Chapter 490 - 105: New Testament Exegesis
At the same time, an unprecedented campaign of sermons and "scripture interpretation" was rapidly launched in the Holy City and across the entire Continent.
Hundreds of "Scripture Interpretation Priests," who had been urgently selected and trained, were dispatched to various churches, public squares, and Monasteries.
Holding newly annotated copies of the Holy Scripture, they used simple, easy-to-understand language, connecting their explanations to the visible changes brought by new technologies and knowledge in the Holy City over the past decade. They patiently explained to the confused and fearful faithful and low-ranking Clergy:
"Look, this light did not appear from thin air. It came because we have understood the rules of ’electricity,’ and these rules are one of the Laws established by Oriane at the dawn of creation..."
"The so-called ’Path of the Priest’ is not about summoning Demons or corrupting souls. It is about learning how to communicate more safely and effectively with the forces of wind and rain, the earth, the rivers, and even the stars. Just as we pray to Oriane to receive Holy Power, this is another form of ’Hearing the Will of God’ and ’Applying Divine Grace’..."
"The Tower of Revelation was built to recover the long-lost wisdom of living in harmony with Nature. It is to cultivate ’Wise Ones’ who can understand and use these Laws to protect everyone and build our homes, just as the Temple Knights protect our homes with their swords..."
The preachers deliberately downplayed the historical baggage of the term "Wizard," reinforcing the connection between "Priests" and the existing clerical system. They packaged this new knowledge and power as "a return to ancient wisdom under the revelation of Oriane," and linked it to the tangible improvements the new policies had already brought to people’s lives.
This one-two punch of "putting old wine in new bottles" and "reinterpreting the classics" could not convince everyone immediately, especially not the deeply entrenched, old-school believers and Clergy. However, it acted as a buffer dam, effectively diverting and mitigating the initial tidal wave of opposition and the panic of collapsing faith.
Many common believers and low-level Clergy, who had initially been extremely confused and resistant, began to soften their fierce opposition. After hearing that "this is the Holy Scripture personally annotated by the Pope’s Throne," "this is the new direction guided by His Holiness the Sword of Divinity," and "this is for a better defense and future"—along with examples of improvements in their daily lives—their attitude shifted to one of skeptical curiosity, a wait-and-see approach, or even forced acceptance due to authority and practical benefits.
Resistance to implementing the "Tower of Revelation" and the "Path of the Priest" remained immense, especially the stubborn opposition from mid- to high-level conservative factions and certain fanatical groups. However, compared to the total collapse of faith and violent turmoil that a blunt order to "teach the ways of Wizards" might have caused, the resistance had been reduced to a relatively "manageable" level.
In other words, it had at least bought time and space for subsequent forceful implementation and gradual indoctrination.
...
「Holy City.」
Inside a hidden side hall.
Sunlight streamed through the high windows, casting several bright bands of light on the polished floor.
This place was far removed from the clamor of the sermons and the noise of the city, and the silence was somewhat oppressive.
Cardinal Adrian stood before a large ebony desk, the monocle on his nose glinting slightly, obscuring his eyes.
In his hand was a book, hot off the press from the newly established Scripture Error Correction and Compilation Department, a subsidiary of the Holy Temple Research Institute.
The book’s cover was quite exquisite: deep blue velvet with gold foil stamping. In the center was a brand-new insignia—a crest of flames and stars encircled by olive branches.
It was the symbol of the "Tower of Revelation."
The title was written in a line of formal ecclesiastical script: Breath of Oriel—Elemental Resonance Guiding First Stage.
This was, unmistakably, a recompiled version of a forbidden introductory Wizard’s tome that had only ever circulated in secret circles: Basic Elemental Sensing and Meditation.
The content within on how to Perceive Dimensional Energy and construct a Mental Force Field was preserved to the greatest extent possible. However, all sensitive terms like "Wizard" and "Source Sea" had been replaced with religious terminology such as "Priest" and "Sea of Auriel’s Blessings." Furthermore, long passages quoted from the newly annotated edition of the Holy Scripture of Truth were added to the beginning and end of each Chapter to emphasize its "sacredness."
Adrian’s fingers brushed over the gold-stamped title, and then he slammed the book down hard on the desk!
"Absurd! Shameless! Utter... blasphemy!"
His voice was not loud, but it trembled with extreme fury, his usual refined demeanor completely gone.
He raised his head and looked toward Ambrosius, who was sitting quietly in a high-backed chair in the shadows of the room.
"Look! Ambrosius! Look at what they’ve done! Basic Element Perception! That is the first poisonous weed Wizards use to corrupt the soul and connect with profane Energy! Now, they’ve cloaked it in velvet, stamped it with a holy insignia, and called it Breath of Oriel! And they’re going to make innocent, ignorant children study it under the name of ’Priest’!"
Adrian’s voice rose with agitation. "This is watering poison ivy with Holy Water! Chanting a Demon’s contract to the tune of a holy hymn! They are, from the very roots, staining everything the Church Court has defended for a thousand years with the color of Heresy! This is making a fool of God, a fool of the faithful, a fool of... us!"
"Whom God would destroy, He first makes mad," Ambrosius’s voice was cold, hoarse, and slow. "The more eagerly he tries to push this ’Priest’ charade, the more it proves his inner anxiety and... his impending doom."
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze falling on the copy of Breath of Oriel that Adrian had slammed onto the desk.