"Do you know what you've done...?"

Before Paul could finish speaking, Todd jumped off the carriage, rushed to the priest, and hugged him tightly.

This move took everyone by surprise!

Some people even rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

Under the watchful eyes of the church members, Todd, his face filled with emotion, stretched out his trembling hands to the sky: "Praise be to the Father! I shout for joy to the Lord!"

Turning around, the monks arrived at the church gate of the camp. Ignoring the mud beneath them, they knelt before the cross atop the building and cried out, "Father! Your people, who have endured hardship and struggle, overcome worldly evils, and strived for heavenly glory, have finally returned to your side!"

"Todd!"

Paul loudly rebuked the kneeling men, his words sharp and cutting: "Stop your hypocritical act! You have started a war without authorization, causing unnecessary losses to the believers in the church!"

Todd stood up, turned around, and his face was full of surprise: "Selfish desires? Unnecessary losses?! Father Paul, do you know what you're talking about?"

The priest adjusted his sleeves, raised his chin, and his grim face revealed a vengeful satisfaction: "You deceived the brothers of the church, letting these children of God die meaninglessly for your own greed..."

"Shut up!" Todd's roar startled everyone present. His face was flushed, his lips trembled with anger, and his voice became distorted: "Father Paul, you can insult my character, but how can you so wantonly tarnish the honor of the dead? Faithful warriors faced enemies many times their number, yet they did not retreat, fighting to the death! With their lives, they upheld their sacred oath and defended their devout beliefs!"

Paul's anger flared as he listened to the other man's words: "Nonsense! You incited those men to their deaths! The enemy was only sixteen pirates, yet you lost twenty-seven! Incompetent! Shameful!"

Upon hearing this, the leader of the cult angrily threw his wine cup into the dirt and led his men away from the camp square. Several knights glared at each other angrily; one tried to draw his longsword, but was fortunately stopped by his squire in time.

Seeing the reactions of those around him, Todd quickly changed the subject: "Father, you don't understand the significance of this battle."

Paul laughed angrily: "Oh? Then tell me, what's the point of this battle?!"

"This is a holy war."

"joke!"

Ignoring the sneers behind his back, Todd walked towards the carriage and called for the gatekeeper to come and help him.

The monk gently placed the wooden crate on the ground and waved to everyone in the square, signaling them to gather around.

When the first wooden crate was pried open, it was as if a string had suddenly snapped in everyone's mind, and they all suddenly lost the ability to think.

It is neither as tacky as gold coins nor as rugged as pearls.

The beauty of these glass pieces inside the wooden box is not something that was born; it is a combination of fire and earth, a beauty that emanates from within and touches the heart.

Todd picked up a glass and held it up to the sun. It shone even brighter and more captivating in the sunlight.

Someone looked from one end of the glass to the other, and the person on the other side was clearly visible, without a single impurity or flaw.

"Priceless treasure!"

"Perfect crystal!"

Someone looked at the cup in the light and suddenly made a new discovery: "Look! There are words on the cup!"

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly moved closer, squinted their eyes, and carefully saw a line of small characters written by Gu Tailuo.

"Those who believe in me do not believe in me, but in the one who sent me."

A believer familiar with the sacred texts said first, "This sentence comes from the Gospel of the Saints, and it means 'To believe in the Son is to believe in the Father!'"

Someone else said, "The Gospel of the Saints was completed by the priest Edomah in 529 AD and written in Catholic script (Latin), so why is it inscribed here in Old Thai script?"

"Fellow believer Todd, where did you find these crystals?"

The monk lowered his head, his tone tinged with a mix of sighing and reminiscence: "On a remote island in the north."

Those who had heard some rumors and gossip began to whisper among themselves, but were quickly stunned by what Todd said next.

"The Father is the exalted God, the King who surpasses all gods. The earth and the abyss are in His hands, and the mountains and peaks are His creations." The monk pointed to the glass in the box: "These are no exception; they all belong to the Father!"

Someone stammered, asking uncertainly, "Fellow believer Todd, you mean...?"

"I am willing to donate all these crystals to the church!"

Todd's face was full of piety, and the sunlight above his head made him look as if he were wearing a halo.

"God Father above!"

"We praise your good deed!"

"You are the most faithful servant I have ever seen under the rule of the Holy Spirit!"

The monk gestured to stop the crowd's praise, and then said, "But I wish to have control over two chests of the property on this carriage."

Um?

Some people are confused: Didn't you just say that the whole thing was to be donated to the church? Why are you suddenly taking two boxes?

Some shady characters even secretly thought that, after all, it was a priceless treasure, and wanting a share was only human nature.

To everyone's surprise, Todd looked at the priests in the crowd who had agreed to lend troops: "Those kind and decisive people, without their initial agreement to lend troops, the holy war, the treasure, and everything else would have been impossible. They deserve the first reward."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!