Chapter 19: That’s My Grandpa
Golden light shattered the cloud cover and showered down, creating a buzz of divine miracles that echoed in my ears. The entire training ground was instantly enveloped in a warm glow, as if endless particles of light had been suddenly sprinkled from above, swirling together into a golden river that devoured my vision, making the countless bobbing human heads look all foggy and indistinct. The clamoring voices gradually quieted down, and I couldn’t help but squint my eyes, waiting for my heartbeat to slow, while complex emotions churned within my chest. At that moment, an old man in the distance, cradling a round object, began to speak slowly, emerging from the golden light.
“I am honored and comforted to see your serene faces at such a time and juncture.”
His voice was old and deep, yet it carried authority, his slow remarks floating from the heavens to our ears. Just a plain and ordinary introduction, yet it jolted everyone into attention, captivated by his words.
“Time flies. The last time I visited the Royal City was three years ago. I still remember my meeting with Cardinal Nero vividly. We had a heated discussion regarding the reform of the orphanage education system. Those children, like all of you, are an indispensable part of humanity’s future. However, in many cities, they do not receive the attention they deserve from the nobility… According to Cardinal Nero, we should allocate more and better resources to them and impose an educational tax on the nobles of each city. I disagree with this idea; I believe it would only exacerbate conflicts.”
“But Cardinal Nero is a very stubborn man. For years, he has been pushing for this, even with little success. He tirelessly works, gallivanting for the countless faithful of the deities, dedicating his time and life to the stability and prosperity of this world. However, not long ago, such a man returned to the embrace of the divine.”
At this point, he paused, his tone momentarily drifting.
The crowd began to whisper among themselves.
My emotions, suddenly complicated and indescribable, made the peas I was chewing lose all flavor.
Saint George…
If I am not mistaken, he is the troublesome old coot mentioned by Angel, the one who gives him a headache. He and Nero should both be opponents of the Pope. Although his words were calm and his narration lacked spikes, it was clearly an effort to uphold Cardinal Nero’s image.
Why don’t you mention what he did in the Royal City?
But regardless, after he said that, I couldn’t help but feel a bit queasy, even momentarily thinking, “Maybe Cardinal Nero is a good guy,” only to immediately shake my head in denial.
Humans are complicated…
At least the Nero I saw has lost his mind…
At that time, he was prepared to be infamous for all eternity, risking his life and even his dignity to k*ll me, wanting the people of the Royal City to accompany him in d*ath—that’s something only a paranoid lunatic would do.
And from what it looks like now…
He might not be as despised as he thought he would be.
While I pondered that, the old man’s voice continued, “The Order Royal City, this beautiful and prosperous city, is a great miracle in human history. It has withstood countless disasters and wars, standing tall for hundreds of years. The deities protect the citizens here from evil, and we, the servants of the deities, benefiting from their great grace, should dedicate ourselves to contributing to the stability and prosperity of our human brethren…”
The old man spoke grandly, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, wanting to snack on a few more peas, when I heard a familiar click of annoyance beside me.
“Tsk.”
I turned my head to see Beiyard wearing a face full of impatience, shifting uncomfortably, and when he caught my gaze, he raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
I shook my head at him, turning my attention back to the front, but two seconds later, I couldn’t resist asking, “Are you… feeling uncomfortable?”
“Eh? Peilo, are you showing concern for me?”
“……”
What the hell am I even asking him?
A bit annoyed, I didn’t feel it was worth it to scold him since we weren’t close. I grabbed a handful of peas and popped them into my mouth, then heard Beiyard say, “What do you think about Cardinal Saint George’s words, Peilo?”
“Not much.”
To be honest, I could hardly focus on what he was saying anymore.
“I hate hearing this stuff… If it weren’t a required course for theology, I wouldn’t even be standing here. It’s so pointless. Isn’t it better to talk about actual facts? What do you think?”
Uh…
Is it really appropriate to say that out loud in front of so many people?
Fortunately, everyone seemed to be paying attention to the speech, so no one noticed. I widened my eyes, surprised at Beiyard’s boldness.
He smiled at me.
“Of course, I’m not saying bad things about Cardinal Saint George. I understand he’s a respectable person. I’m just a little indifferent to the things the Church always promotes, you know? They keep going on about divine blessings, claiming to be the servants of the deities, as if humanity has never put in any effort at all. It seems like without the deities, we wouldn’t survive. But in reality, it’s mostly the Pope Knights who have been eradicating the Abyss, and the cities have been constructed by ordinary folks. Among them, very few actually possess the power of faith. It’s all our own strength.”
Beiyard shrugged and leaned closer, lowering his voice.
“But the Holy Church… especially the higher-ups, they always deliberately ignore these matters. They preach grandly to make everyone mindlessly believe in the deities, crediting everything to the great blessings. Yet behind closed doors, they best know what’s truly substantial. Like Cardinal Saint George—do you know how he became a Cardinal?”
“…By killing the Abyss?”
His words piqued my interest, and I whispered back, but Beiyard shook his head gently.
“Nope, it’s because he holds the Saint George Currency Exchange.”
“Ah…”
So that old Cardinal standing in the golden light actually holds the financial reins of the human world?!
The Saint George Currency Exchange is the largest in the world and the only one with branches spread across the Western Continent, with nearly every city having one. I’ve known about this for a while—I have over 900,000 coins stored there! The Holy Church strictly controls the minting and circulation of currency, and they oversee currency exchange businesses tightly, never allowing smaller exchanges to cross over into other territories. Even the central workshop’s minting office can’t keep Valen coins privately; the sources of gold and silver, and how much currency is minted each year, is all dictated by the Saint George Currency Exchange.
I thought it belonged to the whole Holy Church, but who would’ve thought it’s actually controlled by a Cardinal… This is completely different from Nero’s method of ascending by slaying the Abyss. No wonder Angel finds him such a headache.
“But… he’s referred to as the ‘Legendary Cardinal’,” I said, puzzled.
Why would Saint George be so highly respected if it were just for that?
“As I mentioned earlier, Cardinal Saint George is indeed a respectable person. He doesn’t just own the currency exchange; he is respected for his lifetime achievements. Nearly all the orphanages of the Holy Church were built by him. In his youth, he also fought against the Abyss, but very few people know about it now. After all, the Abyss seems distant for most common folks, as those who truly experienced the monsters’ terror are mostly dead. People live within the dream spun by the Church, so they naturally focus on things that benefit them, especially those who don’t even know where their next meal will come from. Cardinal Saint George has done a lot for the poor, providing shelter and preventing them from starving to d*ath. After so many good deeds, it’s only natural he would be held in high regard… It sounds simple, but the details involved would take quite a while to fully explain. In short, without the backing of the Saint George Currency Exchange, he wouldn’t be able to become the ‘Legendary Cardinal’ people speak of, nor would he have the ability to do so much good.”
“How do you know so much about this?”
“Because Cardinal Saint George is my grandpa.”
