Chapter 144: Sacrament Ritual
“Rest assured, Knight, that kind of sacrament does not exist in the Holy City.” High Priest Everton said.
“Before the founding of the Theocracy, the Theocratic Saint and the author of the Doctrine, Zezel, did such things.”
“Of course, by the time he died, his existence had been erased by that thing, so many within the Theocracy are unaware of his existence. Only those of us who have reached the position of High Priest can barely remember his name and deeds.”
“When he first led the initial group of Believers to practice the Doctrine, he used some rather unsavory methods.”
“And Knight, you must have guessed already—I used to be a scholar.”
George nodded. Only Scholars and Mages were so sensitive to Mystery, and compared to being a scholar, Mages preferred venturing into dangerous places and contacting dangerous things.
Moreover, this was the first time since entering the Theocracy that he had heard anyone from the Theocracy mention Zezel’s name.
He had tentatively asked Landon about Zezel last night, but Landon said he had never heard of him. However, he noted that the name of the Holy City included the syllable ‘Ze’ and asked if George had remembered it wrong.
“Scholars can wield the power of rituals, and these rituals are generally inherited from very ancient legendary events. Only after they gain mysterious power can they be deconstructed by scholars and utilized in ritual form.” High Priest Everton said.
“However, the deeds of Saint Zezel didn’t even last a year before becoming a ritual imbued with mysterious power under the influence of that thing.”
“To purify the sinner’s sins with flames and retain a pure body—that shall be the flesh blessed by the Lord, the Sacrament that allows lost lambs to hear the Lord’s Teachings.” High Priest Everton recited.
“This is what we’ve uncovered during this time—the Sacrament Ritual relies on a Foundation.”
“And the result of completing this ritual is the creation of the most fanatical believers of the Holy Chant.”
“They will fear nothing. They will hold extreme hatred toward sinners. They will dedicate everything to the Lord. They will firmly believe that everything they do is fighting for the Lord, and that after death, they will enter the Heavenly Kingdom of the Lord.”
“Of course, this is just what is written in the ritual procedure.”
“In reality, after completing the ritual, they become husks assimilated by the spirit. According to our scholarly research, the person is already dead, leaving behind only a living corpse caught between the living and the Undead.”
George remained silent. He had personally experienced that event.
“So, that’s why there’s questioning during the city entrance inspection about whether one has consumed the Sacrament?” he asked.
“Yes. As the name of this city suggests, this is the final Holy City of the Theocracy.” High Priest Everton said.
“But I’ve seen those priests in the villages…”
“Ha, those fellows are nothing more than opportunists without a shred of compassion.” High Priest Everton’s face twisted with disgust as he spoke of them.
“Among them are Local Gentry, Enlightened individuals, and purely greedy ones.”
“They learned of the Sacrament Ritual and disguised themselves as Devout Believers, posing as Theocracy Priests. With a few strong guards, Sacred Scriptures, and the flags of the Theocracy, they led the confused villagers to perform the Sacrament Ritual in the Lord’s name.”
“Now that the Theocracy is in famine, lost lambs, driven by hunger, would even eat mutton if it was placed before them.”
“Even if the Patriarch broke through their manors and fortresses, he couldn’t completely wipe them out.”
“They’re like insects—just when you think you’ve killed them all, they crawl out from some hidden corner again.”
High Priest Everton’s voice was filled with fury.
George thought of the Monk from Landon’s village.
“They’re not scholars. Can they still use ritual power?” he asked.
“Ha, ritual power is not exclusive to scholars.” High Priest Everton snorted. “Back then, the one who completed this ritual—Saint Zezel—was just an ordinary commoner.”
“And besides…” High Priest Everton trailed off, not finishing his sentence.
“What about the Theocracy now…” George hesitated, then asked.
“Yes, the Theocracy is nearly finished.” High Priest Everton sighed. “It wasn’t destroyed by nobles, but by people within the Theocracy who used ritual power to bring about its ruin.”
George fell silent.
High Priest Everton also quieted down and led George to a castle.
“This used to be the castle of a Count. After this became the Holy City, it was transformed into the Zeda Great Church.”
“Of course, the name is quite… hmm.” High Priest Everton’s mood seemed to lift slightly as he smiled.
“But since the name was personally chosen by the Patriarch, no one objected.”
“I suppose it was to commemorate Saint Zezel.”
The cathedral hall was converted from the castle’s main hall. On the central Lord’s Throne stood a Cross, flanked by rows of Purple Cross Painted in Blood Flags.
At this moment, many Believers were seated in the hall. Their clothing was much cleaner than the Commoners George had seen in the city, with no visible holes.
A Priest stood beneath the Lord’s Throne reciting from the Sacred Scriptures—the same Sacred Scriptures George had.
The seated Believers chanted along.
High Priest Everton simply watched these people, shook his head, sighed, and led George further inside.
“The Nobles and Local Gentry were all killed when the Theocratic Army passed through.”
“But as long as people gather, classes will form. And with classes, naturally, new ones arise to replace the roles of the Local Gentry and Nobles.”
“These are merchants who control certain resources within the Holy City.”
“Don’t be fooled by their pious participation in worship. In their hearts, they’re probably thinking about which passage from the Sacred Scriptures will help them hoard resources.”
“Their piety toward the Lord doesn’t even match that of the Believers living in the drainage outlets.”
High Priest Everton spoke while walking. George followed, spotting several people in robes holding Sacred Scriptures.
“They were originally apprentices of us scholars. They don’t actually believe in the Lord. To them, the Lord is just a tool—a means to maintain order and stability in the Holy City.”
“Of course, the three of us don’t believe in the Lord either. After all, if such a Lord truly existed, why wouldn’t He perform miracles to save this land?”
“The Lord’s Devout Believers are praying, hoping the Lord will deliver them from this tragic plight.”
After finishing, High Priest Everton glanced sideways at George.
“I’ve also heard that the original Sacred Scriptures of the Saint came from a Temple Warrior of the Church of the Sanctuary.”
“And the Lord spoken of by the Saint and worshipped by the Theocracy is also the one from the Church of the Sanctuary.”
“You are a Knight from the Church of the Sanctuary. So, could you tell me—where the Church of the Sanctuary is based, is it the same as what you’ve seen in the Theocracy?”
He asked, his tone probing.
“Of course not.” George replied without hesitation.
“In the Church of the Sanctuary, every Priest and Monk must undergo the Bishop’s evaluation. Only those who pass the evaluation can become Monks or Priests.”
“And before I left the Church, there was only one Priest in the Church of the Sanctuary.”
“That Priest, like the Priests of the Theocracy, was responsible for building churches in villages and guiding Believers.”
“Spreading the Lord’s Teachings and leading people toward goodness.”
“The Church’s Sacrament is nothing more than bread, offered to those who are suffering from hunger to fill their bellies.”
“And the Lord truly exists. We are extensions of the Lord’s power, and this power is meant to drive out evil.”
“When the Bishop sent me to the Theocracy, he simply said that Zezel was an Aberrant who believed in the Lord.”