The moment they arrived in Ice Rock City, Nol experienced a moment of disorientation.
The scene of Ice Rock City was almost identical to the design in "Tahe World", showing little change over the past two hundred years. The only difference was the towering black church in the city center.
That was the Holy Land of the Eternal Church, the largest existing Immortal Church. According to Knight Eugene, that old yet undying Pope of the Eternal Church resided there, stepping out only for performing Oracle Sacrifices.
Their next task was simple—secretly contact High Priest Fischer, blend into the group for the Oracle Sacrifice, and see what the Eternal Church was up to.
To Nol, the biggest challenge wasn't "how to blend into the group", but "how to deceive Eugene".
"I will contact the Temple's people in the city." Eugene proposed to act alone before they had even settled in the inn. "You need not be restrained. I will report the situation as part of the investigative assistance. All expenses will be charged to the account of the Investigation Knights. It's been a long journey. Please rest well."
[He's still of some use,] Teest admitted cheerfully.
Since Mr. Eugene was generously footing the bill, the Mad Monk was clearly considering how to spend a significant amount.
Less than two hours after Eugene left, their table was filled with local specialties like buttered baked pancakes, hot honey apple juice, and richly sauced roasted lamb with sweet onions. Sausages and cheese bought from the Caucasian were sitting on the fire, filling the room with a dizzying aroma.
Saint Bernard got a whole juicy lamb leg, eating with grease dripping from his mouth. His tail was spinning so fast it nearly turned into an air circulation fan.
In this regard, the evil Mr. Demon King made no comment—assassinating Eugene's wallet was already the most restrained act by the Mad Monk. If this cooperation went smoothly, he might as well procure some props as compensation for Knight Eugene.
Snowflakes drifted outside the window. The buildings of Ice Rock City stood like inverted icicles, solemnly visible through the window. Inside the inn, the magic fireplace burned vigorously. Nol took off his wool coat, his face slightly sweaty.
While the sausages on the fireplace weren't yet done, Saint Bernard had already devoured the meat like a whirlwind. He burped contentedly. "I'll go out and have a look too! Maybe I can sniff out Sister Fischer."
'Just don't sniff your way to the Eternal Church,' Nol thought. "Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?"
"It's fine. Ice Rock City's attitude towards non-human races is still acceptable."
Painter elegantly sliced the lamb, sprinkling some chili flakes. "The Eternal Church only accepts humans, but they don't deliberately target these different races. Mr. Saint Bernard going out alone is safer than us accompanying him."
Nol quickly caught on.
On one hand, the Eternal Church didn't want to offend Shiva too much, and on the other hand, they wanted to add obstruction to the Temple of Life, which was "unkind to foreigners". Moreover, considering it from another angle, Saint Bernard, being a non-human, could be confirmed to have no relation with the Temple of Life, requiring no special attention.
Indeed, it would be safer than them following along.
Saint Bernard chuckled twice. "I'll be back before dinner! And when I return, I'll remember to knock properly!"
"Safe travels, good knight." Painter coaxed expertly.
Finally, the room was left with just the three "nuns". Teest's naive expression instantly vanished. He impatiently rolled up his skirt, propped up a leg, and comfortably began eating the baked pancakes.
"Now that the nuisance is gone, let's talk business," he said, not even bothering to disguise his voice anymore. With a raise of his hand, layers of soundproof magic were erected around them.
Nol paused in his meat cutting and his ears perked up.
Along the way, Eugene indeed shared a lot of information with them. But in the eyes of this Grand Inquisitor, these "nuns" were merely informal believers. He wouldn't divulge the core secrets of the Temple to them, and they couldn't probe too deeply either.
But they also had Painter.
Faced with Teest's question, Painter continued to sip his honey apple juice with a serene expression. "Please, go ahead."
This former Pope spoke calmly, as if he had been prepared for this.
