Chapter 3: Will the beautiful girl from the sky come from another world?
The office of the Municipal Parish Council is located at No. 24 St. Anton Street East. It is a three-story red brick building with a green courtyard, ivy-covered gables and exquisite verandahs, which together create a
It shows the solemnity and elegance of the classical era and is one of the few old-fashioned buildings on this street.
The city is rising so fast that the creations of the first century must give way to commerce. More and more grand hotels, office buildings, and apartment buildings have replaced the original narrow lane bungalows, using fine limestone, polished
Bricks and terracotta. Only the United Order still adheres to their traditions and treats the memory of the past with caution.
But in fact, they are the ones driving the most changes.
Ringer had no intention of exploring the deeper meaning of this contradiction. He explained his purpose to the reception clerk in the lobby on the first floor. Since he did not make an appointment in advance, he waited in the reception room for about ten minutes before he received a clear reply.
: Mr. Langning happens to be free. He will be waiting for you in the sixth office on the left corridor on the third floor.
Ringer drank the last sip of black tea in the cup, thanked the clerk in charge of the report, and followed his instructions to the outside of Mr. Langning's office on the third floor, and gently knocked on the ajar door.
"Please come in." A low and dignified voice came from the room.
Ringer pushed the door open and entered, and found that the furnishings in the office were extremely simple. Except for the reception area, which had finely woven carpets, high-top round tables and soft leather sofas, the rest of the space was occupied by cabinets filled with documents. In addition,
There is also a desk in front of the window, and there are also piles of documents on the table, all of which have been stamped.
I don’t know how many of the documents involved involve that supplementary ordinance. The non-Orthodox churches in Linwell City include not only the Holy Goddess Sect of Linge’s faith, but also the Crimson Prayer Society, the God’s Will Sect, the New Cross Society, etc., any of which
The scale is larger than that of the Holy Goddess Cult. Will they obediently accept the restrictions of the law? I'm afraid they are not optimistic.
But this had nothing to do with Ringer, so his eyes swept over these documents, and then fell on the owner of the room, Mr. Ronning. He was walking towards Ringer, an imposing man.
A middle-aged gentleman, about thirty years old, with slightly curly brown hair, a straight and broad nose, dark majestic eyes, wearing a black uniform modified from a church priest's robe, this is also the tribune of the kingdom
A uniform uniform that possesses both religious solemnity and secular authority.
The ecclesiastical alliance divides the radiation range of the faith into dioceses of different sizes. Each parish has a committee, which is composed of a clergy, a tribune and a diocesan representative to jointly manage the affairs of the parish.
Civil officials are appointed by the Religious Administration of the Kingdom's Ministry of Religious Beliefs and have an official status. They are mainly responsible for the secular affairs of the diocese, such as fund management, public services and even disputes among believers.
Linwell City belongs to the fourth-level joint diocese, and there are fifth-level patriarchal dioceses under it, which are based on villages, towns or streets. As the tribune of the city-diocesan committee, Mr. Ronning has the right to interrogate and interfere with these dozens of
All secular affairs within a patriarchate naturally include the implementation of the "Religious Decree".
In other words, he is one of the three most powerful people in the religious circles of Linville City.
But this big shot didn't have any airs. He took the initiative to extend his hand to express goodwill to Ringer and said in a calm voice: "Hello, Mr. Ringer, I have been looking forward to this meeting for a long time."
"I know." Ringer replied politely: "Mr. Barton has described your enthusiasm to me, which makes me feel honored."
"I hope you won't be bored by this."
The two shook hands lightly and then let go. Lang Ning pointed to the sofa in the reception area and said, "I already know your purpose of coming. How about we sit down and chat?"
Naturally, Ringer would not refuse, so the two of them sat down on the sofa, exchanged a few words, and then got down to business after the maid served black tea, closed the door and left.
"I have thought about it for a long time and finally decided to abide by the provisions of the "Religious Decree" and close the Tianxin Church." Linge did not mention that his sister hid the notice and said, "But this will affect my daily life.
It has caused great trouble. I think the Kingdom should have relevant policies to compensate for this, right?"
The so-called trouble is actually very simple, it is money.
