CH-023

The church was actually situated at the very edge of the small town. Usually, the town’s activities wouldn’t affect the church; one always had to walk through several blocks to reach the city center. Furthermore, the church was separated from the trade route by a forest path, making it very convenient to travel outward without being seen.

Behind the church, it also leaned against a continuous mountain range.

That entire mountain area was the private property of the territory’s Duke. Rumor had it that the house of Duke Fretes was deep within, and ordinary people were forbidden from entering or leaving.

The peak of that mountain could be seen at a glance, looking as if it could be reached in a few steps, but to truly use two legs to walk into the depths would be much more difficult and distant than imagined.

When Shu Li first arrived at the church, he had been instructed by Elder Jager on the basic layout of the Savoy region—

Their church was actually separated from the Duke’s house by a single mountain; they were even closer than the people in the town.

However, the town had a road specifically leading to the Duke’s house, while the church did not. If Shu Li wanted to visit the Duke, he either had to take the mountain paths and cross the riverbeds, or circle around the town in a massive loop.

“So it’s essentially a one-way street,” Shu Li thought to himself as he listened to Elder Jager’s explanation, drawing a maze-like floor plan in his mind. “Based on that, our church and the Duke’s house are practically neighbors?”

Just like in a maze, where the exit and entrance are clearly right next to each other, but actually walking the path takes much more effort than imagined.

Elder Jager felt something wasn’t quite right, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

He said that regardless of whether they were neighbors, do not get involved with the Duke.

“Because the Duke hates the Church.”

This sentence hadn’t even passed its three-month expiration date when Shu Li, while going to the town entrance with Constable Rayley, was suddenly fed a mouthful of gossip.

“Priest Alis, do you know?”

Constable Rayley walked a few steps, and seeing that there was no one else around, spoke mysteriously.

Shu Li glanced at him, waiting for him to continue.

Rayley lowered his voice and said: “I heard that the Lord Duke is going to enter a political marriage with the eldest daughter of the Patriarch of the Metropolitan Holy Church.”

Shu Li’s heart jolted.

Wasn’t it said that the Duke hates the Church?

Rayley added: “I heard this is one of the conditions proposed when the peace agreement was signed between the Northern Territory and the Holy Church.”

—Oh, oh, so that’s how it is.

Although he didn’t quite understand the specific situation, it basically meant that the Northern Territory and the Church intended to live in harmony during this period?

Shu Li thought to himself.

“By the way, what holy rank does a Patriarch belong to?” Constable Rayley asked.

“A ‘Patriarch’ is an existence second only to the Pope.”

Below the Patriarch, there are layers of high holy offices, such as Arch-Primate, Cardinal, Primate, Metropolitan, Archbishop, and the Diocesan Bishop of the local church; then it is divided down to the Dean of the local parish, and finally down to the Priests and Deacons of the towns and villages.

Taking the Savoy pastoral area as an example, it, along with the neighboring Shili Church and over a dozen other pastoral areas, belongs to the Carson local diocese.

The Carson local diocese falls under the jurisdiction of the Northern Territory’s Diocesan Bishop.

The Northern Territory’s Diocesan Bishop, in turn, is managed by the Metropolitan Archbishop.

One could also use a game as an analogy—

The Pope is the unique ultimate boss of the entire server.

The Archbishop is a top-tier boss.

A Priest belongs to the rank of a low-level NPC responsible for giving players daily quests, the kind that players might not even be willing to pay attention to.

After Shu Li smoothed out the complicated hierarchy of superiors, he summarized: “So, Leslie is about to welcome a stepmother of very high status?”

“And two older brothers,” Rayley added.

Shu Li was stunned.

Was this part in the original book?

But very quickly, he reacted.

He had always been quite puzzled; Leslie seemed like an only child, yet he bore the crime of “patricide” or “fratricide.”

Where did Leslie’s brothers go?

So they were here.

And there were two of them.

This was practically a gender-swapped version of “Cinderella.”

However, this “Cinderella” didn’t wait for a “Prince” but became an Emperor himself.

Before Shu Li could even digest this gossip, Rayley stuffed him with more: “I heard that Leslie’s stepmother is his biological mother’s cousin and looks somewhat similar to the former Duchess. This is probably the reason why the Lord Duke is willing to marry her, right?”

