Chapter 13
◎Prophet◎
The Temple of the Prophet was tall and imposing, with a massive altar at the center of the main hall and marble torch stands at the four corners, burning with blue flames. Those who wished to receive information from the Prophet knelt in the center of the altar, while at the front of the hall stood a white stone throne, upon which sat the Prophet—Bern—whom everyone longed to see.
"Thank you, Prophet! Thank you, Prophet!"
Overjoyed to have received the accurate information he sought, the person kneeling on the altar repeatedly kowtowed to Bern. His hands gripped the ground, revealing his deep blue armor plates.
Although the nail beds of "divine beings" are all blue, the amount of "divine" genes affects the depth of the blue. The deeper the color, the purer the so-called "divine" bloodline, and the purer the bloodline, the stronger the "divine being." Therefore, in addition to the hierarchy of contempt among "divine beings" due to differences in the types of abilities of the "gods," there is also a hierarchy of contempt based on the intensity of their bloodline.
The person kneeling on the altar possessed a deep blue nail bed that already placed him among the elite of the "god-like beings," yet he appeared devout and fearful before Bern, even though Bern's nail bed blue was only of average depth. This was because Bern's abilities were so rare and precious that, for an equal price, he could obtain any information he desired—past, present, and future.
“You can leave now,” Bern said calmly. His voice echoed throughout the temple, clearly audible from every corner.
Led by a temple attendant, the man left the main hall, expressing his deepest gratitude.
After the man left, only Bern and his priest remained in the hall. Bern pressed a hidden button beneath the armrest of the throne, turning off the hall's loudspeaker system.
"Finally gone!" Bern slumped on his throne as if all his energy had been drained, comfortably crossing his legs. "That guy's nagging was so annoying."
He beckoned to the priest, "Get me a new cushion, this stone seat is so hard, it's a waste of a cushion." With that, he pulled out the cushion from under his buttocks and threw it to the priest.
The priest said speechlessly, "There are plenty of soft cushions that don't deform now, but you insist on using a velvet cushion filled with pure silk instead. Of course, it's a useless cushion."
Bern snorted: "How can this kind of modern assembly line product be worthy of a noble prophet? Tch, as a priest of the prophet, you really have no sense of ritual at all."
The priest was clearly used to Bern's calm demeanor in public and flamboyant behavior in private, and didn't respond to his words, otherwise the topic would have gone on endlessly. The priest skillfully opened the hidden storage box behind the throne and took out a new cushion for Bern to put on.
“Hiss, I feel a chill down my spine,” Bern suddenly said. “I have a bad feeling that it’s coming for me.”
After saying that, he suddenly sat up straight. He hadn't had this premonition in a long time, because this ominous premonition was about himself, and therefore he could know it without a ritual. This could be considered a kind of preferential treatment that his bloodline ability gave him.
The last time he had such a bad feeling was when he was learning to use his abilities. Whenever he had such a feeling, his father would beat him without fail. But now he has already completed his apprenticeship, and his reputation and abilities are far superior to his father's, so he no longer has such premonitions.
“I have a bad feeling about this…” Bern murmured, then asked his priest, “Who’s the next person to have an appointment?”
“It is Lord Tali,” the priest said.
Both the priest and Bern were deeply impressed by Tali's appointment. Tali was the most sought-after painter in the Commonwealth of Cali, but he was eccentric and extremely difficult to please, making it even harder to get him to paint than to get Bern to paint.
Bern had invited Tully to paint his portrait several times, directly or indirectly, but even through the president's invitation, he hadn't been able to persuade Tully. Therefore, when Tully finally scheduled an appointment with Bern, Bern and the priest were overjoyed. Normally, even through the "divine" channels, appointments were booked a year in advance, but the priest had simply moved Tully's appointment to the front of the queue. Getting Tully to paint was far more difficult than meeting Bern; this was a rare opportunity, and they had to curry favor with the great painter to get him to paint Bern's portrait, which would then hang in the temple.
“Something’s not right,” Bern said. “This feeling couldn’t possibly be something Tully could give me. What’s wrong?” He stood up and paced anxiously before the throne. Moreover, this ominous premonition was mixed with a huge sense of crisis that he himself could only vaguely feel but couldn’t quite put his finger on. It wasn’t about him personally, but rather a sense of crisis that enveloped the entire world he knew.
The priest had almost never seen Bern so anxious. Anxiety only arises from the unknown, and Bern, if he wanted to, could know everything he wanted to know, unless he couldn't afford the price.
"Do we still need to see Lord Tali?" the priest asked.
