The distance from Quill Pen Avenue where Miss Louisa lived to Dawn Square where the Dawn Church was located was quite far. In order to avoid missing the time, Shade took a taxi at the intersection, sent Mia home first, and then went to the church.
Tobysk was also shrouded in smoke in midsummer. Due to the high temperature, the smell of burning in the air became increasingly unbearable. On the way to the church, Shad stuffed the leaf into the cover of his decorative pocket watch while looking out the window at the steam age.
The fast-moving street scenes, the respectable gentlemen and the barefoot children, the low walls covered with weeds and the magnificent aristocratic mansions, the densely packed steam pipes and the porters carrying sacks, all of these explained to Shad the balance and imbalance of this era.
But outsiders know that this is a node in the development of civilization. For civilization, there is never an absolute balance, only a dynamic relative balance.
He was so distracted by these things that he almost forgot to pay the driver for the fare when he got off the bus. He gave the driver two pence more, which was quite embarrassing. The hunchbacked middle-aged driver did not despise him but thanked him happily. Two pence was also valuable to the poor.
It was the second Thursday of the Thunder Moon. As the Holy Prayer Festival drew closer, the clergy of the Dawn Church became increasingly busy. However, Father Augustus still found time to welcome Shade at the door of the church and gave him a hug with exaggerated enthusiasm:
"Remember to pretend to be injured."
This was the priest's whispered reminder when the two were hugging, and then he asked in a very natural and caring tone:
"Shad, are you okay with your injury?"
“Ahem.”
Xia De didn't know what symptoms internal bleeding would show, so he pretended to cough weakly a few times:
"The doctor said I was lucky and that young people are strong, so I'll probably be fine."
"Very good, very good, Mr. Liming will protect you."
Having said that, he took Shad into the church.
Whether in a world with gods or a world without gods, functional buildings like churches are always built grandly and solemnly. Even though it was not the first time I entered the Dawn Church, when I stepped into the building, I couldn't help but lower my voice and slow down my pace.
Of course, this is also related to the power of the church itself. In this world where thoughts can influence reality, the church itself is blessed by the power of the righteous gods, plus the protection measures set up by the ring wizards and the power contributed by the believers' long-term thoughts. The safest place in Tobesk is actually the church of the five righteous gods, not the Yodel Palace.
The two of them walked one after the other and quickly passed through the main hall of the Dawn Church, and then entered the back of the church from the side corridor. Father Augustus kept greeting people along the way, and a few clergymen seemed to know who Shade was and shook hands with him enthusiastically.
It seems that what happened yesterday at noon also had an impact on the church itself.
Soon they arrived at Bishop Owen's office, and after knocking on the door, Shad entered the room with Father Augustus.
The old bishop was just reading a document with his reading glasses. When he saw the two people coming in, he temporarily put away the things on the table. He took off his glasses, adjusted his expression, and then said to Xia De very kindly:
"Good afternoon, Mr. Hamilton. Please take a seat. I invited you here today because I want to discuss with you the topic of ... faith."
Xia De raised his eyebrows. It was indeed this topic.
The conversation that afternoon went very pleasantly. Bishop Owen, on behalf of the Dawn Church, asked Shade if he was willing to convert to Mr. Dawn. This was not only because Bishop Owen admired Shade very much, but also because of the silver coin that was hit yesterday morning.
This matter has been spread with the help of the church and the acquiescence of the royal family. The church wants to use this to promote the faith of the Church of Dawn, while the royal family wants to show that they are indeed blessed by the righteous gods.
For the Dawn Church, this kind of coincidence and drama is definitely a good material for the Holy Prayer Festival and even for the future promotion of the church. The key is that Shad Hamilton, the protagonist of the story, must become a believer, so as to show Mr. Dawn's love and protection for believers.
"Mr. Hamilton, last time you said that you were only a shallow believer in Lady Creation, so what do you think of Mr. Dawn's beliefs?"
"very nice."
To be exact, the values of the Five Gods Church and Shade have nothing in conflict. The Church plays an enlightened and progressive role in this era.
"If you'd like to join us, I can baptize you myself."
This was the condition proposed by Bishop Owen.
After all, it is a church, and it involves faith. You cannot use conditions such as gold pounds to lure people into the church. The clergy have such a bottom line. But the baptism personally presided over by the bishop of the archdiocese means a lot of things. In short, Xia De will be regarded as "one of their own".
For example, Room 2 on the second floor of No. 6 St. Teresa's Square has always had a queue waiting for exorcism, but if it is "one of our own", then there is no need to queue at all. For example, Mr. Liming's faith community is widely distributed. When Xia De is handling detective commissions, if he encounters something he cannot handle, the church does not mind providing help to his own people.
