Outside the Great Sept of Baelor.
The High Septon was slowly helped down the steps by two devout servants of the Gods.
Under the bright sunlight, the Seven-Pronged Crystal Crown on the High Septon's head radiated a seven-colored light, sacred and magnificent, signifying the grace of the Seven.
Nearby young Monks and Septas looked over curiously.
There were seventy-seven steps outside the Sept. The corpulent High Septon disliked them and usually preferred to deliver sermons and other activities only from the pulpit high up, rarely moving around.
At that moment, seven more servants carried over a beautiful sedan chair and stopped right in front of the High Septon. The sedan chair's door was open, waiting for the High Septon to descend the steps.
Everyone knew that outside the Great Sept of Baelor, the High Septon's feet rarely touched the ground.
The High Septon carefully held the magnificent crown on his head, leaned down with effort, and sat into this specially made sedan chair.
"Let's go," he said, panting and waving his hand wearily.
The servant attending him immediately lowered the curtain of the sedan chair door. The light inside the chair instantly became much quieter and softer. Then the sedan chair was lifted and began to gently sway rhythmically, like a soft massage.
The High Septon closed his eyes, breathing in the faint incense, letting his thoughts wander freely.
He was too tired.
The new King was too willful. The coronation ceremony on the Seventh Day of the Seventh Month was such a good opportunity. The King could gain prestige from it, and the Faith could gather more devout belief for the Seven.
But the Giant that appeared at the end ruined everything.
From that moment on, people's faith in the Seven was no longer out of gratitude or good wishes. Awe and fear dominated the ignorant lambs, making them kneel and kowtow, letting themselves be manipulated.
The Long Night's Doomsday? The will of the Gods? The High Septon didn't believe it.
If that were truly the case, why would Divine Grace be bestowed upon the King, rather than His most loyal Emissary in the world?
To show their sincere service, the Monks of the Faith had given up their family names, and he himself had even given up his personal name, willing to be a tool to convey the divine will to the world. Could it be that all of this was just wishful thinking?
The High Septon instinctively felt a threat.
The King occupied the most glorious and elevated position. His Giant was firmly entrenched in the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people in King's Landing, almost replacing the image of the High Septons.
This was too terrifying.
It was necessary to make the world understand that the Faith was the Emissary of the Seven. Otherwise, no matter how much they preached, it would only add to the King's power in vain.
Thump~
The sedan chair gently landed. They had arrived at their destination.
The High Septon adjusted the crown on his head again, and a standard benevolent smile appeared on his round face. Then he pushed aside the door curtain.
A black-haired Gold Cloak pointed ahead, "High Septon, please hurry. Your Majesty is waiting for you."
The High Septon narrowed his Eyes and looked. The wide and magnificent doors of the Throne Room were tightly shut, seeming much smaller than usual.
They actually stopped me so far away? Do I have to walk myself?
"High Septon?" the black-haired officer urged again.
After all, it was the Red Keep. The High Septon could only leave his beloved sedan chair and walk forward alone.
But he had overestimated himself.
For a distance of a few hundred steps, it took him a full quarter of an hour to finally drag his body into the Throne Room.
Now he felt as if he had just eaten a hundred holy meals in a row for the Seven, performed a thousand rituals, and chanted ten thousand hymns, exhausted to the point of despair.
Fortunately, he saw an empty chair placed in front of the Iron Throne.
The Gods bless!
The High Septon rushed over in a state of discomposure, his heart filled with deep gratitude at this moment.
"It seems the sun is nice today. High Septon, you've sweated a lot," Joffrey, seated high on the Throne, said indifferently.
The High Septon raised his head. The Iron Throne before him had indeed changed its appearance.
The countless high-standing spikes and blades that were originally there had disappeared, turning into flowing marks imprinted on the high platform of the Throne, supporting the King at the highest point.
The Iron Throne seemed to have lost its majesty, or perhaps it had simply transferred its majesty to the King himself.
The High Septon straightened his body, "Your Majesty makes light of me. The duties of the High Septon prevent me from being idle. I am busy with prayer and have neglected exercise, so I usually use a sedan chair for transportation."
"So that's it. The High Septon is indeed worthy of being the spokesperson of the Seven. Truly devout."
The King's tone was very normal, but the High Septon found it quite awkward to listen to. "May I ask the reason for Your Majesty's summons today?"
A servant brought iced red tea, and the High Septon drank it in one gulp.
Joffrey's gaze lingered on the seven-colored crown on the High Septon's head. "It's nothing major, just discussing some doctrines."
After drinking a cup of iced tea, the High Septon immediately felt refreshed, and his mood improved significantly.
"What does Your Majesty not understand? Feel free to ask."
Joffrey smiled. I don't understand? You're really getting carried away.
"High Septon, you don't know this, but the marks of the Seven have been wrong all these years." The King didn't seem to be joking.
The smile on the High Septon's face instantly vanished.
The King said, "The Father, the Mother, the Maiden, the Crone, the Smith, the Warrior, the Stranger, the Seven Gods are manifested in these seven faces, guiding the world through life. But we all know, the Seven are one."
The High Septon could not object; these were all correct platitudes.
"Then why does the Faith use the seven-pointed star as its symbol?" The King's words were startling.
Ah? The High Septon was completely taken aback.
"High Septon, which face do you think the Seven Gods prefer? The Father? The Mother?" The King pressed seriously.
The High Septon answered devoutly, "Any face. God loves the world, loves all sentient beings."
The King shook his head, "You guessed wrong. The Seven Gods love all sentient beings, but He loves being the Father even more, presiding over judgment and justice for the world."
"Therefore," the King held up a shining brass six-pointed star symbol, "the Father should stand in the center to be worshipped by the world, with the other six statues outside. The Seven Gods should be a six-pointed star!"
The High Septon was dumbfounded. A six-pointed star? Are you insane!
But the King, covered in flames, walked down from the Throne, leaving scorching red footprints on the steel. "You don't believe?"
"You really don't believe at all?"
The air was so hot that breathing was painful. The High Septon couldn't help but lower his head, the words of protest stuck in his throat.
The King extended his right hand and grasped the seven-pronged crown on the High Septon's head.
"The Seven Gods have bestowed Divine Grace upon me and sent down Divine Will. Of course, I know what He loves most. To tell you the truth, He likes the six-pointed star."
The heavy crown was removed. The High Septon not only felt a sudden lightness on his head but also a large void in his heart.
He remembered the crown and scepter the King had personally seized during his coronation, and the light and heat the Giant had radiated. Damn it, he had actually dared to resist such Divine Power before.
Snap
The High Septon flinched violently, but thankfully the King only placed his burning palm on his head.
"High Septon, the Seven Gods have brought Divine Grace and Divine Will. Kneel." The King's voice was calm and distant, as if from an unknowable faraway place.
After all, it was Divine Grace. The High Septon knelt devoutly.
"The entire Faith will be reorganized into the Ministry of the Gospel, under the Divine Emissary, to spread the gospel to the world."
"Every Sunday will be Worship Day, and all believers must pray."
The High Septon trembled all over. An inexplicable Divine Power entered his consciousness, and he was powerless to resist.
"Let the contract be the proof."
When he looked up again, the High Septon's eyes had never been so fanatical and sincere, as if looking at the Supreme Father. "Your Majesty, it is the six-pointed star."
The King merely smiled.
"In four days, the Twenty-Sixth Day of the Seventh Month will be the first Sunday. The Faith must perform well."
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