The Light of Wisdom was growing so rapidly that it had begun to threaten the Holy Light Church's position in the Divine Eagle Empire. The church soon launched a sweeping campaign to suppress it. At one point, Holy Light Church believers even stormed a Light of Wisdom library. The two sides clashed openly, causing an uproar.
Unlike older religious organizations, the Light of Wisdom built numerous libraries alongside its existing temples to the Goddess of Wisdom. People could read there, and the libraries also served as temples to the goddess.
The libraries welcomed not only followers of the Goddess of Wisdom but ordinary citizens as well. They spread knowledge rather than faith. That attitude—"You don't have to worship the Goddess of Wisdom, but you must pursue knowledge and truth"—won over many who had no religion. Scholars across the empire were especially receptive. Gradually, almost without realizing it, they became her followers.
So when the Holy Light Church organized believers to storm libraries in cities across the empire, it provoked widespread anger, from nobles to commoners and students.
Worse, it happened just before the entrance exams. Families with children taking the exams were furious. Even some Holy Light Church believers had children affected by the disruption, leaving them deeply troubled by the church's actions.
The Light of Wisdom seized the chance to gain followers. Its influence and membership drew closer to the Holy Light Church's, leaving the two standing side by side in the Divine Eagle Empire and squeezing the smaller churches even harder.
The Holy Light Church, however, was too deeply rooted to shake easily. Despite a century of rapid growth, the Light of Wisdom still could not dislodge it. And when the Light of Wisdom learned that the church had secretly been cultivating Saint Spirit Rank fighters and had