Before the Baptism!
Michel had Ganis kneel before him. Ganis did not hesitate in the slightest and decisively dropped to both knees.
Seeing this, Michel did not remind him of anything. He merely held a metal-bound Bible in his hands.
"Before the Baptism, I'll tell you a page from the Bible.
"This is the story of the devil and God. The hypocritical devil was skilled at disguising himself... yet in the end, God showed His mercy and allowed the lost lamb to return to the righteous path."
After finishing, Michel gave him a meaningful look and closed the book.
"Ganis, God is merciful and fair. God's greatness is beyond the understanding of all mortal things.
"What we cling to, what we believe to be sin, everything obscured from our sight—what do they look like in God's eyes?"
Ganis kept his head lowered, not daring to raise it. He was even afraid this was some kind of punishment. They would not just chop off his head, would they?
So he answered softly, "Mercy, perhaps? God should be able to forgive all sins."
At a time like this, one's answer inevitably revealed what was in one's heart.
Ganis feared punishment, so his instinctive answer had been forgiveness.
Michel accepted a bowl of water and dipped his fingers into it.
"Yes, the Lord forgives. But that is merely what we see. You must remember... never use the foolish views of a mortal to speculate about the Lord.
"The Lord is merciful and forgiving, but He is also wrathful and stern. He is sacred and majestic, and He does not lack bloody slaughter. How can mortals define the Lord?
"The moment you develop such thoughts, it is blasphemy."
To experienced religious people, this theory might have been familiar, though not everyone would accept it.