Hao Ren knew that communicating with these top-ranking members of the church would definitely be somewhat troublesome. After all, "religion" was a sensitive subject, especially when the request he was making concerned the core of their faith, and he was not asking out of belief in the gods. A stubborn religious fanatic might regard such a rash request as an insult—in their eyes, all sacred rituals were sacred from birth. They naturally existed, took effect, possessed divinity, and were not meant for mortals to investigate too deeply.
Of course, the Radiant Church was a relatively tolerant and enlightened religion. Although their faith in the Goddess was exceptionally firm, they sought to convert heretics by influencing them through action rather than coercing them with violence. This could also be seen from the four ascetics. Thus, Hao Ren felt that his request should be approved. After all, the pope and archbishop could not possibly be fools. They should realize which was more important: rigid old rules or the safety of this world.
Perhaps believers of lower status were more stubborn, but the pope, who sat at the very top, had to be the most clearheaded of all.
Oben and the pope discussed the matter in low voices for a long time. There seemed to be a few brief arguments in between. Then the pope raised his head and quietly met Hao Ren's eyes. His voice was calm and gave away no emotion. "This is a sacred ritual. Since the Radiant Church was founded, only clergy who have formally joined the church and passed the primary trial have been allowed to participate. Although it is a basic ritual that even the lowest-ranking priests come into contact with, it is still sacred."
"I understand." Hao Ren nodded. "But clearly, the matter of the 'Firstborn'