The war was short-lived. The forester came and dispersed everyone

I did not hesitate to attempt to shield myself from the harshness of my method of dissecting the memory of Emperor Meiji. This was a mistake on my part, and it has since resulted in the loss of all leads that could have led me to the mastermind behind the scene.

But what am I talking about? The war and its tactics have proven to be quite challenging. When I breached the mind of Japan's ruler, I had barely a moment to marvel at its intricate structure. However, my astonishment lasted only an instant. It seems that there has not been an emperor of Japan for quite some time, as what I initially believed to be his consciousness was, in fact, a highly sophisticated mental construct that had been manipulating the physical body of a biorobot.

I was able to sense the flow of energy that formed and emanated from the construct as it began to unravel, responding to the intrusion of my mind and its detection, dissipating into energy. Thus, the force that created it was comprised of the psychic energy of a spectrum and a mana I had never encountered before, which had a distinct odor reminiscent of a miasma of decay and corruption.

Unable to articulate my impressions more precisely, I can only describe what I sensed when my perception touched this mental construct. While the energy it embodied was repugnant, the beauty and craftsmanship of this mental construction were awe-inspiring and filled me with envy. In the brief moments I was able to observe before it disintegrated, I sensed hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years of theoretical and empirical research and labor culminating in a masterpiece that I was fortunate enough to witness.

As soon as the mental construct that had replaced the identity of the leader of Japan began to crumble, I sensed five dozen near-fatal impulses emanating from the sixth essence of the Emperor's soul, transmitted through a mental link. Six of these impulses were directed towards individuals within the palace, and upon their release, an energy storm of immense magnitude erased the entire imperial residence from existence in the blink of an eye.

Had it not been for a contingent of my clones strategically positioned throughout the palace, positioned in proximity to the primary targets of my interest, there would have been no survivors. The daughters of the Japanese emperor were fortunate that during the activation of the mechanism designed to eliminate all life within the palace grounds, one of my clones was in close proximity, swiftly erecting a shield over them and transporting them to my realm in an unconscious state.. Today I have had a great many guests at my home, and I trust that my wives shall not discover their presence before I have had the opportunity to elucidate to them the rationale behind their presence in a realm intended solely for my family's use.

Despite my efforts to be rational and logical, it seems that when it comes to matters of the heart, Maria's actions are guided not by reason but by her impulsive emotions. I cannot say for certain if this is a universal truth for all women, but in the case of my beloved, her feelings of deep affection and love seem to override her rational mind, leading her to act and speak from the depths of her sensibilities.

It is imperative that we establish appropriate VIP chambers for guest captives in my other estates. There is no irreparable damage in the fact that one of my current detainees will visit my private realm; he still lacks the capacity to fully exploit its potential. However, they possess neither the power nor the expertise necessary to circumvent my defenses and concealed enchantments, which erode the spatial coordinates of my realm, rendering it impassable.

Nonetheless, in the future, it may be necessary for me to confine someone in my custody, with the subsequent release of an appropriate individual to freedom. There is a significant likelihood that the captive could prove to be an adept sorcerer capable of bypassing my safeguards to protect his possessions. Unfortunately, I am unwilling to expose the location of my small world to chaos! Therefore, it is essential that you properly manage the dungeon, which is chaotic and disconnected from my world and its affiliated domains. Hmm... I could also improve my proficiency in spatial magic.. But where do we go from here? We must now roll up our sleeves and pursue our own path of development in this regard.

As I contemplated the forthcoming challenges of delving into a new realm of magical arts for my own advancement, a third of my conscious streams, numbering more than three hundred, engaged in the intricate process of scrutinizing and dissecting the intricate mental framework of an unfamiliar school of mental magic. Specifically, it represented a harmonious fusion of psionic and mental magic elements, augmented by chimerological and biomagnetic techniques, encompassing the Emperor and his realm, as well as Japan itself.

I was certain that my intervention on the Emperor's person was beyond the purview of any human or known magical race. Even with my enhanced perception, augmented by the acquisition of my ninth shell and the attainment of godhood, along with the vast potential of my augmented mental abilities and the possession of the most potent spiritual and mental artifact known to me within this world, I could barely grasp the individual components of this construct, which were foreign to my understanding of working with mental energy.. The influence of this control circuit on the array was not directly introduced into the mental realm. However, it exerted an indirect impact through alterations in the brain structure, resulting in the installation of a mental construct. This construct, acting through the initial layer of the psyche, the physical body, erased or formatted the mental layer initially, followed by the implementation of the necessary utilities and mental programs. A backup of these programs was stored in the form of an archive on a physical medium, such as the brain.

