Chapter. 16. Saints and Perfectors (21)
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Canonization Ceremony. It can be seen as a place where believers officially present the person they have chosen as a saint before their god and ask, ‘Please confirm whether this person is worthy of your will.’ Normally, only after doing this would the church announce that this person is a saint, so in my case, the order could be seen as reversed.
Although it was expected, the official canonization of the five major denominations was quite a complicated task.
‘The first saint of the Order, Saint Haraud, was a notorious bandit. After being called to the light, he confessed all his sins here in the confessional and said that from now on he would have to live his whole life apologizing to the world. All he needed now was two hands to pray, so he cut off his own ankles and left them in that state in the confessional. They say he walked to the front and prayed.’
The canonization begins at the very outskirts of the headquarters facility. It begins in the confessional right next to the entrance.
The barefoot procession from the confessional to the main building stairs commemorates the penance of the first saint. At the same time –
『Waaaaaa!!』
It is an opportunity to prove to the general believers gathered in the round square surrounded by stone pillars in front of the main building that the existence they have only heard about through rumors is real. The saint walks as slowly as possible and greets each and every one of them. Here, believers can directly touch the Eucharist touched by Ro Haram, greet him directly, and pray for Ro Haram and the saint’s future without worrying about the noise. . Of course, since we respect him more deeply than anyone else, there is no contact that would harm the Eucharist or the robes.
Bruises. Bruises. Bruises.
Slurp – flutter!
‘When the saint passes by, the path he walked on will be covered with a large cloth and immersed in the shadows. ‘This symbolizes our denomination’s long history of walking in darkness… but its greatest meaning is that it commemorates the terrible darkness that struck the world 70 years ago and the brothers who burned themselves to protect the world in that darkness.’
‘…What if it’s dark and you can’t see the road? ‘I don’t know much about this place.’
‘The saint will see it, so don’t talk nonsense and just memorize the scriptures.’
The path made of stone pillars is covered with a thick white cloth as the saint passes by. The believers who entered the shadows stopped cheering as if they had made a promise and entered solemn silence. The moment when shadows and silence follow the saint and arrive at the stairs leading to the main building. A thick cloth covers all the facilities of the headquarters, and darkness, which cannot be seen even an inch in front, descends on everyone gathered here.
….Twinkle-
“Oooooh…. Latura…. Acelia Tirek, an old tool of light, dares to offer traces of old light…. to the one who will become the new light of light….”
When the oldest of the holy water guardian priests of the order holds out a cup containing the source of the holy water, the person being canonized reverently receives and drinks the cup that emits the only sacred light in the impenetrable darkness.
This liquid, which is said to have come down directly from Lo Haram, is a gift from God that is located at the center of the sacred spring of the main altar and produces holy water indefinitely. Humans cannot dare to absorb it, so all the saints who have drunk it according to the canonization ceremony have returned it with tears. do.
Gulp-
‘Gulp! ‘Keuuuuuuu!’
….There was a slight problem in that my body tissue exploded along with my blood armor due to the divine power being so strong, and the holy tears that flowed out mixed with the saint’s blood and turned back into a golden holy water cup.
According to the procedure, [all the liquid returned by the saint who drank the source of the holy water] was established as the source of the new holy water, so the holy water guardian priest glanced anxiously and climbed the stairs carrying the source of the holy water that had turned into blood.
After the succession ceremony for the saint, the saint can only then enter the temple building where the icon of Haram is located, the center of the headquarters of the Gwangmyeong Church.
Tak –
The golden cup, the source of the newly received holy water, is placed in front of the holy statue.
After walking through the pews and climbing up the high stairs of the church, the Eucharist, who must have been exhausted (up until now, it was an old man or a frail woman), was brought to the front of the icon, and the lantern with only a small wick attached to the chrism bowl became the only source of light in the dark temple.
“Latura. “You, the guide of light, who has come this far through a rough and arduous path, have now reached the end of your penance and a new starting point… Please stand before him.”