"See him!" Bern suppressed his inner fear. He had a premonition that he had to see Tali, or he would miss crucial information and his only chance. He couldn't quite define what that chance was, but his bloodline power strongly urged him to seize it. That sense of crisis was far more than just a minor beating. He couldn't explain it, but it instilled a deep-seated fear in his very soul.
“Alright, I’ll make the arrangements right away.” The priest, seeing the anxious Bern, decided to arrange the meeting himself. With that, he opened the door to the appointment hall and walked inside.
The appointment hall was connected to the main hall, and the next person to be seen would be asked to wait in the appointment hall. When the priest arrived in the hall to take Tali to the main hall, he found that Tali was not the only one waiting. Berne decreed that only one person could be seen at a time, regardless of who it was. Therefore, there was only one chair in the appointment hall, reserved for those with appointments.
And now, Tali is standing next to the chair, smiling obsequiously...
The priest's first reaction was: Is this the same Tali who everyone who has met Tali claims is aloof and eccentric? His fawning smile is unbearable to watch.
"What's going on?" the priest asked, gesturing to the servants waiting nearby.
“We couldn’t stop him,” the attendant said, sounding aggrieved. He knew that Tali was the Prophet’s honored guest. But according to the rules, only those with appointments could enter, and Tali’s intention was that if that person wasn’t allowed in, he wouldn’t go in either. “Lord Tali said that if that person wasn’t allowed in, he would leave.”
He was just a lowly servant. If he offended Lord Tali and actually got rid of the person, the Prophet and the High Priest would be furious, and he would be in deep trouble. He had planned to appease the two of them first, and then report to the High Priest for a decision, but unexpectedly, the High Priest arrived first.
When the priest finally saw the face of the person sitting in the chair, he understood why Tali was so simply devoted to this person. It was because this person was the most beautiful he had ever seen, without a doubt. If it were just about appearance, with current technology, it would be possible to create an android with a perfect appearance comparable to this person. However, the priest had seen countless people and naturally realized that this person's brilliance went far beyond just looks.
Upon seeing this person, the priest suddenly had a guess: what made Bern uneasy and anxious might not really have anything to do with Tali, but rather with this person.
The priest waved the attendant away. The attendant breathed a sigh of relief and left happily.
“Lord Tali,” the priest stepped forward and said, “the prophet is waiting for you inside.”
Tali gave the priest a cool nod, indicating that he had heard. Then he turned to Lanhua and said ingratiatingly, "My beauty, it's our turn. Um... can I come in with you?" The priest thought he must have learned the legendary Sichuan opera face-changing technique.
Priestess: "..." I'm still here, is it really okay for you to openly admit to cheating on the reservation like this?
The priest coughed to make his presence known, then said, "The prophet has a rule that only those who have made an appointment can see him."
"Oh?" Lan Hua stood up and walked towards the entrance of the main hall, saying, "Then what would it take for the prophet to make an exception?" As soon as Lan Hua left, Tali quickly followed.
Priest: "...There is no precedent for this."
“If I want to set this precedent—” He stopped, turned his head slightly, and smiled at the priest who was already behind him, “So what? Are you going to stop me?”
The priests had never encountered such a situation before; after all, being able to meet the prophet was already an immense blessing for those people. Those who could come to the appointment hall were basically screened individuals; ordinary people were usually stopped outside the square, crying and begging to see the prophet.
No one dared to speak disrespectfully in the Temple of the Prophet, let alone think of breaking the Prophet's rules. Everyone who came had something to ask for, so even the federal president, officials, heads of state of other countries, and nobles all treated each other with utmost respect and courtesy, for fear of inadvertently offending the Prophet and displeasing him.
The Temple of the Prophet naturally has guards, but they are always used to stop people from entering the plaza. Besides—
The priest had a pretty good idea that what was making Bern uneasy was this stunningly beautiful woman with a mysterious aura. The person Bern said he wanted to see was probably this woman.
Sometimes rules are rigid, but sometimes they can be flexible. Priests can interpret rules according to the actual situation and make appropriate judgments. "The prophet has foreseen your coming and indicated that you may see him."
"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Lan Hua smiled meaningfully. "Did he foresee that he was about to suffer a bloody disaster?"
"..." The priest was also stunned. Was this person serious? But Bern had been so anxious and said he felt something was wrong... Could it be that this person really wanted to...? The priest was also confused. Logically, he should stop this person, but Bern really wanted to see him.
The priest decided to relinquish his judgment and simply act as an executor, carrying out the prophet's orders. Even if bloodshed were to occur, it shouldn't... affect innocent bystanders, right?
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