A Special Worship (Seeking Follow-up Reads~)

"A special service?" Diana paused mid-chew, her azure eyes filled with confusion.

Behind her, Ivan, who had remained in a state of invisibility, swallowed his unworthy saliva and perked up his ears to listen intently.

"What is that, Father?"

Diana tilted her head toward her father. "Aren't church services always on Sundays? It's still days away; why would there be a service all of a sudden?"

Mayor Logan wiped his mouth gently with a napkin, his expression turning more serious than before. He didn't explain the reason, only saying vaguely:

"Hmm... it is a ceremony that will benefit our family. The Bishop of St. Peter's Cathedral will be presiding over it personally."

He looked at his daughter, who was still dazed, and realizing the gravity on his face, he quickly smiled:

"Don't oversleep tomorrow. We leave for the cathedral promptly at 7:00 AM."

"Ah... alright."

Diana slumped her shoulders in reluctance. She had originally planned to go elsewhere early tomorrow morning to try and find ancient books regarding the Old Era, but since her father had spoken, she could only agree.

Back in her room, she changed into her nightgown and carefully tucked Myth of the Era into the inner side of her bookshelf.

She didn't give the special service another thought, only focusing on waking up early tomorrow so as not to keep her father waiting.

Just then, Ivan's voice suddenly rang out in her mind, carrying a hint of solemnity:

"Diana, the Church of Divine Grace does not tolerate the existence of my followers."

Diana was startled. She quickly turned to look at the empty room and lowered her voice to ask:

"Great Lord... are you still there? The Church of Divine Grace... could they be a threat to me?"

Ivan wasn't actually sure why Diana was being asked to attend a special service by the Church of Divine Grace so soon after becoming a Punishment Knight.

"Could it be that the people of the Church of Divine Grace have some method to detect the presence of God Blood outside of the church?"

He could only prepare for the worst, instructing Diana to be careful so as not to let the Church of Divine Grace discover any clues.

"Don't worry. When you go to the service tomorrow, I will leave a blessing on you to mask your Beyonder aura."

Ivan's voice paused, then added: "The Bishop of the Church of Divine Grace is also a Beyonder. Furthermore, your Order Aspect originates from the Church of Divine Grace; if you are discovered, I fear there will be trouble."

"I knew it!" Diana's eyes lit up, her previous curiosity about the Church of Divine Grace instantly ignited.

"I've always felt they were acting strange. Every time I went to the church, I felt like people were being secretive. Sure enough, there are Beyonders!"

"Yes, and his ability is quite special." A note of warning entered Ivan's voice:

"He can hypnotize others, pull them into a dreamscape he constructs, and alter their subconscious."

"What an amazing ability!" Diana didn't realize the danger at all; instead, she was captivated by this extraordinary power she had never heard of, her eyes sparkling. "Compared to my Punishment Knight abilities, which one is stronger?"

Ivan: "..."

He suddenly felt that, perhaps more than facing the threat of the Bishop of the Church of Divine Grace, making this curious girl realize the concept of "danger" itself was the most difficult task of all.

The next morning, Diana and her father boarded a steam carriage early and arrived at the gates of St. Peter's Cathedral.

Ivan's form remained inside the carriage cabin, Diana's body already enveloped by a thin film of energy formed by his tentacles to prevent her Order Aspect aura from leaking out.

This was a method he had discovered after researching all night; he could use his own faith energy to construct a barrier outside a human body, protecting them from being probed or influenced by extraordinary powers.

"Tsk, Little George didn't have such good luck back then. Before I could even react, he was caught by the church. I wonder if the methods of the Church of Divine Grace can detect the existence of his Natural Aspect."

He silently switched to Diana's perspective.

"Mr. Gustav, the service is about to begin. The Bishop has already reserved a seat for you."

The deacon at the cathedral wore a smile as warm as a spring breeze, standing outside the gates early to welcome the Mayor of Trino.

Logan Gustav nodded slightly to him, tucked away his cane, and stepped into the cathedral.

"Ms. Gustav, you are as beautiful and lively as the morning sun." Seeing Diana, his smile grew even wider, and the compliment slipped out effortlessly.

Today, Diana was wearing an off-white lace-collared dress, with fine silver thread patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs.

The hem of the skirt fell below her knees, swaying gently with her movements—neither flashy nor inappropriate for the solemnity of the cathedral.