The Holy Goddess Church is not a big church, but it still has a certain influence in the Holy Cross District and the Baicheng District. In addition to the spontaneous donations from believers, Lin Ge, as the resident pastor, can also preside over weddings, baptize newborns, and even
She earns income by being invited to attend various community competitions. Most of it is used to purchase food and relieve the poor, while the remaining small amount is enough for Linge to support herself and her sister, and even allow her to stay at home and prepare for exams.<
/p>
If the church closes, the income will definitely be gone. How to maintain future life is what Ringer is most concerned about, especially the survival of Tianxin Church.
"Don't worry." Probably satisfied with Ringer's straight-to-the-point attitude, a smile appeared on Mr. Langning's face, slightly softening his serious expression: "The kingdom will naturally praise good citizens who abide by the law.
According to relevant policies, churches that are willing to obey the "Religious Decree" will receive a weekly subsidy of 2 gold pounds; at the same time, we will introduce new jobs to these clergy. If I remember correctly, Mr. Ringer seems to be
A graduate of the history department? He also has a clergy certificate? He is a young and promising young man. In this case, we are willing to provide you with two options."
He paused for a moment and continued: "The first option is to be a history teacher at St. Lowood National School. Haha, it is a charity school jointly funded by our religious group. Any school-age child can receive low or even free tuition.
Enter the study, the weekly salary of this position is also 2 pounds. The second option is to join our Linwell Parish Council as a clergyman. You have a clergy certificate and you should be familiar with this area of affairs. Of course, if you are willing to go deeper
It would be better if you understand the teachings of our seven righteous gods. Well, I don’t mean to offend your beliefs, I just feel it. The weekly salary for this position is 3 pounds and 10 pence."
It is 1 pound and 10p higher than the weekly salary of a history teacher, and is equivalent to the weekly salary of a senior worker. The United Order is really wealthy.
No matter which job he accepts, the subsidy and salary he receives will allow Ringer not to worry about his future life, and it will even be easier. After all, he does not need to spend most of his money to buy food and relieve the poor. When he is no longer
As the resident pastor of Tianxin Church, you do not have to bear corresponding responsibilities.
"I personally hope you can accept my invitation. The city-parish committee needs a young and sensible guy like you to join." Lang Ning smiled and said, "Of course, I respect your choice more."
Young and... sensible.
It is indeed sensible to give up hope and accept reality.
Ringer was silent, as if he was deep in thought. But at this moment, for some reason, what came to his mind was not the pros and cons of the two choices, but the man he met in the municipal square who claimed to be
The girl of Saint Shalia.
And what she said——
Anyone who accidentally eats a golden apple will be involved in a destiny that does not belong to him.
***
"My God in heaven."
"My heartfelt prayers."
"I look forward to receiving your guidance and illuminating the confusion and sin."
"All pain and uneasiness will be engraved in my heart."
"There will be no joy or sadness from now on."
"May you and the innocent live in a worry-free country."
The girl lowered her head, put her two fingers together, and tapped her eyebrows, lips and chest to represent the sky, the earth and life——
"We, the earthly people, are with the goddess."
But the stone statue was as silent as time itself, giving her no response.
After a while, a faint sigh echoed in the chapel.
Metien felt that he had never prayed so devoutly.
But what's the use? In the 19th century when steam was roaring, there was an insurmountable gap between the hope defined by God and the cruel reality. Therefore, even the goddess could not come to the earth to save her in the world.
Devotees are in suffering.
Do we really have to learn to accept reality like my brother said?
When Metien was feeling melancholy, there was suddenly a "dong" sound outside the house, as if something heavy fell to the ground, and then there was a faint human voice: "Ah, it hurts, it hurts... my butt is good."
It hurts..."
Is there a thief at home?
Metien's ears suddenly pricked, and he heard that the direction of the sound was coming from the backyard. There was nothing of value there, only a few vegetable plots cultivated by his brother himself, where potatoes, carrots and small fragrant roots were planted.
vegetables.
How dare you come to the goddess's church to steal, you are really audacious. Medien couldn't bear it, and rushed to the backyard without hesitation, preparing to catch the thief. Mainly because she vaguely heard the thief's voice as a woman, and felt that she would not encounter it.
