Chapter 24: Grand Mass

by cnwebnovels.com

After waiting outside the grand prayer hall for nearly ten minutes, Klein, together with the other believers attending Moon Mass, was led inside by a priest.

In the dim and tranquil atmosphere, what greeted them was a neat, ethereal chant:

“The crimson full moon rises, mirrored upon the earth;

“All people sink into sweet dreams, dreaming of themselves;

“Dreaming of fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, and children—this is eternity…” (Note 1)

As the holy, rhythmic voices echoed in layers, the believers inside the grand prayer hall involuntarily settled into peace. It was as if they had forgotten the troubles of life and no longer worried about the many hardships of the real world.

Led by several priests, they each found seats. Before the altar, Bishop Elektra, who was presiding over this grand Mass, held The Revelation of Evernight and began delivering a brief sermon.

When this segment neared its end, the priests took up clear water and bread and distributed them to Klein and the others. These were the blessings of the night, food shared between the living and the dead.

Klein, who had not yet had dinner, naturally did not waste the mediocre bread or the water in the cup. Then he saw candles lighting one after another upon the altar. Against the darkness, they were like stars in the night, radiating reassuring light and warmth.

At that moment, Bishop Elektra, together with the priests and the entire choir, once again chanted in unison:

“We shall lift our heads and gaze upon that night sky;

“Softly speak Her name: ‘Evernight Goddess!’

“Other than ‘Evernight Goddess,’ there are no more words;

“May the Goddess, between the singing of angels,

“Pluck them together with sweet silence

“And hold them in Her gentle right hand.

“‘Goddess!’ If She hears, She will surely answer;

“She will surely reveal a pure smile to the dead:

“‘Come, rest, sleep, My children!’” (Note 2)

The hollow, sacred voices entered every believer’s ears and seemed to resonate with every spirit present. Even Klein, a Sequence 5 Beyonder, felt at that moment as if his spirit body had been washed clean. His spirituality flowed outward naturally and soothingly.

Then, before his eyes, there seemed to appear a patch of tranquil darkness—a darkness without the slightest sound.

Within that darkness lay corpse after corpse, their faces pale yet peaceful, as if they had not died but merely fallen asleep.

With his mind calm and settled, Klein walked through that darkness. Suddenly, he stopped and looked diagonally ahead.

There, where moon flowers quietly bloomed, several people slept.

They were Dunn Smith, without his hat, covered by his trench coat; Old Neil, still wearing his black classical robe; and Kenley, short in stature, who had worked hard to save money.

Their eyes were relaxed and closed, the corners of their mouths seeming to carry the faintest of smiles. Around them stood tombstone after tombstone, each bearing the same word:

“Guardian.”

Klein closed his eyes at once. At his ears, the holy, ethereal voices rose again:

“Cross your hands

“And place them upon your chest;

“Make that wordless prayer,

“And cry out with your heart:

“The only home is serenity!” (Note 3)

Klein lowered his head, closed his eyes, raised his hands, crossed them over his chest, and silently repeated:

“The only home is serenity!”

…

Again and again, until the grand prayer hall became utterly quiet, Klein finally opened his eyes and raised a hand to rub the corners of both eyes.

He slowly breathed out and glanced to either side. By the candlelight, he discovered that most of the believers’ faces were streaked with tears without them even realizing it. Even Richardson, his personal valet, had lost composure and was letting tears slide down his face without wiping them away.

Moon Mass is closer to a ritual—a ritual involving Beyonder power. Its purpose should be to resonate with every person’s spirit, allowing different people to see the departed close to them in the darkness, release grief, and obtain serenity… Mm, this is not a mutation aimed specifically at Beyonders. I can rest assured… To ordinary people, it is only a fleeting illusion and an outpouring of emotion. They will only believe the Goddess is great and will not suspect the existence of supernatural forces… At Sequence 5, the Evernight pathway seems to gain a tremendous improvement in control over spirits…

Klein withdrew his gaze and made his judgment inwardly.

Immediately afterward, he recalled that darkness again and the dead who lay among the moon flowers.

Closing his eyes briefly, Klein allowed his thoughts to drift.

“That dark plain where moon flowers, night vanilla, and deep sleep flowers grow—is it some form of manifestation of the Goddess’s divine kingdom?

“Then what does the source of danger at night in the ruins of the battle of gods correspond to?”

In Klein’s mind, the cold night and the fog that blanketed the sea, which he had once seen at the far eastern end of the Sonia Sea, gradually took shape.

Within that fog stood a pitch-black, ancient church with a pointed roof. Raven after raven circled above it, as if offering sacrifice, as if mourning. Around that church stood ordinary homes, crude wooden huts, grayish-white mills, and indistinct human silhouettes.

Logically speaking, such a misty scene closely connected to night and dreams should have been formed by residual auras left behind by the Goddess or the Demonic Wolf Flegrea, yet it shared no resemblance at all with the corresponding manifestation of the divine kingdom… Mm, mortals must not gaze upon deities. Perhaps that dark plain covered in flowers and grass just now was not a projection of the divine kingdom at all, but a product attached to the ritual…

Seeing that Moon Mass had reached its conclusion, Klein extended his hand to the inner pocket of his clothing and took out his wallet.

