Chapter 5: I May Not Dare to Look at Her Directly (Part 1)

Gabriel recounted the dispute among the crowd at the square on the northern end of the town, concluding with the statement: "I believe what that gentleman Aristotle said is not without merit; the will of the divine is the major premise. As long as you have passed the test, you have received the acknowledgment of the divine, for as a candidate for the saint, you have already obtained the tears of the gods"

Maria originally had a maid for heavy labor and a personal maid by her side, but both have fallen ill in the past few days. Perhaps the long journey across the desert to this uncomfortable place has taken a toll, as the climate and environment are not very accommodating. Lord Dick has brought several maids and female slaves for Maria's service, but Gabriel believes they cannot directly attend to the daily needs of the saintly lady

After saying this, he thought for a moment and couldn't help but smile again. He turned to Amon and said: "The spirit of the oracle is a boy under the age of sixteen, who is not permitted to learn the skills of a miner. However, in the local language, 'allow' and 'may' can be synonymous. Do you understand what I mean? Therefore, that priest was unable to debate with me today, but you must grasp the difference, or you will be as confused as the others"

Aristotle smiled and said, "In fact, I cannot be certain either; I merely wish to discuss with you why it is referred to as the oracle of the guardian. This is because it indeed protects the residents here. The divine stones produced here are so precious, and the skills of extraction have been passed down through generations. How can we prevent people from being driven by greedy desires to force underage children to bear such heavy burdens? This way, we can better protect the craftsmen here for generations to come, ensuring that young boys do not meet an untimely end?" The divine stones produced here are so precious, and the skills of extraction have been passed down through generations. How can we prevent people from being driven by greedy desires to force underage children to bear such heavy burdens? This way, we can better protect the craftsmen here for generations to come, ensuring that young boys do not meet an untimely end?

Professor Gabriel's divine art of Maria remains a form of prayer, yet it requires sincere faith and a tranquil heart. It involves a special ritual to awaken the extraordinary powers bestowed by the divine, and to undergo the trials of the deity

This process is usually quite difficult, but with the help of the Tears of the Gods, it can be much simpler, and this is one of the reasons why the Tears of the Gods are so precious. Only by awakening the power granted by the deities and passing the most fundamental divine trials can it be proven that Maria will be able to use the Tears of the Gods in the future to bless the people of the subordinate temple.

Maria was not truly ill; since Gabriel's duty was to protect her, it naturally included ensuring her health. After Maria slept through the night and awoke, Gabriel had already treated her with a simple blessing spell, and her body was in good condition. Under Gabriel's protection, she could safely traverse the desert.

The two continued walking towards the southern end of the town, and Aristotle seemed very interested in the child. As they walked, he asked again: "Earlier, we discussed the oracle in front of the temple. Do you know why the true divine spirit, the deity that leaves the oracle, is referred to by you as the guardian deity?"

Amon's somewhat chaotic mind seemed to be awakened by a flash of inspiration, and he suddenly understood something, nodding repeatedly and saying: "The oracle, it is the oracle! No child who has not reached adulthood can learn the skills of a miner, and women are not allowed to mine the divine stones"

Gabriel smiled again: "This is the power bestowed by the divine. I can hear the voices of each and every one of them, as long as I concentrate and am willing to listen... As the High Priestess of the Temple of Isis, you will possess divine powers far greater than mine. I am a warrior and can no longer learn advanced divine arts, while you will master the supreme divine arts of the Temple of Isis"

Amon nodded and said, "Yes, sir, I would like to ask."

... ...

Rod Dick considered everything thoroughly, yet he overlooked these aspects, not due to a lack of attention to detail. According to the regulations, only after a formal ceremony held at the Temple of Isis can a recognized candidate for the position of the Holy Maiden become the true Holy Maiden. However, Gabriel insisted on applying the conditions for treating the Holy Maiden in advance, appearing meticulous, fearing that there might be unexpected errors from now until the successful return to the Temple of Isis.

Aristotle nodded and said: "Yes, this is the reason why the deity in the temple is referred to as the guardian spirit. Regardless of how that oracle was originally transmitted, such an oracle is indeed needed here. Child, if you become a priest in the future, you must also safeguard such an oracle, but you must understand the true divine spirit and its origins, rather than following the example of the priest just now"

Maria hesitated and asked again: "Isn't it required that the ceremony be conducted by the priests after arriving at the Temple of Isis in order to accept such a trial? ... Am I not violating the will of the gods by doing this now?"

Gabriel shook his head: "You have not violated the will of God. What I am doing is merely to help you successfully pass the test of God. If you do not pass, you will still not gain the approval of the divine, but I believe you can." Seeing that Mary still looked somewhat puzzled, Gabriel thought for a moment and added: "I want to tell you about something that just happened in this town today."

Once the mind relaxes, it can lead to fainting or falling into a deep sleep, which is quite ordinary for an average person

Amon originally thought it was just the ramblings of an old madman, but he did not expect that this person actually exists. It seems that what the old madman said was true

This is also good, as it at least indicates that the messenger of the temple has already acknowledged Maria's identity as a saint.

Aristotle was slightly taken aback: "I have seen him at the Academy of Plato; he is a student of my teacher's friend, Theodorus. Child, how have you heard of his name?"

