Chapter 399: The Wedding
Days passed calmly, and another month went by.
After arranging Judy's school and teachers,
Eileen and John Wick each had their own matters to attend to.
Alesha accepted an invitation to play at Sharon's house.
Hannah remained cooped up in her room, incessantly fiddling with the mysterious toy house, unwilling to come out, claiming it was fun to tinker with the toy house in her room.
Hilly was busy at Old Mac's place, mass producing various weapons for later distribution.
York, unusually alone, sat in the quiet of his private chapel for some solitary prayer.
Though calling it prayer might be a stretch since he always focused on the rewards of his tasks.
In just a few days, he had accumulated 18 attribute points.
Just 18 points, which he found somewhat unsatisfactory.
Given that these points were exchanged for time, the progress felt too slow for him.
"Better than nothing."
York dismissed unnecessary thoughts and looked at the virtual window before him.
Honestly, his accumulated data looked quite impressive now.
[York John]
[Race: Human, Divine]
[Occupation: Priest, Bishop, Pharmacology Professor, Doctor, Knight...]
[Overall Physique: 201]
[Life: 335/335]
[Spirit/Holiness: 403+99000000 (consumable) / 403+99000000 (consumable) (note: recovers one point per minute)]
[Magic: 401/401 (note: recovers one point per minute)]
[...]
Without much thought, to master the microcosm sooner, York decided to allocate all 18 accumulated attribute points to his life stat.
[Point Allocation Successful]
[Life: 353/353]
With the successful allocation, his already superhuman body underwent further changes.
Though he couldn't pinpoint what changed, any sensation of difference indicated a fundamental transformation.
This brought York a genuine sense of comfort, recalling the recently gained 0.5 attribute points, he glanced at the figure of Jesus and said,
"Thank you, Lord, for your generosity."
---
Half a month later,
Life had grown increasingly stable, especially after John Wick had decimated the local gangs.
Of course, other things had happened during this half month.
After a long period of adaptation, Alesha was now attending school with Sharon, getting a taste of school life.
Occasionally, the Warren couple would bring Judy over, but as their life routines began to normalize, their visits became less frequent.
The couple found new engagements; a family tormented by evil spirits sought the Warrens' help.
Judy, meanwhile, was busy with her academics under a new, rather strict tutor.
Behind those first places were her tears and sweat, not just raw talent.
The biggest twist these half months was Jesse's sudden appearance.
It surprised him, felt sudden, yet nostalgic.
Jesse turned out to be Saxxon's fiancée, Amelia's elder sister.
He mused on the notion of fate.
That day, Jesse talked a lot about her recent life and how she had given the cross he had given her to Amelia for her safety.
He nodded silently as they spoke.
Their smiles said it all, everything conveyed in their silent exchange.
He remembered Jesse's serious words as she left, deciding not to marry and instead devote herself to her family business, saying they would meet again at Amelia's wedding in June.
York grew more silent, his thoughts more complex.
"Bishop, this is the document from Brother Hilly."
Eileen's voice snapped him out of his reverie, and he looked up.
Eileen stood before him, indicating the document in her hands.
York remembered today's tasks, pushed aside his tangled thoughts, and took the document from Eileen.
"Is this all the data?" he asked, looking through it.
Eileen nodded, "Yes, Bishop, Brother Hilly just finished compiling all the experiments."
York nodded and continued reading.
The detailed data wasn't surprising; it outlined the cost and time required to produce each consecrated weapon and whether they could be mass-produced.
Beyond these specific data, it included the effects of use.
For example, holy water grenades and the advantages of modernized consecrated weapons, what changes they could bring to the church once implemented.
"Unfortunately..."
After reading some, York expressed regret.
According to Hilly, given the world's conditions and natural material limitations, and technological constraints, the hypothetical Holy Light nuclear bomb was impossible to realize.
If they couldn't produce the Holy Light nuclear bomb, then the dream of advancing into hell would remain just that—a fantasy.
"Is it only something I can do?"
York pursed his lips and handed the document back to Eileen.
"Send this document to headquarters, let's hear what the Bishop's Council thinks about allowing these mass-producible weapons to be disseminated within the church."
"Yes, Bishop." Eileen nodded and left.
York fell silent again, picking up the book in his hand.
---
Another
month passed, and June arrived.
For the United States, June is a popular wedding month.
Thus, local churches began receiving numerous wedding requests.
Priests free from exorcism duties played a vital part in these ceremonies, earning a little extra for their churches.
The Ashby Church was no exception, like many in the United States, busy with wedding applications.
June is popular for weddings because it sounds like Juno, the Roman goddess of love and marriage, promising joy and happiness to newlyweds.
However, York had decided to step back as he prepared to travel to the island nation, letting Father Lucian take over the responsibilities of Ashby Church.
He watched wedding after wedding, standing with Eileen, John Wick, and the theatrically inclined Hannah, along with Alesha, who had just experienced school.
This was his current team. Not that he didn't want Alesha to continue her school journey, but York felt it best to keep an eye on a divine being who could pose a risk to a city, let alone a country.
