Chapter 565 Our Cause Is Not Just
Aiwass immediately understood what Chunbai meant.
The working style here in the Church Country is to "give me a favor and let this end here."
——In essence, it’s all about who has more face.
To put it nicely, it is called a "sectarian state"; to put it bluntly, it is a gangster state.
This is probably why things on Cardinal Loki's side were difficult to handle before, but are now easy to handle.
Because Loki is dead.
As the leader of the Controlled Fire, he is not only the leader of one of the circles recognized by the Candle Master, but also basically the "common elf" of the entire Theocracy - or more accurately, the object of worship of those elves whose parents cannot find inheritance.
In the Church, bloodline and wealth are not important; the greatest resource is influence. Normally, this influence is inherited. For example, "son of someone," "daughter of someone," "student of someone"...
Therefore, if his parents have no achievements, no friends, and no face, then he will not be able to inherit influence from his parents, and he will be equivalent to a "commoner" of other races.
The basic base of "Controlled Fire" is this group of elves - since they have no inheritance, it is better for everyone not to use the inheritance system, so that resources will be fair.
Now that Loki is dead, his appeal and influence are bound to decline. Moreover, the Pope's guards have found evidence of his crimes. Although the complete conspiracy has not yet been confirmed, this will have a serious impact on Loki's followers.
The person is already dead, how many people are willing to follow a dead person?
There will undoubtedly be some fervent followers, but for most, a dead man cannot lead them. If a new leader doesn't emerge from the Controlled Fire in time, the organization itself will likely collapse; and even if a new leader emerges, its influence will surely be greatly diminished.
"...From this point of view, killing a prominent figure in the Theocracy is actually less costly than harming one."
Aiwass also understood Chunbai's meaning and felt a little ironic: "What a strange custom..."
It's like provoking a gang leader or killing him - the former means a fight to the death, while the latter offers the possibility of recruiting the other party.
It is clearly a country of dedication, but it feels like a gang fight.
"That's how the Theocracy works."
Freya disagreed. "Otherwise, why would I be doing research here? The biggest advantage is that the administrators here are more likely to accept bribes. However, the bribe that can influence them is not money, but the 'act of helping others'."
"For example, if I brought that furnace out, I'd already violated the Theocracy's rules. But because I promised to make the 'Healing Amber,' it can be kept with me temporarily. If I can't complete it, I can return it and hand in what I've already completed. We can discuss these things."
"That's right."
Pure White nodded and looked at Freya: "The research on 'Tears of Time' is very dangerous. I hope you can suspend it."
"I have terminated the research and destroyed all samples."
Freya immediately raised her hands in defense.
“That’s good.”
Chunbai nodded, and said slowly with a serious expression: "Although the deaths of Mercedes and Gloria have nothing to do with you, you are the cause of the matter after all..."
"What can I do?"
Freya asked.
"Since your research has been exploited and indirectly harmed others, I will punish you by making you work towards healing them. I hope you can develop a treatment that is at least 80% cheaper than existing medications and at least half as effective."
Pure White said, "I will sponsor your research and protect your patent. The Theocracy will then obtain a permanent license to produce this potion. We will distribute it as a kind of 'holy water' to churches across the country, to alleviate the problems of insufficient mana and excessive fatigue among lower-level clergy. Of course, you can still sell it to others or produce it yourself."
"Give me three months."
Freya didn't bargain, but nodded readily and replied, "Three months at most."
"Okay." Chunbai also nodded.
Then, they both looked at Aiwass at the same time.
Freya chuckled and shrugged. "See, Aiwass? In a sense, the Theocracy is the most utilitarian—because it allows 'good against evil.' It's therefore perfect for researchers like me who occasionally cross the line."
"What if other people can't do what Sister Freya did?"
Aiwass asked.
"Then go help others."
Pure White answered without hesitation, "Go save people, go provide treatment, and do community work. Even in prison, you have to produce something or do some labor. If a person is completely unable to do anything to benefit others to atone for his sins, or if his sins are unforgivable, then we will try to punish him or destroy him.
"But for the Theocracy, 'punishment' itself is meaningless. Everyone is born with sin, and most people are not innocent, but rather remain undiscovered and unpunished. There are so many things lacking in this world. Rather than commemorating the dead, it's better to do something for the living... or to contribute something."
"...Destroy, what do you mean?"
Aiwass was keenly aware that Pure White meant "destruction" rather than "death penalty."
"You're sharp, that's good."
Pure White nodded in appreciation: "It will be helpful for your future life in the Church.
"—Yes, the Theocracy generally does not use the death penalty. This is because life is extremely valuable... If a person must be killed, their death must benefit others and even society as a whole.
"Extraordinary people who dedicate themselves to the path of Tao can use their lives to heal normally incurable disabilities, and can even heal the damaged souls of others. If their lives do not possess healing abilities, they can be used to craft various materials.
