The Person Representing Divine Authority Is an Unbeliever

Are the rulers of ignorant regions and countries as ignorant as the people?

Definitely not. Ignorance, backwardness, and isolation are actually means by which rulers control the people. This is similar to how the aristocratic class blocked knowledge in the past. Rulers who lack ability do not want the people they rule to have the ability to think independently.

They want everyone to be fools, idiots, who just need to act according to their demands every day without thinking too much, because the more they think, the less stable their rule becomes.

For example, rulers start to panic when people begin to think about the question "Why me?"

Because after the question "Why me?" comes the question "Why not you?" and "How to change?"

Therefore, even in the most ignorant regions, the rulers are not ignorant, just like the High Priest standing before Lin Qi.

He had many children, and several of them were unbelievers, such as the youngest ones.

They were born in a very good era in the eyes of the High Priest, with advancements in communication, transportation, and society. These children went abroad to study and were exposed to some of the most cutting-edge technologies and cultures in the world. They had transcended the realm of ignorance and began to examine the society in which they were born.

Knowing that sending a child away would bring potential instability to society, why did the High Priest still send his child away, and even plan to send away the last child? Because he was not an ignorant person, or rather, not as ignorant as people imagine. He knew that the people could be ignorant, but the rulers could not.

If a fanatical believer were to actually rise to the position of High Priest, it would bring not religious prosperity, but destruction. He would hope that one of his children, an unbeliever, could successfully infiltrate the believers to become High Priest and succeed him in his rule.

In fact, the High Priest himself could be considered an unbeliever. It was precisely because he held this important position that they understood that there was no such thing as a god in this world.

Even if they did exist, those gods have long since rested or departed. Despite countless prayers and sacrifices over the decades, the gods have never given the slightest response.

At first, he was terrified. When he first became the High Priest, he was very uneasy and frightened. He went to his father, the previous High Priest, and talked about these things.

His fear and anxiety stemmed from the lack of response from the gods. He assumed that the gods rejected him and disliked him, which was why they did not respond to his prayers.

How could someone rejected by even the gods become a qualified High Priest? Until his father, the previous High Priest and the undisputed religious leader of the province, told him personally that there was no god in this world!

At that moment, his faith crumbled, but he pulled through. He became like his father, like the High Priest everyone expected him to be.

Mysterious yet approachable, but maintaining a distance from people, and favored by the gods, often receiving teachings from them.

But this is not a solution. With the expansion of International Community, more and more foreigners are coming to Nagaril, and this trend is unstoppable.

No matter how closed off the country was, it couldn't stop the gold rushers' fervor; they were bound to come, everyone knew that from the beginning.

Moreover, these people bring something terrible, such as ideas that can awaken those who have been fooled by political and religious authorities.

Their guess was correct, so they expelled some businessmen who brought dangerous ideas, and kept some who were willing to join them in treating people like dirt and continue to exploit the whole society.

But this absolutely cannot last. Who knows how many years, decades, or even years later, all of this will eventually be shattered. What will the angry people do then? They will tear apart everything that once dominated them and establish a new order. How noble and arrogant these priests and noble families are today, how miserable they will be when the real "Great Destruction" arrives.

So when Lin Qi jokingly mentioned that religions advocating eating horse manure for healing had a foundation and followers in the Federal, the High Priest was intrigued.

This is a way out, and this way out is so... wonderful, yes, wonderful! The Federal is very rich, but their people are also stupid, or rather, ignorant, not much different from the locals. He doesn't expect his faith to rival the Federal's Federal religion, but even if only ten thousand people believe in the god he believes in.

If each of these 10,000 people donates one dollar a month, that's 10,000 Federal Sol, roughly a million Galil. That's enough for their families to live a decent life.

Even if they lose everything here, they will still live a carefree life from now on.

With this in mind, the High Priest had some ideas. He originally planned to send his youngest son, who was also his most beloved son, to Gefra. Gefra, as the country with the best economic situation in the world, not only had a high status but also great development potential.

But now the High Priest's thinking has changed; perhaps the Federal is the most suitable place.

