Berserk, Total War: Second Son of Nobles

The Cathedral of Padua was very different from any other cathedral Münzer had visited.

Rather than being a solemn and sacred religious place, it is more like a college classroom.

Long wooden tables are neatly arranged under the towering vault, and hanging on the walls are not religious murals but portraits and manuscripts of theologians from past dynasties.

The only thing that reminds people that this is a church is the statue at the end with the logo of the French King's Hall, which casts a long shadow in the setting sun.

Everyone took their seats according to their status and rank. The Bishop of Padua walked slowly to the podium accompanied by four attendants. His long, trailing robe was embroidered with the emblem of the city of Padua, which gleamed dark red in the candlelight.

This is the first batch of clergy sent after the Hall of the King of Laws and Yoda resumed diplomatic relations.

On the surface, it is to promote theological exchanges, but anyone with a discerning eye can see that this is just the first step for the Hall of the King of Popes to gradually erode the Yoda priesthood system.

When the bishops of every free city, noble territory, and viceroyalty are under the control of the Hall of the King of Popes, the appointment and dismissal of senior clergy in the entire Yoda will depend on the shrewd and calculating bigwigs of the Hall of the King of Popes.

"Cough cough cough..."

The Bishop of Padua cleared his throat and spoke in a resonant voice:

"All believers, shepherds of the Lord, we gather here today to discuss not only theological exchanges, but also the difficulties faced by Yoda in spreading the Lord's faith."

He paused, looked around the room, and continued:

"For example, in the city council of Zurich, there was a monk who came from nowhere and refuted the local Bishop Faber in a theological debate. What's more, he also criticized the canon law and the authority of the bishop."

There was a murmur in the church, and Minzer noticed that many clergy had angry or worried expressions on their faces.

"The most serious thing is that the city council listened to the monk's advice and included the church's income except the tithe into the city's finances. Although it has not been implemented yet, if this continues, the shepherds present here and the Lord's authority may not be preserved one day."

Minzer sat at the long table, tapping his fingers lightly on the tabletop, staring coldly at the Bishop of Padua on the podium.

Of course he knew what the bishop was talking about. The scandal that occurred in Zucheng last month had already spread throughout half of Yoda.

It was at a theological conference chaired by Bishop Faber that a monk from Watts suddenly stood up and publicly accused Bishop Faber and his church of doing things that violated the Bible.

He listed a number of crimes, the most serious of which was the sale of indulgences and various semi-forced "donations" collected from believers.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that these accusations are true.

In order to make money, Bishop Faber had long forgotten the doctrine.

According to common sense, if Faber still wanted to maintain a little dignity at this time, he should immediately admit his mistake and say that his original intention was to raise funds to help the poor, but the people below him carried out the plan incorrectly. He would definitely correct it in the future and cancel these means of making money.

But Faber was a man obsessed with money. Not only did he not admit his mistake, but he also made up a story, claiming that he took the money to "protect believers", as if this could wash away his reputation of greed.

Brother Watts sneered and ruthlessly exposed his lies:

"You still dare to say that you protect believers?"

"During the war two years ago, all the priests in Helderland took up arms and rushed to the front line to resist Ludwig's invasion! When Ludwig's army was approaching, the city of St. John resolutely opened the city gates to collect the fleeing residents! But what about you? When Ludwig sent people to recruit soldiers and food, where were you hiding?!"

"You can't even protect your own people, and you still dare to talk about 'protecting believers'? Your so-called 'donations' are nothing but using the Lord's name to squeeze the hard-earned money of the poor!"

According to those present at the time, there was an uproar in the venue. Some people cursed angrily, and some laughed in a low voice, because they knew that every word Brother Watts said was true, but it was difficult to expose in the past.

Bishop Faber, the protagonist of the incident, opened his mouth to defend himself, but found that he had no way to refute it. His greed was no secret, and Brother Watts' accusation was just to make his scandal public.

In the end, he could only announce the adjournment of the meeting in dejection and left the venue in embarrassment.

……

"What I mean is... now is not the time to argue with each other. Don't conflict with your colleagues for some worldly petty gains. We are all servants of the Lord, and we should serve and spread the Lord's teachings to the ignorant masses first."

Minzer's thoughts returned to the present, and he saw Padua looking around. Seeing that no one raised any objections, he immediately proposed his own plan:

"Since we are all believers in the Lord, then indulgences can all cleanse our sins. How about that?"

All the clergy present, including the group that had been making trouble in front of the church, stopped making noise after hearing this proposal. It was obvious that this compromise was acceptable to them.

Seeing that no one objected, the Bishop of Padua nodded with satisfaction:

"Since there are no objections, then this matter is settled."

He opened the parchment scroll in his hand and continued:

"Let's talk about the Padua School. Students in various schools have been a little too restless recently, and I have heard some voices questioning the Lord. I hope that the principals will be strict with their discipline when they return. Although there is freedom of speech, students must also understand that they are responsible for their own words, and they will be punished if they say something they shouldn't..."

As the sun set, the meeting ended with the Bishop of Padua's concluding remarks. Father Walden excitedly pulled Muenzer out of the church:

"Senior Min Caier, did you hear that? We can also issue indulgences! When I get back, I will start preparing..."

Muenzer listened quietly, but did not respond immediately. His thoughts had already drifted away, and the words in Pross's Theology of the People echoed in his mind:

“Don’t try to pin your hopes on another stranger, learn to solve problems on your own.”

In the square outside the church, the setting sun dyed the cobblestone road golden. Several young people who looked like students were gathered together and talking in low voices, occasionally casting vigilant glances in the direction of the church.

Min Ze'er noticed that many of them were holding a large piece of paper in their hands. He only knew that it was sent from Helderland. It was called a newspaper, which was a piece of paper with various news written on it for others to see.