Chapter 13: Proof of Faith (1)
Gebel was totally caught off guard to hear that Isaac was going to learn miracles.
Priests could do all sorts of miracles, from just lighting up a dark room or candles to calming down enemies. But usually, that kind of training started when someone was at least a trainee priest.
What the abbot suggested was pretty much like considering Isaac for priesthood itself.
Considering how tough it was to become an official priest, this felt a bit rushed for a 14-year-old. Not many monks ended up becoming priests in the end. But if the abbot personally taught and vouched for someone, becoming a priest could be a smooth process.
“Is that alright? Isaac is just 14, like you said.”
“If the right intentions and a genuine desire to honor God are there, it’s not out of reach. Don’t fret. The Codex of Light will steer everything following its rules.”
*
After breakfast, Isaac, as usual, went to the backyard to assist Gebel. But this time, it wasn’t Gebel who was waiting for him.
“Isaac.”
“Hey, Abbot Evhar.”
It was Abbot Evhar, a tall man with a slender frame, who observed Isaac while playing with a rosary. Despite that, Isaac met his gaze confidently, having overheard his chat with Gebel the previous night.
‘I could be in hot water at any moment. I need to be cautious until I know I can trust them.’
Especially now, as he was beginning to shine, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. And today, of all days, he needed to stay sharp.
‘If I can gain Abbot Evhar’s trust… maybe I can pick up the basics of being a Paladin, the miracles.’
Isaac locked eyes with him, showing determination and honesty. But to Evhar’s surprise, he observed something unexpected in Isaac’s demeanor.
‘Well… if he isn’t guided properly, he might break a few hearts.’
Lately, due to his health improving, Isaac had undergone a remarkable transformation. His once dull skin now had a glow, and his once skinny limbs had filled out, leading to a striking change in his appearance.
Evhar, noticing this, cleared his throat awkwardly.
Ordinary kids often found Evhar’s serious face intimidating. But to Isaac, he seemed neither scared nor eager for what was to come.
‘Is this what they mean by a child maturing all of a sudden?’
Maybe Gebel was onto something about Isaac having a “Holy Body.”
Meanwhile, Isaac’s mind was occupied with different thoughts.
‘What a stern expression.’
Quickly shaking off that notion, fearing it might be taken as disrespectful.
“I heard you’re quite good with a sword, Isaac.”
“Oh, yes. I’m giving my best shot, though I’ve got a lot to improve on.”
The Codex of Light doesn’t say priests can’t wield swords. Actually, it often recommends it.
In a harsh world, traveling without a weapon during pilgrimages is silly. Especially when there’s a risk of the Immortal Order attacking, it’s crucial for a priest journeying east to be able to defend themselves.
“How many prayers do you have memorized?”
“Just the meal blessing and the morning prayer…”
“How much of the scriptures do you know? Have you read the Dawn Psalms, chapter 4, verse 8?”
“…Not really sure.”
Isaac found it tough to answer, but it wasn’t a fair situation for him.
Most kids left parentless these days are just lucky to make it to grown-up life without going hungry. Making ends meet by mastering some skills is already a big win, so hitting the books is a luxury. The monastery does offer ‘lessons in reading and writing,’ but they don’t push for memorizing scriptures.
Basically, Evhar was asking for too much from Isaac, who was still new to the place.
“Can you tell friend from foe if you swing your sword with your eyes half-shut? Maybe you’re rushing things a bit too much,” Evhar cautioned.
‘I guess I’ll have to learn some scripture to become a Paladin, but diving headfirst into studies already feels like a stretch.’
Isaac grumbled to himself but kept quiet. He saw Evhar’s visit as a chance, despite the unreasonable demand.
‘If they ease up on useless chores and let me focus on memorizing or copying scripture instead, it might actually help.’
Little did Evhar know, Isaac was wise beyond his years.
“Sorry. I acted too fast without a plan when my pals were in danger. I’ll learn from my slip-up,” Isaac humbly apologized, with a subtle ‘Who saved the day when things went south?’ undertone.
Evhar remembered the incident and winced.
After observing Isaac for a moment, he conceded, “You’re right. Understanding the spirit, not just the words, is what counts. My bad.”
‘Wait, why the quick change of heart from him? He seemed so serious,’ Isaac pondered.
As Isaac wondered, Evhar continued, “I’ll teach you the Codex of Light personally. It’ll be quicker than memorizing scripture.”
Isaac was now under Evhar’s wing, as a personal pupil to the abbot.
