Chapter Twenty-Eight: Noble Souls

Without a doubt, Irwin was a devout adherent of the Holy Light, yet he was also a vibrant young man. As a cleric, he maintained dignity and sanctity before others, but he was not immune to feelings of repression, anxiety, or anticipation.

At first, Irwin simply hoped that Mulan would come to revere the Holy Light, for he could tell that this remarkable young man was not truly a faithful believer. As their conversations deepened, Irwin discovered Mulan to be even more exceptional than he had imagined—witty, learned, and able, after some contemplation, to offer solutions to theological questions that troubled Irwin. Even if these suggestions didn’t resolve the issues, they opened new avenues of thought.

This made Irwin feel all the more that Mulan was born to embrace the Holy Light, and their exchanges gradually transcended the boundary between cleric and believer, quietly evolving into friendship.

Some friendships require time to prove their trustworthiness, while others reveal sincerity after only brief acquaintance. In Mulan’s eyes, Irwin was just such a person.

Mulan, too, wished for new friends in this world—especially since Irwin was a true cleric who had experienced the power of the Holy Light. Whether chatting or studying together, their companionship felt natural. Yet, compared to the frank and honest Irwin, Mulan was far more calculating. Though their acquaintance was brief, Mulan had probed Irwin in nearly every meeting, slowly piecing together his history, personality, and habits.

After some playful banter, the two finally called a truce.

Out on the open ground beside the corridor of the Holy Sanctuary’s inner chamber, Mulan had removed his coat and rolled up his shirt sleeves. He stood left, Irwin right, both gripping an end of a bedsheet and wringing water from it with all their strength.

Droplets dripped from the twisted sheet, and together they shook it out and spread it on the drying rack.

Just as Mulan was about to put his coat back on, Irwin fetched a mop and broom, making Mulan’s brow twitch.

“You’re not thinking...”

“Indeed. Now that you’re here, my work is much easier.”

“No, no, I have to attend the ball! It’s getting late—I really must be off.”

“It’s only afternoon! Plenty of time!”

Today was the weekend. Though the Sanctuary observed no formal rest days, weekends held no religious significance in its scriptures. Perhaps out of habit, the Valentin Sanctuary tended to be quieter on weekends.

Unlike Mulan’s memories of Earth, the concepts of day, week, month, and year were roughly similar, but the idea of a weekend here did not originate from religion. Instead, it came from ancient astronomical observations: this world’s moon had a small satellite, and its orbit and observable cycle established a seven-day week.

This satellite, once called the Hidden Moon or the Strange Moon, was regarded as a second moon in antiquity. It appeared sporadically, and its visible size changed far faster than the primary moon, unsettling many and inspiring fear.

The custom of resting on the weekend arose in ancient times because, on that day, the Strange Moon would obscure much of the brilliance of the primary moon, considered ominous and unsettling, prompting people to stay home. As astronomy developed, some understood the relationship between the two moons, but in many places, fear of the Strange Moon lingered.

Half an hour later, Mulan and Irwin were cleaning the already tidy Sanctuary hall. They swept, mopped, and wiped down each chair. Mulan felt this work could substitute for his daily exercise.

“I say, Irwin, how often do you clean this place?”

Irwin, busy wiping a chair, looked up at Mulan.

“Every weekend, on the day of rest.”

“Do you always do it yourself? Never thought to hire a maid?”

Irwin continued to polish the chair, his gaze drifting to the statue of the Holy Light at the end of the hall.

“Cleaning the Sanctuary with my own hands is also a form of devotion. It’s only once a week. Back when I lived at the Sanctuary orphanage, cleaning the hall together was always a joy.”

“You’ve been this devout since childhood?”

Mulan rinsed his cloth and started wiping the bench beside Irwin, just as meticulous, not shirking in the least.

“Haha, as a child I wasn’t thinking of devotion! We cleaned because there’d be candy afterwards, maybe even some pastries.”

Mulan paused, then smiled, looking at the statue of the Holy Light and teasing Irwin.

“You’re telling stories of childhood irreverence inside the Sanctuary—aren’t you afraid the gods will punish you?”

“God knows the sincerity of my heart now, so I have no fear. Come on, let’s hurry—still dozens of chairs to go, or you really will miss the ball!”

“Yes, yes, alas...”

Mulan sighed, seriously reconsidering whether to visit Irwin on weekends in the future.

In only two hours, the Sanctuary was spotless. Mulan still had ample time before the ball and lingered, sitting with Irwin near the statue of the Holy Light, chatting.

After some idle talk, Mulan suddenly gazed at the statue and asked, “Why isn’t there a statue of the deity here, but instead one of the Holy Light?”

Mulan had scarcely read any Sanctuary scriptures, so he simply asked Irwin, who was well versed in such matters.

“God is unknowable. He may never appear, or may manifest as a person or any thing. God loves humanity and all creation. The Holy Light is God’s blessing to humankind, a symbol of divine grace. For mortals to speculate on God’s form is blasphemy, so we raise the Holy Light—thus, the Sanctuary is the house of worship.”

“I see...”

“So, what about those with vile character—slaves who oppress the good and the suffering? How does God view them?”

Mulan’s question was free of provocation, his mind open and purely inquisitive.

“Good and evil are mortal judgments. God’s view is different—he loves and accepts all.”

“And you? What would you do?”

“I would try to persuade and guide them.”

“What if persuasion fails?”

“Under the Holy Light, people awaken to their humanity.”

“What if there are some pure scoundrels, utterly beyond reason?”

Irwin glanced at Mulan, thought for a moment, then answered.

“That’s for the crown and government to handle. The Sanctuary does not interfere in secular affairs.”

“And you—if nobody recognized you, no cleric’s robes, and you witnessed some atrocity? And I’ll add, you’re alone.”

Irwin kept a straight face, hesitated for a few seconds, and asked, “Can I wear a mask?”

“Uh, you may.”

“I’d thrash him!”

Mulan stared for two seconds, then burst out laughing.

“Hahahahaha! You, my friend, will never be a bishop—hahahaha...”

Just as Irwin was tempted to strike Mulan, Mulan quickly rose, composed himself, and declared that it was truly getting late and he had to leave.

Watching Mulan depart, Irwin looked at the benches beside him. Whether cleaned by himself or Mulan, they were spotless, and a smile crept across his face.

The shadows of the world cannot obscure your nobility. May the Holy Light shine upon you, my friend!

—————————

PS: The map in the bonus chapter only shows a corner due to display limitations. You can zoom in at the top right to view the full panorama.