Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength
Chapter 141 - 140: Return to the Church

Chapter 141: Chapter 140: Return to the Church

Two days later, in the morning.

Mrs. Hudson’s breakfast was still satisfying.

After enjoying the meal together at Ronald’s second-floor home, Ronald and Patricia went downstairs as a pair.

"Mr. Ronald, Miss Patricia?"

At that moment, the landlady, busy with her daily morning cleaning, saw the two descending side by side.

"Are you both heading out together?"

"Yes, ma’am," Ronald nodded, then replied, "We plan to go for a walk together."

Mrs. Hudson nodded amicably,

"I see..."

"Then I wish you both a pleasant journey."

Following that, under the friendly and content gaze of the landlady, the two left the lodging apartments.

It was just past early morning.

They guessed it was still early in the day.

At least the ordinary churchgoers attending morning services probably hadn’t left yet.

After a brief discussion.

Together, they strolled the streets of Berenweich.

Casually heading towards the district where the cathedral was located.

Although it was still winter.

The past two days had been clear and cloudless.

Under the warmth of the winter sun, the temperature in the city had indeed risen slightly.

Walking along the road, Ronald held the "Coastline Daily" he had taken from the apartment’s mailbox, now reading its content with ease.

[The jail warden has publicly stated that the culprit behind the recent disappearances of citizens has been caught, and a public trial will soon be held in the city court.];

[The selection of the port location in the western district of Berenweich is complete, and construction work is set to begin.];

[After a long hiatus, this year’s Berenweich winter hunting event will be restarted, and preparations are currently underway, welcoming participation from all sectors.];

...

If reading the newspaper upon first arriving in Berenweich meant that Ronald could only get a general idea from these news items,

then living there for a while now, he could not only perfectly understand the content but even conduct further analysis.

Take, for instance, the news about the jail warden he held in his hand.

As an official public figure with a mysterious side,

the jail warden’s public declaration not only conveyed to the ordinary citizens that public safety would improve soon but also made it clear to Berenweich’s arcane operatives: the sinister magicians’ rebellious actions had been thoroughly quashed.

This dual interpretation of a single news story.

In a sense,

Ronald rather liked it.

"..."

"By the way..."

Pondering the jail warden’s news, Ronald suddenly remembered something he was unclear about.

He turned to look at the young girl walking beside him:

"Patricia, I heard that Berenweich’s jail warden is also a codex bearer, do you know what his school of ability is?"

"Berenweich’s jail warden..."

Hearing Ronald’s inquiry, Patricia pondered for a few seconds before responding:

"That would be Mr. Bach Krichens."

"From what I understand, his abilities seem to be related to restricting others’ actions, and he can also use some type of short edicts to launch quick and effective attacks on his enemies."

"Of course, I only know this much; the other more detailed aspects, I’m not too sure about."

"I see..."

Ronald nodded and didn’t ask any further questions.

The warden, a personage of such importance, would certainly take measures to keep their abilities confidential, not to mention his explicit possession of the original scriptures.

To have received such news from Patricia was very satisfying to him.

They continued on their way, casually chatting while reading the newspaper.

Accompanied by a beautiful girl, Ronald’s mood was quite pleasant.

As noon drew near,

the two finally arrived at the street where Lierdel Cathedral stood.

This time, Ronald’s steps were not as hurried as the last.

He finally had the patience and time to take a close look at this otherworldly large-scale building.

It was undeniable that the church in this world was an extraordinarily powerful organization.

This could be seen from the scale of the cathedral itself.

Upon entering the district named after the cathedral, even before the main body of the landmark building came into view, the spires of the cathedral’s main body loomed over the roofs of other buildings into Ronald’s line of sight.

When he got a close view of the cathedral’s full facade...

Tall spires, arched portals, pristine columns...

Even without entering the inside of the cathedral, its tall and imposing image immediately conveyed the solemnity and reverence of the place.

If Ronald were to draw a comparison with his own knowledge,

this white-based building bore a resemblance to Gothic architectural style on Earth.

He stood silently on the spot, gazing for more than a minute.

Ronald folded the newspaper in his hand and put it in his pocket before entering with Patricia.

Passing through the corridor linking the main gate of the cathedral, he immediately saw an extremely spacious nave. Standing in this large hall with hundreds of square meters, his sight naturally reached the end of the space.

-- That was above the clergy’s pulpit;

-- In front of the wall decorated with bird reliefs;

A stone statue of the suffering figure, positioned at the end of the hall, visible from all over the nave.

The suffering figure on the statue held a face full of compassion, bound to an execution frame where the circle and cross intersected, similar in shape to the cross emblem the priest had used initially.

As for the sides of the nave...

The edges of the benches prepared for the congregation’s worship, the circular corridors continued far back, passing through the end of the nave and connecting the buildings at the rear of the cathedral.

The last time Ronald entered the temporary underground base of the Investigations Bureau, it was in one of the confessionals along this circular corridor.

"Ah, it’s Mister Ronald!"

Just over a minute after entering the interior of the cathedral,

Ronald heard a gentle female voice beside him.

Turning his head, he immediately saw the nun who had received him last time.

This lady, named Audrey, who had dedicated herself to the church, had the same smile on her face as before.

Approaching and bowing slightly to the pair, the nun’s gaze swept over Ronald’s face, then settled on Patricia standing beside him.

"..."

After pausing for a moment, the nun continued,

"Mister Ronald, you’re here for the inspection, aren’t you?"

"Then please, follow me."

"Of course, if Miss Patricia would like to bear witness, the church also warmly welcomes your participation."

Just as they had agreed previously, Patricia nodded her head:

"Ronald is my friend."

"As a friend, I naturally wish to accompany him on his journey."

"..."

The nun maintained the smile on her face.

After a silence of two or three breaths, she turned to the side and added,

"In that case, please both of you come with me."