Pope Aurelia of Saint Hui
After mastering the method of using "emotion" as the key to open one window after another into the mortal world, An Ran felt that his long and hopeless prison life finally had something worth looking forward to—a form of "entertainment."
Like a top-tier hacker with endless time at his disposal, he treated the entire city's population as his "targets." Each day, he eagerly scanned the intense emotional signals emanating from them, peering into the most hidden joys and sorrows concealed beneath their mortal shells. A nobleman, having squandered his entire fortune, knelt before a divine statue in the dead of night, his face twisted with regret and fear of his creditors the next day.
A royal artisan, after completing his most prideful carving, hid in an empty corner, sighing with a mix of pride and loneliness because no one appreciated his work.
Hm?
Is this a spy?!
After successfully stealing a classified document, he went to the church, using prayer as a cover to convey the joy of victory and the next steps to his accomplices.
How daring!
Day 1
These stories, like a series of fascinating short stories, greatly enriched his otherwise monotonous "divine life." However, after the initial novelty wore off, a sense of boredom followed.
He realized that what he had observed was merely the "variety of life" within the empire, a collection of scattered points.
To truly understand the world he inhabited and the role he played as the "Radiant Maiden," he must uncover the threads that connect these "dots," weave them into "lines," and ultimately form a 'network' that becomes a "surface."
The power core closest to him and most closely tied to him was undoubtedly the owner of this magnificent church—the very guardian of the empire's faith: the Radiant Sanctuary.
Thus, Anran altered his "scanning" strategy.
He no longer aimlessly captured the most intense and moving emotions.
For the first time, he focused all his "senses" on this church that imprisoned him. He intended to conduct a thorough investigation of the administrators of this "prison"!
After all, as the founder of the company, how could he not understand the information about his subordinates?
Soon, Anran began with the lowest-ranking clergy.
At dawn.
When the first rays of sunlight filtered through the stained-glass windows of the curved ceiling, casting a glow on the cold marble floor, the church echoed with the sleepy prayers of young novice monks.
Their emotions were mostly simple and direct.
Anran could "sense" that some of them, while reciting the dry doctrines with their mouths, were thinking about whether there would be hot soup in the kitchen today.
A young boy, having secretly read a forbidden book last night, now trembles in fear of being discovered by his mentor. She can also sense another diligent young man, whose heart burns with sincere longing for the Holy Light and ambition to one day don the formal white robes of a priest.
These complex emotions form the foundation of the vast ecosystem within the temple.
It is no different from the company where Anran worked in her previous life, filled with diligent "employees," lazy "veterans," and those eager for promotion.
The only difference is that they all wear a sacred cloak called "faith."
Above them are the formal priests who are qualified to preside over small ceremonies in the main hall.
Their emotions are far more complex and reserved than those of the younger generation, and Anran must exert greater effort to discern the genuine emotions hidden within their hearts. A middle-aged priest, while praying for the Virgin's blessings, was secretly calculating how to secure more benefits for his family from the church-owned farm.
Another elderly priest responsible for interpreting doctrine, whose teachings had been refuted by another faction, spoke with anger toward "heretical doctrines" and anxiety over the challenge to his authority during his sermons.
Of course, Anran discovered that all her observations ultimately pointed to the same pinnacle. That figure at the apex of the power pyramid, the most dazzling and mysterious presence in the entire sanctuary—the Holy Light Pope, Aurelia Valentine.
Anran was already familiar with this name.
In the prayers of countless believers and clergy, Aurelia's name appeared with a frequency almost rivaling that of the "Holy Maiden of Light" herself.
She was the youngest and only female supreme leader in the history of the temple.
Legend had it that her wisdom was as deep as the ocean, her beauty as radiant as the morning star, and she was the "First Saint" of the Holy Maiden on earth.
However, strangely, Anran had never been able to "read" any meaningful emotional information from Aurelia.
This peerlessly beautiful female pope, like an NPC, would come to the main hall at a fixed time every day, and under the gaze of the crowd, perform public prayers before the Virgin's statue.
Anran had focused his "senses" on her countless times.
He could "see" her.
Her face was so beautiful that all earthly words paled in comparison,
her dazzling golden hair flowed like molten gold, held back by the sacred emblem crown and cascading down to her waist.
