Raising the Princess to Overcome Death Chapter 118

118. Childhood Friend - The Debate

"Daniel! Could you spare a moment?"

Lena called out to Daniel, who always sat in the same spot in the library, as she hurried in. Daniel looked up from his book and smiled at her.

"Oh, Lena. Of course. What can I help you with?"

"I have a question... it's about..."

"Um, Lena, maybe we should step outside to talk," Veronion, who had little experience interacting with women, blushed and withdrew his hand from Lena's. He gestured towards the library's lobby, reminding her with his eyes that silence was required in the library.

They moved to the library lobby, where they gathered around a small table. As soon as they sat down, Lena asked her question.

"Daniel, why is it that priests are forbidden to marry? Could you explain it to me?"

Daniel was slightly taken aback but also pleased. Her question implied that she believed he would undoubtedly know the answer, which made him feel proud. He responded earnestly.

His explanation continued, and Lena listened with growing disappointment. She wasn’t interested in hearing about priests being excommunicated for forgetting their vows and getting married. She wanted to know if there was a way for priests to marry or if there were exceptions.

"I see..."

Feeling even more disheartened by the tales of clergy corruption before the prohibition, Lena pressed on.

"Is there really no way for a priest to marry? Can't they get permission from the church or something like that?"

"...There isn't. I can answer that quite firmly. Because to leave the priesthood for marriage, they must follow certain procedures. They are demoted to lay status and must transfer their divine power to another. They also have to repay for the education they received, usually by serving the church for several years."

Hearing that there was an established system for this, Lena was at a loss for words. As she pondered the frustrating lack of options, Veronion spoke up.

"But doesn't that seem a bit absurd? No, I even find it childish."

"What do you mean? Surely you're not referring to the church's rules?"

Daniel was taken aback, raising his voice slightly. However, Veronion was not about to retract his statement. The usually timid young man was now fervently discussing theology.

"Yes, I mean the rules of the churChapter I think it's absurd to expel someone who serves God, especially a priest, just because they want to marry someone they love. It's utterly childish."

Daniel, momentarily stunned, listened as Veronion continued.

"I believe the church is just a tool for serving God. What truly matters is the heart of the person serving, not the tool itself."

"That's quite audacious. I understand your point, but the church sets rules for a reason. Calling the church a 'tool'—I assume you've taken the 'Udean Reading' class? Perhaps you haven't completed your studies yet, but Udean also affirmed the necessity of the church as an organization."

Daniel's voice rose slightly.

"Ideally... What's your name again? Yes, Veronion. Ideally, human sincerity should be paramount. But there are tens of thousands of clergy on this continent. If we consider the church a tool, as you suggest, a massive tool like that needs rules and norms to function effectively. That’s why the fourth saint, Udean, also affirmed the existence of the church."

"Indeed, I do not intend to deny that, and I have read Udean's writings thoroughly. However, I would like to point out that Udean more strongly affirmed the 'Wandering Shepherd.' He warned against..."

Veronion, though a novice with only one tassel, continued his argument pointedly. Lena, feeling responsible for the escalating situation, listened intently.

"He warned against the 'bureaucratization' of the clergy. He cautioned that clergy might lose their essential devotion to others and to God if they become too institutionalized. I believe the church has reached a point where this warning is pertinent."

"I find it hard to agree. Our Cross Church is currently educating more followers than ever and has started relieving the poor across the continent. Previously, I won’t deny it, we were busy building new churches and expanding our influence. I only learned recently from Lena that there are churches even in remote mountain villages now. However, I don't think this is a bad thing. By establishing churches everywhere, we’ve provided teachers for the believers and opportunities for treatment. In fact, compared to the population, there are still not enough churches in the cities."

Daniel's rebuttal was met with unexpected agreement from Veronion. He had grown up in a small village with few people, where a monk working at the local church had adopted him and raised him after he lost his parents.

After acknowledging the church's achievements, Veronion continued.

"...But bureaucratization is a different issue. Today's clergy, compared to the ancient clergy, are subpar. The ancient clergy dedicated their lives solely to serving humanity. They farmed with villagers and did their best to help their communities without being recognized as priests or monks. They deserve respect because they overcame adversity with their convictions alone."

Daniel seemed to acknowledge Veronion’s point, remaining silent for a moment, allowing Veronion to continue.

