Chapter 39: The Mystery of the Holy Spirit Path

“Holy Spirit Path?”

With a hint of surprise, the white-haired Miss Priestess wearing a little fox mask repeated the unfamiliar term she had just heard.

Inside the carriage, Leila, who was reporting the gathered information, nodded in agreement.

“Yes, the Holy Spirit Path. I have confirmed this information with the merchant caravan. If all goes well, we should arrive near that forest around noon, and then complete the journey before nightfall to camp by the main road.”

“Hmm… the Holy Spirit Path, that name sounds a bit familiar, as if I’ve seen it somewhere before… wait a second…”

After a moment of thought, the fox lady reached into the void and pulled out a thick book with the cover titled “Top 100 Unsolved Mysteries of the World,” then began to flip through it.

“Hmm, Holy Spirit Path… Holy Spirit Path… Oh, got it! That’s where I’ve seen it!”

When she reached a certain page, the girl let out a low exclamation, as if her guess had been confirmed, and opened the book wide enough for everyone nearby to see clearly.

A few girls gathered around, staring at the illustrations and text for a moment.

“That’s right! The place written in here is also called the Holy Spirit Path. What a coincidence?”

Renée looked up, giving a speechless glare at Tilysha, who had blurted out her honest thoughts, and pointed at the illustration in the book.

“Coincidence my foot! You don’t really think it’s just a homonymous place, do you? Clearly, the Holy Spirit Path we’re about to pass through is the same place mentioned in this book! Look here! It’s located in the northwest of the Holy Empire, and by heading west from New Aster City and entering the woods from the main road, you can access the ‘Holy Spirit Path’—it’s all clearly stated! You really are so dumb.”

“Eh?! Isn’t that dangerous then? I remember this book… the places recorded in it are all highly mysterious. Even if the caravan wants to hurry, they shouldn’t take such a risk, right?”

“Dangerous… not necessarily, I’d say it just has risks.”

Joining the conversation seamlessly, Miss Priestess, who had already familiarized herself with the book, recalled that the information about the various regions it documented was quite clear, accessible to her memory.

“The ‘Top 100 Unsolved Mysteries of the World’ records mysteries, enigmatic and inexplicable things not yet explored.

While some places, like the Forgotten Land in the United Kingdom with its plethora of undead, are indeed death zones for the living, there are also regions described simply as mysterious, with phenomena that cannot be explained by existing theories, but aren’t necessarily places where one would die nine times out of ten.

Of course, safety cannot be guaranteed, but if approached properly, the risks can indeed be mitigated. The regions documented in this book are places with verified sightings recorded, unlike the vague rumors of the ‘Wishing Spirit Treasure’ in the Oaken Gorge of the United Kingdom, which would not be recorded here.”

Without even looking at the book, the fox lady spoke directly.

“The Holy Spirit Path is named for the traces of Holy Spirits said to exist in the legends. I wonder if any of you have heard of the Holy Spirit race?”

Little Dragon Daughter and Tilysha immediately shook their heads, while the two girls with white feathers displayed a hint of thoughtfulness, as if recalling something.

Seeing this, Vilyric was not surprised; after all, Leila and Renée, being members of the mythology-related white-feather clan and native beings of this world, likely had more insights into certain topics than Xiao Guang or Tilysha, who was once a Little Village Girl. Moreover, if the Holy Spirits truly existed, they would be closely related to angels in a certain sense.

In the legends of the Holy Kingdom, angels are said to be created by the Light Goddess, spreading blessings in the mortal world and promoting the divine faith, serving as holy embodiments. However, in reality, that’s simply unfounded gossip.

As her understanding of the existence of “gods” deepened, especially after hearing more detailed related information from Xi Fu Lin, the former Earth Mother Goddess, Vilyric had derived a few certainties.

Some deities indeed create or transform their followers based on the powers of the laws they master or through mundane objects.

The original angels were actually created by Mother Goddess Xi Fu and gradually passed down, evolving into a complete and unique race.

But this does not mean that angels necessarily belong to Xi Fu; messengers of the deities aren’t limited to angels. After all, the Earth Mother Goddess created too many species, and the gods each have distinct personalities and methods, which naturally result in a variety of followers.

Holy Spirits are one such type.

They serve the faith of the Light Goddess Aurora, the only true deity of the Church of the Goddess, which occupies nearly one-third of the world’s population.

The Holy Spirit race are divine messengers sent to the mortal world by the Light Goddess Aurora to spread the faith of light.

Of course, like angels, this is just a legend.

For Xi Fu Lin had once casually told Vilyric in a conversation that during her divine era, there was no deity named Aurora with the divine spark of light. Thus, for now, she remained cautious about the true identity of this Light Goddess.

However, with precedents like the Life Goddess and Vilyric herself, nowadays, anything strange is possible; whether beings or the Light Goddess, until there’s direct contact, Miss Priestess did not plan to jump to conclusions too early.

After listening to Vilyric’s explanation, Leila nodded slightly.

“Indeed, we also heard outsiders speak of the legend of the Holy Spirit race in the Kingdom of Azure. It is said that Holy Spirits have two forms: one resembles humans, yet possesses incredible powers, taking on a girl’s appearance, inherently spiritual, capable of communicating with all things.”

“The other form is the true appearance of the Holy Spirits: in the absence of outsiders, they transform into ethereal forms wrapped in gentle light, soaring through the shadows and blossoms like dream and sanctity—referred to as Holy Spirits.”

“Hmm, that’s about the same as what I’ve heard. This book ‘Top 100 Unsolved Mysteries of the World’ describes it the same way.”

The mystery of the Holy Spirit Path may lie in the three rules passed down by the local population.

【First: Those who walk the path must praise the Light Goddess; they must not speak ill of her, lest they give rise to ill thoughts, or else face the Holy Spirit’s punishment.】

【Second: Those who walk the path cannot be foes of the goddess; otherwise, the Holy Spirits’ invisible power will drag them into a dreamland from which they shall never escape.】

【Third: Those who walk the path must stay on the path; straying from it will cause them to become lost in the woods, with no chance of survival.】

It sounds somewhat mystical, but don’t think these three rules are just simple scare tactics; many irreverent fools have verified them with their lives, including some legendary experts of great renown. This shows just how elusive the mysterious power lingering here is.

Of course, it is said that as long as one’s thoughts are sincere and the rules here are strictly followed, even the weakest child can safely pass through the Spirit Path. Perhaps… that’s also one of the reasons the caravan leader decided to take a detour here.

After all, the White Dove Merchant Association is a local force of the Holy Kingdom and is likely filled with devout followers of the Goddess.

   

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