Chapter 408: Pay More, and You Can Buy... the Possibility of a Divine Technique

"I am truly grateful, Baron Fisher. The Lord will bless you for your sincerity," Cardinal Hammond said gratefully.

Qi Suian went to the designated church the very next day and completed his baptism. He wasn’t of the Blood Race, nor had he been influenced by them, so naturally, he passed without a hitch.

All the Divine Techniques seemed designed to target the Blood Race. Thus, even though Qi Suian wasn’t human, no issues were detected.

Clearly, it was a binary system: one was either of the Blood Race or human. There was no third option.

Upon completion, Qi Suian used Baron Fisher’s family fortune to donate a sum of Gold Coins to the church, which made the Cardinal’s face break into a wide smile.

Though this wasn’t his personal church, he was still delighted to see someone willing to contribute to the Church.

It was just that his smile looked somewhat menacing.

Hammond was no kindly old man. He was a burly man, all sinewy muscle, with a long scar running across his face.

He was a strapping figure clad in thick armor, carrying a greatshield on his back and a Long Sword at his waist.

The man was a former Demon Hunter and a veteran of countless battles against the Blood Race.

When it came to a fight, he was absolutely ruthless.

As for the "red" in his title of Cardinal, it naturally came from his blood-red armor and shield.

Divine Techniques were, more often than not, used for support.

It was mostly about applying buffs to oneself, casting a few debuffs on the enemy, and then charging in, greatsword swinging.

Divine Techniques that manifested as projectiles or rays were comparatively rare.

"It is my duty. The Church fights for humanity, and I have only made a humble contribution," Qi Suian said, striking a pose of someone dedicated to the human cause.

Then, he asked, "Bishop Hammond, I wish to know how I might deepen my faith. I, too, desire the power of Divine Techniques."

Hearing this, the Cardinal, Hammond, was visibly stunned. ’He’s a nobleman, living a comfortable life. Why this sudden desire for Divine Techniques?’

"Baron Fisher, faith requires cultivation from a young age, and it demands single-minded devotion."

"Even then, not many Discipline Priests actually manage to acquire Divine Techniques."

"Although you may not wield Divine Techniques, that doesn’t mean you haven’t contributed to humanity. By governing your lands, you are also doing your part to resist the devils." Hammond’s words were a masterpiece of tact.

The message between the lines was clear: ’You aren’t cut out for this. Don’t waste your time. Just go back to enjoying the pleasures of being a nobleman.’

"I understand, but I don’t want to be plagued by devils any longer."

"Pastor Roy said the devil that plagued me was a Governor General." Qi Suian said with a pained expression, "Besides, I don’t want to be a Discipline Priest. Bishop Hammond, do you think I’d be suited to become a Demon Hunter?"

Hammond could understand the first two sentences; they were a perfectly natural reaction.

But when that last sentence came out, he couldn’t help but inwardly gasp.

’He couldn’t even make it as a Discipline Priest, yet he wants to be one of the Church’s Demon Hunters? That’s utterly preposterous!’

But considering Qi Suian had just donated a hefty sum of Gold Coins to the church, Hammond felt it would be inappropriate to crush his ambitions so bluntly.

"Of course, you’re suitable! If you are willing, Baron Fisher, I can find a School Demon Hunter to serve as your teacher. He can instruct you in the techniques of hunting devils." Hammond was cleverly swapping concepts.

Not all Demon Hunters were the same. The Church’s Demon Hunters wielded Divine Techniques.

The secular School Demon Hunters, on the other hand, were simply well-trained.

"But I want Divine Techniques," Qi Suian said bluntly, making it clear he understood Hammond’s unspoken distinction.

"Very well, Baron Fisher." Hammond sighed. "This will require you to pay an additional sum for the procurement. Furthermore, there will be no refund if you fail to acquire Divine Techniques."

Since it had come to this, Hammond dropped the tactful approach.

"The Church will deliver to you a Seal of Faith and a Canon Bible."

"You will need to meditate upon the Holy Seal, using the Canon Bible to increase your piety. If your piety reaches the required standard, you will acquire Divine Techniques."

"From that point on, you must adhere to the disciplines and never break them to ensure the Divine Techniques remain with you."

"You must continuously deepen your pious faith to gain sufficient Divine Techniques."

"When your faith reaches a certain level, the Church will send someone to find you. They will offer you the choice to become an Ascetic or a Demon Hunter."

"However, this requires immense piety and a great deal of time. Frankly, I do not hold out much hope for your success."

"On the contrary, the large sum you would be paying could have a severe impact on your domain. I hope you will consider this carefully."

Hammond had said his piece, fulfilling his duty to inform the baron.

If a Viscount or a Baron had come to him with this request, he would have paid it no mind.

Their wealthy domains would allow them to easily purchase a Seal of Faith and a Canon Bible from the Church.

Sending a son from a lesser branch of the family to the Church from childhood to become a Priest was akin to school enrollment.

Purchasing the items to study on one’s own and spread the Lord’s faith was self-study.

The former path provided a Discipline Priest as a guide, offering direction on how to grow one’s faith and deepen one’s piety.

The latter path meant one was truly on their own.

