"Once upon a ti, there was a girl nad Charlotte Fawls, who ca from a prominent family, the youngest daughter of a noble house.
In those days, having too many daughters wasn't a good thing because of the excessive dowry required, so they sent their daughters to the monastery.
Charlotte entered the monastery at the age of twelve, and at thirteen, the monastery was burned by rebellious soldiers. She and other nuns and monks escaped by hiding in the cellar.
So, the mothers believed this was a punishnt from the Holy Father, and they needed to take the pilgrimage road to Holy Seat City to atone for their sins.
But at that ti, the Hundred Years' War had just ended, and the Empire was still in an era of extre chaos.
That's why after traveling less than a tenth of the journey, her mother and sisters froze or starved to death one after another.
You know what? The pilgrimage path wasn't filled with flowers or pious pilgrims.
Instead, it was covered with white bones, filled with vicious deserters and bandit robbers.
She was the only one fortunate enough to always receive alms and survive.
So she thought, people spend their whole lives on the pilgrimage road, enduring all hardships, but forget to make the road a little better.
If the road was improved, wouldn't the journey to Holy Seat City be possible even without so many hardships?
If it were soone else, it would naturally be a fantasy, but this Charlotte turned out to be a witch."
"A witch?!" Kusvania exclaid, "I thought it was you!"
Jia Li rolled her eyes: "Do you think I'm so naive girl who would say this is my friend? This is just a story."
"Alright, alright, please continue," Kusvania hurriedly covered her mouth.
Today, Jia Li suddenly skipped class and called her to this secret space in the attic.
She thought Jia Li suddenly wanted to open up, but instead, she started telling another story.
But today, Jia Li has been absent-minded the whole day, and perhaps it has sothing to do with this matter.
Clearing her throat, Jia Li cald down and continued: "As a witch, her spells were harmless and useless, rely allowing others to hear her true thoughts.
You know how dark human hearts are, but her heart was so bright and pure, attracting countless followers.
So, they built roads together, and more and more pilgrims joined, forming the 'Holy Sanctuary Sect,' with the aim of assisting the poor and building facilities to aid believers.
At that ti, it was just after the war, and everything was in ruins. By the ti her road construction reached Holy Seat City, the Holy Sanctuary Sect and Saintess Charlotte had beco an unignorable force."
"From her actions, she should be considered a Saintess," Kusvania corrected, "You should attend more religious classes."
"Do you want to listen to or not?"
"Don't be mad, go on, tell ," Kusvania hugged Jia Li's broken arm and shook it.
"The Church was entangled in internal strife for the Pope's position, but it was Ruo'an who appeased the conflict?
You know how she did it? Very simply, Charlotte took to the streets and told everyone:
If she were Pope, she planned to build twelve Ruo'an Avenues, encompassing the entire Empire and Norn Kingdom, to make the paths for pilgrims less arduous.
She planned to construct five Ruo'an Dams to alleviate flood disasters in Windmill Land, Thousand River Valley, Black Snake Bay, the Lake Sword Region, and Storm Cape.
She said, I want to build sturdy houses so that the poor will not fear the wind and rain.
She said, I want to build a hundred hospitals to prevent innocent people from dying.
She said, I want everyone to have enough to eat, everyone to afford clothes, everyone to afford books.
I want to create a new world free of war, plague, disease, famine, and flood, an Earthly Heaven.
Everyone knew she was sincere and saw the Earthly Heaven in her heart.
So, amidst the support and cheers of countless believers, the three Popes chosen by the Church's upper echelons were all overthrown by the people.
In the end, this girl nad Charlotte ascended to the papal position.
By gathering the opinions of believers, she chose a gentle na as her papal na—Ruo'an."
Halfway through, Kusvania had a vague feeling, and when she heard this, she couldn't help but exclaim.
Looking at Jia Li, her eyes carried a hint of sothing amiss.
Although in today's Thousand River Valley Holy Alliance law, groups like the Ruo'an Faction and Green Robe Faction are considered "vital social groups."
But they should only be spreading south of Langsande County. Jia Li's appearance is clearly that of a mountain person; how could she believe in the Ruo'an Faction's teachings?
Looking at Jia Li's expression, it didn't seem like she was joking, and she wasn't the type to joke at this mont.
Kusvania's body trembled slightly, and in the blazing sunlight, she saw a hint of silver in Jia Li's hair roots.
Jia Li didn't notice Kusvania's change but continued to speak softly: "… After building the twelve avenues, Ruo'an's prestige reached its peak in mobilizing the nations' forces.
She could even make the then Imperial Emperor, the King of Falan, kneel in the snow for seven hours because he was blocking the construction of the Ruo'an Avenues.
So, the nobles and bishops were scared. They tried everything to investigate Ruo'an's weaknesses, and finally, they discovered Ruo'an was a witch.
The ecstatic bishops requested an Angel to kill her.
The Angel killed Ruo'an's four closest disciples, but when faced with her and hearing her heart, deed her innocent.
Faced with the Church's urging, the Angel ultimately chose to commit suicide, leaving its heart's blood to Ruo'an, enabling her to fight off the believers' attacks.
But Ruo'an refused. She wanted the believers to decide if she was guilty, not God.
Then, carrying the Angel's Holy Blood, she was burned alive as a witch in a high tower by the believers she trusted."
Kusvania held her breath, looking at Jia Li with eyes full of fear and caution.
Jia Li turned to look at her: "So? You asked earlier what my dream is? What I'm going to do in the future? Do you understand now?"
