Bishop Mathers

The Candle Holder Cathedral in the Red Queen District was Avalon's most orthodox Nine Pillar Gods church, as well as the church with the highest status.

The coronations of all the kings and queens of Avalon were held here. It was also the site of the royal mausoleum. Anyone else in the Avalon Kingdom who could be called "great" would be buried here after their state funeral.

The fact that it dared to take its name from the guardian Pillar God of the Dedication Path, Candle Holder, was proof enough of its sanctity.

"Please come this way."

An old man wearing a bishop's mitre and a solemn, dignified red robe that reached the ground turned around and spoke politely and gently to Iver.

Judging by his skin and eyebrows, the bearded, bespectacled man looked only to be in his forties. His bearing gave people the impression of a strict homeroom teacher. Yet he inexplicably seemed "aged," instinctively making people think he should be an old man. Perhaps it was because his hair and beard were unnaturally pale—not naturally white, but faded as though from old age.

The old man raised his head and reminded Butler Oswald, who was pushing the wheelchair behind Iver, "Be careful. The road ahead slopes downward."

The bishop's mitre resembled an intricately designed, ornate, and holy candlestick.

Candles could even truly be inserted into it—but outside of important occasions, they would not actually insert or light any candles.

The design of the mitre allowed it to hold at most three candles: one large candle in front and two smaller ones on either side. This meant that the old man's rank in the holy order was extremely high.

Even counting the Pope of the Eternal Theocracy, he could be considered third from the top.

Strictly speaking, all high-ranking clergy, including the Pope, were considered "bishops." Every bishop's mitre held three candles, and only bishops could wear red robes. The Pope's mitre could hold three large candles, while the lowest-ranking bishops could only insert three small ones.

The priests one rank lower had two candles, while the lowest-ranking deacons had only one.

Although the churches of this world all worshiped the Nine Pillar Gods together, each church also had its own emphasis. The vast majority of holy professionals followed the Dedication Path, so the Nine Pillar Gods Church revered Candle Holder above all others and regarded the red candle that "burns itself to illuminate others" as its sacred symbol.

Although Iver was also a priest, he had not yet graduated and therefore had not been granted his own mitre. This meant that he was not considered a member of the religious system, did not receive a church salary, and was not bound by the church's rules.

"Thank you, Bishop Mathers."

Iver said politely and gratefully, "Sorry for the trouble of having you personally come teach me Sacred Arts."

"What trouble is that? I owe Professor Moriarty thanks for being elected Spiritual Councilor."

Bishop Mathers held his hands before him, fingers interlaced. He walked alongside Iver along the eastern path of the Candle Holder Cathedral.

He chuckled heartily. "I read this morning's newspaper. You did well yesterday.

"That group of Demon Scholars had committed countless atrocities. Not long ago, they sacrificed an entire village. Everyone, including more than a dozen elderly people and over forty children, was turned into ritual material. Their crimes were outrageous enough to alarm Pope Your Majesty. Now they are wanted not only in the kingdom, but are also listed in the punishment hall of the Theocracy.

"You found them through your own wits before formally obtaining Path Power, then defeated them with a single pistol... Overcoming the strong while weak—you did very well. Pope Your Majesty hasn't received the newspaper yet, but I believe that if he sees it, he'll praise you as well, saying, 'A young hero has emerged.'"

"It wasn't quite that impressive." Iver smiled gently. "Without Hai Na's protection, I might already have been killed even if I found them."

"Mm, that young girl was quite impressive too."

Bishop Mathers nodded in agreement. "Brave and resourceful—and most importantly, willing to trust others.

"She was far stronger than you and older than you, yet she didn't blindly rely on her own strength. She was willing to trust your judgment... When she couldn't handle the problem before her, she was willing to pass the ball to someone who could. I think that was a kind of wisdom too."

"You watch football too?"

The one who suddenly spoke was Oswald behind Iver.

The old elf asked with interest, "Which team do you support?"

