Church

The high priest walked back to his chair and sat down, noticing that Rafael remained standing by the door. "What's the matter, son? Is everything okay? You know you can speak freely here, and we'll do our best to help," he said with a warm smile, his concern appearing genuine.

Rafael felt a chill run through his body. The realization that he was in a closed room, possibly surrounded by soldiers outside, unnerved him. No, no! It's impossible! Information travels extremely slow here. Calm down, he told himself, trying to stay composed.

The high priest exchanged a questioning glance with the cleric, who merely shrugged in response.

Rafael, still uneasy, glanced at the open window before finally pulling up a chair to sit. "Don't worry, as I said, I'm fine. I just got distracted."

"Oh, that's good to hear," the high priest replied. "So, Mr. Robert, my helper here informed me that you discovered a way to make paper. Is that right?" He kept his tone calm and measured, though inwardly, he was hoping the claim was true.

"Yes, yes, I… discovered…" Rafael hesitated, a sudden thought striking him. What if I link this discovery to God somehow? What if I say a bright light came to me in a dream and showed me the process?

"You discovered…?" Julius prompted, still maintaining a composed demeanor, though eager for more details.

Rafael took a deep breath and leaned into his act. "Sir, I must tell you something. I seek your wisdom and our Lord's forgiveness. A few days ago, while I was sleeping, a bright flash of light appeared in my dreams. It told me to leave everything behind and travel to Calistoga to share the knowledge of papermaking."

"Please, sir, tell me I did not do wrong." He clasped his hands together, leaning forward with his eyes closed, trying to appear as a devoted man seeking spiritual guidance.

"A flash of light in your dreams? Mr. Robert, you must know that lying is a sin, and such lies could condemn you to eternal suffering in hell."

"I'm telling the truth, sir. I—I can prove it by telling you the process to make paper. I'll always follow our Lord's will."

The high priest studied Rafael for a moment before nodding.

"I understand. This is a grave statement you've made. But if you truly know the process of papermaking, we can forget any doubts." He maintained an air of indifference, focusing on the spiritual implications rather than the potential material gain.

Rafael recited the papermaking process twice, ensuring both men could memorize it. Julius, his face serious, nodded to the cleric, who then left the room. "You seem young, son. How old are you?"

"I'm 23, sir. Please, did I do something wrong? Was that light in my dream an angel?"

"I believe so, and it may have been a blessing. Tomorrow, we'll test your knowledge by following your process. If it proves true, it will be another sign that the Lord is on our side."

"Oh, yes, yes, thank you." Rafael felt a surge of relief that things were going in the right direction.

"Sir, as I mentioned, I left everything behind to travel here, and now I have nowhere to stay."

"Don't worry. I'll have Aaran find you a bed for the night. Tell me, where are you from?"

"I came from the capital."

"And what did you do there?"

"I was a merchant, but now I have nothing. I'll do anything for our Lord and Savior, even leaving everything behind." Rafael felt a sense of pride in how convincingly he was playing the role of a devout believer.

The high priest seemed pleased with his response.

When the cleric returned, he was instructed to help Rafael find a place to sleep for the night. Rafael was led to a wooden house near the mansion.

"You'll stay here with the servants for the time being. Tomorrow, you'll join us to oversee the papermaking process. Have a good night," the cleric said hastily before heading back to the church.

Well, that went at least okay, Rafael thought as he entered the house. Inside, he saw several servants having dinner and preparing for bed. The front room was large, with three doors in the back wall leading to the bedrooms. All eyes turned to Rafael as he walked in.

I don't think they're happy to see me here. A young woman with black hair and green eyes approached him. "You'll sleep over there; we've already prepared your bed." Rafael noticed her beauty and felt a brief distraction. Wow, she's kinda… hot.

He followed her gaze to a thin mattress in the corner. "There's a blanket there too. If you're hungry, we have porridge. Ah, one more thing: there's a hole in the ground outside for, you know, your necessities. The Baron doesn't want to step in anything unpleasant during his walks." She turned and headed toward one of the bedrooms as the other servants finished eating and went to bed.

I'll stay here just for tonight. Right? Rafael thought as he took some porridge to eat. By the time he finished, everyone else had already gone to sleep. Uuuhh, I definitely don't want to eat this again, he grimaced before lying down and trying to sleep.

In a room at the back of the church, the cleric returned after settling Rafael at the servants' house. "Sir, what do you think? Is he lying?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I want to believe what he said is true, but we'll only know for certain when we test the papermaking process tomorrow. If it is true…" the high priest trailed off, lost in thought.

"Then it means we'll be the only ones in the entire kingdom who know how to make it! Just imagine—the power, the influence, the gold our church will gain!" Aaran exclaimed, already envisioning a prosperous future. The old man, however, remained contemplative, thinking about other implications.