"Teest and I received a system quest, requiring a thorough investigation of the Eternal Church's Oracle Sacrifice. The trip to the Dragon's Lair will have to be postponed… but I think you might have guessed that."
Nol and Teest exchanged glances and got straight to the point.
Before departure, Eugene had proactively suggested splitting up and letting the Investigation Knights take over.
If they wanted to naturally shake off Eugene, this was a perfect opportunity. But Painter insisted on searching for Fischer together right there, effectively blocking that path.
After that, if Nol and the others still wanted to get rid of Eugene, they—especially Teest—wouldn't have been so compliant along the way. So, to a certain extent, they tacitly approved of Painter's approach.
That said, Painter's behavior was indeed odd.
Painter didn't have Player privileges and knew nothing about Nol and Teest's sudden quest. Nol could only interpret it as Painter having a special interest in "investigating the Oracle Sacrifice with Eugene".
"Since we're all interested in this Oracle Sacrifice, let's lay it all out." Nol continued candidly, "Mr. Painter, why did you insist on dragging Eugene into this?"
Painter's eyes flickered. "Investigation Knights—"
"Don't give me that 'Investigation Knights are always useful' bullshit," Teest bluntly interrupted Painter. "You were just a Pope, not a prophet. If we still wanted to go to the Dragon's Lair at that time, you would only have caused us trouble."
Painter poured himself another glass of juice, still with a placid face. "Ah, with both of your intelligence, you would surely find a way to deal with it. Sister Holly's reputation is renowned, and I had to consider the authenticity of my role… If that child found a flaw and investigated, that would be quite the spectacle."
"Name your price." Nol was even more direct than Teest.
"Hm? I don't understand what you mean." Painter blinked.
Nol: "Partial information about the ancient Demon King and the identity of the newborn Demon King—in exchange for all your knowledge about the oracles."
"The two gods never interacted with the Demon King", plus "the Demon King is me, not Teest". These pieces of information were valuable but not closely related to the world's truth. Giving them to Painter was inconsequential for Nol's side.
Regarding the oracles, Painter said they "weren't related". Sharing secrets was one of the best ways to deepen relationships. Since it wasn't something money could buy, so let him trade with secrets.
As expected, upon hearing this, Painter's lips curved slightly. "Sounds good, but it's not enough."
Teest snorted. "Are you sure your profession is a 'Saint' and not a 'Profiteer'?"
"No, no. You two just know how to choose. My understanding of the 'oracles' is definitely deeper than anyone else's." Painter flicked the glass with his fingertip. "Add the content of Mr. Mad Monk's oracle, and we can talk. After hearing it, you will definitely understand my actions."
'…This old fox.' Nol narrowed his eyes.
The moment Teest's original oracle was destroyed by the great fire in Grape Collar, the High Priest personally set out to find this Chosen One. No wonder Painter was curious—especially since the "Time Reversion" blood potion was his gift to them, he must have guessed something.
Teest stabbed his fork deep into the roast lamb, causing the pink juices to flow out along the silverware. "Deal."
"But first, we need to verify the goods." He added, "You first share what you know. Let's see how 'deep' your understanding is."
"No problem. Since we've shared secrets, we're friends now." Painter's light green eyes sparkled. "So, Mr. Teest, what is your understanding of 'oracles'?"
"Whether it's the Temple of Life or the Eternal Church, only the Pope can access the oracles."
"They recruit the Chosen Ones and Divine Servants designated by the oracle, selecting the high-ranking officials of the religion. That's about it." Teest spread his hands.
"Hmm, that's probably the limit of what you can access." Painter stroked his chin. "Speaking of which, even Eugene probably only knows a bit more about the rituals."
"The Eternal Pope conducts the Oracle Sacrifice around the winter solstice each year to obtain the oracle for the new year. The Pope of Life holds the ceremony around the summer solstice to ask for the new year's oracle… The difference is, the Eternal Church's 'Oracle Sacrifice' requires a large amount of pure male and female blood, while the Temple's ritual only needs to offer grains, fruits, and spices."
