Chapter 374: Facing Greed
「It seems you’re quite confident about being able to annihilate them, aren’t you？」Jeremiah said.
「It’s already the New Testament Era. The things that belonged to the Old Testament have fulfilled their mission and should naturally retreat from the stage. It’s just that some greedy ones refuse to withdraw, that’s all,」the bard replied.
「But just like every story must move forward, those greedy ones wishing to return to the Old Testament era—it’s simply impossible.」
Jeremiah asked,「Then what do you think brought about the arrival of the New Testament？」
The bard replied without hesitation,「Of course, it’s because the Lord passed down His Words, and with exalted bishops and priests like yourself spreading those Words to everyone, the New Testament Era came.」
Jeremiah couldn’t help but laugh. He then asked,「Is that what you think, or is that what you bards believe？」
The bard responded,「It’s what I believe. But I think it’s also what we bards all believe.」
Jeremiah nodded and said,「You’re quite impressive.」
The bard replied,「It’s my honor to be praised by you.」
Jeremiah said,「I need you to do something for me.」
Without hesitation, the bard replied,「Please, go ahead.」
Jeremiah said,「There’s word of an Old Testament deity in the Woodlands. I need you to investigate and find out if one has truly descended.」
「News about a deity？」the bard said, his voice slightly excited.「Alright, once matters here are settled, I’ll head to the Woodlands to investigate the Old Testament deity for you.」
「No, go now,」Jeremiah said.
The bard was stunned.「Isn’t my presence here still needed？」
Jeremiah said,「Not just you—those currently singing poetry for the knights are no longer needed either. Have them leave with you.」
The bard's theatrical tone vanished. He spoke seriously,「The nobles are still feasting, but without bards calming them, those knights might step out.」
Jeremiah shook his head and said,「Just as you said, this is already the New Testament Era. You all should start adapting to it—especially now that you’re part of it.」
The bard’s expression became unreadable. Jeremiah’s words left him a little confused.
Jeremiah didn’t elaborate. He simply told him,「Take the other bards and leave. Your task is complete.」
The bard hesitated but finally said,「As you will. We shall take our leave.」
With that, the bard quietly left. His footsteps made not a single sound.
Once the bard departed, silence fell upon the great cathedral.
After a moment, Jeremiah spoke,「There’s no one else here now. Will you still not show yourself？」
Silence. No response.
Jeremiah continued,「Thank you for your help—for keeping those knights submerged in illusory greed. No matter how much fear they feel inside, they won’t leave that place now to seek the root of their fear.」
Still silence. Still no voice answered Jeremiah.
This time, Jeremiah remained quiet for a long while before he began to recite:「The foundations of the world were laid firm. The Lord willed life to stir within the void. From that stirring came all things in the world. They knew nothing of this world, thus were blank and ignorant.」
「The Lord could not bear such clarity in the world. Thus, the Lord granted all things curiosity toward the unknown and a drive to explore the future.」
「Yet the things of this world are not the primordial deities. Even should they spend a lifetime exploring, they cannot comprehend this world. And so, some weary among them chose to stop seeking.」
「But curiosity for the unknown and exploration of the future were the Lord’s gifts. By abandoning them, those beings developed certain emotions toward those who did not forsake these gifts—those emotions were their original sin. Meanwhile, those who retained the Lord’s gifts were deemed virtuous.」
Jeremiah was reciting a passage from the Book of Genesis in the New Testament Scriptures—a passage that defined the birth of original sin and virtue.
And so, the one Jeremiah had invited could finally hold back no longer and spoke:「Bullshit!」
Jeremiah fell silent, clutching the silver cross on his chest tightly.
Just that voice alone felt like countless mouths whispering beside his ears. Those whispers caressed his soul like hands, probing his desires, as if to dig out greed from its deepest recesses and magnify it until it engulfed his entire being.
「We were born at the dawn of the world, before life itself. That fellow thinks he can erase us with words like these？」the voice was filled with fury.
Jeremiah felt dizzy, as if he were a leaf swept into a vast ocean, unable to discern sky from earth.
He could only shut his eyes tightly.
「You are his servant, an extension of his will, and yet you cannot even withstand my words. Such feeble weakness, and you still dare recite such lines？」It spoke.
「I am Greed, the embodiment of all greed in this world. So long as life exists, so does greed. Beasts hunt by instinct—that is their greed for life. Plants grow—that is their greed for survival. And the greed of the wise knows no bounds. Just like you—what you desire is the Heavenly Kingdom on Earth. That is the most potent greed of all.」
「And those who seek to extinguish greed are none but the corpses buried deep within the earth and the fallen stones of the mountains.」
「All other living things in this world are but my slaves.」
Even though Jeremiah’s ears were filled with whispers, he could still clearly hear the voice.
It was the voice of the Original Sin—Greed.
Jeremiah gave up trying to find his footing in that endless tide. Like one standing firm in stormy waters, he declared resolutely:「It is precisely because of such greed that people strive forward. Just like my own greed for the Heavenly Kingdom on Earth—because it is a beautiful thing, the object of my greed is beauty.」
「But greed is powerless. If one only has greed, can the Heavenly Kingdom descend？」
「Therefore, greed is the original sin. For if all one has is greed, one loses the future. And without a future, one becomes what you described—buried corpses and fallen stones.」
「And those who refuse to become such corpses and stones must cast you—Greed—down and make you a slave, paving the road beneath their feet toward the beautiful things they seek!」