“Uh… Archbishop? Surely it’s the end once you get this far…?”
“This is all we know. From now on, only the two of you will be able to proceed.”
“…Two people?”
In response to my question, Archbishop Norman alternately pointed to the dimly burning lantern and the icon reflected in it.
– Sweet.
Eventually, only the saint and the icon remain in the vast temple immersed in darkness.
It is said that
the ‘canonization’ begins after all preparations have been completed…..
“Uh… can I pray now? Is this the end?”
The process that Archbishop Norman taught was to climb the stairs and enter the main temple building. Do I have the ability to know the next step, since the only sacred ritual I attended as a child was the pizza service I attended at church?
In the quiet darkness where you could even hear the sound of a pin dropping. Just as I was wandering around, touching the chair, and even shaking the Holy Water cup, which was stained bright red due to me vomiting blood, –
roar!
“Ugh. Okay, okay! “Sit there?”
The lantern that the archbishop had left in front of the statue began to burn as if telling people to kneel here immediately.
[….it is haram. What kind of being is God?]
‘Well? ‘You’ll understand when you see it, right?’
Since the Data Soul is a being made up of millions or even tens of millions of beliefs, I don’t think it’s an ordinary person.
I knelt before the statue with some reverence, thinking that it might be something similar to the World Tree.
“Seuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. “Okay, I owe you a lot.”
.
.
.
.
.
.
“ㄹ-”
Tuhwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
Beonjjaeok-!
“Oooooh….”
“Latura….! “Light, pillar of light… to the temple!”
The believers gathered in the main plaza immediately blew away the thick tent that covered them and knelt down and prayed toward the temple as if they were collapsing under the pillar of light that fell on top of the temple.
“Archbishop…. OMG! Are you watching… Archbishop?”
“I’m seeing it… Isn’t it a light so bright and strong that even a blind person can see it? It is a light so bright that no one can turn away…”
The Archbishop and the Holy Knights’ priests, including the leader of the Holy Knights, were watching the scene with tears streaming down their eyes.
The light of Ro Haram, which lost its saint and did not reach the earth for a very long time.
The days of simply saying with assurance that His will must have been reached because you are the light are over.
In front of all the instruments of light gathered here, Ro Haram was the moment to prove that the being within him had been touched by His hand.
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Beonjjaeok-!
“-a-tura-auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”
Hehehehehehehehehehehehe!
“Uh… get… uh… uh… huh?”
[Ugh….Uh…. Huh? Uh…huh?]
….What is it? What did I see?
A place where someone had knelt until the hard bluestone was worn away. The moment I knelt down in the spot lit by the lantern burning holy oil and opened my mouth thinking that this could be done-!
I was dragged somewhere before even ‘La’ could pop out, and I was sent back before my brain could even recognize what it was.
Tap, tap, tap….!
I heard the sound of sparks flying from my body, and when I looked down, I saw that the formal clothes I had just worn today had burned to ashes. Smoke is rising from my body and I feel sore, but I can’t see any injuries or damage.
‘…Was the ceiling of the temple this high?’
When I looked around at the suddenly higher ceiling, everything around me, including the chair icon, seemed to be two spans taller.
Barrrrr….
“No…. Where does my strong body go and what bones…”
It wasn’t that the temple got bigger, it was that I got smaller. Where have the muscles that seemed ready to explode and the tendons that were like a snake gone? Only the bare bones and skin of my body remain.
Not only my body but also my head was dizzy, as if I was about to faint.
‘anemia. Anemia to the point of almost collapsing…!’
Oh haram. It’s like damn divine power.
———
– Heungan Mandu: Professor! Did you see anything?! We didn’t see anything!
– professor: Uh, uh…. uh….
– takealook: You have to speak well now! No, don’t do it! This was broadcast while everyone was working, so it’s not like everyone just watched it all, but now everyone, from old-time religious people to new pseudo-religious groups in the wasteland, are all interpreting what it is according to their own tastes!
