< 140. The Saint Advisory Council >
*
From late autumn to early winter, Fernandez walked along a long mountain path where fallen leaves rustled underfoot. The outer walls of the Inquisition Office could be seen in the distance. It looked like a fang protruding from the middle of deep forests and valleys.
-*Step.*
Many brothers walked alongside him. In silence, rolling their rosaries, they thought of the brothers who had fallen during the operation. The atmosphere was always solemn on the way back after completing a mission.
It was a triumphant return they hadn’t even imagined—a brother thought dead had returned, and a great demon had been slain during the operation. The carriages carrying the brothers’ coffins led the procession, followed by a heavy silence.
-*Creak…*
The outer gate of the castle opened. Inside, all members of the main office stood in formation, watching them. Fernandez could see the red flags fluttering above. Flags adorned with the symbols of a key, a crown, a sword, and an olive branch.
‘The Pope has come in person.’
He didn’t need to ask why. He had already been informed by Zephis about the convening of the Saint Advisory Council before departure.
The Saint Advisory Council was a kind of hearing. It would be highly aggressive and sharp. Now, he was just a layman who had even lost his stigma.
It could be an even harsher environment than that of a layman. Losing a stigma could be interpreted as being stripped of divine blessing and recognition…
However, Fernandez smiled as he looked at the fluttering papal flag. The Pope’s presence meant he supported him.
A saintly examination presided over by the Pope, who had traveled such a long distance, could not possibly end in failure.
-*Hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo.*
As the procession’s lead carriages passed through the outer gate, the monks in the courtyard began humming in unison. Low, high, harmonizing in complex melodies.
-*May the Temple of the Gods grant its blessing, as the martyr of the great god departs this path.*
-*Angels shall guide you to paradise,*
-*Prophets shall welcome you upon your arrival,*
-*The hall of the gods awaits you.*
-*Not seeking earthly peace and tranquility,*
-*But only praising the Lord’s holiness,*
-*Brother, our path has always been the same,*
-*Until we meet again, we shall pray.*
-*The brightest among us has been taken,*
-*To become a star in the heavens.*
The funeral hymn echoed through the courtyard of the Inquisition Office. The priests did not shed tears. They only offered blessings. The departed brothers had merely gone ahead. Someday, their fate would be no different.
Above the carriages, the brothers placed Keyblades instead of flowers. Small rosaries clung to the surface of the carriages like hedgehogs.
-*May the Temple of the Gods grant its blessing.*
-*The brightest among us heads to the hall,*
-*To become its beacon.*
Fernandez also embedded his Keyblade into the carriage. In an era where death was close and farewells were common, grief was but a byproduct for priests. As they watched the coffins being transported to the Keyblade Sanctuary, the priests prayed in unison.
“Brother.”
Zephis tapped his shoulder. When Fernandez looked at him, Zephis, with reddened eyes, whispered hoarsely.
“The Sovereign awaits. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Brother.”
The living have their own time. Fernandez offered a brief moment of silence and then left.
*
At the entrance of the grand cathedral, knights of the Church clad in splendid armor stood guard. They raised their gleaming halberds and glared at Fernandez as he approached.
“Are you Brother Fernandez?”
“Yes.”
“Be humble. The Sovereign is present.”
Fernandez smiled as he looked at the door opening between the halberds. Humble. The Church knights wore ornate ceremonial armor and enjoyed good lodging, but the Inquisition Officers did not. Before comparing their ranks, their admonishment seemed laughable.
-*Creak.*
The cathedral doors opened. At the end of the red-carpeted aisle, the Pope, clad in purple robes, was conversing with other priests.
As the doors opened, their gazes fell upon Fernandez. He walked down the aisle and prostrated himself before the Pope.
“May the Temple of the Gods grant its blessing. Fernandez Sernerd greets His Holiness the Pope.”
“It’s been a while, Brother.”
The Pope smiled warmly and looked down at him.
“I’ve heard of your deeds through letters. Remarkable achievements and traces you’ve left.”
“It’s hard to believe these are the deeds of one man.”
A priest beside the Pope smirked as he spoke.
“I am Cardinal Caliocini. I’ve come here for the convening of the Saint Advisory Council. Layman Fernandez Sernerd. Have you truly lost your stigma?”
“Yes.”
After a brief silence, the Pope spoke.
“I myself have witnessed the grace bestowed upon you, Brother. Can you show it to us?”
Without a word, Fernandez undid his robe, revealing his chest. His well-defined, muscular chest was exposed under the sanctuary’s torchlight. The unblemished skin bore no trace of the stigma, and the Pope sighed.
“It’s true. Can you tell us what happened?”
“It was lost during the battle to slay the demon of the Great Wilderness.”
“I didn’t know stigmas were consumable. Layman. Could there have been another reason?”
Cardinal Caliocini glared at him as he spoke. Fernandez understood the implication behind his words. Corruption. The Cardinal was asking if he had fallen and lost his stigma.
“We are the key to opening the entrance of the Temple of the Gods, Your Eminence. The Stigma is merely a tool of the Lord, it cannot symbolize my divinity and purity.”
“What do you mean by ‘lost in the process of extermination’?”
