Chapter 321: Rookie Ceremony
Two days later.
Vatican, inside a certain inn.
William sat by the table, holding a black leather-bound book in his hands.
He then took a wooden box out of his pocket. Upon opening it, the Divine Wing lay inside.
He gently picked up the feather and brought it close to the black leather book.
Hum—
The book immediately began to turn its pages automatically, stopping at a specific map where one particular dot of light shone exceptionally bright.
At the same time, the feather in William's hand was pulled by an invisible force, nearly flying out of his grasp toward the black leather book.
Seeing this, he had no choice but to close the book and place the Divine Wing back into the wooden box.
"The Book of the World reacts to both that heart and this holy relic..." William rubbed his chin, thinking to himself.
The Will of the World had mentioned that in order to close a Source Power passage, the Book of the World needed to lock onto an item possessing the corresponding power.
At the time, William wasn't entirely clear on what type of "item" was required.
After all, the Church had a multitude of holy relics, and an ordinary thirty-year vintage bottle of Holy Water obviously wouldn't do the trick. (He had already tested this on his way here.)
Fortunately, he had a habit of collecting strange items, so he quickly got a clue.
If the Divine Wing corresponded to the Church, then judging by the altar in the mountain men's habitat back then, that heart should correspond to the demonic factions of Hell.
And to meet the targeting requirements of the Book of the World, one needed to find items of at least this legendary caliber.
"How is this any different from asking me to commit suicide..." The corner of William's mouth twitched.
That Will of the World really thought highly of him.
Fortunately, the other party hadn't forced him; he could decide whether or not to choose this path depending on the situation.
"Being a savior is truly a tough job..." William sighed inwardly.
The next moment, he suddenly frowned slightly, then carefully tucked the black leather book and the Divine Wing away.
A few seconds later, the sound of footsteps came from the stairs outside the door.
Knock... Knock...
"William, are you there? It's time to head out!"
William got up and opened the door.
Two people stood outside; it was none other than Sid and Innocent, the companions who had fought side by side with him not long ago.
The former wore a white robe with a Golden Lion Cross badge pinned to her collar.
Compared to her disheveled state in the Land of the Holy War, the freshly washed and groomed Sid exuded an elegant temperament. However, her brows were always slightly furrowed.
"William! You're finally here. Recently, after Lord Jolan issued the new decrees, some people actually said it was a waste of resources. How could they think that way? Everyone is..."
Innocent suddenly popped out from behind Sid, grabbing William's arm and complaining about the injustice.
"Lord above..." Sid took a deep breath, drew a cross on her chest, and then yanked Innocent away.
The latter instantly lost his footing, flailed his arms a few times, and fell backward with a helpless gaze.
A series of crashing sounds quickly echoed down the stairs.
"Ignore him, he won't die." Sid led the way down the stairs.
William shrugged, locking the door and following her.
Just as he reached the entrance to the first-floor lobby, he heard a rhythmic beat.
"Tighten your core, don't sway randomly. One, two, three..."
A burly Holy Clergy Member was doing push-ups on the floor.
Beside him stood a black-robed priest, an iron chain wrapped around his waist.
"You've met them, Calvin and John," Sid introduced them casually.
"Young man, follow the Lord's guidance and get moving with me!" Calvin roared.
John unwrapped the chain and squatted next to Innocent: "Captain, I seem to sense emotions of pain radiating from you. Do you want me to give you a check-up..."
Saying that, without waiting for a reply, he proceeded to wrap the chain around Innocent's neck.
Seeing this scene, the corner of William's mouth twitched.
What kind of squad had he joined... Why was the nun the only normal person?
"No wonder she's always frowning..."
Aside, Sid clenched her fists and marched forward.
Accompanied by three crisp smacks, the group finally headed toward the headquarters of the Holy See's Priest Order.
Holy See Assembly Hall.
Pure white crosses were embedded in the ceiling, and aesthetically pleasing stone pillars stood in rows on both sides.
Creak.
As the heavy doors were pushed open, a cacophony of voices immediately flooded their ears.
Many white-robed Holy Clergy Members were gathered here, chatting amongst themselves.
"Hey, have you heard? They're deciding on the Vice Commander after the Rookie Ceremony this time. I bet Ambo will be chosen..."
"Is that reliable? That position has been vacant for a long time, but he certainly has the seniority..."
"Ambo is one of the few priests who made it into the Vatican from a local church. I heard he's gotten very close to the Holy Clans in recent years. With the support of those big shots, it's definitely a sure thing..."
"Speaking of local churches, rumor has it there are two among the rookies this time. One of them is the one who witnessed the miracle in the Land of the Holy War..."
"I wish I had that kind of luck..."
As Sid and the others walked into the assembly hall, they instantly attracted the attention of many.
