The petals of the Flower of Destiny danced freely in the air, like the drifting and uncertain fate of all living beings.
Unbeknownst to many, the headquarters of the Church of Fate, North City, welcomed yet another day of divine descent.
Unlike previous Pentecostal Days, the arrangements and events will be more elaborate because the new pope will be inaugurated today.
Small groups of people walked onto the square, only to find it already packed with people. Many were nobles and priests from the Kingdom of Puna, as well as priests and knights from other sects, all there to observe the ceremony. They lingered around the square, whispering about the upcoming event, a mixture of anticipation and unease filling the air.
In the very center of the square, a colossal statue of Ansel, the god of fate, stands majestically. Beneath the statue is a magnificent altar, commissioned by the soon-to-be Pope and current Bishop Wendell two weeks ago, specifically for today's ceremony.
The altar's base is made of dark marble, carved with intricate patterns of the River of Fate. At its top is a semi-circular dome inlaid with countless sparkling crystals. Beneath the dome hangs an exquisite model of the scales of fate, suspended in the very center of the altar. The two ends of the scales are balanced, symbolizing the fairness and equilibrium of fate. Furthermore, the altar is surrounded by flowers of fate, their petals swaying gently in the breeze, as if whispering the secrets of destiny.
When Wendell is mentioned, the priests and knights of the Church of Destiny all praise him. This bishop is kind and capable. Even after the pope left in a fit of rage, he still managed the Papacy in an orderly manner. Some people have seen him working late into the night to deal with Papacy affairs, while others say that he often personally spread the gospel of God to the poor.
Ordinary people didn't care much; who the pope was didn't affect them much. They interacted more with the priests at the bottom of society. The cheers were for a free feast on the day of the Pentecost, especially since the new pope had promised to give everyone a winter coat after winter arrived.
However, not everyone was happy to see the bishop ascend to the papacy. The head of the Grey family and the Bishop of Dominic, among other conservative forces, refused to attend the ceremony and declared that they would not recognize Wendell even if he held the enthronement ceremony.
Their only pope was that young man who had disappeared while traveling.
However, this was merely the last struggle of these losers; the outcome had already been decided by the Vatican turmoil two months prior.
The praise around him made Wendell's lips curl into a smile. He wore the papal robes of destiny and a silver crown inlaid with jewels. He was impeccably dressed and exuded a dignified and composed aura.
Wendell slowly ascended the altar steps, his slender figure standing out starkly against the backdrop of the colossal statue of Ansel, the god of fate. His robes of destiny were pristine white, embroidered with golden flowers of destiny, seemingly a silent display of his purity and nobility. Yet, the golden hue of the flowers, reflecting the sunlight, carried a hint of irony.
He surveyed the crowd in the square, smiling and nodding in greeting. However, few noticed that his seemingly gentle smile carried a condescending indifference, as if he had already manipulated everyone at his fingertips.
"Children of Destiny, today we gather here to celebrate the descent of our god Ansel. Beneath this sacred statue, I, Wendell, stand before you with boundless awe and glory. In His witness, I swear that today, as your Pope, I will dedicate my soul, my life, and everything I have, without reservation, to the Church of Destiny..."
His voice echoed across the square, each word striking the hearts of the believers like a hammer blow, stirring up ripples of emotion. The crowd began to cheer, but at that very moment, a golden procession rushed toward the square from the sky, and everyone involuntarily looked up at the sky.
Four magnificent Pegasus horses, their golden wings billowing, pulled a luxurious carriage. Behind the carriage were four rows of knights clad in golden armor. They were all tall and radiant, riding their own flying Pegasus horses, exuding an extraordinary aura!
Such a grand display drew countless exclamations of admiration, and all eyes in the square turned to the magnificent procession, even ignoring the "Pope" standing on the altar.
Some knowledgeable people recognized the emblem of the Dawn Church and shouted, "These are people from the Dawn Church!"
"The Cult of Dawn? Is that the number one sect on the continent of Ver?"
