Contrary to the question whose answer was just confirmed, this seemingly hypothetical question with only one answer is actually what Ed really wants to ask.
If only humans believe in the World Tree, then he can confirm the reason based on the answer and then ask the next question.
Conversely, if it's not just humans who believe in the World Tree, then based on Duolin's previous use of terms like "other races," it's easy to quickly distinguish the Tree Worship Church's likes and dislikes towards humanoid races like elves and non-humanoid races like dragons.
Ed went to great lengths to obtain this intelligence, feeling his brain cells dying off as he desperately tried to stay alive...
Duolin didn't think about it for long; the answer to this question should be the most standard one for those within the Tree Worship Church.
"Of course, it's because of the usurpation of those races—dragons only trust themselves, elves are always two-faced, and the demons raised the banner of rebellion thousands of years ago. Even among humans themselves, there are blasphemers who want to usurp Authority."
Duolin's words were forceful and clear, Ed could hear the extent of his conviction in this argument.
Another guard added:
"That is why the Tree Worship Church is determined to fight those enemies to the end. We firmly believe that the glory of the Tree God will once again spread throughout the world."
Ed above nodded in praise:
"I can tell you're all top graduates from seminaries, but have you ever considered that the world is vastly different from what's recorded in your textbooks or Holy Scripture?"
He looked down at the crowd, recalling his experiences since arriving in this world, and his tone became more sincere:
"When the Demonic Tide invades this world, it never makes a distinction between whether the target is a person or a dragon, right?"
"All races are being ravaged by the Demonic Tide; no life can escape. It is the common enemy of all life."
The guards nodded in agreement. They had asked the old priests and clerics when they were in the academy, and they learned that most of the areas now controlled by the Tree Worship Church belonged to the kingdoms before the Demonic Tide. The kingdoms were the front line against the demons before the Demonic Tide broke out, and it was common for the two sides to fight each other for resources and people.
However, after the outbreak of the Demonic Tide, countless demons died, and the settlements of all intelligent beings shrank drastically. In this respect, Bishop Adrian was absolutely right; the Demonic Tide was the enemy of the entire world.
Then, amidst the approving gazes of the crowd, Bishop Adrian uttered words that utterly shocked them:
"For the world, the Demonic Tide is a disaster, but for the Tree God, it is the best opportunity to bring those usurpers back to the Demonic Tide!"
The guards stared in disbelief as these blasphemous words came from the bishop's mouth.
"Over the past millennia, the children of the Tree God have been constantly divided and abandoned. We have separated the demons, the elves and dragons, and the humans who love magic, finally making the Tree Worship Church the settlement of the most devout believers."
"But have we truly attained piety? As everyone knows, the Tree Worship Church has been rife with corruption and depravity. There are countless individuals like Yiden in the Holy City. And just yesterday, we completed the final cut. Now, the only people in the entire world who are truly devout to the Tree God are the six of us, along with the Elite Warrior under my command outside."
"I know you all have the conviction to die for your beliefs, but we are weak and powerless now. Even if we all die, will it restore the sanctity of the Tree Worship Church?"
Everyone had their own thoughts on this question, but since the answer was undoubtedly no, they simply lowered their heads and said nothing more.
Ed knew that everyone had listened to his question and had begun to seriously consider the situation of the Second Holy See.
Thus, he brought the final blow to this conversation that bridged the gap:
" The Holy See in the past constantly divided itself because everyone's principle was 'either my friend or my enemy.' But this only led to fewer and fewer friends. Now we are too small to continue to split. Therefore, I believe that the principle of the Second Holy See should be 'either my enemy or my friend.'"
"As long as they are not apostates, as long as they have not committed blasphemy, and as long as they acknowledge the existence of the Tree God, we can bring them all into the Second Holy See. Only the true blasphemers and apostates deserve to die; they are our true enemies."
The guards were stunned by such outrageous arguments. The two simple rules, merely a matter of wordplay, kept echoing in their minds: friend, foe—was it really like that?
Reflecting on the past recorded in the Holy Scripture, witnessing the current state of the Tree Worship Church, and contemplating the future of the Second Holy See, they had to admit that Ed seemed to be right.
But the Holy Scripture is still the Holy Scripture; it represents the culmination of generations of Tree Worship Church. Could it be that what the Holy Scripture says is wrong?
Ed sensed their worry, and thus gave them a final reassurance:
"Friends, the corruption and depravity of the Tree Worship Church was not achieved in a day. It was a long process that lasted for decades or even hundreds of years. The Holy Scripture is ultimately just the insights of believers, not the virtuous words of the Tree God, and it is constantly being revised and supplemented."
"Those contents that explained the true will of the Tree God may have been completely deleted by the Fallen One. If you don't believe it, consider this: Did the Tree God really personally send down holy words to wipe those races from His creation? Would the Tree God really condone some of His children raising their swords against others?"
"Once we have eradicated all the evils of the Tree Worship Church, dealt with all the blasphemers and absorbed the rest, the distortion and alteration of the Tree God's true will by those apostates will be revealed to every believer!"
Ed brazenly brainwashed the five guards, completely unconcerned that the Holy Scripture hadn't been altered. After all, those people had already carried out the horrific human experiments; did it really matter what the Holy Scripture actually said?
He believed that if the facts of those experiments were laid bare before everyone, the current " Holy Scripture " would immediately become nothing but a pile of waste paper!
" Seraphina is a dragon that has shown us enough friendliness. Not only did she promise non-aggression with the Tree Worship Church in the past, but she also provided substantial financial support when the Second Holy See was first established."
"Even though she wasn't human, her respect for the Tree God was no less than that of any believer!"
The guards looked at each other in disbelief, unable to comprehend that the humanoid dragon could be so friendly.
Seeing the expressions on their faces as if they had just woken from a dream, the wooden door of the castle slowly opened behind them, and Ed pointed outside and said:
" Duolin, you should apologize to Seraphina for your previous malicious speculation."