Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Dinner.
Su Cheng almost choked, "...That's not the case. I was just joking. No need to take it so seriously."
She had been pondering the pros and cons of joining the Holy See, and after some deliberation, she decided to continue her current status for the time being.
"Your Majesty the God of Light is a benevolent deity who blesses all living things and benefits all things. I also admire him with all my heart..."
Although he is the villain in the original novel, at this stage, the God of Light is playing this kind of role.
Even among the clergy in the Vatican, few knew her true identity.
Apart from her harsh attitude towards the Dark God, she is a kind and benevolent deity in other aspects.
And this is not contradictory.
The Church of the God of Light may not be pure and spotless, but the many religious sects of the God of Darkness and his followers do indeed commit many horrific evil deeds.
- Various bloody and cruel rituals caused countless people to commit self-harm or go crazy, and entire villages or even cities were often sacrificed.
Therefore, the more the God of Light strikes against the forces of the God of Darkness, the more it demonstrates that she cherishes human life.
Su Cheng struggled to form his words. "But my plan for the future is to concentrate on studying magic. I might not have the energy to do anything else..."
This is a polite refusal.
The Vatican's methods of purging heretics are harsh, but it will not force others to join.
According to the rules that have been passed down for thousands of years, if believers want to become clergy, they must undergo baptism of holy light.
This ceremony is to test sincerity. If it is not done with sincerity, you will not pass at all.
It is true that there are some spies who have gotten away with it through self-hypnosis and other means, but that is another matter.
"I understand," the Archbishop nodded. "Then, the second thing. I was going to say, if you're interested, you can go to the Holy City and learn how to use the power of the gods as a favored one—"
Su Cheng: “!”
"—The Seven Gods of Glory select their followers every year. If a qualified individual emerges, he or she will be summoned to the Holy City for training. Followers of other gods can also participate."
Su Cheng understood.
There are many ways for those favored by gods to use the power of gods, and in principle they must comprehend and explore it on their own.
The Vatican's thousands of years of heritage have probably already summarized various routines that allow people to master the corresponding power more quickly and use it in combat or various dangerous environments.
However, some main gods may not be able to choose a follower for several years.
But the Seven Gods of Glory are different. They were originally the thugs of the God of Light, and choosing a consort in the human world was probably a fixed task, similar to regularly supplying combat power to the Holy See.
Judging from the words of the Archbishop, the selection ceremony is probably held every year, but it is not necessarily possible to select the true one favored by God every year.
...It has been proven that the target himself must show certain characteristics, otherwise the gods will not be able to choose him.
But in any case, the Holy See has also set up relevant courses, open to those who become followers.
——A training course limited to those favored by God!
Su Cheng became interested again.
The power of those favored by God obviously has many uses, otherwise the Church would not have set up special classes to teach it.
Just like what the examiner said before, the favored ones of the God of Contract can bless certain papers.
Obviously, even if other people got hold of this paper and wrote the terms of the agreement on it, it would produce a restraining effect with divine power.
Su Cheng couldn't help but be moved.
She just didn't know how to perform this "blessing".
Su Cheng: "...Is this training class only for people within the Vatican?"
The Archbishop looked at her with a hint of ridicule, "I thought you wanted to concentrate on studying magic."
Su Cheng was speechless.
That was just her excuse for not wanting to join the Vatican.
To be honest, the power of the one favored by God is naturally more useful - otherwise, how many years would it take for her to practice before she could defeat a master like Elder Li?
But strictly speaking, she didn't do that.
Su Cheng: "...I'm just asking. Besides, I'm always curious about all kinds of unknown powers."
Zhan En pondered for a moment, "You know that after becoming a clergyman, you can also learn the sacred arts of light power, right? Or is it just that this happens to be something you are not curious about?"
Su Cheng was speechless again.
"Sorry," he didn't wait for her response before continuing softly, "It was just a joke."
Su Cheng: “?”
Who would believe that!
You are just mocking me!
However, the other party still looked gentle and kind, and she couldn't say anything back, "...You really know how to talk."
On second thought, I felt a little strange.
——Archbishops were all promoted from bishops. They had preached and blessed the common people and spread the gospel of the God of Light, both to spread the influence of the Holy See and to recruit more believers. This was one of their jobs.
Regardless of their personalities, these people can appear gentle, kind and approachable on the surface.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be the spokesperson for the merciful God.
Logically speaking, unless he wanted to bring her to justice or force her to join the Holy See, there was no need for him to mock her and make her feel embarrassed.
If everyone knows it, why not just let it go? Why expose it?
This kind of bad taste always seems to be unlike his personality.
Su Cheng vaguely sensed something was wrong, but before he could think about it, the other party spoke again.
"I almost forgot to answer your question," the Archbishop said belatedly. "If you're wondering if the course is only open to members of the Vatican, that's not the case. Anyone recommended by God's favor can participate."
Su Cheng blinked. "Except for those favored by the Dark God, can everyone else be recommended?"
Zhan En glanced at her with a smile, "Of course they are excluded first. Secondly, they must be trustworthy to get a letter of recommendation."
