The girl looked dazed for a moment before hurriedly replying:
"I'm here, Brother."
"What are you thinking about?"
Otto gently brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"I was thinking…"
Cecilia hesitated, then asked:
"What does 'wife' mean?"
"Wife…"
Otto considered briefly before answering, "It means being with someone for an entire lifetime."
"A lifetime?"
"Yes. A lifetime—also, one quilt," he added with mock seriousness. "It means you willingly stay by someone's side from the bottom of your heart. Facing storms together, crossing mountains and seas. Living that way for all your days."
"Is that so? Then… haha…"
Cecilia suddenly giggled foolishly, joy bubbling in her eyes like a spring.
So… everyone can see that I'll stay with Brother Otto for life.
I'll walk beside him, never leaving, facing whatever storms may come.
I decided that days ago.
So I'll be his wife… Brother Otto's wife… haha…
When she finally lifted her head again, Otto's palm was resting against her forehead, his expression that of an adult watching a child drift into fantasy.
"What are you laughing about… Never mind."
He sighed lightly and patted her shoulder.
"As long as you're happy."
Hand in hand, they walked through London's streets, a striking pair amid the festive glow.
"Where are we going, Brother?"
"We…"
Otto looked into the distance. He raised the cross-shaped bracelet in his hand; beneath the colorful streetlights, it reflected a dazzling sheen.
"Didn't they say the Martial God of [Schicksal] rings the bell of heaven for [Savior]?"
"Let's go deliver a bell."
A brown-haired, golden-eyed woman plucked a stray feather from the eyehole of her mask, staring in disbelief at the scene before her.
She swore she had never imagined that her mercenary colleague possessed such terrifying talent in swaying hearts—gathering this many followers in a single morning.
Nor had she imagined that once gathered, the crowd would spontaneously begin composing hymns.
But these hymns…
"At the beginning, our Lord awoke from the glacier and came into this world,
Seeing the people starving, cold and destitute.
As a shepherd cannot bear his lambs to perish, so too could our Lord not bear humanity's descent into ignorance.
Thus He ignited heavenly fire, cooked the wheat, and stood before the masses."
"The Lord said: I grant you the bread of this world.
Whoever eats of this bread is my child; whoever eats of this bread shall love as brothers."
"…I shall be your Father and you shall not hunger; and as my children, you must honor the bread that fills your stomach."
"Praise be to the Lord…"
The masked woman opened her mouth—then closed it again.
"Miss Clio," a blond, green-eyed boy beside her asked, "Is there a problem?"
"Ah—no. Nothing."
Clio blinked, her expression complicated as she looked at the boy who had composed the hymn.
Was something wrong with them… or with these people?
Why did they all look like they'd been struck by the Eighth Divine Key?
"Don't overthink it, Miss Clio," the boy stuck out his tongue. "I simply have a talent for… this sort of thing. You're the true pastor here, right? You are devout, so surely goodness and mercy will follow you all your days. For the Lord knows the path of the righteous, but the path of the wicked shall perish!"
He suddenly shifted into fervent recitation, hand pressed to his chest, face glowing with zeal:
"The Lord shall reward you according to your righteousness, according to the cleanness of your hands; for salvation belongs to the Lord!"
He bowed to her with a satisfied smile.
"Thank you for bringing us such a magnificent doctrine. May the Lord answer you in your day of trouble; may the God named Savior exalt you. May He send you help from the sanctuary and strengthen you from His kingdom. May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifices."
"I know it shall be so," the boy declared confidently, "because you have kept the way of our Lord and not turned from your God. His ordinances are always before you; you have not cast aside His statutes!"
Clio: …
At this point I'm not sure which of us is the serpent.
"Believers, hear this—"
"The Lord is not incapable of raining heavenly fire, unleashing frost, burning the earth, and judging all beings—He merely spares this world because there remain heroic spirits within it. So long as even one awakened spirit exists, the Lord shall not unleash His full might to destroy this age."
"The Lord is not incapable of pouring down sweet rain, regrowing severed limbs, banishing evil, and elevating all to divinity—He merely detests that ignorance still lingers. And where there is leadership born of ignorance, the Lord shall not bestow divine favor."
"The Lord is omnipotent. We must believe this."
"Those who believe shall eat bread until full; those who defy shall wail."
"Amen!"
The crowd shouted the refrain for the second time.
Clio clutched her head, her thoughts in chaos.
Her mind buzzed with nothing but Amen, Amen…
"Miss Clio?" the boy asked again. "Are you alright?"
"Well…" she muttered vaguely, eyes closed, "I'm not exactly trained in… evangelizing…"
"So you're unsure how to speak to us, the new apostles?" The boy's smile deepened faintly.
"Yes… honestly, I didn't expect preaching would gather so many fool—"
"Then leave it to me!" The boy spread his arms dramatically. "Entrust everything to me! I can spread the word of [Savior]—my literary foundation is excellent!"
Clio studied him, puzzled by his enthusiasm.
"Oh, right," the boy added casually, "in our church… as I wrote—can one truly eat bread to their fill? If so… I'd like to join properly. Become a real clergyman like you. How might I do that?"
"Become clergy?"
Clio repeated the words, then smiled as understanding dawned.
So that's it.
He wants in… just for a steady meal.
That's easy.
—If you can walk off my experimental table.
"I'll recommend you to His Excellency," Clio replied, eyes gleaming. "But help me say a bit more first. And remember to smear Schicksal a little."
She patted his shoulder lightly and stepped back, scanning the crowd for the figure she sought.
The boy rolled his eyes subtly once her gaze shifted.
Then he opened his arms wide and proclaimed to the crowd:
"Friends, today we gather here to praise our great Lord! His existence is worthy of two and a half years of devoted study…"
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