It had been a while since Serina last looked up at the sky.
After she returned from the USSR, she was locked up in a room, interrogated by different people, being scrutinized by different people in various ways. Some, even put their hand directly on her head, just to know what she had seen in the Soviet Union.
It was a tough time, until not long before, they loosened the control on her, giving her some freedom. After returning from the USSR, Serina has a heart for gaining more knowledge, so she requires the guards, to give her various types of books to study.
Until yesterday, she was told that she had been released, and there was some mission for her to do again. However, this time, someone will accompany her, watching her every move.
Serina does not care about it, it is good enough to be free again, so what if there's another follower around? But think about her upcoming mission, it is necessary to do that, and their destination now is the place called 'New Port', where the Soviets have developed it into a real modernised port from a medieval village.
On their journey, they passed a village, one as common as the others in the Karak. They realized the villagers were gathered and listening to someone's speech when they arrived.
Serina looks for the person that follows her.
"Go and take a look?"
The woman wearing a face mask without any emotion his eyes nodded her head.
A priest-looking person is speaking to the crowd.
"Brothers and sisters of Karak, I bring you the teachings of Orthodoxy, a path not of magic or conquest, but of unity and strength through shared purpose. You toil in the fields, you labour in the workshops, yet what rewards do you reap for your efforts?"
Crowds remain in silence, no one dares to answer this question. Someone is still watching them.
"I know your difficulties, and I will answer for all of you. Someone will take most of it, and what little remains keeps your bellies half-full. And is it fair? For those who wield neither plough nor hammer reap the bounty of your sweat? Orthodoxy teaches us this truth, all the hands of labour are sacred, and no one hand should rise above another. The fruits of your work should feed your families first, not fill the coffers of those who already have so much wealth."
This time someone asks the 'priest' a question, "Then what does Orthodoxy offer us? What can it change?"
"Orthodoxy offers strength in solidarity. Imagine this, instead of toiling alone, each of you works together, not as servants or slaves to the lord, but as equals. The harvest would be shared fairly. The forge would craft tools and weapons for all, not just for the privileged. The village would stand as one, unyielding to any force that seeks to divide or exploit it."
The 'priest' continues to speak, with his firm and highly provocative words.
"I know that they hold power through magic and armies. And you might think that, how can you oppose them? And my answer for you is, that their power is an illusion. Magic may light a fire, but it cannot plant a seed or forge a blade. Their armies march only because they feast on the bread you bake. Orthodoxy teaches that the true power lies in your hands, in your unity. When the many stand together, the few cannot stand against them."
The crowd suddenly started to commotion, as if they were shocked by what the priest said.
A young man asked, "And if we follow this Orthodoxy, what? What will we become ?"
Listening to the question, the 'priest' smiled warmly and answered.
"You become free. Free to decide how your work shapes your future. Free to see your children grow strong and educated, unbound by the chains of slavery. Orthodoxy is not merely a belief, it is a way of life. A life where every man and woman stands equal, where no one goes hungry while others feast."
"In other religions, gods decide whether a person goes to hell or heaven after they die. But in Orthodoxy, our people build heaven when they are still alive, and send those who oppose us, who try to destroy us to hell. This path requires a lot of courage, it is the foundation of Orthodoxy. And you, the farmers, the workers, the builders, you have always been brave. Together, you will forge a new path, not with spells or swords, but with unity and resolve."
"There are two great gods in Orthodoxy, one is Jesus Christ, who told us how the heaven should be, and the other is Lenin, who told us how to build a heaven and defend it from the enemies."
Is this even a priest? Serina doubts, how the 'priest' talks, is just like how the commissar talks like she saw in the Red Army. The content is just the communism and socialism ideology, except they change the name to orthodoxy.
"How could such a speech be held in the Kingdom? Why isn't anyone doing something about this?" The women beside her ask madly. What the 'priest' is doing is just inciting these people to revolt.
"It was the agreement, Aria. One of the deals states that both the country can send missionaries to the other country to preach. Our administration was confident about our religion, they think how we did on the poor in the country could work the same to the Soviets."
For many years, the culture of the Karak led them to believe that war was the domain of the noble class. However, to minimize their casualties during battles, they still conscripted workers and farmers to fight for them. Most of the time, these individuals were used as cannon fodder, merely to slow the enemy's advance with their lives.
To ensure they worked hard and were willing to sacrifice themselves, the Karak administration often used religion as a means of control. In fact, they employed religion to dominate the impoverished in every region.
Why are you poor? Because you are destined to be poor, this is your fate.
Why must you serve the noble? Because you are meant to serve them, this is the mission that God has given you.
Through religion, they solidify their power, ensuring that no one can challenge their authority. Even in times of starvation, when people die from hunger, they still believe this is a punishment from God, never considering that the nobles hoard all the food to sell at a higher price.