The cathedral was in chaos.
An enthusiastic passerby helped call the police, and a bunch of officers arrived at the door.
Bishop Keith was so anxious he was hopping around, too preoccupied to deal with the police, so he had several clergy members block them at the entrance, actively cooperating, but resolutely refusing them entry.
The reason given was science; the church was conducting a chemistry experiment involving phosphorus, and there were no casualties.
The police had strange expressions, no surprise since the clergymen were pale, unsteady on their feet, wobbling, and occasionally clutching their throats to retch.
The clergy’s odd behavior, coupled with the describer’s account of the chaos, with walls being torn down and explosions, couldn’t help but lead the officers’ imaginations to run wild.
Perhaps, just maybe, there had been a silver party going on inside.
"You damn clergy, starting the Renaissance, have you!"
The officers muttered among themselves and left, warning before they did to avoid disturbing the peace, and if there were a next time, the person in charge better come to the police station to explain.
Inside the cathedral, mainly in the storage area.
Bishop Keith looked at the section of the second and third areas where theft had occurred, tears clouding his eyes as he wept like a child.
Wayne comforted him by saying, "What’s old must go for the new to come, look forward in life, always wallowing in past glories won’t help the Holy See progress."
Hearing reasonable words, Keith almost believed them.
Recalling the scene before he fell unconscious, Keith’s eyes darkened, and he spat through clenched teeth, "Pastor Wayne, did you really wake me up right after defeating the enemy?"
"Absolutely, I swear it on the Goddess’s name!" Wayne replied seriously, then with displeasure, added, "Bishop Keith, regardless, I am the one who defeated the Devil’s servant and woke you from the nightmare—that is a fact. Before questioning me, you should be thanking me."
Keith’s eyelid twitched, about to reply, but Wayne interjected, "As a bishop, you failed to maintain the dignity of your faith, letting the Devil’s minions enter and leave the cathedral freely. With Jianhe County fallen and the Theological Seminary also compromised, as the highest official, your guilt is profound."
Keith’s heart skipped, his face filled with bitterness. Although he didn’t want to admit it, Wayne was right; he had an inescapable responsibility and had to own up to the entire situation.
"Fortunately, it’s not too grave. You resisted the Devil’s temptation at the last moment."
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Wayne whispered in Keith’s ear, "Remember, when I was locked in fierce battle, it was you who stood up and joined me to eliminate the Devil’s minion."
"Did, did that happen?" Keith’s voice trembled, unable to recall any of it.
"Of course, we’re just acquaintances, merely friends, not close kin; if there were no benefit, why would I share the glory with you, right?" Wayne coldly stated.
Keith shivered, stuttering, "But, but..."
"There are no ’buts’ about it. You, Bishop Keith of Saint Dominic Cathedral, it was you who stood up at the last moment to defeat the Devil’s servant, preserving the Holy See’s sacred dignity and preventing God’s light from being tarnished!"
"Not me, an outsider, a passing Naturalism Church Pastor!!" Wayne exclaimed sharply, his words reverberating powerfully, completely realigning Keith’s wavering convictions.
Indeed, he must have that honor, for, if not, a severe punishment would be minor compared to the damage to the Church’s authority.
"Mister Wayne, you’re right, it’s coming back to me now, everything happened just as you said." Keith clutched his heart, only wishing to repent before the Crucifix as quickly as possible.
Father, I have fallen!
"That’s more like it."
Wayne patted Keith’s shoulder. "You’re an outstanding bishop, bearing all the burdens alone to protect the dignity of the Church. Believe me, truly, you are a hero."
You might as well be a Devil!
With his spirit nearly broken, Keith managed a dry "Thank you" after a long silence.
"No need for thanks, it’s all for the sake of justice," Wayne said, nodding and then continued, "Now that we’ve finished with the glory, let’s talk business. As we agreed, the Devil’s minions are yours to claim, and the Holy Grail is mine. No issue, right?"
He reached out for his dues without any sense of guilt; not being close meant there was no goodwill to bank on, only money to talk about.
"No, no problem, but I need to inspect the Blasphemer’s body." Keith felt he was forgetting something important, quickly stepping up to the charred body; headless, pitch-black, it was very stable, and even under severe torture, it would reveal nothing.
It was the same with the widespread severed heads, unable to provide any intelligence even if pieced back together.
A clergy member hurried to the warehouse, his face grim, and reported the situation to Keith in a low voice.
The imprisoned culprits had vanished, and the statue of the Evil God had disappeared as well, gone without a trace.
Keith’s pupils shrank sharply, ignoring Wayne beside him, he hastened to the wall and used his magic to open the gate to the fourth area.
All the treasured items were intact, undisturbed, with the Holy Knight’s Sword, Holy Grail, and Bible all accounted for; even the chest containing the Holy Shroud was properly placed.
The damaged Evil Instrument too was neatly arranged on the shelf.
Keith made the sign of the Crucifix and breathed a sigh of relief, beginning to inspect each holy and evil artifact.
Wayne followed Keith, looking over the dazzling array of jewels and stones, and shook his head silently, noting that the Devil’s minions had not reached the core, only swept away the peripheral worldly treasures, sparing the true valuables.
After finishing his inspection, Bishop Keith held the Holy Grail, touched it with a smile, and put it back in its place; he then took down the wooden box containing the Holy Shroud and slowly slid it open.