Chapter 618: A Dialogue That Will Make You Socially Dead
"Piers Turner?"
"Deep Blue High Priest" Raydar Valentine took a deep breath. He remembered that this person was promoted to Sequence 4 "Night Watchman" just last year and was one of the only nine "Senior Deacons" of the Church of Evernight.
A demigod died quietly in an alley in the East District?
This immediately made him think of many things: internal strife within the church, a conspiracy against a specific Beyonder, or perhaps he accidentally got into a conflict with other wild Beyonders while carrying out a mission...
But these were not suitable for the Storm Church to ask. Perhaps the Mandated Punishers could investigate afterward, but for now, all he could say was:
"Storm is above, may he sleep in peace."
He clenched his right fist and hit his left chest, saluted, and watched a team of Night Watchmen cautiously approach from a distance. He watched Archbishop Anthony pick up the Beyonder characteristics that had just emerged from Pierce's body and carefully put them away. He watched the foggy sky dissipate the dark clouds, and the crimson moonlight sprinkled into the alley.
Compared to Bayam in the Rorsted Archipelago, Backlund's waters were far more complex... Capturing an Aurora Society messenger unexpectedly led to the involvement of demigod-level enemies, and even the high-ranking deacon of the Church of Evernight died in unclear circumstances.
Should I bring a defensive seal with me when I go out next time?
This idea suddenly popped into his mind.
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160 Böklund Street, Dantes's home.
Since the owner Dwayne Dantes was ill at home these two days and did not go out or invite neighbors to his home, the servants here had much less to do. After 8 o'clock, they had completed today's cleaning and returned to the servants' room, leaving only a few people to keep watch.
Butler Walter should have done the same, but the sudden arrival of the distinguished guest surprised him a little.
"Bishop, what brings you here at night?"
Elektra, the bishop on duty at St. Samuel's Church, smiled friendly and replied:
"I heard yesterday that Dawn was sick, so I came to visit him today."
Originally, Walter could have declined this request on his master's behalf, but Bishop Elektra was one of the "distinguished guests" that Dawn Dantes had specifically instructed, and Walter himself was a devout believer in the goddess. Therefore, he invited the bishop to the reception room first, and then went up to the door of the master bedroom on the third floor. He pushed the door open a crack, poked his head in and asked:
"Sir, Bishop Elektra is here and wants to see you. Should we have him up here, or will you see him in the living room?"
Inside the room, on the bed that Walter couldn't see, Dwayne Dantès was resting with his eyes closed. Upon hearing his question, he opened his eyes and answered without hesitation:
"Please ask him to come up."
After Walter left, "Dawn" carefully adjusted his posture and sat up a little. His face became even paler, as if he had lost blood and was hungry, but he felt that he had gone too far and soon regained a hint of redness.
A moment later, Walter led the bishop into the bedroom, followed by Dawn's personal butler Richardson and a maid serving tea, who gathered around the bed.
Elektra, the only guest, sat down, leaned forward, and asked Dawn on the bed with concern:
"Dawn, how are you feeling? Have you had a doctor check on you?"
Seeing that the patient was indeed pale and his movements were weak, he had no doubts in his heart, nor did he use "skills" such as clairvoyance or divination to confirm the patient's condition. He simply brought the care of the church and himself as an ordinary bishop.
"I've taken some medicine and paid attention to the nutrition and proper balance of my meals. I'm feeling much better now. Maybe tomorrow, or at the latest next Monday, I'll be able to return to church and listen to your sermon."
Dawn forced a smile onto her face, brightening up her sickly expression, and replied.
"Haha, you are really a devout believer of the goddess."
The bishop sat up straight, leaned back in his chair, and took the teacup handed to him by the maid beside him.
At this moment, Dawn suddenly asked:
"Speaking of devout believers, I've always had a question: what is the attitude within the church towards clergy marriage?"
This wasn't a sensitive question, and many believers were curious about it. So Elektra chuckled and spoke softly, just like she usually did when preaching:
"This was once a hotly debated and even contentious topic at the church's theological conferences.
Some clergy believe they are servants of the goddess and that both men and women must maintain chastity as a sign of respect. Opponents, however, have found the goddess's past oracles in various texts, proving that she encourages marriage and equal and normal interactions between the sexes. They also believe clergy should set an example and serve as role models for believers.
"In modern times, people no longer debate this issue. Marriage among clergy is neither encouraged nor opposed. They are simply asked not to bring their families into the church, or, uh, live there."
Seeing Dawn nodding his head while half lying on the bed, he couldn't help but ask:
"Dawn, are you asking this because you're considering marriage? The church encourages believers to fall in love freely. You don't need to worry about your faith affecting your life."