"So I can be trusted?"
Su Cheng said a little uncertainly.
"Yes," Zhan En said as a matter of course, "You offered your family heirloom simply because you suspected it was tainted with heretical power. This is enough to prove your loyalty. Moreover, not everyone can refuse the invitation of the God of Lust under such circumstances. So I am willing to write you a letter of recommendation. When summer comes, you can use it to go to the Holy City to participate in the study."
Su Cheng: “…”
He really knew!
At that time, there were so many spectators around the prayer room, and they all only knew that the God of Purity had appeared, but no one knew that the God of Lust had come.
She couldn't help but think of the original work again.
After Lin Yun became the follower of the God of Lust, someone told him that when using the power of the gods, he must try to stay away from the temple of the Holy See.
Especially the temples in big cities and even the imperial capital.
Because the archbishop or the commander of the Paladin division who sits there has a certain probability of being a person favored by God.
And they are relatively powerful gods-favored ones - of course there are strong and weak people in this group, and some people can even sense the breath of other gods coming from afar.
"Oh," Su Cheng suddenly realized, "the moment I became a divinely favored person, you also sensed the presence of the two Lord Gods? So that's why you were able to confirm my identity?"
"That's part of the reason," Zhan En said without hiding anything. "Actually, I can only roughly determine the scope. Judging from what happened later, I think it should be you. Moreover, you have used the power of the gods more than once."
It would be easier to know who she is if we just intersect at a few locations.
Su Cheng completely understood.
Lin Yun used the power of the gods to seduce others into bed, but if you look closely, you will find that he caused a bigger commotion.
"May I ask, Your Excellency the Archbishop, besides you, His Holiness the Pope, and your mentor, is there anyone else who knows about the bracelet being sent to the divine realm?"
"Well," Zhan En didn't seem surprised by her question, "Sir Ling Yang also knows. I think you met last night."
Su Cheng held his forehead.
No wonder!
The dragon knight deliberately let her off, probably because he knew she had contact with the devil, but he didn't investigate further. Perhaps that was the reason.
As long as the God of Purity did not explicitly say that she would be killed if she was found to have contact with heretics, then the people below might understand it to mean the opposite.
——After all, his previous words seemed to be an excuse for her, explaining why the pagans came to her house, especially since he praised her.
Now it seems that the succubus may not be an important character. The reason why Ling Yang came here in person may be mainly to see her.
Chasing fugitives may just be an excuse.
Su Cheng's mind was filled with various thoughts. "Can I ask you a few questions?"
Zhan En nodded slightly, "Please go ahead."
This kind of opportunity is rare, and Su Cheng can't care about anything else.
She had to find a way to deal with the God of Contract. After all, that guy might propose some deadly deals at any time.
Su Cheng took a deep breath. "Have you ever entered a state where He read part of your memory and knew what you had been through and what situation you were facing? Or did He 'see' you and witness what you were doing?"
"Yes," the Archbishop nodded gracefully, "but I'm sorry I can't tell you the details."
"No, no, no, I won't ask that," Su Cheng waved his hands quickly. "I just want to know, in that state, my reactions were slow, and I felt dizzy like a fool. Is this a common problem, or is it just my own problem? Is there any way to solve it?"
Is this true for everyone?
Or did the gods deliberately not want her to wake up?
Su Cheng was not sure whether the archbishop could understand what he meant.
"It's not surprising," Zhan En pondered for a moment. "Without a medium like a statue, directly communicating with the gods is actually more like establishing a soul connection, which can easily cause damage to the human spirit. The gods sometimes even literally 'speak' to you, allowing you to hear their voices to prolong the communication time between you and reduce the damage to those favored by the gods."
Su Cheng opened his eyes wide. "Talk? Talk with your mouth? Instead of conveying the meaning to you in your mind? You mean they can really let you hear with your ears?"
"Yes, even if they are in the divine realm, or other planes, or anywhere far away from you."
"Wow."
Su Cheng sighed.
She tried to recall what method the God of Contract had used - considering that the guy's image appeared and seemed to be really speaking, but when she first heard his voice, her blood boiled and she felt like her brain was about to explode.
"However, for a young person like you, even if the gods are willing to relieve your stress, you may still feel very uncomfortable. What kind of spiritual exercises do you usually do?"
"Meditation," Su Cheng coughed lightly, "sensing elemental spirits, well, that's just a way of meditation."
Zhan En smiled slightly, "The daily life of an elemental mage?"
"……Yes."
Elemental mages need to train their mental strength, because if this aspect is too poor, it will affect their ability to sense elemental spirits.
But as long as you meet the standard, it is enough. Once you exceed that standard, no matter how strong your mental power is, it will not improve your overall strength much.
Of course, this standard will also increase as the rank changes.
"Your current mental strength is more than enough to sense elemental spirits and use elemental magic, but it may be a little lacking if you want to communicate with gods."
The archbishop patiently explained, "If you want to improve your current situation, you can do some relevant exercises. I can recommend someone. In fact, there are professionals here at the temple who can give you more advice."
Su Cheng was also willing to chat with these people, and hurriedly expressed his gratitude upon hearing this.
