Chapter 195: The Bishop
Chapter 195: The Bishop
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The sun was almost completely gone. Coupled with the low-lying terrain of Leyton, which was surrounded by mountains, it was getting dark fast. When they entered the town, the evening lights were lit. The magnificent lavender light curtain was even more spectacular in the fading night sky but, not many people came to the streets to watch the spectacular night scene. Hao Ren walked into the town, following the serious man in the black robes, and all he saw were closed doors. It was supposed to be a lively and bustling night market, but he could not even see a booth. Heavily armed town guards were the only common thing on the streets. Part of them were Knights of the Kingdom, who wore standard armour or robes, with the Kingdom's blue emblem on their chest; another group of them were the Knights of the Disciples of Glory, who wore black or white dustcoats outside their garments. And in addition to these two groups of soldiers, there were also some messily armed mercenaries in the streets. Although they were less armed than the soldiers, it was obvious that they were all veterans. They were probably called up by the knights to aid in their defenses after the attack.
The whole town was haunted by such a depressing atmosphere. It seemed that the attack, which lasted from the afternoon until the evening, had left everyone in that taut state. Hao Ren also noticed the dazed looks on the faces of some young soldiers. It appeared that these soldiers were also stunned by the unexpected weird monsters.
The tall and thin man. who was leading the way hardly said a word the entire way. He just took them through the depressing streets silently. Hao Ren also took the opportunity to observe this man, to make a comparison with some of the knowledge he had just obtained during the past two days.
The man in black robes had a tattoo, which consisted of a circle, a triangle and lighting on his back. So, this was probably a church mage. The clergy of the Disciples of Glory in this world were very special. While they were in the priesthood, they also followed the job classification of our world. They were divided into mages, warriors, alchemists, hunters and many other occupations. This included all races, which made them quite inclusive. The priesthood was just another identity outside their respective professions. The priest of the Disciples of Glory also used "divine skills" and their own professional power to fight. A church warrior, in addition to his own fighting ability, had to also know the priest's blessing skills. Similarly, a church mage also needed to practice the power of prayer in addition to magic. Although no one knew how they got the extra "godly power", every priest apart of the Disciples of Glory was indeed powerful than the average professional.
They interpreted this special power as the "proof of the goddess' blessings". Most people in this world firmly believed in that.
Hao Ren was certainly doubtful of this. He knew what a real god was. It was a group of creatures that were beyond comprehension and they were knowledgeable. Raven 12345, the unreliable lady always focused on the balance of the universe. Therefore, he did not think that the inefficient goddess' of The Plane of Dreams was the true God. He believed that there was a strong creature in this world, but most probably, that powerful creature was not quite the same as the Disciples of Glory had described.
In short, the clergy of the Disciples of Glory was a group of people with special powers, and all their clergymen were divided into two types: the White Robe and the Black Robe.
The Black Robes were professional combatants. They fought with a firm belief in the goddess, and they only focused on their own beliefs. They belonged to "force". And, the White Robes were responsible for everything else, such as missionary work, medical aspects, research, administration and so on. They belonged to "wisdom". At the same time, the Pope himself had to be a White Robe. This was enshrined in the sacred writings of the Disciples of Glory: the power had to be under rational control to ensure balance. Therefore, the spiritual leader and the commanding class of the Church could only be the White Robes.
Of course, it did not mean that all the White Robes were civilian staff, or that they did not fight. On the contrary, not only were the White Robes often present on the battlefield, the vast majority of the white-robed priests were extremely powerful, except for those who were thorough clerical workers. It was just that their duty involved focusing more on strategy and support, not fighting like black-robed priests.
Knights and mages in white robes could also be seen on the streets. They were the community commanders or staff officers in the defense force.
Their firm belief in the goddess, the worship of the Holy Scriptures, the deep fear of the end of the world, together with the wise reign of the popes, ensured that no one ever overstepped the system.
In addition to these superficial divisions, there were many distinct divisions within the Disciples of Glory. They influenced the whole world with a complex and efficient multi-ethnic, multidisciplinary partnership. However, these were not things the Hao Ren of today could understand thoroughly.
