Phew! That was close! Far too close!
Outside the tent, King David wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief. Then he glanced back with a helpless look.
"The matter may be over, but I'm afraid that Saint has already noted down the impression that we're 'hard to control.'"
"It's not 'I'm afraid.' It's definitely."
The Queen of Sheba supported the shaken Martha and helped her sit against a large boulder, correcting him with an exasperated sigh.
Inside the royal tent, the war council was still proceeding at full speed. However, everyone involved, from Martha, who had once been captured, to the four "troublemakers" who had spoken up for her, King David, the Queen of Sheba, Batras, the Son of the Sword, and Vritra, the Asura King, had all been asked to step outside and rest.
Clearly, His Highness the Saint was far from satisfied with their loyalty.
"My beautiful girl, since you're so pretty, you ought to be a little smarter too. Next time, remember where you stand!"
After a brief silence, King David saw that no one was nearby and put on a stern face, reproaching the violet-haired Holy Maiden.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I…"
Martha had only just opened her mouth when King David rolled his eyes and cut her off.
"We're just hired hands. Why worry so much?"
"To protect people and guide them. That is my mission as the one called a Holy Maiden. If I have saved so many, then when people seek me out, pray to me, and ask for help, doing everything I can to protect the weak should also be my duty…"
The violet-haired Holy Maiden glanced at King David, her voice a little dry.
"Save yourself first, then save others. Didn't your teacher ever teach you that? These days, even the Lord has no time to care about whether ordinary people live or die. Investing in yourself first is the safer bet. As for the rest, think about it when you have time."
King David's eyes darted around again. After confirming the area was clear, he gave the reminder in an annoyed tone.
Those blasphemous words made Martha's mouth twitch. The look she gave this ancient king of Israel was full of suspicion.
Ridiculous! Are you really someone favored by the Lord?
Invest in yourself first? Back then, did you fail to build the First Temple because you spent the nation's strength on your own food, drink, and pleasure?
"King David, you have misspoken!"
The Queen of Sheba's purple ears trembled slightly as she glanced at the shepherd beside her and lowered her voice.
That was more like it. Who would slander the Heavenly Father right to His face? Martha's brows relaxed slightly.
"How could you say such things out loud?"
Then the purple-haired, beast-eared queen laid down dozens of Magecraft seals in succession. Only after that did she clap her hands in satisfaction, the corners of her lips rising.
"There. Now there's no problem!"
"…"
Martha looked at the cautious Queen of Sheba, then turned to the beaming King David. Her cheek twitched slightly.
Enough, both of you! What happened to faith?
She had figured it out. These two apostles summoned by God were not reliable at all.
The violet-haired Holy Maiden took a deep breath and calmed herself. Then she opened her eyes again, looked at the two of them quietly, and finally asked the question that had been buried in her heart for a long time.
"King David, Your Majesty… do you think an Eternal Kingdom that can fulfill every human wish truly exists?"
Before that debate, Martha had never once thought to question the words of scripture. But now, as her faith wavered, a thorn had quietly lodged itself in her heart.
The two rulers, both long accustomed to positions of power, exchanged a glance. The Queen of Sheba spoke first.
"I cannot presume to judge God's will. But based on my experience in business, anything you obtain requires an equivalent cost at the very least. And the base price for a kingdom capable of satisfying every human demand is priceless. That is a losing transaction."
King David plucked a string on his harp, his gaze meaningful.
"Even gifts from God often come with a very high price."
"The Lord is merciful…"
Martha pressed her cherry lips together and refuted him stiffly.
"This has nothing to do with mercy. If there is an answer, there is also a demand."
King David looked into the clear faith in those blue eyes and sighed helplessly, lowering his voice.
"Take that boy Solomon, for example. He had wisdom bestowed by heaven and ruled over the seventy-two Demon Gods. So why, on his deathbed, would he rather return the Ten Commandments and abandon that grace? Look at us."
The Queen of Sheba paused, her tone becoming deeply suggestive.
"When it comes to the Caster class, he would have been far more suitable than I am."
Martha suddenly understood.
Once someone received the Lord's grace, they had to fight for that faith until death.
No, even after death, they would still remain spirits serving the light.
"But the Lord helped our ancestors escape Egypt and granted us the Promised Land."
