Chapter 1239: An Inescapable Dilemma
At first, I wanted to refute Via’s statement, specifically her absurd ideas about Arianism. However, the more I thought about it, the more I felt that Older Brother Jayad truly might be the most suitable candidate for a god.
His performance in every aspect met the Arianism sect’s requirements, perhaps even perfectly. While others might strategize how to meet an interviewer’s expectations before an interview, Older Brother Jayad gave me the impression that if he wasn’t chosen, the interviewer must have a screw loose.
“That’s not right. Why do you sound like you’re defending Lorna? Do you also want Older Brother Jayad to become that darned god? Quick, help me find a way to refuse that initiation ritual,” I said anxiously.
“But, Parul (Sister), don’t you want to give it a try? Letting Big Brother become a god is an opportunity many dream of but cannot obtain. Once he joins Arianism, he will certainly be their most valued successor. Even if he doesn’t succeed in becoming a god, at least he can become a living saint with the power of the Holy Spirit, and Arius won’t easily let him die,” Via persuaded.
For a moment, I was tempted, but reason quickly suppressed the impulse. These were all just hypotheticals. No matter how much Via and I analyzed, our subjective will influenced our thoughts. Simply put, love is blind.
We were too optimistic about Older Brother Jayad, and we were viewing things too favorably. Arianism might indeed offer a lot of resources, but on the flip side, we couldn’t forget that they were considered heretics by everyone.
Even if he were to become a living saint, Older Brother Jayad’s destiny would be tied to Arianism. In the future, he would have to risk his life for the sect, which was completely different from the quiet life I had imagined.
“No, the risk is too great. We can’t let Brother become a guinea pig. We must find a way to sabotage this interview and make them give up on recruiting Older Brother Jayad,” I reiterated my decision.
“But is it really that easy? The elders of Arianism have already learned about Big Brother’s talent from Lorna. They won’t let him go easily. Such a talented individual, if they can’t have him…” Via trailed off.
“They’ll want to kill Older Brother Jayad?!” I suddenly realized. That was right; the biggest problem now was that they already knew about Older Brother Jayad’s talent.
It was normal thinking for such a powerful talent; if they couldn’t have him, they wouldn’t want anyone else to. Given Older Brother Jayad’s abilities, he would be welcomed by any sect he joined, and his presence would undoubtedly bring immense prestige to that sect.
The various branches of Christianity were almost at each other’s throats. Proof of one’s own correctness was a devastating blow to the beliefs of other sects. They might not tolerate Older Brother Jayad.
Furthermore, Lorna had even told us the name of Arianism. Their rules stated that the sect’s name would only be revealed after joining, and possibly only after being taught their doctrines and having their character assessed and approved.
For such heretics, letting outsiders know their identity was a taboo. Lorna likely already believed Older Brother Jayad was qualified to join, which was why she revealed it directly.
However, now we knew too much. If he didn’t join, they might try to silence us.
“Even if they don’t assassinate him, they could use other methods, such as forcibly infusing Big Brother with Holy Spirit power. They only need to prove that mortals can become gods, and they wouldn’t care if Older Brother’s body could withstand it,” Via added.
“Besides, Big Brother is too soft-hearted. Can he really oppose Lorna? If we turn against Arianism, it means Lorna will become our enemy, right?”
After hearing this, I found myself in a dilemma. Already having to oppose Albrisque was troublesome enough; adding another enemy was certainly not a wise choice.
Moreover, Lorna knew too much. She knew a lot about both me and Older Brother Jayad. If we became her enemy, we might even have to abandon this villa, where we had been living so comfortably.
The factory business had just begun, and now was definitely not a good time to turn against Arianism.
What should I do? As I was feeling troubled, the sound of the door opening downstairs signaled Older Brother Jayad’s return. I couldn’t add to his worries, so with that thought, I forced a smile and went to the living room to greet him.
“Parul, I’m back. Hmm? Is something bothering you? You’re smiling so unconvincingly.” Unexpectedly, Older Brother Jayad saw through my feigned composure as soon as he entered.
“N-nothing, it’s just that I encountered a small setback while researching potions,” I quickly explained. Until I made a final decision, I didn’t want to tell Older Brother Jayad to avoid causing him unnecessary worry.
“I see. For a troubled Parul, I have a small gift for you, and it’s something Parul wants,” Older Brother Jayad suddenly said.
“Hmm?” I looked at Older Brother Jayad in confusion. Why was he suddenly giving me a gift, and saying it was something I wanted? I hadn’t particularly wanted anything recently.
“Ta-da! An invitation to the City Lord’s banquet. I got another one. This way, Parul can attend the banquet with me and be my dance partner. Are you happy?” Older Brother Jayad presented two identical invitations.
“Eh?!” I looked at the invitations in Older Brother Jayad’s hand in surprise. For a moment, I had forgotten about my worries. “How did you get another one?”
“Safah gave it to me. He originally gave me two and asked me to attend the banquet with him and act as his bodyguard. The other one was for me to bring a female companion. I told him I already had one and only needed one to bring my sister, so he readily agreed,” Older Brother Jayad explained.
“Hmm? He said for you to bring a female companion?” I asked doubtfully. I could understand bringing a bodyguard to a banquet, but did a bodyguard need to bring a female companion?
“Yes, is there a problem?” Although Older Brother Jayad’s knowledge was gradually increasing, he still lacked understanding of some upper-class customs. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with Safah asking him to bring a female companion.
“Did you proactively suggest bringing me? What was Safah’s reaction then?” I asked again.
“I suggested it. Safah seemed quite happy then and even said that if you didn’t have formal wear, he could provide a set,” Older Brother Jayad’s expression gradually cleared. He lacked experience and exposure, but he wasn’t foolish.
With my prompting, he realized that Safah’s intention wasn’t just to have him as a bodyguard; the real purpose was for me to go. However, since Older Brother Jayad proactively suggested it, it suited Safah just fine.