"The Mistletoe Club, of course."

The bishop answered without hesitation. "I think the newcomer they recruited this year has real potential."

"What about the Unicorns? What do you think of the Unicorns' results this year?"

"I'm from Avalon, so of course I support Avalon's team. You're an elf, so naturally you support the Theocracy's team. That's perfectly normal."

The bishop continued cheerfully, glossing over the subject with ease.

He looked at Iver and said seriously, "Although you proved that you can overcome the strong while weak—defeating an enemy who was about to reach the Third Level without possessing any supernatural power at all—if we elders simply left you aside with peace of mind, that would be dereliction of our duty.

"Although this may not comply with the rules... According to the regulations issued by Her Majesty the Queen forty years ago, Avalon's citizens may formally come into contact with a Path and embark on the supernatural road only after reaching adulthood, obtaining an excellent or higher grade in their cultural examinations, receiving a favorable moral assessment, and having no bad habits or criminal record.

"But your cohort's Final Exam is only a month away. You have already proven your integrity and rationality. I'll speak to Her Majesty the Queen afterward."

At this point, Butler Oswald, who was pushing the wheelchair, suddenly coughed softly.

"Your Excellency," the old yet still elegant Elf Butler asked seriously, "has something happened?"

Bishop Mathers still stood with his hands folded, smiling cheerfully, but he did not immediately reply to Oswald.

Only after the three of them reached the Small Chapel on the eastern side of the cathedral did Bishop Mathers take out a huge key, which looked longer than Hai Na's short sword, and open the tightly closed door. Only then did the old bishop slowly speak:

"Today, St. Genevieve Chapel has been opened for you alone.

"Besides teaching you the three Sacred Arts of 'Ritual Fire,' 'Illumination,' and 'Blessing,' I'll also help you complete your first advancement. Don't be too nervous. Your first advancement doesn't require entering the Dream Realm. Avalon's situation isn't good at present, and I believe you need some means of self-defense."

"So what exactly happened?"

Oswald pressed him.

Bishop Mathers closed the chapel door and turned on the electric lights.

The next moment, the chapel—which was built and laid out like a university lecture hall—suddenly blazed with light.

On both sides, countless life-sized statues stored in wall niches suddenly became bright behind them. As though awakened by the light, the statues in the niches slowly began to move soundlessly and slightly, gradually turning their gazes toward them.

Bishop Mathers reached out and lightly touched the three candles on his mitre, then respectfully greeted the sacred statues. "Seventy-three Pioneers.

"May Candle Holder watch over your candle flames."

Iver and Oswald also lowered their heads slightly in respect.

These seventy-three sacred statues represented all the Pioneers buried here since the founding of the Avalon Kingdom, including successive monarchs and everyone who had received a state funeral. Every one of them had their name carved into Avalon's history books.

After Queen Sophia passed away, she would become the seventy-fourth.

Iver had already noticed that a wall niche without a sacred statue had been added to a corner of St. Genevieve Chapel.

Noticing Iver's gaze, Bishop Mathers thoughtfully explained, "This is the position Her Majesty the Queen prepared for herself. Her late Majesty's statue began being carved five years ago, and was completed two years ago. The statue is currently stored in the Silver and Tin Palace."

Only then did he turn back to Oswald.

"The Round Table Hall probably doesn't know about this yet, but I've already reported it to Her Majesty the Queen."

Bishop Mathers said solemnly, "The Theocracy has sent over important intelligence.

"They captured a Stibnite Person spy and got some information out of him.

"Apparently, a traitor has appeared among the kingdom's upper echelons. They plan to trigger a prolonged period of chaos on Glass Island, though its duration, scale, and location are unknown. Their ultimate goal is to 'obtain or approach some kind of Sacred Entity.'

"The royal capital is probably about to fall into chaos. I don't think there's any need to make Iver wait until the Final Exam is over.

"To be safe, he must embark on the supernatural path immediately."