At noon, a rare winter sun shines down on the streets of Tivian. After several days of gloomy drizzle, the citizens of Tivian finally welcome a day suitable for going out.
North Tivian, Cathedral District. Taking advantage of the sunlight, an unusually large number of people have come to the Cathedral District for prayer. The square of the Cathedral District is bustling with people coming to pray. They are dressed neatly and brightly, mostly from the relatively affluent middle class of the North District. The lower-class citizens usually go to the smaller churches in the South and West Districts for prayer.
Among the crowd in the cathedral square, a slightly overweight middle-aged man in a brown suit, wearing a small hat and sporting a thin mustache, walks with purpose. His eyes are fixed on the Hymn Cathedral ahead, and his steps are steady and determined.
After climbing the long staircase, the man arrives at the grand open doors of the cathedral. He pauses for a moment to gaze at the doors before stepping inside.
Upon entering the Hymn Cathedral, the man is greeted by a magnificent space. Stone columns over ten meters tall line the hall, and the broad vaulted ceiling is adorned with vivid, colorful paintings depicting religious stories. At the far end of the hall, a massive stained-glass window depicts an abstract image of the Radiance descending to drive away evil. In front of the stained-glass window are three altars symbolizing the Three Saints, and behind them, a smaller altar dedicated to the Savior, which is farther from the public. Rows of long benches are arranged from front to back, filled with citizens here to pray and confess. Along the edges of the hall, priests and nuns stand guard.
This is the Hymn Cathedral, the largest chapel in the Cathedral District of North Tivian and the main part of the district open to the public. Beyond this, there are dedicated chapels for the Holy Father, Holy Mother, and Holy Son, as well as other administrative and military facilities of the Tivian Church, though most of these areas are not open to the public.
The man enters the Hymn Cathedral, finds an empty seat on a bench, sits down, clasps his hands together, closes his eyes, and appears to be praying devoutly.
After praying for a while, the man slowly opens his eyes, stands up, and walks to a corner of the cathedral. Here, there is a simple, unadorned box with an opening, labeled "Offering Box." From time to time, people walk up and drop a few coins or bills into it. When someone donates, the nuns standing nearby smile at them. If the donation is large, they might even offer a few words of blessing or a small gift or token.
After finishing his prayers, the man walks up to the offering box. Standing in front of it, he takes out his wallet and pulls out six 50-pound notes—the largest denomination—and stuffs all 300 pounds into the box. Seeing such a large sum of money being donated, the nun standing nearby is momentarily stunned, then breaks into a radiant smile and says to the man.
"Sir, your piety is truly dazzling. No matter which of the Three Saints you worship, your faith will surely be seen by them. Please leave your name in the donation book. We will pray daily for the Lord’s light to be with you."The nun gestures to a thick ledger on a small table next to the offering box. The ledger is densely filled with the names of donors and the amounts they contributed. A quick glance reveals that only those who donated at least 50 pounds have their names recorded.
Hearing the nun’s words, the man walks up to the small table, picks up a pen, and writes down his name: John Evans, followed by the amount of 300 pounds. This amount is quite substantial compared to the other entries on the page. Seeing this, the nun continues to smile and says.
"Mr. Evans? It’s rare to see a believer as devout as you. If you have any needs, feel free to ask. We can arrange for someone to provide you with confession, blessings, or even exorcism and other faith-related assistance..."
The nun speaks warmly, as it’s important to provide good service to donors who contribute hundreds of pounds at once. Hearing her words, John chuckles and says.
"Well, I’m afraid I won’t have the chance to enjoy these services for now."
"No chance for now? Mr. Evans, has something happened?"
The nun asks, puzzled. John responds calmly.
"Nothing serious. To be honest, Sister, I’m a businessman. Due to my work, I’ll soon be moving to the New Continent for a long-term business venture. Since it will be a long stay, my entire family will be moving there with me."
"The New Continent? But I’ve heard that the situation there is quite unstable. Mr. Evans, isn’t it risky to do business there now?"
"Risk and opportunity go hand in hand, Sister. It’s precisely because of the risks that the business opportunities there are worth my family moving. To prepare for potential dangers, I hope to receive the Lord’s protection. To be honest... the reason I came to donate today is to request a Holy Father’s Emblem. I’ve often heard that as long as you carry an emblem with you, the Lord’s radiance will always be with you..."
John speaks to the nun, who nods in understanding.
"So you’re here to request an emblem. Mr. Evans, please wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back."
The nun says, then quickly walks away. Soon, she returns, accompanied by a middle-aged priest in his forties, wearing a priest’s robe.