Martha still persisted, but a trace of wavering inevitably leaked into her gaze.
"It is the Promised Land, yes, but it is also a land fought over from every side. Once you possess it, you must face conquest from every tribe around you."
King David answered calmly, then glanced at the harp in his arms and sighed inwardly.
In the same way, faith in the Lord was both a blessing and a curse.
By venerating that one true God and becoming God's chosen people, the Jewish nation stood apart from the polytheistic cultures around them. Their inward isolation and conservatism made them reject integration.
And the Old Testament's standard of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, blood for blood filled the Jewish people with aggression and confrontation, making it difficult for them to coexist with locals. They either conquered others, or were conquered by others.
That was why their people had ended up surrounded by enemies on all sides, passed in turn through the hands of Assyria, Neo-Babylon, and Persia.
Thus, Israel's prosperity had lasted only a brief moment, and afterward, their people once more fell into long years of slavery and exile.
For that reason, the older David grew, the more perfunctory he became when it came to revering the Divine Spirit. He had gradually come to understand that truth.
Of course, there was no need for David to explain these deeper matters to Martha in detail. He only needed the child to understand that she should not place too much faith in salvation descending from the heavens.
If such salvation truly did exist, that was all the more reason to be wary. Behind it, there was often a price ordinary mortals could not afford.
After a few simple remarks, King David changed the subject. He rubbed his chin, leaned forward, and smiled ambiguously.
"Say, little Martha. Aside from what you already mentioned, what else did that fellow at Thermopylae say to you?"
The violet-haired Holy Maiden hesitated for a moment. Given her honest nature, and because these two seniors had protected her earlier, she briefly recounted the foreign king's parting words.
David's eyes flickered faintly. He turned back to glance at the gloomy Tanbei Canyon, shook his head helplessly, then clicked his tongue.
"Hm? Treating prisoners well? That sounds rather nice. Why don't we go over and join them right now? I find that fellow on the other side rather agreeable."
"…"
"Haha, I'm joking. My faith in the Lord is unwavering!"
Facing the violet-haired Holy Maiden's scrutinizing stare, the lazy ancient king of Israel made a solemn guarantee.
But in the next instant, King David's expression turned serious. He looked at the two of them gravely and murmured in a low voice.
"It seems the Greeks will attack very soon. We do not have many peaceful days left. The next time you are on the battlefield, keep your wits about you."
So soon?!
Martha and the Queen of Sheba exchanged glances, both of their eyes growing heavier. By the time they came back to themselves, King David, who had given the warning, had already slipped away.
At the same time, the meeting inside the tent ended, and everyone gradually departed. Led by the two Persian kings, the Saint arrived at the bottom of a valley and frowned at the encrypted tower whose foundation had only just taken shape and was barely half complete. Clearly dissatisfied with the progress, his brows drew together.
But in the next instant, as if he had thought of something, that handsome face relaxed. He spread both hands slightly before his chest.
In an instant, the sound of turning pages rang out. The ancient parchment scroll unfolded, and the Saint sang a hymn of praise.
"This is the house of God, this is the gate of heaven. The earth shall belong to my Lord and to the kingdom of the Lord Jehovah, and He shall reign forever and ever!"
As divine patterns turned into golden characters and embedded themselves into the base, a natural and majestic power poured into it. Everyone could vaguely see the phantom of a towering divine temple gradually taking solid form.
The seven seals had already been opened. The seventh trumpet was about to finish sounding. No one could stop the descent of the Lord's kingdom!
The Saint looked at the characters dancing across the scroll as though he had already seen inevitable fate. The corners of his lips rose in delight, his expression proud and aloof.
But just as the Tower of Babel was about to solidify a new foundation, thunder exploded across the sky. A torrent of crimson-black Ether swept in every direction, forming a visible tide of Mana. An inexplicable sense of dread rose in the hearts of the Persians.
Boom!
In the next instant, the towering phantom of the divine temple was struck as if by lightning and abruptly collapsed. The Saint holding the Book of Destiny turned deathly pale and spat out a mouthful of golden-red blood. His face filled with horror as he looked east.
No! The Persian Pantheon!
Hum!
At the same time, several pillars of light shot into the sky from within Thermopylae. Every Magecraft barrier shattered, and the earth shook and roared violently. Elegant figures, scattered in formation, were racing toward them from the horizon.