Free Web NovelChapter 1546: Chapter 1540: The Crux of the Story
The nun who came to call Ronald out was named Afra.
The two chatted briefly, and Ronald used the opportunity to probe for information, confirming the situation in Saint City.
He then tidied up a bit.
The two left the small house directly.
The secluded convent was but a corner of Saint City, yet when it went from empty silence to activity, it took on a vastly different appearance.
This district was solemn and quiet.
The few people visible on the streets walked slowly but with firm expressions. Even acquaintances rarely spoke, merely nodding to each other, displaying the solemn and austere atmosphere of the convent.
At this moment, the bell rang.
Ronald looked towards the sound and saw it was the bell tower in the distance.
Each district of Saint City had a bell tower, which rang the corresponding number of times every hour to inform the people of the current time.
A few minutes later, Ronald followed the young nun down the street back to the plaza of the convent.
This was the convergence point of all the roads in the convent.
Unlike in later sealed-off eras, this place was lively, being the hub of the roads, and had a touch of life to it.
As soon as he walked out of the alley, Ronald saw priests in black pushing a wheelbarrow, transporting a black stone tablet from another district.
They removed a slab of the plaza flooring and replaced it with the newly transported stone tablet.
Upon closer inspection, he could almost make out the inscriptions on the tablet...
"Lili, what are you looking at?"
The nearby young nun noticed Ronald stopping and quickly came over:
"Oh, it’s this!"
"It’s Mr. Matthew, who passed away last week. To show his pious faith, he bequeathed a large sum of money in his will, hoping his tombstone could be embedded in the plaza of the convent." freeweɓnøvel.com
After explaining, the young nun Afra expressed some emotion:
"It seems he was lucky."
"The plaza of the convent undergoes repairs only a few times a year, and he managed to get such an opportunity."
Ronald nodded understandingly, acting as if he just realized that.
They bypassed the priests changing the flooring and, led by the young nun, turned into another alley.
This time, they only walked for a few minutes.
Not far from the plaza.
They arrived at the entrance of a larger courtyard.
The young nun Afra stepped up to knock on the door, and after a few low exchanges with the monk who opened the door, they entered smoothly without much inspection.
Unlike other courtyards used by monks for living quarters,
within these walls was an open-air area reminiscent of an altar. Young and old monks alike sat in rings around the center, where a middle-aged man with a kind smile stood at a lectern.
Whenever someone entered the courtyard,
he would smile at the newcomers in welcome.
The entrants also nodded in acknowledgment, including Ronald and the young nun naturally.
In this process, Ronald’s gaze met that of the man.
With just one look, he could feel the man’s uniqueness.
This was not because he sensed the man possessed some powerful original text, but because he could gauge the information from just his gaze.
Confident demeanor, composed gaze, methodical movements.
Such expressions of information were hard to feign.
Ronald almost instinctively had a thought.
Could he use this man to deal with other Casters involved in the trial of the "Nine Commandments Secret Meeting"?
...
In the quiet atmosphere, time passed.
About fifteen minutes later, most of the seats in the courtyard were occupied.
During this time, no one whispered, and the entire area maintained its quiet and solemn ambiance.
Clap—
At this moment, the courtyard door was closed from the inside.
It seemed to signal the start of a speech.
The middle-aged man standing behind the central lectern began to speak just as the door shut, his voice gentle and prolonged:
"Good morning, everyone.
As you may know, yesterday the Church Priest and Holy Priest returned to the convent to prepare for the selection of the next priest candidate.
The two esteemed priests also shared some thoughts with us.
After much consideration, I feel there’s a story I should share with you all."
At this point, the middle-aged man paused for a moment, sweeping his gaze over the crowd.
After seemingly confirming something, he began to tell the story:
"Legend has it that a thousand years ago, a family lived by herding sheep.
They were hard-working, honest, treated others kindly, and possessed the spirit of endurance.
Thus, under generations of careful tending and management, their flock naturally prospered, and they lived prosperously and happily as a result.
One day, a neighbor family who also lived by herding sheep moved in next door.
Since then, the peaceful and tranquil life was no more. This family quarreled with the neighbors, competing for territory for their flock.
After prolonged confrontation, the family finally emerged victorious.
Compared to the past, their flock had grown larger.
Yet the family did not lead a better life; instead, they were more worn out, as if they were the ones being shepherded by the lambs."
With the story at this point, the middle-aged man stopped speaking, taking up a cup of water to moisten his throat.
The people seated around began discussing among themselves.
At first, Ronald thought it was an analogy for the conflict between the church and the Wizards.
But as he listened earnestly to the discussions of the other priests, he realized his view of this era was somewhat arrogant and outdated.
The story told by the priest did not focus on the conflict.
Rather, it focused on the change in the relationship between the Shepherd family and their flock. freewebnøvel.com
For centuries, the church had undergone various stages of conflict with the Wizards, and now had finally captured the dawn of victory.
Yet, in the process, certain issues, or rather changes, had inevitably arisen. The upper echelons of the church had noticed and placed importance on these changes.
Although they did not discuss it explicitly,
they acknowledged and contemplated the significance of these changes in a relatively indirect manner.
In past times, Casters in the church were always human, with human attributes and status undeniable, while spells were simply tools, a path to affirming faith.
But with ongoing conflict with the heretical Wizards,
the balance between humans and spells, and the original text, was changing.
To achieve victory in battle, the research and application of spells had been constantly inclined. Over a century, the past relationship between humans and spells had dissipated.
The power of spells continually increased.
Because of this, people fervently researched, and possessing powerful spell power had become a prerequisite for securing a position in the church.
For the pious believers of the past, this had become the greatest blasphemy.
After all, spells came from the original text, not from God.
In the past, people viewed spells as tools; regardless, humans were central, and spells were auxiliary.
— Humans change while spells do not.
Yet excessive conflict inverted the cause and effect.
Spells became the primary force, unchanging and eternal, while church members almost became vassals to spells.
— Spells change while humans do not.
Although the adverse effects of this change are not yet visible,
in the eyes of thoughtful church members,
adhering to this trend, unchanging and outdated things will eventually be eliminated, leading to a result none wish to see.
The originally serene courtyard, amidst the tranquility, rarely stirred into an uproar.
As monks of the convent, unraveling this predicament was their innate mission.
This scene was etched in Ronald’s eyes.
He couldn’t help but be drawn into this clash of thoughts.
The consideration of the relationship between humans and spells bore striking resemblance to the alienation of Capitalism.
In contrast, outside the sealed-off world,
in a reality increasingly pursuing efficiency and craftsmanship, no one seemed to discuss this issue yet.
Perhaps in "Entrode," that new nation with the original text of Capitalism, they would also begin to acknowledge such changes?
Ronald felt a pang of emotion in his heart.
With just this story and the priests’ discussions, he felt entering the temple trial was not in vain.
Even as far as dealing with those few Casters in the "Nine Commandments Secret Meeting,"
they seemed to have become unimportant branches and details.
Just at this moment, as discussions within the courtyard continued for a quarter of an hour, the young nun Afra extended another invitation to Ronald:
"Lili, it’s about over here."
"The timing is just right; shall we go to the church for morning prayer together?"