Actually, he had ideas he wanted to test, seeing if Alesha could join him on a trip to the other side of the world rift.
Not for anything, because Alesha was a powerful force, comparable to a bishop in charge of a diocese.
Despite appearing childlike and dependent on him, Alesha was essentially a monster.
Her combat power was stronger than many real demons.
Just bringing out the Pyramid Head, a creature wearing a triangular steel helmet, would make many sweat.
A single strike from Pyramid Head could exert hundreds of tons of force.
From analyses he had seen in his previous life:
The famous Wolverine's maximum strength was about two tons, similar to the equally renowned Captain America, and even the famous Spider-Man only had about twenty tons of normal strength, comparable to the Hulk.
This meant that, unless countered, Pyramid Head could easily send these heroes flying with a single strike, unbeatable.
It also meant that Alesha, a divine being capable of creating rich spiritual worlds, was not to be underestimated.
If it weren't for his backing from the rotten world, even he might have to avoid her brilliance, possibly needing the church's help or preparing a more potent Holy Light bomb instead of charging into Silent Hill alone.
"..."
"Please, the bride and groom, exchange rings," Father Lucian's voice rang out.
"..."
"Dear, I pledge to spend my life with you, to care for you, in poverty and wealth, in sickness and health. I believe our love is indestructible, warming your soul like the sun."
"..."
The church erupted with cheers and laughter.
Weddings are one of the most beautiful moments in a human life, significant and joyful, filling observers with warmth.
"Watching this makes me want to get married," Hannah muttered.
As she spoke, she glanced at the priest standing hands behind his back.
Unfortunately, the priest remained silent, just watching.
Even as Eileen and John Wick looked over, he said nothing.
Only Alesha, clever beyond her years, interjected, "Aunt Hannah, you could find an uncle to marry, stop holed up in your room, bullying those poor spirits."
Hannah pulled Alesha close, pinching her cheeks, "Aunt Hannah is still single, might stay single, how could I marry some stinky man, Alesha, let me tell you, women should be independent! When you grow up, don't marry some stinky man! Let's live strong and happy together as sisters!"
York, who had been watching and listening, displayed a colorful expression, pretending neither to see nor hear.
Since Alesha had begun to understand human society, aside from him and little Sharon, her closest connection wasn't the capable and gentle Eileen nor the dependable John Wick, but the seemingly unreliable hacker recluse Hannah.
Because currently, only Hannah could pinch her cheeks without facing her cold demeanor or mental manipulation, which could leave someone confused and clueless about their actions for a whole day.
This was Alesha's current form of retaliation, a vast improvement from the beginning, showing that after months of intensive learning, she was well-acquainted with human society.
"Hehe! I don't want to!" Alesha allowed Hannah to pinch her cheeks.
"When I grow up, I'm going to marry Uncle York!!"
This declaration stunned Hannah, who glanced at the priest with a scandalized look.
Even Eileen and John Wick turned away, seeing and hearing nothing, as if Alesha's childlike statement had never existed.
The statement silenced everyone, with only Alesha looking serious.
"Alesha, let's not say such things in the future, you won't be marrying your uncle when you grow up, you'll meet someone you like."
At that moment, York could no longer pretend, clearing his throat.
"Let's go, we need to prepare for tomorrow's wedding, and then, once Hilly returns, we
'll fly to the island nation."
---
"Dear friends, dear family, today we gather before God to witness and celebrate the wedding of Saxxon Benjamin and Amelia Heisenberg..."
"This is a joyful and sacred moment as two souls unite under God's care..."
Due to a complicated sense of obligation, for Mrs. Camille's sake, the young bishop on the high platform began the ceremony.
"Let us start our ceremony, may their marriage be a testimony to love and miracles, please stand up to welcome and honor the entrance of Amelia Heisenberg."
"..."
The merger of two major financial clans, along with Bishop York John's presence, ensured this wedding was destined to be remarkable.
However, per the bishop's request, the two families declined other guests, allowing only family and relatives from both clans to attend this private wedding.
Bank owners, current hot political figures, CEOs of major companies, and heads of institutions were visible everywhere, evidence of the prosperity of the Benjamin and Heisenberg families.
But at that moment, these individuals sat on benches, their attention entirely on the young bishop and the blissful couple on the platform.
"Dear Lord, we thank you for bringing this couple together.
Bless their commitments and joy doubly. Help them exchange their vows with sincerity and steadfast hearts."
York watched the couple in front of him, his face brimming with a gentle smile.
Truthfully, Saxxon was like a child he had watched grow up, now getting married, and naturally, he hoped the boy would have a happy life.
But it seemed Saxxon and Amelia truly loved each other, a fact York could see on their faces, and that was enough.
The wedding proceeded step by step.
In Saxxon's sincere vows, in Amelia's grateful words about her fortune, York's expression grew even more gentle.
After the vows, declarations, and exchange of rings.
The bride and groom made their speeches.
The wedding concluded.
___________________
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