novellaaa Chapter 152 Spirituality and Wisdom
Chapter 152 Spirituality and Wisdom
Chapter 152 Spirituality and Wisdom
Geb was startled by Lady Stoneheart's sudden question and hurriedly tried to deny it, but before he could speak, the dwarf reminded him, "Think carefully before you answer, Geb."
This question silenced the halfling. Since Lady Stoneheart had asked this, she probably already knew her identity as a wizard.
Did Dulin tell her that? Then does that mean she also knows that he is a goblin?
Since Lady Stoneheart still accepted her joining the caravan knowing she was a wizard, it shows that dwarves are not averse to magic. At least, that's the case with the female dwarf in front of her.
Gebu tacitly accepted Shi Xin's guess, feigning calmness as he replied, "—It seems Dulin has told you everything about me. Therefore, my fate is in your hands." Gebu paused, then continued, "Let me make this clear: if you send people to arrest me, I will have no choice but to fight my way out—"
I don't want to be captured by witch hunters. If that happens, I'll have no choice but to offend them.
"Why would I do that?" Stoneheart was not offended, but looked at the halfling with a smile.
"So you mean you don't mind that I'm a wizard?"
"If you weren't a wizard, you probably wouldn't have been able to solve the manticore problem that plagued the entire town all by yourself," Lady Stoneheart said slowly. "Don't blame Dulin; he didn't tell me anything and instead covered for you. But I already guessed your identity as a wizard, Geb."
"Huh? How did you know—"
Gebu's doubts were genuine. He had only met Shi Xin twice before, and he hadn't shown off in front of her.
The dwarf smiled but didn't answer directly. She gently raised her hand and snapped her fingers.
The flames in the small stove, which was used to boil water, instantly changed from orange-yellow to blue-green, dancing under the bronze stove like blue flower petals swaying in the wind.
Gebu's pupils contracted, and he blurted out.
"you----"
"You're a wizard too?!?"
"Shhh."
Lady Stoneheart put her finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture.
"————You————I didn't expect you to be that————" Gebu quickly lowered his voice and asked.
The female dwarf nodded slightly, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.
"To encounter a user of magic, and such a young man at that, in the heart of the kingdom is truly unexpected," Stoneheart said. "If I'm not mistaken, you are on the path of wisdom, apprenticed at the Imperial Magic Academy."
That's not wrong. Geb's wizarding rank was obtained through the path of wisdom described by Imint, a professor at the Imperial Magic Academy, who was considered half an academic.
Although I never actually went to school.
But where did Lady Stoneheart's wizarding rank come from? Geb had never heard of dwarves having any magic academy or similar organizations.
Lady Stoneheart seemed to sense Gebu's confusion and explained calmly, "My path as a wizard began much earlier than yours. I follow the path of spirituality, communicating with the divine through meditation and spiritualism, thereby gaining the ability to use magic."
Geb recalled the four options given by the Book of Sand when he made his choice: wisdom, spirituality, bloodline, and contract.
"So, which god do you worship?" Gebu asked.
"The Mother of Rocks. It's a belief unique to the dwarven kingdom, so it's normal that you haven't heard of her," Stoneheart explained, seeing Gebu's confused expression. "Do you know anything about the dwarven caste system?"
Geb shook his head.
"Simply put, a dwarf's surname represents their role in society. Anyone familiar with dwarven society will immediately recognize the surname 'Stoneheart' as belonging to the priest caste. My family has been engaged in the worship of the gods for generations, dedicated to maintaining the connection between the dwarves and their ancestors and deities."
"I see—the surname Dulin-Zinkel sounds like a jeweler, which makes sense," Geb murmured. "But, since you're a priest, why would you—"
"Why did you come out to do business?" Lady Stoneheart added the second half of the question, and then answered herself, "It's perfectly normal for you to have such a question. My family has also been questioning my purpose in leaving the underground. In the eyes of the older generation, as a Stoneheart, one should stay in the temple, serve the Stone Mother for life, and never leave the embrace of the rock—but I think otherwise."
"A child who has never left the swaddling clothes will never know what it feels like to walk on their own two feet."
"Without leaving the embrace of Mother Rock, one cannot truly understand what makes a dwarf a dwarf," Stoneheart said, enunciating each word with an extraordinary firmness in her eyes, as if she deeply believed every word she spoke, without a doubt.
"So, you're going to hone your skills?"
"It's both about honing myself and building a future for the dwarven kingdom," Stoneheart smiled. "Dwarves are used to locking themselves deep in the mountains, oblivious to what's happening in the outside world—such a race has no future. As a member of the new generation, I hope to connect dwarven and human societies through my actions, ensuring our race can continue to prosper on this continent. Of course, saying this sounds a bit arrogant. However, no matter how many people oppose me, after leaving the embrace of the rocks, I feel my connection with the Stone Mother has become even stronger. This is my motivation to continue."
"I can't compare to your vision. I only learned magic to change my circumstances." Geb grinned.
It seemed the dwarf woman before him saw herself as the savior of dwarves—in this world, those with faith and status often considered themselves superior, feeling they bore a tremendous responsibility. Gebu admired them, but couldn't entirely agree with their ideas.
Compared to these people, Gob prefers to deal with down-to-earth people like the Swordswoman—being honest about one's desires is a remarkable thing, and it's a goblin's consistent way of surviving.
"What abilities has this Mother Rock granted you?" Gebu pressed. He was quite curious about the difference between the spiritual path and the wisdom path, and which one was more powerful.
"Diverse, from restoration to destruction to creation, from annihilation, the Stone Mother is a multifaceted deity. Once, an old human friend described to me that the Stone Mother's appearance corresponds to the six ancient human gods." His conjecture was that the ancient human wizards and dwarves worshipped the same god, only they divided the god's realm into six existences, while the dwarves embodied them all in one. "Stoneheart said, "However, now is not the time to discuss these things."
We travel together and are both wizards, so I welcome you to discuss the secrets of magic and religion with me anytime—in fact, I revealed your wizard identity so you wouldn't be too reserved. Users of magic are extremely rare, whether in the world of dwarves or humans. I want to communicate with you as equals and progress together. Before magic, we are equal.
"Indeed." Gebu kept Shi Xin's words in mind. "To be honest, this is the first time I've publicly discussed magic with someone—I've read many books, but much of the knowledge can't be found in books. If you have time—I look forward to continuing our discussion."
Shi Xin nodded to him, and Gebu politely said goodbye and left the tent. For the next few hours, Gebu ran back and forth between the Merchant Guild's Gold Coin Master and the Lord's Castle, working non-stop all afternoon, and finally got the paperwork for joining the caravan sorted out.
Looking at the 5000 gold coins deposit record in the caravan's ledger, he couldn't contain his excitement for a long time, and his eyes even turned a little red.
I finally did it! After all that effort, I finally joined the caravan! And I even earned 5000 gold coins as initial capital!
With this money, I could finally start the cocktail business I've been planning for a long time.
However, in theory, half of those 5000 should belong to the female warrior.
A question of the soul has arisen. Gebu's little brain starts working rapidly:
How can I renege on my debt?
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