Byrne Cathedral.

This sanctuary in the heart of the Red Blood Castle was and still is the most magnificent and majestic temple in the Red Blood Castle;

Like a sharp sword, all the walls of the church are covered with thirteen meters of stained glass, and forty-eight columns surround the hall, each of which is decorated with exquisite reliefs, hundreds of reliefs vividly reproduce the story of the Holy Cross, and have the reputation of "stone scriptures".

Even among all the magnificent and magnificent cathedrals in the Principality, Byrne Cathedral still firmly occupies the top three.

After the events of the Order of Blood, Byrne Cathedral was rebuilt in three years thanks to donations from the faithful, and although there are still many ruins, it is not difficult to imagine how magnificent it once was, just the remaining parts and empty ruins.

Bishop Byrne's swearing-in ceremony was held in the most well-restored main hall.

A makeshift circular platform was erected in the center of the hall, and three hundred clergy who had rushed from all over Byrne to vote adorned the surrounding columns and walls like heavy, gaudy velvet tapestries.

Looking at the clergy in the audience, the faces that almost had expectation, consternation, jealousy, resentment, and disdain written on their foreheads, the little priest Weber couldn't help but swallow hard.

It was his dream, but it was different from the dream.

"Dear Webbers, you don't have to worry about anything—it's all done. Deacon Sylvik was still standing behind him, chattering:

"The entire Byrne Church, and even the entire Holy Cross Church, stand behind you, and the Duke of Byrne will be helpless against you - you will be the richest and most powerful bishop in twelve generations!"

"All your wishes will be fulfilled, all your orders will be carried out unconditionally, and of course, you can also make your false reasoning... Well, I mean the understanding of the Holy Cross, becomes the only truth in Byrne, and no one dares to rebel against you. ”

"All you have to do is be absolutely loyal to the archbishop, Webb. ”

The thoughtful little priest didn't look at him, but nodded instinctively.

................................................

"I see. ”

In the garden of the Red Blood Castle Palace, Weber, the little priest who patiently listened to Loren's explanation, suddenly realized: "So that's the case!"

"That's it. The black-haired wizard nodded, not in the slightest that he had just gotten the news from Charlotte: "The church can't control Byrne, so they can only compromise - dear Webb, their goal is to win you over and thus indirectly control the Duchy of Byrne." ”

"No, I mean you always knew I was in Byrne. The little priest's face showed a trace of bitterness, and he bowed his head slightly and did not dare to look directly at Loren's gaze:

"I still feel like... I'm hiding it well. ”

"How?"

Blinking, the black-haired wizard continued to pretend to be confused.

"At the time of the imperial judgment in the imperial capital, I betrayed you... Betraying my friends was the worst sin I could ever imagine. The little priest Weber's expression darkened, and he suddenly smiled bitterly:

"Hehe... I don't lie to you, when those church guards came, I thought they were sent by you - I told myself 'yes, it's time', and now that you're the Duke of Byrne, of course you have the right to take revenge on me. ”

"Even when Deacon Sylwick handed me the letterhead and told me over and over again, 'It's true,' I told myself it was just a trap you had set. "The lower the little priest's head gets, the deeper it gets.

"Why?" said Loren, continuing to ask knowingly, ticking out the other man's words.

"Because I'm not worthy... It's not identity, it's not status, it's that I'm really unworthy. Webb's voice trembled: "Especially what you just said, it makes me even more convinced that I am not worthy!"

"What am I? a tool used by the Church to blackmail you, or is it the product of a compromise between Byrne and the Heavenly Dome? I am a puppet, a tool, a weapon—except not Bishop Byrne!"

"Everyone—including you—didn't think I had the qualifications and abilities, but that they put me in this position out of ambition and conspiracy!"

The excited little priest jerked his head up, his expression painful to the extreme.

The black-haired wizard listened silently, a smile flashing from his eyes.

"Webb, you've been... Gave up your ideals, didn't you?"

The little priest slammed!

"The one who told me that I would never give up my ideals, and was ready to reform the Church with great enthusiasm, starting from the grassroots level, becoming a bishop, and then entering the imperial capital, reshaping the doctrine of the Holy Cross, and letting the century-old 'old scriptures' once again lead the faith of the empire......"

With every word the black-haired wizard spoke, the little priest Webb's body twitched violently, his cheeks flushed, his teeth gritted, and his outstretched hands braced his knees.

That expression was like fighting and duel with another self.

"The one who is ashamed to say that the church should be the kingdom of heaven for every believer, and not a prison of faith......"

"Let the kingdom of heaven, which was exalted in the vault, fall back to the earth, and change the priest Webb of the whole world......

"It's dead... Right?"

Facing the calm gaze of the black-haired wizard, the red-eyed little priest seemed to freeze, and opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't say anything.

A full minute.

"I, I ......" is a simple word, but it seems to have a thousand weights in Weber's mouth:

"I—I don't have !!!"

Gritting his teeth, the little priest with a flushed face threw himself into Loren's arms, his thin hands clutching his collar, as if he was going to tear him to pieces in the next second.

The black-haired wizard was startled at first, and then a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "That's right." ”

In a word, Weber, who was "crazy", quickly "degenerated" and regained his composure.

"Yes, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I just ......" In a hurry, the panicked Webb's first reaction was still to apologize.

"There's nothing to apologize for, because that's you. Loren interrupted, grabbing the wrist that had grabbed him by the collar, and looked in eye with the little priest:

"It was you who agreed to compromise with the Church, and rejected the list of candidates Charlotte Turin had given me—even though I knew that those were the ones who would resolutely carry out my orders and fight the Church to the end. ”

"Well, in your words, they are not Bishop Byrne, but puppets in my hands, tools and weapons to use against the Church. ”

"Why?" the little priest blurted out.

