Silence.....
The lively class 3E suddenly become silent all of a sudden. Everyone of the class including the teacher was now staring at julie attentively.
Julie, who all of a sudden attracted whole classes attention grew fear-stricken. Her mind was very complex right now.On one hand, she is feeling nervous but on the other hand, she is feeling proud that everyone in the class wanted to listen her.
She took a deep breath and continued, "
4 years ago,
When we were on our way to participate in the zhombamn festival in the novgord empire,our caravan encountered this huge titanoboa. In our caravan there was some snake cultists who called themselves 'melodious rattlers' they told us..."
"Stop....!" not letting Julie to continue madam shouted loudly.
Madam said seriously, "julie, you must be aware that in our kingdom it is strictly forbidden to talk about heretics. "
Julie started to shake in horror and replied, " y...yes mam."
Madam mulie understood that she unintentionally shouted at an innocent student. So she got near julie and comforted her saying,
"Forgiven me dear for shouting at you but you know that it is a taboo to talk about those heretics, right?"
Julie nodded quickly. The whole classes students got disappointed including Aetius.
Madam smiled at her warmly and continue, " Okay no need to talk about that event.just touch this magic artefact and imagine that snakes appearance. "
Julie nodded and took the pen from the teacher.She hold it for a few second and then it started to float in mid air and stated to draw a snake.
It looked like an ordinary a dark-green anaconda from the earth. It had a small horn like object in its head.Looked menacing and domineering.
Class teacher told the students to draw it. Some enthusiastically draw but most of them started to talk with each other.Aetius looked at it for a few second and lost interest in it.
'This looks just like an ordinary anaconda except some slight defence. '
Aetius doesn't wanted to draw.He doesn't care about the class at all.Even if he score horrible in the class or in the exam, he will still pass anyway.This world doesn't give mortal educations much of a value,so no need to burn midnight oil to work hard on studies. Thanks to the past self, i am not a diligent student so I don't want to stray from this situation either.Nonetheless, only 3 or so month left before the last exam after that all will come to an end.
So he started to serarch information about the heretic inside his mind.
In the Illayrian subcontinent, there are 5 religions which are regarded as the main religions. Other than this 5, all other religions are declared as heretics. This snake cult are also referred as heretics.
In Hartage kingdoms most of the people are the believers of the holy moon mother goddess.The holy sun brilliance and the eternal one religion are minority groups in this kingdom .This is because of the Novgord empire. Novgord empire is known as a cradle of the 'Holy moon mother goddess'. Hartage kingdom is a autonomous kingdom of the Novgord empire.This empire has 4 kingdoms like ours as 'little brothers'.
If possible, moon mother goddesses followers can't help but declare these 4 religions heretics too.But if they really do so, It will cause another great religious war. Though no one admits but religious wars are more deadly than the normal wars.This subcontinent witnessed 7 great religious wars since last 600,000 years,resulting in extinction of numerous old religions or rise of the new ones even countless kingdom and empires tragic ending.
One thing is common in the big religions in this subcontinent, that is they worships existence which has more or less human shapes.Those who warships magic beasts or vague existence are always in minority.
The main question is how they survived that fateful day? were those snake cultist did something?
If they really did, what they did? After helping them, did they asked for something in return or not? If they really asked for something, than what was it? Did they asked for money or food or some valuable items or cloths or what? If i guess it was money, than much? How much it cost to hire a snake cultist to get rid of a giant snake?
Aetius mind was full of questions. He really wanted to know about religious other than the White moon goddess.In the orphanage they were taught that white moon goddess is the true god.... blah.....blah.
The library Doesn't had much books about religion.Why library Doesn't have religious books? well the answer is quite simple.Religious books are all written in ancient language that is dead long time ago.Only priests and nuns can read those sacred words.The religious leaders want to monopoly the knowledge so that thier churches can always be full packed with the peoples who want the help from them.
The books language are only taught to the churches peoples not to the ordinary people under the pretext that this sacred language are only allowed to be learnt by the ' chosen ones '.Well they are very good at controlling ordinary people through their propaganda . No one can mess with them easily.
'Looks like i have to strike a conversation with julie the may be a 'trap'
Aetius was determined to know about this incident from the mouths of Julie.
Aetius is not from this world.From childhood, he was not brainwashed by those priests perches. He has no belongings for any religions in this world. If joining snake cult can benefit him,he will switch side without any hesitations.
Soon the class come to an end. Madam collected finished or unfinished drawings from the students.After collecting, she cleared her throats and started to speak,
" Thanks to the students who are hardworking. They will surely be rewarded for their knowledge seeking spirits by the loving mother goddess not in this world but also in the afterlife. But for those who doesn't like to study will be rewarded for their due crimes.In next class, it will be a class exam so be prepared ." Saying that she looked at the students who didn't write and left angrily.
Of course, this class 3E is full of the students who hate studies. They are all accustomed hearing this kind of nagging since three years. As for goddesses anger, they didn't care.They think that Religion is for the mortals who have no hope of becoming magi. It is well known that mana tip-off event mostly [80℅] happens between the age of 6-14. others who didn't have it doesn't give up their hope of becoming a magi. They want to become mages who are infamous for loathing religions.
Mages not only hate religions but if they can they want to erase it from this world! They believe that outer entities uses the power of the religious people's prayers to get stronger.They argue that the so called gods,goddess or other entities fools mortals to worship them and manipulate them from behind the scene.