Chapter 7: God and the Church |
"Could my luck really be that bad?"
Shade mused over his unexpected encounter with Dr. Schneider earlier. Thankfully, the growling of his stomach brought him back to reality. Right now, the commission was the priority.
It had been less than twelve hours since he had crossed over, and Shade had to learn to endure hunger. If he had ended up in a forest, he might have been able to hunt. In a chaotic era, there might have been other ways to scrounge for food. But here, in a well-ordered metropolis, filling his stomach required following the rules.
Standing at the entrance of the newspaper office, Shade glanced toward the nearby club frequented by "high society." He hoped the pangs of hunger would pass. For now, all he had to do was wait in the mist. Chasing anyone down was entirely out of the question in his current state.
"I've never heard of a transmigrator going hungry," he muttered. Shade wanted to berate himself for his inadequacy, but the current situation left him no choice. He could only hope the lady he was waiting for would appear soon so he could report back to his client.
As he stood there lost in thought, someone handed him a flyer. Shade took it reflexively. Looking up, he saw a round-faced, cheerful missionary in a ceremonial white robe, adorned with a black pendant over his chest. The left side of his chest bore the holy emblem of his church. The man was distributing pamphlets to the crowd around him.
Glancing down, Shade saw the flyer was propaganda from the Church of War and Peace, one of the Five True God Churches. During his rummaging earlier, Shade had learned about the religious landscape of this world. He knew that while stories of gods abounded in past eras, only five deities were officially recognized in the current age. These formed the foundation of mainstream faith:
- Peaceful Father, also known as the God of War and Peace, represented by a white dove with pale gray wingtips.
- Mr. Dawn, the God of Light and Shadow, symbolized by a brass-toned ring with a missing upper segment.
- The Old Man with the Lantern, the God of Sun and Earth, depicted with a golden sun emblem.
- The Lady of Creation, the Goddess of Creation and Destruction, represented by a silver wrench.
- Master of All Things, the God of Nature and Malice, symbolized by two overlapping leaves—one green, the other withered and yellow.
Shade recalled the old man transporting corpses earlier was a member of the Church of Nature.
This thought sparked Shade's curiosity about this world. Yet the feeling that welled up was nebulous, difficult to articulate even to himself. Suddenly, faint whispers brushed against his ears:
"You’ve sensed 'Miracles'."
This time, it was "Miracles," one of the Four Mystical Elements. So far, Shade had encountered all but Blasphemy. According to the knowledge whispered into his mind, only by grasping all four elements could he unlock the mysteries and push open the door to the extraordinary.
"Seems easier than I thought. It's only been half a day, and I've encountered three-fourths of them," Shade murmured, hearing a melodious laugh from the woman in his head.
The Five True God Churches were not adversarial. Their relationships were far more amicable than those between human kingdoms. In Tobesk City, the northern gem, each church had its own chapel, competing in a relatively "friendly" manner.
Lost in thought, Shade examined the printed flyer. He admired the printing press—there was no need to "invent" it here. While the quality wasn't perfect, it was sufficient...
Then his eyes widened. Near the bottom of the flyer, amidst details about the teachings of Peaceful Father and an invitation to sermons, was an important note. It stated that anyone holding the flyer could line up at the church at 5:30 PM on weekends to receive free relief food. Moreover, it promised that no matter how long the queue, anyone arriving by 6:00 PM would receive a numbered ticket and be guaranteed food.
Though claiming relief food might be humiliating, it assured Shade that he wouldn't starve today. Smiling slightly, he memorized the Church of War and Peace's address and carefully folded the ink-smelling flyer, placing it in Mr. Hamilton's notebook.
He silently thanked the god in question. Though hunger still gnawed at him, his mood lifted.
"Guess my luck isn't that bad after all."
Shade thought optimistically. He knew Mrs. Lasso wouldn't leave the club for at least a couple of hours. Perhaps he could chat with the missionary. Faith in gods was widespread in this world, and atheists were rare. Declaring oneself a nonbeliever wasn't dangerous, but knowing nothing about the gods could be.
Before he could approach, the missionary had already moved on. Shade sighed with slight regret but stayed put, reasoning that he'd have plenty of time to explore such topics once he had established himself.
Others lingered at the newspaper office too, mostly journalists waiting for news and a few idlers working for the paper. Despite the foggy weather, the main thoroughfare of Valente Walk Street buzzed with activity.
Though called a "pedestrian street," carriages weren't prohibited. As Shade observed the club, he also watched passersby and carriages, hoping to better blend in.
The air smelled faintly of burning, a symptom of the smog. The haze thickened as the sun began its westward descent.
Shade worried about his health, letting his thoughts drift until a carriage stopped at the club entrance. He immediately looked up, recognizing Mr. Lawrence—the client's husband.
"Interesting, an unexpected lead," Shade muttered, jotting the time and details in his notebook.
Mrs. Lawrence, his generous client, might reward him further if he caught her husband meeting his mistress at the club.
"Or it could all backfire, and an angry wife might drag me into her mess," he thought cynically.
Shade hoped to see Mrs. Lasso greet Mr. Lawrence at the entrance, but the man entered the club alone.
Even from across the street, Shade noticed the gleeful excitement on Mr. Lawrence's face. He wasn't there for cards or tea.
"Good luck," Shade muttered sarcastically, noting the man's attire to substantiate his report.