"Because of your ideals and abilities, you have the responsibility to be Bishop of Byrne – you have this responsibility. Loren's answer was quite straightforward:

"Secondly... In this power struggle between the two sides, only you have a chance to become a 'veritable' Bishop of Byrne – no one else, no one!"

Webb still didn't get it.

"Let's put it this way—if I let a... Well, my man became Bishop of Byrne, and what was the result?" the black-haired wizard patiently explained, "Yes, he will carry out any of the orders I give, but none of these orders can be carried out. ”

"Why? Because half of the priests in the church of Byrne are men of Archbishop Innocent, and even if it is only to oppose me, they will oppose all my commands, even for the sake of opposition. ”

In the long run, the so-called Bishop of Byrne is nothing more than a virtual reality, the Byrne Church is still just a decoration, and the power struggle between the two sides will continue for decades. ”

At this point, Loren couldn't help but sigh - it had been almost a day and a half before that he had managed to convince Charlotte with the same words to push off her hard-working, carefully selected candidate for bishop.

Of course, the consequence is that from yesterday to now, this countess of Red Blood Castle has never given herself a good face.

"What about me?" the little priest couldn't help asking, "Am I different?"

"Of course, you're different, you're Archbishop of Innocent, you've been put in, and they absolutely believe in you. Loren said unhurriedly:

"The most important point... You betrayed me, and you almost defeated me. ”

"The Church of the Holy Cross could never have believed, Duke of Byrne... would trust a friend who betrayed him and almost ruined him!"

The little priest gritted his teeth and nodded slightly with a gloomy expression.

"Of course, they won't believe you so easily, after all, you are so 'innocent', so innocent that you don't have any leverage to be coerced or manipulated - this is not something they are happy to see. Loren smiled slightly:

"Although I don't know much about the Church, I know that the last Bishop of Byrne, his 'income' in gold was almost three million in gold dollars - not counting the twelve estates in his name, four small chambers of commerce, three salt mines, one coal mine, ......"

He had six mistresses, three of whom were in the Red Blood Castle, holding an estate of no less than half a million a year, and shares in the Yod Chamber of Commerce with interest, and several illegitimate children who held important positions in the Byrne Church and ran a money business in the Red Blood Castle. ”

"And that's not all, the little Yod of the United Chamber of Commerce told me that the bishop had a property in his old home, and that he had even spent a great sum of money to obtain the title of royal baron for one of his illegitimate sons, and that it was hereditary, in order to control the estates and estates of his family, and that he had two mansions in the imperial capital of Golovin, next to a private church that he had bought;"

"And what I'm trying to say is actually this 'brilliant bishop', among the past Bishops of Byrne, is still the kind of 'not so greedy' ......"

The little priest Webb frowned, and there was a look of resentment and helplessness in his eyes.

"And you, Webb, the future Bishop of Byrne... You can get more than this Bishop if you want. Loren spoke slowly, looking into his eyes:

"In order to control you and win you over, they will go to great lengths to buy you, to use your ability to be rich and unrivaled, to enjoy the luxury of a supreme emperor, or even to let your illegitimate children appear in the church and occupy important positions, or to become hereditary nobles... Both. ”

"The opportunity is right in front of you. ”

"The hole that leads to it all is right in front of you. ”

"Get down on your knees, get in... Then, everything is yours. ”

As the words fell, Loren silently observed the little priest in front of him, his cheeks, which had just been able to compose his composure, kept twitching, and he was restraining his anger with great perseverance.

That's right, that's why Loren really thought of the little priest.

No matter how loyal he is, it will be difficult for him to resist all these temptations when he becomes a Bishop of Byrne—the Church will definitely buy him at all costs in order to confront him.

In this case, the best outcome is to give birth to a guy who is no different from the previous Bishop of Byrne, the Byrne Church is still in vain, and the struggle between the two sides will not end.

Weber, the little priest, was different, because his ideals had not yet been extinguished.

He longed for sacrifice, dedication, and change—wealth, status, fame... For him, it's the mud and dung on the side of the road, and it's disgusting.

The church wanted to buy him, and it was delusional.

On the other hand, in order to win over the new Bishop of Byrne, at least in the early stage, the church would not obstruct the minor priests from doing anything, or even cooperate as much as possible to make themselves obstructed, and when Weber was completely in power, it was too late for them to regret it.

This is the reason why Loren insisted on choosing Weber, and even did not hesitate to "fall out" with Charlotte.

In the current situation, only he can overcome all difficulties and become a real "Bishop of Byrne".

Burn yourself and then light up the world.

It's a... Those who are willing to die for their ideals most desire are heroic and righteous and fall on the road to change the world.

"Your ideals are the reason why you became Bishop Byrne. Loren said quietly, "And if you want to realize your ideals, Bishop Byrne will be your first trial. ”

"Is it to fall into the quagmire of worldly fame and fortune under the temptation of wealth, profit, and power, or is it so lonely that everyone rebels and leaves, and in the end nothing is accomplished... It's up to you. ”

"I have no objection to wanting to change the world, to make the Church an ideal place for the people to rely on spiritually, and of course, don't expect me to agree, I won't give you much support, it's up to you to what you can do. ”

"If you think that what I expect is a world without faith, driven by profit and progress, is wrong, then show me what you imagine a world full of pure faith looks like. ”

"So I ask again... Webb, are your ideals still there?"

Loren looked at him without squinting.

It's been a long time.

"I see, Loren. ”

The little priest Weber raised his head again, and this time there was no excitement in his eyes, confusion, trance, and confusion...... In its place, there is no calm at all.

Beneath the silent surface of the lake is a raging fire.

"I'll let you see. ”