Dawn, who was wearing pajamas and curled up under the velvet quilt, coughed lightly and replied:
"When I risked my life to amass wealth, I didn't consider marriage, fearing it would delay or burden the other person. But after settling down in Backlund, I've definitely had this thought. Perhaps, this time, I can find my true love in Backlund."
These words startled several people, including the butler Walter and the two servants, especially Bishop Elektra who came to visit the patient. He put down his teacup, leaned forward again, and asked:
"What kind of woman do you like? Perhaps I can introduce you to someone suitable."
As stated in scriptures such as "The Revelation of the Night", the goddess encourages marriage, so the clergy of the church are proud to urge believers to get married, and often even act as matchmakers between believers.
After all, after two believers get married, their offspring will hardly change their faith, which will inevitably add more devout believers to the Goddess Church, making it a "sure win."
"My type..."
Dawn seemed to be lost in thought, lowering his head in silence for a moment before continuing to answer:
"In my dreams, I once longed for a mature woman who could give me warmth and peace of mind; I longed for a young woman who was petite and delicate and made me feel full of energy; I longed for a noble woman who was beautiful and seductive, but unapproachable and could only be admired from afar; I even longed for two women who were entangled with each other and had a bad relationship, hoping that they would fall in love with me at the same time..."
As he spoke, Richardson, the personal valet standing beside him, was stunned and his eyes turned to the other side, feeling hot on his face; Bishop Elektra's smile froze on her face, her eyes wandered, she raised her fist to her mouth and coughed lightly; the butler Walter was trembling and his face was pale, as if he remembered something; even the maid standing at the back holding the teapot and teacups had flushed cheeks, pursed her lips, and her eyes were full of tenderness.
Dawn was unaware of this and continued:
"...But in the end, I found my true love. It was a young, beautiful, and noble lady. Like me, she came to Backlund from another place, hoping to gain a foothold here. She was pure and kind, yet she had her own persistence. She was stronger than me, giving me a sense of security, yet she was petite and charming, giving me the opportunity to showcase my strengths."
"Dawn, it sounds like you already have a clear goal," Elektra immediately took over to avoid embarrassment. "Can you tell me who it is? If they are a follower of the goddess and are not married yet, I can ask her opinion on your behalf."
"She is also a believer in the goddess. Recently, she has been going to church every week to listen to sermons. Many pastors should have seen her."
Dawn answered vaguely, his gaze fixed on the bishop, and asked,
"Bishop, what about you? Do you have a wife?"
Elektra, who had just heard the other party's shocking speech, felt her face getting hot. She hesitated for a moment and did not answer the question. Instead, she smiled and shook her head, saying:
"Dawn, I think it's getting late. Just rest and I'll keep an eye on that woman for you."
At this moment, he felt as if a terrible storm was brewing above his head, causing his spirit to stand up like a vigilant hedgehog with its barbs raised, but when he looked up, he saw an ordinary ceiling above him, with nothing unusual.
"Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit me, Walter. Please see His Excellency the Bishop off."
When he lowered his head again, Dawn in front of him no longer had the expression of questioning him about his shameful private affairs. Instead, he calmly ordered his butler to see him out.
This made the bishop, who had just thought of his wife and felt a little embarrassed because her description overlapped with the other party's, feel relieved. He said good night and left.
The room quickly grew quiet. The balcony window silently opened, and a figure entered the bedroom from the balcony. It was Klein, who had returned to his Dwayne Dantès appearance.
The other Dawn on the bed immediately put on a somewhat flattering smile and bowed sideways.
"Great master, you are back," he stuttered, as if he was worried about something. "Your humble servant Arrodes just now, did you answer well?"
In the second half of the conversation, Arrodes sensed that Klein had returned nearby. The questions and answers that had originally been instinctively designed to explore the privacy of others and cause the target's social death immediately became a normal conversation. Finally, the punishment for Bishop Elektra's refusal to answer the questions was also cancelled, avoiding the tragic ending of the bishop's bedroom becoming the scene of his social death.
Furthermore, I always felt that his phrase "yearning in dreams" was a deconstruction of the night I was influenced by the Mother Tree of Desire and had a wet dream. It even touched the hearts of several other people present. If I hadn't entered the world of the book and herded Mr. X and immediately returned here, I'm afraid there would be big problems... Klein twitched his lips, but finally nodded.
"That's a good answer, but don't answer it next time."
"Thank you for your affirmation, great master," Dawn continued from the bed, his voice trembling slightly. "Then, could you ask the mistress outside the window to put down her weapon?"
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