Faced with Mikhail's points, which left him with no immediate logical refutation, Perturabo chose silence. He met the old priest's sharp words with a long pause. Only after some time did the young monk finally speak to his respected foster father.
"Mr. Mikhail, I still do not believe there is any omniscient or omnipotent deity in this world. The ways in which I differ from ordinary men have explanations, though I still require time to prove them."
"Furthermore, if there truly were an all-knowing, all-powerful God who judges good and evil, why does He remain silent in the face of the hardships and pain endured by His devout believers?"
Perturabo spoke each word slowly, staring at Mikhail. As was his habit, his voice carried a trace of the arrogance and mockery he felt toward the deity Mikhail worshipped.
"Abo, all this suffering and pain are trials granted to us by God. He is omniscient and omnipotent. Like a clockmaker, He created the world and set it to run on its own, like a timepiece, while He watches over everything from the high heavens."
Mikhail shook his head with a pained expression upon hearing his apprentice's dismissive reply. He fell into a brief silence before speaking again.
"Let me tell you a story, Perturabo."
"Thirty thousand years ago, to save humanity, God bestowed His gospel upon mankind. He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to spread the word in His stead."
Mikhail spoke slowly after a moment of hesitant thought. Although a monk, Mikhail had never aggressively pushed his faith onto Perturabo.
Having realized that Perturabo disliked religion, Mikhail had chosen a more subtle approach, hoping his foster son would eventually reach his own understanding. Out of love, he refused to force a conversion.
Therefore, despite being a young monk, Perturabo was surprisingly unfamiliar with the specifics of Mikhail's religious myths. Today, Mikhail intended to rectify that.
As Mikhail began to recount the myths recorded in the religious texts, the usually argumentative Perturabo remained quiet, listening intently to the old man's narration.
"Jesus Christ was born of a virgin named Mary, proven to be the Son of God by his miraculous birth. His earthly father, Joseph, was a carpenter."
"Upon reaching adulthood, Jesus Christ traveled across the lands to spread God's gospel. He gathered twelve disciples to follow him, and together, the thirteen of them traveled everywhere to share the word."
"But the old priests feared Jesus Christ. His words exposed them as men who occupied high positions without merit or true piety. The devoted followers began to leave the old priests to follow Christ instead."
"Eventually, these priests devised a plan to eliminate him. They bribed one of Christ's disciples to falsely accuse him before the Imperial officials, claiming he intended to rebel and crown himself king."
"Though the Imperial Governor was a man of discernment and understood that Jesus Christ was a prophet rather than a rebel, he could not withstand the pressure and threats from the priests. He signed the order that decided Christ's fate."
Seeing that Perturabo did not interrupt, Mikhail continued the tale with increasing fervor. As a priest, narrating these stories and delivering a message was a source of great joy for him.
Perturabo watched Mikhail with cold eyes as the priest spoke with a touch of fanaticism. His expression held a trace of pity.
"Once the verdict was signed, Imperial soldiers were sent under the guidance of the old priests to seize Jesus Christ and put him to death. On the night they came for him, Christ shared a final supper with his twelve disciples."
"At the feast, Jesus predicted his own arrest and death. Except for the traitor who sold him out, the other eleven disciples were shocked and enraged. Shortly after, the soldiers burst in and took him away."
"Because he was slandered as a rebel, he was sentenced to the most painful death: crucifixion. He was nailed alive to a cross, left to endure endless agony until his last breath."
"After struggling for days, Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on the cross. His followers gathered his remains and laid him to rest in a tomb."
"But three days later, he rose from the dead and appeared before his disciples. After forty days, he ascended into the high heavens to sit at the right hand of his Father. One day, he shall return to the earth to establish the Kingdom of Heaven."
Mikhail finished the long story somewhat out of breath. It was the first time in many years he had allowed himself to be so excited and moved while speaking.
Realizing that Mikhail had finally concluded the lengthy myth, Perturabo spoke.
"So, if Jesus Christ already knew he was destined to be executed—and in such a horrific manner—why did he not act first? Did this Jesus truly lack the ambition or the plan to defeat the Empire? Was he not the Son of God, a man meant to be King?"
Perturabo asked with a touch of his characteristic cynicism.
"Abo, Jesus Christ died on the cross voluntarily to shoulder the sins of humanity. He suffered in our stead. If he intended to take on those sins, what need was there to escape?"
"The will of God is not something for us mortals to fully comprehend. In the face of His will, we must simply accept it in silence."
Mikhail shook his head and frowned at his apprentice's shallow critique. Even as an enlightened priest who had voiced his own doubts in his youth, such comments were difficult to hear.
Perturabo shook his head again. Mikhail's religious rhetoric was fundamentally unappealing to him. He adjusted his posture and spoke slowly.
"Mr. Mikhail, you have given me a story. In return, I shall give you one of my own."
"But please, do not be angry when you hear it."