186
Mr. A was preaching.
"Our Lord was once the great Sun God, the one and only Creator, but was betrayed by other gods and fell into filth..."
"Teacher!" A little blond girl listening to the lesson raised her hand. "Why was the Lord betrayed by other gods? Who betrayed the Lord?"
"All the gods!" Mr. A was delighted to get a response from the children. This was what made preaching and teaching meaningful. "The gods betrayed the Lord, stole His authority, and left the sun dimmed forever! They..."
"Ahem!" Maria, standing by the door, hurriedly coughed. Mr. A had been getting carried away and was very displeased at being interrupted. With a wry smile, Maria said, "How can you discuss the gods in front of the children? Especially secret knowledge that was only recently disclosed within your Aurora Order... If you said all of that aloud, wouldn't you explode on the spot yourself? Don't act recklessly just because you know Flesh Magic!"
Mr. A looked at Maria unconcernedly. "To spread the Lord's gospel, I would die ten thousand deaths. Apart from the secret knowledge, they will become our brethren sooner or later. What's wrong with discussing it now?"
"...Don't just decide the children's faith for them. I still very much hope they'll worship the Three Gods, grow up safely, and have nothing more to do with us..." Maria sighed. "Mr. A, your arrival has made me feel very reassured and touched. When do you intend to begin the commission? And about that detective, please remember..."
"Maria!" The little blond girl raised her hand again. "I like hearing the new teacher tell stories!"
"No, you can't spend all your time listening to stories. You need to study grammar, arithmetic, and sewing!" Seeing how pleased Mr. A looked, Maria hastily interrupted.