Ice Vapor Goddess

Chapter 77 Si Men
The tranquility of Speyside was shattered by the roar of machinery at dawn as handcarts came to a stop at the train station outside the city.

The searchlights on the city wall suddenly illuminated the city gate, where thousands of refugees gathered, gazing and hoping.

The soldiers quickly used a megaphone to ask the governor for his opinion. After a moment of silence, the governor repeatedly asked "several thousand people" twice before replying, "You can open the gate."

The soldiers were somewhat surprised, but then obediently opened the gate.

A few people were eager to ask if they could go to the city gate to check the city fees, but when they saw that everyone's clothes were embroidered with the Messiah cross, they gave up this bold idea.

After ending the call, Ryan remained silent for a long time before letting out a helpless sigh. This time it wasn't that he didn't want to do it, but rather that the other party was just too lucky.

Upon hearing the Duke of Hastings mention the refugees, he dispatched a small guard to search for any trace of them in the vicinity and also began preparing to welcome them with hot soup and firewood.

Unfortunately, Xilun found them first.

Aldridge and the others carried goods along the freight route in carts to St. Coust, while Siron and Green led the refugees into the church.

The news of a large influx of refugees into the city could not be kept secret. Soldiers on duty, snow-sweeping workers, people knocking on windows in the morning, and plumbers quickly spread the news through various channels.

The managers, having heard the news, are sending people on their way—the Speyer was designed to accommodate 80,000 people, so there are some staff shortages in various positions.

As for their mistreatment of workers, it was entirely out of habit, and most managers of this era believed that providing a better living environment for the lower classes would only encourage their laziness, violence, and discontent.

However, Siren led the people directly into the church, then closed the doors. Joseph stood solemnly at the door, carrying the "Sacred Judgment VII" that had just been rescued from the train on his back.

The church chairs have been replaced. During Siron's absence, Sam and his apprentices worked overtime to make a batch of wooden benches.

Speyside was in dire need of wood—one of the few things the city lacked—so many commoners would go out of town to cut down trees when they were not working and then haul them back by sled.

If you look closely at the wood on the chair, you can see many names, all of which are the names of the civilians who participated in cutting down the tree and making the chair. Sam carefully carved them all on the wood.

The refugees sat awkwardly in chairs, while some who couldn't fit squeezed onto the floor.

Green walked among the people, comforting the refugees, calming them down, and telling them, "The bishop is preparing supplies for you, please wait a little while."

Thanks to the kindness and prestige established along the way, the refugees' emotions are relatively stable. However, some of their relatives are still on the carts, and they keep asking where they will be taken and when they will be able to see them again.

Xilun waited anxiously in the side corridor.

Ryan hadn't anticipated this group of refugees, but neither had he.

The red mercury was re-injected into the reactor of the Holy Treasury, the door opened with a roar, and after the supplies were returned to the Holy Treasury, people quickly went to their respective posts, and the entire church structure began to operate at high speed.

Mathilde walked into the Gospel Church headquarters on the sixth basement level, and everyone was startled. It seemed that this director was different. She exuded a strong aura, and something bright red was surging under her skin.

"All those who are not in a position, bring firewood and pots to the cathedral. We need to cook for three thousand refugees!"

"Hello? Aldridge, this is the Evangelical Fellowship. Send all the knights who haven't started their apprenticeships over there to move things. Do we have enough housing? Two thousand one hundred rooms? That's enough. Take all the keys to the cathedral, and bring the food too... Daily necessities? No need, we'll distribute them door-to-door later."

Kyle and several other knights took the more than one hundred wounded to a surface hospital, which he had notified in advance. Several doctors were there on high alert.

Upon hearing the news, the Duke of Hastings rushed to the cathedral, only to be stopped at the door by Joseph.

"Move aside, Gatekeeper," he said with displeasure, his words carrying the unyielding authority of someone who had long held power.

“I’m sorry,” Joseph said humbly. “The bishop is holding an important Mass inside, and no unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter. I will inform you when it is over.”

If he were here in the past, even if he didn't agree, he would probably try his best to appease and please the Duke to avoid being dragged into the conflict between the two important figures.

But now he stands with his head bowed, his tone humble, his manner gentle, yet he remains steadfast and unmoving.

Duke Hastings narrowed his eyes.

“These are all my people,” he said. “I have the right to check on their safety.”

“There is only the Lamb of the Lord in here,” Joseph said, making the sign of the cross. “Listen, Lord Gatekeeper—” the Duke emphasized, “I am not here to cause trouble, but simply to check on the situation of my people.”

Joseph shook his head: "Your territory is gone. Under the church, we are all God's subjects."

Duke Hastings took a deep breath: "They may not recognize me as their lord, but I am still responsible for them."

Joseph looked up at him and asked, "Are you a believer?"

"I'm."

"Are you devout?" he asked again.

“Very devout,” he said. “I donate thousands of pounds to the church every year.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Joseph shook his head. “Which do you consider to have a higher priority: your jurisdiction over the people or the church’s?”

Duke Hastings was silent for a moment: “At least for now, I acknowledge the Church’s priority jurisdiction.”

Joseph nodded.

“If you have a heart that reveres God, then please go in as a believer,” he said. “You alone.”

The guards following behind him looked angry, but Duke Hastings stopped them: "My daughter and I, is that alright?"

Joseph glanced at Cecilia beside him: "Yes, I think this will be a significant life experience for a young lady."

Soon after, several messengers from the administrators arrived and went straight to the door, only to find that Joseph had no intention of opening it at all. They pressed their noses against the oak, but Joseph did not budge.

"Hey! Open the door!" they shouted.

“I’m sorry, the bishop is holding Mass inside and is not allowing outsiders in at the moment,” he said humbly.

"I am an envoy of Sir Taylor/Earl Augures/Sir Howard!" a large group of people announced their masters.

“I’m sorry, we are not accepting outsiders at the moment,” Joseph repeated.

“Listen, Archbishop, we are here on the orders of the noble ladies and gentlemen to provide good jobs for those refugees. If you stop us, what will the bishop do if he blames you later? Can you bear that responsibility?” someone said.

"Are you believers?" he asked.

Those people all nodded in agreement.

"Are you devout?" he asked again.

People nodded again, regardless of their piety, and went inside first.

Joseph pulled the safety and raised his rifle: "You may not know, but I once fired a shot at the bishop, and that wound later became a holy wound."

People backed away in fear.

Joseph gave a humble smile: "If you are all devout believers, then let me fire the shot—let God decide your fate."

　I slightly modified the part about the descent. My original intention was that even gods are powerless in the face of extreme cold and invasion (because the current situation is the best that gods can maintain, and weakness was also mentioned), so it's better to do something else than spend time here. The protagonist doesn't need help here yet.

　　Moreover, once he descends, people will develop a habit of expecting to be saved by a god instead of finding their own solutions. They will pray for the arrival of a just and upright official whenever something happens, which is detrimental to the protagonist's plans.

　　However, I didn't explain it clearly. My old problem is that I tend to postpone the reasons for some characters' actions, but I can't achieve the kind of plot twist that Snape had. Also, I often forget whether I've written some reasons to the readers.

　　The same reason why Renne insisted on eliminating the church was that he had witnessed priests helping the corrupt emperor and old nobles incite the people to support the monarchy in his early years. Therefore, he believed that the church was corrupt from a very progressive standpoint and also had psychological trauma. However, I did not write this before the conflict broke out, so it may seem confusing to readers.

　　Anyway, it's an old problem, I'll pay attention to it in the future.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)