The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 977: Sacrifice Gathering
In a way, both Kingsley and he could be considered 'country people' - they had never seen a true Thunder Festival.

Kingsley had heard of it, after all.

Roland had none of that.

On the day the festival began, they met near the Just Church: at the intersection of a mid-range commercial street.

Roland changed into his casual clothes, and Kingsley got out of the carriage with Florence.
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I knew Florence was a brave lady.

"You mean, the shoehorn she fixed?"
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To be honest, I feel like he might be more curious about a beetle than a woman.

Roland's guess was correct.

After the three people greeted each other with a simple greeting and chatted for a few minutes, some people became aware of the situation.

"Where is your friend, Miss Florence?"

Kingsley asked.

Florence stood on tiptoe and looked around: the long, crowded street was filled with black silk hats and animals that even hunters rarely saw... the specimens - whether they had wings or not, were all above the ladies' heads, floating up and down in the gaps between their heads.

"I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to find her, sir. Why don't I follow you? If I'm lucky enough..."

Roland rolled his eyes secretly.

He shouldn't have named Kingsley's detective agency "Magnifying Glass".

It should be called "Women's Awesome Detective Agency".

"I thought you should wear one too—" Roland took over the conversation, communicating with the girl on behalf of a fool who did nothing, and resolved the awkwardness between the two of them: "Something like a flying bird... Put a few fresh roses in it."

Florence smiled softly.

She did wear a fancy wide-brimmed hat today, just without any taxidermy stitching.

"I like pearls. Sunflowers, rubies, pearls. I'm not interested in taxidermy animals... To be honest, sir," she carefully lifted her skirt, took a step forward, and made a whispering gesture, "that's a bit disgusting."

This distance is the distance of friends.

"She wants to bring you closer together, Roland. This will make it easier for her to contact that diamond shoehorn in the future."
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of course.
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I would be happy to fulfill her wish.

"Take her away! Make her fall in love with you! Wait until that day, and take her to Diamond Shoe Horn's house as a guest!"
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Just bypass Kingsley.

"Hehe, friendship between friends... I think you simply think that this female does not meet your picky aesthetic standards."

Roland ignored it.

"I agree, Florence. It seems we have the same aversions - like taxidermy and... funny-tasting wine?"

Florence confessed: "I can only say that I have to dress up for three hours."

"Very good. Specimens, strange-tasting red wine, detectives. We hate exactly the same things - we are friends now." Roland smiled and took off his hat and put it on his chest. Then, behind the other person's outstretched hand, he pinched her fingertips and shook it gently.

Kingsley glanced at them coldly and interrupted the increasingly close and intimate conversation between the two people: "It's time to pass, 'good friends'."

Florence smiled with her lips pursed.

Thunderstorm Festival.

As mentioned before, it is to punish sinners and make citizens drink blood wine to strengthen their bodies - this lasts for thirty days. After the ceremony is completed, a thunderstorm will come as expected to cleanse the souls of all blood drinkers.

This is the rare "generosity" of the Just Church: they do not ask for the faith of those who drink the blood wine, but only for a small space in their souls to worship their gods.

This is of course no problem.

"It's hard for me to believe that such foolishness could happen in this day and age."

Kingsley's tall and thin figure stood out in the crowd. I don't know if it was intentional or coincidental, but when the detective was in the crowd, he inexplicably appeared between Roland and Florence, even though Roland, Florence, and Kingsley were standing in the same position.

He was like a flagpole, separating the two of them far apart.

"Drinking blood is simply the behavior of a barbarian."

"You'd better keep your voice down, Kingsley." Roland had already seen some unfriendly eyes glancing at them.

After all, it is a festival of the Crown God Sect.

"The robes are good enough..." Kingsley looked at the robes shining golden in the sunlight, and then thought of Roland's crow-colored robes. "Excuse me, Roland. Can you introduce me to the Church of Justice? What famous things have they done?"

Roland thought about it. "For example... asking the salesperson to sell antiques at a discount, otherwise it would be blasphemy?"

Kingsley hummed, as expected.

anything else?
"There are also some records I saw in the library - I can't guarantee their authenticity," Roland said, "Their 'Law of Justice' only exists under certain extremely special conditions - I can only tell you that the holy marriage of the Church of Justice is very harsh. No woman is willing to marry a believer of the God of Justice, and no man is willing to marry a female believer."

Kingsley hadn't said anything yet, and Florence began to get curious.

She was curious about marriage.

"Tell me about it, Mr. Collins."

"You can call me Roland," Roland whispered an apology to the man whose shoulder he touched, and continued, "They require their partners to be absolutely loyal to them, and in the presence of the gods, they share each other's spiritual and material wealth equally."

Florence blinked. "That doesn't seem like anything."

"That's the problem."

Roland shrugged.

"Generally speaking, believers are very 'poor' - the initiation ceremony of the Church of Justice is harsh and complicated. They look up to the majesty of the gods and bathe in their great glory. Likewise, they also have to contribute their own strength to the greatness of the gods - spiritual and material strength."

Florence rolled her eyes and roughly understood what Roland meant.

"You mean, they were asked to give away their wealth?"

"It's recorded as 'half'. But I guess the reality is never that strict."

Florence couldn't help wondering.

Offering of wealth...

Dedicated to whom?
It can't be a real god, right?
Gods…

Need some mortal gold?

and many more.

So to say.

Suppose a man with a fortune of six thousand pounds only has three thousand pounds after becoming a believer...?
"I don't mean to argue, Roland. But if he had taken a poor girl, no one would have criticized his character."

"Here comes the question, Florence," Roland chuckled, "Why did he have to find a poor girl?"

Kingsley sneered at the right moment.

"You seem to have never seen the world, Miss Florence."

Roland: "Neither do you."

Kingsley: ...

Florence was right.

If the believers of the Church of Justice were mostly looking for love, rather than a wealthy partner, they would never be criticized - but now, their actions are not only despised by the ritualists, but also often talked about by ordinary people...

Can be imagined.

What on earth did these people do.

of course.

To them, this is not derogatory.

They are proud of it.

"Look."

Kingsley raised his chin.

A place full of people.

A huge "execution platform" built with gorgeous copper frame and thick wooden boards.

Thunderstorm Festival.

(End of this chapter)