Only God-Chapter 590 - 500 Belvan’s Philosophy (Combined)

His lover didn’t understand Maxwell, but she was considerate enough to offer him the comfort he needed, and Maxwell quickly rallied his flagging spirits.

Even if the Royal Family didn’t take the threat from the Dwarves seriously, and the Nobles and Landlords within the domain didn’t believe a war would occur, Maxwell did not give up.

The aged Earl first hastily imposed a tax, then dismissed the remaining Minstrels in his mansion, and called upon more able-bodied men to enlist, borrowing money from traders to fortify the border. His various measures met with massive opposition from the Nobles and Landlords, and he faced great difficulties, but he stubbornly and obstinately prepared for war.

During this time, Maxwell wrote no fewer than ten letters to the Royal City, the content of which revolved around warnings against the Dwarves, requests for assistance, and the dispatch of soldiers, but without exception, he received no response from the King. Those dozen or so letters brought Maxwell nothing but a chest of copper coins sent by the Minister of Finance.

"What a stubborn old mule!"

"No one can persuade him unless the Gods appear before him."

"Nakbet had better send him to the Great Plain quickly; there’s no place for such a ’Hero’ here."

Because of Maxwell’s persistence, the opposing voices of the Nobles and Landlords within his domain gradually turned into insults, but the old Earl didn’t care one bit, continuing to go his own way.

What those Nobles and Landlords didn’t know was that Maxwell wished for war to break out less than anyone else.

And once war did break out, he would have to be prepared to win.

These feelings were also reflected in the old Earl’s worship,

in the morning he prayed to Scatty, the deity he had always believed in, that war would not occur, while at night, he implored the God of Victory, Laiendos, to ensure that Golan would triumph if war did break out.

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Under Kafu the Sixth’s iron-fisted tactics, Kaelonde gradually recovered its former order from the impact of the riots, and the Gold Silver Clan was temporarily suppressed, making it seem as if everything had returned to calm.

However, the Dwarf King knew this calm would not last long, and within a few years, Kaelonde would be in turmoil again. The dissatisfaction of the people was not dissipated, but suppressed. If they did not take advantage of this time, no one could guarantee if the kingdom’s next riot could be successfully quashed.

Therefore, Kafu the Sixth vigorously promoted the policy of applying steam technology to military use. Artisans who were studying Steam Trains, steamships, Bed Crossbows, and siege hammers all received his strong support, and even the fanciful Steam Mecha received a new bounty.

Belvan witnessed all this, and in recent days, he had frequently heard the words "Helong Mountain Range" from the King’s mouth.

This scholar thus understood that Kafu the Sixth longed to shed the name of tyrant, and his method was to attack the Golan Kingdom and reclaim the Helong Mountain Range.

Belvan was greatly conflicted about this, as scholars are traditionally keen on peace. He did not want war to break out, but as a Dwarf, he knew how important the Helong Mountain Range was to his people, and he also longed for it to return to Kaelonde’s embrace.

However, no matter what Belvan thought, war was out of his hands.

He continued to study the Divine Path, and Kafu the Sixth, in preparation for war, began to try applying the Divine Path to the military. The King informed the Clans within the Gold Silver Clan who were close to the Royal Family about the Divine Path, and selected those who were loyal and good at fighting to undergo the Ascension Ceremony. Kafu the Sixth himself, with the help of scholars, chose his own Divine Path and entered into First Rank.

Belvan saw Kafu the Sixth’s preparations for war and, for some reason, felt deeply worried.

"Don’t worry, teacher, we won’t fail. It is fated that the Helong Mountain Range belongs to the Dwarves,"

Prince Mura consoled Belvan.

"You are so certain, but what do mere mortals’ words amount to? Which Divine would come forth and tell us the Helong Mountain Range belongs to us?"

Belvan sighed.

Prince Mura’s brow furrowed, under his father’s influence, the heir to the kingdom also began to see the reclaiming of the Helong Mountain Range as a matter of course.

"Teacher, what are you worried about? Only those cowardly True Believers fear the coming of war. Surely, you’re not one of those True Believers, are you?"

Belvan looked at Prince Mura and said,

"I am a Dwarf, a Dwarf who worships Hiris and His father, not a True Believer."

Prince Mura then said,

"Then you shouldn’t worry. Trust in the King, he can control all affairs. Teacher, unless you become a True Believer, there’s no need for you to worry."

After hearing this, Belvan took a deep sigh,

"Mura, I’m not a True Believer, but I still worry because no one can ensure that we will certainly win. What if we fail, what will we go through..."

As he said this, Belvan saw Prince Mura’s eyebrows tighten, seemingly unable to agree, and suddenly felt that he could not change Mura’s mind. He changed the subject, saying:

"Let’s drop the subject."

Prince Mura nodded at this, then slowly exited the study.

In the study, an Elf scholar who was drafting a manuscript witnessed the entire process and looked up, saying:

"It’s okay; my students often can’t understand my thoughts either. Sometimes, I think only God can understand them."

