181 Faith

"I see, the so-called belief in evil gods is essentially a ...... of trade," Ashrufat thought for a moment. "Do what God likes, and God will reward you......" He thought for a moment, and from this point of view, it was no wonder that the belief in evil gods was so deep-rooted. It is no wonder that although the church is strictly guarded, the cultists are still like weeds that cannot be killed, and they always emerge one after another. This is a very real problem, no matter how hard the church tries, it only presses the gourd and floats the scoop.

"That's a good analogy. Jaime replied with a smile. "You know, Lord Earl, that faith is a secret that only you know. No one can get to the bottom of someone's heart. Not to mention that laypeople like us, even the priests of the Church may be unreligious—we have never heard of such things, but we can imagine them. But no one can betray interests. Believing in evil gods is definitely a profitable thing, even a incidental thing. ”

"Think about it, an ordinary soldier, his original duty is to kill the enemy. If he believes in the Blood God, then he doesn't need to do anything superfluous, he just needs to say 'Blood to the Blood God' in his mind before the battle begins. Then he can enjoy an additional income in peace. You're right?"

"That's true. Ashrufat had to admit it. "But if it's just such a deal, it's very simple to say that you want to buy ordinary people from the lower class. However, it also can't influence the people at the top, especially those who are really strong...... For example, a nobleman would not care about such a magic weapon and magic armor. ”

"Ah, Lord Count, you are wrong. Among all the rewards given by the evil gods, there is one thing that everyone dreams of, and it can even be said that human beings cannot resist the temptation of this reward. Jaime said.

"Oh?" said Ashrufat, looking at Jaime's face. "What is the reward?"

"They can give eternal life to mortals. Jaime said with a smile.

"How is it possible......" Ashrufat was about to say this, but the next moment he realized that it was indeed possible. At least within the confines of the Central Seven, there is indeed such an example as zài. That was the former archbishop of the Church. That archbishop was given the grace and the power of eternal life to remain young and alive forever.

It's not a particular secret. The church, for its part, took full advantage of this miracle and used it as an example of the great power of the gods in the star field.

Unfortunately, the people of the Church still do not know why the Archbishop's Church has received this power. The mystery will never be solved, for the immortal archbishop has perished under the blade of the greenskin.

From this point of view, since the gods of the star field can grant immortality to mortals, then the four evil gods who are also "gods" can also do the same.

"If one can gain the true favor of any of the four great gods, then the mortal is promoted to the immortal being. Jaime continued. "For many, this is the ultimate goal of embarking on the path of chaos. It is also a reward for those who dedicate themselves to the gods of Chaos, who will grant them immortal life, as well as unimaginable power and power. ”

"......" Ashruphat didn't speak, and it seemed that he finally understood why the belief in the evil gods was endless. O temptation of eternal life. For mortals who are destined to die, it is really an irresistible temptation.

"But...... Evil gods are supposed to be dangerous, aren't they?" "If nothing else, their teachings alone are dangerous enough. I remember reading a book about it. He paused, "Chaos gods usually don't have much patience with their men. He can be lightly pleasing by you, and he can love you at this time and reward you lavishly. But if you let them down, they can also ruin you in the next second. Immortality is only a thin line away from the walking dead. For example, a mortal who has been murdered again and again has been rewarded with the favor of the Chaos Lord, and has been given the status of Lord of Chaos and countless rewards. But as long as you are defeated once, then one qiē is over. ”

"You're so right. Jaime replied immediately. "Once you fail to fulfill God's expectations...... It is possible for God to play a little joke on you and turn you into an egg of chaos. You may not know what an Egg of Chaos is. It was the god's punishment for defeat - the human body and mind would dissolve like a candle, and the magical energy would shape him into a terrifying monster full of fangs. His sanity had long since been swept out of the clouds, leaving behind a mental vortex of anger and pain. These 'former' humans are known as the Eggs of Chaos. They are completely unable to communicate and are only controlled by those favored by the evil gods. On the battlefield, this kind of monster is quite terrifying, and it is rumored that the combat power is enough to defeat a thousand. ”

"But," Jaime said. "Things can be seen the other way around. The gods show no mercy to the losers, but they are just as generous to the victors. As long as you can keep winning, then any reward can come at hand. After all, it's all you need to do if you keep winning, don't you?, Earl, I've heard a rumor about you. ”

"What kind of rumors?"