When I became aware of the depth and scope of knowledge possessed by the first, sixth, and seventh layers of the soul, and their interaction with an unknown magical school, my hands began to tremble. A bout of scholarly itch ensued, urging me to search for the creator of this enchantment and dissect it for new insights into these fascinating and closely aligned scientific magical domains.

Let us consider the following:

1. The averted defeat of the Russian navy in Port Arthur.

2. The Russian empire was brought to the brink of catastrophic upheaval, owing to the near-total destruction of the royal family, save for a single daughter who resides in my realm.

3. A similar situation in Japan: the annihilation of the imperial family, leaving only two daughters and a concubine, also residing in my domain, as official heirs.

4. Who could be behind this conflict? I cannot even begin to speculate.

I was certainly confronted with a magically endowed being who, for some reason or other, required a severe escalation of tension without the prospect of reconciliation between Russia and Japan. Indeed, once news of the slaughter and feasting of Russian soldiers by demons became known, all those few sorcerers who maintain contact with the imperial household and the Orthodox Church, with its Inquisition and its monks, would enter this conflict. What a grisly meat grinder this would prove to be!

By interfering in this situation, I have clearly disrupted the plans of an unknown party. Now they will not be able to manipulate Japan as they had intended, and there is no question of war. Furthermore, I am curious to see how the mundane authorities will attempt to extricate themselves from this mess, and how the British and Americans will reject the predicament that the Japanese have embroiled them in. They certainly did not anticipate that the Japanese would not only employ magic in the impending conflict, but also enlist the aid of demons.

The Catholic Church already regards the Protestant and Anglican denominations with disfavor, and now the major countries that serve as the hubs for these schismatic and apostate sects from the true teachings of Christ have tarnished their reputations.

Additionally, we must visit Venenzo to inform him firsthand of the events and coordinate our subsequent actions. I do not wish to expose myself as the savior of the Russian Empire, leaving this responsibility to my old comrade.

The protagonists of this entire spectacle will be aware of my involvement, albeit not in full.

My thoughts were also occupied while I found myself at the heart of a tumultuous energy vortex in the heart of Tokyo, at the site where the former Edo Castle once stood, housing the imperial palace.

Now, I have witnessed everything I desired to see in this dynamic phenomenon, even contemplating how it might have been accomplished. And now, it is time for me to embrace the glory.

Without further delay in Japan, I departed for the Vatican, seeking the presence of Conan II.

*******

Greetings, my friend. What ails you?

Vencenzo appears rather sombre; what could be the matter? Has he already been apprised of the events? I approached him as before, employing spatial displacement, but this time, unlike the last, when it was accompanied by the thickening of shadows, and my emergence from the gloom into darkness, it was quite the opposite. The sunlight, as if possessed of a will of its own, began to stream first into an elongated oval shape, which in mere seconds assumed my own form, and into which I then proceeded, supplanting my illusory radiant duplicate with my true self.

"Greetings, Svyatozar," he said. "There is trouble in the East. The entire imperial family has been wiped out in St. Petersburg, with the sole survivor being the emperor's daughter, who was visiting her grandmother. She too has vanished, along with the deceased emperor's mother. As if that were not enough, there have been clashes with the Japanese navy in the eastern regions of the Russian empire, and according to reports that have reached me, demons have been involved.

But praise be to the Lord," he continued, casting a sly glance in my direction and crossing himself, disregarding the crucifix adorning the wall, "a miracle has occurred! During the battle, the night sky shone with a divine radiance, dispelling the darkness and vanquishing all demons in its path. Can you imagine such a thing, Vladyka?"

Even though I had managed to persuade Venenzo to refrain from addressing me in a lofty and regal manner, addressing me as "Lord," he still referred to me as "Vladyka" when he wished to emphasize the significance of a particular matter or convey his strong emotions. Now, he is eager to learn the details of the incident, but his attempts to influence my talkativeness are futile; either I will share the information myself, or I will ignore his curiosity, which he has clearly expressed in this situation. His only hope is that I will deem it necessary to inform the head of the "my" ecclesiastical hierarchy about the events.

In essence, the situation is as follows. An unknown party has emerged, seeking to ignite a bloody conflict between Russia and Japan. They have used various means, including those originating from Japan, to involve Europe in this confrontation, with the explicit intention of drawing the Orthodox and Catholic churches into the fray.

