The Royal Plaza was immense. One side faced the massive palace gates, while the other sides were flanked by the manors of top-tier nobles and several upscale shops.
Today, a church known as the Luminous Creed was preparing to preach on the edge of the plaza. A crowd of commoners had already gathered outside, and the Third Deacon was presiding over the ceremony.
Inside the cathedral, the Deacon was making final adjustments. He looked at the rows of benches and the symbol of the Church at the very front: a human statue, but one with a completely blank face.
In the words of Bishop Venice: 'Is the Divine someone just anyone can behold? God is not for mortals to look upon directly. If one's heart is sincere, they will see the true face of God; they should not be bound by a single physical image.'
Truthfully, even they didn't know what the Divine Lord looked like. They, too, were desperate to know what the God of the Divine Kingdom truly resembled.
"Be careful, everyone. There must be no mistakes today, or the Lord will punish us!" The Third Deacon shouted.
The knights, missionaries, and followers responded in unison, "Yes, My Lord!"
"Deacon, are we truly giving out wheat for free?" The lead knight's eyes burned with fervor. He was a knight raised by the Church since childhood. He had known hunger until the Church took him in; since then, he had been fed every day in exchange for training.
What he heard most often was that the Lord loves all living beings and brings good fortune—and that the Church was the organization walking the earth on God's behalf, bestowing luck and freedom from hunger upon the faithful.
"Of course," The Deacon said solemnly. "Any sincere follower may receive a day's ration of wheat."
This was Bishop Venice's idea. To build a reputation, spending a bit of wheat was well worth it; they would earn it back ten-fold later.
"Wonderful. I thank you on behalf of the people," The knight said, beaming.
"No, you must thank the Divine Lord," The Deacon corrected, stepping aside to point at the faceless statue.
"Yes!" The knight and the followers all knelt in worship.
"Now, open the doors and welcome the faithful." The Deacon stood beneath the statue, his eyes fixed on the entrance. After so much planning, they were finally moving into the light.
Creak—!
The lead knight opened the doors and stationed his men on either side to maintain order.
"Finally, the doors are open!"
"Are they really giving out wheat? It's not a scam, is it?"
"They say this Church is run by God's followers... sounds a bit suspicious."
The commoners whispered among themselves. Seeing the knights in white armor at the door, many were instinctively too terrified to enter.
"Everyone, please come inside for your wheat! Any sincere believer can receive a day's ration!" The lead knight shouted.
"Can we really get wheat?" A commoner asked fearfully.
"Truly. As long as you are a believer," The knight nodded firmly.
Receiving the confirmation, the commoners began to stream in. Though it was only a day's worth, it was enough to make many of them overjoyed. Many hungry citizens, desperate for food, immediately declared their faith and knelt before the faceless statue.
*
High on the palace walls, Lucia stood silently watching the line outside the cathedral. As time passed and the line grew longer, his expression became increasingly grim.
"Hmph. They have so much wheat to throw away on peasants, yet when I ask them for supplies to prepare for my campaign against the Second Prince, they make every excuse in the book," Lucia hissed.
He wanted a stockpile of grain to crush the rebellions once he took the throne, but the Third Deacon had refused him, claiming their supplies were limited.
"Your Highness, I believe these people have ill intentions. They are buying the loyalty of the rabble," One noble whispered.
"Indeed. They are too mysterious. No one gives away food for nothing."
"Your Highness, give the word and I will send men to shut that cathedral down!"
The nobles of the First Prince's faction began to bicker. They had long disliked the Third Deacon, mostly out of jealousy for the influence he held over Lucia.
"Enough. Leave it be," Lucia said, a flash of helplessness in his eyes. He wanted to move against the Deacon too, but the man was too mysterious, and the power behind him was far too intimidating. He hadn't officially ascended the throne yet; he had to play his cards carefully.
The nobles fell silent. None of them dared to truly provoke the First Prince now—those who had tried were already in the wilderness being eaten by dogs.
*
In the crowd, several spies from various noble houses slipped away to report the news. Among them were Lucas's intelligence officers—the couriers of the "Letter Express."
Jones was also in the crowd. She wore a rough burlap wrap over her head and a black robe, with a scarf covering her face, leaving only her cold, red eyes visible. She stared intently at Lucia on the palace wall.
The leopard-eared girl had infiltrated the palace two or three times already, but she couldn't find Lucy. She had no idea where the Princess was being held, and her desperation was peaking.
She had received word that Sedona City's rescue team was arriving tonight. But if she didn't know where Lucy was, how could they save her?
During her last two infiltrations, she had captured guards for interrogation, but none of them knew anything. Her actions had only made the palace guards more alert, making it harder for her to slip back in.
"I hope the rescue team tonight has some trick up their sleeve... otherwise..." Jones glanced at Lucia one last time, pulled her hood tighter, and vanished into the crowd. People were already starting to look for her; the city was no longer safe.
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