Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System

Lucius raised his head, confusion still in his eyes.

Elizabeth said slowly, "The Holy Scripture of Truth - Genesis, Chapter 23, verse 5, states that Oriane granted humanity wisdom to perceive the world. And this world is not just the dome of a cathedral, the glow of a Holy Image, or the echo of a prayer."

"It also includes the paths of the stars, the patterns of wind and rain, the composition of matter, and the mysteries of life. If, out of fear and ignorance, we refuse to explore and understand the other Laws in this vast world, then we would be truly betraying the wisdom and mission Oriane has bestowed upon us."

"But, Holy Throne!" Lucius couldn’t help but say. "The Holy Scripture also gives clear warning: do not associate with Heresy, do not practice the arts of the Outsider Path! The commentaries and edicts of ages past..."

Elizabeth responded calmly, "The commentaries and edicts of ages past were also written by people. The people who wrote them lived in their own times and faced their own challenges. They had their wisdom, but they also had their limitations. We respect our predecessors, but we should not be shackled by their limitations. The way of Oriane is a living river, not a stagnant pool. It should guide the faithful of every era to face the challenges of their time."

Lucius opened his mouth. As a Cardinal who had reached his current position only after passing through layers of theological debate and examinations, his first instinct was to start a theological argument.

And he was confident he could find plenty of arguments in the countless scriptural anecdotes, the edicts of past Popes, and the treatises of famous theologians to refute the Pope’s current statements.

But just as the words were about to leave his lips, he stopped.

Because he saw that the shelves behind Elizabeth were not lined with theological tomes, but with stacks of documents.

Report on the Operation of Holy City First Power Plant, Evaluation of the Promotion of New-Style Spinning Machines, Plan for the Expansion of the Public Healthcare System, Progress Chart for the Popularization of Basic Education...

He thought of the past ten years: the electric lights that illuminated the Holy City at night, the roaring machines in the factories, the automobiles on the streets, the new diagnostic methods in the hospitals, the arithmetic and geometry taught in the schools...

He thought of the projects he himself had helped promote—projects once denounced by the old guard as "deviations from tradition"—which were now tangibly improving the lives of countless citizens.

Theological debate?

He had countless ways to gain the upper hand in a war of words.

But everything Elizabeth had done over the past decade, every example of her success—the lights, the machines, the cars, the hospitals, the schools—had not been won through theological debate.

They were the result of countless days and nights of planning, coordinating, executing, and solving one concrete problem after another, built piece by piece.

When people walked down brightly lit streets at night, when workers earned a stable income in the factories, when patients received more effective treatment, when children learned to read, write, and do arithmetic... these tangible changes were more persuasive than any brilliant theological argument.

Lucius suddenly felt a profound sense of powerlessness, and a hint of shame.

He realized he was still accustomed to arguing on the level of "whether it conforms to doctrine."

But Elizabeth and His Holiness the Sword of Divinity had long since moved beyond that framework. They were thinking about "how to solve problems" and "how to make the world a better place."

’As for the justification... Oriane is omnipotent, and so is Nature.’

A long silence spread through the room.

The light and shadows outside the window shifted another inch.

Finally, Lucius slowly lowered his head. His voice was deep and clear. "Holy Throne... you are right."

Elizabeth looked at him. "Lucius, my dear Cardinal, I know your confusion and unease stem from a sense of responsibility to the Church Court, and that is a good thing. But please remember, true responsibility is not about clinging to old rules and regulations, but about bravely facing new challenges, using wisdom and action to protect more people."

"What you must do now is not to speculate on what Cardinal Adrian and the others are truly trying to accomplish, but to focus on your own work. Handle the site selection and foundational construction for the Tower of Revelation well. Solve every concrete problem you might encounter. That is the best way you can contribute your strength right now."

Lucius took a deep breath and raised his head, his gaze now clear and resolute. "I understand, Holy Throne. I will do what must be done."

"Good." Elizabeth nodded and picked up the report from her desk again. "You may go. There is still much work waiting for you."

"Yes, Holy Throne."

Lucius stood, bowed once more, then turned and left the Pope’s private hall with a steady gait.

The door closed softly behind him.

Elizabeth did not immediately return to her report. Her gaze drifted out the window again, toward the faintly visible mountain peak northeast of the Holy City, her eyes as deep as the night.

She knew the storm was still brewing, far from over.

But she had made her choice long ago.

No matter what lay ahead, she would follow that person’s footsteps to the very end.

...

「Holy Hall Pharmacy.」

In that pure white, vast space, there was nothing but a central pillar of light and an eternally spinning crystal.

Dimensional Energy surged from the void as usual, transforming into countless colorful motes of light that silently sank into the massive Rhombus Crystal, sustaining its timeless brilliance.

Time itself seemed to lose all meaning here, where only an endless flow of Energy circulated.

HUMMM!

On one side of the space, a familiar ripple suddenly appeared in the air.

Where the ripples spread, the figure in a deep purple dress with hair like blazing fire appeared once more out of thin air.

The Dragon Witch stretched her body, sauntered lazily to the pillar of light, and unceremoniously poked the crystal’s smooth surface with her finger, letting out a soft chuckle: