Absolutely not to be burned at the stake

At a table at the other end of the tavern, a man in leather armor, who had been engrossed in eating black bread, stuffed the last piece of bread into his mouth, then picked up a light beer, tilted his head back, and gulped it down in one go. He let out a burp, tossed aside half a copper tar, and strode toward the town hall.

To be honest, he didn't really believe that kid Li Wei could become a priest.

But this Li Wei suddenly started presiding over morning prayers, and he can also concoct potions. Moreover... this morning during patrol, I even saw the golden light emanating from the church sanctuary with the deputy captain.

I suspect the captain probably doesn't even know about this yet; I need to go and inform him as soon as possible.

In the church kitchen, Li Wei had just finished breakfast. A loaf of bread and a bowl of hearty soup filled his stomach with warmth, and his tense mind relaxed considerably.

Feeling that he had recovered well and his mental energy was basically full, Li Wei got up and quickly rinsed the dishes at the sink. Then, he walked to the kitchen doorway and listened intently. The church was silent, with only the faint sounds of the town's commotion in the distance.

The morning sunlight streamed through the stained glass, casting still patches of light on the floor of the sanctuary. The entire church was quiet, save for the occasional distant crowing of roosters or barking of dogs from the town, which only served to accentuate the deathly stillness within the vast building.

With Rena and her daughter gone, it's likely that people will soon learn about these changes at the church.

Who knows when the town government or someone else might come to investigate? He needs to use this time when he won't be disturbed to figure out the situation of the entire church.

Li Wei reached out and touched the heavy, cold-to-the-touch brass keys at his waist.

In the original owner's memory, his knowledge of the church where he had worked for two years was limited to the sanctuary in the public area, the small woodshed where he occasionally slept and the kitchen where he could sometimes find some food. Other places, especially behind those locked doors, were absolutely forbidden territory for him.

Now that Father Hansen is dead, and since Levi is preparing to take over the church, he naturally needs to understand the situation of the entire church first.

He took a deep breath, stood up, and began inspecting the back area closest to the kitchen. The storage room, cellar, tool shed... mostly contained ordinary odds and ends, covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly neglected for a long time.

As he passed through an inner archway and entered the monks' living quarters at the back, the scenery began to change.

Along the long, empty corridor are rows of tightly closed wooden doors. There may have been nameplates on the doors, but now most of them are just blurry traces or blank grooves.

He casually pushed open a few doors, revealing simple single rooms with wooden beds, tables, chairs, and small wardrobes, all covered in thick dust and cobwebs, the air thick and still. A rough estimate suggested there were at least a hundred such rooms of varying sizes.

Further in, he discovered a spacious monks' dining hall with thick, long tables that could accommodate hundreds of people at the same time, resembling rows of silent coffins.

Passing through the restaurant, you enter a sizable indoor courtyard, now overgrown with weeds, the central stone fountain long since dried up. At the other end of the courtyard, on either side, stands a separate two-story stone building.

Li Wei first went into the building on the left, opened the large brass lock with a key, and then pushed the door open and went inside.

Inside was a meeting hall, much more spacious, capable of seating over a hundred people, and also included some individual small rooms, which seemed to be a meeting room for monks.

Next, Li Wei went to the building on the right.

Same building, same gate, same brass lock. But...

The heavy oak door was tightly shut, and the doorknob was a complex brass lock, just like the one in the monks' meeting room on the left, similar in shape to the largest keys in the bunch he held.

He inserted the key into the lock and turned it; the lock made a soft "click," indicating it was a good match. However, when he pushed the door forcefully, it wouldn't budge, as if a huge boulder blocked its way.

Li Wei frowned slightly, took a step back, and observed carefully.

Under the sunlight, on the seemingly ordinary oak door panel, one can vaguely see extremely subtle, water-like shimmering light gently rippling beneath the wood grain. It is easily overlooked if one does not concentrate and look closely.

He stretched out his fingers and carefully touched the door panel. He felt a slight resistance and a coolness at his fingertips, as if he had touched an invisible, tough membrane.

"A magic array barrier?"

The thought flashed through Li Wei's mind instantly, and his eyes lit up.

There are no magic arrays or barriers anywhere else in this church, except here.

This means there is something very important inside; otherwise, there would be no need to use such a luxurious existence as a magic array barrier to protect and maintain it.

Li Wei tried to push, to push with his shoulder, and even to channel a wisp of the spiritual energy that had just been restored from the Holy Emblem between his eyebrows into his palm and press down. The invisible barrier only rippled slightly before easily dissolving and absorbing all the power.

"It seems that neither brute force nor mental strength will suffice."

Li Wei withdrew his hand, seemingly lost in thought.

Since Hansen left the key on the keychain, it means he has access privileges. There must be some way!

Looking at the ground, a thick layer of dust had accumulated at the entrance of the library, indicating that no one had been inside for a long time.

I reckon Hansen rarely goes in either.

After thinking it over, Li Wei decided not to force the issue and planned to think of another solution later.

Looking at the tall clock tower not far away, Li Wei walked over slowly, found the key to open the door below, and then slowly climbed up the huge spiral staircase.

All the way up to the top, at the large, dark clock, it looked like a colossal beast overlooking the shadowy town before them.

Standing by the window, Li Wei could clearly see the entire Shadow Town. Looking down at the enormous, even magnificent, complex of buildings below, Li Wei couldn't help but show surprise and admiration.

All of this demonstrates the majesty and extraordinary nature of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in its heyday.

But... how did things come to this? There's only one clergyman, Father Hansen? And he's even holding the title of bishop!

This Shadow Town is extremely remote, surrounded by mountains, and is hundreds of miles away from the nearest mountain city. The town has only about a thousand residents. Why would such a large church be built here?

A little further away, at the end of the only main street in Shadow Town, the town hall stands prominently.

This two-story building, constructed of gray-white stone and adorned with rough relief decorations, has a plaza at its entrance that can accommodate thousands of people.

The building, set against the backdrop of the surrounding low-rise wooden and stone houses and shops, appears exceptionally majestic and spacious.

In a second-floor room with its windows tightly shut, heavy, dark green velvet curtains completely blocked out the midday sun. A dark brown wool carpet covering the entire floor absorbed all footsteps and noise.

The pine wood inside the fireplace crackled softly as it burned. The flickering flames were the only active light source in the room, casting the shadows of the two people sitting opposite each other onto the wall covered with patterned wallpaper. The shadows stretched out, sometimes long, sometimes short, swaying erratically.

The fire crackled in the fireplace, casting shadows on the mottled stone wall.

Deep inside the room, Mayor Fogg, dressed in a dark brown silk coat, was slumped in a high-backed chair. His protruding belly rose and fell with his breath, and his fingers tapped idly on the smooth, cool mahogany tabletop, producing a dull thud.

Opposite him, a towering, burly man sat silently. His leather armor gleamed coldly in the firelight, and a gruesome scar running diagonally from his brow bone to his jaw made him look even more ferocious.

"There's been some progress on what you asked me to investigate," Captain Barton broke the silence, leaning forward and speaking in a deep voice.