Painter intertwined his fingers, speaking in a voice as warm as water. "The most watched High Priest of the Church and the most prestigious Archbishop of the Temple both assist the Pope in conducting the ceremony. For the public, it's like the Pope himself hinting at 'possible successors'…"
Wow, such a rich setting, but a bit dry. Paired with Painter's gentle voice, Nol felt sleepy in the steamy room.
Teest bit into the lamb with lackluster interest. "Is this supposed to be profound?"
For non-religious people, this barely qualified as bathroom reading material.
"…The above is the level of knowledge Eugene has." After droning on about numerous details, Painter casually ended the topic.
Nol and Teest leaned stiffly against each other, having been battered by trivial information for ten minutes. Not just Nol, by the end, even Teest's gaze was starting to glaze over.
"Now, here's what I know." Painter elegantly sliced the lamb, revealing its pink interior. "I'll keep it short. First, regardless of which side, there are two types of oracles."
"Oh?" Nol shook his head, forcing himself to focus.
"The first type is related to rituals. They are numerous, with a fixed time for acquisition, and both Chosen Ones and Divine Servants have them. This also gives the Pope an opportunity to submit questions to God and receive responses."
'Got it. Corporate recruitment,' Nol thought.
Then, Painter's voice became less gentle. "The second type is special oracles. They can appear at any time and correspond to 'very special Chosen Ones'."
"I was fortunate enough to obtain the second oracle for the 'Mad Monk'. Interestingly, it was the first time I discovered that God can issue two oracles to the same person."
Nol was fully alert now, almost standing up from his seat. Teest froze on the spot. His fork-holding gesture instinctively shifted to a stance ready for attack.
A second oracle about Teest?
After going back in time, when they urgently killed Crimson, they hadn't heard anything about this. No wonder Painter wanted Teest's first oracle in exchange…
"Anyway, special oracles correspond to Chosen Ones who are either very special or very powerful. Embarrassingly, my oracle is also a 'special oracle'." Painter threw out the bait, continuing on his own.
"They appear without warning, and the Popes can't just run out all the time. The messages they carry are too important, so the Pope will place his most trusted individuals as 'messengers', staying at secret locations year-round—once a new oracle appears, they can get the message at the first opportunity."
Something felt off. Nol couldn't help but clench his fists.
…If the two gods really were "gods", why would they go through such trouble to deliver such important messages? Whether entrusting it to their own Popes in a dream or controlling someone close to the Pope to deliver prophecies would be simpler and safer.
…Or was it that for the oracles, a "fixed location" was necessary?
Painter gave Nol an approving look.
"During the time of the Flama family's tragedy, I was somewhat lost. You know, youth always brings its share of confusion. It wasn't the time for rituals, and I couldn't convey my doubts to God, so… cough, I ran away from home and ended up daydreaming at the place where the oracles were obtained."
The Pope used a very peculiar place as a reference.
"The space around that place was a mess, and after some aimless meddling, I accidentally encountered the Eternal Pope's confidant. I killed him—it was purely an accident! Both of us were taken aback, reacting instinctively."
"And then?" Nol listened very attentively.
"From his corpse, I obtained the Eternal Church's 'special oracle'. The interesting part comes here—the content of the oracle, supposedly only decipherable by the Pope—but I, the Pope of the Temple of Life, could also interpret the Eternal Church's oracle."
"To a zealot, they might naturally explain it as 'the Goddess of Life being stronger than the Eternal Son'. At that time, I just found it bizarre. Although 'the words of God are universal' could explain it, it still seemed a bit far-fetched."
Painter spread his hands in a "what can I do" gesture.
Teest's indifferent expression softened. "You didn't report to the Temple?"
"Well, youth, you know." Painter flashed a smile. "I didn't like being a confused messenger. I wanted to understand for myself—here comes the 'profound' thing you're looking for, Mr. Mad Monk."