Tonight, an assault was launched against Port Arthur, a Russian port located on the Kwantung Peninsula and not subject to ice. At the time, the fleet of the Russian Empire was present in the harbor, and following a torpedo assault by three Japanese destroyers, several hundred demons were released, targeting the sailors. My timely intervention prevented a significant number of casualties, resulting in only two dozen fatalities.

In response to the eagerness to pose a query in Venenzo's gaze, I granted him permission to voice his question, granting a brief pause before nodding in his direction, indicating his willingness to hear him out.

"Shall I call for a crusade?"

The campaign brought the bureaucracy and a plethora of documents that my uncle had to deal with on a daily basis. I could clearly sense in his emotions both anticipation and joy at the prospect of impending events, as he finally had a significant case that would allow him to engage in action and prove himself.

However, recently, when Marco, the head of the Inquisition, paid me a visit, he mentioned that Venenzo was eager to find an excuse to leave the Vatican and engage in a decisive battle, testing his newly acquired strength and feeling the proximity of death. Such an adrenaline addict!

The crusade was optional. Things were more complicated there. Upon my arrival in Japan and visit to the imperial palace, I discovered that the head of this island nation had been deceased for quite some time and had long since been a mere puppet, a fleshly automaton controlled by psychic magic.

By the by, the situation there now bears a striking resemblance to that of Russia. When I delved into the mind of the controlled biological construct, the substitute emperor Meiji, a concealed trigger was activated, resulting in an explosion of a magnitude greater than that which claimed the lives of the Russian imperial family. Incidentally, the sole surviving daughter of Nicholas II, Maria, and the two remaining daughters of Emperor Meiji are in my possession.

Would you like to arrange their marriages to suitable and loyal individuals? From the fly's perspective, I have gained insight into the full scope of the wedding arrangements.

Indeed, I have a particular Witcher in mind. He is a direct descendant on the paternal line of Hrërik, whose ancestry can be traced back to the elder brother of Vladimir the Red Sun, Svyatoslav Ihorivych's legitimate heir, Ingvar. The chronicles of the common folk do not mention him further, but his lineage continued, having retreated into obscurity and migrated east of Veliky Novgorod.

It so happened that Ingvar's descendants never embraced Christianity, which allowed them to maintain their magical abilities, and this branch of Svarog's lineage that diverged from Hrërik escaped the curse that Russian soil imposed upon the descendants of Vladimir who renounced their ancestral faith.

And behold, as Venenzo, the most devout and fanatic believer in Lord-Me, frowned at my words and explanations about the genealogy of the future emperor, whom I intend to appoint to this position, he realized that he needed to soften his attitude towards this reasonable person. "Do not frown, Venenzo," I said. "What did I command my people to do in the first place? Honour the memory of their parents and ancestors. Nothing is more terrible than betraying one's own blood."

Vladimir Svyatoslavovich had betrayed his very root, his origin, by rejecting faith and denying the existence of the Orthodox deities. There was no need for Venenzo to look at me with such skepticism; they truly existed and were deities, but they came from a different branch of the universe, unlike me who was born here.

I had truly managed to surprise him now.

Venenzo, I had previously enlightened you on the subject of the numerous divine beings that have inhabited our world for quite some time, and I cannot fathom how you could have forgotten it.

Alas, Venenzo reddened and responded to my accusation with evident embarrassment in his tone.

"When this topic was broached in one of our discussions, I regarded you as a master magician, unaware of your true nature. I assumed that what you had told me earlier was merely a diversion and reluctance to reveal your true self, hence your need to uphold the image of a knowledgeable magician and adhere to their theological perspective."

Venenzo, every answer I have given, every word I have spoken about my thoughts, feelings, and other matters, has always been genuine and honest. I do not lie, not even when it might spare me momentary difficulties. Truth, however bitter, is preferable to sweet deception.

I apologize, my lord.

My old friend confided in me, who still holds a two-dimensional view of me. He remains unable to reconcile the image of the Almighty Lord revered in his heart with the humble being he knew for over a century, and only upon his death did he learn of my divine status and recognize in me his Lord. I did not attempt to dissuade him, but rather allowed him to acknowledge and affirm my divinity. These are two distinct realms. The evidence before him is irrefutable — I am indeed his true God.

Nevertheless, in his mind's eye, he envisioned me quite differently, perceiving me as an enigmatic entity responsible for creating all that surrounds him. Alas, his hopes were dashed, and his perception was deeply wounded.

