Ch. 221Serving in Bed
Chapter Summary: “Attending the Lord at Night”
Key Plot Points and Events
- Wu An’s plane lands on a small island that serves as a transfer station for the Church of Science.
- Lilith explains the Church’s extensive security measures:
- Electric nets prevent aircraft from approaching the Church.
- Hidden reefs surround the Church, and only the Church knows the safe route through them.
- Wu An learns that visitors must travel from the island to the Church by boat.
- Lilith takes Wu An to a luxurious hotel connected to an undersea volcano and famous for its hot springs.
- Wu An asks about the Church’s structure. Lilith explains that it consists of:
- The Lord
- The Father
- The Holy Maiden
- The Eight Great Elders
- Hundreds of thousands of deathsworn followers
- The Father governs the Church in the Lord’s absence, the Holy Maiden serves the Lord for life, and the Eight Great Elders manage most of the organization’s affairs.
- Wu An’s arrival is kept secret. Only Lilith and the Father know that he has come in person.
- Wu An relaxes alone in the hotel’s undersea hot spring.
- Lilith later enters wearing only a bath towel and declares that, as Holy Maiden, she has come to serve him. She reveals that she has remained a virgin while waiting for him.
- As Lilith approaches Wu An in the hot spring, the phone suddenly rings, interrupting the encounter and ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.
Character Developments
- Wu An: Gains a clearer understanding of the Church’s power, hierarchy, and defensive systems. Although he is recognized as the Church’s long-awaited Lord, he remains uncomfortable with the expectation that the Holy Maiden must devote herself romantically to him. His preference for secrecy and a low-profile life is also emphasized.
- Lilith: Demonstrates absolute loyalty and devotion to Wu An. She views serving him physically as both her duty and an honor, revealing the extreme traditions associated with the Holy Maiden’s role.
- Yagyu Ichiro: Is impressed and shocked by the Church’s elaborate security arrangements, realizing why its location has remained hidden for centuries.
- The Church: Is established as a powerful, highly organized, secretive institution with a rigid hierarchy and deep reverence for Wu An.
Significant Themes
- Secrecy and protection: The Church isolates itself through advanced defenses, hidden geography, and strict control of information.
- Absolute devotion and sacrifice: The Holy Maiden and the Church’s followers dedicate their lives entirely to the Lord, even at the cost of personal relationships.
- Power and hierarchy: The Church operates like a nation, with clearly defined ranks and responsibilities beneath its supreme leader.
- Tradition versus individual choice: Lilith accepts the centuries-old expectation placed upon Holy Maidens, while Wu An questions whether such devotion has condemned generations of women to loneliness.
- Unexpected responsibility: Wu An inherits authority over an immense organization without fully understanding its customs or obligations.
Important Character Interactions
- Lilith explains the Church’s defenses and hierarchy to Wu An, helping him understand the organization he has unknowingly inherited.
- Wu An and Yagyu Ichiro react to the Church’s secrecy and military-style protection.
- Lilith privately approaches Wu An and offers herself to him as part of her lifelong duty as Holy Maiden.
- Wu An responds with surprise and discomfort rather than immediately accepting her advances.
- Their intimate conversation is interrupted by a ringing telephone, leaving the outcome unresolved.