– professor: Uh… is this… God?
– Jokass: Don’t say anything! Really, don’t say anything! There’s already been a fight in the shelter where I work! Two businessmen grabbed me by the collar, debating whether or not it was right to call that thing, a condensation of the group’s pure beliefs, God. It will be similar in refugee camps and other places! Don’t open your mouth!
———
People are telling us to shut up because there is a little fuss outside. You have to see something to say something or not.
Flash! And it seemed like the night searchlight for surface-to-air equipment was shining right in front of my eyes, and something so huge passed by, and then… I was
suddenly thrown back into reality. This is all I remember.
Hyde, the omnipotent memory device, just rolls around on the floor of the consciousness space while making a gurgling sound. Because I was in such
a
dazed state
both
mentally and physically, I only noticed someone carefully opening the temple door and approaching with an urgent voice right next to me.
Archbishop Norman, Holy Knight Gregory, and about 30 priests were waiting outside in tears.
“Archbishop! “Your Son, your body is as strong as a mountain…!”
“Do not be disturbed! Brother, you did not see the pillar of light that connected heaven and earth! “I faced God in a mortal body, so just coming back alive would be something close to a miracle!”
Some of the priests gasped at the sight of my bones growing as thin as an inchworm, but the archbishop scolded them and supported me as I fell to the floor.
“How can I express this gratitude…”
“Ugh… honestly… I still don’t know what’s what…”
“You don’t need to be humble anymore. With the stigmata engraved so clearly, you are now a living token of Him and the Church itself. As a being more precious than any other mortal in this world, you must bow to all humans who encounter you, and you have been given the right to command them to do so!”
When Archbishop Norman gestured with a happier face than any other person in the world, the two priests who had raised me and anointed my back carefully and very reverently held out a mirror.
Light reflected in the mirror. Among the many large scars, a white scar is clearly visible even on the skin that sticks to the bone.
The radial scar, which seemed to symbolize light coming down from the sky, looked like it was related to the Gwangmyeong Church, even to me who didn’t know it.
After that, they did something around me for a while. We were putting on something, putting it on, grooming it, having a quiet and heated discussion, and writing so hard that the pen broke….
“Uh… Saint?”
“Uhh…. Yes….?”
“Can you tell us a little about what you saw… to these foolish believers?”
“…?”
While the rest of the process was going on, one of the priests who was playing with his quill pen with a serious expression on his face spoke to me.
“This is the first time since the saint’s death that the light of light has directly reached the earth. Therefore, isn’t it the mission given to us, the instruments of light, to know what it means and implement it? “If you don’t consider this foolish tool’s question to be blasphemous, please teach me at least a little!”
“No, even if you ask me to teach you something, I don’t know what it is…”
“Saint! It is only natural that divine prophecy is not expressed in human language! It is enough to simply express how it felt as the Holy One accepted it!”
A priestess bowing her head along with the words of the priest who was taking notes. The priests and paladins who had stopped their hands began to bow their heads and prepare to listen to the divine will.
The archbishop and Gregory must have been expecting that, too, as their eyes glowed with brilliance as they looked at me.
Uh… but what should I really say about this?
Is that… so…?
“…It felt like I was writing a repayment and re-lease agreement while being hit directly by a nuclear storm.”
“…Saint?”
“That… what?”
“Um… I felt like I was frozen in the middle of a black hole? “Do you feel like your body has been pulled out by a thread and flushed down the toilet?”
“Archbishop! “I can’t understand what the saint is saying…!”
“Woo, record it first! At least the pronunciation you can hear! It seems like you are conveying exactly what you heard…!”
“….New word!”
“Ah, if I had known this would happen, I would have brought in more brothers to hear this…!”
What is a new word? It’s probably just external words that have been distorted so that they can’t understand them.
