Not a Confession, but a Declaration - Chapter 35

Early that morning, faced with the overwhelming number of people arriving at the Temple to report the strange phenomena they had experienced, the Order hastily dispatched clergy throughout the Holy Land.

Shortly after noon, those at the top of the Temple hierarchy received the reports and found themselves unable to hide either their bewilderment or their awe.

“Are we certain that not only those present in the Sanctuary, but everyone in the Holy Land received the blessing?”

One of the High Priests asked in disbelief as he stared at the contents of the report.

“Yes. And not only that,” a senior priest beside him replied. “We’ve also received reports that livestock and crops that had been sick have recovered their vitality.”

“Good heavens… how could such a thing…”

Three High Priests and over a dozen senior priests were poring over the various accounts gathered from the Holy Land when the sound of fingers tapping against the table drew their attention to the Pope seated at the head of the room.

As all eyes turned toward him, Gregory smiled gently.

“A remarkable occurrence, certainly, but is it not also a cause for celebration for our Order?”

Gregory’s face radiated nothing but pure delight.

“It means that Lord Abel’s divine power has grown even stronger.”

At those words, several priests exchanged glances.

From the perspective of the Order as a whole, it was undoubtedly a joyous occasion.

But what did it mean for the Pope and those who supported him?

At present, the Pope and the Herald of God maintained a balance of power by exchanging benefits with one another.

In other words, Gregory’s political influence and Abel’s divine power had until now remained in equilibrium.

Though the Pope possessed only ordinary levels of divine power, his political acumen was exceptional. Abel, on the other hand, lacked social skills but possessed overwhelming divine power.

Why, after all, were people so desperate to attend the Invocations?

Because the divine power Abel released during the ceremony healed the illnesses and injuries of those present within the Sanctuary.

Though it could not restore congenital disabilities or missing body parts, it could prolong life by years and ease suffering—a miraculous feat.

It was something neither the finest holy water nor any other priest could accomplish.

Only Abel could.

That was why rulers across the continent fought so desperately for the opportunity to attend the annual prayer gathering.

And yet, the miracle Abel had displayed this time far surpassed anything he had previously achieved.

It was astounding enough that blessings had spread to every person in the Holy Land, but among those present in the Holy Sanctuary, one individual who had suffered the loss of a body part in an accident had been fully restored.

It was a form of healing that had, until now, been considered absolutely impossible.

And what did that imply?

If Abel continued to grow stronger, then perhaps even mental afflictions—problems that divine power had never before been able to address—might one day become treatable.

From the Temple’s perspective alone, Abel’s growth was unquestionably something to celebrate.

However, those aligned with the Pope could not help but regard this development with caution.

Even so, the Pope’s current attitude was exactly as it should be.

It would have been unwise to belittle Abel or openly move against him here.

The strengthening of Abel’s divine power, too, was the Father’s will.

To attempt to suppress Abel under such circumstances would be no different from defying the Father Himself.

The Temple had amassed its power solely through the divine authority granted by the Father. To deny the Father was tantamount to denying the Order itself.

In the end, all Gregory could do was what he had always done: continue supporting Abel while ensuring that his attention remained firmly turned away from politics.

Following the Pope’s lead, the priests smiled benignly, showing not the slightest sign of distress.

“Indeed.”

“Lord Abel’s growth is a source of joy for all of us, is it not?”

“It must be the Father’s will that we care for the faithful with even greater devotion.”

As insincere laughter and empty words of praise filled the room, one priest casually broached another subject.

“More importantly, it is fortunate that this prayer gathering allowed the entire continent to witness it.”

As though he had been waiting for those words, another priest smoothly added:

“Quite so. Still, it would have been nice if he had informed us of the change in his divine power beforehand.”

It was a veiled reproach: why had Abel not mentioned such a development earlier and instead revealed it in front of outsiders?

A few people let out uncomfortable coughs at the implication that some ulterior motive might have lain behind the dazzling miracle displayed during the prayer.

At that, the Pope stepped in.

“I’m sure Lord Abel did not do so intentionally. He simply must not have had the opportunity to mention it.”

However, there was something peculiar about his tone.

“He has been extremely busy lately, after all.”

At first glance, it sounded as though Gregory were defending Abel, but beneath his words lay a subtle jab at the scandal involving Abel—the hottest topic within the Temple.

There was no one present who failed to catch the implication.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Lord Abel?”

Or perhaps there was one.