Perhaps the black-robed priests were not easy to get along with. The man leading the way still kept a straight face and did not say a word. Nangong Wuyue was bored. She could not help but bring up the unpleasant topic. "Hmm... Was the attack this afternoon serious?"
The man was silent for a while, and then replied with a stoned expression on his face, "Local defense, no comment."
Nangong Wuyue felt snubbed. Becky was also a bit unhappy and said, "We bring important information regarding rock monsters. We have witnessed them separate from the cliff. This information is worth at least 20 shielders. Why can't we ask about some trivial matters?
The black-robed priest remained silent, and replied, "Local defense, no comment."
He was still a repetitive machine.
Vivian stopped Becky who wanted to keep asking. She felt that it was not the time to fuss about such a thing. Once they ventured into the depths of the town, a small but ornate spire chapel appeared at the end of the road.
In front of the chapel was a semicircle courtyard with red pebbles. A circle of magical light balls floated around the courtyard, which made the place as bright as day. The black-robed church knights guarded the gates of the church tightly, while several middle-aged monks in white robes surrounded a purple-red crystal in the middle of the courtyard, praying silently.
The central tower of the church was emitting a mysterious glow. Layers of complex runes emerged from its ancient and luxurious carved stone bricks, circling the square tower. The runes were slowly rising and moving in circles repeatedly. A bright lavender beam gathered up at the end of the surging scripture, rushing into the unfathomable night sky. It then dispersed throughout the town. This was the defensive enchantment of Leyton Town, the miracle force that was reliant on this church. It was completely supported by "divine power".
"The collection of energy sample has been completed." Almost simultaneously, the voice of Mobile Data Terminal sounded in Hao Ren's mind. "Preliminary analysis: No analytical value, it's a simple repulsion wall, it can counteract external physical shocks of a certain speed, energy flow is very normal, mysterious attributes associated with the symbolic power of the true God is not found."
"The so-called divine power of the Disciples of Glory is just a special kind of magic indeed," Hao Ren muttered. The black-robed priest who led the way explained everything to the person in charge of the courtyard. He then took them to the church. He finally spoke more words this time, "His Excellency, Bishop Gelton is discussing important matters with guests, but he agrees to meet you first. Please pay attention to etiquette, His Excellency is a venerable elder."
The church was brightly lit, but there were no people in the long hall of prayer and worship, only the black-robed priests on duty. They reached a special room in the depths of the church, from a small corridor behind the long hall. The black-robed priest stood at the door and said, "Please."
Becky pushed the door and entered the room nervously. The scene in the room was visible.
Surprisingly, it looked pretty simple. The office, belonging to the bishop of the entire Beinz region was just a normal study without decoration. The room was spacious, but almost all of the walls were occupied by heavy stacks of files. There was no carpet on the ground, just plain stone bricks. There was a large wooden table in the middle of the room. An old man and someone, who looked like a young woman, judging from her back were talking across the table.
The bishop, Gelton was a sixty or seventy-year-old man with sparse hair, a long beard, a wrinkled face and short stature. He sat down at the back of his desk, hunched over his arms, and kept his hands in his sleeves as if they were cold. The bishop took his priests to inspect the vicinity of the Beinz Blood Lake all year round, absorbing too much "bad air" in the process. That made him look unhealthy but, people who knew his situation would not despise the seemingly slow, old man. His body may have begun to decay but, his spirit was still strong. As long as those wise eyes of his were not closed, he was still a mighty lion, and the gift of God would work with his thoughts.
The one facing Gelton was a woman wearing special armour. As she was not facing them, they could only see from the back. She had long, chestnut-coloured hair, and the pale complexion of her neck and wrist showed that she wast most likely still young.
When Becky opened the door, Gelton was speaking to the female soldier, "Your Excellency, Ophra, the situation is not clear. There is no evidence that these series of changes are linked, and there is no evidence that the goddess' test would be carried out in this form. We should first appease the people, and then with pious—Oh, looks like our guests are here."
The old man stood up and smiled at Hao Ren.