This is our Warhammer journey

Chapter 215 The Interesting Archbishop
The church also has its own unique tithe.

In addition to modifying its doctrines to lower the threshold for faith in certain lost worlds and on Voidships, the State Church also sought to win over the support of the Void Children and demi-humans by adapting its doctrines to local conditions.

In most other worlds, the Church has an almost fanatical pursuit of genetic purity, and even the basic requirement to become a priest is a dignified appearance and excellent physique.

Any flaw, whether it be distorted facial features, unusual hair color, or a hunched figure, will be regarded as a symbol of an unclean soul and will be ruthlessly filtered out.

This is why, despite the state religion's explicit prohibition against forming male armed forces, men who emerge from the state religion's world have always been sought after by all sides.

They are fanatical and steadfast, possessing a natural resistance to heresy and false doctrines; even more remarkably—

Most of them are literate.

Whether they are assigned to grassroots positions as clerks and propagandists, or incorporated into the Starbound Army as its core force, these individuals are excellent choices.

As for women, it goes without saying.

Whether they were fighting nuns wielding weapons or scribes handling scriptures, they were the most outstanding female representatives under the imperial system. Countless imperial nobles and high-ranking military officials dreamed of marrying a nun.

Apart from those who have taken a vow of chastity, the vast majority of nuns choose to find a partner after retirement or while doing clerical work.

Therefore, while the state religion amassed imperial wealth, spread its doctrines, and brought many worlds under its control, it also fulfilled the important responsibility of supplying the empire with money and high-quality people.

From this perspective, the High Lords were not entirely outdated. Faced with the rising power of the state religion, they wisely adjusted their tax system, and this was merely a compromise when dealing with other mortal forces.

The national religion has also fully demonstrated its role of "becoming a model in adversity and bringing peace to all things in prosperity".

When everyone else has problems, the state religion is often the one that perseveres until the problem is resolved; if there are no problems, then the state religion itself is the problem.

Due to certain undeniable objective realities, coupled with a large and devout following among the lower and middle classes, their power could easily expand and directly threaten the position of the Ministry of the Interior.

However, when the state religion expands to a certain extent, it tends to focus its attention on the elusive game of power.

Those who understand already know; political struggles are never bloody.
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The sky above Astorgius was dyed a solemn golden-red. The Charter Fleet, controlled by the state religion, circled the planet like devout pilgrims. The portholes of each warship emitted a warm light symbolizing faith, escorting the Emperor-class battleship Dawn into the starport.

The State Religion received the Primarch who had descended upon this place with the highest level of ceremony.

The entire Star Harbor was illuminated by hundreds of millions of candles, and the flickering flames reflected a flowing golden halo on the polished metal walls, as if the entire building was immersed in molten gold.

The archbishop, holding a scepter inlaid with the relics of the saint, stood tall and proud on the welcoming path strewn with the petals of the Virgin Mary, awaiting the arrival of the Primarch.

"This level of hospitality"

Navaradaren looked down at the city bathed in a golden sea and muttered a complaint to Romulus.

"Even the video records of emperors during their lifetime are not this exaggerated."

"The Emperor's special effects were all done by himself."

Karna suddenly interrupted, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Able to change the planet's climate at will, making Mars receive rain, presenting a perfect image in the eyes of different believers, and radiating golden light to spread everywhere. Now, being worshipped as a god is just paying for one's own vanity."

Look at him, he doesn't work miracles.

"."

Navarra Daren awkwardly retracted his sarcastic remark.

Karna turned around with a cheerful smile and strode into the ranks of the Holy Blood Angels to strike a pose. His golden-red power armor gleamed warmly in the candlelight, perfectly blending into the formation of the angelic offspring.

To be honest, complaining about the Emperor with your friends and complaining about the Emperor with the Imperial Guard are completely different experiences. Romulus shook his head.

After his inspection tour, he had a good grasp of the extent of the Empire's extravagance and waste. To be honest, while the scale of the event seemed exaggerated, it was not a difficult feat for an interstellar civilization to achieve.

Yes, it's only at this moment that we can see that the Empire is an interstellar civilization.

When the Primarchs' procession appeared on the Starport platform, the entire building erupted in deafening cheers. Hundreds of millions of pilgrims waved prayer flags and shouted prayers of praise, welcoming the Primarchs to their faithful Astorgius.

Romulus looked around, and after confirming that there were no unsettling mechanical cherubs or other human-modified creations, he walked side by side with Karna toward the Archbishop.

The Primarch's magnificent figure was so striking that every step he took made the surrounding priests unconsciously hold their breath.

"Greetings, Your Excellency Romulus, Holy Karna."

The archbishop was the first to bow, his movements so perfect they seemed to have been copied from a liturgical manual.

Romulus keenly noticed that the bishop's eyes did not have the fanatical gleam common among other members of the Church of England; instead, they held a certain scrutinizing quality.

Is he sizing me up?

This discovery slightly surprised Romulus. He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked directly:
"You are Archbishop Jorge?"

"It is I, Lord Romulus."

The archbishop met the Primarch's gaze calmly, his voice steady without a tremor.

Then he turned to Karna and said respectfully but calmly:

"Lord Karna, the Dawn Cathedral has prepared a banquet and ceremony. Please follow me."

Surprisingly, the archbishop did not prepare a long and complicated ceremony; he simply led the Primarch's procession around the port.

Karna then went to the newly built Dawn Cathedral to participate in the activities and banquet of the state church organization, which was in fact a simple transfer of power. To Romulus's surprise, Archbishop Jorge did not choose to go with Karna.

They boarded a shuttle and, escorted by Stormbirds, began a global tour.

Through a brief conversation, Romulus learned that the archbishop who had ruled Astorius for only three years was a rare moderate reformer.

He noticed that Jorge unconsciously stroked the patterns on the scepter while speaking, a subtle gesture that revealed the pressure he was under.

The power structure on the planet's surface remains relatively chaotic. As an archbishop who has been parachuted in, Jorge's arrival has directly impacted the vested interests of several local religious sects.

At the most recent Cardinal World Conference, he only managed to secure the support of two tribes: the Silver Shroud and the San Francisco, both of which advocated justification by works.

This relatively enlightened thinking was refreshing to Romulus, who had seen too much excrement.

"As long as you follow your own path, you can receive the emperor's protection even if you don't believe in him."

In response to Romulus's curiosity, Jorge replied.

"There are still countless people in the Empire who do not believe in the Emperor. Among the Star Language Court, the Navigator Family, and the Emperor's Angels, there are many who deny the existence of the Emperor's divinity, but their sacrifices will not be reduced in the slightest because they do not believe in the Emperor."

Thank you for clarifying things.

Romulus raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying a rare hint of interest.

"please continue."

(End of this chapter)