In front of the church construction site, a long queue stretched from the wooden platform to the muddy road in the distance.
People crowded together, craning their necks, waiting for the scent of bread to become food in their hands.
Veylin and Tristan walked alongside the queue.
Their arrival sent a ripple through the crowd.
The workers recognized their lord, and their murmuring stopped abruptly. Some instinctively ducked their heads, their eyes darting about.
Veylin paid them no attention.
He watched the expressions on their faces, then the priest's assistants handing out bread with practiced movements and devout expressions.
Fabian stood on the raised platform. Morning prayers had just ended. He spotted Veylin, and although his expression did not change, Veylin could sense the restraint in his bearing.
It was the satisfaction of a hunter watching his prey step into a trap.
Once the distribution ended, the crowd gradually dispersed. Some found places to eat their bread, while others flocked to the church foundations, ready to haul stones for a cup of wine and some cloth.
Fabian descended from the wooden platform and approached Veylin of his own accord.
"Lord Veylin, your arrival lends further splendor to this blessed ground." Fabian bowed slightly.
"Father Fabian," Veylin replied. "I came to ask whether the Church needs any assistance from the Lord's Manor with its construction here."
"Your concern is itself the greatest expression of devotion to our Lord." Fabian wore a gentle smile. "But you have already provided the finest assistance."
He gestured toward the workers eating their bread.
"You see, you have built them homes and given them work. But people need spiritual nourishment as well as bread. Our Lord's grace is filling the emptiness in their souls. Your merit points keep them alive, while the Lord's glory gives their