket.

Kubo didn’t respond whatsoever, only looking dazedly at the burning books, eyes bloodshot and bawling helplessly like a child.

Kubo took off his glasses, letting the rain fall on his head, mix with his sorrowful tears, flow down along his aged wrinkles and finally fall onto the rainwater, dyed black from the books’ ashes, at Kubo’s feet.

“These books… They were the essence of wisdom the seniors left behind only after spending countless days and nights in the process of seeking the truth. They were entrusted with the knowledge for us to complete their explorations! But now, burned. Burned…”

Ryger had never seen his mentor in such a sorrowful state, weeping hysterically as though he had lost the most important thing in his life.

As though feeling the same thing himself, Ryger, too, cried.

Kubo looked at Ryger amid the rain, clenching the boy’s shoulder and sobbing. “Burning these books takes only one hour. But to author these books, the forefathers went through several generations of discovery and accumulation…”

Ryger looked at the burning flames. There was still a squad of radiant knights keeping watch over the burning ritual, preventing scholars from attempting to save the books. The divinity-containing fire did not shrink after all this time, even in the rain.

“Mentor!”

Ryger wiped his tears and shouted from the bottom of his heart.

“Rationality will eventually win over ignorance! I believe we will be able to create a future filled with hope! In that age, the fruits of our hard work will no longer be trampled on wantonly, and all scholars who persist in the science of truth will live with the dignity they deserve!”

In the distance, Satro came running.

“Mentor! Junior brother! Junior sister and Madam Adva already went back. You should hurry back too!”

Satro’s voice was hoarse, and appeared to be barely able to speak. Rushingly, he retrieved an umbrella from his spacebox and opened it over Kubo and Ryger’s head, leaving himself in the rain.

“Mentor, let’s go home!”

Ryger and Satro held their trembling mentor and amid the wild weather, the three of them slowly departed.

……

Ever since Pioneer Baniwens gave his life for the truth, book-burning events from the Church such as this had already occurred tens of times in all of the grand academies. This was especially the case for the Utlan Natural Sciences Academy to which Baniwens who supported 《Heliocentrism》belonged. They had experienced several catastrophes.

An indeterminate number of books relating to the True Law of outer space was burned by the Church, and all sorts of manufacturing methods for optical devices were lost in history.

Other natural sciences academies and private laboratories also gradually gave up on continuing to study outer space’s True Law due to a lack of important optical devices and pressure from the Church. And so, the study of outer space, once comparable to natural law and evolutionary secrets, were annihilated and relegated to the annals of history.

In the coming few days.

The Church’s knights who took over the Academy’s security left the Glan Natural Sciences Academy in droves, and the Academy gradually regained its previous freedom.

Large number of mercenaries started to purchase things, selling their own harvests while they’re at it. Many stores gradually came back to life.

The scholars, too, gradually recovered from their sorrow. The Academy resumed normal operations and all went back on track. Again.