Before they could say a few words, footsteps were heard at the end of the corridor, and two priests hurried over and stopped in front of them.
"Your Mightiness……"
The priests' eyes flickered between her and Zhan En. They obviously had something to say but didn't want outsiders to hear.
"You go ahead and do your work," Su Cheng said immediately. "I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time."
The Archbishop shook his head slightly. "I invited you, and I want to thank you for not blaming me for being so abrupt. How could I neglect you again—"
Su Cheng racked his brains and tried to express it from various angles. "Besides, you helped me more, didn't you?"
"Okay," Zhan En smiled, "I'll be back soon and we'll discuss the content of the recommendation letter. You can walk around here for a while or sit in the garden."
After saying that, he followed the pastor.
As the two of them reached the corner, a group of clergymen came out from there. They had obviously been waiting for a long time, and they surrounded the archbishop and walked away.
Su Cheng looked at their backs, slowly breathed a sigh of relief, and sorted out various information in his mind. As he thought about it, he felt a headache again.
She simply wandered around the temple.
This is the inner area, which can only be entered by clergymen and special guests. The occasional priests and knights passing by are all in a hurry.
One side of the corridor is lined with tall pointed arch windows. The colorful glass has bright patterns in warm gold, red and amber tones, making the sunlight shining through become gorgeous.
The gilded bronze wall lamps also emit a soft halo, and there are stone flower troughs on the wall, where shrubs with golden leaves grow lushly and verdantly.
This quiet and peaceful scene made her relax a little for no reason.
Su Cheng walked for a while, passed through two corridors, and suddenly heard a slight gurgling sound.
Turning around, I saw someone pushing a small cart coming from the corner and about to enter the library opposite.
The armrest of the cart was engraved with the Holy Light emblem of the Holy See, and on the top shelf were some silver-plated plates covered with crystal covers.
She sniffed and took in the alluring aroma.
"Your Excellency," the clergyman pushing the cart smiled at her, "I am responsible for delivering meals to the adults in the study rooms and small library on the first floor of the west wing. Would you like something to eat?"
Su Cheng raised his eyebrows, "Is it okay if I don't work here?"
"Of course, no matter which master invited you here, your presence here means that even if you ask for a banquet, it will be allowed, let alone these."
The priest raised his hand to gesture towards her as he spoke.
Su Cheng was really hungry, so he silently took a large plate.
The main course above is honey glazed roasted chicken legs, which are marinated with olive oil and rosemary. The meat is tender and exudes the aroma of fat.
The bones had been removed and the meat had been cut into small pieces, each with a small silver fork inserted into it, making it very easy to eat.
The plate also came with kale, hummus, and flatbread.
There was still a lot of food in the dining car. The Vatican was wealthy and generous, so it was not stingy in this regard and provided a wide variety of dishes.
And everything looks delicious.
But this plate was already quite large, Su Cheng thought silently, "...Thank you."
"You're very kind."
The clergyman pushed the cart into the library.
Su Cheng also took a glass of juice and found that there was no place to sit around, so he simply followed them into the library, thinking that there must be a table inside.
The scent of old parchment mixed with warmth hit me.
It’s called a small library, but it’s not small at all.
The dome of the central rotunda is open, and you can see a spiral staircase leading to the second floor. The sunset glow leaking through the skylight diffuses in the air, slowly sweeping across the forest of bookshelves covered in floating dust.
The tall black walnut bookshelves were packed to the brim, each row equipped with a brass ladder on wheels, and there was a long table every three rows of bookcases.
...and there were people sitting there.
There were various books and scrolls spread out in front of them, and they all looked very busy.
The clergy who served the food gently placed the plates next to those people, who were still immersed in their studies. Only a few of them thanked him, but none of them looked up.
Su Cheng noticed that he served different dishes to each person.
It seems that he remembers these people's preferences.
She walked for a long time without finding any empty tables, and began to consider eating in the garden outside. She happened to pass by one as she walked over.
But the distance over there is a bit far.
Su Cheng finally reached the end of the library and found the only empty table in the corner.
She ate the dinner in silence, feeling very guilty.
...The chefs in the Vatican are so skilled!
Su Cheng stared at the empty plate, opened the glass of iced citrus juice, took a sip, and began to rethink joining the Holy See.
This sweetness! This taste!
Blood orange and lemon are mixed with some kind of syrup, and the cool and refreshing sweetness blooms from the tip of the tongue and slides all the way into the stomach.
Light footsteps were heard behind the bookcase.
Su Cheng was immersed in the delicious food and didn't care much at first.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of someone walking towards me.
The person slowly stood to the side of the bookcase, facing her sideways, with her curly hair tied into a high ponytail falling behind her waist like a fluffy golden cloud.
She couldn't help but take a look.
In the candlelight of the wall lamp, the hair looked like the dawn glow rising and falling on a spring stream, or like golden threads drawn from the morning light, flowing with cold and gorgeous fragmented light.
Then Su Cheng saw the man's appearance clearly.
Su Cheng: “?!”
She drank the juice up to her neck.
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