At the innermost parts of the capital of the kingdom..
After the knight visited the Duke, he is walking towards a building.
Its wide and tall in size, a cruciform shaped structure. Built with mud brick and reinforced with cement that would increase its longevity.
The visibility of the brick lines are faint, but they are there. It’s also painted white, a colour that almost looks too blank/clean due to lacking blemishes and little dirt on the surface.
[Still looks the same.]
Dominic in first person, This is the Brenda Sanctuary Church. Its an authoritative entity, that always encouraged the people to obey the ten commandments. From the holy book to maintain absolute peace and order in the society.
This made it easier for the knights and the king to manage the population and economy. It also has over a hundred servants working to maintain hygiene and the environmental conditions of the building. The king provides fundings to the church once a month, and there are usually soldiers stationed at the premises.
In short, high maintenance and security is always there and the cleaning skills of the servants never ceases to amaze me. There are little to no break-ins and burglary too.
The church is a very important place to the people- and if anything were to happen to it, it would mean the fall of the kingdom.
That said, I respect the church but I am not exactly a devotee since the sermons are usually long and boring. I keep hearing the same teachings over and over.
I do believe that there is a God that created this world. But unlike most people in Brenda, I do not have strong faith, as I don’t believe in everything the Church says.
With that said, the knight was about to pass by the church and go along with his business, but a priest with broad shoulders stopped him. He has thick and tall brown hair with a widow peak and dons a black cassock. A silver cross worn around the neck, a monocle on the right eye and a pair of black leather shoes.
“Salutations!”
[Professor.. Talk about bad timing.]
Dominic only wanted to take a look at the building. His heart jumped, as the young knight felt betrayed and he was feeling guilty when he saw the man.
“Good day Prof. Allan.”
Professor Allan Kestle, he’s a person I respect because he’s a very skilled doctor that treats the sick and manages an orphanage. And he is one of the priests of Brenda Sanctuary Church. It would be offensive if I greet him and then leave without saying a word. After all, he isn’t just someone I respect- he’s my father’s friend.
“Are you going to attend today’s sermon?” The priest was smiling and he has been doing so ever since he saw Dominic.
“Yes. How could I ever miss the pope’s teachings?”
Of course that was a lie.
“Wonderful! Follow me.” Allan motioned his hand, telling him to let the priest be his guide.
[I’m honestly not excited about the sermon. It’s going to be the same thing again, I bet.]
Dominic followed Allan inside the church.
The floor is wood that has smoothened with a scraper. The walls also do not have brick linings like on the outside, instead they are as smooth as the floor, and coated with stronger cement. The entrance also leads to a hallway. And at the end point, it has a door ls and a corner on the left and right.
“This place never fails to amaze me. How can it stay so pristine? I don’t think the workers are being paid enough for their jobs.”
“Haha! I agree with you. They couldn’t be paid well enough.”
“The Pope’s idea of making things holy and clean is over the top but he does his job as a leader very well. Without him, the country wouldn’t be what it is today.”
“True.”
The young knight wondered if the priest was going to head to either the right or left, but when they approached the door, it turns out that this was the way.
As soon as they got close, Dominic hears echoes of music behind the door.
“If I remember right, this must be the entrance to the congregation.”
“Correct.”
The priest grabs two of the door knobs and pushes forward the doors that would gradually reveal rows of benches filled with believers.
There are also guards assigned on the left and right, as they are standing in front of the walls in case a fight breaks out.
On the pulpit is a fat man wearing a white cassock together with a red cape and a skull cap and a large red dot on each of his cheeks. There’s also a choir of nuns singing behind him, the source of the music.
Macaulay Hamm, the Sanctuary Church’s pope, is a man that likes to keep the place holy and clean. The condition of the building and the people in here is proof of that.
One thing I will say is that I never liked him and I think he’s a shady bastard.
[I haven’t seen this place for years.]
As soon as the young knight entered, one by one, people slowly took notice of his presence.
And the choir slowed down their singing until everyone was finally able to start paying attention to him.
[Whoops, I'm standing out too much.] Dominic forgot that he is still wearing his armour. He has a habit of keeping it on at all times.
Macaulay the pope was able to notice him first, [A knight.. What an eyesore.] He never liked knights anywhere near him and his building.
Allan led him the way to his seats, as a servant moved to put down a chair for the knight to sit down with the priests.
Half an hour later, the choir stopped singing. The nuns would leave the room and head to a door. But, one exe and she is carrying a cup of water for the pope.
He picked up the cup from the tray and put it back after finishing it.
“...” [A nun is carrying the water instead of a servant?] Dominic thought that it seemed strange for the church to be breaking tradition like this. Whatever it is, it didn’t look reasonable in his eyes.
The pope opened a book, turning page after page whilst he touched the nun inappropriately for one good second before she left.
The nun, on the other hand, was feeling uncomfortable. Her face was flustered, she was shedding a tear and it runned down on her cheek before it faded away, drying up. She dared not to say anything since the pope is someone with great authority.
She moved with haste, immediately leaving the room. It was crystal clear that the young woman was suffering.
The knight was quick to notice the act and he felt unsettled at the sight. [Oh boy. How does no one not see that?]
[That is clearly sexual harassment. It may have happened behind the pulpit, but we have eyes! Can’t these people see at all?]
As frustrated as he may be, it's not like he can go arrest the pope without evidence. And even if he had it, exposing him would be a grave mistake because he is one of the greatest contributors to the prosperity and peace of the nation. No one could easily replace the pope.
Macaulay moves his mouth, “The lord says; thou shalt not have other gods before me.”
[Heeeere we gooo again.]
Dominic sighed, exasperated that he has to be listening to the verses, ones that have been always repeated on every sunday.
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.”
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
And minutes would go by as the pope continued to finish saying the rest of the verses.
“And these are the ten commandments..”
“Normally I would have ended the sermon with that, but we have a special guest today.”
[Who?]
“The Duke’s son has graced us with his presence!” He extended out his palms and used them to direct the people’s attention to Dominic. The man stepped back, allowing the knight to take over his spot.
“Will you give us a lesson today, young man?”
“!” His head jerked, looking at the pope with surprise. [Hey, what is this guy trying to pull now?]
His head dropped down slightly, as he pondered before coming to a decision, [..You know what, I’ll play along with Macaulay’s scheme.]
He stood up and walked on the stairway to the pulpit to stand next to the pope, before turning around to face his attention to the crowd.
“The Duke’s son? You mean one we haven’t seen for years?” A woman in her forties spoke. Her mouth was open and her eyebrows were raised.
The rest of the crowd were also just as surprised. Over the years, they have been hearing news of his progress as a knight since his rising up through the ranks. But who would have thought he would be going back to church again?
“But why is he wearing armour? That’s not the attire we wear for church.”
Muttering and gossiping has been going about in the crowd. Everyone was shocked to see him again in this outfit.
[Yes. That’s how you should respond. How dare this little bastard come in here with that getup!]
Macaulay made a twisted smirk so openly for a second before he went back to a serious and more rigid face.
[Would you look at that? It was only for a brief second but he sure is having fun pulling me down with this.]
Besides Dominic, no one in this room has noticed the pope’s malicious smile and the sudden shifts in expressions. He already knew that once he set foot in this room the pope would be up to no good.
“Silence! All this whispering is unnecessary. Let us hear what he has to say.”
Everyone quieted down and shifted their focus on the pulpit.
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He smirked, [Whatever he says, I know his teaching will have errors and I’ll point out said errors to make him look like a fool in front of the congregation!]
The young knight cleared his throat, “First and foremost,” [Shall I give him a little scare?]
“I thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my knowledge with everyone.”
“Regarding one of the ten commandments, “thou shalt not commit adultery”, it means to not let yourself be overcome by sexual desires.”
“I don’t think people understand this fully. One word can mean two or three things and a phrase can mean more. If you look at someone, what do you see?”
“I see flesh, and I will crave it.”
The pope looked at the knight with confusion. “What?..”
“And so will you.”
The room was completely quiet. Everyone was in shock upon hearing the knight’s speech. They thought; Is he crazy?
“Because we are born as sinners, we are bound to make a mistake or two and we can repent for it.”
“But what if you commit the same sin again?”
“If you let yourself be overcome by worldly desires, it goes against the ten commandments. How does this happen?”
“If a man looks at a woman, he sees flesh.”
“Notice the keyword “see”, it's a word that can mean more than one thing. And in this case, it means we can see with our minds, and our minds are capable of imagination, which thus, powers our ability to think. Interesting isn’t it?”
