Chapter 22 Peripheral Members

The East City District of Nasir is the poorest area in the entire town.

The people who live here are desolate and dependent, with the majority enduring illness without treatment, and if they cannot hold on, they can only die in agony.

In the past, the poor of the East City lived like ants crawling on the ground, unnoticed and uncared for.

Until five years ago, the appearance of Irene Fischer was like a tender light given to the poor.

She only charged the wealthy a high fee for diagnosis and treatment, while for the middle-class who sought Irene's help, their treatment costs were significantly reduced.

As for the poor, Irene herself came here once a week, her expensive shoes stepping into the filthy mud, to treat a sick or injured person for free.

Initially, she treated illnesses and injuries in private, but later, in order to increase her influence, she chose to heal people in public.

Whenever Irene treated diseases, everyone would gather around and silently watch; she would first pray in silence for a while, and all those around her would join the girl in her prayers.

Until the prayer was over, Irene would reveal the astonishing "Miracle."

Time and again, witnessing miracles, the people's hearts grew increasingly filled with reverence for the noble Irene, and she herself grew to be more pure, holy, and inviolable. Thousands of poor people in the East City gradually became a hidden and powerful force for the Fischer family.

In the East City, there was an old woman over eighty years old; everyone called her "Old Comb" or "Grandma Narda." She was respected by almost all of the impoverished for one important reason—her three sons were the leaders of the biggest thieves' guild in the East City.

They had hot tempers and were deceitful; their guild had around fifty to sixty people, making them a perennial scourge in Nasir Town. The only person who could restrain and reprimand them was Grandma Narda.

Grandma Narda had instructed them to never commit murder or rape, and surprisingly, the thieves' guild they formed has the best reputation in Nasir Town thus far.

Three years ago, on the night when jungle natives attacked Nasir Town, Grandma Narda was severely wounded by natives who fled into the East City to hide, bordering on death.

At that time, she lay in bed in agony, silently praying to her Lord of Salvation.

However, He never responded, and deep down Grandma Narda already understood that for decades no one in Nasir Town had witnessed a miracle from the high and mighty Lord of Salvation.

Even if He were a true and powerful deity, if He would never respond to us or save us, should we still revere and pray day and night?

Tonight, having prayed to the great Lord of Salvation for over seventy years, I'm about to die.

Submerged in despair and pain, Grandma Narda thought of many things, but she did not die in the end; her sons had called for Madam Irene Fischer from the Fischer family.

"Don't worry, you will be fine."

Irene arrived at the old woman's home calmly, while her three sons waited outside.

Her gentle breath was like soft silk sliding over the skin, soothingly warm and gentle like a spring breeze, the green mysterious power pulling the old woman back from the hands of the Death.

After being saved, Narda said weakly, "You've saved my life, I will definitely repay you."

However, Irene did not ask for anything then, simply saying with utmost tranquility,

"My Lord's will saved me and therefore redeemed your fate."

Grandma Narda fell into thought; she had never heard which deity the people of the Fischer family actually worshipped.

Later, she grew more familiar with Irene, and the two often conversed together, becoming friends despite the difference in age.

A year ago, during one of their exchanges on religious matters, Grandma Narda finally couldn't help but ask about her faith.

Irene did not say which of the True Gods Churches her god belonged to, only saying:

"I carry out my Lord's will, wielding the power of healing as I walk among the people, and if you are willing, you should pray to Him as well."

"Is your faith in the Lord of Salvation?" Narda asked, puzzled.

Irene just smiled and did not continue the conversation.

Narda faintly felt that the attitude itself was a hint.

Could it be that her faith was in some great being who, while powerful, had not yet made His name known in the world?

Tonight, both the red and silver moons were shrouded in thin clouds, the constellations a hazy sight.

Irene came to Grandma Narda's home again, to talk with her alone.

Treatment in front of others was customary, so Narda knew that when Irene Fischer of the Fischer family sought her out alone, it was often because there was something to discuss.

Irene's demeanor was very calm, her eyes possessed a depth like the cosmos itself, and her words carried a mesmerizing aura.

"The grace that my Lord has bestowed upon you has been more than enough; for years, you and your children have not been troubled by sickness or pain, and now you can no longer enjoy, without offering anything in return, what should be reserved for the devoted believers."

The implication was clear: the health trial period was over, and now it was time for a decision.

