Cliff's little temple was the last to be brought under control.
Augustus went to see him in person.
The two old men sat at the temple entrance, watching the sparse pedestrians on the street.
"Mr. Cliff, merge your church into the Holy See."
Cliff remained silent for a long time.
"Archbishop, it's not that I don't want to. I just can't understand—why can't my church keep its followers?"
Augustus looked at the stall across the street selling divine statues. "Because what people need isn't reason."
Cliff froze.
"Everything you say is right. Gods are gods, people are people, and faith is not a business. But ordinary people don't care about any of that."
Augustus spoke softly.
"They only want to know who will save them five years from now. You tell them to rely on themselves, and they don't believe you. You tell them that God is in their hearts, and they don't understand."
"What they want is something they can grasp—divine statues, holy water, Merit Vouchers, anything."
Cliff opened his mouth but could not speak.
Augustus rose to his feet.
"Merge your church into the Holy See. You can become the Holy See's doctrinal scholar and focus on studying scripture. Those principles of yours cannot be lost, but..."
He paused. "You can't speak of reason alone."
Cliff was silent for a long while before finally nodding.
Three months later, the struggle over faith in the Goblin World came to an end.
The Empire Supreme God Church unified all churches and established cathedrals in every city.
The doctrine had been compiled, the rules established, and the clergy trained.
Standing on the steps of the Imperial City Grand Cathedral before a sea of believers, Augustus read the Holy See's first proclamation.
"From this day onward, the faith of the Supreme God