The Record of Unusual Creature

Hao Ren knew that there was bound to be problem when meeting with the top people of the church, all because religion was a sensitive issue, especially when your request had something to do with their core beliefs, and had nothing to do with your faith in God. A religious fanatic might regard this rash request as an insult. In their view all sacred rituals were born sacred, rightfully existent, effective, divine, and not to be studied by the mortal.

Of course, the Disciples of Glory was a relatively liberal and open religion. Although their faith in the goddess was extremely firm, they used their conduct instead of force to convert the non-believers. This was reflected in the behaviours of the four ascetics, so Hao Ren felt that his request might be granted. Furthermore, the pope and cardinal were no fools. They should be able to figure which was more important—rigid rules or the safety of the world?

Perhaps the grassroot believers were more stubborn, but the pope who sat at the highest level must be the most sober one.

Orben and the pope had discussed quietly for a long time. It seemed there was some disagreement in between. Then the pope raised his head and stared into Hao Ren’s eyes, quietly. His voice lacked of any emotions. “This is a sacred ritual. Since the establishment of the Disciples of Glory, only clergy who had formally become a believer and passed the primary test could partake in the ritual. Although it’s the basic ritual which most grassroot priests will come into contact with, it’s still sacred.”

“I understand,” Hao Ren nodded. “But obviously the problem of the First Born is even more pressing. This ancient creature is also a goddess’ creation. Its secret would also become the secret of the goddess. Under this premise, we should let go of some of the old tradition.”

“The four masters trust you very much,” the pope said softly. “Did you not ask them about the ritual?”

Hao Ren nodded his head. “I did. And I know that in the ritual, sacred substance is fused with human blood. But this sacred substance is only available in the cathedrals. The four masters had only told me about the process. What I’m interested in is the ‘substance’.”

The Pope was silent for a moment before nodding to Orben. “Bring them to the Sixteenth Temple to see the branding ritual.”

“Would it not violate the teachings?”

“If the church’s heritage has deviated from the truth during the fifth-generation pope, we should then believe in the intuitive guidelines that the goddess has cast in our hearts rather than those incomplete scrolls.” The pope squinted slightly. “Take them there. The goddess will permit it.”

Cardinal Orben returned a reverend gesture before he turned to Hao Ren. “The Sixteenth Temple isn’t far away from here.”

Hao Ren was relieved as everything went well. He got to his feet and went with the bald man who had words written all over his face to the Sixteenth Temple. Lily was also holding a roasted chicken drumstick and murmuring indistinctly. “Wait… wait… wait… I’ll wait for me… Why going now…”

Hao Ren could tolerate no more the gourmand. He reached out and dragged Lily away. “Couldn’t you be good for something?”

Lily instinctively open her mouth and bite, but was shoved back. Nangong Wuyue saw it and lamented. “You bothered a dog which was having its meal and yet not getting bitten. Landlord, you’ve trained her well.”

Becky was a little better than Lily, but an obvious reluctance was on her face when she lay down the plate: after all, you could not expect an bumpkin girl, who had been drinking, bragging with a bunch of vulgar, violent mercenaries in the tavern for years to show much reservedness before the king. In fact, she did not make much less noise than Lily when she was eating. Before leaving the room, the maiden finally remembered that she had a question to ask. She turned to Mhoren quickly. “Hey, wait, Your Majesty, I almost forgot to ask. It’s about my reward…”

Hao Ren was losing patience with them. He stepped forward to grab Becky by her scarf and dragged her away. Before leaving the room, Hao Ren said to Ophra who stayed back in the room. “Don’t forget to arrange for Becky’s reward, she was almost as nutty as a fruitcake now!”

Ophra forced a smile and nodded as those weird fellows finally disappeared out of the doorway.

The room was quiet for a few seconds before Mhoren suddenly sat upright, his lazy and bossy temperament faded as his eyes flashed with smartness and his face serious. “These people are not the same as I’ve imagined.”

“But as I reported,” Ophra glanced up at the king. “Why didn’t you believe me?”

Prince Hoffman took out a handkerchief and wiped the non-existent sweat on his forehead. He looked at the food on the table with a weird expression. “It turns out they do eat human food.”

The other officers in the room suddenly nodded as Prince Hoffman’s words had struck a chord with them. It was not known what kind of image of Hao Ren and his men had been injected in their mind after they heard about the events in the Beinz Diocese. Ophra immediately threw Hoffman a stare. “Imagination is your only strength since young.”

Hoffman shrugged with a forced smile. He said no word. Mhoren tapped the table with his fingers, half-talking to himself and half asking Ophra. “Did they really summon a white light from the sky and destroy the entire Beinz Diocese? I think they are not much different from us human. Irrespective of their image and conduct, I don’t see that devastating power in them.”

Ophra twisted her mouth, thinking that when he was four years old pestering for candy, he did not even look like a king material. But considering there were many officers at the scene, she did not say it out. She just nodded and said, “These people seem to be just an ordinary team in a group they belong to, just like our soldiers, so their behaviours are no different from ordinary people. But the power behind them is incredible.”

“What else do you know about them?” Mhoren asked.

“Not much, you know as much as I know,” said Ophra, shaking her head. “They are a team, a powerful force of another world. They have the ability to travel through space and time, are organized and disciplined. I guess they are going to various worlds to solve problems for a sense of mission, just like the way we are solving the problem of the First Borns. The make-up of their team aren’t very clear. The big guy who appeared last time hasn’t come this time. And now there’s new member in their team, which proves that they have some kind of personnel transfer and selection system. One such team will have a leader, and that leader is the man who is called Hao Ren. Besides that, not much else.”

Prince Hoffman’s face looked very serious. “Are you sure they are organized and disciplined?”

Ophra could not help laughing wryly. “Ha-ha… in a sense, yes.”

“Fortunately for now, they and the power behind them are not hostile to us. At least for now they pose no threat,” Mhoren closed his eyes slightly. He seemed to be a little tired. “We have too many problems to deal with. Let’s put the problem that we cannot solve to a side. It’s fortunate that those foreigners are willing to help us solve the problem of the First Born.”

“I would like to believe in their intention,” said Ophra, laughing. “At least we have four masters and a mercenary little girl mixing with them and they have been doing great. This should prove that these foreigners are not evil.”

Mhoren nodded slightly, but did not speak. After a long silence he only opened his eyes and looked at the pope and asked, “What do you think?”

As always, the Pope’s expression had not changed. It seemed that his thoughts were always in a mysterious and unknown realm while his physical body was only here to convey information. His voice was soft and gentle. “We should focus more on the will of the goddess. The presence of the First Born has already had a great impact on the church’s senior leadership, and the Cult of Origination which those heathens have secretly developed may also break up the belief system we have established over the centuries. This is challenge which Holletta and the civilisations of the world has to face. Let’s try to minimize the impact of these things, let the teachings of the goddess continue to serve as the benchmark for the world to follow. And beyond that, the foreigners… let them be. Since the goddess has no objection, that is what should happen.”

Meanwhile, Hao Ren and his men had already left the palace and on their way to a mysterious place where branding ritual was held.