Waiting for the Rabbit

This was likely why a Priestly Order had appeared under Pontos. He needed faith, just as heroes needed to be sung of. Both required the thoughts of sapient beings as kindling to rise to higher realms.

Praise and renown could allow a Golden Hero to condense and solidify a treasure; Ace had learned this in the Royal Library.

Now, it seemed that faith, purer still than praise and renown, would very likely help a demigod condense a divine portfolio.

As Ace pondered, he observed Moor's condition.

As an ascetic priest, Moor's will was far firmer than that of ordinary people. Unfortunately, even such resolve could not withstand the enormous disparity in mental strength. His will was forcibly worn down.

More and more illusions filled Moor's vision. The whispers in his ears terrified him, made him tremble, and sent stray thoughts flooding through his mind.

He saw a dazzling radiance, and a deep voice came from within it.

"Moor! Moor! You are guilty!"

Moor was in unbearable agony. He forcibly gathered his focus, trying to see who it was, yet all he could see was the blinding light.

"Who are you?"

Moor asked hoarsely and weakly.

"We meet face-to-face, yet you do not recognize me. Are you still the Lord's devout priest? I am the Divine Envoy of Justice beneath the Lord's throne. Moor, will you not repent your sins and beg the Lord for forgiveness?"

The power of bewitchment made Moor feel that the light's words were utterly correct. Overwhelming terror shrouded him, and he even developed an inexpressible sense of guilt toward himself. He yielded and prostrated himself on the ground.

"I repent. Before I converted to Lord Child of the Ocean, I actually harbored every kind of doubt toward Him. My sins are truly monstrous."

"Have you ever bullied the weak? Have you ever indulged your selfish desires? The Lord sent me here because He wished to hear your heartfelt repentance."

Like beans spilling from a sack, Moor confessed everything, from pulling out the tail feathers of a neighbor's chicken as a child to his present jealousy that the High Priest received greater favor from the Lord.

Ace watched Moor weep bitterly and had not expected these to be his only so-called sins. Aside from his childish mischief, all he had after reaching adulthood were wicked thoughts in his heart; in his outward actions, he had always strictly observed the commandments.

Ace controlled the light he had formed and gently stroked Moor's head.

"You have been honest with the Lord, and so you shall receive the Lord's mercy. Now, you must honestly report how you have spread the Lord's glory since becoming a priest."

"Honored Divine Envoy, ever since I converted to Lord Child of the Ocean, I have deeply realized that only He is the sole savior of us fishermen. We should cooperate with the Merfolk and spread the Lord's glory together."

A holy smile appeared on Moor's face as he spread his arms.

"Ten years ago, I received the Lord's Blessing and entered the temple to serve. I came to understand that the Merfolk were the Lord's chosen people by birth, while our human shells were sinful by nature. Only by transforming into Merfolk could we draw closer to the Lord and serve Him better."

Ace quietly listened to Moor's account. After questioning him in detail about his duties and relationships within the temple, he dizzied him and stripped him naked.

Ace tore a lock of hair from Moor's head, clipped his fingernails and toenails, drew his blood, and cut off a small piece of flesh from his buttock, mixing them together as spellcasting materials.

As the transformation spell took effect, the mixture of flesh, blood, hair, and nails vanished. Ace gradually grew taller, his skin became dry and withered, and he changed into Moor's priestly robes. His expression was full of sorrow and compassion; no one would have been able to tell them apart.

Ace sensed the transformed body. Its internal organs, even its blood and bones, had all become Merfolk-like. This body was human skin and fish bones.

He took out the goat flesh and blood he had prepared, then activated the transformation spell model within the Secret Treasury Space upon Moor. Magic power pulsed. The goat flesh and blood vanished, mysterious rhythms wrapped around Moor, and he turned into an unconscious goat lying on the ground.

Ace quietly hid the goat in a nearby household's sheep pen and used a spell to suggest that they had to keep a close watch over it.

The spell's sustained effect lasted nearly three days. Three days would be enough for Ace to investigate the temple's secrets. He intended to decide Moor's fate based on what he discovered.

Ace continued along Moor's route to nearby villages to preach, extolling the greatness of Lord Pontos, Child of the Ocean.

The next day, he returned to the temple by the same route. Everything was as usual.

After returning to Moor's residence, Ace was preparing to sound out the other priests when a young man entered.

"Priest Moor, you have returned. Greetings to you. May the Lord bless you."

The young man was Arnos, the apprentice of the temple's High Priest and a probationary priest.

Moor had specifically introduced him. He was the High Priest's confidant, with a mole between his brows that made him easy to recognize.

Ace rose and returned the greeting. "May the Lord bless you, Priest Arnos."

Arnos continued, "The High Priest ordered me to inform you that you are to proceed quickly to the temple hall for a meeting."

"I will go at once."

"Then I will not disturb you further."

Ace watched Arnos leave politely, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Where there were people, there was strife. Moor's faction and the High Priest were not on particularly good terms.

When Ace arrived at the hall, he found it already bustling with people. After Arnos counted their numbers, he nodded toward the High Priest on the platform.

"Priests, silence, please." The High Priest's voice was somewhat shrill. Upon hearing it, everyone quickly stopped discussing.

The High Priest swept his gaze over the crowd. Satisfied that they respected his authority, he nodded faintly.

"The Lord's chosen people are the Merfolk, while we are sinful by nature. Yet the Lord has shown mercy to us sinners, allowing us to cooperate with the Merfolk, and has even created the Merfolk Transformation Method, allowing us to shed our sinful shells and become half-Merfolk priests."

While the High Priest spoke, Ace scanned the surroundings and, sure enough, spotted Moor and the others.

According to Moor's description, Moor belonged to the same faction as him. Moor had also noticed Ace's gaze and gave him a slight nod.

"Some of you are Blessed Ones who received the Lord's Blessing and gradually, naturally transformed into half-Merfolk over a long span of time. Others are ascetic priests who endured indescribable suffering before finally achieving transformation."

"But now, there are still more of the Lord's faithful followers who have not yet cast off their sins, who have not shed their sinful shells. Now, the century-long promise has expired, and the grand transformation ritual we arranged with the Merfolk is about to be completed!"

"The sins of the Tzimali people are about to be washed away! Our brothers and sisters will all permanently transform into half-Merfolk! A united city-state of Merfolk and half-Merfolk shall rise at the southernmost edge of Salia. This is the Promised Land Lord Pontos has bestowed upon us!"

The High Priest roared himself hoarse. The priests below were flushed with fervor, as though they had waited for this day for a long time, and let out low, rumbling cries.

Ace joined in with a low, rumbling cry. In Merfolk language, it meant agreement.

He began assessing the situation at high speed.

In the short term, remaining in Tsimari posed an enormous danger.

Whether it was the brainwashing of faith or the permanent transformation into a half-Merfolk, neither was an outcome he could accept. He had to escape as soon as possible.

In the long term, today's enemies might not necessarily be tomorrow's enemies.

Tsimari splitting into a united city-state of Merfolk and half-Merfolk would certainly be bad for Medimous City-State, but not necessarily for Ace.

As an emerging force, wizards would inevitably be suppressed by old powers. Yet the conflict between two gods and the division of a city-state happened to give the Wizard Organization room to rise in the future.