Chapter 244 (1): Try, Die
“The High Prophet serves the avatars. While the avatars possess formidable divine power, they cannot directly deliver their oracles. Thus, the High Prophet must possess the ability to communicate with nature to sense the avatars residing in the distant Divine Realm...”
Senna explained the High Prophet’s role in the church. The High Prophet was a servant of the subordinate gods. With one of the three avatars being Mirelle the Lark of Wisdom, who wielded the divine power to see the future, the High Prophet held an important role. Yet given that the High Prophet was only a servant of the gods, their status varied.
When they were needed, the all-knowing High Prophet would guide the church’s future; when they were not needed, on the other hand, the High Prophet would be nothing but a rambling old coot.
Subordinate gods were still gods, equally worshipped by followers. Senna didn’t want to be too blunt and risk damaging the gods’ dignity, so she stopped there, hoping that Wayne would fill in the blanks.
To lower-ranking followers, becoming the High Prophet and coming into contact with the subordinate gods would be akin to reaching heaven in a single step; for higher-ups, they only respected the subordinate gods because they worshipped the goddess. The goddess always came first—it was a principle that absolutely could not be taken lightly.
Given Wayne’s talent, there was no reason for him to waste time on the subordinate gods. He deserved a higher and better position, such as the goddess’s chosen knight!
Wayne ruminated on the information. Serving the subordinate gods sounded quite nice. The lark that could foresee the future? It seemed to be quite an impressive power. If he mastered it—no, if he became the High Prophet, believed to have the power to see the future, wouldn’t he be able to make up prophecies however he wanted?
Hey, you. Yes, I’m talking to you. I have a prophecy concerning you. Come to my room tonight, and we’ll have an in-depth discussion.
“Not many can communicate with nature. High Prophet Tubert spent close to a century and only managed to train two students, and unlike your inherent talent, their talents were cultivated with countless resources, imperfect in essence...”
“That’s why Tubert has to maintain his post, unable to leave the mortal realm for the Divine Realm. His ability has become shackles that prevent him from advancing further, and he yearns for an excellent student more than anyone.”
“If you become the High Prophet, you will become just like Tubert, unable to pass on your mantle for your entire life. Forced to sit in the Prophet Sanctuary all day, you’ll eventually become deranged...”
The High Prophet wasn’t as terrible as Senna made him out to be, but to break whatever illusions Wayne might hold for the role, she highlighted the downsides and painted the role as worthless.