"Yes, they look impressive!"
"Fate be with us, when will we have such a beautiful carriage?"
"Who are those important people in the car? Are they here to attend our Pentecost? Or to congratulate the new Pope?"
Wendell was initially annoyed that his limelight had been stolen, but when he thought that it might be the Cult of Dawn coming to congratulate him, he felt that they had given him a lot of face, and a smug smile appeared on his face.
Seeing the crowd part to make way for Dawn's group, and the carriage landing smoothly on the ground, he stepped forward and greeted them with a smile, "Welcome, friends of the Dawn Cult, you've come from afar..."
Before he could finish speaking, a figure jumped out of the carriage, interrupting him: "Hmph, those who betray fate are still putting on airs here, it's disgusting!"
Valk Dodd, clad in the armor of the Knight of Fate, wore a mocking smile and held the white spear of fate, pointing it directly at the newly appointed pope.
I wonder if he considered the possibility that he might have been infected himself before he said that?
Wendell's expression changed. Seeing his former ally suddenly acting this way, he realized something might have gone wrong. He tried to maintain a gentle smile: "What do you mean by this, Knight Commander? I believe I have never done anything to wrong you, so why are you accusing me of betraying the gods?"
"Hmph, you colluded with the people who created the plague, murdered the former pope, and killed many people. You even let your people control the Papacy, just to ascend to the papacy. Don't you know how many things you have done to betray the Papacy and God?"
Valcke Dodd sneered.
Wendell's eyelids twitched with anger. He cursed inwardly, "Weren't you part of the plot to assassinate the Pope? Why are you suddenly standing up so righteously today? Isn't it just because you want a piece of the pie?"
They had agreed on everything back then, so what exactly did this fool do after going to the Church of Dawn? He only had one knight order before, so he wouldn't have dared to show such ambitions. Did he have someone to rely on...? His eyes swept over the carriages and knights of Dawn, and he began to guess.
“I did not collude with the plague-makers. Today, you deliberately disrupted the Descent of God ceremony and slandered the Pope. You are the one who betrayed God and the Holy See! Considering your past contributions to the Holy See, you can go home now and I can let you off the hook out of God’s mercy,” Wendell said sternly. “As for the distinguished guests of the Church of Dawn, I hope you will not interfere in the internal affairs of our destiny.”
The crowd was completely taken aback by the explosive turn of events. They stared wide-eyed at the two figures: Bishop Wendell on one side and the renowned knight commander on the other. Who was telling the truth?
The priests and knights of the Church of Fate were also at a loss, unsure of which side to stand on.
"Your Highness, Wendell's spatial stone definitely contains evidence of his dealings with those cults. Let's capture him, open his spatial stone, and expose his ugly face in front of everyone!"
Valcke Dodd spoke to Phil Gray in the carriage.
"Hehe, before we're certain whether he's colluding with the plague-makers, the Knights of Dawn won't take action. After all, without concrete evidence, Dawn can't interfere in his internal affairs. Knight Commander, please take action yourself. I also want to see the Knights of Destiny you manage, see your abilities, and see if it's worth Dawn's intervention."
Phil Gray's voice came from the carriage, and fearing that someone familiar with the original owner might recognize his voice, he deliberately made his voice sound even deeper.
"good."
Valck Dodd turned around, his eyes fixed on the bishop dressed as a pope. "Wendel, do you dare have your space stone examined to prove your innocence?"
"Absurd! I am now the Pope of a religion, and my spatial stone contains many secrets of the religion! How can I allow anyone to view it at will? This is a desecration of destiny and a provocation to the dignity of the Papacy! Valk, do you really want to... oppose me?" Wendell heard what the mysterious figure in the carriage said and knew that as long as he did not expose his relationship with the plague-controller, Dawn would not interfere, and he instantly gained some confidence.
He looked at the former knight commander, his face still bearing a gentle smile, but his eyes held a sinister glint.
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