"Pastor Wayne, what do you want..."
"Just Wayne is fine, I am now employed by Heavenly Father’s Court in a private capacity." Wayne broke in.
Being invited in his capacity as a pastor to help Keith was part of a cooperation between the Naturalism Church and Heavenly Father’s Court, where formal procedures meant the higher-ups took the lion’s share, and his personal interests were not secured.
Boundaries had to be made clear, otherwise there was no point in talking.
"All right, Mister Wayne, what do you want?"
With each additional language, a new world opens up;
with each additional skill, a new path is forged.
In the God-chosen Continent, Faith Magic was the language, and The Book of Greed ensured Wayne’s linguistic talent. He was at the advantage of the right time, place, and people, able to learn several foreign languages.
"Generally speaking, I would definitely want money."
"That’s great, I will just..."
Wayne took a deep breath, causing Keith to twitch nervously. Problems that money couldn’t resolve were always major troubles.
"I know it’s not easy for Heavenly Father’s Court in Windsor, talking business about money is tough, and should there be any problems in the accounts, if the top brass investigates, it would spell trouble for you and no good will come to me either." Wayne pulled on Keith, implying a visit to Jianhe Cathedral was in order.
He had said before, he especially admired literature, and he loved things with historical depth, such as... antiques.
Keith’s face showed difficulty, and with a bitter smile, he bade farewell to Julian. This visit would inevitably lead to significant losses.
Not all antiques were the same, and he could only hope that Wayne, being uncultured, would choose what seemed like a precious piece of jewelry, overlooking the seemingly ordinary but truly valuable items.
Saint Dominic Cathedral.
The faith of Heavenly Father’s Court has a profound heritage on the God-chosen Continent, with an influence that covers the whole continent and is the mainstream belief.
Small chapels aside, any large cathedral has a long history and outstanding artistic value, and Saint Dominic Cathedral was no exception, with its white marble exterior, its immense dome, the pinnacle of rose windows, and the beautiful sculptures everywhere, the cathedral itself was priceless.
The name of Saint Dominic Cathedral originated from a saint named ’Dominic.’
This saint is recorded in theological books as devout and meritorious, who bravely stood up to fight against the Evil God of Hell to protect a city, bleeding till his last drop without falling.
Legend has it, his corpse stood with a sword, frightening the Devil enough to retreat back to Hell.
Dominic’s sacrifice earned the approval of the Heavenly Father, and angels descended to lead his soul into Heaven, transforming him into an angel in the Bible ever since.
Whether it’s true or not is hard to say, but the books do mention such a saint named Dominic.
Wayne entered the grand cathedral, marveling at the luxurious decorations.
Before he crossed over, he thought the opulence of church decoration was outrageous; the Church that ruled Europe back in the day was just too wealthy. After crossing over, the cathedrals on the God-chosen Continent were even more extraordinary, elevating the art of money-making to a whole new level.
No wonder the Windsor Royal Family wanted to suppress Heavenly Father’s Court; not just the common folk, even the surplus grains of the landlords were pocketed by The Church. With both money and fame going to them, what would the Royal Family amount to?
Trim, it must be trimmed, otherwise the Royal Family would be reduced to beggars!
Just like the base of Naturalism Church, the cathedral was filled with bureaucrats, not ordinary believers, but Holy Light Disciples who had transitioned from Mages, with almost each one of them knowing a few Holy Light Magics.
Concerning faith, it was more appropriate to call it Divine Arts.
Wayne followed behind Bishop Keith, stopping and going, and on the way, he saw many young men and women in white robes, all looking to be in their twenties, very young.
He guessed these youngsters were students from the university town, from the Theological Seminary, with a group entering the church for internships each day.
Indeed, rules were rigid, people were flexible; Faith Magic couldn’t be taught in the Theological Seminary, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be preached in the church.
"Mister Wayne, what are you looking for?"
Bishop Keith was puzzled, as Wayne’s glances appeared odd, nodding at times and shaking his head at others, making him feel as if his faith was being offended.
"Looking for a little boy."
Wayne blurted out, realizing only after speaking that the joke was too hellish and not very friendly to the clergy, he corrected himself: "What I mean is, the adorable choir boys, I heard that the church frequently organizes such gatherings..."
The more he spoke, the more it sounded wrong, Keith’s mouth twitched dryly, explaining: "Mister Wayne, a few special cases should not define the whole; every church has its deviants."
What followed was somewhat incomprehensible discussion about century-old grievances and how God would punish them, not very reassuring, which made Wayne chuckle to himself.
The dark history of the Holy See was extensive, in essence, it was about having too much power.
Unchecked power often gives rise to eccentrics and deviants, creating absurdities and monstrosities that are beyond imagination, so outrageous that one might say there is no precedent, certainly unique with no equal.
Keith was all too aware of how loathsome the Holy See’s dark history was, so much so that even he, as clergy, could hardly stand it. He quickly glossed over the topic and led Wayne to the cathedral’s storeroom.
The storeroom was situated at the rear of the cathedral in the garden, requiring Keith’s signed authorization for access. Even for his own entry into the storeroom, no exception was made, and because he brought an outsider this time, he had to sign an additional line as a guarantee.
The storeroom was divided into three sections: front, middle, and rear, based on the rarity of items, with the third section holding the most precious artifacts.
In any era, knowledge is the true priceless treasure, and only by monopolizing knowledge can the rulers boldly establish the rules of the era.