Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 357 Blasphemy
In the end, however, the bishop of Heim stopped and did not press the matter further, as if he were giving way and saving face.

“What’s so strange about it? The God of Justice is the main faith in Neverwinter, and the prestige and influence of the Temple of Justice cannot be underestimated. If things really come to this, the Church of Helms will not gain anything either. It’s better for both sides to compromise.”

Barras, who had some understanding of the situation in Winterless City, casually explained.

"Where does the Church of the Helmet benefit?"

"For the temple, reputation is the greatest interest."

So that's how it is. Zhang Yuan roughly understood the underlying exchange of interests behind the concessions made by both sides.

The fact that the Church of Heim has a traitor colluding with a cult is undoubtedly a scandal. Even if it has conducted a self-examination and purge, it is hard to say how credible it is in the eyes of outsiders.

While the Church of Totir could certainly muddy the waters, it would be a last resort and a desperate measure. It would be better to back down and force them to accept the situation, using the credibility of the Temple of Justice to cleanse themselves of their own stains.

Both sides stopped short of each other, seemingly without suffering any losses. In reality, the Temple of Justice, which was originally a high and mighty arbitrator, was forced to enter the arena. Even if it didn't get splattered with mud, it no longer held that status.

It's easy to imagine what fate awaits this culprit who dragged the church into this mess. He may not face severe punishment, since it wasn't exactly a heinous crime, but he will inevitably have to pay the price for his impulsiveness and political naiveté.

Vanswick's future at the Church of Tyre is probably not very optimistic.

"What a pity, he was such an honest person."

Master Zhang feigned regret.

"Really? But why do I see schadenfreude and a hint of shameful glee in your eyes?"

Barras feigned confusion and asked, then added:
"Of course, it could also be that I'm getting old and my eyesight is failing, so don't worry about it too much."

"..."

On the other hand, no matter how much he twisted and struggled, Fandral was still bound and brought to the statue of Heim. The arms of the paladins behind him were as hard as steel, pressing him down to his knees.

Terrified, Fandral didn't even have time to utter a coherent sentence before the eye on the idol's mask stared at him.

In an instant, the former pastor's body stiffened and remained motionless, with only his eyes standing out blankly like those of a dead fish.

Heim's method was more direct than Tyr's. The light from his pupils enveloped Fandral's entire body, making his originally solid body appear somewhat transparent and hazy under the illumination of this clear light, like the frosted glass in a bathroom, through which one could vaguely see something, yet not clearly.

However, in the face of the eternal vigilant's means of directly observing the spiritual essence through the flesh and blood, vision is not so important.

Stripped of his disguise, with no room left to hide, Fandral exposed the naked essence of his soul, revealing the protective power of the Helm's God familiar to the Church of Heim, but deeper within, it seemed to contain something else entirely. That sinister, deathly aura faintly conveyed a decaying, corrupt spirituality, which, without much thought, could be deduced to be a gift from that old lich—Veshalon.
The dark red glow, resembling blood, flickered in and out, seemingly a result of the entanglement and combination of blood sacrifice and the lower planes.
In addition, there is another power, which is gray in color and wriggles and coils like a long snake, occasionally engulfing the negative power of the necromancy system, trying its best to appear as a dark and seemingly harmless energy.

The evidence was conclusive, and the charges of Fandral's collusion with the cult were irrefutable. Even though many other crimes had been uncovered before, the resentment of being deceived and betrayed still filled his heart when the final verdict was reached.

Unlike the excited paladins, the two bishops' expressions changed drastically upon seeing the gray, writhing spiritual substance, their composure vanishing almost instantly.

Watching that gray mass still struggling to conceal itself and the other essential forces within Fandral's spirit body under the gaze of Heim's Eye, Dumar's face was terribly grim, and he gritted his teeth, uttering a single word:
"Blasphemy against the priest!"

He Lang, who had been observing coldly from a distance, was now also experiencing a series of changing expressions, a mixture of disgust, anger, and vigilance.

The rest of the crowd, whose perception and knowledge could not compare with those of the two bishops, all changed their expressions upon hearing the word "blasphemy against the priest" and understanding its meaning.

Even the archmage Balas's face became unusually solemn.

Ok?
Zhang Yuan also tried hard to search his mind for information about the blasphemous priest, but there was very little. He swam in the long river of memory until he traced back to his past life and caught a few small fish that he had missed.

The Profane Priest, an extremely niche and even sinister profession, was only discovered in fragments during that information-saturated era, through lengthy and tedious setting books or even fan-created works.

Just as the word "priest" in its name suggests, it is indeed a clergy profession, but one that almost no god is willing to accept.

No, it's not just unwillingness to accept it; it's downright hatred.

Normal clergy receive their power through faith in a particular deity, such as priests or chosen ones;
Or perhaps they place their faith in some great being, such as a demon priest;

Furthermore, there is a strong belief in certain rules and order. For example, some branches of Druids do not worship Sylvanas, the father of oak trees, or Sentia, the mother of earth, but choose to follow the natural way passed down from ancient times. However, such clergy are becoming increasingly rare and are no longer the mainstream.

Regardless of the type, they all follow a basic set of rules: exchanging power for acts of faith or confidence. Only the blasphemous priest bypasses this exchange process entirely.

They stole it!
This is why this profession is so hated by the gods. Divine power is such a precious thing that it cannot be squandered. The principle of living within one's means applies, and every penny is carefully planned by them.

The general public goes without saying; most of them are not particularly devout in their faith. After exchanging their tickets to the Kingdom of God after death, they have little left. However, their sheer numbers make up the majority of their income from faith.

As for the clergy, they naturally receive divine blessings while making greater contributions to their faith, but of course, the rewards are always discounted.

After all, even the big bosses need to make a living, so isn't it normal for them to take kickbacks?
But the blasphemous priest just comes along and gets something for nothing. How can anyone stand that?
Master Zhang had no way of knowing the specific methods used, but in terms of the consequences, they were indeed extremely serious, no wonder the gods were furious.

Thank you Eric Jin for the monthly pass!
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(End of this chapter)