The dark night sanctuary’s priest clearly never anticipated that this dream would have other occupants besides himself. He immediately took a step back, eyeing the suddenly appearing Bernice with caution.
The nun before him was dressed completely differently from the nuns on the Solun Continent. Not only was her attire more form-fitting, but it also allowed for greater mobility. It was evident that she was not an ordinary nun from a common sect, but a member of the crew, a cleric from another continent.
Moreover, this priest could see a similar temperament in her eyes, suggesting that she was a fanatic, the kind willing to devote everything to God. However, while her gaze revealed madness, it also hinted at another layer of rationality, a blend that did not conflict with the madness.
“When did you come in?”
Although the priest was trying to maintain control over the mask on his face, the mask still displayed an expression of fear.
“When? I’ve been here all along.”
Bernice said carelessly, and at some point, a long bench appeared behind her, allowing her to sit down gracefully.
She placed the lantern on the bench, crossed her arms under her head, and said, “As for you, barging into someone else’s dream without even knocking, that’s just rude.”
The dark night sanctuary’s priest kept backing away, adjusting the mask on his face and said, “No, it’s impossible! Other than us, no one should be able to touch the dream. Who are you? Why can you use our secret arts?”
“Your secret arts?”
Bernice leaned back, crossed her legs, furrowed her brows slightly, and said, “This is the authority given to humanity by the Goddess. You’ve only scratched the surface, yet dare to claim it as your secret arts?”
“No!”
It seemed that since this involved religious matters, the priest’s aura surged uncontrollably, as he said, “The light of the Morning Star is the only brilliance that can pierce through dreams! Following the guidance of the Great Will, we will allow everyone to attain eternal enlightenment and happiness. Why should you heretics be able to gain guidance into dreams?”
Seeing the crazed yet fearful priest before her, Bernice spoke with a hint of pity, “It appears your understanding of dreams is limited to this. However, I’m quite curious about how you entered someone else’s dream. Since you’re here, why don’t you stay a while? Sit and talk with me.”
With a wave of her hand, a similar long bench appeared behind the priest as well. But the priest adjusted his mask again and said, “No need. I’m not interested in chatting with heretics. Anyway, we will eventually meet again in the Eternal Night; it’s not too late to chat then.”
Upon finishing, the priest raised his hands high, the expression on the mask morphed into a sinister grin, and he said, “Good night, nun of the empire, and national master of Castile. We will meet again soon!”
“……”
There was silence for a moment, and the priest remained frozen in place, awkwardly still holding his hands up.
The priest glanced at the mocking expression on Bernice’s face, then looked at the silent gray robe, and raised his hands again, saying, “Goodbye!”
Still, there was only silence, and the priest remained awkwardly in place. Yet he did not give up, raising his hands once more and shouting, “Great Morning Star, your follower prays here, seeking your guidance to break through the illusions of dreams, directing me on the path of spiritual return!”
Seeing there was still no response, Bernice snapped her fingers, and the scene transformed into a solemn church, saying, “Why don’t you try praying here? Oh, my bad, I forgot this is the Goddess’s church. Praying to your God might indeed go unanswered, so why not try praying to our Goddess?”
At this moment, the priest finally realized the seriousness of the situation. Fear crept up like a venomous snake through his bones to his mind. He wanted to leave the dream but found that it was like a viscous quagmire trapping him securely. His breath suddenly stilled, his heart raced, and cold sweat broke through his confidence like needles.
It was then that the priest realized he had just been breathing in the dream, sweating in the dream, feeling his heartbeat in the dream.
Looking up, he noticed the church built within this dream. It was far too magnificent, and the details were overwhelmingly rich, nothing like the setting he had faced when threatening Garcia, which had barely a long table. This was not the kind of detail richness that could be created by a single person’s dream; it could not even be called a dream anymore; it had become another reality.
In contrast, the dream created by the dark night sanctuary was like a foggy illusion, with not just a long table but also indistinct details that were difficult to discern.
This was an absolute gap in power. The priest wanted to open his mouth but found he couldn’t make a sound. At this moment, he discovered that everything in this dream was already under the control of the nun before him.
Bernice remained seated on the bench, legs crossed, picked up the nearby lantern, and looked at the shadow priest. In his eyes, Bernice’s figure grew infinitely tall, and he found himself inexplicably prostrated on the ground. He could even see her exquisite, light-reflecting black leather boots beneath her nun’s robe.
This priest felt that the nun’s gaze pierced through him, deep as an abyss, cold and unfeeling, as if she intended to peel away his existence, layer by layer, from soul to consciousness.
In that instant, the scene shifted, everyone finding themselves before the grand entrance of the Northern Border Church Cathedral. Looking at the holy and majestic cathedral before them, with the distant, ever-expanding, towering obelisk, the priest’s psychological defenses collapsed in that moment. Both the Solun Continent and the dark night sanctuary were far too backward. He had witnessed true knowledge, true divinity.
He felt as if his past had been lived in ignorance, and now, he finally saw the true God. The priest continually reached out his hands toward the cathedral, as if yearning for something.
Still seated on the bench, Bernice said, “You have one last chance: accept the Goddess’s baptism and become a member of the empire, or be kicked back like a wild dog.”
“Alright, make your choice.”
Looking at her condescendingly disdainful gaze, the priest, after a few rapid breaths, took off the mask from his face and said, “Then there’s only one answer.”
The priest gasped, bursting into wild laughter and held the black and white mask tightly before forcefully breaking it in half:
“Dark Night Sanctuary, Lavian will pledge loyalty to you.”
“Not loyalty to me.”
Bernice corrected, “It is loyalty to the Goddess and Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“Yes, for the Goddess and Your Majesty the Emperor.”
At this moment, the priest named Lavian had fully awakened, his face dripping with sweat, an expression of fear mixed with excitement and yearning.
“Very well, I, on behalf of the Goddess, permit you to atone for your past sins through your actions.”
Bernice stood up, and beams of light from the lantern entered the shadow priest’s body, completing the baptism and initiation ceremony for the dark night sanctuary priest within the dream.
The gray robe beside them had already found a spot in the church to sit down. It was as if this were his dream, wasn’t it?
