Three Gifts

“Francis, though you are a clever child, I have no desire to speak with you using a politician's rhetoric. Let me put it this way...”

Ferdinand gestured for Du Chen to sit beside him, regarding him like an affectionate elder looking at his own child. “You are a Titled Battle God Scion, and your fate is intertwined with the Holy Church's. Thus, the Battle God who protects you is also a friend of the Holy Church. Therefore, I shall forgive all his actions! And keep his very existence a secret from everyone!”

Du Chen's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled. Ferdinand had spoken frankly: with a Battle God powerful enough to assassinate a high-ranking imperial official backing him, Du Chen instantly became immensely valuable to the Holy Church. They would spare no effort to aid him!

“Godfather, I understand your meaning. Though I have yet to meet this Battle God, once I do, I will certainly convey the Holy Church's goodwill!”

“You truly are a clever child!” Ferdinand rose and walked towards the door, chuckling. “Tomorrow, the Holy Church will notify His Majesty King Bargnar of the Lanning Empire, and the tragic death of the Minister of Finance will be officially closed. No one will connect it to you! As for the masked Battle God who stole Kaman's sacred artifact, ah, yes, I believe he is very likely your... friend. So this matter, too, will remain unknown to all!”

Well then, Frith's murder attempt on Du Chen in the early hours of Divine Peace Day, under the Holy Church's influence, was as good as never having happened.

After all, Frith's entire family was dead, so what the Holy Church said went.

This was Ferdinand's first meeting gift.

“Thank you, Godfather!” Du Chen escorted Ferdinand to the door. As they reached the tower entrance, he asked, “Does my father know about my guardian Battle God?”

“If he knew, would he dare let you live in a place like this? This secret is known only to successive Godfathers, accessible solely within the Holy Church's most confidential archives.”

He paternally stroked Du Chen's forehead and smiled kindly. “Good child, you are still young and do not yet comprehend the Holy Church's power. What the Holy Church wishes to remain unknown, no one shall ever know!”

How could Du Chen not understand? This was a theocratic world akin to Earth's medieval Europe. Remembering how, in his previous life's 'Dark Ages,' zealous followers of Jesus could send kings to the execution pyre, he could easily grasp the might of the Holy Church in this Battle God world.

Du Chen moved ahead to open the door, but Ferdinand waved a hand, indicating he had more to say.

“By the Virtue of Saint John City, though Frith is dead, his sins cannot be absolved. I will keep an eye on his atonement funds for you; you merely need to wait a few days.”

This was the second meeting gift.

Ferdinand pushed open the door. He felt that the gifts bestowed upon Du Chen were already sufficient for now. Once the penal experts assessed the strength of the mysterious Battle God, he would then, based on that, consider further increasing or decreasing Du Chen's gifts.

Outside, the Anges family was still waiting.

“Revered Godfather,” Anges inquired, “Are the deaths of the Minister of Finance and his entire family connected to Francis?”

“Your Excellency, Deputy Commander, you are overthinking it!”

Ferdinand smiled mysteriously. Noticing Anges's cold, calculating gaze at Du Chen, a thought stirred in his heart.

That Battle God, capable of killing Frith within Saint John Cathedral, could just as easily kill him. For someone capable of threatening his own life, it was not excessive to offer more benefits!

With that thought, Ferdinand gestured for Du Chen to stand before him and placed his hand upon Du Chen's forehead. “I, Ferdinand, once again bless Francis Saint-Sigurd Cain!”

This was the third meeting gift.

Anges was stunned. Charles, beside him, practically breathed fire, green with envy. Steve, however, looked at Du Chen and the Godfather with a mixture of surprise and joy.

Ferdinand declared, “Anges, I have blessed Francis twice and will personally baptize him! Henceforth, you must treat this child well! Furthermore, please allow me and this good child to keep a few small secrets between us!” With that, he swept away, without offering Anges any explanation.

Such was the status of the Holy Church of Battle Gods. Its Godfather needed no explanations for the Empire's Deputy Commander!

Du Chen understood clearly in his heart. Ferdinand's blessing surely carried some benefit, and he was doing this to curry favor with the guardian Battle God behind him. But if it was offered for free, why refuse?

“On what grounds!?”

After Ferdinand left, Charles yelled out indignantly, “A disgrace to the Saint Sigurd Cain family, how could he receive two blessings from the Godfather!? By our ancestors above, I—”

“Charles, silence!” Anges gave Du Chen a strange look. “Francis, I don't know what you said to the Godfather, but since you have the Godfather's blessing, then, Steve, you are responsible for finding him new lodgings. From now on, his monthly allowance will be the same as yours: one gold coin!”

With that, Anges stalked away in a huff.

Charles glared resentfully at Du Chen, then left as well.

Du Chen met Charles's gaze with a cold stare, but in his heart, he wondered, *Could a mere two blessings truly yield such significant benefits?* Just then, Steve suddenly hugged him tightly, wailing, “Oh, my dearest brother, your big brother, poor Steve, is practically dying of envy!”

“Big brother, control yourself! Your little brother has no interest in men!” Du Chen playfully pushed Steve away, grinning. “Quickly, tell me, what good is the Godfather's blessing?”

“By our ancestor Sigurd, brother, you mean you don't know?” Steve rolled his eyes. “Many, many benefits! To name the two most immediate ones: First, it can grant absolution from sins. Second, it adds bonus points to the Battle God Academy entrance exams!”

“Two blessings mean twenty bonus points! If I had your twenty points, I wouldn't have failed the exam twice!” Steve suddenly sighed, his head drooping in evident dejection. “Perhaps, this year, I truly must enter the Battle God Academy, or the spirits of our ancestors will never forgive me!”

Du Chen had not yet truly integrated into life on the Aethelgard Continent and thus didn't fully grasp Steve's dejection. He comforted him, “Big brother, it's just an exam. You're Father's eldest son, the Duke's heir – what does it matter if you don't get into some lousy school?”

“'Lousy school'?!” Steve suddenly grabbed Du Chen by the collar, roaring, “My dear brother, do you have any idea? That 'lousy' school you speak of is formally known throughout the land as the 'Cradle of Battle Gods' and the 'Diamond Path to Soaring Success'! Not to mention, every Divine Peace Day, on the graduation day of the Battle God Academy students, hundreds of nations and thousands of families across the three continents will practically break down the Academy's gates just to employ a single graduate!”

Du Chen shook his head blankly. He felt as if he wasn't hearing about an academy on the Aethelgard Continent, but rather a world-class prestigious university from his previous life.

Steve clapped Du Chen on the shoulder again. “My dear brother, the top graduate of the Battle God Academy last year was just an ordinary fighter before attending. But when he graduated, do you know what position he was recruited for?”

“Deputy Commander of the Macallan Empire's Third Legion, a First-Class Marquis!! And he even married the most beautiful princess of the Macallan Empire!!”

Du Chen merely chuckled indifferently. Battle God Academy – as its name implied, only Battle Gods could enter. Someone like him, who couldn't even sense Natural Primordial Force, needn't even dream of it. It was better to focus wholeheartedly on cultivating the Precious Lotus Scripture; that was the true path.

The moment he thought of the Scripture, Du Chen suddenly remembered – he hadn't done a good deed in days, and his hands were itching terribly!