"Father Miller, this is Mr. Evans. He’s going to the New Continent for business and has come to request a Holy Father’s Emblem."
The nun introduces John to the priest, Father Miller, who smiles and says to John.
"The Lord’s radiance shines on every devout believer, no matter where they are. For someone as devout as you, Mr. Evans, it’s only natural to seek more of the Lord’s light. May this emblem make you feel the presence of the Holy Father."
With that, Father Miller hands John a small metal emblem. The emblem features an abstract sun with two parallel lines inside—the symbol of the Holy Father.
"Thank you..."
John bows slightly, takes the emblem, examines it carefully, and then puts it away. He then looks at the priest and nun and says earnestly.
"Father Miller, there’s actually one more small matter I’d like to discuss. As you can see, I’m a businessman. I’ve spent half my life traveling for business, so I’ve often neglected my family. To take better care of them, I plan to bring them with me to the New Continent. My wife is a devout believer of the Holy Mother, so I hope to obtain a Holy Mother’s Emblem for her... so that she, too, can feel the Lord’s grace more closely, even in a distant land. Would that be possible?"
John speaks with a pleading tone. Hearing his words, Father Miller shows a hint of hesitation and says.
"You also want a Holy Mother’s Emblem... That’s not impossible, but Mr. Evans, you’ve just received a Holy Father’s Emblem. Asking for a Holy Mother’s Emblem so soon, even if it’s on behalf of someone else, might make others question your piety..."
Father Miller speaks slowly and deliberately. Hearing this, John remains silent, then quietly pulls out another 300 pounds from his wallet and drops it into the offering box. Seeing this, Father Miller’s eyes light up, and his previously hesitant tone becomes smooth and quick.
"Never mind what others think. In our eyes, your piety is unquestionable. For a believer as devout as you, how could we refuse your request for an emblem to ensure your family’s safety?"
With a smile, Father Miller pulls out another emblem from his robe and hands it to John. John takes it and examines it closely, noticing that it is similar to the Holy Father’s Emblem but features an abstract sun with an inverted triangle inside—the symbol of the Holy Mother.
Smiling, John puts the emblem away and continues to look at Father Miller, saying.
"I thank you on behalf of my wife, Father Miller. But I’m afraid there’s one more thing I need to trouble you with. My son is fourteen years old, at an age where he’s extremely curious about the world. Once we’re in the New Continent, I’m sure he’ll run around exploring out of curiosity. I’m worried that without the protection of the Holy Son, he might encounter danger."
John speaks to Father Miller, and at the same time, he pulls out another 300 pounds and drops it into the offering box. Father Miller’s eyes follow the bills as they fall into the box, and he quickly pulls out another emblem.
"Ah... a fourteen-year-old boy in the New Continent... That could indeed be dangerous. But with this emblem, the Holy Son’s protection will always be with him. Under the Holy Son’s guidance, your son will surely grow and thrive in the New Continent, destined for great achievements."
As he speaks, Father Miller hands John the Holy Son’s Emblem, which John gladly accepts. He then says with gratitude.
"Thank you so much, Father. With the protection of the Three Saints’ emblems, my family will surely live a peaceful life in the New Continent."
"It’s nothing. These emblems are meant for the most loyal and devout believers. The piety you’ve shown today, Mr. Evans, is more than enough to earn these emblems for you and your family. Having a believer like you is a blessing for us."
Father Miller responds warmly. Just as John is about to say something more, he notices the three altars of the Three Saints beneath the stained-glass window at the far end of the hall, as well as the smaller, more distant altar of the Savior. He pauses for a moment, then seems to remember something and says.
"Ah, Father Miller, since I’ve already obtained the emblems of the Three Saints, I can now set up a small Radiance Sanctuary in my home in the New Continent. I’ve heard that these three emblems can serve as a miniature altar for the Three Saints. If I could also have an emblem of the Savior, it would complete the sanctuary."
John speaks as if he hadn’t originally planned to ask for the Savior’s Emblem, but since he already has the three emblems of the Three Saints, he might as well complete the set.
Hearing John’s words, Father Miller nods and responds.
"Hmm... You make a good point. Since you already have the emblems of the Three Saints, adding the Savior’s Emblem would allow you to recreate a sanctuary in your home... Mr. Evans, please wait a moment. I’ll be right back."
Father Miller leaves and returns shortly, holding another emblem.
"Sorry for the wait. Here is the Savior’s Emblem. It’s been a while since we last issued one, so it took me some time to find."
He hands the emblem to John. This emblem features a simple abstract sun with no additional symbols. Father Miller gives it to John without waiting for him to drop more money into the offering box, as if he’s simply giving it away.
