"God teaches us that saints are our forerunners and our guardians. They shielded us from the wind and rain and created light with their blood."
"God's apostles are powerful. Demons are not always demons, and humans are not always our allies. Only by following God can we escape from suffering."
"Do not look at the world with your eyes, but use your heart to feel good and evil."
...
The solemn and gentle voice echoed through the church, drawing the congregation into focus. The Pope was preaching, occasionally elaborating on specific phrases. With the weight of his identity, his words seemed to carry immense authority, guiding the people to deep contemplation, as if everything they thought was correct. His words were so compelling that no matter how rigorous the thinking, no one could find any flaws in his arguments.
There was something in the air, a presence called "faith," which seemed to make the soul resonate. Even non-believers who had come merely out of curiosity suddenly became serious, as though they were struck by a profound, inexplicable feeling.
Ryan, too, was deeply focused, even more so than Aponia beside him. His mind was practically split in two.
Half of his brain focused on maintaining his authority, carefully scanning the entire cathedral, filtering through the people and objects like a supercomputer. With so much data to process, his brain felt slightly overloaded.
The other half of his mind was racing, analyzing the clues he had gathered.
This cathedral was an ancient monument. Could it possibly house some powerful holy relics?
Impossible. This world wasn't magical—where could there be holy relics? If any remnants from the last era really existed, the Fire Moth would have already taken them for research. Even if there were special supplies, they wouldn't have been preserved. Ancient magical weapons would be useless by modern standards.
Ryan almost controlled the research department, and he had never heard of the Cross Church being related to the collapse. If there were any lost technologies, they would've been dismantled and studied long ago.
So, it must be a facility for researching the honkai energy. That's interesting. Not to mention the research department's lack of relevant information—no sane person would put research facilities under a church, right? What could be the purpose?
Safety? This is the center of Rome. If anything went wrong, it would be a huge scandal. How could politicians who were so protective of their image risk such a thing?
You have to remember, science and theology have always been enemies. When Mei was studying imaginary space, these charlatans tried to twist the collapse into a divine punishment.
That's a secret. Yes, if I hadn't been guided by Pardo's luck, I would never have come to the church, let alone listened to it and used my authority to investigate.
It's too coincidental. Logically, Ryan couldn't connect himself to this. He could only blame Pardo for the situation for now. Thinking of this, he felt a mix of relief and intrigue.
'Could it also be connected to Aponia's painting? But why bypass the research department's review and keep this absolutely confidential?'
Ryan raised his head and looked at the Pope on stage. He didn't know when the Pope had finished speaking and was now reaching into a golden bottle to sprinkle drops of water.
The holy water blessing was a supreme ritual. It was said that anyone who was sprinkled with holy water would be freed from disasters and pain. But the most terrifying part was that not a single believer left their seat.
They sat silently, chanting obscure scriptures. With the choir on stage, they concentrated their "faith" into a powerful force that even shook atheists in the room.
Faith... yes, it is faith.
Ryan narrowed his eyes. He already had the answer. He watched as the Pope moved through the aisle surrounded by people, sprinkling the cool water droplets over their heads. Their eyes briefly met.
The old man's expression showed mild surprise—after all, few people dared look directly at him—but soon softened into kindness. He even nodded gently.
There was no outward issue, but charlatans were the best at acting.
Ryan wiped the water droplets from his forehead. He was sure that the Pope had no reaction to the collapse. What's more, he was equally certain the Pope was involved in it because the underground space beneath the church was vast and complex, and only certain people could control such a thing.
"What's wrong with you?" Aponia's voice interrupted his thoughts. Ryan turned to her, and she still had that compassionate expression, more genuine than the Pope's.
"The leader of your Christian church walked by, why aren't you excited?"
"What do you mean by 'leader'? Sounds like you're chasing a star." Aponia couldn't help laughing, then shook her head seriously. "I believe in God, not him. The so-called Pope is just a spokesperson, and I don't know where he gets his authority from."
Ah, she's a fundamentalist.
Ryan wasn't surprised. He suspected Aponia didn't believe in 'God' at all, but rather in fate itself. So, he stood up calmly.
The investigation had been completed for the most part. The underground area was huge and complex. No abnormalities had been detected so far, but further investigation was still required.
"Did you have a good time today?"
"Yeah, I haven't relaxed in a long time. This was something I've wanted to do. I always dreamed of visiting when I was in Sundown Alley."
"Are you satisfied?"
"No, I don't feel satisfied. I just wanted to see it."
Aponia looked happy but also a little disappointed. Ryan wasn't sure what she was thinking, but after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Then you go back first. By now, Kalpas is almost at his limit."
"Do you have something to do?"
"Some small things. Don't worry about me. By the way, remember to cook dinner. I'll be back to eat later."
At first, Aponia hesitated. But after hearing the last sentence, she bowed with reassurance and turned to leave.
"Wait a minute." Ryan stopped her and asked curiously, "You're so straightforward. Aren't you afraid I'll tear down the residence of the Cross' spokesperson?"
The nun was slightly startled. She hadn't expected Ryan to ask such a tricky question. But she quickly chuckled again.
"To me, you are the real spokesperson."
She left with a graceful back, and Ryan watched her for a long time before scratching his nose.
After staying with a dead duck for so long, he wasn't used to Aponia's straightforwardness. She didn't hide it at all—she clearly said, "I need you."
Not bad, at least I don't have to guess.
Ryan sighed in relief. He thought Aponia had faith, but it was a twisted kind of faith. It seemed like she believed in something beyond God.
"It's good she's not just another charlatan. Otherwise, this would get a bit annoying."
Ryan didn't dwell on it. He looked around to make sure there were no cameras, then blended into the air and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Ah, physicists come here to explore theology.
...
Aponia walked out of the church, and the evening sun bathed her face in golden light. Even the nuns and priests passing by couldn't help but look at her with surprise.
She looked like a painting standing at the church doors, blending with St. George's Cathedral. Her presence was more impactful than the Pope's.
Her face exuded a kind of sacred enthusiasm, and her eyes, filled with love, scanned the crowd, eventually resting on the sunset.
Just like these people, she once dreamed of coming here for pilgrimage, but after too many failed struggles, Aponia suddenly realized that this piety was meaningless. No matter how much she prayed, she never got a response.
The Pope is fake. The scriptures are fake. Perhaps even God is fake. The only real thing in this world is the devil, and the cruel, unyielding fate. The feeling of foreboding, knowing someone will die but being powerless to stop it—this was like a curse.
'Only God can change fate, and all humans can do is struggle. Just when I was becoming increasingly pessimistic, the real apostle came to me and made me realize that the future can truly be changed.'
Aponia descended the steps, her chest bouncing with each step. No one dared to look at her with lustful eyes; instead, they turned away, as though looking for too long would be blasphemous.
Ding-ding-
The nun, walking toward the edge of the square, turned her head and saw the giant bell swaying. The magnificent St. George's Cathedral was dyed in gold, white doves flew overhead, and believers flowed like a tide.
The picturesque scene was reflected in her azure eyes, but there was no surprise. It was as if she was simply observing an ordinary building.
"Compared to you, this is just a pile of stone houses with no miracles."
Her tone was like a proverb, leaving the onlookers confused. They tried to understand what she had said, but by the time they realized, she had already disappeared from the square.
Aponia didn't seek to uncover secrets. She wouldn't ask questions. She just wanted to open her eyes and let the stubborn images disappear in the hands of the man.