Besides, these two items were hardly ordinary; they were imbued with faith.

Soaking the Seal of Faith in a basin of water for seven days would transform the water into Holy Water.

Holding the Canon Bible could generate an invisible field that deterred the Blood Race; those below the rank of Count would feel a stinging pain and be forced to retreat.

Therefore, any noble who could afford it would typically purchase a set for themselves, their wife, and their legitimate heir.

As for mass-producing Holy Water by simply dropping a Seal of Faith into a lake? That was unrealistic, as its power was limited.

After all, the items’ true purpose was to deepen one’s faith and acquire Divine Techniques. True mass production of Holy Water required other artifacts entirely.

The reason the previous Baron Fisher didn’t possess these items was not only because he himself was of the Blood Race, but also because he couldn’t afford them.

The Baron Fisher before the last one could have afforded them, but he sold them off to indulge some... unique tastes.

Furthermore, both items had a limited duration of use and would become ineffective after one year.

Normally, they needed to be sent to a church for re-consecration. While cheaper than buying a new set, it was still no small expense.

That was why it was mostly nobles of the Viscount rank who purchased them, while only those of the Count rank could afford to maintain them permanently.

A Baron, for instance, couldn’t afford to maintain them even if he managed to buy them in the first place.

Unless a Baron managed to acquire a Divine Technique within a year, which would signify that he had become an elite-level Discipline Priest.

In that event, the Church would re-consecrate his Holy Seal and Canon Bible free of charge.

After all, any Discipline Priest capable of acquiring a Divine Technique was already considered exceptionally pious.

Many Discipline Priests, despite being trained from childhood, never managed to acquire a Divine Technique.

It just goes to show that people are different, a truth that applies everywhere.

After all, Discipline Priests mostly came from the lesser branches of noble families, and they didn’t sever ties with their relatives.

They were sent away primarily to avoid succession disputes, not because they were being disowned.

They even had holidays to go home and visit, and their relatives could come and bring them things.

"Of course! I have the utmost confidence in my domain!" Qi Suian said with conviction.

He had no domain to speak of, which made his "confidence" something of a Schrödinger’s cat.

As for squeezing the Fisher domain dry? ’What does that have to do with me? It’s not my land, so I couldn’t care less.’

Unaware of the true situation, Hammond’s expression softened slightly. "It seems your father left you a considerable fortune."

"Yes. Otherwise, my domain alone certainly couldn’t cover the cost." Qi Suian was telling the truth; without a domain, how could he possibly pay?

And Hammond wasn’t wrong. If it weren’t for the last Baron Fisher, where would Qi Suian have gotten such wealth?

’As for simply stealing the items, he’d considered it. But the Church was unfathomably mysterious; who knew if they had some way of monitoring them.’

’It was better to use the Fisher identity to acquire a set openly.’

"The Seal of Faith and the Canon Bible will take some time to be delivered to your domain."

"I presume you’ll also need some time to gather the Gold Coins, so how does seven days from now sound?" Hammond negotiated the timeframe with Qi Suian. "Of course, if you wish to have them sooner, that is also an option."

"It simply requires a larger payment of Gold Coins, depending on precisely when you wish to receive them."

The implication was clear: with enough money, he could have them in his hands today.

"However, I would not recommend it. Your barony is insufficient to support such a huge expense." Hammond wasn’t looking down on Qi Suian for being a mere Baron; adhering to the principle that every client deserves respect, he had treated him with deference.

But a Baron couldn’t compare to the great nobles, after all, so a word of caution was still necessary.

"I can afford to wait seven days," Qi Suian replied, naturally not in any great hurry.

With that settled, Qi Suian changed the topic.

"By the way, Bishop Hammond, I’ve heard that the Son of the Dragon from the Wallachia Kingdom has begun invading the Phoenician Kingdom. What are your thoughts on this?" Qi Suian asked bluntly.

"You are indeed well-informed." Hammond wasn’t surprised that Qi Suian knew; the war had been raging for a month already, so it was about time the news reached them.

"The matter has already been settled. Three days ago, the Phoenician Kingdom was completely destroyed by the Son of the Dragon of the Wallachia Kingdom."

"But rest assured, the Grand Kingdom will not be affected by the war. The Church is actively working to resolve the situation."

Hammond didn’t tell Qi Suian the true situation regarding the Wallachia Kingdom. After all, if he spoke of it, the news would inevitably spread.

Baron Fisher was a nobleman, after all; he had his own social circles.

’As for keeping it a secret? That wasn’t realistic.’

"Then I am relieved. After all, the horrors of war far surpass those of any devil," Qi Suian said, looking genuinely relieved.

Hammond sighed inwardly. ’Qi Suian’s words are true,’ he thought. ’But what if this war was started by devils? Then the situation would be dire indeed.’

Especially since the enemy was advancing so aggressively, their goal aimed squarely at the Church, with the intent to rule the world and enslave all of humanity.

Unfortunately, humanity was on the losing side.

Among the various kingdoms, many were still colluding with the Blood Race, hoping to gain eternal life.

With so many factors against them, their situation was becoming unsustainable.

If they couldn’t endure this time, the fall of the Church and the enslavement of humanity was a very real possibility.