The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Seeing Hays nod, Campanay pointed to Mrs. Lars.

"We can live comfortably, but what about them? What about these abandoned people? Perhaps there are many helplessness and irresistible forces in reality—war, disaster, plague—but after all this happens, should we just let it go? Should we curl up in the safe house with peace of mind, cover our ears, close our eyes, and turn a deaf ear to everything? Our duty is to guard people's souls, and our eyes should not only be on those great saints and angels. Preaching to a saint once or ten thousand times has the same result. Saints are not great because of preaching, but for these poor people who are almost swallowed by the sea of despair, a little more hope is like another straw. Maybe enough straws can be woven into an ark to cross the boundless sea of suffering. My teachers and classmates often scold me as a proclaimer of the common people. Actually, I quite like this title. We devote ourselves to religion for faith. What is faith for? Is it for chanting scriptures high above? Or is it for pretending to whip ourselves while stepping on the backs of believers?"

"No, what we really have to do is kneel down, lie down, put our eyes on the dust, under the soil, and go to the most desperate places to save the most desperate people. Even if we can't, we should stand with them, because we represent the Emperor's gaze, represent the spirit of mankind, represent sacrifice. As long as we stand by their side, live and work with them, instead of riding on their heads and talking glibly, then we can make them believe that the Emperor has not abandoned anyone, at least so that they will not reach out to those evil forces in despair. Isn't this more useful than catching heretics all over the street?"

Hays was stunned. Actually, he couldn't completely understand what the priest said, but he felt that the other party was at least right, or rather, he could understand and accept it.

"So I came here, or some people think I was thrown here, it doesn't matter. At first, I was a priest in the Linhu Town church, a position that was still prominent in that place, although I was, uh, assigned to that place, but the priests there regarded me as a superior person from the upper hive. They feared me, flattered me. Look, what an interesting phenomenon. Even the 'garbage' thrown down from the upper hive is a glittering treasure in the eyes of the lower hive people. Perhaps my language was too sharp. In the end, the bishop couldn't bear it anymore. He told me to either stop preaching that kind of 'despicable and non-holy' sermon, or go and lie down with those so-called lower hive scum."

As he said that, Campanay pulled up his trouser leg, revealing his left leg fixed with metal.

This book is first published on the whole network by 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞

"This is the result. They broke my leg and threw me into the wilderness. A group of scavengers saved me and brought me here. Although I was indeed desperate at first, after these scavengers who asked for nothing in return saved me, I realized that this was the mission given to me by the Emperor, and the path I truly wanted to take. This church was built by everyone together. Although it may seem too simple in your eyes, it took everyone three full years. This is where my heart lies. I also established three rules in the church: no donations are accepted, no visitors are refused, and no offerings are accepted. I must obtain my own food, clothing, housing, and transportation through labor. A priest should not be a parasitic profession, but a choice of the soul."

Hays looked at the other party and then performed an Aquila salute.

"You are truly a great person, Pastor Campanay."

Campanay shook his head with a wry smile.

"I am just a mortal, how can I be great? I can't even stop the tragedy that Mrs. Lars suffered from happening. I can't save so many people. On the contrary, you, Mr. Hays, as a soldier, your contributions in the expedition are truly great, especially since you are willing to come to this place for your comrades."

"Not just comrades, Pastor Campanay. Maybe you don't understand the army. Pike and I are not just comrades, we are brothers, brothers beyond blood and life and death."

After hearing this, Pastor Campanay nodded thoughtfully.

"It seems that my vision is still narrow. Okay, everything is ready, I'm going to start praying for Pike."

Hays nodded and put Pike's relics on the lectern. Campanay didn't need any books to assist him. He took out a string of old rosary beads from his pocket.

"Full of loving Emperor, the light of mankind who loves us, we praise your holy name, we thank and praise you, worthy of all supreme worship and praise, ask the loving Lord to grant peace to the heroic sacrificed, so that any dark temptation cannot disturb the peace of his soul, and not hinder the golden path to the throne from hearing your holy voice."

Hays sat next to Pike's mother, listening quietly. His two wives closed their eyes and held their hands in front of their chests, even Kang did.

Suddenly, Hays caught a glimpse of Mrs. Lars's eyes shedding tears, forming two shallow streams on her cheeks, converging into a sad waterfall at her chin. Although he realized that she might not be conscious, she might have understood something.

"Three-praised Emperor, we pray that you will cleanse his soul again, remove the evil from his soul, so that when he returns to the throne and stands before you, he will have a clean heart and a righteous spirit, three-praised Emperor."

The funeral mass ended. Hays took out some money and wanted to give it to the pastor, but the other party refused to accept it no matter what. Helpless, Hays could only carry Mrs. Lars away.

But before walking out the door, the other party suddenly called out to him.

"Hays!"

Hays turned around.

"No matter how much darkness or despair you witness, remember, hope is always there, and beauty is always there, like now, it's on you, it's on your shoulders."

Campanay stood in front of the Emperor's holy image made of 'garbage', holding the simple long pastor's staff, surrounded by the remaining incense, and the dying candlelight formed a faint glow behind him.

At this moment, the pastor's eyes were burning, although his face became blurred due to the light, but for some reason, Hays felt that his figure was constantly rising, rising, rising...

At this moment, he seemed to have become that beggar Emperor, commoner Emperor, wanderer Emperor.

And the voice he made was as loud as that bronze bell.

"Things or human power cannot be changed, but we can still do what we can do and walk the path we can walk."

Suddenly, the candlelight went out, and Campanay seemed to shrink back to his original appearance all of a sudden, only the simple Emperor's holy image was still watching him with the eyes on his mottled face.

Hays nodded, turned around, and the light weight of Mrs. Lars on his back suddenly became as heavy as a mountain.