In the northern residential district, several city hall clerks were posting new notices on the bulletin board.
The workers had just gotten off work, while those planning to attend night school had not yet set out. It was the busiest time of day, and a crowd quickly gathered around the notices.
"His Lordship's construction crews are recruiting again."
"Recruiting again? Is there really that much left to build? Shouldn't they be recruiting soldiers first? Aren't we going to war?"
"Exactly. Why haven't they been recruiting many soldiers? What's this? A new Church recruiting believers?"
"Between eighteen and forty, healthy, no criminal record... They even need to be strong and literate. Why are the requirements for believers so high?"
"Hey, look more closely. They're paying the believers!"
"Paying them? A Church pays its believers?"
"My uncle works as a civil servant at city hall. I heard about this from him. They say they're recruiting believers, but they're actually recruiting soldiers. This Church was founded by His Lordship. It's called Empire Truth."
"Really? Would the Candlelight Society allow him to do that?"
The people around him immediately shot angry looks his way, and the young man who had spoken shrank his neck uneasily.
"When people were starving to death during the wind disaster two years ago, where was the Candlelight Society? His Lordship fed us and gave us money. We're willing to believe in him."
"Exactly! Has the Candlelight Society ever given money to its believers? All they ever do is ask for money!"
"Besides, His Lordship's Church is called Empire Truth. I don't see any problem with that. It's for the Empire, after all."
"We're willing to believe in His Lordship!"
"Actually, Sister Chloe is pretty good too. Aside from always urging me to donate money, she brought medicine over when