Chapter 437: Chapter 425 Cooperation with the Church
"Greetings, Your Eminence, may the All-Father bless you with good health." Facing the religious leader of the Victor Empire, even Perfikot maintained the necessary politeness and respect.
However, the Patriarch did not seem inclined to put on airs in front of Perfikot, not even extending his ring for her to kiss, but instead reciprocated with a very friendly attitude, "May the All-Father also protect you, my child."
Typically, kissing the ring is a customary gesture when believers meet this Patriarch, and usually, only then do nobles have the honor to kiss his ring, whereas ordinary believers do not even have the chance to meet this Patriarch, and if they do, they can only kneel to kiss the hem of his robe in reverence to the All-Father’s worldly representative.
Of course, these ceremonies are religious formalities for official occasions and are not so strictly required in informal settings.
Especially since the Patriarch is privately visiting Perfikot, forgoing such formalities actually makes him seem more approachable.
"Your Eminence’s visit must have a purpose, is there anything the church can do to serve?" Perfikot, without engaging in small talk, exchanged a few courtesies with the Patriarch and, after seating themselves appropriately, directly inquired about the Patriarch’s purpose.
The Patriarch was not displeased by this; he naturally understood the situation at present. Perfikot oversaw various affairs and was extremely busy. If he came to visit at such a time, the fact that he was received courteously was already a benefit granted by the church and the Patriarch’s status; not much etiquette and small talk were needed, which was normal.
Moreover, the Patriarch was more than old enough to be Perfikot’s grandfather, hardly enough to become angry with a young lady.
Confronted with Perfikot’s inquiry, the Patriarch merely expressed to her, "The end is nigh, and countless of the All-Father’s children will perish in this disaster. The church hopes to do what it can for them."
The Patriarch’s words were not very explicit, but the meaning was already quite clear.
Upon hearing this, Perfikot’s brow first furrowed, and then as if she thought of something, she relaxed her brow and asked the Patriarch, "To what extent can the All-Father’s servants act for the All-Father? If I wish for them to lead the All-Father’s children to withstand this apocalypse amidst ice and snow, can they perform their duties effectively?"
Perfikot was merely concerned about lacking manpower and did not mind whether the workers were nobles or priests, or anyone else.
If the church was willing to work, she would not mind offering the Patriarch a favor, enabling the church to be active and also allowing them to become part of the future Northern Territory.
It should be known that up to now, there was not a single formal church sanctuary in the Northern Territory.
"If it is for the All-Father’s children, the church is willing to undertake any task it can bear, and the All-Father’s servants will do their utmost." Upon hearing Perfikot’s question, the Patriarch’s eyebrows relaxed and he no longer appeared worried.
As for the potential losses to the church from agreeing to Perfikot’s request?
Under such apocalyptic disasters, no one can remain unaffected. If the church clings to its trinkets, when the apocalypse arrives, they can only hold onto those so-called relics and goods and wait to die.
Although aged, the Patriarch had a very clear understanding of these matters.
"If the church is willing to do its utmost, then I have here a self-help guide I prepared for those who cannot travel to the Northern Territory." As Perfikot spoke, she gestured for Beifa to bring the guide over and handed it to the Patriarch, "But obviously ordinary people self-helping is not comparable to rescue efforts led by the church. Therefore, I need to establish shelters in the church sanctuaries to protect the All-Father’s children."
As an exchange, the Empire can provide you with technical support as well as supplies after the apocalyptic disasters arrive.
The Northern Territory, although it has built many shelters over the past years and will construct more in the future year, can only support a limited number of people.
The numerous citizens of the Empire proper, although not to be abandoned, are clearly beyond the Empire’s capacity to save, so if the church is willing to undertake this task, it would be more than welcome."
Upon hearing Perfikot’s proposal, the Patriarch did not see it as problematic or feel she was exploiting the church or sending it to face death.
Although surviving in the Empire proper would be difficult, after paging through the self-help guide Perfikot provided, the Patriarch believed that by following the booklet, those remaining in the Empire had a significant chance of survival.
In such perilous times, remaining in the Empire proper is indeed a dangerous and arduous task.
But for the All-Father’s servants, is there a greater test than this?
As long as their faith in the All-Father is steadfast enough, the Patriarch believed that under the All-Father’s protection, the All-Father’s servants would be able to lead the All-Father’s children to survive under the shelter of the All-Father’s sanctuary.
And after such trials and tribulations, would these servants and children not be the most loyal and faithful followers of the All-Father?
Thus, the Patriarch solemnly received the self-help guide and said to Perfikot, "The church will fully assist the Empire, but the church also hopes to propagate the All-Father’s faith in the Northern Territory. As far as I know, there isn’t an All-Father sanctuary in the Northern Territory yet, is there?"
"Indeed, the Northern Territory was established hastily, and its citizens have yet to bask in the All-Father’s glory. If Your Eminence does not mind, the Northern Territory is willing to invite you to Chernobyl to host a grand Mass and consecrate a holy relic." Perfikot, seeing the Patriarch agreed so readily, reciprocated in kind by offering her own reward.
The notion of consecrating a relic is a euphemistic way of establishing a church sanctuary in the Northern Territory. After all, you can’t just set a platform and place the holy relic there, can you?
At the very least, you need to construct a shrine to protect the relic from disrespectful individuals, a house around the shrine to shield it from wind and rain, and additionally invite a few All-Father’s priests and clergymen to conduct the Mass, ideally having the Patriarch personally lead the Mass to exhibit the Northern Territory’s "devotion."
The Patriarch had no objections to this and nodded as he said, "Spreading the All-Father’s faith, the church will do so without hesitation, but I am too old and will remain in the Empire proper. I will appoint a cardinal to take charge of the mission, and he will carry the holy relic to the Northern Territory."
Upon hearing this, Perfikot couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. The Patriarch actually chose to remain in the Empire rather than heading to the Northern Territory? This led Perfikot to regard him with even greater admiration.