Of course, the prerequisite is that Shad really becomes a believer.
"That's no problem."
Bishop Owen gave Shade time to think, but Shade did not answer immediately. He had thought about this before coming here, but he could not agree to it immediately, as it would make him look disloyal. He pretended to struggle and hesitated for a full ten minutes before giving an answer. The bishop showed a relieved expression:
"I knew you would make the right choice."
Becoming a believer means a lot of conveniences, and all Shade needs to do is spend some time, learn the religious scriptures that need to be memorized, and then have time to go to the Dawn Church, participate in some prayers, and listen to some sermons. Compared with the benefits obtained, the price paid is completely acceptable.
The only thing I need to consider is whether a "pseudo-believer" like me joining the church will attract the attention of the righteous gods. But if you think about it carefully, there must be more than one so-called pseudo-believer in such a large church. Since others have no problem, I certainly won't have any problem either.
After all, compared with the real high-dimensional existence, anything that mortals like little ants think is redundant.
Bishop Owen was probably afraid that Shad would change his mind, so he arranged for him to be baptized that afternoon.
The so-called baptism is the initiation ceremony. The baptism ceremony used by the Dawn Church is relatively traditional. That is, under the holy emblem, a high-ranking clergyman who is qualified to preside over the ceremony recites scriptures and pours or sprinkles water, dropping water on the forehead of the person being baptized.
The Five Gods Church mostly uses this ritual, but each church has its own characteristics. Mr. Dawn is the god of light and shadow, so baptism requires that in addition to the holy emblem, the recipient's body must be able to be in both shadow and light at the same time.
This was not difficult in the days when gas lamps existed, but being illuminated by a high-powered portable gas lamp at close range while surrounded by a large crowd of people made Xia De feel that this sultry afternoon was even hotter.
Of course, in the traditional sense, people who are baptized must also pass the faith test and be recommended by three clergymen who are familiar with the situation before they can be baptized. But with the presence of an old clergyman like Father Augustus, and the miracle that happened yesterday afternoon, Shade skipped this step directly.
“Fortunately, I don’t have to write an application or report.”
This is what Xia De sighed as he wiped his face with a towel after the baptism ceremony. In this era, writing reports has become a normal part of life.
"Shad, how high do you think the literacy rate is now? How many people can write their own names?"
This was the helpless question asked by Father Augustus.
In short, the outsiders have a verbal faith in this world. Although Saint Byrons in the far north is equally powerful, he cannot influence the detectives of Tobesk in life. But the Dawn Church is rooted in civilized society, and joining the church means that life will become more convenient.
As a thank you, after baptism, Shade gave the commemorative coin with the bullet to Bishop Owen. Bishop Owen was not stingy and took out a stack of books from the bookshelf and gave them to him. Those were religious classics. Since Shade had become a believer, he had to have these.
In addition, Shade also received a small bottle filled with a transparent liquid. When Bishop Owen handed this thing to Shade, even the priest Augustus beside him was surprised:
"Holy Water No. 3?"
Even though the entire bottle of liquid in his hand was most likely diluted, its value would definitely not be less than 100 pounds.
"Yes, Mr. Hamilton. This is a specialty of the church, a magical liquid that can heal injuries. I know you are injured, but you have to attend a banquet on Sunday night, so take this back and sprinkle it on the wound."
The old bishop winked at Shade:
"Gods really exist, and the church is not as simple as you think... You will not regret your decision today."
He gestured on his chest a few times and then prayed silently to God.
Shade nodded and looked at Father Augustus:
"Priest, I remember that the Dawn Church accepts donations, right?"
"Yes, part of the donated money is used for the maintenance of the church, and part is used directly to help the poor."
Xia De has not forgotten what he said yesterday at noon:
"Okay then, I'll donate... 10 pounds."
Anyway, in an era where mystery and steam coexist, there is no harm in becoming a believer of the true God. Sometimes, Shade would imagine that if he had not met Dr. Schneider at first, but had been recruited by the church, then his life in this strange world would probably be completely different from now.
"But there are no ifs in this world..."
The church arranged a carriage to take Shade back to St. Teresa's Square. Shade looked out the window. The sun was setting, and the busy day was coming to an end.
"It's better to consider some more realistic issues."
He leaned lazily against the back of the chair.
For example, what should I eat in the evening
The sunset glowed on her face. Xia De was amused by her, but shook his head:
"No, for example, what exactly can the exorcist from the church who will come to confirm the situation tomorrow morning find in Room 2 on the second floor?"