Holding the billfold, he stood, entered the aisle, and walked all the way to the altar. Under Bishop Elektra’s compassionate, merciful gaze, he moved diagonally to the donation box.

After tapping four times clockwise over his chest and drawing the crimson moon, Klein placed all his large-denomination banknotes inside.

In total: 300 pounds!

At that moment, Klein did not feel the pain and reluctance he had felt during the previous donations. His mood was very calm, because he thought of the ritual Old Neil had used to repay his debts.

On that occasion, under the Goddess’s blessing, they had found a wallet containing over three hundred pounds in cash.

Taking a step back and drawing another crimson moon, he yielded his place to the next donor.

At that moment, Bishop Elektra took the initiative to come over. While tapping four times clockwise to draw the red moon, he said, “May the Goddess bless you.”

“May the Goddess know that what I most hope for now is to listen to Her teachings,” Klein replied with a smile.

Bishop Elektra glanced toward the side exit of the prayer hall.

“If you do not mind waiting a quarter of an hour, I can explain scripture to you in the library.”

“That is precisely what I long for,” Klein said with a gentle smile.

Bishop Elektra immediately had a priest lead Dawn Dantes and his valet out of the grand prayer hall through the side passage, around to the library near the spiral staircase.

Here stood bookcase after bookcase, all filled with texts related to the Evernight Church. Tables and chairs had been arranged on either side for priests and bishops to study and preach to believers.

Twelve minutes later, Bishop Elektra entered the library with a smile that calmed the heart. He saw Dawn Dantes, with graying temples and a refined air, standing before a row of shelves, focused on reading a book. He looked very much like a scholar.

“What are you reading?” the bishop asked with a smile.

Klein closed the book and gave a self-mocking smile.

“The Revelation of Evernight.

“To be honest, although I devoutly believe in the Goddess, for many years I was busy with life and never truly settled down to read this sacred text seriously.”

As he spoke, nothing unusual showed on his face, though inwardly he felt a little uneasy. He feared the Goddess might directly send down a bolt of lightning to reward Her devout believer Dawn Dantes.

Mm, lightning is not within the Goddess’s domain… Klein comforted himself inwardly.

Bishop Elektra smiled and took The Revelation of Evernight.

“It is not too late to begin now.”

He immediately invited Dawn Dantes to sit at one of the tables and began systematically explaining the structure of The Revelation of Evernight and its key holy sayings.

Richardson held his employer’s hat and cane and sat a short distance away, quietly waiting while half listening to the bishop’s sermon.

Time passed second by second. Klein, who appeared to be listening attentively, suddenly felt his spiritual intuition stir. A scene outside the door naturally emerged in his mind.

This was his intuitive premonition, originating from the Clown and strengthened by the gray fog!

Outside the door, an old man in a black clerical robe walked past, heading toward the nearby spiral staircase.

His white hair was fairly thick but not combed, appearing quite messy. His face was gaunt, giving the impression that skin lay directly over bone. His aura was extremely cold; his skin was abnormally pale, and his eyes were a rare pure black.

The figure quickly disappeared from the doorway. Soon after, the sound of footsteps gradually rising came from nearby.

An internal caretaker! But not the one I previously encountered in the grand prayer hall… Mm, is he the one on duty today?

Klein focused on Bishop Elektra, putting on an expression as if he were pondering the scripture.

He was not surprised that an internal caretaker would appear inside the cathedral at this time, passing by the library. The sealing power behind Chanis Gate reached its peak at night and was no longer suitable for living beings. Therefore, the internal caretakers all entered at sunrise and left at sunset, and the sky had only just turned fully dark.

Remember the date and weekday… Afterward, gradually gather more corresponding information and figure out the internal caretakers’ duty rotation. Only then can I play the right target at the right time…

Klein withdrew his thoughts and listened carefully. Half an hour later, he rose and took his leave.

He smiled at Bishop Elektra.

“I wonder whether I will have the honor of listening to your preaching again in the future?”

“No problem.” Faced with a tycoon who had just donated 300 pounds, Bishop Elektra could not bring himself to refuse. He even nodded with pleasure. “As long as you come to the cathedral and I have time.”

Klein did not entangle himself in details, lest he arouse suspicion. He sincerely thanked the bishop and left Saint Samuel Cathedral with his personal valet Richardson.

By the time he returned home, it was not yet eight o’clock—just in time for dinner and a leisurely end to the day.

…

Late at night, inside the master bedroom.

The sleeping Klein suddenly opened his eyes.

His spiritual intuition told him that someone had infiltrated this house!

Note 1: Adapted from Alfred Tennyson, “The Lotos-Eaters.”
Note 2: Adapted from Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “The Cry of the Children.”
Note 3: Adapted from Thomas Hood, “The Bridge of Sighs,” and Alfred Tennyson, “The Lotos-Eaters.”