Having made up his mind, he didn't know how much time had passed by the time he came to his senses.

"The gods were calling me just now..." he offered an explanation for his absent-mindedness, an explanation very much in line with his identity, "Where were we talking about just now?"

"The Federal and those ignorant religions!" Lin Qi hinted.

"Yes, the Federal, and religion." The High Priest nodded noncommittally, then quickly changed the subject, "I heard you're going back in the next few days. Will you come back again?"

Many people knew that Lin Qi was going back to the Federal, and the High Priest was naturally aware of it as well. However, he was a little unsure whether Lin Qi would come back.

To be honest, the Provincial Governor and his ilk have created a problem for Lin Qi. The High Priest would have been indifferent and could have just watched the show, but now he feels that these people are really not very bright. They only care about their own interests and don't know how to think long-term.

He was very worried that Lin Qi might be targeted by these people and wouldn't come back, which would be a bad thing.

Soon, Lin Qi's answer put his mind at ease, "Why not? I like it here, and I'll be back. This time I'm just taking some things back and looking for projects that can be done with the locals."

The High Priest breathed a sigh of relief at the answer, and asked in a slightly consultative tone, "My youngest son is of school age. He is younger than you. For young people, seeing the outside world is of great help to their growth."

"What do you think if I send him to the Federal?"

Lin Qi, of course, could not object, as this was also part of his plan. "It's definitely very good. Although the Federal did not participate in this World War and did not demonstrate our military and technological strength, it must be said that we are always at the forefront of the world in terms of technology."

"We just happened to have a somewhat stupid president, but we're not going to continue being stupid."

"In the Federal, your child can enjoy the best education, the most relaxed attitude, and the freest environment in the world—something that other places cannot provide!"

This is not an exaggeration. In a semi-feudal country like Gefra, people cannot discuss the royal family, anything related to the royal family, the powerful, or sensitive current events.

Only in the Federal, even if someone stands outside the Presidential Palace holding a sign that says "The president is an idiot," as long as he doesn't make a loud noise and disrupt the office order inside the Presidential Palace, and as long as he doesn't illegally trespass into the restricted area marked with yellow lines outside the Presidential Palace, no one can do anything to him.

According to the Federal constitution, the right to release, express, and transmit ideas is a fundamental right of every individual, but this is difficult to achieve in some other countries.

The High Priest immediately made the decision, "He'll go with you, is there a problem?" Lin Qi shook his head, and the High Priest slapped the armrest, "Then it's settled."

It seems that the High Priest sent his most favored youngest son with Lin Qi so that he would ask Lin Qi to take care of the youngest son on the way and even in the Federal, but that is not actually the case.

The conflicts and disagreements between Lin Qi and some people in the province have not been resolved. Some people have already said that Lin Qi will run into obstacles. There are even rumors that as long as Lin Qi does not take sides, he cannot leave Nagaril, and even if he leaves, he will not be allowed to return.

Leaving would be difficult, or even impossible. The High Priest didn't know how Lin Qi would leave, but that didn't stop him from doing a favor. If his youngest son left with Lin Qi, no one would dare to intercept him and his ship.

Because doing so would not only escalate the conflict with Lin Qi, but also offend one of the biggest powers in Magulana Province. Offending so many people at once would make them seriously consider whether it was worth it.

Of course, the High Priest did indeed intend for Lin Qi to take care of his youngest son in the Federal. He did Lin Qi a favor in order to get something in return from Lin Qi.

Both of them knew the truth, and that's how the matter was settled.

The High Priest had originally intended to use today's event to subtly remind Lin Qi of the value of religious beliefs in the local area, but now he was being led by the nose by Lin Qi, and he was too lazy to talk about the supreme authority of the gods anymore.

After casually asking him if he was settling in well and if there was anything he wasn't used to, I offered him a few free blessings from the gods before letting Lin Qi leave.

After Lin Qi left, the High Priest sat in the empty room with a strange expression, a mixture of a smile, a sneer, and a self-deprecating tone.