Chloe

The Church hadn't put up any resistance at all—just voiced a few objections?

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

The Church wasn't some soft persimmon anyone could squeeze at will. The Candlelight Society, the Empire's state religion, had a history even longer than the Empire itself.

Its control over the Empire's various regions was in no way inferior to that of the royal family. Even on a small island like Castel, there was a church—and it wasn't newly built. The Candlelight Society had already extended its reach here back when pirates ruled the island.

In many remote places, farmers might not know who the Emperor was, but they knew how many priests and nuns served in the little church next door.

However you looked at it, the Church's reaction wasn't what one would expect from such a behemoth. There had to be some unknown secret behind it...

"We're here, milord. This is the place." Connor tugged on the reins, stopping outside the churchyard.

Theus reined in his horse and looked up at the church before him.

It was a tall building with a pointed roof. Apart from the metal emblem on top, which was still in reasonably good condition, the whole church was marked by the passage of time.

In short, it was quite run-down.

"Milord, there used to be a priest here who served as the local bishop, but he died unexpectedly. The Church never sent anyone to replace him, and now there's only a nun managing the daily affairs."

A local bishop was essentially the person in charge of a church in a remote area. He ranked third in the Church's hierarchy. Bishops at small churches generally had little contact with the Church, so it was hard to say whether the Church even knew what was happening here.

Theus's gaze fell on the church's shattered windows and the wooden boards carelessly nailed over them. He stepped inside without comment.

He hadn't announced his visit in advance, so naturally, no one was there to welcome him. As he walked past the vegetable patch in the churchyard, Theus felt a strange sense of familiarity.

It was a little dilapidated, but it had been kept very clean and tidy, reminding him of the old family home on Blue Star.

Unfortunately, that had all happened so long ago.

When he pushed open the church doors, the rotten latch creaked. A clear female voice came from inside, sounding rather anxious.

"Don't push! Lift the door a little before you push! You'll knock the door off its hinges like that."

A girl in a black nun's habit hurried over and glared at Theus. She lifted the door slightly and shifted it to one side.

"I've told you so many times. Why do you still... Hmm? Who are you?"

The girl wedged the door against a triangular block of wood, then planted her hands on her hips and looked over.

A trace of confusion appeared in her eyes. She looked Theus and Connor up and down, taking in their fine clothes. Her gaze paused at the emblem on Theus's collar, and she froze.

Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she clapped her hands and gave a look of sudden realization. "You're the new lord, right? Um..."

"Theus."

"Right, right, Theus. I heard from the people who came to confession that you said you'd teach them for free."

Only then did she realize that standing there with her hands on her hips, questioning him, probably wasn't appropriate. She quickly lowered her hands and pressed her legs together, discreetly hiding her little dirt-stained leather shoes behind her.

"Milord, I'm glad—um, honored that you... that you've come to the church for confession..." She tried to make her voice softer, hoping to seem a little more demure—or at least not so fierce. She had to be careful not to scare off the new lord. After all...

"Are you here to make... a donation?"

Of course not. Go away. I'm broke as it is.

"Yes." Theus smiled graciously and gestured for Connor to take out the purse. As Connor watched in pain, Theus counted out a few coins and handed them to the nun.

The nun almost reached out to take them at once, but hesitated and turned to fetch a ledger. She recorded the donation before accepting the money.

"Thank you for supporting the Church. May the Candlelight Society's light ever guide your way through the darkness. May you fear nothing and pursue the light." The nun crossed her fingers and bowed to Theus.

Looking at the perfectly serious girl, Theus couldn't help but find it amusing. "Are you the only one here at the church?"

"There's also an assistant priest, but he was injured before and can't manage the church's affairs. So if you need anything, you can come to me." She raised her head. "My church name is Chloe."

Chloe meant "the storm petrel," a name taken from a seventy-two-line epic poem about the creation myth. Few people chose it as their name. It carried a touch of tragedy: the storm petrel spent its whole life chasing storms, only to perish in one at last.

Theus smiled without comment. He strolled through the church, looking at the pews, worn but scrubbed clean, and asked Chloe, "What activities does the church hold these days?"

"Activities?" Chloe tilted her head in confusion. "There's only me—well, two of us—at the church. If we can get enough people together, we hold a service. You know, most of the believers here are fishermen. They depend on the weather for their livelihood. When it's good, they need to go out to sea and fish, so they can't make it."

"I thought there were more people on the island who made Sweet Fruit Wine?"

"Yes, but their work is more reliable. The island never runs short of fruit for making wine. As long as they work hard, they can make wine. They can control their own fortunes, so why come to church?"

Theus was taken aback and turned to look at Chloe. The girl wore an unconcerned expression. "It's the truth, sir."

Theus hadn't expected the nun to see things so clearly. It was true: people prayed only when faced with things they couldn't control at all. Those who were close to death in hospitals were often more devout.

That was also one reason priests often worked as doctors on the side.

But hearing those words from a nun still felt rather odd...

Theus gave Chloe a long look, then moved on. "Do you hold any activities explaining the doctrine?"

That was the real reason he'd come. He didn't know much about the Church, so he might as well start with its doctrine and see how it described other races. That would give him a good idea of the Church's attitude.

"The doctrine..." Chloe looked troubled. She bit her lip and hesitated before speaking. "I'm only a nun. I don't know much about the doctrine. Usually, I just listen to people's confessions and keep the church running."

"Isn't there another clergyman here? I thought he was a priest."

Anyone called a priest ranked at least second in the Church's hierarchy. They had almost certainly passed the relevant exams on doctrine and had some understanding of the scriptures. Surely explaining the doctrine would be easy for him.

"His situation is a little unusual..." Chloe said hesitantly.

Just then, the door at the back of the church creaked open, and a tall man stepped out.

Theus's gaze lingered on the priest's robes he wore.