*
“Here’s a bit from the Codex of Light that the prophet Luadin received: Imagine the warmth from a fire in a snowy peak being the same as in a desert of trials…” Evhar muttered as he strolled through the monastery, with Isaac in tow. Isaac fought off sleepiness, unable to slack off as Evhar carried on with his sermon.
‘I’ve sat through boring lectures, but this is next level…’
In reality, Isaac had zero interest in religion. It was his main headache since coming here. He used to be a non-believer.
In a world where gods existed, rejecting them seemed insane, but his modern outlook clashed with this divine-centric society. Preferring personal truth over divine decree felt more vital to him.
Yet, in this world, faith was prized. Isaac knew he had to play along to thrive here, even though he never thought the need would come this soon, especially with the abbot’s personal teachings.
The issue was that Evhar didn’t really seem all that great at teaching.
“…So, the Codex of Light lit up a closed room, filling it with smoke. Then poof, the flame was gone. And ya know what it said to Luadin?”
Isaac was so tired he could doze off any minute.
‘I’d honestly rather be in a physics class right now… Hold up?’
Out of nowhere, Evhar’s words struck a chord with Isaac. Up until now, he had been kinda zoning out during the scripture readings. It was all just stuff he knew he had to memorize eventually, not something he really absorbed.
But as he made an effort to pay attention to Evhar’s boring lecture, some pieces started to click in his mind.
“…The Codex of Light mentioned how once things burn to ash, they can’t turn back into wood. Light and heat are fleeting, so treasure the moment…”
‘Wait a minute… is this… thermodynamics?’
A sudden realization hit Isaac like a ton of bricks.
Even though he wasn’t a physics expert, Isaac had a basic grasp of the subject. And now, he could see how Evhar’s ramblings connected with his own limited knowledge of physics.
All of a sudden, everything made sense in Isaac’s mind.
It was like a lightbulb moment.
The teachings from the Codex of Light were like a storytelling version of modern physics, mixed with some moral lessons.
‘Could it be… that’s why it’s called the Codex of Light?’
Light is the fastest thing we know, a constant in the laws of physics.
If the Codex of Light is like a god, then it’s the god of physics.
Isaac was floored by this crazy realization.
He thought he had to force himself to believe in the Codex of Light, but in reality, he had always followed its teachings, as modern physics was as essential to him as breathing air.
“Isaac.”
Suddenly, Evhar leaned in close to Isaac, startling him.
“You seemed lost in thought there.”
“I was just pondering your words, Abbot.”
“Ah, then you must’ve grasped the bonfire metaphor.”
The bonfire in the snow is the same as the one in the desert.
The scripture interprets it as the Codex of Light’s power shining on everything equally, good or bad, preaching its kindness.
But the real message wasn’t about kindness or equality.
“Hot things are hot, cold things are cold.”
It was a simple explanation, but enough for people to understand. Still, Evhar twitched a bit at Isaac’s words.
Instead of getting mad, Evhar replied thoughtfully.
“What about the closed room tale?”
“All things in an isolated space change, but nothing disappears or appears again.”
“And the ash story?”
“High things come low, hot things cool, and grouped things scatter.”
“Hmm…”
Evhar looked at Isaac, wide-eyed, touching his face repeatedly. Isaac’s words could easily be seen as controversial.
But Evhar, who had studied scripture for years, sensed the ‘essence’ of the Codex of Light in Isaac’s words.
The scripture of Luadin was once considered divine, but as centuries passed, it was interpreted and written down by priests.
Versions filled with nice and moral stories started to pop up. But then Isaac came along and cut through all that, reaching for the raw truth.
“Do you think Luadin, who wrote down the Codex of Light, was like this?” Evhar got hit with a lightning bolt of realization.
Gebel mentioned that Isaac was a chosen Holy Body, a miracle worker for the deity. Despite initial doubts, Isaac’s words were quite the challenge.
“Wait, am I really testing someone picked by a god?” Evhar now understood Gebel’s shock a bit. Is this the deal with being a Holy Body?
Isaac was unlike any Holy Body Evhar knew. He was a total game-changer, a bit unnerving even. “If Isaac’s the real deal, he must have a huge mission, right?”
Feeling the weight of eyes on him, Isaac questioned his choices. “Did I go too deep? Should I have kept it simple?”
Isaac felt like Evhar’s expression was either “What a fool in my monastery” or “I’m facing a demon.” Still, Isaac was sure he grasped the essence of the Codex of Light.
“I may not break it down into formulas, but I get the gist,” thought Isaac, grasping only the concept in brief. This act let him play the part in front of Evhar.
After a long pause, Evhar finally spoke. “Impressive, Isaac.”
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