“The Stigma I bore was the [Blessing of Immortality]. As stated in my mission report, I sacrificed my blessing to burn away the immortality of the Great Demon.”
The opposite of death is immortality. The Blessing of Immortality was used to kill death. An extremely conceptual sentence, but priests are originally monks who contemplate concepts. As Fernandez intended, the Cardinal remained silent.
The Pope approached Fernandez, who was kneeling, and placed his hand on his shoulder.
“If there had been any sign of corruption, the other brothers of the Inquisition Office would have noticed it first. I do not doubt my brother.”
“Your Holiness, but…”
“Enough.”
The Pope looked down at Fernandez and spoke.
“A few confirmations are needed, brother. Is it true that the Great Demon has been permanently eradicated?”
“Yes.”
“Praise the holiness of the Lord.”
As the Pope made the sign of the cross, the Cardinals followed suit.
“You have achieved a feat unparalleled in the Material World. Was it not the Lord’s will that you came to us at this time? You purified the long-standing corruption of the Phaeirn Kingdom, the Dane Kingdom, and then the Great Wilderness. I wish to add more blessings to your path, but as a mere mortal, I have no more blessings to give.”
The Pope looked at the Cardinals and declared.
“The Canonization Advisory Council is merely a formality. Signs of life returning are being reported everywhere, with grass sprouting over the wasteland of the Great Wilderness. All evidence is clear, and I recommend the canonization of this young man.”
“…Wasn’t that Your Holiness’s original intention?”
“Only confirmation was needed. What is your opinion?”
“My duty is to unanimously oppose, Your Holiness. But…”
Cardinal Caliocini glared at Fernandez for a moment, then relaxed his gaze. He sighed and made a brief sign of the cross.
“I pray that the Lord’s blessing accompanies all that you do, brother.”
“Rise, brother, your holy office is now restored. You are the ‘Saint of the Great Wilderness’.”
Although the conclusion was expected, Fernandez looked up at the Pope with a bewildered expression.
“Is it alright to decide so quickly?”
“The conclusion was reached before your arrival. As you said, the Stigma is merely a symbol, it cannot be the essence. Wasn’t the past, where having a Stigma made one a saint, more hasty?”
“Do you believe all of my reports?”
“Did you hope I wouldn’t? There is already too much evidence. Not just your reports, but we have collected testimonies from various individuals on all aspects of the event.”
This is the true meaning of canonization. The Pope smiled and stroked Fernandez’s head. Soon, an attendant approached and handed the Pope a small bowl.
The Pope dipped his thumb in the bowl and anointed Fernandez’s forehead with oil.
“Blessed Fernandez Sernerd. May the Lord’s grace be with you. This is not the blessing of a mortal, but the anointing of the Lord. Receive it willingly, may your path always be blessed.”
“May the Temple of the Gods protect us.”
As the Cardinals prayed in unison, the torches in the cathedral blazed brightly. The giant Keyblade statue at the end of the cathedral glowed brightly for a moment.
“Continue with your work as you have. Proceed without doubt or confusion. Judgment is not our task, but the Lord’s alone. May your path always be blessed.”
“Praise only the holiness of the Lord.”
Amidst the Cardinals’ prayers, Fernandez could feel the presence of Vaitas. His soul had transcended the mortal realm, becoming more sensitive to the divine presence.
You were watching everything, weren’t you, Vaitas? Are you pleased? Are your soldiers amusing you? Fernandez closed his eyes and whispered.
[No, I am pleased with your transformation.]
A voice echoed in Fernandez’s ear. He frowned and opened his eyes. Time had stopped. The Pope and Cardinals, frozen like statues, and even the dust floating in the air stood still.
In the midst of it all, Vaitas was looking at him.
[You are no longer the demon-worshipper Faijashi. Can’t you feel your change? You have become a saint who grieves for the death of loved ones, the loss of justice, and the sacrifice of brothers.]
“It wasn’t you who changed my nature.”
[It was all inherent within you. Not me. You are right, Fernandez.]
“What I did was not for you. And I was not a puppet moving according to your schemes or plans.”
[Indeed. I am pleased with that. Although it wasn’t so in the past, now you share the same vision as I do, Fernandez. I will no longer bestow Stigmas or blessings upon you.]
Vaitas walked over and extended his hand. Fernandez, bewildered, took it, and Vaitas smiled.
[You no longer need such things. You are neither my minion, tool, nor enemy. You are simply… in your words, a partner.]
But I will give you a gift, for mortals need clear evidence. Vaitas smiled, released his hand, and slowly disappeared.
In his place, a greatsword remained. The Keyblade. A divine artifact symbolizing Vaitas’s power and authority stood there.
-You’re quite meddlesome.
Faijashi chuckled at the sight. Time began to flow again. Fernandez saw the Pope and Cardinals, astonished by the sudden radiance, divine presence, and the sudden appearance of the artifact.
‘Indeed. Quite meddlesome.’
Fernandez smiled, stood up, and grasped the hilt of the Keyblade, pulling it out.
“Praise the holiness of the Lord…”
Hearing the Pope’s admiration, Fernandez looked down at the kneeling Pope and Cardinals. This position, it’s where the Lord gazes from. Indeed, Vaitas, we now share the same vision.
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