Breaking Ground

Faced with an Ancient Defiant shrouded in mystery, with unknown motives, and in control of the Holy Light Cathedral, Camil, himself also born of the Defiants, urged Gawain to remain vigilant and keep his distance. Yet Light, the southern church's high patriarch and a staunch advocate of the new Holy Light doctrine, believed they could cooperate with her. This was not a situation Gawain had anticipated.

He looked at Light. "Tell me your reasons."

"Practically speaking, we can't simply ignore the northern church," Light said seriously. "Matters of faith can easily escalate into fierce conflict. The clashes and hostility between the Holy Light Church and other sects during its expansion over the past two years are an example of that. The problem is right in front of us. Let's set aside Princess Veronica's motives for now. The fact is that she possesses the Platinum Scepter, and the northern pope and Bishop Council have all perished. Based on that alone, she has value as a partner—she can help us keep the situation under control. Otherwise, the turmoil in the northern church could very well turn into a disaster."

"Is it only about her value?"

"...No, there's a second point," Light continued. "If her identity is genuine, then regardless of her goals, she truly is someone who is Defying the Gods. There are not many like-minded people we can find on this path of forsaking the gods. Even a temporary fellow traveler is therefore incredibly valuable."

After a brief pause, he went on, "We need to convey proper concepts of faith to the people. Violence may be unavoidable in this process, but we cannot rely on violence. There are countless people, and faith comes from the heart. In the end, we must turn most people into friends rather than mortal enemies. So