"Thank you so much, Father Miller. On behalf of my family, I sincerely thank you."
John says gratefully as he accepts the emblem. Father Miller smiles and replies.
"It’s nothing. For a loyal believer like you, Mr. Evans, this is what you deserve. May you and your family have smooth sailing in the New Continent."
With these final words, Father Miller exchanges a few more pleasantries with John before the latter bids farewell and leaves the cathedral. After descending the long staircase and exiting the Cathedral District, John waits at the entrance for a while, hails a carriage, and rides it through the North District. After several twists and turns, he finally stops by a bridge, gets out, and looks around. Spotting a young man, he walks over and hands him the emblems.
The young man then walks alone for a while before stopping by a carriage on the roadside. The carriage window opens, and he reaches inside, quickly withdrawing his hand and leaving.
Inside the carriage, Dorothy, dressed in a lady’s suit, sits holding the four emblems. After inspecting them with her spiritual vision, she frowns and mutters.
"Ugh... The combined spirituality in these four emblems doesn’t even amount to a single point. And they charge 300 pounds for each? These priests are such scammers. With this much money, I could’ve bought one or two storage items from those profiteers."
Dorothy grumbles as she examines the emblems. She had known that the emblems contained some spirituality, but she hadn’t expected it to be so little. She had planned to use the extra emblems as storage items, but that plan is now ruined. The combined Lantern spirituality in these four emblems is less than that of a single spiritual storage item.
"It seems that for the Radiance Church, the emblems given to ordinary people are just high-end placebos—tools to scam money... I spent 900 pounds on these useless things... Ugh..."
Dorothy pouts in frustration but eventually sighs and says.
"Fine... Even though I spent a lot of money, at least the main goal was achieved... The first holy symbol... obtained..."
Muttering to herself, Dorothy picks up the Savior’s Emblem and examines it closely. Although its spirituality is minimal, it is still an authentic emblem made by the church, a genuine symbol of the Savior. It is one of the essential items for Dorothy’s advancement ritual.
Obtaining this emblem took Dorothy a lot of effort today. For ordinary people, the Radiance Church’s emblems are not out of reach. As long as one contributes to the church, they can receive an emblem. This is the church’s rule. For ordinary people, the emblems serve as symbols, talismans, and high-end objects of faith.
For ordinary people, the most common way to contribute is, of course, through donations. As the saying goes, "The clink of coins in the offering box sends souls to heaven." When it comes to using faith to extract money from the masses, the Radiance Church has a long history, often outdoing even the greedy capitalists of the White Craftsmen’s Guild.
Since Vania is still under the scrutiny of both the Serenity Bureau and the church after the Smith Incident, Dorothy didn’t want to involve her in obtaining the Savior’s Emblem. Instead, she used a marionette to act as a donor and literally donated her way to getting the emblem.
Dorothy had previously investigated and found that donating 100 to 200 pounds could potentially get you an emblem, but the safest amount was 300 pounds. To be sure, Dorothy donated this amount three times.
The reason Dorothy didn’t directly ask for the Savior’s Emblem from the start is that the Savior’s faith is a minority within the Radiance Church. Most ordinary believers don’t bypass the Three Saints to worship the Savior directly. If Dorothy had the marionette, John, directly ask for the Savior’s Emblem, it would have raised suspicions.
This could have been linked to the Radiance Church’s heresy, the Savior’s Advent Sect, which preaches that the Three Saints are false and only the Savior should be worshipped.
After careful consideration, Dorothy had John take a roundabout approach. He started by requesting the Holy Father’s Emblem, then the Holy Mother’s and Holy Son’s, and finally used the excuse of completing the set to get the Savior’s Emblem without raising any suspicions. After all, who wouldn’t want to help someone complete their collection?
If she had directly asked for the Savior’s Emblem, she would likely have been suspected of being influenced by heretical ideas, leading to a thorough investigation that would have exposed Dorothy’s marionette.
Even at the entrance of the Hymn Cathedral, a public area, the church has powerful Illuminating Beacons in operation. To get John past these beacons, Dorothy spent 4 points of Shadow, more than she had spent infiltrating the Serenity Bureau.
And this is just the public area of the Cathedral District. Who knows how strong the detection systems are in the church’s more secretive areas? If Dorothy’s marionette had been inspected, it would have been exposed immediately. The 10 or so points of Shadow Dorothy has are like a drop in the ocean when facing the church—there’s no way they could withstand scrutiny. Therefore, when requesting the emblems, Dorothy had to ensure that John wouldn’t be suspected. In the end, she succeeded, but at the cost of 900 pounds.