“And we can use the power of imagination to think of seeing someone naked just by staring at their behind. Even though that person is clothed. Now that is committing adultery.”
Silence continued. Everyone held their breaths as they listened to the young knight’s surprising insight.
The pope on the other hand is unsettled just from hearing his voice.
[It feels like I’m suffocating just by being near this scoundrel. Why does this look like I fell into a trap? This punk!] He gritted his teeth in frustration.
“When you look at someone, you will have all kinds of ideas of what you will do with that person. You may not realise this, but we are humans and it is easy to entertain those thoughts. It may be tricky to control yourself, so I have two solutions I can give you.”
“If your eyes see others in a sinful manner, look the other way.”
“If being near them still gives you the same thoughts..”
He shot a glare at the pope, with killing intent imbued with it.
“Stay away from them at all costs.”
“What the-!” The pope was startled. The people were just as surprised. Everyone understood the lesson, but they did not understand the true message behind it.
Which left Macaulay trembling in fear. He understood that this was a warning given by the young knight. The pope figured that Dominic must have caught up to his misdemeanours.
[This little bastard is giving me a warning?!]
The knight shifted his attention back to the crowd.
“If you can’t seem to control yourself no matter what you do, then at that point, you must seek the Lord.”
“I would rather gouge my eyes out than to entertain filthy desires. Otherwise having a cycle of the same sin will be your downfall.”
“That’s why it's best to check yourself at all times. Do that and you will live a successful life as a believer.”
“You dar-”
The pope was about to intervene, however a man from a bench stood up and clapped loudly, as he was amazed by his speech.
And one by one, people stood up and clapped zealously for everything he had said. None of it was nonsense. They understood it and it has been ingrained deep into their souls.
“That lesson was akin to receiving a revelation! Sir Dominic is so wise.” The pope tentatively joined them, clapping for the knight’s speech.
The church ended with that. It was an event that left a mark on every person in that room, especially the pope. It was something that would haunt him for days.
On the cobblestone streets..
“You were impressive on the stage, Dominic. I never expected any of those words coming from you!” It has been a while since he has seen a spectacle like the young knight teaching the congregation. After all, he saw everyone beholding his speech and he can tell that it left a significant impact on everyone, including the priest himself.
“It was nothing. In fact, I feel that the Lord prompted me to say it.” Under that helm, Dominic was smiling with pride and joy. He loved the reactions of the pope. Even if he couldn’t see it all, he could still hear the sounds of his movement or voice. Sometimes the knight sees his reactions while he is giving everyone his own sermon.
The priest looked at the knight with a continued smile, “I see.. Praise the Lord! It was truly a speech filled with nuggets of wisdom.” He also learned well from that lesson. Regarding the power of imagination and how it's used, It has made him question things about his life, and what he has been doing.
[Now Macaulay should know when to stop. After all, what he is doing isn’t going to be kept a secret forever.]
Once again, the knight was joyful and he was satisfied with his speech that beget the type of result he desired. His plan was to restrain the pope with his words by having the people be in awe. And then convinc them with his teaching an convey the hidden message that only Macaulay would be able to understand.
Inside the Sanctuary Church building, Macaulay is in his office, smashing whatever objects he saw.
“That imbecile! How dare he just waltz in here with that armour and talk so presumptuously! He even gave me a warning?!”
He popped a vein on his temple, his eyebrows furrowe. He was biting and pulling his own cape, furious with the knight’s mockery and threats that were given to him.
“Hah! This is just downright outrageous!!” He grabbed a chair and threw it at the door that leads to his office.
And standing behind that door are guards, who are simply terrified and confused by the pope’s tantrum. They heard the collision of the chair with the door and their concerns for him were growing larger with each minute.
“What is going on with him? Did he eat something bad??” The first guard spoke, staring at his friend with crystal clear never-ending worry on his face.
“I haven’t the faintest idea. All I could hear is that Sir Dominic must have done something and it greatly displeased his holiness.”
The second guard replied, with an expression that looked just as the same.
“Damn Knights! And the duke and the duke’s son! Those people are such a thorn in my side!”
Macaulay stomped the floor with his foot, as the man hated all the knights regardless of their status and origins. He however, hated the dukedom and its people even more than all of the knight orders in this kingdom.
“I was wondering what you were so upset about..” A man spoke, his voice sent echoes to the room.
