Chapter 67 - 66: Priest and Mr. Ma!
Arthur grabbed the wine bottle and made his way directly to the priest's side. The priest opened his arms wide and embraced him warmly.
"Look who's here! God's child escaped from hell and returned to God's embrace. This is a miracle, just like Adam returning to the Garden of Eden," the priest said with a wide grin.
Arthur smiled and replied, "I think God must be blind, otherwise, He wouldn't have pulled me out of the cesspit. Night City is no Garden of Eden. You could say I crawled back from hell. Another hell."
The priest laughed joyfully, giving Arthur a firm pat on the shoulder. "You can't say that! Night City isn't hell. Well, if I were to imagine it, it's a world that failed to keep the devil out. Since God was willing to fish you out of the cesspit, He surely didn't consider you... well, excrement."
The priest's smile seemed kind, but there was something more beneath it. Don't be fooled by his appearance—this man was ruthless. Except for Rock, no other middleman in the city could rival the priest's influence.
The priest's real name was Sebastian Ibarra. Originally, he was a priest for the Valentino Gang, but his business grew rapidly. Gang fights were a daily occurrence in Night City, with people dying every day. He should have been praying over gravestones, asking God to forgive the world's scum—the killers, the prostitutes, the ones addicted to glitter.
But Night City, with all its accidents and bloodshed, converted him into something far more pragmatic—a middleman. At first, he leaned heavily toward helping the Valentino Gang. But over time, he learned to welcome all sides: the Sixth Street Gang, various other gangs, and even people like Arthur.
The priest wasn't just a man of God. He, like Rock, worked to maintain the delicate balance of power in Night City. To do this, he wasn't as gentle as his prayers might suggest. He read the Bible and repented, but then sent people to meet God—or, more often, Satan—because in Night City, everyone seemed destined for hell.
Arthur turned his attention to the middle-aged man standing next to the priest. Comparing the man's features with the photos the old captain had sent, Arthur's prosthetic eyes confirmed it. "You're the worker representative, right? Did you want the priest to act as a witness for this meeting?"