Over the dress, she wore a light gray short-knit cardigan, which protected her arms from the morning chill.

On her feet, she wore black leather shoes over white over-the-knee socks. The toes were rounded and the heels were only a finger's height, making them suitable for walking quietly in the cathedral.

Her long, pale gold hair was tied back with a silver ribbon, leaving two loose strands framing her cheeks.

"Thank you, Mr. Deacon." She smiled politely at him, lifted the hem of her skirt slightly with her right hand, leaned forward, and performed a lady's curtsy.

She followed her father into the main hall of St. Peter's Cathedral. It was empty and echoed with the sound of their footsteps, making them sound exceptionally clear.

On the altar, a figure in white clerical robes stood with their back to the door, tidying something up.

Hearing the footsteps, the man immediately turned around and walked quickly down the steps of the altar.

He was slightly plump with a gentle smile on his face. Before Mayor Logan could even speak, he opened his arms and gave him a hug, his tone as warm as if he were seeing an old friend he hadn't met in years:

"Oh, my dear Logan, it is such a pity you didn't attend the Holy Blood Ritual last week. That was the most sacred ceremony of the month!"

Logan patted Tarik on the back, a look of helpless resignation on his face:

"Haha, my dear Bishop Tarik, you know how it is. The City Hall was simply too busy last week; they wouldn't even let me rest on Sunday!"

Diana followed behind her father, watching the two of them interact with such familiarity, and obediently bowed to Bishop Tarik.

Bishop Tarik nodded at her with a smile, "It has been a long time. Our Miss Diana seems to have grown taller, and has become such a well-mannered young lady."

Having said that, he turned and walked briskly back to the altar.

"Very well, since you have arrived, today's service may begin." Bishop Tarik cleared his throat, his gentle voice echoing once more.

"Today's ceremony is primarily to make up for Logan's inability to attend the Holy Blood Ritual last week.

Divine grace is never stingy; as long as one holds piety in their heart, a delayed blessing can still descend."

Inside the carriage, Ivan finally let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

So it was just to make up for the Holy Blood Ritual. I thought the Church had used some method to discover that Diana had obtained the Order Aspect and had specifically called her here for a confrontation.

But the heart he had just settled rose again, and a question emerged:

If that is the case, why are only the father and daughter here? There must be other nobles who missed the ceremony; it makes no sense to hold a private service just for them.

As Ivan pondered, he saw Bishop Tarik's gaze clearly land on Diana, his voice continuing:

"Secondly, there is a gift I wish to present to Miss Diana."

Diana was stunned for a moment, instinctively looking up at the altar, her azure eyes blinking repeatedly.

She was not familiar with this bishop, so why would she suddenly receive a gift?

"Your father mentioned that you have enjoyed exploring mysterious things since you were young, and have a particular interest in ancient books and legends.

I recently happened to find something in the Church's collection room, and thinking you might like it, I specifically saved it to give to you today."

As he spoke, he took a palm-sized wooden box from a cabinet behind the altar. The box was dark brown, with intricate patterns carved into its surface.

Logan sat on the bench, a gratified expression on his face, his eyes full of encouragement; it was clear he had known about the gift all along.

Diana, however, clenched her fists, feeling a faint sense of unease in her heart.

Ever since Ivan warned her that the bishop was a transcendent, she felt that this gift was not so simple, especially after the bizarre encounter in the Spirit Realm, which had made her more vigilant toward unfamiliar things.

Bishop Tarik slowly descended the altar steps and handed the wooden box to Diana.

"Open it and see, my dear little Diana." Logan, standing beside her, nodded with a smile, his tone full of anticipation, clearly wanting to know what this mysterious gift was as well.

Ivan stared at the wooden box through Diana's perspective, faintly sensing a trace of spirituality overflowing from it, yet there was no aura of danger.

Diana looked at her father's expectant gaze, then quietly waited for a moment in her heart, but no revelation from Ivan came to her ears.

She took a deep breath, her fingertips gently touching the edge of the wooden box. The cold sensation helped her steady herself, and she slowly lifted the lid:

The bottom of the box was lined with a layer of exquisite dark red velvet.

In the center of the wooden box, an eyeball covered in bloodshot veins lay quietly, its horizontal pupil like a silent, thin slit. It possessed no vitality, yet it seemed as if it could rotate at any moment.