Chapter 155 : Baptismal Name
Chapter 155: Baptismal Name
As Jeven led the three of them into the territory, the number of people on the road gradually increased.
There were farmers, hunters, and traveling merchants. Upon seeing Jeven, they all respectfully saluted him.
However, most of these people had not received any etiquette education. They often knelt directly on the ground, and Jeven, always patient, would smile and help them up, then teach them the correct etiquette.
For instance, making the sign of the Sacred Cross, or simply nodding the head.
The three following Jeven were also met with curious gazes from these people. Yet upon seeing George, they all lowered their heads in reverence.
George looked rather “noble,” and being guided by Monk Jeven, he might very well be some important figure.
“Because of the incidents in the first half of the year, the northern beast ecology still hasn’t recovered. So after I took charge of the Small Church here, the Sacrament I distribute barely keeps them fed,” Jeven explained.
George had served as a monk stationed in a Small Church before, so he understood. Rather than having the people devoutly recite the Holy Scriptures to spread the Lord’s Teachings, giving them a bowl of Sacrament would actually make them more grateful and help them better comprehend the Lord’s Mercy.
When Landon and Igor heard the word “Sacrament,” they instinctively felt nauseated.
“Hmm? What’s wrong, are you feeling unwell? Let me carry him instead,” Jeven noticed and quickly offered.
“No need, no need,” Landon quickly shook his head, finding it hard to explain what Sacrament meant back where he came from.
“It’s fine, Monk Jeven,” George understood and merely shook his head at Jeven.
Jeven paused, then said, “Alright, but if anything feels off, please let me know. Scholar Rudolf from the Monastery’s Biology Division has taught us some methods to treat illnesses.”
“…Of course, not the crude kind like bloodletting,” he added.
Seeing that the two were indeed fine, he continued leading the three forward.
Before nightfall, they arrived at the Small Church in Adams Village.
“Come, try these croissants,” Jeven took out some crescent-shaped bread.
“These were developed by several people at the Monastery. Though it takes more Wheat Flour to make, the taste is sweeter and more fragrant than white bread,” he said.
George took a bite—it tasted better than white bread with just a bit of Icing Sugar.
After Landon had one bite, he couldn’t help but devour two whole pieces before stopping, then slowly tore one apart to feed Igor.
“Who are these ‘several people’?” George asked.
“Miss Melia, Mister Cicero, Monk Agamemnon, and Miss Olivia,” Jeven replied.
“They… well, they’re the only four particularly interested in food,” Jeven said with a visible shudder. He dared not elaborate and glanced around, as if afraid a punch might suddenly land on the back of his head.
“Those four, huh.” Though only a few months had passed, George suddenly felt nostalgic.
“What about Ando?” George asked.
“…He’s already left the Church,” Jeven hesitated, then answered.
George paused in thought and asked, “…Was it because of Yara?”
Jeven fell silent for a moment before replying, “The Daniels Family has already been punished for the sin of blasphemy. Daniels Village has now disappeared. The people who once lived there have been relocated to northern villages.”
George froze. Silent, he finally closed his eyes, used the Prayer Technique, and when he opened them again, he let out a sorrowful sigh.
He still remembered that boy who once admired him.
“To blaspheme the Lord is an unforgivable sin, but Ando was still just a child. The Bishop also said he was innocent. He once served the Lord, so he will surely find his brother,” Jeven comforted him.
George only shook his head.
What Knight Wolf had done, was not something Jeven could know.
Still, he didn’t elaborate and instead asked:
“There are three Priests in the Church now. Besides Priest Nyx, who are the other two? Are they from the Newman Family?”
“…” Jeven shook his head, looking rather sorrowful. “Priest Nyx has already gone to the Lord’s Heavenly Kingdom. The three Priests now are Claudy, Lain, and Connery.”
George knew them. All three were from the Newman Family.
So Priest Nyx had gone to the Lord’s Heavenly Kingdom… His heart filled with sorrow.
“What about the Small Church in Garcia Village? Who’s in charge now?” George asked.
“It’s unstaffed,” Jeven replied. “The Church doesn’t allow Priests born in a village to return to that village to preside over the Small Church. I’m only here because I was sent by the Matron and I’m merely a Monk.”
“The Bishop said once I become a Priest, I’ll be assigned to a different village’s Small Church.”
“I see…” George nodded.
“Yes, it’s to prevent certain unnecessary problems,” Jeven said with a bittersweet smile.
He had been sent to the Monastery with another person to study, but in the end, only he received approval, while the other had mingled with the Apprentices of the Monastery from the Gentry Families.
In the end, he was acknowledged and received the Beige Monk's Robe, while the other was sent back to the village a day earlier.
After arriving at the village with the Holy Relic cross given by the Bishop, he still hadn’t seen that person.
He dared not ask, nor dwell too deeply on where that person was.
Seeing the bitterness on Jeven’s face, George understood without even using the Prayer Technique and asked no further. He only patted Jeven on the shoulder.
…
One night passed. The next morning, as Landon woke, he heard some commotion in his ears.
Through the small window of the room, he could see people coming and going in the Small Church’s courtyard, each holding a wooden bowl.
He got up, shook Igor awake, and stepped out of the room.
Outside the Small Church, Jeven and George were distributing Sacrament.
It truly was the kind of Sacrament George had described, not the kind from the Cross Painted in Blood Theocracy.
Landon swallowed.
“You’re awake? Come, have some Sacrament first,” George noticed Landon and waved him over.
At the same time, it was as if he were telling Landon: I didn’t deceive you. The Church is even better than what I told you.
Landon suddenly felt his eyes grow moist.
He waved back, then carried Igor out.
Like the others receiving Sacrament, they followed Jeven and completed the morning Prayer.
This was not a practice found in the Cross Painted in Blood Theocracy.
And even if those receiving Sacrament were starving, they wouldn’t gobble it up at once. They would take a few bites and wait until after Prayer to eat the rest properly.
The Sacrament didn’t taste good. Compared to the croissants from last night, it was nothing. It was just thick, bitter paste that was hard to swallow.
But Landon and Igor still finished it like it was nourishment and even asked for another bowl.
Compared to the Sacrament from the Cross Painted in Blood Theocracy, this was truly delicious.
After they finished eating, a man in wrinkled clothes—obviously washed countless times—came running over, carrying a crying infant.
“Monk Jeven, my son is born,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.
The man’s face had wrinkles, his hair was slightly graying, fingers thin with pronounced joints. The straw shoes on his feet were worn through, and his big toe, coated in black dirt under the nail, was visible.
“Congratulations, Harvey.” Jeven glanced at the baby and smiled as he congratulated the man.
“Hahahaha, I have a son now.” Harvey beamed. “I heard you say that once someone has a child, you’ll perform Baptism and give the child a Baptismal Name.”
“That way, the child will be watched over by the Lord, receive the Lord’s Blessing, and grow stronger and wiser.”
“So I want to ask you to perform Baptism and give my child a Baptismal Name. I am a Devout Believer of the Lord, so he will surely be one too,” Harvey said.
“Of course. Absolutely,” Jeven said with a smile.
Taking the still-crying baby into his arms, he gently soothed him and reached out to play with him. Miraculously, the wrinkled baby, still unable to open his eyes, soon stopped crying and smiled.