The convoy stopped in the designated area of the square.
Lynn took a deep breath, straightened her collar, and got out of the car first.
" Isolde " followed closely behind, her hand still held by Lynn. Rena's discomfort was temporarily suppressed under Lynn's reassurance.
Gus, Doudou, and the others also got out of the car and stood guard on both sides of Lynn.
Lynn looked up and gazed ahead.
From the square to the church's main entrance, there are hundreds of white stone steps, wide enough for twenty people to walk side by side.
At this moment, the steps were filled with solemn-looking monks of the Ecclesiarchy and Sisters of Battle clad in armor.
Holding scriptures or weapons, their gazes were devout and unwavering, forming a sacred procession.
Offer your blessings to the new governor.
At the end of the steps, on either side of the church entrance, stood two silent knight mechs.
The oppressive feeling of being on top became more concrete and heavy as the distance closed.
Lynn took the first step.
The boots made a crisp sound as they stepped on the white stone steps.
" Isolde " took his arm and followed him.
Gus followed behind, feeling his heart racing and his palms sweating profusely.
The gazes cast by the surrounding cultivators seemed to carry a substantial weight.
It was faith, mixed with a scrutinizing gaze.
The air was filled with the mixed smells of incense, wax, and stone, creating an indescribable, uniquely religious atmosphere of "oppression."
With each step upwards, the air around me felt heavier, as if an invisible force was squeezing my soul.
The group of people all tensed up simultaneously.
But the most nervous one was Gus.
Only he truly knows what he's about to face.
Ecclesiarchy Mass!
This is not just a simple welcoming ceremony or a perfunctory transfer of power.
This is the most crucial, sacred, and also the most "dangerous" part of the governor's inauguration ceremony.
It was not merely a change of secular power, but also the "ultimate test" of the governor's identity as a "human being" and his loyalty to the Emperor!
During the ceremony, the Grand Diocese personally guided the verification of the new governor's human identity in front of the Emperor statue and under the watchful eyes of countless believers.
This verification is by no means a simple genetic test or a verbal declaration.
It involves Psychic Power, faith, and the deep nature of the soul.
In Gus's view, Lynn was a pure "heretic".
He had personally witnessed Xenos terrifying Tyranids dangling from Lynn's shoulder, and Lynn's full-body bio-armor.
And the image of the Tyranids on the Song Offering Farewell submitting to Lynn.
Lynn is definitely not human!
He even suspected that Lynn was actually a humanoid Tyranids!
How could such heresy possibly pass the verification of the Ecclesiarchy?
If anything unusual is discovered during the Mass...
Gus dared not think about the consequences.
They'll definitely be turned into a bloody mist on the spot!
The higher he climbed, the heavier his steps became and the more rapid his breathing became.
Sweat had soaked through his innermost lining.
He even had the absurd thought that he should reach out and grab Lynn's arm in front of him, to draw some false sense of security from him.
His hand was only halfway out.
As if Lynn had eyes in the back of his head, he didn't even turn around and slapped Gus's hand away hard.
The movements were casual, like casually swatting a fly that flew by.
Gus awkwardly withdrew his hand.
He muttered under his breath, "What's wrong with you? You're already holding my wife's hand, can't you hold mine too?"
Lynn: "..."
He opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything.
Is Gus really alright in the head?
We finally reached the top of the long stone steps.
Lynn stood before the church's massive archway, where several high-ranking clergy members came to greet him.
The leader was an old bishop with no hair.
"Your Excellency Governor Kerry von, Lady Isolde Cora, and all those in your entourage, may the Emperor's Light guide your path."
The old bishop spoke gently and performed a standard Aquila Salute.
"May His glory endure with us forever." Lynn returned the greeting, his posture impeccable.
"The Mass is about to begin, please follow me."
Led by the old bishop, Lynn and his party entered the main hall of the church.
Instantly, the noise outside was shut out.
Instead, it evokes an ultimate sense of grandeur, solemnity, and sanctity.
The interior of the church was so spacious it made one dizzy.
Twenty-one colossal pillars support the hall, their surfaces engraved with images of the Primarch ' valiant battles and scriptures.
On the dome, there are epic murals depicting the Emperor's unification of Terra, which gleam with gold under the light.
The air was filled with a strong incense, the scent of burning expensive Brevis native pine resin, which could calm the mind and suppress desires.
A deep red carpet covered the floor, stretching all the way to the enormous Emperor statue at the far end of the main hall.
By now, the benches on both sides of the carpet were already full of people.
Almost all the powerful and influential people whose names were known attended the mass.
They were dressed in their most formal attire or uniforms, their expressions varied, but their eyes were all fixed on Lynn and his group as they entered.
His gaze was complex and difficult to decipher.
Curiosity, scrutiny, calculation, contempt, and a very few, anticipation?
Lynn felt countless gazes pressing down on him, trying to analyze the meaning behind his every subtle expression and movement.
His expression remained unchanged as he, arm in arm with " Isolde," walked step by step along the red carpet toward the Emperor statue.
Footsteps echoed in the empty hall, accompanied by the deep sound of the pipe organ and the choir's chanting.
Lynn felt as if she had fallen into the center of a deep-sea whirlpool.
The pressure came like a tide from all directions, engulfing him.
Finally, they reached the area directly in front of the icon.
Behind the pulpit, supported by believers, stood an old man dressed in a magnificent red robe and holding a scepter.
He was old and dignified.
What's most striking is his eyes.
Pure white, without pupils or other impurities.
Right now, those pure white eyes are looking at Lynn.
Archbishop Goodwin.
The supreme leader of the Ecclesiarchy Brevis, who has served as archbishop for over three hundred years.
His eyes underwent a transformation under the influence of devout faith and the glory of the Ecclesiarchy.
It has acquired a certain ability to see through illusions and confront the essence of things.
In his "vision," Lynn's image was completely different from that of ordinary people.
It is not flesh and blood, but the essence of the soul.
Lynn's soul...
Goodwin's pure white eyes flickered.
"Complex."
It's so damn complicated!
The core of the soul is not singular; rather, it consists of both light and darkness, intertwined and interwoven.
Around this interplay of light and shadow, a chaotic array of multicolored spiritual light swirled.
This means his fate will be intertwined with all sorts of unknown things.
Most striking was a dense, impenetrable purple light.
It wasn't just wrapped around the outside; it was almost "fused" with Lynn's soul, as if they had formed a symbiotic relationship due to some kind of wonderful emotion.
Such a complex and contradictory soul composition was something Goodwin had never seen in his more than three hundred years of life.
Even traitors who side with the Chaos Enemy and worship multiple evil gods don't have souls as complex as Lynn's.