Trino Royal Bank

Little George was still in a daze after exiting the church.

He hung his head, feeling somewhat dejected. "Great Lord, it is fortunate that I had Your protection; otherwise, I would have had no idea what had happened."

"Heh, that bishop from the Church of Divine Grace is at least a Rank 3 Beyonder. It is only natural that you, having just become a Beyonder yourself, would have no means to resist," Ivan said, offering some timely encouragement to the believer who was immersed in self-reproach.

"Rank 3—does that refer to the staircase within my spirituality?"

Hearing Little George's words, Ivan realized that the manifestation of a Beyonder's strength indeed existed as a literal staircase.

"That is correct."

"Great Lord, how can I ascend to the next step? I want to become stronger so that I can better protect the Holy Spirit Society..." Little George clenched his fists. The realization of the gap in strength between himself and the bishop of the Church of Divine Grace left him feeling deeply unsettled.

"Maintain loyal faith and hone your spirituality; you will naturally ascend to the next step."

Ivan spoke based on his own conjectures, having not yet found an opportunity to verify if he could help him improve his abilities through divine bestowal.

Watching Little George's anxious appearance, he added:

"Do not be anxious. This was a blessing in disguise, and there were actually some positive discoveries.

However, be more low-key next time. Do not distribute those letters and promote our Holy Spirit Society so openly."

Tsk, as a deity, I am truly too conscientious, having to worry about the physical and mental health of my believers.

"I understand, Great Lord. I will be careful and continue to spread Your name with caution!"

A youth's mood shifts quickly; in the blink of an eye, Little George had regained his spirits, pulled himself together, and ran off in the direction of the East District.

Ivan floated along unconsciously, pondering the information revealed by the bishop's words.

"The Church of Divine Grace in the Rhine Kingdom worships the eyes and blood of a god.

The bishop knows of the existence of other parts of the god being worshipped, which must be the faiths of other countries.

Is he trying to find these people hiding in Trino City?"

He scratched his head, feeling that something did not add up.

If the other parts also extended into religions like the Church of Divine Grace, it was hard to imagine which part's faith would use bloody sacrifices as a means to develop believers.

Unknowingly, he flew before an exquisite building and came to a halt.

The thick walls, polished from dark gray granite, displayed a delicate texture under the sunlight.

Several sturdy columns stood at the main entrance, their shafts covered in vertical grooves, steadily supporting the triangular pediment.

In the center of the pediment, the words "Trino Royal Bank" in gold-leaf borders announced the building's purpose.

On the wide stone steps in front of the door, people came and went, bustling with activity.

Gentlemen in dark tailcoats or brown vests chatted in low voices in small groups, leaning on canes and occasionally raising their hands to check their exquisite pocket watches.

Several young ladies in gorgeous, elaborate gowns walked slowly down the steps, holding the arms of gentlemen; their skirts swayed gently with their steps, the crinolines outlining elegant curves in the sunlight.

"Uh... I was just flying aimlessly. Could it be that my spirituality is revealing that today is a good day to rob a bank?"

Looking at the building before him, Ivan could not help but seriously consider this possibility.

He flew in beneath the pediment, and what met his eyes was a massive foyer with dark marble tiles laid out in beautiful geometric patterns.

A giant crystal chandelier hung from the dome, which stood dozens of meters high, casting light onto the stone pillars and reflecting a dazzling radiance.

In the center of the hall was a row of elegant wooden counters, behind which stood clerks in bank uniforms. Above the counters were brass protective grilles, with small sliding drawers installed behind them for passing documents and cash.

In front of each clerk was an inkstand, a thick ledger, and a scale precise to the gram.

"Truly magnificent... but why don't I see any workers depositing money here? Is it that they don't welcome the poor, or is it because the workers are also working during their business hours?"

Just as Ivan was letting his imagination run wild, he suddenly sensed a faint thread of faith coming from the left side of the hall.

"To think I have a believer here as well."

Curious, he looked toward the left side of the hall, where there appeared to be private meeting rooms. The heavy mahogany doors were engraved with golden numbers, and that faint signal of faith was coming from a room labeled "001" in the corner of the second floor.

Ivan flew toward the room just as the door was opened from the inside. The meeting room was carpeted in deep red, with dark green wallpaper on the walls.

A middle-aged man with meticulously groomed hair and a velvet suit walked out of the room with a young lady.

Ivan recognized him as Mayor Gustav, whom he had seen in the newspapers.

The young lady beside him had golden curly hair, the ends of which were gathered by a ribbon with a jeweled bow, accentuating her perfect face.

She wore an ivory-white satin gown, the neckline and cuffs adorned with delicate lace, and the skirt layered with embroidered patterns.

Around her swan-like, snow-white neck hung a sapphire pendant that echoed harmoniously with her sky-blue pupils.

The faint freckles beneath the corners of her eyes added a touch of serenity to her elegance.

The young lady seemed somewhat distracted, her eyes drifting toward other directions.

Mayor Gustav was smiling and saying goodbye to the two people opposite him.

"Oh, my dear Baron Victor, your son is truly humorous and witty. Thank you for your warm hospitality."

"Hahaha, Mr. Mayor, it is our honor to share afternoon tea with the most beautiful little angel in all of Trino City."

The middle-aged man opposite him responded with a hearty laugh. He was Baron Victor, president of the Trino Royal Bank, dressed in a meticulously tailored dark gray suit with a corner of a white handkerchief peeking from his breast pocket.

The young man beside Baron Victor stepped forward. He was slender, dressed in a light-colored vest and striped trousers, and bowed with elegant poise, his voice gentle yet brimming with confidence:

"Respected Miss Diana, please allow me to invite you to dinner."

The young lady named Diana was interrupted by him, her beautiful pale golden brows knitting together slightly. "No, just call me Gustav. We aren't that familiar."

"Haha, Miss Gustav's personality is as endearing as ever," Baron Victor said, smoothing things over.

Diana bowed slightly alongside her father and headed downstairs.

Ivan found the source of the silk thread; it was indeed that beautiful young lady, and he could truly feel a faint ripple of faith energy emanating from her.

Tsk, why would the mayor's daughter have a flicker of faith directed at me? I have never seen her at the Holy Spirit Society.

Could it be... that she heard my name somewhere and has been praying to me in secret?

As soon as this thought surfaced, he found it incredible.

But what kind of trouble could she have that would lead her to seek out an "unknown entity" like me instead of the Church of Divine Grace?

The more Ivan thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. For a mayor's daughter to bypass the orthodox church, it had to be a matter of some peculiar secret, or... she had already lost faith in the Church of Divine Grace.

He developed a keen interest in Diana and decided to follow the young lady to investigate.

When they arrived in front of an elegant villa in the West District, Mr. Gustav finally sighed helplessly and couldn't help but say to Diana:

"My dear little Diana, you were even less like a lady today."

The two entered the house, and the young lady widened her watery eyes, shaking her father's arm. "Papa, I don't want to marry anyone yet. I'm still in university~"

Gustav shook his head with a smile, seemingly unable to do anything about his daughter. "My little Diana, your mother was already head over heels in love with me at your age."

"But since you've told me this today, Papa won't force you anymore. I will politely decline any future invitations from Baron Victor."

"Yay! Thank you, Papa! I'm going back to my room to read!" Diana ran to her room on the second floor like a cheerful little lark.

Only then did Ivan conclude that perhaps the girl had simply prayed to him at random due to her distress over not wanting to date. Watching the girl enter her boudoir, he prepared to turn and fly away from the villa's gate.

Just then, he heard a prayer coming from the second floor.

"Great Lord of All Spirits..."

"May Your power descend upon us..."