Chapter 687: The Clues Left Behind by the Pope

While the MDT’s mouth (if you could call it one) invited a punch everytime it spoke, it was undeniable that it could always wrap things up nicely. The blood curling scheme 10,000 years ago and the following apocalypse could be summed up in one word: Matricide.

The giant was probably not lying. But of course, even if was not lying, what he knew was probably not the whole truth as well. Nonetheless, that did not affect the clarity of events and there were no credible witnesses other than the guardian at this point. Hao Ren looked at scene as he found it to be an awkward yet tense atmosphere. Even though the room was silent, an invisible unrest was boiling within.

Before things exploded, Hao Ren stood up. “I know many of you can’t really believe what I just said, so if you need details, just ask. But if you want to verify the authenticity of my words, then forget about it. I’m just passing on what I know, it’s up to you to believe it or not.”

Cardinal Orben looked up, the runic tatoo on his face flickered, his voice clam. “You know what those these truth means?”

“The Goddess is dead. And for a religion, this is probably the fatal blow.” Hao Ren sighed. “I can imagine the other effects as well. Like the Cult of Origination was the true believer, the unpaid debt of sin, the creed of the church is heretical… Pffttt… If we were to go by facts alone, the heretics are in the right.”

The Cult of Origination’s beliefs were much closer to the truth than the Disciples of Glory. This was probably the biggest irony. As usual, Cardinal Orben’s expression was stiff, and it was difficult to tell what he was actually thinking. The stoic cardinal spoke, very slowly. “If the guardians were to return to exact retribution, what do we do?”

Lily rubbed her face. “Oh right. There’s this question as well… If following your creed, I guess you’ll probably need to surrender to your heads.”

If one were to stick to the creed. the brain monster and the First Born were the guardians of the Goddess, playing a role much akin to the apostles in the sacred texts. And historically, their actions against the mortal races were justified retribution. Thus the clergy found themselves in a very difficult situation. Lily pondered for a bit before letting out a deep sigh. “Why does this look like some drawn out family drama…. despite how serious the thing is.”

“It was a family drama from the begining.” Hao Ren ruffled his hair before looking at the cardinal. “I’m an outlander, so I won’t say much about your creed. But I still need to state my opinion. While the ones that abandoned the Goddess was your ancestors, but their offsprings should not carry the burden of sin. And that sane guardian too had abandoned his retribution towards you lot no? I see that as some sort of forgiveness, how you want to take that I leave it up to you. But if any of those crazed brain monsaters or First Born were to return, don’t take them as a guardian anymore. They had lost their sanity long ago.”

“Cardinal Orben. Can we take this as the truth?” A cardinal sitted by the corner rose up to ask. He was still in disbelief of the news the outlander brought. His reaction was understandable and he was not alone. Everyone present would not so simply take Hao Ren’s words at face value and a few of the cardinals rose as well, to either question Hao Ren, or to state their views. But from their questions, Hao Ren knew that the seeds of doubt had been planted with in them.

Hao Ren managed to answer a few questions before Cardinal Orben motioned for the meaningless argument to cease. “Enough. This sort of argument is a waste of time. Outsiders, I believe that you do not need to lie to us. But I have a question. If as you said, the Goddess is dead. Then whose voice is it that our believers hears in our meditation?”

Hao Ren recoiled slightly. This question was bound to be asked!

After his conversation with the giant he did thought of this. The reason that the Disciples of Glory could spread across the world and become the dominant pillar of faith for all civilisations there was not because of their missionaries, but because they have real divine powers. The faithful could communicate with a higher being akin to the Goddess in their meditations, and they could obtain an inexplicable, almost supernatural powers from prayer and faith alone. Some of the higher clergies too had managed to obtain knowledge beyond this planet’s era, and the application of the knowledge made the Disciples of Glroy not only a religious organisation, it also became the world’s foremost industrial power. This sort of advancement is not something mere words and spells could conjure.

So if the Goddess is dead, where does this ‘gifts and blessings’ came from?

“The death of a real God is different from humans.” Hao Ren rubbed his chin as he tried his best to explain the death of a god. “A real god affects the rules and laws of the universe and their death is enough to affect the basic functioning laws of the universe. These ‘echoes’ that had responded to you is probably not the Goddess herself, but probably a shred of her powers, her will that remained after her death. That aside, since the founding of the Disciples of Glory, no one could hear her voice clearly right?”

As he said that he looked at Big Beardy. Whilst the rest might not understand it. This ascetic had met Raven12345 in person and he knew what is like when a real God responds to the prayers of a faithful… While.. while their methods may differ, the clarity is at least guaranteed.

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Big Beardy nodded towards Cardinal Orben. The latter, seeing that even the most pious of ascetics was in agreement, demurred. “Perhaps so.”

“Can an unbeliever understand what it means to have faith in the Goddess?” A cardinal asked as he threw a still-suspicious look at Hao Ren. There was no ill-intentions, but a question someone who was in the clergy is bound to ask.

Hao Ren wanted to bring out the fact that he was a proper Pope himself to see who is actually the real clergy, but Raven12345 antics immediately flashed across his mind and he nipped the idea at its bud and stay silent…

He just could not bring himself to say “I too am a believer of a great Goddess” with a straight face. Not even the dogs would believe him.

But what was not expected was that Cardinal Orben actually spoke for him. “I believe that the information the outlanders had brought is reliable.”

A few cardinals immediately protested but Cardinal Orben waved them off with authority. “By the creed, in the event of the Pope’s martyrdom, I will take over as an interim. So the arguments of this matter stops here. I will explain the situation later. But before that, outlanders, can you follow me?”

Hao Ren did not know what business the cardinal had with him, but he knoew that based on the cardinal’s personality, he was not the type to look for someone for nothing. So he rose, “Alright, so, just me or all of us?”

Cardinal Orben looked at Hao Ren and his crew before nodding. “Come.”

Hao Ren and the rest left the hall with the cardinal, not knowing what to expect, leaving the generals, ministers and other cardinals looking at each other. After a veil of silence descended for a moment, Prince Hoffman turned towards Marshal Ophra. “So, do we continue?”

Ophra, looking totally exhausted, laid back on the chair as she waved him off. “Lets not talk about what was going on before, and see what we can do about the public announcement. This will take a good while doesn’t it…. I really regret smashing that table apart.”

Prince Hoffman was dumbfounded. “Ah?”

“I want to find a place to lie down.” Ophra messaged her temple. “Or you guys can continue while I look for a place to play dead.”

“Marshall, please be serious!”

At the same time, Hao Ren and the rest had left the hall with Cardinal Orben and were going along a dark path towards the inner sanctum of the floating fortress.

They came before a simple, dark room.

“This is…” Nangong Wuyue looked about before noticing the religious symbols of the Disciples of Glory hanging on the world. “A prayer room?”

“The Pope was here all these while mediating before his martyrdom.” Cardinal Orben nodded as he lead them into the room. Pointing towards the sacred portrait in the middle of the room. “He was facing the portrait meditating for a few hours.”

Hao Ren immediately realisedsomething. “What did he left behind?”