Goodwin's pure white eyes twitched slightly.
He could sense that the white light representing humanity was shining brightly in Lynn's soul as well.
It was a kind of light that shone through hardship and suffering, yet still held fast to certain principles.
Rather than its spiritual manifestation, it is intertwined with the red light representing indifference and cruelty.
While not as flawless as a saint, this is the true, resilient light of humanity that belongs to ordinary people, despite its imperfections.
This is completely illogical.
This caused Goodwin to hesitate.
Logically speaking, such a complex soul and such a "miserable" fate...
This is sufficient grounds for determining "high suspicion of betrayal," and could even trigger a cleanup process directly.
But his guiding principle has always been to be wary of Xenos and Chaos, while also giving those who have gone astray a chance for redemption.
Human beings, living in the dark galaxy, are inherently required to tolerate a certain amount of "mistakes."
Just like the hounds of the Inquisition.
The silence lasted for a while.
The hall was completely silent, all eyes were on Goodwin and Lynn.
The surrounding bishops also noticed the archbishop's silence and the way he stared at Lynn.
They sensed something "incongruous" about Lynn to some extent, but not nearly as clearly as Goodwin.
Seeing that Goodwin did not immediately express his opinion, they temporarily suppressed their doubts and waited to see how things would develop.
Finally, Goodwin's pure white eyes returned to normal.
He spoke, his voice aged yet resonant, like the tolling of an ancient bell:
"Both of you, bow your heads in quiet contemplation, repent for your worldly transgressions, and listen to the Emperor's sacred words!"
He stepped aside and gestured to Lynn to "please come up on stage".
After Lynn took the stage, he spoke again.
"With faith as our torch and piety as our foundation."
"The Holy Mass begins now!"
A grand symphony began, like the gates of heaven opening.
The choir's holy chants resounded throughout the church, mingling with the sounds of bells, music, and the devout prayers of countless believers.
A grand religious atmosphere filled the entire venue.
Lynn released " Isolde's" hand, gesturing for her to sit in the reserved seat in the first row below the stage.
Gus, the Butcher, Doudou were also led to the side seats for the attendants.
Lynn walked alone up the steps of the pulpit.
With each step I took, the pressure intensified.
The hymns, bells, and prayers seemed to be more than just sounds; they were ripples of faith washing over Lynn's body and soul.
In particular, Archbishop Goodwin's pure white eyes were always fixed on him, as if trying to see through all his pretenses.
Lynn felt a little guilty under that gaze.
He thought of the system and his various "heretic" behaviors.
Am I still considered a "pure human"?
Will facing the Emperor's scrutiny expose everything?
He forcefully suppressed these distracting thoughts, and with a calm expression walked to the center of the pulpit, standing shoulder to shoulder with Archbishop Goodwin.
He turned to face the powerful and the believers below.
Instantly, countless gazes enveloped him.
Goodwin began presiding over the Mass.
Holding a scepter, he proclaimed the greatness of the Emperor and the sacred mission of Imperium of Man to survive in the dark galaxy in ancient and solemn High Gothic.
The mission is to expound on the legal basis and responsibilities of the Planetary Governor as the " Emperor's Chosen " in ruling the planetary world.
The sound seemed to possess a certain magic, guiding everyone's emotions and pushing the atmosphere to a climax.
Lynn followed the procedures he had learned beforehand from Gus, and cooperated with Goodwin's guidance.
Bow when you should bow, respond when you should respond, and perform the Aquila Salute salute when you should perform the Aquila Salute.
The movements were flawlessly executed.
But he always felt that when he recited those oaths of loyalty to the Emperor, it was as if something was really "watching" him.
Not Goodwin or anyone else present
It is an ancient and grand will.
It was as if a glance had been cast from an extremely distant place, its gaze piercing the boundary between reality and the Warp, landing on the soul that was swearing its loyalty.
The feeling flashed by, and Lynn suddenly realized something.
He instantly felt his back soaked with sweat.
Archbishop Goodwin kept his eyes fixed on Lynn as he took the oath.
An affectionate expression, resembling an "auntie's smile," unconsciously appeared on her face.
It's like admiring something interesting, or like anticipating something.
This made Lynn even more uncomfortable, and she could only grit her teeth and recite the oath in its entirety.
"I will dedicate my loyalty to the Emperor, to humanity, and to Brevis."
With my blood, my soul, and all my glory, I swear to defend this world, to resist the enemies of Xenos, heretics, and Chaos, until eternity.
May the Emperor protect you!
The last syllable falls.
A unified response rang out from the main hall:
"May the Emperor protect you!"
The sounds converged into waves, crashing against the interior of the hall.
Goodwin nodded in satisfaction.
He gestured for the two assistant priests to come forward.
A person holds a golden platter filled with fragrant holy oil.
Another person holds a silver pot containing blessed holy water.
Goodwin personally applied the holy oil to Lynn's forehead.
A cool touch followed, but then a warm, comforting feeling, like basking in the winter sun.
Goodwin slightly raised his eyes.
Lynn's physical body reacted normally to the holy oil; there was no rejection or burning.
This shows that his biological basis is still human.
Next, Goodwin dipped his scepter in holy water and gently patted Lynn's shoulders and chest while reciting a blessing prayer.
"In the name of the Emperor, I bestow upon you resilient shoulders to bear the heavy responsibilities of this realm."
"In the name of the Emperor, I bestow upon you a clear mind, to distinguish loyalty from treachery, good from evil."
"In the name of the Emperor, I bestow upon you Dreadnought spirit to defend against countless enemies."
Each prayer is infused with an even stronger blessing from the holy water.
Deep within her soul, the purple aura representing Rena fluctuated, seemingly repelling this foreign force of "order."
But under Lynn's mental suppression, he quickly regained his composure.
The white radiance at the core of Lynn's humanity seemed to shine even brighter under the nourishment of the blessing.
A hint of surprise flashed in Goodwin's pure white eyes.
He clearly "saw" Lynn's soul's reaction.
The "compliance" of the purple light and the "acceptance" of its humanistic brilliance both exceeded his expectations.
This young man is more interesting than he thought.
The blessing is complete.
Goodwin took a step back, his aged face regaining its solemnity.
The atmosphere in the main hall reached its peak at this moment.
Everyone knows that the next step is the "most crucial" one.
Goodwin turned to face the Emperor statue and bowed deeply.
Then, he took something from a red velvet cushion held by another altar priest beside him and lifted it with both hands.
That's a scepter.
It is about 1.2 meters long, predominantly white-gold in color, with a delicate texture and an air of nobility.
The ornament at the top of the scepter is a complex and precise mechanical structure, with a deep red gem the size of an egg set in its center.
The staff is engraved with intricate sacred patterns, fragments of holy scriptures, a map of Brevis, the coats of arms of successive governors, and numerous inscriptions.
It lay quietly in Goodwin's hand, yet it exuded a captivating "allure."