I was certain of His devotion, yet there exists an inextricable bond between Venenzo and the celestial realm, which I severed in order to facilitate communication regardless of our location and provide him with a conduit through which he could access the infinite radiance of my essence. This connection is so strong that it prevents him from even contemplating such thoughts, for the egregor continually translates my reverence into his very being.

Thus, he experiences a discord, his emotions wavering in the presence of my true self, yet his mind refuses to reconcile the two facets of my identity — the one he has created in his imagination and the one I truly am.

I forgive you, of course. Now, turning to my candidate for the throne of the Russian Empire and the succession to the Japanese throne.

Jaromir joined our order when he was twelve. It so happens that in his ancestral homeland, during Napoleon's invasion with his army, there was internal strife among the magical princely houses, and it just so happened that Yaropolk's house, from which Jaromir hailed, unfortunately found itself in the way of the alliance of the most powerful magical dynasties then living in Russia, including the descendants of Gothic princes and the Kochubei, as well as other branches of Temuchin's family. As a result of this, only a young Yaroslav of the Kholmogors survived, managing to flee magical Russia, and it was a marvel that he caught the attention of one of our witchers while passing through Poland, stopping in a small town where he encountered the last remaining member of the Hrerik branch of the Kholmogorsk family.. Yaropolk Kholmogorov, now well into his second century, possesses the strength of a common craftsman, remains unmarried, and harbors a desire to exact retribution upon the perpetrators of his kin's wrongdoing in Russia. He would be elated to assume the regal mantle, which would empower him to mete out justice to all his blood foes, without lifting a single finger. This act would effectively declare their transgressions against his lineage, rendering them no longer worthy of his presence, even as an emperor.

Upon this declaration, these erstwhile adversaries would find themselves banished from Russian soil, their very existence becoming a source of ignominy. Failures would descend upon them like a relentless deluge, while their fortunes would turn as erratic as fickle springs. Ultimately, they would be compelled to abandon their cherished homes and seek refuge elsewhere, preferably in distant lands far removed from Russia's shores.

In the realm of magical worldview, the boundaries of the Russian nation extend from the mundane borders with Germany in the west, reaching as far as the Urals when viewed from east to west. From the Arctic Ocean in the north, they extend to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea in the south, encompassing a vast expanse along the same latitude, stretching from north to south across the Ural mountains.

This is because the contemporary Russians are the descendants of the Slavs, who in turn are heirs to Svarog, the progenitor of the Cimmerians. These two peoples, along with the Cro-Magnon and Aryan populations, once inhabited and roamed these very territories.

Indeed, I have never had occasion to act as a matchmaker. However, things have turned out splendidly. Among my vassals and subordinates, in the realm where I still reign as a lord, there exists a contender who holds the most significant claim to the regal throne of all Rus, and yes, titles such as king, tsar, and emperor are mere trappings, mere sets of letters devoid of true significance. But prince, lord, and king/leader are genuine titles bestowed upon one by the very fabric of the world. A prince acknowledged by the world is the rightful owner of vast lands imbued with magical power, perhaps even more than one.

However, the Lords differ from one another; in one instance, this appellation bears a similar meaning to that of a Prince, albeit on a smaller scale. The territories under their control are hundreds of times more modest, and while a Prince may not be subject to any feudal obligations, a Lord can readily be bound to such obligations. There is also a singular figure known as the Dark Lord for a specific period, while there may exist multiple Light Lords, although not an excessive number. The maximum number of concurrent Light Lords in a given era was three, with two of them being twin brothers.

The King, or the Leader, stands at the apex of a community recognized by the world, vested with the authority to guide and lead. Unlike those who may possess landholdings, the King may not necessarily have a personal domain, but his right and ability to command and guide the people who have chosen him, establishing him as their guarantor and witness before the wider world, is undeniable.

The intricacies of this position are profound, with the mystical title itself carrying immense complexity. The power that flows from the Leader to his people is difficult to fully comprehend, as it is inherently unique and specific to each instance. Attempts to systematize this power in a rigid definition prove futile, for it remains an elusive and nuanced concept.

In general, I possess a splendid groom with an illustrious lineage of noble blood. Were one to delve into the depths of history, one would discover that he is a paragon, for all of his family's wealth was securely entrusted to a spatial nexus. No one, save Jaromir, can access this realm while he lives, ensuring the safety of all his ancestors' acquisitions.