Belvan slowly sat down and nodded in agreement,

"That’s precisely how I feel too."

The elf scholar continued the conversation along this topic with Belvan,

"Belvan, I remember you once studied in Danschel. If that prince had also been to Danschel, perhaps he would understand your thoughts better."

After thinking for a while, Belvan somewhat agreed,

"Aside from the Divine, the environment is the best sculptor of a person."

The elf scholar pondered over Belvan’s words and casually asked,

"The environment is the best sculptor of a person... That does make sense. Speaking of which, why didn’t you become a True Believer in such an environment?"

Belvan thought for a moment, mulled over his wording, recalled the past, and then began,

"Actually... there were a few times when I was tempted, but I didn’t succumb. After much consideration, I felt their faith wasn’t suitable for me. You should know, the Church of the True Religion came from Prophet Noen. Back then, most of the True Believers were slaves, and it is said that Prophet Noen treated them better than he did himself. His successors continued this legacy, also demanding other True Believers to do the same. What was that phrase again? Right, ’We are all children of God.’

Can you imagine how strange that phrase sounds to me? I come from the Gold Silver Clan, so those who serve me and wash my feet are also children of God? Those who toil in the fields for me are also children of God? And those despicable Wanderers, who commit all manner of evil, some even with no bounds to their wickedness, are they also children of God?

There are inherently differences in beauty, status, and wealth in this world. I may have sympathy for those who are lower, poorer, or uglier than me, but to love them as the True Believers do, oh no, I cannot. I often prefer to keep my distance.

If God wishes me to do so, then why doesn’t He make everyone the same? Equally beautiful, equally wealthy, equally noble, equally healthy, with the same thoughts. If that were the case, then I could love everyone."

At this point, Belvan paused for a moment, thought further, and continued,

"The ideology of the True Believers doesn’t suit me. Moreover, they regard the Gods we worship day and night as God’s children equal to themselves. It’s too absurd, too unbelievable.

For me, everything in this world has order and rules, just like beans grow from beans and melons from melons. A place without order or rules does not exist. The beauty, status, and wealth of people are a form of order and rules. The behavior of the True Believers undoubtedly disregards this order and rules. I like their stories, agree with some of their Scriptures, and I’ve even wept for the Prophet’s plight, but their ideology does not suit me and never will."

Without a doubt, Belvan’s words came from the heart, and the elderly elf scholar initially wanted to say something, but upon hearing the rest, found no ground for rebuttal.

"It seems there are always barriers between people. What you find absurd is to me the most natural order of things."

After some thought, the elf scholar slowly spoke.

Belvan smiled bitterly,

"Yes, barriers often bring pain, just like Mura cannot understand my thoughts now.

I remember, in the myths of the True Religion, their God, the father of Hiris, once saved the world. To me, such salvation was too incomplete. True salvation should erase all barriers in the world, making everyone the same, cut from the same mold."

The elf scholar laughed heartily,

"You are applying the rigor of scholarship to reality."

Belvan nodded. Like many scholars who are impatient and love to delve deep, he preferred meticulousness, and everything to be arranged according to set rules. A slight deviation would make him uncomfortable.

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As Scouts delved deeper into the Dwarf Kingdom and brought back more news, Maxwell became increasingly certain that the Dwarves would soon launch an invasion of the Helong Mountain Range.

"Dwarf armor, weapons... all are far superior to ours, not to mention those troublesome giants... O’ craftsman Hiris, why did you create this race?"

Maxwell, looking at the map of the Helong Mountain Range in front of him, couldn’t help but lament.

Even though the situation was unfavorable, the old Earl didn’t indulge in cursing his fate; to confront the impending assault, Maxwell specifically called upon a few remnants of the Beastmen still living in the Helong Mountain area. These savage Beastmen had once ruled the mountain range and repelled the Dwarves’ attempts to reclaim their lost territories several times.

"Have your ancestors ever mentioned to you how they defeated the Dwarves?"

Maxwell asked.

The answers given by the Beastmen were mostly similar. They relied first on their height advantage; Dwarves were too short, so their spears were much shorter than those of humans, and their shields much smaller. During combat, often one Beastman could withstand three Dwarves’ assaults; next, the Dwarves’ giant kin were too cumbersome and slow. Although they lived in the mountains with the Dwarves year-round, their excessively large frames were more suited for plain warfare and struggled in the complex terrain of the mountains; lastly, the Dwarves were inherently impatient, therefore, they were quick to seek achievement, often falling for traps or stubbornly assaulting a fortification, frequently emerging victorious only to later succumb to failure.

With the answers from the Beastmen, Maxwell could strategize, building strongholds and fortifications at key locations, but he still felt uneasy.

"Our people of Golan have never waged war against the Dwarves... and besides, the Dwarves have changed a lot since then."

Thinking this, Maxwell braced himself for the worst.

And in the autumn of the following year...

The Dwarves of Kaelonde began to cross the borders of the two countries, marching toward the Helong Mountain Range and its hinterlands.