Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 185

[Vol. 5] Chapter 185: The Essence of Faith-based Magic

“So that’s how it is…”

It seems that no matter where you are, competition always accompanies the dense social interactions of society.

Especially in a place like the ?Hall of Theology?, where elites gather and everyone strives to be at the top, the intensity becomes even more pronounced.

Miss White Fox nodded slightly, then glanced down at the little girl beside her, who only half-understood what was going on. After a brief thought, she stopped focusing on the eliminated contestant and instead walked straight into the place known as the ?General Assembly?, where all sorts of important discussions were held.

To be honest, the setup inside was a bit simpler than Violet had imagined. There were no luxurious decorations or extravagant furnishings, just a podium at the front, a desk, and some equipment.

Opposite it, where Miss White Fox and others were seated, hundreds of fixed seats were already filled to capacity. More people could only stand in the relatively open area at the back to listen in.

Yet, despite this, none of them seemed the least bit dissatisfied or complained. Instead, they all focused their attention on the topic of the young man’s recent speech, engaged in heated discussions.

“I just can’t believe it. It’s already the year 1377 of the New Era, and people are still trying to tap into the ley lines. Do they really think it’s an inexhaustible source of convenient energy?”

“Well, you can’t say that. The ley lines are indeed an abundant and pure source of energy. If you don’t consider the issues related to ‘circulation,’ then what he said just now isn’t entirely unfeasible…”

“Nonsense! What kind of ridiculous premise is that? You know we have to consider ‘circulation.’ How is digging into the ley lines any different from digging your own grave? Do you want an early taste of the Northern Snowlands’ landscape in the Holy City?”

“Alright, alright, don’t get mad. Everyone can see the problem here… Judging by his age, he’s probably a newbie who just joined the Hall of Theology. He likely jumped into research without fully reviewing the materials. It’s not the first time something like this has happened.”

“Hmph, shortsighted and ignorant! A fool!”

The next speaker hadn’t yet taken the stage, but the veteran researchers around had already torn the previous one apart, clearly mocking his proposal.

And rightly so. Even though Violet had only caught the final summary, it was enough for her to guess the gist of the young scholar’s argument. It was nothing more than using the abundant energy beneath the ley lines to supply everyday needs, production, and military efforts, drastically reducing costs.

Anyone who’s personally experienced how vast the energy within the ley lines is would likely have similar thoughts.

But this idea was clearly unworkable. Calling it digging one’s own grave was no exaggeration.

Back in the ?Valley of Magic? in the ?Illusionary Realm?, during the second Demon God’s test, in a great library whose location remains unknown, Violet had once read a book with particularly profound knowledge on ley lines and their applications. The insights it provided had been invaluable to her as a priestess.

Thus, she understood better than most what tapping into the ley lines truly meant.

The ley lines are like the world’s blood vessels. Their presence not only stabilizes the elemental concentrations in the air, but the flow of magic within them also drives the change of seasons, ensuring that climate, temperature, humidity, and a host of environmental factors follow a regular pattern.

If a nation were to continuously and excessively extract ley line energy day and night, it would indeed bring immediate, visible benefits and convenience in the short term…

However, as the ?Theory of Energy Conservation? suggests, the total amount of magic within the ley lines is fixed. If the energy from the ley lines in one region is depleted too quickly, other regions won’t have time to replenish it or will rush in chaotically, causing a deficit.

The reduction of ley line energy would lead to a gradual thinning of magical elements in the air, rendering mages unable to continue their meditations, the land would lose vitality, plants would wither, and even the regular cycles of the seasons and climate would fall into complete disorder. The land might either become a scorching desert all year round or turn into eternal permafrost like the northern snowlands.

Eventually, no living being would be able to inhabit it.

Tapping into the ley lines is a foolish, unworkable idea. In fact, anyone attempting to exploit the ley lines would be immediately stopped and captured by the local armed forces as soon as they were discovered.

That’s why the summoner, Silvester, had to secretly bury the broken ?Demon God’s Gem? in an altar beneath the dark forest where no one ventured, fearing that her act of stealing ley line magic might be discovered.

The reasoning is the same.

It seems the ?General Assembly? doesn’t have strict requirements for attendees, or perhaps these veteran scholars, absorbed in their research, aren’t really interested in anything outside of academia.

Even with three girls entering from the side door, especially someone as uniquely dressed as Miss White Fox or a young child like Eudora, not many people cast their gaze toward them. Most remained engrossed in the ongoing discussions about the previous lectures.

That worked out perfectly.

Finding a quiet corner where they wouldn’t attract much attention, the three girls stopped and waited silently.

According to what Edwina had mentioned earlier, the speeches in the ?General Assembly? seemed to continue non-stop. With hundreds of research teams from the ?Hall of Theology? all needing to present within a single day, the schedule was tight. So, the next speaker would likely take the stage soon.

Violet had come to the ?Hall of Theology? merely intending to look around without any specific goal in mind. Since she happened to stumble upon the annual report conference, it would be a shame not to listen to a few presentations.

Sure enough, about half a minute later, as the announcer’s voice echoed through amplification magic, a new speaker stepped onto the platform.

It was a rather gloomy-looking girl who appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen years old.

“Hmm… it’s her?”

Hearing the White Fox girl murmur with mild surprise, Edwina instinctively turned her head.

“Miss Dawn knows her too? She’s actually considered a senior scholar at the Holy Academy, but her research…”

Violet shook her head.

She didn’t know the girl personally, but on their way to the ?Bamboo Lodge?, the three of them had crossed paths with her once. The girl had certain distinctive features, leaving a strong impression on Miss White Fox.

The girl was wearing the same standard scholar’s uniform as the others, with bangs so long they nearly covered her dark under-eye circles.

Her short hair, just reaching her shoulders, was a bit messy, as if she hadn’t bothered to groom herself for the occasion and had hurried onto the stage without much care.

But she was clearly not human.

Though her hair was messy, the strands were as if made of light itself. Her bangs and dark circles couldn’t hide the brilliance of her sapphire-like eyes, all unmistakable signs of a noble race.

This was a girl of the Lightborn Tribe.

However, much like how Edwina seemed to recognize her, the appearance of this Lightborn Tribe scholar didn’t stir much positive reaction in the hall. Instead, the surrounding scholars, as if already familiar with her, began whispering to each other.

“Wow… it’s her? She hasn’t given up yet?”

“Yeah, I heard after last year’s speech, her funding was completely cut off. Hasn’t her research team disbanded yet?”

“Disbanded? Her society, consisting solely of herself for the past three years! What else can she do but carry on?”

“Sigh, such rebelliousness. With her exceptional talent as a member of the Lightborn Tribe, to pursue such blasphemous research and still not turn back after hitting so many walls… Foolish beyond belief!”

“There’s nothing we can do. The Hall of Theology is like this. We may not support her, but we can’t stop her pursuit of truth. Otherwise, we’d be no better than…”

“Truth? You call that truth? That’s blasphemy!”

The audience murmured, booing even before the presentation had begun. But the girl, whose aura felt strangely gloomy despite being of the Lightborn Tribe, seemed completely unfazed.

After the announcer nodded, signaling her to start, she pulled out a thick stack of documents from her bag, her slightly raspy yet pleasant voice echoing through the hall.

“Ayla Light. I think most of you know me, so I won’t waste time with introductions. Today, I’ll be discussing the same topic.”

The girl raised the stack of papers toward the hundreds of listeners in front of her.

“Let’s talk about the essence of faith-based magic.”

TL Note:

[1]

Her surname = “??”

If I didn’t know she was from the Lightborn Tribe, I would likely have translated it as “Wright” instead of “Light.”