Chapter 402

Three Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Chapter: Donation Drive

At noon, the rare winter sun shone down on the streets of Tivyán. After several days of overcast and drizzling rain, the citizens of Tivyán finally had a day suitable for going out.

In Northern Tivyán, in the Church District, with the sunlight in the sky, there were especially many people coming to the church for prayers. The square in the Church District was bustling with people who came to pray. They were dressed neatly and brightly, mostly middle-class citizens from the northern part of the city who were relatively well-off. Generally, lower-class citizens would go to the smaller churches set up in the southern and western districts for their prayers.

Among the crowd in the square of the Church District, a middle-aged man with a slightly plump figure, wearing a brown suit and a small hat, with two mustaches, was also walking there. His eyes were focused on the Saint Hymn Cathedral ahead, and his steps were firm as he walked forward.

After climbing the long staircase step by step, the man arrived at the grand entrance of the church. After pausing to look at the large door in front of him, he entered inside.

Upon entering the Saint Hymn Cathedral, the first thing that caught the man’s eye was the magnificent space. Ten-meter-high stone columns stood in rows, leading forward. The wide ceiling and the area between the arching beams were filled with lifelike paintings depicting religious stories. At the end of the hall, at the far end of the line of sight, were huge stained glass windows that depicted abstract scenes of the Glimmer descending to expel evil, with three altars symbolizing the Three Saints. Behind these altars was a smaller one dedicated to the Savior, further away from the public. On both sides of the hall, rows of long chairs were arranged from front to back, where citizens came to pray and confess. At the edges of the hall, clerics and nuns were on duty.

This was the Saint Hymn Church, the largest chapel in the Church District of Northern Tivyán, and the main part open to the public. In addition, there were dedicated chapels for the Holy Father, Holy Mother, and Holy Son, as well as other administrative and military facilities of the Tivyán Church. However, most of those parts were not open to the public.

The man entered the interior of the Saint Hymn Church and found an empty seat on one of the long chairs. He clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, seemingly in sincere prayer.

Thus, this man prayed earnestly for some time on the long chair, then slowly opened his eyes. He slowly stood up and went to a corner of the church, where a simple box with an opening was placed. It was labeled “Offering Box.” From time to time, someone would walk over and drop a few coins or bills into it. Upon seeing someone put money in, the nun standing nearby would smile at them. If they donated a lot, she might even say a blessing or give a small gift or token.

After finishing his prayer, the man slowly approached the “Offering Box.” Standing before the box, he took out his wallet and pulled out six 50-pound notes, placing them all into the box. Seeing over 300 pounds being deposited, the nun, after a brief moment of surprise, smiled brightly and said to the man:

“Sir, your devout heart shines so brightly. I am sure that no matter which of the Three Saints you revere, your faith will surely be seen by them. Please leave your name in the donation book. We will pray every day, praying that the light of the Lord will be with you.”

The nun spoke to the man, then pointed to a thick ledger on a small table next to the offering box, densely recording the names and donations of the donors. A quick glance revealed that only those who donated a significant amount could have their names listed. Those whose names appeared had contributed at least fifty pounds.

Listening to the nun, the man walked to the table, picked up a pen, and wrote his name—John Evans—followed by the three hundred pounds he had donated. This amount was already quite substantial on the page. The nun, seeing this, continued smiling and said:

“Mr. Evans? Such devout believers like you are rare. If you need anything, feel free to ask. We can arrange confession, blessings, exorcisms, and other spiritual assistance for you…”

The nun spoke, indicating that they needed to provide excellent service for such generous donors. Hearing her words, John chuckled and said:

“Heh, I’m afraid I won’t have the opportunity to enjoy these services for now.”

“You don’t have the chance yet? Mr. Evans, did something happen to you?” The nun asked in confusion upon hearing John’s words. John responded calmly:

“No, to be honest, Sister, I’m a merchant. Due to business reasons, I will soon be making long-term business trips to the New World. As it will take a long time, our entire family will move there.”

“The New World… But I’ve heard recently that the situation there is unstable. Mr. Evans, wouldn’t doing business there carry some risks?”

“Opportunities and risks coexist, Sister. It is precisely because of the risks that the opportunities there are worth my whole family moving. To prepare for possible dangers, I hope to receive the Lord’s protection. Let me be frank… My purpose for this donation is to request a Holy Father’s Holy Emblem. I often hear that as long as one carries the Holy Emblem, the Lord’s light will be with them…”

John spoke to the nun, who nodded in response.

“So you want to obtain a Holy Emblem. Then, Mr. Evans, please wait here for a moment; I’ll be right back,” the nun said, understandingly. She then ran off quickly and returned shortly, followed by a cleric in his forties wearing a long robe.

“Father Miller, this is Mr. Evans. Because he is going to do business in the New World, he specifically came to request a Holy Father’s Holy Emblem.”

The nun introduced Mr. Evans to Father Miller. Upon hearing the nun’s words, Father Miller’s face lit up with a smile, and he addressed John:

“The light of the Lord will shine upon every devout believer, no matter where they are. For someone like Mr. Evans, who has such deep faith, it makes sense to desire more of the Lord’s light. May this Holy Emblem make you feel the presence of the Holy Father with you.”

Father Miller then took out a small metal emblem from his robes and gave it to John. The emblem featured an abstract sun with two parallel lines, the Holy Father’s emblem.

“Thank you…”

With a slight bow, John took the Holy Father’s emblem from Father Miller, examined it carefully, and put it away. Then, he looked seriously at the cleric and nun in front of him and said:

“Father Miller, I actually have another small matter I’d like to discuss with you. As you can see, I am a merchant who has been traveling around doing business for half my life, so I often neglect my family. To better care for them, I plan to bring them with me to the New World. My wife is a devout follower of the Holy Mother, so I wish to obtain a Holy Mother’s Holy Emblem for her. This way, she can feel the Lord’s grace even from afar. Is that possible?”

With a sincere tone, John addressed Father Miller. After listening to John’s words, Father Miller showed a hint of difficulty and said:

“Another Holy Emblem for the Holy Mother… This isn’t impossible, but Mr. Evans, you’ve already requested the Holy Father’s emblem. Now you’re immediately asking for the Holy Mother’s emblem, even though it’s for someone else. It might seem too frequent, and others might question your devotion…”

Father Miller spoke hesitantly and slowly. Hearing his words, John remained silent and quietly took out another 300 pounds from his wallet, depositing it into the offering box. Father Miller’s eyes lit up upon seeing this, and his hesitant tone immediately became smooth and rapid.

“It doesn’t matter what others think. In our eyes, your devotion is always steadfast and reliable. How could we refuse to grant a devout believer like you a Holy Emblem for the safety of your family?”

With a smile, Father Miller reached into his clothes and handed John a new Holy Emblem. John examined it closely and noticed that it was similar to the previous Holy Father’s emblem, featuring an abstract sun with an inverted triangle inside, the Holy Mother’s emblem.