"I conducted an experiment, publishing the 'special oracle' of the Eternal Son Anstis as a 'special oracle' of the Goddess of Life Tilia."
…Lunatic!
Nol was dumbfounded. Compared to this level of audacity, Eugene's zealotry was nothing.
Teest's mouth slightly opened, hesitating to speak. In his eyes, the hostility towards Painter lessened a bit, looking at him as if seeing a kindred spirit.
"Don't look at me like that. It was youth." Painter drank his juice sheepishly. "I had doubts about God's actions, and the tragedy of the Flama family shook me… If the Eternal Church got that oracle, they would definitely snatch away that Chosen One. Just like how they forcefully took you away, Mr. Mad Monk."
"I couldn't bear the thought of the tragedy repeating."
Teest looked expressionlessly at Painter.
"Besides, having done such a thing as snatching away an important Chosen One, the gods should give some reaction. That oracle was very special—they couldn't possibly not care." Painter's gaze drifted away.
"I wanted to verify if the gods truly cared about the mortal world," he said.
By the time of the Flama family's tragedy, it had already happened. Meaning, that oracle wasn't for Teest. Considering the timing, Nol suddenly had a particularly bad guess.
"What was that oracle?" He swallowed.
It couldn't be what he was thinking. That would be too outrageous.
"The core content is 'With a heart full of zeal, he will ascend the highest place, and will behead the False God with the sword of faith'," Painter said slowly.
"The Malloy family is a fanatical family of the Goddess of Life, but from the moment Eugene Malloy was born, he was the Chosen One of the Eternal Son."
Nol pressed his temples, his head buzzing, even forgetting to see Teest's reaction.
Eugene and Teest were different—Teest had parts of the system, while he was the creator of the system. The system was above the two gods, so it wasn't strange for Teest to ignore the divine choice.
But Eugene Malloy was a genuine local resident, having nothing to do with the system.
As a Chosen One of the Eternal Son, Eugene's secure position in one of the most authoritative seats in the Temple almost guaranteed him to become the next Pope.
Painter had deceived the entire Temple of Life.
Looking at it this way, his agreement to become Eugene's godfather and preside over Eugene's baptism wasn't just because of the request of the Malloy family… This old fox…
"Don't you two find it interesting?"
Painter gave them enough time to react. "Oracles can be faked, and the Chosen Ones can be taken away. Even if it's the work of mortals, the two gods have no reaction."
"I'm afraid of this—the matters of the Chosen Ones are hastily dealt with; how could the gods possibly care about the lives of other mortals? The life and death in the world may just be a trivial game between them."
"So, you defected." Teest said softly, "I knew, you wouldn't defect just because you 'couldn't stand the Flama family tragedy'."
"Mm, the second part of the experiment." Painter shook his head. "As you see, the Goddess doesn't care about the Chosen Ones, nor does she care about her Pope."
"It's not over yet, right?" Nol felt a chill down his back.
"You want to follow Eugene to investigate the Oracle Sacrifice… You've been watching him, worried he will return to the Eternal Church."
"You're disappointed in the gods, yet still curious about Teest's oracle. As a former Pope, you must know about Fischer's Oracle, plus your own…"
Painter's eager assistance was probably not just because he "favors the new Demon King".
As long as he followed Nol, he could observe the four "derailed" Chosen Ones.
"Yes, it's not over yet," Painter said with a chuckle, his smile no different from before.
In an ordinary inn room, this mad Pope was spreading meat sauce on a pancake as he spoke in a casual tone, like he was having a nice chat.
"I still want to know if the two gods can truly control fate… I want to see the end of the oracle."
The author has something to say:
Nol: The mental state of my teammates… I'm starting to get scared…
Teest: LOL, Goddess, look at the people you chose.jpg
Who would have thought fanatics are the most normal ones among these people? (Except for the dog)
Kinky Thoughts:
Wow, that's a bombshell.
Painter causing earth-shattering mischief… "Oh, it was because of youth~~"