Chapter 546
**Chapter 283: The Right Path**
“Lord Shaer, you called for me?”
As the door swung open, Tara stepped past Aivina and quickly approached Shaer, bowing her head.
At that moment, Tara was dressed in an exquisite white clerical robe, draped with a black cloak adorned with golden patterns, giving her the appearance of a blend between the Saintly Church and the Church of the Savior Goddess.
This was the first time Shaer had seen Tara in such formal attire... Yet, the serious outfit on the petite Tara felt oddly mismatched—one could hardly associate her with the phrase “high authority.”
It seemed Tara hadn’t seen Shaer for a while, as her emotions were slightly heightened. Shaer looked at her and slowly asked, “How are things with the church?”
He wanted to confirm whether any issues had arisen after the church merger.
“Everything is going smoothly, Lord Shaer,” Tara replied, lifting her gaze just enough to meet Shaer’s chin, avoiding direct eye contact. She spoke respectfully, “The leaders of the Church of the Savior Goddess have all expressed their willingness to follow the will of the divine servant after witnessing the divine presence.”
“The Pope of the Church of the Savior Goddess has also stepped back from managing church affairs. Currently, it’s Percy coordinating with Cardinal Madeleine and Archbishop Eleanor, and everything is merging in an orderly fashion.”
The merger of the churches was a significant matter; it couldn’t be fully arranged in just a few months. It required time for negotiation, not only for the sake of the Savior and the Saintly Church but also for their respective followers.
Shaer felt reassured leaving these details in Tara’s capable hands, so he didn’t press further. She only needed to report on the major changes.
After listening to Tara’s explanation, Shaer nodded slightly and continued, “What about Beiansu? Have they given you any trouble? And what about the Order of the God of Order?”
Tara took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding, “Things in Beiansu are progressing steadily…”
As Tara spoke, Shaer learned about the current situation in Beiansu.
After the merger, the Church of the Savior Goddess, aiming to accommodate its vast number of followers, chose not to change its name, making it easier for the believers in Beiansu to accept.
In the name of the Church of the Savior Goddess, they began spreading the antidote for the “Rotting Plague” throughout Beiansu, attempting to spray the diluted remedy over all afflicted lands.
Additionally, both the Savior and Saintly churches started sending volunteers en masse to assist the starving victims, establishing dozens of relief centers where disaster relief food was distributed daily to ensure the refugees wouldn’t starve.
Of course, a significant portion of this relief food was donated by Charles and Prime Minister William in the name of Princess Vitalis, which earned Princess Vitalis considerable respect in Beiansu.
The suffering in Beiansu provided an excellent breeding ground for “Ascetics” and “Missionaries.” If it weren’t for the interference from the Strong Voice and the Beiansu Joy Society, the Church of the Savior Goddess would have ventured there long ago.
This was not only for the sake of doctrine but also for advancement.
Currently, in Beiansu, there were frequent reports of church servants being promoted to “Ascetics” or priests becoming “Missionaries,” signaling a wave of success.
On the level of ordinary people, stories of several priests from the Church of the Savior Goddess helping others spread widely, even giving rise to a phenomenon that was celebrated by nearly everyone, including coverage in the capital’s news.
This was a servant of the Church of the Savior Goddess who helped and guided disaster victims on how to heal the contaminated land, even sharing his own basic food supplies with the afflicted populace, ultimately starving to death amidst the piles of food at a relief center.
Though it was known that he was completing the ritual of becoming an “Ascetic,” few could embody such dedication. The church internally posthumously honored him with the title of “Saint,” a distinction no one had enjoyed in decades.
The land was recovering, the afflicted were receiving help, and the Church of the Savior Goddess was rapidly growing in strength... Everything seemed to be going smoothly.
“What about the Saintly Church?” Shaer continued, “Has there been any dissatisfaction regarding the lack of a name change and the distribution of power?”
“No,” Tara shook her head. “The church merger is the will of the divine servant, which reflects the will of the Mother Goddess. They will naturally cooperate to the best of their abilities... but…”
Shaer prompted, “But?”
Tara continued, “But there have indeed been some murmurs. Some mid-level bishops and high priests, who have not personally witnessed the divine presence, have begun to question the authenticity of the divine arrival... Their prayers still receive no response, and there are no signs indicating the Mother Goddess’s revival is real…”
Shaer pondered Tara’s words, his head bowed.
This was indeed a problem...
It seemed he would need to employ the ability of the **All-Knowing**...
Shaer couldn’t directly alter the symbols of the Church of the Savior Goddess and redirect their prayers toward himself; the prayers and whispers of millions would likely overwhelm him.
He could establish another council, an elder assembly, or a secret meeting within the church, creating a hidden structure where only those who entered could pray to Shaer and receive new pendants of the goddess.
By also incorporating some extreme believers of the Mother Goddess, he could alleviate the concerns of the lower ranks while allowing Shaer to issue direct orders to the higher and mid-level powers.
As for how many people could be admitted into this “small group,” it all depended on how many prayers Shaer’s spirit could accommodate...
“This can be easily resolved. I’ll provide you with some special pendants that will allow direct communication with the Mother Goddess when prayed to,” Shaer said.
“Yes! Mother Goddess!” Tara’s eyes lit up.
She had never considered that prayer could facilitate direct communication with the Mother Goddess. With Shaer’s words, Tara felt the most excitement.
This way... even during busy times, she would feel the presence of the Mother Goddess by her side...
In truth, Tara was quite dissatisfied with her current state of life.
Though she had become a cardinal, and to outsiders, her power seemed to have increased, earning her more respect... she still longed for the days when she served the Mother Goddess in a maid’s outfit...
She wished for the church to stabilize quickly, so she wouldn’t have to worry and could return to serve the Mother Goddess wholeheartedly...
At that moment, Shaer closed the diary in his hands, which recorded the fragments of daily life, and gently closed his eyes.
The merger of the Church of the Savior was his foundation; within these organizations, only the people of the Church of the Savior would wholeheartedly assist him without ulterior motives.
Even with the Russell family, Charles had to consider many factors, but the Church of the Savior and the Saintly Church were different, especially the Saintly Church, where faith was genuinely worth sacrificing one’s life.
The current church merger was also about bringing back more individuals who had gradually distanced themselves from the faith in the Mother Goddess within the Church of the Savior.
Since the matter was settled, it seemed Shaer had only one thing left to do in the simulation.
“Aivina, about that lost path you mentioned you would help me investigate... have you made any progress?” Shaer turned to Aivina and inquired.
Aivina shook her head and replied, “I’ve made many attempts, but there’s been no lead…”
“I’ve tried to understand as well, but the information on this topic is incredibly scarce,” Tara added, lowering her head. “I even privately offered a reward within the church for such information, but the responses have been few and far between.”
Not even Tara had gathered any information? And it had been so many days?
This result surprised Shaer.
Next, he carefully inquired about the efforts Aivina and Tara had made, and after hearing their responses, he too began to feel a sense of confusion.
Aivina and Tara had essentially exhausted all their efforts, yet there were no results... It seemed as if this path had been completely lost to time.
This was a path adjacent to or opposite the “Butcher” path; any actions taken to complete the ritual would surely leave some trace.
To achieve complete anonymity... Shaer could only speculate three possibilities.
Either this path had been entirely lost;
Or this path was mimicking other paths;
Table of Contents
