[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing":3,"chapter-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-153":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Holy Church Begins with Bestowal of Blessings",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1688826,2156,"Chapter 153 : Era","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-153",153,"\u003Cp>Chapter 153: Era\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Green sprouts emerged from the sunken ground, with a bit of water accumulated at the bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been raining continuously for three days here, and today was a rare moment of sunshine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the Morning Star, the tall Patriarch stood silently. Balmung was planted before him, both hands resting on the pommel, as if supporting his massive frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one drew closer, the thunderous sound of snoring could be heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, an army approached. At its center was a heavy cross, upon which three White Doves perched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop!” Marl shouted loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen the figure ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled a letter from the pouch at his waist. It had been delivered yesterday by a White Dove sent from the Church, indicating the whereabouts of the Church Nation’s Patriarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Comparing the information written on the letter, Marl found it hard to believe. The once frail person he had undergone Enlightenment with had become so gigantic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of hesitation, he lifted a bundle from the Lord’s Throne beneath the cross, refused the company of the Temple Warrior, and approached alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only upon getting closer that he realized the Patriarch was even taller than he appeared from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To stand before him required tilting one’s head upward just to see the helmet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Darks!” Marl called out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The snoring gradually quieted, and then the towering figure began to move, stretching his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That nap was truly refreshing,” he said, voice deep and muffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Darks, is that you?” Marl shouted again, asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darks lowered his head and finally noticed Marl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marl?” Dropping to one knee, he bent down, looked at Marl as if observing an ant, and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s me! Marl!” Marl smiled, a little delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve changed. You’re stronger than before,” Darks said with a hint of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Compared to you, my change is hardly worth mentioning.” Marl looked up and down at Darks, as if looking at a small hill made of Dark Golden Armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I…” Darks fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marl’s joy gradually faded. “I heard Saint Zecel is dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, he was devoured by that guy.” Darks’s voice grew even heavier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And this form of mine is also the result of a transaction with that guy,” Darks said, raising his hand and clenching it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can it be reversed?” Marl asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t mention who ‘that guy’ was. He was a clever and cautious man, naturally knowing that some existences were not for him to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it can’t.” Darks shook his head. “My spine has already been severed, and after the transaction with that guy, my body has fused with this armor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This armor is my body now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But compared to Saint Zecel, this is already good enough,” he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saint Zecel was utterly dead, his flesh and internal organs devoured, leaving only a skin behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marl fell silent, then handed the book he carried on his back to Darks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you’ve already established the Church Nation, so in addition to the Church classics the Bishop asked me to bring, I’ve also brought a few other books already verified by the Monastery,” Marl said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Church, huh!” Darks sighed, then said, “Stay and help me, Marl.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can pass the title of Patriarch to you. I’m not suited to lead everyone as the Patriarch, and I don’t trust those scholars either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even now, the Church Nation has a population exceeding fifty thousand. I can still expand more territory. This is a land far greater than the Church.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marl shook his head and said, “I’ve heard the doctrine of the Church Nation from the Bishop. I know it’s meant for the future, and I also hope you all succeed. But unfortunately, I personally don’t agree with your doctrine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, I am now a Monk of the Church. Compared to your Church Nation, I believe the Church is more capable of realizing that future we look forward to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, that’s the future you two look forward to.” Darks snorted and said, “For me, I just want to guard the Church Nation now. This is his final legacy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marl nodded, unaffected by Darks’s contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During their brief time studying together, Darks had always trusted and depended greatly on Saint Zezel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I haven’t seen the Church Nation with my own eyes, but Knight George sent me a message about it. The Church Nation is in trouble right now,” he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, because of that guy’s existence, it’s a mess. But now that guy is gone, I can return and deal with those people,” Darks said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you’ve already reached the border of the Church Nation. Come with me to the Holy City.” He extended the invitation again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marl still shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This expedition has lasted nearly two months. The warriors are exhausted, and we’ve lost some manpower. We must return to the Church and end this campaign,” he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, we traversed the Nation of Werewolves. If we don’t return soon and the werewolves blockade us, we might suffer even greater losses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After all, I haven’t encountered an Upper-Ranked Werewolf until now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They seem to be engaged in other matters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If a pack led by an Upper-Ranked Werewolf appears, our losses could be catastrophic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must take responsibility for these warriors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, those werewolves.” A hint of fury surged in Darks’s deep voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not for them, Saint Zezel wouldn’t have died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once I’ve dealt with those in the Church Nation, I’ll mobilize the army to wipe out those filthy creatures.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marl chuckled and said, “Then you better move quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Werewolves are Dark Creatures, an evil the Church is destined to purify.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This expedition has already yielded enough intelligence. Next time, we will cleanse them thoroughly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You people of the Church…” Darks fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he had unleashed the Holy Relic against that man, he had still been conscious. But afterward, that guy seized control of his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His consciousness was imprisoned in endless darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And within that darkness, he saw a beam of warm light piercing through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like mercy. That light dispelled the presence and greatly relaxed his body and spirit. Thus, he fell into a long-awaited slumber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Marl awakened him, that oppressive sensation on his body had disappeared. He was completely at ease, and there was no awkwardness in controlling his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood that he seemed to be free now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, the Church.” Marl nodded and then pointed to the bundle containing the books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The three volumes of Church classics are my personal copies. I made notes on them during Priest Nyx’s lectures. You should read them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That way, you’ll better understand the Church’s doctrine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the Bishop also said, although what you established is the Church Nation, it is ultimately founded on Faith in the Lord. The Flower Church is the Lord’s Sanctuary, a holy land for the Lord’s Believers. If you’re willing, you may send people to the Church’s Monastery to study.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Believe me, the knowledge in the Monastery is very useful. It’s not just reading classics—there’s knowledge on crafting tools, cultivating crops, and raising livestock.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darks shook his head and reached out to pick up the bundle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bundle Marl had to carry on his back, Darks scooped up with one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve said before, I’m not suited to be the Patriarch who leads everyone. So all internal decisions in the Church Nation have already been handed to those three scholars,” he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether people should be sent to study at the Church’s Monastery is up to them to decide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Darks turned and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next time we meet, you must come to the Holy City and see the future he hoped for.” His parting words drifted back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his departing back, Marl let out a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that really the future Saint Zecel hoped for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a clever man. Though he had exceeded the age for studying at the Monastery, he was someone the Bishop valued, so Nyx and Oscar didn’t mind tutoring him additionally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in those lectures, aside from the Holy Scriptures of Nyx and the magic of Oscar, there were also Nyx’s administrative experience and Oscar’s observations in the southern Altlinsmann Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From those lectures, he came to understand the significance and value of Nobles and Local Gentry in this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, in this chaotic world filled with all manner of strange things, the existence of Nobles and Local Gentry was necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was impossible, as Saint Zecel had written, that after eliminating these classes, Commoners would gain freedom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, the doctrine of the Church Nation aimed to eliminate them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marl felt, as the Bishop had said, that such a doctrine should not exist in this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And a doctrine that exceeds its era…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sigh, Marl could only offer silent prayers for Darks in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>",1470,"2026-06-06T13:52:13.933Z",1,"novelbin.me","163af45e0f2a03b107dbc28dbc9f42ccb533125bd146927a2a0e2c220c4f058a","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-154","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-152",373,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-cover.jpg"]