Those who offered their faith could be judged by the scepter, but if Mu Xuan wanted to hand power over to these three, there was no way to avoid Herl…
It couldn’t be given in public, nor could it be done alone. Though information could be passed on in dreams, the recipient still needed at least the most basic power…
Narrowing his eyes, Mu Xuan quickly pondered his options, then set the scepter in the corner and used the helmet to partially shield it before calling out toward the door.
“Herl, come in for a moment.”
Not even two seconds later, the sound of the door creaking open echoed.
Herl entered, closed the door behind him, and respectfully asked, “Your Eminence, is there something you need?”
Though Herl acted perfectly normal, his gaze never left the blade in Mu Xuan’s hand.
Mu Xuan naturally noticed Herl’s expression. The blade wasn’t put away precisely to attract attention. Who knew if Herl would notice anything unusual about the scepter?
Either way, double insurance was needed.
“Bishop Herl… your reputation among the faithful is even greater than mine…” Mu Xuan spoke, his eyes flashing dangerously.
“Your Eminence, this is…” Herl frowned, looking at Mu Xuan with some confusion.
Heh… keep pretending…
Muttering to himself inwardly, Mu Xuan’s expression remained dangerous as he stared at Herl. “Bishop Herl, stop pretending… you know better than I do what you’re trying to accomplish…”
Mu Xuan was gambling here—gambling that Herl hadn’t noticed his true intent, nor any of his oddities.
“Your Eminence, there are only a few of us left. Replacing you brings me no benefit…” Herl once again explained, looking “frightened.”
“Hmph… how nice that sounds. I’ll give you a chance—bring those followers in one by one. I must personally verify the sincerity of their faith!”
Herl fell silent for a long time upon hearing this, finally letting out a helpless sigh.
“As you wish, Your Eminence…”
With that, he turned to leave. After giving Mu Xuan a deep look, he disappeared behind the door, and soon, a somewhat uneasy young man entered.
“Close the door,” Mu Xuan adjusted his demeanor at once, letting his voice sound weary.
“Your… will…” The young man hesitated, but still obeyed Mu Xuan’s instructions, closing the door and looking at him nervously.
“Relax, child… So long as you sincerely worship the Goddess, I will not blame you.” Mu Xuan’s tone was weary, yet broad-minded and stern.
Seeing the young man relax slightly, Mu Xuan asked kindly, “What do you think… of Bishop Herl?”
At once, the young man shrank back, stammering, “I…”
“Relax. I won’t blame you…”
Perhaps convinced by Mu Xuan’s words, the youth stiffened his neck and said, “I think Bishop Herl is truly good! If it weren’t for him, none of us would’ve survived this far!”
“Then, do you think there’s no need to have faith in the Goddess?” Mu Xuan continued, without giving away his own position.
“No, I wouldn’t dare…” The youth quickly lowered his head, trembling and unable to meet Mu Xuan’s gaze.
Mu Xuan simply sighed sadly. “I won’t blame you, there’s no need to worry. You may believe the Goddess doesn’t exist and cannot save us, but I still hope you’ll keep a devout heart. That’s not just our hope for the future, it’s the strength that lets us carry on. In a future as dark as this, we need a beacon to support our spirits. Don’t spread your lack of faith in the Goddess to others. You are young, so perhaps it doesn’t matter to you, but most people need something to help them move forward, rather than simply waiting for death in despair.”
Mu Xuan could see this youth had no shred of true devotion to the Goddess. He was simply young and less prone to pessimism, and because of Herl, he believed everything could be resolved by themselves. This meant Herl had a strong presence in his heart.
So Mu Xuan could only brainwash him like this, though what he said was also true. Any rebellious thoughts had to be stamped out, or else he might go spreading them outside.
Moreover, people like this, once their faith is shattered, tend to pursue a new belief even more fervently! That’s right—Mu Xuan already labeled him as a fanatic who’d strayed onto the wrong path!
“What’s your name…”
“Your Eminence… my name is Kamanney…”
Mu Xuan nodded slightly, motioned for him to leave, then immediately got up and brought the scepter over.
Letting the first person touch the scepter would surely arouse Herl’s suspicion. Luckily, the first wasn’t a true believer. But starting from the second, Mu Xuan had to make sure all three faithful had received his power.
After that, more people filed in one after another, and Mu Xuan, without exception, planted some brainwashing ideas in each, to prevent rumors that could cause panic.
However, what surprised Mu Xuan was that two of them actually considered Herl dangerous and overly ambitious, and instead warned Mu Xuan to be careful. Although these two did not truly believe in the Goddess, their warnings still caught Mu Xuan’s special attention.
As for whether Herl would overhear any of this—did it matter? Mu Xuan had already shown his hostility to Herl anyway.
It’s just that, Herl didn’t seem to realize, Mu Xuan’s hostility didn’t stem from a potential power struggle.
Strange… True strangeness is when it disappears entirely.
Steadying his mind, feeling the faint glow from the scepter, Mu Xuan knew that the yellow-faced man in front of him was one of those three faithful.
“What do you think of Herl?” Still the same question, though Mu Xuan had changed up his phrasing several times to avoid repetition, as he found it tiresome.
“Hmm…” The man was silent for a long while, then raised his head, wanting to speak but not daring to, until Mu Xuan nodded encouragingly. At last, summoning his courage, he said, “I think Herl isn’t even human! The statue’s protection was clearly won by the former pope, yet he insists on claiming most of the credit for himself!”
It seemed that, with Herl watching outside, this man had been suppressing his true feelings for a long time, and now that he had the chance, he poured out every insult for Herl he could think of, including all the bad things Herl had done along the way.
Now Mu Xuan understood—no wonder this man believed in the Goddess. He’d always been keeping a close eye on Herl’s actions.
When Herl announced they’d received the Goddess’s protection, the man’s first thought was: why hadn’t the previous pope returned? He then connected the dots: after the pope gained the Goddess’s protection, Herl killed him, and came back claiming it was all his own achievement!
That’s what drove the man to side wholly with the Goddess.
Since the Goddess was willing to bestow protection, the man hoped she’d kill Herl—the blasphemer. Even with the Goddess’s protection, the man still worried Herl might sabotage things and get everyone killed.
After steadying his mood, Mu Xuan smiled, “Your faith is commendable. Can you tell me your name?”
“It’s my honor, Your Eminence. My name is Griffind. The elders in the church used to tell me how mighty the knights were. Now, my dream is to become a Holy Templar of the church! Then, I’ll execute that parasite and restore the church!” As he spoke, excitement flashed in his eyes.
This made Mu Xuan a little embarrassed. But he soon comforted the man, smiling, “You’ll have your chance. May the Goddess grant you sweet dreams tonight.”
“Thank you for your blessing, merciful Eminence!” The man smiled as well, then left the room. Seeing Herl outside the door, he snorted in disdain.
Herl did not take offense. With the same gentle smile, he motioned for the next person to enter…