“But it's the knights that are bothering you again, huh?”
“!”
The pope stopped making a mess of his room in anger and instead, his eyebrows raised, startled by the unwelcome presence of another person.
“Who-”
He looked at the man that was standing behind him with a smile. He had black hair, green eyes and a chiselled face. And had on a black tunic that was as dark as the night sky, a unique vambrace extending down to the gauntlet that had claws. And on the lower body is a white breeches (pants that men used to wear in mediaeval times) and brown laced boots. On his waists, there is a sword on the left and a pair of sheathed daggers on their opposing sides.
“You! How did you get in here?”
[I’m sure I have guards behind that door!] The pope stared in disbelief.
“Hm? I simply asked nicely, and they allowed me in.”
“...” But he looked at the man with eyes of doubt as soon as he heard that.
“Bullsh*t. You must have blackmailed them, Gray.”
“Heh. Does it matter if I did, Macaulay?”
The man leaned on the wall with his arms and legs crossed.
“Lunatic.. Anyway, I don’t need your help. I can handle this matter myself.”
“You aren’t capable of handling this alone. Not when your opponent is the son from the dukedom.” The man known as Gray interjected the idea.
“Preposterous. What makes you say that? The pope put his arms at the back and crossed them.
“Did you forget that the knights hold..”
“Authority?..”
“...” Sweat came down from Maucalay’s forehead like rain.
Gray is right. Simply confronting the knights will not bode well and it may turn into a civil war if things escalate. In the worst case, he may get imprisoned upon the king’s order, or get executed. Because it's not just bloodshed between warriors, citizens would get caught in the fight. Those were his thoughts.
“He isn’t just the son of the duke. He's also a close mentee of the Grandmaster of the Phoenix Knights, who has the king’s backing. Combine those three and he is a force to be reckoned with, power-wise.” The man continued his speech.
“Tsk! What do you suggest I do? As long as that brat has his eyes on me, I won’t be able to do as I please!” The pope stared at him, with a vein popped on his temple once again. He is angry from just thinking of Dominic and Rodrick.
“Just leave it to me O’ Holy Father..”
Gray said, as he stood upright, placing his right palm on his chest. He was sparkling with a smile.
“It makes me cringe hearing you say one of my titles in that manner.” Macaulay’s eyebrows curled, his eyes slanted and his teeth showed, as if he was grinding them. The pope was looking at him with disgust,
“. . .” Gray stood there silent for a brief moment before he replied with,
“Should I call you piggy then?”
The pope glared at him intensely with murderous intent. “What did you say?”
“Haha! I’m just kidding man! No need to take my jokes so seriously.”
“Then work on your jokes some more. You have a trash-level sense of humour.” Macaulay shut his eyes and put his arms behind his back to cross them again.
“..I take offence to that.” He was shedding tears of sadness, as he felt insulted from hearing the pope’s comment.
““For goodness sake..” The pope let out a breath of sigh and turned to the window to look outside.
“Anyway, do as you see fit. ALL I AM ASKING YOU IS NOT TO CREATE TOO MUCH TROUBLE!”
“Duly noted, piggy.” Gray nodded with a smile.
“You-..”
When Macaulay looked around, the man had already disappeared. He then looked back at the window and shook his head.
Macaulay in first person, Gray Walker is a warrior that’s proficient in the daggers. His physical strength and slashing skills are no joke. He once had a bar fight with a group of competent soldiers..
And he beat them senseless with just his bare hands and grabbed a man by the neck that weighed more than him. A weapon wasn’t even needed to take on such people.
And on top of that, he once duelled with one of the strongest knights in the kingdom; the former grandmaster of the knight order; the Order of Sirius..
The Order of Sirius was founded by Viscount Sirius Kingsley in the 9th century, so it is safe to say it’s one of the oldest knight orders in history. But its long-standings isn’t what it's all about. The current knights in that order are full of nothing but sword experts..!
To think that man would dare to go up against such a power.. He’s truly mad.
Although he lost the fight against the grandmaster, he still managed to inflict serious damage.
“Who knows what he will do..” He stared at the people passing by endlessly with a worried look on his face. Gray wasn’t someone who’s just strong- He’s also had a few screw looses that made him even more dangerous. Depending on how things go, the results may turn out to be something unexpectedly good or bad; the dagger warrior is basically a wild card.