Chapter 34: Miracles and Lies
“Priest Corleon!” George’s voice rang out.
“Is this a miracle bestowed by the Lord? Because He knows we will rebuild the Lord’s Throne, so He grants us this miracle!” he exclaimed.
Corleon looked over; George’s eyes were filled with fervor.
Perhaps, for someone like George, born of the lowest class, this truly was a miracle from the Lord.
“Yes, this is a miracle bestowed by the Lord,” Corleon lied, a smile on his face. “This is the Lord’s affirmation of us.”
“These stones will construct the new sanctuary.”
“Praise the Lord…” George knelt to the ground, praying devoutly.
Even without entering the world of light, Corleon could feel that, in this moment, the faith George offered was equivalent to ten days’ worth under normal circumstances.
“Priest George, I have received a revelation from the Lord,” Corleon said.
“The Lord says that believers who come to worship at the church during the night demonstrate their devotion, but they lack proper shoes, their clothes cannot shield them from the night’s chill, and their lives are threatened by beasts along the roadside.”
“The Lord says they are devout and should not suffer such hardships.”
“Therefore, the Lord wishes to establish small chapels in their villages, so they can worship without enduring such suffering.”
“However, the Flower Church is a sanctuary, the original seat of the Lord’s Throne, so I cannot reside in the small chapels.”
“Monk George, are you willing to reside in the small chapel and assist those devout believers?”
“I am willing, Priest Corleon,” George replied without hesitation. “I will help them; I will spread the Lord’s teachings.”
“Very well. In the coming days, I will transcribe a copy of the Holy Scriptures for you. You must commit the Scriptures to memory and engage in constant practice,” Corleon said.
“I will teach you how to prepare the Sacrament and Holy Water. You must distribute them to those in need, just as we did at the Flower Church.”
“I will provide you with the specifications for the small chapel as inspired by the Lord. The Daniels Family will assist you in constructing the chapel.”
“I will give you a new Sacred Cross. Place it upon the Lord’s Throne, and the Lord’s will shall descend here, watching over the believers.”
…
York Town, Leaky Jug Tavern.
The usually bustling tavern was unusually quiet today, with only Yara and her three companions eating and drinking.
Yesterday, the commoners were ordered by the guards to stay at home. When the ban was lifted, those who ventured out suddenly received news: the lord had been replaced.
They were surprised.
Then came relief.
They didn’t care who the lord was; after all, any lord would exploit them.
They feared war, feared swords and spears.
But after the relief came worry.
What kind of lord was the new one? Would taxes increase again? Was he a benevolent lord?
However, for the powerful, these were not concerns. They only worried whether the new lord’s promises would be fulfilled.
Just like the Daniels Family—the lord’s people had promised that Weilin, the head of the Daniels Family, could join the lord’s personal guard, and after making contributions, would be knighted.
Generally, family heads wouldn’t take positions outside the family, but Weilin’s presence or absence made little difference to the Daniels Family.
At most, he was just another strong and gluttonous fool.
But once Weilin became part of the lord’s personal guard, the Daniels Family would be affiliated with the new lord, and being part of the personal guard was, in some ways, better than being a knight.
As for being knighted, Yara never had such extravagant hopes.
“Miss Yara, you’re here quite early,” the tavern door opened, and Administrator Piero walked in.
“Just happened to be nearby,” Yara replied, then looked at Ando.
“Ando, go back to your room and rest for a bit.”
Her gaze carried a warning.
Shrinking his neck, Ando recalled the suffering he endured yesterday after resisting his sister’s proposal for him to live at the church.
He obediently returned to his room.
“Such a cute lad,” Piero approached, smiling.
“Also quite a handful,” Yara said. “I heard the lord returned to the Lundex Territory yesterday?”
“Who knows? No one saw the lord leave town, and the servants cleaning the fortress didn’t see him either,” Piero signaled the bartender for a glass of honey wine.
“So mysterious.”
“But this lord is merciful. Even Sir Helvin’s blood relatives were merely expelled from town. At least we don’t have to worry about being purged.”
“Who knows if this mercy is appropriate,” Yara said. “If it is, then all is well. But if it’s excessive…”
“Of course, I’ve already instructed some of our family members to lay low for a few days. At least until we figure out the lord’s temperament before taking action,” Piero said.
“However, based on what my people have discovered about the Lundex Territory, we might need to prepare to abandon those ‘nails.’”
Nails—spies planted at various key points in the York Territory.
“That would be truly unfortunate,” Yara felt a headache coming on.
The Daniels Family had quite a few nails, and eighty percent of the family’s income came from them.
“Maybe not. After all, the York Territory is ten times larger than the Lundex Territory. Removing all the nails would be costly,” Piero said casually.
As an administrator, he didn’t rely on such unseemly methods for his main income.
Of course, his family also controlled a few nails.
After all, if other families had them, his family had to have them too.
“Perhaps,” Yara wasn’t so optimistic.
Unlike Piero and the others, Yara had met that person once, so she understood well that he was not to be defied.
“What about that bitch Terry? Her son, Knight Zorn, is the only one unwilling to bow. Will her family be punished?” Yara changed the subject.
“Our merciful lord even spared Sir Helvin’s blood relatives, let alone just the Adams Family,” Piero laughed.
The feud between the Daniels and Adams families was no secret; everyone in their circle knew.
Yara would bluntly call Terry a bitch, while Terry would refer to Yara as the ‘blonde little cow.’
“However, I heard the lord’s advisor mage rejected Terry’s request to sew a robe for the lord,” Piero added upon seeing Yara’s angry expression.
“Ha, looks like that bitch is in trouble,” to Yara, this was good news.
“So, are you going to take action against her?” Piero suddenly asked.
“If I could, I’d love to capture that bitch, strip her naked, hang her under the city wall, and whip her ass until it’s raw,” Yara said viciously, then composed herself.
“But now I have to consider cooperating with her.”
The Daniels Family was rooted in the villages.
Perhaps their wealth and military strength were greater than the town families, but they weren’t part of the core power circle.
So, if they wanted to maintain their family’s strength and enter the power circle, they had to cooperate with the town families.
And after losing contact with the lord, the Adams Family would become a marginal family, just like Alton’s family.
Yara had considered cooperating with Alton, but that guy was too greedy—he even wanted to marry Yara.
During their discussion, when Alton proposed this, Weilin nearly killed him.
Although he didn’t end up killing him, he did cripple one of Alton’s arms.
In the end, the deal fell through, and some people in their circle looked down on the Daniels Family even more.
They thought the Daniels Family were just country bumpkins.
That’s why Yara didn’t bring Weilin along this time.