Church of Creation

Little George heard Ivan's words and nodded, then motioned for the next believer to come forward.

Once again, water rose from the dish, as gentle and precise as before, and fell onto the second believer's forehead.

The elderly woman, who had once begged by the canal, couldn't help tearing up as soon as the water touched her.

"Warm... It's so warm inside!" Her bony hand brushed her forehead, as if she could feel the warmth of the spirit.

One believer after another stepped forward. Silver-thread-like streams of water flowed through the chapel, and each touch was met with heartfelt praise.

"Thanks for the Gift of the Lord of All Spirits!" "May the light of the Lord of All Spirits watch over us!"

The ritual washed away the believers' fatigue and confusion, replacing them with steadfast faith and vibrant hope.

As Ivan bathed in the steady stream of faith energy in midair, he felt that all his efforts had been worthwhile.

He was very pleased and sent a thought to Little George.

"You did well, child!"

The believers who had completed their baptism returned to their seats, brimming with excitement. The fervent atmosphere lingered in the air.

After baptizing the last believer, Little George's vision began to darken, and he nearly collapsed to the floor.

The delicate control of the water had nearly exhausted his spirituality.

Gais hurried forward to support Little George. The ability Bishop George had just displayed struck him as incredible, and he secretly resolved to find an opportunity as soon as possible to obtain another Beyonder material from the Church of Divine Grace.

Seeing how exhausted Little George was, Ivan felt a little sorry for him.

"Gais, take charge of the Holy Communion from here."

Without another word, Gais silently praised the great Lord of All Spirits, then helped Little George to a seat to rest.

"Bishop George, the Lord's missionary will take it from here."

Gais walked confidently up to the platform. He cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the excited believers below from behind his gold-rimmed glasses. His voice was steady, yet carried a certain charm.

"Everyone, next we'll hold the Holy Communion of the Holy Spirit Society."

He pointed to the dark bread and wine beside him.

"This is no ordinary bread and wine. It is the most tangible Gift bestowed upon us, who struggle amid hardship, by the great Lord of All Spirits!"

"This bread is filled with the Lord's blessing. Eating it will not only fill your stomachs, but also let the power of the spirit take root within you!"

The believers below all looked up at the bread, their expressions solemn.

Gais picked up the bottle of table wine. The dregs at the bottom caught the light as they swirled.

"This wine may not be very rich, but it's more genuine than the holy wine the Church of Divine Grace keeps in silver bottles!"

"It is a comfort to the spirit. Drinking it will warm your body, and remind you that even when we shiver by the canal, even when we go hungry because we can't beg for anything, the Lord of All Spirits has never abandoned us!"

Gais really is as good at talking people into things as ever. It's just ordinary bread and wine...

Though Ivan felt a little disdainful, he was quite pleased with Gais's ability, especially when he saw the tears in the believers' eyes.

As Gais finished speaking, he handed out the dark bread to the believers' tables, three pieces for each person. Several earthenware cups were filled with wine and set on the tables at the front.

He went over to the wooden chest and took out a few white candles. After lighting them, he set them on the tables. At his signal, Little George turned off the gas lamp by the entrance.

In the flickering candlelight, the aroma of wheat from the bread mingled with the wine's slight bitterness. The believers cupped their bowls in both hands and raised them reverently.

"May the Lord of All Spirits protect us forever."

Gais offered a solemn prayer, then picked up a piece of bread and tasted it with some wine.

"May the Lord of All Spirits protect us forever."

The believers echoed him in unison and began their Holy Communion, their expressions solemn.

To them, this was more than food to fill their stomachs. It was a sign that connected them to the great Lord of All Spirits.

The wine passed from one believer to another. Some couldn't hold their liquor; after drinking, their eyes reddened, and they quietly sobbed their thanks to the Lord.

The ritual was brief but solemn. When the last piece of bread had been handed out, the believers bowed together, their praises rising softly.

"Praise the great and merciful Lord of All Spirits."

Their voices mingled with the crackle of candle flames, creating a sacred yet eerie scene in the dead of night.

The candles on the table had burned down halfway, and the believers had all left after finishing their Holy Communion.

Looking at the candlelight flickering in and out, Ivan thought of the frenzied believers and the eerie play of light and shadow.

"Yikes. This atmosphere makes even eating bread feel like taking part in some cult ritual."

"Good thing no Night Watchmen came to inspect the place today. They'd just arrested someone here yesterday, after all. People tend not to look right under the lamp."

Ivan was very satisfied with today's baptism and Holy Communion. He took stock of the faith energy he had gained.

"Hmm, fewer than thirty devoted believers have increased my energy by about a third. A few more baptism ceremonies like this—or more believers—and I'll break through again?"

He was excited, eager to see what new ability he might gain after his next breakthrough.

Only Old Harvey remained in the chapel, left behind by Little George. His hoarse voice gradually broke the silence.

"Bishop... You asked me to stay because you wanted to ask about the church I used to believe in, didn't you..."

Little George sat slumped in his chair and gave a quiet "Mm."

"Four years ago, back then the Rhine Kingdom had all sorts of religions, big and small.

"The most mainstream faith was the Church of Creation, which I belonged to.

"We believed in an omniscient and omnipotent God, the Lord who created the world.

"The Lord created all things, and everything in the world was His child.

"In those days, when a newcomer joined the church, their baptism was nothing more than a priest gently touching their forehead with the dew in an earthenware bowl and saying, 'Child of the Lord, welcome home.'

"He was just as merciful as the Lord of All Spirits of the Holy Spirit Society. There was no Holy Blood Ritual that required donations before you could be baptized..."

His aged face was filled with nostalgia. Tears seemed to glimmer in his eyes, but then his expression darkened.

"But later, everything changed.

"Unfortunately, I came down with a kind of delusion and spent my days in a daze. One day, I suddenly came to my senses and discovered that the Church of Divine Grace had become the state religion of the Rhine Kingdom.

"I had no idea what had happened, so I grabbed passersby and asked them about the church that had been there before.

"The terrifying thing was that no one in the entire Rhine Kingdom remembered the Church of Creation.

"Everything from before seemed like an illusion, as though it had never existed.

"Whenever I told people about the Lord who created everything in the world, they took me for a lunatic.

"Little George and Gais exchanged glances, then both shook their heads.

"As far as I remember, the Church of Divine Grace did suddenly become the state religion four years ago. But the church before that... I really have no recollection of it."

Little George had been born and raised in Trino and had never even left the city.

Gais was also from the Rhine Kingdom. Though he had lived abroad on the Southern Continent, that had only been for the past couple of years.

"Heh. That's how it is. I'm the only one who remembers." Old Harvey gave a helpless laugh, his wrinkles bunching across his face.

Listening to Old Harvey's account, Ivan formed a theory.

*The higher-ups of the Church of Divine Grace must have used some kind of ability to alter everyone's memories across the Rhine Kingdom.

But why didn't the people of the Church of Creation fight back? The Church of Divine Grace couldn't have been the only one with Beyonders.

New questions came one after another. Ivan wanted Little George to ask more.

But the boy's body suddenly went limp. He slid out of his chair and hit the floor with a thud.