Kusvania opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound.
"… Moliat… Ruo'an Faction… missionary… terrifying…"
Her ears twitched slightly, and Jia Li suddenly chuckled softly.
How ironic, as Ruo'an IV, who inherited the Angel's Holy Blood, her magical ability was the complete opposite of Ruo'an's, eavesdropping on heart voices.
After Ruo'an's death, the forces dependent on her crumbled due to the loss of cohesion.
Ruo'an's deeds were suppressed and erased by the Church, deliberately distorted.
It was ant to exchange hearts sincerely by displaying her innermost desires, so that people could see her selflessness and goodness, and be willing to follow.
But it turned into Ruo'an being a succubus, relying on seduction and mind control to establish a powerful force.
Even the Holy Sanctuary Sect was transford into the Sanctuary Knight Order.
So what kind of people are in this Knight Order now?
Just by looking at one heavyweight figure, you know — Charles Gordon Finch, Prince Kongdai.
The truth is either regarded as heretical, and those who know the truth either die or flee to Black Snake Bay to join the Ruo'an Faction.
This is why the Ruo'an Faction is so tightly organized, with such good governance and a religious atmosphere.
It's simple, compared to the Scales Hermitage, the Ruo'an Faction is the true church heresy.
Inside, it is full of monks who have discovered historical truths, people with ideals and high culture.
Jia Li still rembers Horn once said when they were reading history together, that after the Hundred Years War, the Empire fell into an era of economic collapse and chaotic tis.
During that era, the church launched vast road works, built waterways, opened new fields and monasteries, absorbing nurous unemployed people.
Miraculously, with extrely low expenditure, they achieved the transition from war to peace.
Based on roads, canals, and dams, the towns and citizen classes we have now were born.
The future economy of the Empire is almost all built on these twelve roads.
But now they are separately nad as King's Path Leia, King Falan Path, Norn [choose the current king's na] Path...
The last completed Ruo'an project was the Ruo'an Dam at Shattered Stone Plain, renad Innocent Dam.
Ruo'an's dreams completely shattered because she couldn't read people's hearts, believing the faithful could be as selfless as her.
But Jia Li can read them, she intends to make ands for Ruo'an's mistakes.
Is every Imperial person worth saving? No, different regions, different ethnic groups, different customs, they can't even understand each other, let alone save them, so just save the Thousand River Valley People.
Trust the choice of the faithful? No, only elites are worth trusting, the short-sightedness of the faithful only allows them to see imdiate interests.
Seek to win power peacefully without bloodshed? No, bloodshed is necessary, war is necessary, without war, power cannot be solidified.
Jia Li once thought so, yet she still sits here, sits in this won's school.
Could she really be wrong?
Recalling before her father's death, recalling Grandma Ludmila (Ruo'an II) before she died, her favorite stories in childhood were about Ruo'an.
Until Grandma was assassinated by the Demon Hunters, her father died of illness, her grandfather passed away without receiving blessings; when she awakened her witchcraft, her hatred for Ruo'an began.
Hating her for her pure kindness, hating her for the beautiful Earthly Heaven she created.
Just like in Horn's vision of that world, seemingly wonderful, yet never possible to achieve.
Glancing at the stunned Kusvania, Jia Li stood up, ready to descend the attic, but was suddenly grabbed by Kusvania.
"What are you going to do?"
Kusvania was about to cry when glared at by Jia Li, yet she stubbornly held onto Jia Li's arm: "I don't know what you're going to do? But don't go."
"Can you read my mind? Or predict the future?" Jia Li joked.
Kusvania seriously said, "I feel you will suffer, if you can't do it yourself, relying on others is never a disgrace."
Relying on others? Jia Li's pupils constricted, her gaze seed to penetrate Kusvania's thin chest.
"... Jia Li... good person... friendship..."
Jia Li stared for at least four or five seconds, then burst into laughter, patting Kusvania's back, making her face turn ashen.
"You pretend so well, you're too easily serious."
"I'm serious." Kusvania angrily pushed Jia Li's hand away.
"Don't worry, I won't do anything that would make myself suffer."
"Promise."
"I promise!"
Looking back at Kusvania hopping away, Jia Li shook her head bitterly.
She took out two things from her bosom, one letter, and another also a letter.
One from Horn, the other thrown through the window last night.
Unfolding the thick first letter, it read: "... How have you been lately, the final exams are coming soon, right? ... I heard you're no longer skipping classes, that's great, have you made new friends? ...
I wanted you to go to school not to humiliate you, but to let you see the life of ordinary people and fill in the gaps in your life...
It's never about short-sighted civilians, farsighted elites, just that civilians never have long-term ability and qualification...
I'm not refuting you, but saying that maybe it is so now, but it may not be in the future.
We need to leave enough space and tolerance, not completely treat human society as a predator grassland...
I'm actually very afraid, afraid you remain obstinate, but now it seems, I have overthought.
Looking forward to seeing you in the ry Court Barracks, I hope you can sit by my side (not the masked kind).
Attached with a new chanical hand by Hilov, occasionally try new things."
The corners of her mouth involuntarily curved up, and Jia Li's gaze shifted to the other side.
Unfolding the other letter, only half a thin sheet of paper, the text revealed as red marks after being heated.
Seeing the handwriting, the smile on Jia Li's face gradually faded.
"Her Highness Moliat, please wait by the window at midnight on Friday, the righteous are all waiting for your return.
Please lead us, reclaim the position that is rightfully yours, then we can end this war.
— Your loyal dog."
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