Grandma Narda's expression changed for quite a while, as she no longer clung to life, but when she thought of her three children, they too had been gravely injured more than once.

Moreover, she did not reject the god who had saved her and was truly grateful to Irene; in fact, the priests of the True Gods Church on the East Coast would never rescue poor people like them.

With respect, Narda asked, "Your god, no, I mean my Lord, what kind of magnificent entity is He?"

"Dawn, the deity we worship, He is the lost Lord of Dawn, He is the embodiment of all things in the world, and the widely known Lord of Salvation is also one of His manifestations."

Irene closed her eyes and continued indifferently:

"Remember not to spread the secret of His faith, only the chosen messengers of the Fischer family are qualified to proclaim His greatness."

"Once the doctrine of secrecy is not adhered to, god will gradually become disappointed, and eventually withdraw the blessing bestowed upon you, and you will encounter a terrible curse."

Narda hurriedly shook her head and nodded with great reverence in her eyes:

"No, never, messenger, I will surely adhere to the doctrine and keep the secret!"

In the world of Claud, deities are not superstitions, but truly magnificent existences; it's just that the number of True Gods is extremely scarce, and many conceptual beings similar to demons often seize the opportunity to usurp people's faith.

After finishing, Irene took out a bottle of dark red potion from her bosom and continued calmly:

"Then drink it, and you shall feel the lost Lord of Dawn."

Grandma Narda didn't even hesitate for a moment, immediately smiling openly and drank the potion at once.

After a while, she said with some uncertainty:

"I, I seem to have not heard any voice, hasn't the lost Lord of Dawn come yet?"

"He will come, but the great One wants to first see your performance."

Irene revealed a smile and continued, "If the performance is good enough, you might even have the possibility of being granted a permanent extraordinary power."

Narda was utterly astonished internally and instinctively did not believe her.

Although mystical entities can grant temporary extraordinary powers to ordinary people, those without talent could never become true Extraordinary Exponents.

"Alright, I understand."

Having lived for over eighty years, Narda of course understood the concrete meaning of "good performance" quite well.

Her and her children's health had been secured in the past and would be in the future. Even if it meant offering up some resources, it was only right and proper, Grandma Narda nodded quite lucidly.

Irene turned to leave, silently pondering the blood containing the Fischer family lineage would most certainly be effective.

Grandma Narda would become a peripheral member of the Dawn Church, and simultaneously another pawn of the great Lord of the Lost.

If she dared to betray, she would be noticed by my Lord in the first instance.

In the routine family meeting, Byrne took out the plan that had been repeatedly revised over several years, which contained a series of ideas on how to establish a secret church, with large portions of the doctrine and rules referenced from the True Gods Church's scriptures.

They ultimately decided to only recruit a very small number of prestigious people from Nasir Town into the Dawn Church, and every new member's admission vote had to be unanimously approved by all three core members to pass.

Besides the Five Great True Gods Churches, none of the other faiths on the Ouden Continent were recognized, and the inquisition of the True Gods Church also abhorred heretics extremely.

Once one's identity as a heretic was confirmed, the lightest punishment was lifelong imprisonment, while the most severe was to be "purified" on the spot.

The fewer people joining the Dawn Church, the lower the chances of the entire church being exposed; therefore, the structure of the organization had to be streamlined.

Irene was the most core priest, followed by other members of the Fischer family, and then the various peripheral members. The nascent Dawn Church's structure was exceptionally simple.

The current peripheral members of the Dawn Church were only Grandma Narda and the old servant of the Fischer family.

In the deep of the night, Grandma Narda stood beside the window, completely unable to sleep, constantly pondering the ins and outs of the whole affair; she could almost confirm that the Fischer family had been servants of the Lord of Dawn from the beginning.

She couldn't help but think, "Irene trusts me just like that, what if I report this matter to the inquisition, what would they do?"

Suddenly, a powerful will, as if sensing her subtle emotions, awoke from behind the scenes and looked down upon her coldly from the highest place, emitting a twisted and terrifying aura that seemed capable of utterly destroying everything in existence.

How magnificent!

Grandma Narda trembled uncontrollably and fell to her knees, sweating profusely, and began to pray fervently.

"Lord of Dawn! Great Lord of Dawn, please forgive my disrespectful thoughts..."

He was looking at her!