“Our Lord Duke truly loved our Duchess deeply,” Rayley sighed. “But precisely because of this, Leslie is hated so down to the bone. Even when passing through the Savoy pastoral area over these ten years, he hasn’t been willing to come over and take a look at Leslie.”

Shu Li didn’t feel that this behavior of transferring the pain of losing a wife onto a child counted as a manifestation of “loving one’s wife.” Either the person truly didn’t know how to express love normally, or they didn’t love at all.

He didn’t agree.

Shu Li shook his head in his heart.

He didn’t want to discuss such a heavy topic either.

Shu Li said: “So, will the Duke’s wedding include Leslie as well?”

“That is unknown.”

After Rayley finished speaking, he caught the young priest’s expression out of the corner of his eye. Noticing the priest’s conservative expression on this topic, he spoke more proactively: “Priest Alis, what do you think would be a suitable thing for Leslie to do given this situation?”

Shu Li was caught between laughter and tears.

So he had been waiting for him here.

To be honest, Shu Li didn’t have a savior complex, nor did he plan to proactively worry on anyone’s behalf—especially since, under his own subjective will, he wouldn’t just interfere with someone else’s state of life at random.

This point was also very unprofessional.

Furthermore, the root of the problem wasn’t with Leslie at all, but with that problematic father of his.

To put it simply, most of the time, the one who is sick is not the person seeking help, but their family of origin.

Shu Li didn’t refuse directly, only saying: “For this kind of matter, one must seek help from the Lord to receive a more accurate response.”

After these words fell, Shu Li thought Constable Rayley would understand he didn’t want to get involved and realize he was making an excuse. As it turned out, Rayley suddenly had an epiphany and looked at Shu Li with glowing eyes.

“Really?”

Shu Li couldn’t help but replay his own words. He shouldn’t have said he would help Leslie, right?

Constable Rayley pressed further: “Is it okay even if they aren’t a believer?”

Shu Li held his inner doubts, adding calmly on the surface: “God treats non-believers with the same impartiality.”

Rayley looked as if he had heard some kind of confirmation, and light lit up in his eyes, “I’ll remember that.”

Shu Li began to deeply question himself.

He really didn’t make any external guarantees, did he?

Why was Rayley so happy?

In any case, the road is always much shorter during conversation.

After this round of chatting, Shu Li could already see a tattered figure lying on the ground, rising and falling slightly. Beside him lay a ragged small cloth bag. The mouth of the bag had split open, revealing a few shriveled small potatoes.

Seeing the target person, Rayley asked: “Priest Alis, what do you think?”

Shu Li walked a few steps closer before clearly seeing a crude crutch pinned under the ragged robes. On that dust-colored fabric, several dark red bloodstains were mottled, the color already turned black. His gaze darkened as he spoke, “He can’t continue to lie here. Let’s take him back first.”

Shu Li knelt down, his gaze quickly scanning the ascetic’s exposed injuries. In the air, he smelled a faint scent of bl00d and continued asking: “Is there a doctor in town?”

Rayley reacted immediately: “There is no doctor in the small town, but Yvonne, who is in charge of managing the books, is our herbalist. Shall I go and call her over?”

Just as the voice fell, the figure on the ground suddenly moved slightly.

He had actually heard parts of their conversation, but his body wouldn’t obey him.

Now that they wanted to move him, the ascetic gathered his strength to resist.

Thus, a difficult and weak voice emerged from him, “I can stand up, I can still walk, I’m just resting… you don’t need to help me. I just walked all night… lying here for a while is fine…”

Shu Li was more persistent than him, saying: “If the Lord wished for you to continue lying here, He wouldn’t have let me walk here and encounter you.”

The ascetic wanted to speak again, but Shu Li’s voice fell, brooks no argument: “Follow my arrangements. Don’t move recklessly.”

When encountering a person with such an obstinate personality, one must be even more determined than the other’s attitude; refusal is not permitted.

Sure enough, the ascetic opened his mouth, and finally could only respond weakly: “…Alright.”

At the same time, his gaze passed through his scattered bangs.

The ascetic Priest Simeon caught a glimpse of Shu Li’s profile.

He didn’t fully see Priest Alis’s facial features.

But that silhouette was cold and clear, making one think of a silver statue, emitting a moonlight-like cold and distant glow.

A moment later, he fainted again.