It was an explanation that the church members in the game couldn’t understand, but there was no other way to express it than this with my expressive skills.
‘I really don’t know what it is, so what should I do?’
It feels like I’m encountering something located on the edge between existence and non-existence, but where can there be any room for what I did and what I encountered? I just said, ‘Uh oh…. I did something! ‘I met something!’ You can only know so much.
If there’s anything I can express, it’s that the experience left me with the feeling that it was ‘okay.’ Jisung, a group of people who believe that millions of Data Souls are the ‘God of Light’, seems to have quite liked Professor Seongja.
Stumble-
“Oh my! It was not the time to ask questions like this about the saint who was tired. Sir Gregory! “Hurry and bring the saint inside!”
“Yes Archbishop!”
As I stumbled after being helped to my feet, the archbishop screamed as if the relic jar had been broken and ordered Gregory to carry me.
“Norman… uh….”
“I will take care of matters related to trivial human affairs. “All you have to do is focus on taking care of your body!”
“No… p… p-”
“I will do my best to help you rest and recover comfortably, so please close your eyes for a moment. “We will take care of the visiting believers and guests.”
No, that’s not it.
‘I was asking you to go get some blood for Mute!’
I felt like all the mute blood had been drained from my body after being directly showered with god-level divine power, so I asked them to catch a random mute, but I was so tired and helpless that I couldn’t even finish the sentence.
In the end, my muscles all melted from the baptism of divine power, and I lost consciousness, saying things like ‘Blood, blood…’ like a sealed vampire.
From the edge of the dark ceremony, I could vaguely hear the archbishop’s voice coming out of the temple and the cheers of the believers.
****
On that day, the Archbishop announced that the church had finally officially connected with the will of Ro Haram.
Those who participated in the canonization ceremony, as well as those who could not, had no doubt that it was true. This is because, although there are differences in degree, new powers have been established in those who handle the divinity of light. Just as the priests of the Church of Mercy have their own continuous recovery spells, the Wisdom Church’s broad thinking ability boost, the Abundance Church’s growth promotion spell, and the Courage Church’s ability to gather divine power and use power as strong as Aurors.
Squeak!
“Hmm? “Does it seem like the robes are suddenly a bit tight?”
“Brother, are you like that too? I also feel like my clothes are a bit small…”
“No, Brother Malphus? “When did you train your body like that?”
Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff!
“Why is shoveling so easy all of a sudden?”
“The dents on the handles of your farming tools… are they really handprints?”
….Although it was a power that was very far from the power of ‘Divine Prophecy’, which used to apply a sacred spell to a light source when the Holy Maiden of Light was alive and give a holy effect to all the places the light touched.
“Oooh! full of energy! Ratura!”
“The Holy Son has truly been born! Hmm!”
….The important thing is that the sacred power that is unique to the church has once again taken root in their sacred power, which was united only by faith after losing the saint.
“Umm…. Brother Gregory. It seems a bit… distant from what came out in combat… that…”
“Latura. Please have no doubt, Archbishop. “The fact that the Son’s body became like that probably symbolized that he was sharing his great power with his brother.”
“Ummmm… Ratura lo-haram. I made a mistake. “I still lacked faith…”
Archbishop Norman looks helpless in front of the ‘Holy Water Spring’ that the delicate priestesses of Holy Water accidentally destroyed, and Choro, who suddenly grows taller, crashes into the threshold and destroys it. I closed my eyes tightly at the sight of the priests.
These things are happening because the church’s headquarters worships Ro Haram, so it has strong divine power and is given such powerful grace.
Even the Holy Knights who served saints, including Gregory, looked embarrassed as their bodies had swelled to the point where the joints of their armor were creaking.
‘Latura. Light… I couldn’t be happier for the grace you have bestowed upon me, but… what on earth does this mean…?’
The archbishop was looking in the direction where the saint was taken and struggling to interpret the unknown will of God.
I thought that today’s prayers would probably continue until dawn.
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