What kind of danger did it take to make such a bold decision? But after thinking about it, I still felt uneasy. I went around to the small kitchen first, took a rolling pin and weighed it in my hand. I felt more confident, and then I opened the back door aggressively and came.
To the backyard.
It is said to be the backyard, but it is actually just a small open space surrounded by a simple wooden fence. In order to prevent the place from looking too deserted, Lin Ge personally planted several Baicheng sycamores, which are now flourishing and vigorous.
The sunlight shines on the ground through the gaps in the leaves, forming flickering light spots, which is very beautiful.
But Metien had no intention of admiring the scenery. She held the rolling pin with both hands and walked around the corner step by step. She decided to act cautiously and find out the details of the other party before taking action. She poked her head out from behind the wall, ready to see what it was like.
If a thief dares to come to the Goddess Church to cause trouble, he must be handed over to the patrol police for proper handling if caught.
She was stunned after just one glance.
Because she was getting up from the ground, rubbing her buttocks and complaining of pain, she turned out to be a girl who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. She had long golden hair that hung down to her waist, but it was very messy and hung randomly around her neck.
She was tied into a ponytail, and several hairs stood up stubbornly from her forehead and sides. It was obvious that she had not taken care of it very much. She wore a pair of silver-white rabbit ears on her head, with clear angular lines, more like a mechanical creation.
Not a body part. This pair of rabbit ears of questionable purpose are supported by a semi-circular ring device of unknown material. At the end of the ring are two metal discs that are close to the ears. Could it be that they play a fixed role? But that will not let her
Can't you hear the sound outside?
Whether it is the rabbit ears, the semi-circular ring device or the surface of the metal disc, there are mysterious blue light arcs that flicker from time to time, flickering on and off, full of a sense of technology that does not conform to the times.
Below is the exquisite and pretty face. There is no need to describe it in words. Just know that even Meridian, a girl, feels amazing. Especially those clear and transparent eyes like rubies, as if they were crafted by the hands of a master.
A meticulously crafted work of art, all the light thrown in is condensed into deep red star clusters under the refraction of the cut surfaces.
In addition, her clothing is extremely weird, and it can be seen at a glance that it is not the style of the Kingdom of Great Brita: a silver-gray hoodie with some inexplicable patterns printed on it, and the sleeves are so long that it covers half of her palms; the same color
The leather shorts exposed her white thighs, which can be called immoral; she wore a pair of white shoes on her feet, which seemed to be extremely light and suitable for sports, and her ankles were covered by a pair of black and white striped socks. p>
There are also various gaudy but unclear decorations: the sword-shaped pendant around the neck, the fire pattern ring on the index finger of the right hand, the silver bracelet used to tie the ponytail, and the two belts hanging diagonally from the slender waist.
A silver-white cube and a silver-gray metal box were hung respectively. When they collided with the iron buttons on the belt, they made a crisp ringing sound.
It is difficult to describe in words the dress and unique temperament of this girl. Whether it is weird, mysterious or lively and smart, it all seems too superficial. The only thing Medien can be sure of is: if a girl like this is said to be a thief,
, even the goddess wouldn’t believe it.
So, she squeezed the hand of the rolling pin and relaxed a little. At the same time, she fell into thinking, not knowing how she was going to communicate with this weird girl who fell from the sky.
When Metien was stunned, the girl found her hiding behind the corner. Instead of panicking, she waved her hands happily and showed a bright smile: "Great, someone is here. Hi, hello.
Yeah, who are you?"
Metien was stunned for a moment by her familiar tone, and somehow replied: "My, my name is Metien."
"What's Mei?" She took off the rabbit ears on her head, hung them around her neck, and scratched the back of her head sheepishly: "Sorry, I forgot to take off my headphones just now, so I didn't hear clearly."
It turns out that thing is called a headset.
Metien thought silently and repeated at the same time: "Hello, I am Metien."
"Oh, Madien, hello, I'm Alice." She looked around at the scene and smacked her lower lip: "You may not believe it, but I come from another world, a world called Earth."<