Her skin was as white as the finest moonlight jade, her features as if carved by the greatest divine hand, perfect without a single flaw.
When she walked toward him in her golden, jewel-encrusted ceremonial robe, symbolizing the highest authority, holding a scepter, she herself seemed like a walking miracle.
This beauty even made An Ran's heart, which had long since died and turned into data, skip a beat unconsciously.
This was far more beautiful than those tech-enhanced beauty monsters!
But when he tried to "listen" to her inner thoughts, he encountered a smooth, mirror-like wall.
Her voice was cold and sacred, filled with a soothing power. Her prayers were elegant and refined, and her praise of the saint was flawless.
Even every movement exuded a sacred, untouchable aura.
She was so perfect... she didn't seem like a real person.
This guy was truly possessed! It was far more terrifying than An Ran had imagined.
But how could An Ran give up?
He waited like a patient hunter, biding his time until this seemingly flawless prey revealed even the slightest flaw.
Finally, the opportunity came.
It was a stormy night.
The church was already closed, and the believers had all dispersed.
The once bustling and majestic sanctuary was now shrouded in endless darkness and the sound of wind and rain, appearing particularly deep and mysterious. At that moment, a faint yet steady footsteps echoed from the depths of the main hall.
Anran's "senses" were instantly heightened to the extreme. He "saw" Pope Aurelia of the Holy Light, alone, holding a magic crystal lamp emitting a soft glow, slowly walking to the base of the massive statue of the Virgin Mary.
She was not wearing her elaborate ceremonial robes but instead a simple, pure white silk gown.
Her golden hair was not tied up but flowed freely like a waterfall over her shoulders.
Stripped of all regal adornments, the soft light outlined her graceful figure and perfect profile.
She did not kneel but stood quietly, gazing up at the massive divine statue that had remained silent for a thousand years—the very "Anran" herself.
Those emerald eyes, usually as calm as a still lake, seemed to ripple with an imperceptible wave under the flickering lamplight.
After a long while, she spoke softly.
This time, it was not the cold, sacred sermon of a public setting, but a low, almost whispered voice that only she and the "god" could hear: " My Lord, my eternal light, Hylophia Celestia,
"The Imperial Year 3027 is about to pass.
"Under your glorious protection and the efforts of your humble servant Aurelia, the empire remains relatively stable. The dwarf barbarians of the north remain foolish, and the demonic tribes of the south remain greedy.
"Within the empire, those men blinded by power, lineage, and illusion continue to fight endlessly over trivial gains.
Her voice was calm, as if delivering an annual report.
However, Anran focused all his mental energy on it, and finally, he pierced through that cold linguistic barrier, touching the deep sea of emotions beneath.
He "heard" it.
Beneath that calm narration lay a pride so deeply ingrained...
It was an unshakable arrogance in her ability to govern the temple and the entire empire with such order and efficiency.
"Your Majesty's ambitions have been worn smooth by the years, while the princes... ah, a bunch of spoiled children, none of whom possess true vision or responsibility. They see only the gold on the throne, but not the true foundation that binds the empire together—it is you, my lord, the order and faith you represent.
That faint "hmm" was filled with unmasked... contempt!
It was a complete disregard for the entire secular power structure of the empire, dominated by men!
"I will devote everything I have to uphold your glory and protect this land you cherish. Anyone who dares to shake this order—whether external enemies or foolish subordinates—will be an obstacle I, Seleria, must eliminate.
Beneath that steel-like resolve, Anran detected a faint, extremely subtle... weariness.
It was a sense of loneliness that came from bearing the weight of the vast empire alone, a loneliness that could not be spoken of.
"Grant your humble servant the strength and wisdom to better serve you… to correct this world filled with flaws and ignorance."
This final sentence was the core of all her emotions.
To correct the world on behalf of the divine! Anran's consciousness trembled at this realization.
In this moment, he finally saw the true nature of this extraordinary female pope. She was not a hypocritical fraud; on the contrary, she might be one of the most "devout" believers in the world. However, what she believed in was not the exalted Holy Maiden herself, but the "absolute order represented by the Holy Maiden." What she believed in was that she alone was the "chosen one" qualified and capable of interpreting and enforcing this order. She was the most beautiful, powerful, and dangerous warden of the prison called the "Temple" that held Anran captive!!!