Mystery: Becoming a Creator Through the Doorway

Chapter 59 The Little Temperament of Power

The Sleepless Path is the Church's own, so Aleister hopes to apply for a seal of the Church's own Path.

Since Saint Anthony himself was also an extraordinary being of the Sleepless Path, he felt somewhat comfortable and soothed after hearing what the Goddess's chosen one said.

After all, even the goddess's favorites "envy" him as a member of the church's "family".

Moreover, Aleister's willingness to voice this harmless "little selfishness" actually made Saint Anthony feel that their relationship had grown a little closer.

Moreover, this is understandable; it's only human nature.

People always yearn for the paths they haven't chosen or trod, feeling that things would have been better if they had chosen a different path.

The apprenticeship path is certainly not bad, but the sleepless path is the church's own, a path personally overseen by the goddess. As a chosen one, it's normal for him to have a strong affinity for the latter.

Furthermore, there is indeed a phenomenon within the church to some extent—those who are extraordinary members of the "Sleepless Path" are more likely to be promoted.

This is because the Sleepless Path is the Church's own territory, and the Church has no shortage of anything, whether it's potions, materials, or extraordinary properties.

but----

Saint Anthony, upon hearing the word "family," thought of the factional differences that existed within the church.

Where there are people, there is politics; where there is politics, there are stances and factions.

Even within a single family, children tend to be closer to their father or mother; how much more so in a large organization like the church?

Those extraordinary individuals who follow the path of the sleepless are naturally the "inner circle" of the church.

They have easier access to promotions, receive more resources, and have a greater voice.

Those who are extraordinary through other means, even if they are also believers in the goddess, will inevitably feel a slight sense of alienation within the church system.

This is not a situation that anyone deliberately created, but rather an inertia that no true church can avoid, since the God that the church believes in is the true God of this path.

Looking at Aleister's young face, Saint Anthony couldn't help but overthink.

Aleister proactively requested a sealed artifact from the Sleepless Path, driven by both envy and longing.

Is there a deeper layer of thought behind it?

He was afraid of being ostracized and treated unfairly because of it.

Or to be more precise, as a follower on the apprenticeship path, he would worry about not being able to integrate into the core power circle of the church, and about being treated differently by those church loyalists.

Saint Anthony was, after all, an archbishop. His daily life, filled with high position and power, made him habitually overthink things and adept at discerning ten layers of meaning from a single sentence.

Moreover, a similar incident occurred not long ago.

Ince Zangwill, one of the 13 archbishops of the Church of the Goddess of Night, is a "gatekeeper" of the Sequence 5 of the "Spiritualist" pathway. He failed to advance to Sequence 4 "Undead" and his application for advancement was rejected by the church again. Therefore, he believes that he has been treated unfairly within the church.

What happened next was that he defected with an important sealed artifact, was wanted by the Church of the Night, and became a disgrace to the Church of the Night.

The alarm bells have been rung!

If we can use a sealing artifact from the Church of the Night, which is not lacking in its own tradition, we can avoid the possibility of followers harboring resentment towards the Church. Why not do it?

Putting that aside, the fact that the goddess's chosen ones hope to gain the opportunity to possess and use the family's abilities is nothing more than a small act of whimsy in the pursuit of power.

Saint Anthony not only intends to give it, but also plans to choose, within his authority, a seal of the highest possible rank.

But then he thought about it again and felt that this was not appropriate.

What if what he chooses doesn't match Aleister's actual needs? What if what he thinks is good, the other person doesn't find it convenient to use?

The best way is to ask the person directly.

Saint Anthony put down his teacup, his tone amiable: "Do you have any requirements for these two sealed artifacts, child? Do you prefer those that are more combat-oriented or more support-oriented? Ideally, they should correspond to a higher sequence, or do you have any specific ability requirements?"

He continued, "The church will do its best to meet your requests, even if it means exchanging sealed items with other orthodox churches. Don't be afraid to bother the church."

An Ruowang was unaware of Saint Anthony's deep thoughts; he simply wanted to use this legitimate excuse to conveniently complete the collection progress through all channels.

Since you've already said that—

An Ruowang recalled the abilities of each sequence in the Audience Path and tentatively replied, "If possible, I hope that the Audience Path's seals, besides helping me with psychological suggestion and safely using the two seals, will have fewer negative effects."

Regarding the sealed artifact from the Sleepless Path, I'd like to obtain one with the highest possible sequence. Is that alright?

"Of course, no problem."

Saint Anthony simply stood up, found a stack of records, and placed them in front of An Ruowang: "This is the Church's archive of most of the sealed artifacts suppressed within the Backlund Diocese. You can take a look and see if you need anything."

An Ruowang hesitated habitually, as if declining a red envelope: "This—isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

What's the difference between showing him the sealed artifacts held by the Backlund parish and sending a monkey to guard the peach orchard?

Moreover, aside from the two sealed artifacts he hopes to acquire, he can only look at them and at most borrow them for use when something happens. It's difficult for him to directly hold full control over them.

This is similar to seeing a bunch of food photos forwarded in a chat group in the early morning, getting your mouth watering but not being able to eat anything – it's just making you drool.

Saint Anthony smiled dismissively and gestured for him to proceed: "You are the favored one of the goddess; this is your right, child."

After thinking for a moment, An Ruowang did not immediately pick up the document and begin to read it. Instead, she first reciprocated by explaining to Saint Anthony the origins of the "Star Staff" and the "Sword of Law," as well as her own identity as "Tamara."

"----I see."

Saint Anthony had a rough understanding of the origins of these two sealed artifacts, which resolved his doubts.

He nodded without saying anything more.

Perhaps it was the goddess's will, for he dared not presume to guess the divine will.

Saint Anthony picked up the form that An Ruowang had just filled out and teased, "While you're looking through the documents, I'll rewrite it for you. These two sealed artifacts can't be written in directly."

While those with access to your file generally have the right to know relevant information, it's also important to maintain a normal file that other church members can use to understand you.

Actually, this form has some internal church formatting requirements. Most people who have written papers are aware of these rules, but Saint Anthony won't say a word about it; it's just a matter of convenience.