Maria has already obtained the Tears of the Gods. If she can achieve this before reaching the Temple of Isis, it will naturally lead to her becoming the true Saint. However, if she is unable to do so for an extended period, it is likely that complications may arise. Gabriel escorted Maria a long distance to Duke Town, personally witnessing and documenting the appearance of the Tears of the Gods, and having seen Maria's devotion, he is already firmly convinced of her identity as a Saint, thus deciding to proceed with this step as soon as possible. Gabriel escorted Maria a long distance to Duke Town, personally witnessing and documenting the appearance of the Tears of the Gods, and having seen Maria's devotion, he is already firmly convinced of her identity as a Saint, thus deciding to proceed with this step as soon as possible

Is Maria really sick? It certainly looks like it, but only Gabriel knows what is truly going on. It is not a genuine illness, yet now, Maria indeed needs to stay in Dook Town for a few more days

After all, having protected Maria all the way to this place and obtained the Tears of the Gods, even Gabriel felt fortunate. This is a blessing from the goddess Isis, who has an indescribable fondness for this pure and devout girl and is willing to assist her

Just as the conversation reached this point, the voice of a maid from downstairs was heard: "Lord Gabriel, Mr. Aristotle has found the servant you need and has brought him here"

Lord Rod-Dick is still concerned about one matter, which is the possibility that the priests of the temple are sabotaging the process, either by not teaching Maria the true divine arts or by deliberately delaying her education, causing her to fail the assessments and allowing candidates from other city-states to seize this position. He is contemplating how to conduct public offerings and private bribes. Meanwhile, Gabriel has said nothing and has privately resolved the troubles that Dick was worried about. From here on, everything depends on Maria herself.

On the night Maria received the Tear of the Gods, she fainted. The days of fervent prayer had drained her energy and strength. The environment in Dike Town made Lord Dick feel quite uncomfortable, and Maria was similarly unwell. Aside from eating and sleeping, she had been concentrating all her spirit on praying to the goddess Isis every day, and she was already quite exhausted

Gabriel gently shook his head: "No, it is not me; you certainly would not want to disappoint the great goddess Isis."

Maria blinked her beautiful big eyes and thought for a long time, finally nodding and saying: "Yes, you are right, you are more familiar with the regulations of the Temple of Isis than I am, I will certainly not let you down"

At this moment, Malia suddenly thought of something and asked in confusion: "But you were here just now, how could you hear what the people on the other side of the town were saying, every word so clearly, while I heard nothing? Is this the power of the divine?"

However, Gabriel had other matters to attend to and did not even inform Rod-Dick. She was to impart the most fundamental divine arts of the Temple of Maria Isis—the Trials of the Divine. The criteria for selecting a saintess were not merely to obtain the Tears of the Gods, but also to awaken the powers bestowed by the deities. What Gabriel intended to teach Maria was precisely this.

Aristotle gazed into the distance, seemingly speaking to himself: "I come from a distant land, a place called Stagira, where there are many city-states. I once studied at the Academy of Plato, and my teacher used to say, 'Why do we seek knowledge? Virtue is knowledge, and a wise person should become a good person.'"

The usually serious Gabriel rarely revealed a smile: "Pray towards the Tears of the Gods, and in the manner I have taught you, you will receive the extraordinary powers bestowed by the divine. However, what will also be awakened are the desires that lie dormant within the souls of people. You must learn how to confront these desires, not allowing them to sway your spirit and beliefs; this is the test of the divine, the threshold to enter the hall of divine arts... Your spirit is so devout and pure that passing this test should not be difficult. As a saintess, how you should hold yourself to account no longer needs my elaboration." You must learn how to confront these desires, not allowing them to sway your spirit and beliefs; this is the test of the divine, the threshold to enter the hall of divine arts... Your spirit is so devout and pure that passing this test should not be difficult. As a saintess, how you should hold yourself to account no longer needs my elaboration.

This does not violate the will of God. After Mary arrives at the Temple of Isis, the priests of the temple will teach the divine arts according to the established procedures and conduct assessments within the specified time. Gabriel merely expedited this ritual and provided her with special care

As Ameng walked from the north of the town to the south, he remained deep in thought, and just as he was speaking, they arrived at the small building where Maria lived

Gabriel said to Dick: "You firmly believe that Maria will become the guardian saint of the Temple of Isis, having received the tears of the gods, then everything should be treated as one would treat a saint."

The Temple of Isis possesses vast fields and countless slaves, yet the status of the priestess is transcendent. The items she uses cannot be directly handed to her by slaves, thus female slaves cannot serve her directly. She is prohibited from any physical contact with adult men, and her clothing and food cannot be presented to her by women who have had relations with men. The several young and beautiful maidservants sent by Lord Dick are evidently unsuitable.

On the road, Ammon expressed his gratitude and, according to the most solemn etiquette he knew, intended to kneel and kiss the dust at Aristotle's feet. However, Aristotle stopped him and said with a smile, "My child, you need not do this; you are not my slave, nor am I a deity or a monarch." He then looked at him and asked, "Do you wish to know why I am helping you?"

Maria asked her: "How will the gods test me?"

Amon blinked and recalled, asking: "Heaton? Have you heard of a sage named Theatad?"

Why? A deity is a deity, and an oracle is an oracle. It seems that the townspeople have never questioned this matter. Amon did not respond but humbly said, "Sir, please guide me."

Amon was well aware that today it was Aristotle and the old madman who had saved him. It was not surprising that the old madman would help him, but this unfamiliar young man was clearly a noble; why would he help a miner he had never met? Amon was very grateful and pleased to have the opportunity to serve this gentleman. After all, it was just three days of being a servant, and moreover, there was a generous reward of one gold coin per day.

Amon replied, "An old man in the town told me, it was the gentleman you just spoke to." Amon had heard the name Taitede mentioned by the old madman; it is said that this sage claimed there are only five types of regular polyhedra in the world, and the dodecahedron is the most special among them. It outlines the contours of the world as drawn by the divine, containing mysterious information about the fifth element, serving as the source and symbol of mystical power. It is said that this sage claimed there are only five types of regular polyhedra in the world, and the dodecahedron is the most special among them. It outlines the contours of the world as drawn by the divine, containing mysterious information about the fifth element, serving as the source and symbol of mystical power.