"But now, there are too many actions taken 'in the name of the Cross Church.' These actions aren’t driven by individual conviction but by orders from high-ranking officials like cardinals. Think about it. How many crusaders have been mobilized in the past few decades to massacre barbarians? The first thing I looked into when I joined the church was how many crusaders were punished for disobedience. The number rose sharply after the massacres began and has only recently declined because there are hardly any tribes of heretical barbarians left. This phenomenon indicates one thing: the church has been forcing crusaders to do things they didn't want to do 'in the name of the Cross Church.'"

Veronion chuckled bitterly.

"'In the name of the Cross Church'... I find this unbearably absurd. When did the church start prioritizing its name over the convictions of its clergy? Our great Lord didn’t even reveal His name to us. I believe this indicates the severe bureaucratization of the churChapter In such times, what should be emphasized is not the efficiency of the church as an organization but the individual convictions. Of course, these convictions must be free, unassigned ones."

"Ah... Veronion, it seems you’ve read 'The Yoke of Creation' and 'The Responsibility of Creation.'"

Daniel sighed deeply.

This signaled the beginning of a more profound and formidable debate.

'The Yoke of Creation' was a highly philosophical book written by the second saint, Consteeno Laono, explaining the relationship between God and creation. It was so comprehensive that several theological philosophies stemmed from some of its chapters.

"Yes, I’ve read 'The Yoke of Creation,' but I don’t agree that God placed humans in a designated role."

"...Since you've read both books, we can discuss this in more detail."

Daniel sighed once more before opening his mouth. He knew from experience that talking to someone with this kind of mindset was really, really exhausting.

"The term 'placement' comes from the fifth chapter of 'The Yoke of Creation,' right? I admit, it's a somewhat excessive term..."

"Yes, it suggests that humans are born and placed according to the will of the Divine. I can't agree with that. According to 'The Responsibility of Creation' by Lazarus Laono..."

"Wait a moment. Before we move on, I'd like to summarize our previous discussion. So, Veronion, you oppose actions carried out in the name of the Cross Church because of the concept of 'free will' bestowed upon humans. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"And your reasoning stems from the ideas in the third saint Lazarus's 'The Responsibility of Creation.' If that's the case..."

Lena, listening to the conversation, started finding it difficult to keep up with their debate. Despite her diligent studies in theology, recognized by Daniel, her understanding was still at a foundational level.

She hadn't read either 'The Yoke of Creation' by Consteeno Laono or 'The Responsibility of Creation' by Lazarus Laono, which partially refuted the former.

So Lena asked, "Um, could you explain a bit more? I'm not entirely familiar with these texts."

Daniel and Veronion gladly obliged, probably feeling the need to clarify their premises before delving deeper into their debate.

"'The Yoke of Creation' suggests that the Divine might have predetermined the way each human lives, as the absolute owner of all creation possesses the power to do so. Most of the theology you know, Lena, emphasizes this idea—though not all of it. It implies that humans should be grateful for their given lives and not act recklessly," Daniel explained succinctly.

Veronion added his explanation of 'The Responsibility of Creation,' "On the other hand, 'The Responsibility of Creation' mainly refutes 'The Yoke of Creation.' It argues that the Divine bestowed 'free will' upon humans, and they have the responsibility to live their lives to the fullest. Some even argue it's a right, but I believe calling it a right is an absurdity, fitting only for royalty and nobles."

Daniel coughed uncomfortably, as he was of noble birth himself, even though he had renounced his family name upon joining the Cross Church.

"Anyway, that's the gist of it. Don't look so disappointed, Lena. You'll learn all this soon enough."

"Hehe, it's okay. I haven’t been here that long..."

However, standing next to her was someone who had been here even less time, so Lena trailed off. Daniel and Veronion returned to their debate, with Daniel taking the lead.

"Where were we? I can't quite remember. I'll just go with what comes to mind. So, Veronion, you oppose the prohibition of priestly marriage because you believe a priest's free will should take precedence over church rules. Is that right?"

"Yes, it is."

"Very well. But don't you think the desire of a priest to marry could also be bound by 'the yoke'? ...I see you don’t. In that case, let me refer to 'The Responsibility of Creation' for the argument."

Daniel briefly looked up at the ceiling, as if trying to accept a belief he didn't hold, before lowering his gaze.