"Blood essence, bone powder, organ extracts...or perhaps drug experiments, human dissection, organ transplants, necromancy. A person's life must have some meaning. If life can only bring destruction, at least death should bring some meaning."
Looking at the stunned Aiwass, Chunbai's expression turned serious. "If you really want to become a cardinal, you must face this 'necessary evil'."
"...A necessary evil?"
Aiwass heard the familiar term again.
"That's right. Punishing a crime is punishing evil, but exploiting a criminal is not, and destroying a corpse is certainly not—we must first understand that this is a sin, and it no longer falls within the realm of 'punishing evil.'
"What we do is not just. But we must bear this sin to benefit more innocent people and the public. You are a cardinal. There are no laws in the material world that can punish you. Therefore, only you can supervise yourself. What is legal and what is beyond the line is up to you to decide."
"……I see."
Aiwass nodded solemnly and sadly.
This is undoubtedly a "sin" that ordinary residents of the Theocracy are unaware of.
He also understood why he always felt that those cardinals were all insane to varying degrees... As agents endorsed by the Pillar God, the Cardinals were, in a sense, the people with the highest status in the world.
If ordinary people said this, they could say "You don't have the power to do that" - but cardinals do have the power to do so. And the power is given to them by the Ennead Gods who manage the souls after death and govern the entire world.
The so-called divine right of kings—although they are not monarchs, they have supreme power equivalent to that of a monarch. This is also the reason why cardinals can rule over a region in the most powerful country in the world.
The Ennead Gods who granted them power did not clearly define the specific scope of this power.
As long as you can explain it, you can do whatever you want.
Until they completely cross the line and the Ennead revokes their authority.
In other words, the only thing that can monitor the behavior of the cardinals is their own conscience and morality. They don't know the specific judgments and scores of the Ennead Gods, so they can only rely on their intuition. Furthermore, this is of little use as a reference, as the Ennead Gods' standards of judgment vary. Although different cardinals are all in the Theocracy, they receive their authorization from different sources.
Thinking of this, Aiwass once again realized one thing -
...Devoting oneself to the path of virtue does not necessarily mean that one must be a "good person."
In a sense, the devotees are the most cruel.
Because sometimes they know that what they are doing is evil... but for the ultimate purpose of good, they still carry it out unswervingly.
The most terrifying thing is not the bad people who do bad things, but the bad people who firmly believe that they are doing good.
When the atmosphere in the living room became dull, Chunbai clapped his hands, attracting the attention of everyone, especially Aiwass: "Okay, this matter ends here. But as an elder, I have a special request for you, Aiwass..."
The young saint, who looked to be in her early twenties, said this to Aiwass.
"I know."
Aiwass interrupted and replied: "I will apologize, treat and compensate the innocent pastors whose lives I have affected."
Pure White nodded in satisfaction at Aiwas's understanding. "Although I think it would be fine if we just explained the situation clearly. We're all good-tempered people, and we all know the art of fire worship, so we can heal ourselves quickly... The key is attitude. As long as you don't get too proud and think you're superior, and if you hurt someone, just leave without explaining, it'll be fine."
"But the specifics of how to handle this are up to you. If you have any questions or encounter any other problems, you can ask me or go to Cardinal Matilda."
"Yes." Aiwass nodded in response.
"The entire Controlled Fire will be under investigation, so they probably won't have time to bother you. But having said that, you still have to be careful of their retaliation... Loki still has some fanatical followers."
Pure White warned.
She looked at Aiwass and asked, "Do you really want to learn advanced divine arts?"
"…Hmm? Why not?"
Aiwass felt that her tone was not right, so he asked, "Is there any life-threatening danger?"
Hearing this, Chunbai immediately laughed: "That's not the case. After all, this is the Theocracy. You won't be in any danger of your life."
—That’s hard to say, Aiwass thought.
He has been in the Church for less than three days, and he has encountered so many things.
"If you want to study, you have to prepare now."
Pure White said seriously, "Higher divine arts aren't simply some kind of transcendental knowledge; they're actually a complex ritual. It's divided into three stages: the first is mastering the technique, the second is selecting a deity to complete a lengthy ritual, and the third is passing the other party's assessment and gaining recognition. The first stage alone has stopped countless people... so there's no need to rush."
"Although all the bishops of Avalon haven't arrived yet, you can study in advance... I'll bring you the corresponding books tonight, and you can ask me if you have any questions. During this time, I'll be repairing the broken ritual mirrors at the Eleventh Circle and won't be going anywhere. There's no need for appointments or recordings at the Eleventh Circle; you can come anytime."
"OK."
Aiwass expressed his sincere gratitude.
Six thousand five hundred words, updated!
I have a headache and fever today. I don’t know if it’s a cold... but my efficiency has indeed decreased.
But I still wrote a lot, please vote~
(End of this chapter)
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