Rea held no ill thoughts toward Priest Souza. After all, she was exceptionally skilled at judging a person's character, even at a single glance.
Without needing to read minds or peer into the past, she relied solely on the experience of tens of thousands of years of life, the countless encounters she had with millions of people of every imaginable temperament, and the psychological principles she had developed herself.
With a single look, Rea could gather a surprising amount of information: age, height, weight, gender, where someone might come from, signs of illness, financial troubles, romantic entanglements, even hints of domestic conflict.
However, this method proved ineffective against high-order mages. Such individuals could manipulate their appearance, their apparent age, their physical form, and even the aura surrounding them.
Even so, Rea continued to rely on this ability as a precaution, simply to avoid being deceived by trickery.
She made her way toward the village hall, where the residence of Wen Wo, the village chief, was also located.
Previously, Rea had not found an opportunity to gather information about how the world had changed during the thousand years she had slept.
When she arrived at Wen Wo's house, a man dressed entirely in white robes was already standing on the front terrace. It was Priest Souza, speaking with the village chief.
The two seemed to be discussing something quietly, but their conversation paused the moment they noticed Rea approaching.
"Miss, we meet again," Souza said with a gentle smile.
Rea responded with a slight nod in greeting.
"Am I interrupting something?" she asked politely. "If so, I can come back later."
"There is no need to worry, Miss Rea," Wen Wo replied. "Priest Souza and I were merely having a casual conversation. It would be better if we continued inside the house."
"That would indeed be preferable, Mr. Wo," Priest Souza agreed.
Rea showed little interest in whatever the two men had been discussing. More precisely, she had no intention of involving herself in it.
Shortly after Wen Wo invited them to sit, a middle aged woman arrived carrying glasses of water and a plate of dry wheat bread as refreshments.
Rea accepted them gladly. For the past few days, her meals had consisted only of fruit and meat.
Cooking, unfortunately, was not one of her skills.
"So, how may I help you?" Wen Wo asked.
Rea picked up a piece of the dry bread and took a small bite before answering.
"Mr. Wo, do you happen to have any records about this village from a thousand years ago?"
Wen Wo tilted his head in confusion. Priest Souza did the same. Both men clearly struggled to understand the reason behind her question.
"If you ask me that," Wen Wo said slowly, "I'm afraid I wouldn't know how to answer. Since the day I was born, the village has already existed as it is now. The same goes for my grandparents, they lived here from the moment they were born."
Priest Souza then asked, "May I ask why you are interested in such a distant past, Miss?"
"There is no particular reason," Rea replied calmly. "I'm simply curious about history."
Her answer was not entirely truthful.
Rea still possessed memories of a time far older, long before the rise of the religions devoted to the Seven Heavenly Gods, and even before the formation of the foreign kingdoms that now shaped the world.
Yet those memories belonged to a distant era before her long slumber. When she awoke, she found herself in the depths of a wild forest. Her final memory before that sleep was a vast open land consumed by a great war.
It was only natural to assume that the geography of the world had changed dramatically after the devastation of such a conflict.
"If you are interested in the distant past," Wen Wo said, "perhaps you should ask the sacred beast that protects Horgaz Village."
Rea's eyes brightened with curiosity.
"A sacred beast… how interesting."
She knew well what sacred beasts were. In truth, sacred beasts and demonic beasts were fundamentally the same. The only difference lay in their intentions.
When a creature reached the peak of its evolutionary path, it awakened spiritual intelligence. At that stage, both sacred and demonic beasts gained the ability to communicate through language.
Sacred beasts were often regarded as guardians of nature, spiritual entities that were benevolent and harmless.
Demonic beasts, on the other hand, were feared as destructive monsters that spread calamity and terror.
"We call him Lord Mewa," Wen Wo explained.
"According to my grandfather's stories, he had already existed for hundreds of years even before Horgaz Village was founded."
Rea listened carefully while enjoying the refreshments, though chewing a piece of the dry wheat bread required considerably more effort than she had anticipated.
After finally swallowing the stubborn bite, she asked another question.
"I've often heard of sacred beasts residing in different regions. Their presence is usually seen as a form of protection, but such protection often comes with a price."
As she waited for Wen Wo's response, Rea reached for another piece of the rock-hard bread.
"Lord Mewa rarely interacts with humans," Wen Wo replied. "He has never demanded offerings. However, whenever a great disaster threatens the village, Lord Mewa appears and protects us from destruction."
While Wen Wo spoke, Priest Souza noticed how much Rea struggled to bite and chew the dry bread.
Quietly, he picked up another piece from the plate and dipped the end of it into a glass of water, softening its hardened texture.
Without saying a word, the priest demonstrated a much easier way to eat the bread.
Rea's eyes widened in sudden realization.
She immediately imitated the method.
"Oh… I see."
Nodding with understanding, she then directed her next question toward Priest Souza.
"And what is the view of the faith of Goddess Liliyan regarding sacred beasts? Are they considered enemies?"
"I once had the opportunity to meet Lord Mewa," Priest Souza answered with a courteous smile. "He showed no signs of hostility."
"Furthermore, the faith of Goddess Liliyan teaches its followers to respect all beings, whether human or otherwise. As long as they do not bring harm or destruction, there is no reason for conflict."
"That is good to hear," Rea replied, clearly satisfied with his answer.
Upon hearing Souza's explanation, that the faith of Goddess Liliyan upheld respect for all living beings, Rea allowed herself a faint smile.
As the embodiment of the True God's will 'the divine judge' she had witnessed the world's destruction countless times, brought about by human greed. Deep within her, she still hoped that humanity might one day create a life of harmony.
"However," Priest Souza continued thoughtfully, "when I saw Lord Mewa, I felt that he lived in loneliness… as though he were guarding something precious within his dwelling."
Rea's curiosity deepened.
"In that case," she asked, "where might I find him?"
"Lord Mewa lives beyond the hill," Wen Wo replied.