"I've heard that you've dueled with a cult god in Eagle Falcon City before. And that's still a Blood God believer. Jaime said. Although Ashrufat did not speak, his expression clearly admitted the matter.

"I heard about it by chance...... Later, according to the church's detailed investigation, the cultist was not a new believer developed from an underground sect, and he had nothing to do with his family and relatives. Actually, he was only one person. Or rather, he learned about the evil gods from a book or some other source, so he made an altar and prayed to the gods, thus becoming a believer in abuse. ”

Ashrufat really didn't know about it. Because after this matter was over, he left Yiqiē behind him and never asked again. As for the Church's investigation of the results of a fact, it is naturally not obliged to inform him.

"I heard that one was originally a mediocre hand. But since the worship of the fear of abuse, he has been rewarded, and he has become stronger and stronger, both in terms of physical intelligence and reaction speed. I was defeated by you, but I guess I was impressed, right?"

To tell the truth, Ashrufat didn't have any special impression of that one's fighting skills, and he even forgot the name of that person. But that didn't stop Ashruphat from nodding.

"He's really good, almost ...... It was a complete accident that I was able to beat him. ”

That's right, God's gift is not so simple. As long as there is something in the heart, people will try it very lightly, and then they will become addicted immediately. Strength is more fascinating than anything else. ”

Ashruphat tried to answer, but before he could speak, he saw one of the guards return with the magician. This magician was one of the two magicians who had been captured (or surrendered) in the city of Fornoros. According to the rules of the civil war, after he had clearly shown his sincerity, he was taken into the army by Ashrufat.

"It's ...... Altar of the Evil God?" It took the magician a few seconds to learn this fact. "How is that possible? This is the center of the city! How can there be an altar of evil gods here? Could it be that Byron ...... Byron has been in cahoots with the evil gods?"

"My lord, look, is this altar in danger?" the soldier asked with trepidation.

"Ah......h "There is no danger, this is not an altar of curses. It's a ...... Developing the altar of new believers. ”

"Developing the altar of new believers. Ashrufat repeated. There is no longer any doubt that this altar must have something to do with Byron. Sadly, Byron is dead. "Tzeentch's followers?"

"It should be. The magician's gaze had already noticed the emblem on the obsidian. "I built a house to close it off and let the people from the church come and deal with it. Earl, wait until the people of the church see this thing......" he said with a little flattery. Then they will immediately change their current neutral position. ”

Ashrufat nodded. It's a bit late, but it's a bit of a good thing, at least in terms of sweeping.

"Just do as you say, let's go. ”

A few minutes later, the group had already left the cellar, and some soldiers sealed the door of the cellar. Churches have historically been very sensitive to this kind of thing, usually responding within three to five days.

"By the way, Jaime, you're doing a good job. Ashrufat turned to look at Jaime beside him, "What reward do you want?"

"I'm just a servant and have no other means of earning a living. Jaime said. "If Lord Earl allows me, please let me serve you. ”

"Well, you come to be my attendant. Ashrufat said. He wanted to walk, but he seemed to remember something. "By the way, let me ask, Cultists of Chaos...... Of course, I don't mean to change between the evil gods, but to give up the four evil gods and believe in ...... The gods of the star field or something. ”

He didn't say this with a purpose, it looked more like he was asking everyone present.

"It should ...... Yes, there is. The magician replied first. "Lord Earl, in the previous war, we had captured quite a few barbarians. Although I don't know the details, the church did everything in its power to influence these people, and it is said that it has also achieved good results. ”

"yes, that's what I mean...... Belief in evil gods can be abandoned?" Ashruphat asked.

"Absolutely. The magician looked a little confused. Once they accept the inspiration of the true God, they will naturally abandon the evil and distorted beliefs of those evil gods. As you may have heard, many people have converted to the gods of the Star Fields en masse. Of course, there are a few diehards, but this is always inevitable. ”

"Faith is one of the few things that can be disguised. Jaime interjected suddenly. "Everyone can listen to the priest's preaching, he can bow down in the temple and pray, and he can even be moved to tears—but who can say whether he is a true believer or not? ”

"This ......"

"Lord Earl, there is no point in pursuing faith or anything. We can only say that the priests of the Church superficially indoctrinated the barbarians. As for the actual effect, I really can't compliment it. You know the objective fact: neither the king nor the church ever conscripted from among the repentant barbarians. What do you think this means? According to a philosophical point of view, faith is such a thing as extremely difficult to change, no matter what kind of belief it is. ”