But gradually, these gazes bypassed them and focused entirely on William.
Curiosity, envy, disdain...
William sensed a multitude of different emotions.
"With this kind of situation... I'm probably going to attract trouble," he thought to himself.
After a moment of consideration, William decided to hide behind Calvin's massive frame.
The group chose a spot near the middle to wait.
Before long, another group entered the hall, and the surrounding noise quieted down significantly.
William turned his head and saw Kalvis of the Saul family, along with an old acquaintance, Haggai.
Upon spotting William, the latter enthusiastically waved in greeting.
Immediately after, Lorcy of the Zadok family walked in, followed by another of William's acquaintances—Bettis.
Now dressed in a white robe, Bettis looked elegant and beautiful, instantly drawing the gazes of many Holy Clergy Members.
"Don't come over... don't come over..." William prayed inwardly, quietly turning his back.
"Hey! William, why are you being so shy? We're going to be working together from now on; you have to let everyone see you." Innocent grabbed William and yanked him back around.
The latter was on the verge of cursing out loud.
But before he could speak, a faint fragrance wafted over.
"William, you left right after the commendation ceremony last time. I still wanted to chat with you." Bettis had walked over at some point.
"Ah... I have a shop to look after, so..."
"I see. We owe you so much for what happened in the Land of the Holy War. I haven't even properly thanked you yet..."
"We're friends, there's no need for that..."
"By the way, my father wants to invite you..." she lowered her voice.
"When I have free time! Definitely when I have free time!" William hurriedly replied.
He had already noticed more and more eyes fixated on him.
Bettis opened her mouth, but ultimately just smiled: "Alright then, I'll wait to hear from you."
Seeing that William seemed reluctant to talk much, she felt a bit frustrated inwardly and could only return to her own squad for now.
At this time, Sid nudged William with her elbow and whispered, "Although the Church nominally forbids marriage, many predecessors in the Priest Order have actually..."
She gave him a "you know what I mean" look.
"No girl is going to like that attitude you just showed," Sid said, pointing behind her.
"Don't become like these guys."
At the moment, Calvin was leaning against the wall, squatting with his legs slightly bent.
Beside him, Kerson had a look of utter intoxication as he stroked his iron chain.
And Innocent was muttering to himself, his brows alternately relaxing and knitting together.
William forced a smile: "I'll try my best."
Tap... Tap...
Footsteps echoed from the entrance again.
A black-robed Holy Clergy Member walked in. His hair was slicked back flawlessly, and a golden crucifix hung from his chest.
"Ambo Roshu. Bishop rank, senior member of the Priest Order. He has participated in many important missions in the past and carries a lot of prestige here," Sid whispered.
William nodded, watching as Bishop Ambo greeted the passing Priest Order members one by one.
Whether he knew them or not, Ambo would smile and listen patiently to whatever they had to say. Every gesture of his appeared steady and elegant.
Before long, the man actually walked over toward William's group.
"Innocent, Sid, it's wonderful that you returned safely from the Land of the Holy War. It is the Lord's blessing." Ambo drew a cross on his chest.
Sid and the others returned the salute respectively.
Then he looked at William: "You must be Father William, the one who witnessed the miracle. Thank you for your contributions in the Land of the Holy War; otherwise, many innocent lives in the world would surely have been sacrificed."
William raised an eyebrow.
The man appeared to be a devout believer, so William exchanged a few polite pleasantries.
After Ambo left, Sid immediately whispered: "It's best to stay away from that guy."
William gave her a questioning look.
"He has the backing of the Holy Clans. Recently, Lord Jolan and they have had some disputes over the new decrees..."
William instantly understood. So it was about picking sides...
In all honesty, he had no interest in this stuff, but after his trip to the Land of the Holy War, he was probably already tied to Jolan's ship whether he liked it or not.
"Quiet!" A voice suddenly boomed from the entrance.
Immediately after, Jolan strode into the assembly hall with his entourage.
The surrounding noise vanished instantly.
Today, the Lord was dressed in a pure white robe, its cuffs embroidered with golden jacquard, looking quite regal.
Jolan walked briskly to the main seat of the assembly hall.
"First, welcome to the new members joining the Priest Order. I hope you will fulfill your duties under the Lord's guidance."
He then shifted the topic: "Everyone here should know me, so I won't waste time on unnecessary words."
"Regardless of whether you come from a local parish, a minor family, or a Holy Clan, in this place, your primary identity is a member of the Priest Order!"
"Our mission is to protect the safety of the Vatican and strictly execute the commissions assigned to us. If I find anyone disregarding the greater good of the Vatican for their own sake or for the interests of certain families..."
Jolan's gaze turned razor-sharp.
"I will personally send that person to the Tribunal of Repentance."