"It's no use. ...If everyone has free will, then those who made the church's rules also had free will. 'The Responsibility of Creation' emphasizes that this will must be exercised responsibly, not recklessly. So, are you saying the rule-makers failed in their responsibility? No. When everyone's will collides, someone’s will must prevail. It would be irresponsible if one person's free will suppresses another's. The winner wouldn’t feel justified, and the loser would feel helpless."

Daniel took a breath before continuing.

"This might seem like a common occurrence, but it's due to a flawed perspective. It’s the thinking of those who don’t truly believe in the Divine. Our fate is predestined. We should be thankful for the lives given to us and strive to live fully without complaining about the ups and downs of our predestined fate."

"But..."

"Sorry, just one more thing. Earlier, it was said that the church is a tool and human hearts are more important. Even if we accept 'the yoke,' it doesn’t lessen the value of human hearts. Hence, instead of 'yoke,' we call it 'destiny' or 'mission' from God. Let’s end with the example of the crusaders. You argued that the rise in disobedience cases among crusaders occurred because the church forced them to purge heathens in the name of the Cross Church, right?"

Daniel confirmed with Veronion and then declared.

"This is a flawed conclusion. The purging of heathens was a major objective set by the church decades ago. The increase in disobedience cases was simply due to more crusaders being mobilized for this task. Look at the result: the current Crusader Order is the largest and strongest in history. Their skills, divine power, and faith are unmatched. This was because the crusades acted as a sieve, filtering out those unfit for the mission and retaining those who embraced it."

Daniel concluded his argument. Veronion, after mulling over his words, responded a bit later.

"That could be true. But such a mission is prone to misinterpretation. Think of it this way: if humans are under a yoke, with their character and environment predetermined, then they lack motivation to improve. Is that what God wants? God desires us to live to our fullest potential. That’s why this land is bountiful for those who strive. Hence, I have an issue with the term 'placement' in 'The Yoke of Creation.' It’s cruel to say all human lives are predetermined. Moreover, I don’t think that’s how the world works."

Veronion took a deep breath and used himself and Lena as examples.

"Both Lena and I were admitted to the Cathedral through recommendations. I don’t know about Lena, but I couldn’t have come here without the help of my village and my father. It’s something I’m very grateful for. But did those people assist me because they were 'placed' to do so? I don’t think so. While God might have kindled their compassion, it was their hearts and efforts that allowed me to barely enter here. This was achieved through human kindness and hard work. If everything was predetermined by the yoke, there's no way to escape that argument. That’s why 'The Yoke of Creation' only theorizes it could be predetermined, without certainty."

Listening to Veronion and Daniel, Lena also fell into deep thought.

Is my life predetermined?

Was my coming here a predetermined event?

According to 'The Yoke of Creation,' it was.

It was inevitable that Priestess Ophelia would pass through Demos Village in the fall, and I was destined to come to the Cathedral.

However, Lena had a counter-argument.

I could come here because Rev asked me to become a priest, and I accepted.

I had given up.

Truly.

I wanted to confess to Rev and marry him, living happily together in Demos Village.

But...

- "I... don't want you to give up on your dream."

Rev replied when I asked, "Would you rather I become a priest or stay here?"

But he hesitated immensely.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if he had told me to stay, considering how much he hesitated. So, I don’t believe he was 'placed' to send me to the church.

Moreover, accepting his advice not to give up or confessing again with "I like you" was also a choice given to me.

After much contemplation, Lena made her conclusion.

‘Yes. I resolved not to give up on my dream. This is my will, not something predetermined.’

Because deciding to marry Rev and live happily was also a decision I had made.

The choices were so close that it was hard to believe in a predetermined course.

As Lena came out of her thoughts, Daniel and Veronion were still debating the matter.

However, 'The Yoke of Creation' was such a broad hypothesis that there was no easy way out of its logic, while 'The Responsibility of Creation' supported the process of thinking and pondering itself, making it easy to empathize with.

"But... can't we ask the Saintess about this?" Lena suggested.

Before Daniel and Veronion could respond, a voice answered from behind her.

"The Saintess doesn't usually answer such questions."

An elderly man had approached without her noticing, and Daniel jumped to his feet in alarm.

"Cardinal Mihael!"