There are a lot of people entering into a particularly large tent. There was a sign in front. It was a symbol. Eve recognizes that symbol from the armor of the crusaders from the night she was freed from that cage. She sits behind the wall of a nearby tent. Some people noticed her, giving her a kind smile and wave, while others that recognizes her, pretended they did not and quickly rush inside. Curious, she decided to look through a small tent opening by the side.
Eve stares at the group of people gathering inside the tent. A man, clad in simple black rough linen robes, and in his hand a sword. The man central in the event, stands upon a small crate. He stares at the crowd surrounding him, sitting on the hard dirt floor. The weather still hot, even within the protection of the tent. The people inside waving themselves to cool themselves off. While it was quite dark within the tent, it was bright enough to see without a torch.
The man atop the crate greets the audience, "Greetings, and Mundus stands with you". Then, he kneels down, sword pointing to the crate as the crowd suddenly become silent. The man stands up again, beginning his talk.
"All praise to the Eternal Protector of Mankind, the Stalwart Shield against all that is holy and unholy. We seek refuge in him against the threats by the heavens, and we seek salvation in him during our struggles on Earth,"
"As we head home, wounds on bodies, tears in our eyes, and weariness on backs. The lord knows we are tired for we have been marching for days non-ending, ending in our recent struggle with a nearby cultist movement. The cultist movement that has worked in naivety, ignorance, and arrogance. They have casted aside the two major forces of mankind, that of the protection of Mundus, and that of the guidance of Merlin"
This was the first time that Eve has heard a full explanation of Merlin and Mundus, for all the swearing and vows that has been done upon these two names. She can't help but a disconnect to what the preacher was saying and to her own experience in her past. She can't help but feel that Mundus is not as important as people make him out to be and, in the end, he is just another spirit, one of many within this world.
"O believers, though some may call me wayward, we stand at a precipice of change within our movements, where the occurrence of the occult supersedes our believe that merely staying away from the mystic is enough to shield us. That ignorance is a bliss, a blessing, instead of a curse, like a lamb being fed before a slaughter."
"You can see it in the night before, where the elemental spirit of Nocturnis has invaded this very camp, where weary minds rest after a long day's fight. Let me ask you, brothers. What shield is enough to cast away the night? What sword can pierce through the lack of light? In the end, we are saved not through the blessings of Mundus, but through the action of Merlin and his prophet,"
"Would ignorance serve us well there? What glory is there to be had in the fight against the dark? And what shame would befall us if we were forced to abandon our brothers and sisters to the lord of deception and deceit? Nay, what defeated the shadowy spirit was not blade, not the spirit of humanity, but the wit of a prophet and an understanding of the fight and hierarchy of spirits"
Eve was surprisingly nodding along to the preacher. Taking in the commentary. She felt a bit of smug satisfaction from how the preacher was admitting the fault of Mundus, akin to seeing someone admitting to their weakness and mistakes. Though, she was quite curious about one word "prophet". Who was this referring to? Hansen? Elastra? I mean these two should be the only ones involved last night.
"We must admit our mistakes, the sins of the pasts, of that of our forefathers. And we must move past it and forge a new path together. Yes... The word of Mundus explicitly bans any mysticism but, we can longer live in a world without knowledge and means to further protect ourselves."
Within the dark, she notices quite a number of people grimacing. It seems that statement is quite controversial among the believers of Mundus.
"Many fear mysticism for it is wild and untamed. To walk into its shadows is forget the warmth of a hearth, to forget the embrace of society and humanity, to lose sanity among the forbidden knowledge not meant for mankind. But ignore it is a folly insurmountable. The mystics exist whether we choose to acknowledge it or not! The winds do not ask for permission to blow, nor a fire asks your consent to burn your entire belongings down!"
"And so, it is... That we must acknowledge that the truth lies in between. That the shield of mankind is not all powerful compared to the deep, dark forces of the spirits. That the guidance of Merlin has its flaws in guiding humans to chaos and destruction if done without control! So, we must wield both shield and book in ensuring the peace and prosperity of men"
Then, he kneels again with his sword placed downwards. Throughout his sermon, he stands in the pose where his sword points downward while he is standing, his voice loud and echoing through the tent. When he stands up again, he resumes speaking, this time in a more rushed manner, as if uncaring of his words, reading off his memories.
"And now, we pray for the spirit of mankind to shield our hearths and protect our homes. For the wisdom from the spirit of mysticism to guide us towards peace, and wisdom instead of chaos and destruction. We pray for the Dust beneath the Feet of the Almighty, the lordship, and the King of Florencia..."
At that point, Eve has gotten bored and was filled with thoughts and ideas about the revelations of the spirit of mankind and the spirit of mysticism. As she stepped away from the tent however, the side of her eyes caught two men sitting outside the tent as well, displeasure clearly shown on their faces. She can't help but overhear a conversation between two men, believers of Mundus.
"Tch! Easy for him to say that... He wasn't the one that had to fight those monsters... Those cultists... Nor did she see that girl last night"
"Aye," affirms another. "What good is 'understanding' is gonna do to us that night?" he was clearly jeering and ridiculing the words of the preacher, "I don't care what he says. The fault is not with Mundus. It is us that lacks the believe, or the deeds to fully achieve Mundus' blessings"
"Honestly, what good is understanding how someone can breathe poison and spores into the air. How an orc remains standing even with a hole through his chest. This understanding and mastery of mysticism is a horseshit. I'll take my ignorance. Thank you"
"Yeah... It is the fools that embrace mysticisms that got us in trouble in the first place"
The man sneers and mockingly spits onto the ground. He makes a mocking smug face at his friend before stating, "I'm gonna say it... The Golden Concordat was a mistake"
The man giggles and chuckles furiously, trying his hardest to hold in his laughter, "Don't say that, idiot! You're gonna get us both in trouble."
At that point, they noticed Eve was staring at them at the edge of their eyes and they quickly mutter to themselves about something. It was obvious they were talking about her. His friend shakes his head, and the man gives out a sigh, walking away from her and the tent, leaving her in the shade of the trees and the tent who were both waving by the winds as the man stride past.
Eve walks towards the entrance of the tent, where the steady drumming of foot against the dirt floor hums through her feet as she notices the cacophony of people leaving the tent. That's where she noticed someone she knew from the crowd. Dressed differently last night, this time clad in a tunic belted at the waist, hoisting his leather hose. It was the Hansen that was very kind to her last night.
It seems Hansen notices her by the side of the tree as well as he does a double take before striding towards her. "You dolt! Aren't you supposed to be resting?" his voice came out sharper than intended to the not-soldier, Eve. He coughs and covers up his mistakes as he changes his tune. "Ahem - have you had breakfast yet, Eve?" he asks to which Eve merely replies by unintentionally rumbling her stomach. "Well, I guess that answers that. Let's grab lunch. It's close to noon now and we have something important to discuss later."
Hansen holds out his hand to Eve. Eve hesitated before taking it, and they walk past the tent into the now cleared area where the possession takes place the night prior.