Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Orval said

'We called ourselves the Enlightened Ones. The reason we call ourselves this is because we know the real story, the real history that the church had been trying to cover up for the last millennium. But that is not all we are. We are also the Keeper of Secrets. We have make an oath of honor to guard this lost knowledge and keep the secrets of the One Blessed by Light'

Arial waited for him to continue but it seems Orval is finished

'That's it?'

'That's it.' Arial narrowed his eyes and then said

'That could not be all of it'

Orval chuckles

'What were you expecting my lord?'

'I expect more elaboration.' Orval sighed as he leaned back on his chair and said

'There is not much to know. The story of Enlightened Ones is a story of tragedy and of loyalty. We have kept the secrets and we have blend in the darkness to hide from the forces that wanted to keep the Light in the Darkness'

Arial lean back on his chair as he closes his eyes. The one that caught his ears was the fact that the Church had hidden truth from the world.

That and…

'The One Blessed by Light' Arial suddenly said

Orval nodded.

'Yes. He is the one we keep away from the Church, from the Darkness. A prophesied coming of another Savior after Levitia' 

And Orval look at Arial with a mysterious smile

Arial look at him back and Orval smiles grew wider. Arial narrowed his eyes as he had his suspicion

'Is that why?' he thought to himself

The reason why he did not immediately put Orval under him is because he could not trust him

That night when he met with Orval and Orval told him how he leads Giovanni and Santiago to go pass the Wall and rejoin him, he also told him that he had come to him not as the Knight master that once taught in the Knight Academy but as a servant wanting to serve and contribute to his endeavor

That made Arial very suspicious. 

Regardless of anything else, Orval were never close to him and even disregarding their age, Orval himself had no obligation towards him

It is illogical to think that the Knight Master would be so fond of him, that he would abandon his other pursuits and instead help him when they have no other relations than being connected when Arial learned in the Knight Academy.

Yet, this same person told him everything about Ragora, briefly touching upon that he is from a secret organization called the Enlightened Ones.

It was unlike anything that Arial had ever experienced. 

Loyalty had to be cultivated. But from the moment Arial saw him, the old man seems to put his trust and loyalty towards him, almost in a self-sacrifice way.

How could then Arial easily trust such a person? And of course, the fact that he came from such a shadowy organization rings alarms in Arial heart

Arial himself while he did not know that much about the so called Enlightened Ones, he does come upon that name a few times when he researched some of the dusty history books that he had chance upon from the voyages of his admiral

He had never thought that this old man who seems to embodied all the virtues of a Knight is actually a member of that elusive brotherhood.

In the books he had read, most describe the members as devil worshippers and the servant of darkness. 

They perverted the Good Book and they defied the teachings of great teachers

As such Arial was hesitant in trusting him. 

But Orval was quick in his senses and quickly plains to him that the Enlightened Ones is none like the church and some other books describe them

He had asked for Arial to give him a chance to explain everything. It isn't until today, that Arial had the chance to truly talk with him

And what he heard is truly different than what he has read. But whether Orval is talking the truth is still something that needs to be verified.

The reason why he was so suspicious of Orval was because this person gives him all the intel he needed without ever asking for anything

He did not ask for a powerful position, did not ask for wealth, did not ask for women or land.

How could it be that this person has no desire whatsoever? 

How could such a person met him and do not even know him, yet, wanting to be so fiercely loyal towards him without reason?

How could he understand such a man? He could not. Thus, he became wary and trying to think whether this is a trap

But just from that explanation of Orval and the way he looks at him, Arial had a nagging sensation that he is inextricably linked with Orval more than he wanted to.

One of the question he had asked Amara was…why him? 

Why not any other person? 

Why guide him and watch over him? 

What is so special about him that a Goddess had been watching over him since he was born?

The moment Orval finished telling him the objective and aims of his organization and looking at the way he looks at him…. if his suspicion is true, then there is an explanation that makes sense why Orval would not even ask him for anything yet still so fiercely loyal towards him that he would give him everything

It is the same reason that his soldiers that come from the thirteen tribe trust him. The same reason Ragar had trusted him and would not hesitate to die for him.

This faith, this trust is akin of fanaticism. 

Arial hesitates. The cold does not bother him as his body regulate the ideal temperature for his body.

But his heart seems to beat fiercely. And he feels a chill in his heart

He did not know whether he wanted to know or not but even as he thought of that, his mouth asks the question

'Who is the One Blessed by Light?' Orval smiles like he was expecting that question from the beginning

'The One Blessed by Light have many names. There is even an entire chapter dedicated to him in the Scripture.'

Arial frowned

'I have never read such chapter before' Orval only smile at this. It appears he had been accustomed answering this kind of statement before.

'Of course you haven't. The Church had burn every chapter that spoke of the One Blessed by Light. Afraid of an old prophecy. They hated Him. Only the few who knew and did not stray, kept the Book. But I could not recite the words since it has been a long time, and I only read that chapter once when I was lucky enough to meet an ascetic who had that chapter. I do not want to misrepresented the chapter.'

'As for the One Blessed by Light, some people called him the Blood of Light. The blood of the Divine. Chosen One. The Anointed One. The Savior. Whatever the name people called him, there were many of such kind in the past. The most recent one of course is Levitia'

'The One Blessed by Light' Arial remembers. There is some passage sin the Scripture that refers to him like that

Orval nodded with a smile but he shakes his head

'Well, that is not entirely accurate. He is one of the One Blessed by Light. The truth that the Enlightened Ones find out is not about Levitia. But it does have a lot to do with the Great Hero Levitia.'

He paused for a second and then took the wine glass and take a sip. Orval felt the warmth of the wine and he takes a deep breath

The story of his own organization was not as long as the story of the Divine Blood. The Enlightened Ones like him had trace it to the First Generation. That is how long it has been inherited and passed down

But even though they knew that the Blood of Light comes from that particular lineage, they do not know the full story. Their quest is still ongoing, searching for the truth of the world

Sighing, Orval then look at Arial and then he began saying

'My lord. You see, the history of the Enlightened Ones is a history of bloodshed. It is a story of tragedy like I said before'

'The tragedy was because we found out what the Church had done. And because we know what they have done, the truth that they tried to cover up, they have hunted my brothers and sisters'

'They subjugated people under the name of righteousness and all the good virtues under Heaven while branding those who do not listen to them as traitors, devil worshipers, servants of darkness. They attributed every worse vice to us. They burned those who do not believe what they believed. The most barbaric act has been done to people to satisfied their self-righteous but false doctrine'

Arial however caught to the crux of the matter. So, he asks

'What they had done? What did they do?'

'My lord, the Church might like to view themselves as the medium which the divine spoke to. They are not. If the Divine cares enough, they might smite their very bedrock of the Church. They have committed the most egregious sins. I think it is only appropriate that I start from the very beginning'

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