The Papal States, Tero, the capital city, the ceremonial hall of the bishop.

"Kerren VI of the Byron Kingdom announced last week that he was leaving the Church of God and converting to Protestantism."

An elderly cardinal, his face gaunt and haggard, looked at his colleagues at the table and said slowly and heavily, "This is the ninth king in nearly a month to renounce his membership in the Church of God..."

Bishop Jacob, with his hawk-like face, slammed his fist on the table and coldly declared, "The majesty of the Father is inviolable! These apostates must be made to repent in the flames!"

Some questioned, "Make them repent?! How? The Church's army has been severely weakened since the Battle of Holy City and hasn't recovered to this day. Without an army, how will we capture those apostates?!"

Someone else sighed, "It's not just the military; even the believers within the Papal States are in a state of panic... Crown Prince Paget of the Papal States' secular royal family even stated in public a few days ago that he wanted a Protestant elder to officiate at his wedding."

The elderly cardinal who had spoken first glanced at the bishops who were discussing amongst themselves, then turned his gaze to the old man beside him: "Abel, what do you think?"

The cardinal whose name was called simply frowned and remained silent.

“Abel, I understand how you feel. Three years ago, Pope Alexander made a grave mistake. He not only labeled you a heretic, but also personally ordered the burning of your most prized disciple, Tristan… It was a disaster, a nightmare.”

Abel said calmly, his face as still as water, “Bishop Arnold, I understand all of this. The Father gives the cruelest test to His devout believers, and we should accept it willingly and without resentment.”

Bishop Arnold shook his head and sighed almost imperceptibly: "No matter how terrible the past may have been, we are all servants of the Father, and we have the responsibility and obligation to ensure the Church's unshakeable position in people's hearts. And now, the Father needs his servants to remove evil, and we need your wisdom to uphold the Church."

Abel did not respond to Arnold's words, but instead asked, "Do you know why Protestantism has been able to attract countless believers in just a few years?"

Some people say, "The folly and ignorance of the world!"

Someone else said, "The threat and coercion of the Protestant army!"

Jacob, his face contorted with hostility, stared into Abel's eyes and said with a sneer, "You wouldn't be suggesting it's because of tithes and indulgences, would you?"

Abel smiled and said, "It's because of the Kingdom of Heaven."

Upon hearing Abel's words, the bishops present exclaimed in surprise.

"Heaven?!"

"That heavenly kingdom that people call the place of judgment, the stairway to heaven?"

"It is said that anyone who touches a pillar can have their soul enter heaven and visit it freely."

"I've heard that there are angels there who are in charge of judging the souls of the dead!"

...

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Bishop Jacob, unable to bear it any longer, slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "What Kingdom of Heaven?! What Judgment?! Those are nothing but Protestant tricks to fool peasant women and fools!"

Looking at the furious Jacob, Abel said calmly, "If only the common people were deceived, that would be one thing, but those well-informed kings and scholars, after visiting the Kingdom of Heaven, also asked to convert to Protestantism. Are they also fools?"

“Those people are a bunch of heretics with wavering faith!” Jacob roared, waving his arms and his face flushed. “They can’t see through the devil’s tricks because they are not pious! They are not faithful!”

Arnold waved his hand to interrupt Jacob's shouting and asked Abel, "What are your thoughts on the Protestant concept of the Kingdom of Heaven?"

Abel replied, “Without firsthand experience, one has no right to speak. I want to go to Twilight City and witness for myself the so-called Kingdom of Heaven that the Protestants talk about.”

"We can't let him go!" Jacob pointed at Abel, shouting angrily, "His relationship with Muxi City..."

"Shut up!"

Bishop Arnold's roar startled Jacob, who froze on the spot.

Because of his earlier anger, the elderly Arnold coughed loudly. His face showed fatigue and pain. He pounded his chest and said, "Abel, if the Protestant Kingdom is a hoax, how confident are you that you can expose them?"

“I have traveled the continent, studied alchemy, and even encountered the science of truth at the Royal Academy,” Abel nodded and said. “It can be said that no one in the entire church knows those tricks better than me.”

Arnold nodded vigorously: "Alright, I'll arrange a carriage to take you to Muxi City as soon as possible..."

“There’s an even better way to deal with those Protestant heretics!” Jacob, his anger barely contained, glared at Abel with murderous eyes: “Let those demons taste the flames of hell!”

Arnold had a bad feeling: "What are you talking about?!"

Jacob spread his hands and said, "I have organized the church's financial institutions to purchase a large quantity of weapons from the Southern Empire..."

Arnold's eyes widened, and he roared, "Who gave you the right to use church assets?! Moreover, as a believer of God the Father, how dare you collude with those infidels in the South?!"

Jacob raised his head and said passionately, "It is the duty of us servants to eradicate evil and bring peace to the Lord's rule. As for the means or tools used, they are not important!"

Arnold struggled to his feet: "You audacious madman! This is betrayal..."

Before the old man could finish speaking, he was suddenly surprised to find that several more cardinals had stood up from their seats and walked to Jacob's side.

"What are you doing?!"

In response to Arnold's accusations, a cardinal standing next to Jacob said in a deep voice, "The Church is at a critical juncture of life and death. To cling to doctrine and scripture is tantamount to courting death. The only way for the Church of God to continue is to use all possible means to strike at Protestantism."

Another bishop added, “As long as our purpose is pure and our desire is good, even if our methods are somewhat radical, the Lord will forgive us!”

Jacob glanced at Arnold, who was trembling with rage, and then at the other stunned church members, and shouted: "From this day forward, those who dream of using weakness and compromise to prolong their lives may remain here and watch those Protestant devils slowly erode the glory of the Lord; those brave believers who have the courage to sacrifice and make sacrifices, please stand with us, raise the weapons in our hands, and fight together to defend God!"

After saying this, Jacob, along with a group of bishops, stepped out of the ceremonial hall without looking back.