As soon as his voice fell, the assembly hall became eerily quiet. Everyone could tell these words were pointed.
Lord Jolan's decrees had just begun rolling out, yet they were already facing criticism from several families, and their descendants were currently standing right here in the Priest Order.
"The Priest Order has never asked about origins. As long as you are capable, you will be given the opportunity to showcase your abilities," Jolan said with his hands behind his back.
"My principle for utilizing personnel is only one thing—the ability to get actual work done."
"We strictly obey your command," Ambo immediately bowed slightly and said.
The others quickly caught on.
Voices pledging "loyalty" echoed through the assembly hall, though only the Lord knew how much sincerity was actually in them.
"One more thing." Jolan raised his hand and pressed down.
"The position of Vice Commander of the Priest Order has been vacant for a long time. This role not only entails arranging the Vatican's defenses but also requires extensive experience in dealing with evil incidents."
He stared at the crowd below.
"Therefore, the candidate for Vice Commander must have devout faith, prestige, and most importantly, strength..."
Hearing this, the people present intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Ambo.
The latter secretly took a deep breath, his face devoid of any expression, but his fists clenched slightly under his sleeves.
"So..." Jolan pointed at the crowd below, "The position will be filled by the newly arrived Father William."
The moment these words were spoken, it was akin to dropping a massive boulder into a tranquil lake.
William: ???
At this moment, he genuinely wondered if there was something wrong with Jolan's brain.
From every angle, he shouldn't be the candidate. Especially after what happened in the Land of the Holy War, he was probably the worst possible choice.
Sure enough, the others shared similar thoughts.
"Lord Jolan, is this not... inappropriate? Father William just joined the Priest Order and doesn't understand many of our procedures..."
"What qualifications does a rookie have to hold this position? Isn't Ambo far more suitable?"
"Was this decision approved by the Holy See?"
"..."
Even Sid and her team revealed surprised looks; clearly, they didn't agree with this decision internally either.
Kalvis and Lorcy looked thoughtful and remained silent.
Bettis looked at William with concern.
Bishop Ambo was another person who maintained his silence. He stared blankly at the floor, seeming to exist in a completely different world from the uproar around him.
"Quiet!" shouted a Holy Clergy Member beside Jolan.
The crowd looked toward the voice and met His Excellency's calm gaze.
Only then did the noise in the assembly hall gradually die down.
"This matter is decided. If you have any objections, you may report them to the Vatican Curia," Jolan's tone brooked no argument. "Alright, the assembly is concluded. It is time for you to receive your commissions."
"Starting from this period, the area under the Priest Order's jurisdiction will expand to the entire world."
"Any commissions rated 'Danger' or above will be handled by us. You are required to collect the evil materials from them..."
After giving these instructions, Jolan stepped down from the main stage and left through a side door with his entourage.
"Let's go. Once that Lord makes a decision, it's very hard to change," Sid patted William.
William frowned slightly. This time, he had been completely thrust into the storm.
And Jolan's blunt and heavy-handed approach left him highly dissatisfied.
He originally wanted to find the man for a chat, but looking at it now, he would have to find another opportunity.
Before long, only one person remained in the assembly hall.
Ambo raised his head, gazing in the direction Jolan had left, his eyes filled with coldness.
Holy See Lounge.
"Your Excellency, they did make some valid points. What exactly were you thinking regarding this matter?" a Holy Clergy Member asked, bowing slightly.
"Of course I know William isn't a good choice, but the new decrees have just started rolling out, and those insects from the Holy Clans have already jumped out in opposition," Jolan slammed his hand on the table.
"Hmph! If we bend to their will, the Church will sooner or later be destroyed in their hands."
"Now is the perfect time to use this matter to force their hand, to see who jumps the highest and who harbors ulterior motives."
He had always viewed these Holy Clans as a burden. Now, thanks to the incident in the Land of the Holy War, several Cardinals in the Vatican stood on his side.
Jolan naturally wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.
Coupled with the recent news from lower-level dioceses, massive surges in supernatural forces were being monitored globally, meaning those evil existences were getting restless again.
Under the weight of these multiple burdens, he didn't have much time left.
Thinking of this, Jolan gave another order: "Note down the names of the ones making the most noise."
"Understood," the person beside him nodded slightly. "However... Father William might have to suffer quite a bit."
"That guy always likes to hide his true abilities. But the Church's affairs will only increase in the future; I need him to quickly be able to take charge on his own," Jolan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"This is the perfect time to push him a little."
Holy See Commission Room.
"Everyone, this is the commission you will be executing next. The destination is on the west coast of the Pacific, Sakura District."
"Sakura District? Hey... supernatural incidents in this place are no joke," William frowned as he took the file.
He then saw the words written on the cover—Tokyo Nerima Ward Residential Murder Case.
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