Jaromir is a powerful individual with immense potential, which will likely lead him to become the Archmage of several magical schools within the next few centuries. However, there is a surprising twist: I have arranged for three princesses to lose their relatives and companions today, leaving Jaromir with no choice but to assume the responsibilities I have prepared for him.

The final step is to place the Orthodox Synod in a position akin to a stag in a hunting scene, around which tomorrow will commence a dance of tambourines by those Romanovs who still harbor illusory aspirations to claim the Russian throne.

It remains to persuade the Russian Patriarch of the merits of Jaromir as the ideal candidate for anointment on the imperial throne, and to dispel the notion that polygamy is a sin. My friend's demeanor was one of cheerful anticipation, his gaze brimming with mischief. Evidently, he had already envisioned how he would challenge the worldviews and the very foundations of the highest echelons of the Orthodox Church.

"Well, I suppose I could manage this task," he said. "But I take it you haven't yet had the opportunity to meet with any of the Patriarchs, have you?"

Alas, no, my lord. They diligently evade such encounters, and emphatically reject my proposal to arrange a meeting between the leaders of the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Well, the rationale behind their actions is quite clear. These individuals are well aware that if such an encounter were to occur and they were all brought to the attention of the Vicar, many of them would not survive the ordeal. It is no secret that the Pope possesses the divine ability to wither the souls of sinners with his gaze. They are acutely aware of the consequences of drawing his attention.

Oh, yes, I must clarify something. I cannot recall the exact year, but during the first quarter of the eighteenth century, until the Bolsheviks assumed power, the Russian Orthodox Church in my alternative reality was governed by a synodal council composed of the highest and most authoritative members of the clergy.

In this reality, things were slightly different. I do not know if this was due to Napoleon Flamel's involvement in the invasion of Russia, or if there were other factors at play, but in this reality, Moscow never burned down, and this achievement was credited to Metropolitan Job of Kazan. He was subsequently elected the first patriarch after nearly a century of his absence from Russia, dating back to the time of Peter the Great's abolition of this title.

Although Petya may have been an idiot in matters of family, state, and patriotism, he was a true patriot and an exceptionally capable figure.. Upon assuming the reins of government, the emperor encountered fierce opposition from the clergy to his autocratic reforms within the Russian state. This left him with no alternative but to sever the ties between this religious institution and the state. Once the Holy Synod assumed control over the Russian Orthodox Church, Peter could breathe a sigh of relief. Instead of opposing him as a unified front, they engaged in internal strife, often taking months to reach a consensus on even minor matters.

The power structure within the Russian Orthodox Church now resembled a constitutional monarchy, with the Holy Synod functioning alongside the Patriarch and his office. The Synod was responsible for reviewing, adopting, and enacting regulations, laws, and other decrees. However, the Patriarch retained the authority to veto decisions and could also submit proposals and issues to the Synod for consideration. The Patriarchy itself acted as an executive body, with its primacy being hereditary.

When the patriarch deems it appropriate to retire, he presents the candidacy of his successor to the Synodal Council for consideration. Should the senior clergy members of the council not have compelling reasons supported by evidence to reject the nomination, the newly elected patriarch is then appointed.

Upon assuming this role, the patriarch drafts a document recording the name of the newly chosen candidate, which is kept confidential for contingencies. Such measures are taken to ensure preparedness in case of an unexpected demise of the patriarch.

"Who is the patriarch in Russia now?" I inquired.

"Tikhon, Vladyka," he replied. "A most worthy man! Like me, he previously led an Orthodox monastic order that protects Russian soil from evil spirits even today."

With these words, he opened a portal from my office in Rome to his chambers in Moscow, the religious capital of Russia where the patriarchate and holy synodal council convened. The question of who was the patriarch of the Russian empire was merely a pretext to elevate the significance of the occasion and flatter his ego. Everyone, no matter how they perceive themselves, is susceptible to narcissism, albeit to varying degrees. The current pope took great pleasure in knowing and conversing with "his" god personally, while the latter was unaware of the name of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

However, this was not the case at all. Ever since I acquired materialistic delusions, they have inundated all the major royal courts and governments, permeating all the power structures of the world. Thus, I now possess a vast amount of knowledge.

*******

We arrived with special effects, naturally. It is imperative to dot all the i's immediately to save time. To Patriarch Tikhon and his two guests, who were currently being hosted in his office, what was happening at that moment appeared as follows.

