Rows of flickering candles illuminated the room, wax oil rolling down the white candle bodies. An old man wearing a Dalaris priest's robe stood before the statue, head bowed and eyes closed, as if listening to the Goddess's teachings, his expression pious.
Suddenly, the door behind him was pushed open. A black-robed servant hurried in and whispered a few words in the old man's ear.
The old man slowly opened his eyes, tapped his glabella with wrinkled fingers, then turned around. His brown pupils stared at the black-robed servant, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "Did you hear clearly?"
"Father Satuk, I heard clearly. Father Maiev of the Church of Truth indeed told the believers so." The servant answered respectfully, "Not only did he not distribute holy water, but he also kept the church doors closed until recently, when he suddenly appeared and made a declaration."
Father Satuk was expressionless. He extended a dry, withered hand, skin clinging to the bone like tree bark, and picked up a wide-mouthed wine glass inlaid with gold patterns from in front of the statue. While swirling the liquid inside, red as blood, he fell into deep thought.
"Smart..."
He suddenly sighed.
"Smart?"
The servant was confused. "Those believers didn't believe a word he said. How can that be considered smart?"
"Not believing now doesn't mean not believing in the future..."
Father Satuk took a sip of the red liquid and said faintly, "I was too impatient and made a very serious mistake. I hope the Goddess of Health, Vield, can forgive my rashness..."
The servant beside him was still completely confused. In his opinion, Father Satuk's decision tonight was absolutely correct!
A small stratagem could force other churches to act. He could never have come up with such a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone.
"In chaotic times, brilliant new stars are bound to rise. Bishop Fowler was right; we should hold our troops and wait for the Pope's decree."
Father Satuk put down the wine glass and asked indifferently, "Where is the file on the Church of Truth?"
The black-robed servant hurriedly took out a thin file from the drawer of a nearby table and handed it to the priest.
"Maiev Enders, 26 years old. Vice-Commander of the Saint Martir Fleet, former Royal Navy Lieutenant. King Rhodes IV personally awarded him the Royal Medal of Honor. He participated in many missions personally commissioned by the King. In the Battle of Perea, after Commander Touré Crowley was shot and fell into the water, he commanded the fleet to sink a total of 35 ships of the Bourbon Kingdom's Super Joint Fleet... Damn it!"
Thud!
Father Satuk slammed the file heavily onto the table, his face grim. "How could such a person run to New Ross City to be a small priest?! He had a bright future in the Royal Navy!"
Seeing the priest lose his composure, which was rare, the black-robed servant felt a chill in his heart. "Is he very troublesome?"
"Haa..."
Taking a deep breath, Father Satuk stabilized his mind and said, "Currently, the capital is not peaceful. The balance of power has not tilted to our side. King Rhodes IV will not easily relinquish power... Why am I telling you this? You don't need to know these things."
The black-robed servant rolled his eyes and lowered his voice, "Father, I suddenly remembered something. I don't know if I should say it."
"What do you want to say?"
"Think about it. Since this Maiev Enders is a recipient of the Royal Medal of Honor, it means he has made great contributions to the kingdom. Such a person usually has a bright future and unlimited potential. Yet he abandoned the honor that was within easy reach and ran to a border town to be a priest..."
"Isn't that suspicious?"
Father Satuk narrowed his eyes, a dangerous light flashing in them. "You mean, there is a huge conspiracy behind Maiev Enders becoming a priest in New Ross City?"
"If he were a fool, then even if there was a conspiracy, it wouldn't be anything to fear. But Father, you just said yourself that he is very smart, a ruthless character. So I thought a bit more. If I'm wrong, please forgive me, Father..." The black-robed servant lowered his head, acting terrified and humble.
"No, not only are you not wrong, but you also reminded me."
With a wave of his hand, Father Satuk 'magnanimously' forgave him. "Bring paper and pen. I want to report this matter immediately. Regardless of whether there is a conspiracy behind Maiev Enders establishing the church, we must guard against it!"
"Yes, Father. This way, the mistake you made today can reasonably turn into a merit..." The black-robed servant smiled while preparing the paper and pen.
"What did you say?!"
"So... sorry, I misspoke..."
Father Satuk stared at the servant with a sinister gaze. After a long while, his gaze suddenly softened, and he said with a smile, "I happen to need an assistant servant by my side to help me manage daily trivialities. Are you willing to take this position?"
"Oh! That would be wonderful!" The black-robed servant touched his glabella with a finger and said excitedly, "I am willing!"
"Very good. Go to the cellar first and bring me a bottle of aged red wine from the Bourbon Kingdom. Although they are extremely arrogant, their wine is still very good. Also, remember to notify the others to open up the distribution of holy water. Things have come to this; there is no need to hide anymore."
"Yes, sir."
Watching the black-robed servant leave, the smile on Father Satuk's face gradually disappeared. He took out a folded document from his bosom. Recorded on it was the profile of the black-robed servant!
"No matter how well a fledgling sparrow disguises itself, it cannot escape the claws of an experienced falcon... A little spy from the Church of Wisdom thinks he can deceive me?"
Amidst a sneer, Father Satuk took a sip from the wine glass. While savoring the mellow aftertaste of the liquor on his tongue, he muttered to himself:
"But the suggestion he gave was indeed useful. Hmm... interesting."
"Divine Envoy! The Divine Envoy has really descended!!!"
"Oh God... so you really can listen to my devout prayers..."
Late at night, petite figures shuttled across the rooftops. They were orderly and had a clear division of labor. Wherever they passed, they were sure to clear out the rats hiding in various narrow crevices. Brave and fearless, they didn't even drink a sip of water from the host's house.
Wherever they descended, excited shouts from people could always be heard from inside the houses. Even if these people used to bully stray cats on the streets, from today onwards, they wished they could worship cats like gods.
"Faster! Faster, meow! Why is no one going to Mr. Hutt's house? Whose area is that?!"
Little Black sat on the peak of a roof, observing the cats darting past him, and let out an angry roar: "Bobo! Bobo! I remember Mr. Hutt's house is your responsibility. You can't hold a grudge just because he chased you for half a street for a fish the day before yesterday! A cat's heart must be broad, meow!"
"Wait, meow! Xiaomei, what's in your mouth? A piece of meat?"
"Didn't I tell you not to steal things from the host's house? How will people view us in the future? We are going to become legit in the future!"
"What? You're hungry? This piece of meat was a reward from the host?"
"Fine, seeing as you are a little female kitty, just this once, meow!"