Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 879 - 816: Prayer

The skin on his chin was noticeably whiter than the other parts, with some areas still bearing unshaven stubble. He lowered his head and pushed open the small door next to the chapel with his shoulder, which took considerable effort. Although he had a sturdy frame, this middle-aged man in shabby clothing with a gaunt expression was no brave warrior charging forward. He couldn’t, like the old knight, have a set of splendid armor to guard the door and hold back the darkness, nor did he have the courage to refuse his arrangements. He trod into a darkness more dangerous than night, sneaking into the cellar to retrieve the stored food.

The wheel-sized bread in his arms was heavy, the man swallowed his saliva, and his hand shrank back into his sleeve some more to avoid his dirty nails scraping the surface. Some things were beyond choice, he thought, needing to pass through the chapel with its candle chandeliers, old benches, and the crowd of refugees to reach his destination. Ever since that "Black Water" appeared, people flocked towards the light like sheep driven by a whip. Some lucky ones avoided the tide and made it ashore, while others found isolated lighthouses.

Holy Light Church, these magnificent golden-foil covered structures didn’t make the believers’ penance money wasted. Holy Light blocked the darkness, the light protected everyone within the chapel, but that was all.

"Father!" "Father!"

A few sharp-eyed refugees spotted him; his disheveled appearance made it hard to blend in with the beautiful stained glass. He had tried to hide, but the white spots on his clothes’ stains and his tiptoeing always clashed with the sanctity. They were shouting at him, but to the man, their shouts sounded more like a pre-meal ritual. His cold, hard face could not hold their hungry, greenish eyes, only the moon-like bread in his arms.

The man hid the bread behind him, facing the crowd that was gradually waking with a few shouts. They were pale and emaciated, their eyes filled with fear and oppression, their dim gazes making the man’s body shiver, also dispelling the regular trembling of his legs. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"The first offering must be given to the merciful Lord..." he struggled to straighten his tongue, to make the words flow smoother. The sharp gaze caught the restlessness in the crowd immediately; their eyes turned from green to red. They could easily tear him apart, the man had no doubt about that.

"...but the merciful Lord is never stingy to the most devout believers." Struggling to squeeze out a smile, the priest walked towards the crowd, breaking off pieces of the bread and handing them to the kneeling believers. He actually couldn’t tell who was more loyal, but he could see who was stronger, more fierce, more selfish. Where the Holy Light might not be helpful, brute force was sure to work. The fed regained their strength, rallied around the priest, considering themselves different from the others. But even so, they only withdrew their "protection" of the priest once the bread had completely disappeared from his hands.

Leaving the chapel for the inner hall, the priest wiped the sweat from his brow, cursing quietly while unobserved. The former place of rest for the pastor was already empty on their first arrival, leaving just the chapel and an old knight. The priest magically pulled out the remaining pieces of bread from his bosom, thanks to his nimble fingers, although only a tenth of the original amount, it was enough.

Heading towards the Cleric’s office, he easily picked the lock with a wire, swiftly slipping inside, gently closing the door, locking it behind him, he then felt somewhat relieved.

There was no need for candles due to the Holy Light, and this small office was sufficiently illuminated. A white poplar desk, a collapsed bookshelf, windows tightly shut with curtains, and a palm-sized angel statue with blurred features, barely discernible as male, with palms pressed together in prayer, exuding a touch of solemn mildness.

There was not only the priest here, but also a little girl lying sideways on the desk, soundly asleep. Five or six years old, wearing delicate leather boots, her flowered skirt stained, her pretty braided hair somewhat unkempt from lack of care. Her eyebrows and eyes were beautiful, with her naturally rosy cheeks seeming to contain a bundle of vitality.

The priest lowered his breathing and looked for a while, poking at the stains on her clothes with his finger.

"Lucy, it’s time to eat." After picking off the uneven edges, the priest placed the now "whole" bread on the table, cushioned by a book. While reaching for the water bottle, he accidentally knocked over the angel statue, but the little girl steadied it. Lucy sat up, staring blankly at the priest, whose rhythmic finger-tapping directed her gaze towards the communion on the book.

"Joseph, this is so big!" The exclamation made the priest a bit proud. His fingers moved instinctively, rippling like waves, as he said, "It’s not big at all, nowhere near enough to satisfy a diligent and honest adult, but it’s just right for a little child like you."

Lucy smiled sweetly, sitting quietly on the table and murmuring her prayer before the meal. Joseph wanted to join her, but he had long forgotten the words of the prayer. His gain represented someone else’s loss, which he thought wasn’t something to share with the Holy Light. He still remembered what his mother said when he was a child, "Do you see these cattle and sheep? Joseph, the reason they end up on the dinner table is that they didn’t pray to the Holy Light before eating grass." His mom had successfully scared him, but not about adhering to doctrine; rather, about never getting caught doing something wrong.

Lucy’s eating time was no longer than her prayer time; she was probably starving, as the last time was one day before, when Joseph shaved his beard and pretended to be a priest. The old knight might’ve been too short-sighted to notice, the panicked people only wanted psychological comfort, and Joseph didn’t want Lucy and others to crowd in the chapel. Despite the frightening process, it turned out well.

Feeling a tapping sensation on his chest, Joseph looked down to see Lucy’s little fist resting on his chest, and he said, "What’s wrong, Lucy?"

The girl turned her head towards the covered window, outside of which lay the fearful darkness and despair. Everyone here fully understood what that was, including Joseph, including Lucy.

"Are we going to die?"

"Yes, Lucy."

Lucy laughed, jumped off the table, and opened a corner of the curtain. She sat next to Joseph, cheerfully saying, "That’s wonderful, we will soon see mom and dad, and Aunt Edna. Dad and Mom will surely prepare a big loaf of soft bread and a large jug of milk, Aunt Edna will bring out her secret smoked meat. We will have a great time in heaven, Joseph, don’t be scared, I’ll introduce you to mom and dad and if Aunt Edna forgets to introduce you."

Joseph forced a smile, looking up at the corner of darkness peeking through the window, closed his eyes, and locked the fear behind his eyelids.

"Thank you, Lucy."