From the red corner where the icon of divine matter was situated, a pure, snow-white radiance began to emanate. The radiance did not dazzle, yet, as one gazed at the expanding source of light, it was impossible to discern anything beyond it. And when the radiance had reached a respectable size, a figure clad in shining armor, with three pairs of snow-white angelic wings fluttering behind its back, and, for added effect, a golden halo adorning its head, appeared. A second figure materialized behind it, which Patriarch Tikhon and his guests recognised as the current and infamous Pope, Conan II.

For a moment, there was an oppressive silence, broken only by the overwhelming presence of divine power that my appearance exerted on an unprepared audience, as I generously projected my aura into the realm of the One. However, this silence was shattered by Venenzo's words, which, like a pebble tossed into a crystal, shattered the tranquility into a thousand fragments.

"A sinner," the voice of the Pope resonated, utterly unperturbed, as he emerged from his trance, under the influence of his own gift. His gaze fell upon the head of the Secretariat, and the unclean right hand of Patriarch Tikhon — a man with the blackest of souls, engaged in the most abhorrent acts behind closed doors, and to my utmost disgust, a malicious pedophile.

At least once in their lives, they have served a good cause, becoming a significant force in the form of a small heap of ashes, after they have been consumed by the divine flame, setting the mood for others before difficult conversations. Thus, one can see how Orthodox hierarchs may suppress their anger and arrogance when confronted by their elders.

My name is Svyatozar, and I serve as the supreme commander of the Lord's army in this realm. And I speak the truth! The entire army of the Almighty, which I now represent, consists only of me and my subjects. The fact that I portrayed myself as an angel proved too much for the local clerics. Watching Tikhon tremble with emotion, as if he had not been drained of it just now, I realized that his heart was already racing, and his mind was abuzz with delight, wonder, and awe.

This is a wedding that I have already prepared for miracles, as the Orthodox world does not often witness such obvious manifestations of the Lord's attention.

It is the Catholics who enjoy the favor of heaven, making it a challenge for Orthodox clergy, requiring considerable effort to prevent sordid conversations from taking root among parishioners. How ironic, then, that we, the most orthodox of Christians, find ourselves in such a predicament. If miracles exist, they seem to favor the Catholics.

Such was the case when Tikhon prostrated himself before me, reaching out for my hand, his mind consumed by an unbearable longing to press his lips against it. Alas, such happiness is not something we can afford.

Arise, Tikhon, and do not prostrate yourself before anyone. How have Rome and the Greeks corrupted the teachings of Christ, transforming a blessed form of earthly existence into servitude and self-consciousness? Man was created in the image and likeness of God! Do you truly believe that He would find pleasure in the sight of His own children prostrating themselves before others? Worship and servility are not one and the same!

But you are... You are... An angel!

Yet another zealot on my hands, yet how gratifying it is that I am gradually influencing the young man's perspective, guiding him towards a more mature state of mind.

— And what of it? I am a creature of the Almighty like yourself, and although there may be a vast chasm between us in your estimation, to the Almighty it is but a mere trifle, and in His eyes we are all one in our essence, for He created us all. But that is not why I am here.

If you are so inclined towards theological inquiries and seek to understand the Almighty's vision for us, then that is a pursuit best left to Conan II. My purpose here is to establish the rightful heir to Rurik on the throne of the Russian Empire.

And as I spoke, I unveiled a portion of my aura, imbuing that portion of the One with its essence and deploying it to encompass all the members of the clergy present in the edifice, with particular focus on Patriarch Tikhon and Metropolitan of Moscow, the fourth individual who remained with us in the chamber, still unable to disengage from the grace I had bestowed upon everyone at the moment they arrived.

Now, everyone within a kilometer of me sensed, not merely with their bodies, but with their souls, the intensity of their being the object of the closest scrutiny of a superior power that meticulously yet irresistibly delved into the inner workings of each individual. As a consequence, I was now cognizant of the transgressions of every rational being within the Patriarchal realm.

And I shall tell you that there is no less turmoil here than in the Vatican prior to the arrival of the resurrected Venerable. Might Tikhon also bestow such gifts at a wedding? And upon reflecting deeply upon myself, the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church became suddenly pale. What concerns him? His karma is in order, and he rightfully occupies his position.

Well, well... If one wishes to live in beauty and comfort, one must not only be able to destroy what is objectionable, but also create. It seems my destiny is to bring order to the religion of this world and harmonize it. Only then shall I be able to lead a tranquil family life!