Mass was the most important weekly event in the Papal States.
On Mass day, all work by the common people had to cease. Everyone had to gather in the streets, silently chanting Caesar's name while observing the Mass ceremony.
This was the grandest celebration in the Papal States, the moment to bathe in divine grace.
However, the weekly Mass severely hindered people's production and daily life. Most importantly, the Papal States enforced numerous strict regulations where the slightest misstep could lead to confiscation of property or even being sent to the stake. Thus, the people of the Papal States lived in utter misery, with poverty visible everywhere one looked.
The Papal States' territory was God's domain, requiring the manifestation of God's greatness and purity. Since the previous pope's reign, to highlight the pope's diligent governance, beggars were forbidden within the Papal States' borders. Consequently, everyone in the Papal States referred to beggars as the impoverished.
Other nations were no better though. Kings and various nobles completely disregarded their subjects' welfare, relentlessly extracting from them without any beneficial policies for the people.
Compared to this world's magical creatures, human society at this stage was truly the real fantasy.
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Holy Lord City, the holy city of the Papal States, birthplace of humanity and site of God's demise. The streets were adorned with floral arrangements, with colorful flowers everywhere—on walls lining the streets, under house eaves, even in unoccupied patches of mud.
The muddy roads were covered in excrement, mixed with dirty water and trampled underfoot. The impoverished people wore tattered clothing that barely covered them, their bare feet caked in filth and waste.Church Knights in pristine white armor held gleaming greatswords, keeping the impoverished masses confined to the streetsides. Despite their frail and weakened condition, despite being emaciated to the bone, despite clothing so scant it couldn't conceal their private parts, they still clutched handfuls of flowers, decorating this foul-smelling city.
The road center section blocked off by Church Knights was completely carpeted with flowers.
Church Knights in pristine white armor held gleaming greatswords, keeping the impoverished masses confined to the streetsides. Despite their weak and exhausted condition, despite being emaciated to the bone, despite clothing so scant it couldn't conceal their private parts, they still clutched handfuls of flowers, decorating this foul-smelling city.
Mass was the most crucial event in the Papal States, requiring grand spectacle to welcome the deity's arrival!
For this purpose, Holy Lord City had even cleared farmland, forcibly ordering the impoverished to grow flowers instead, ensuring weekly Mass floral requirements were met.
Other cities weren't quite this extreme though. Only the Papal Court and Holy Lord City, for special reasons, carried the most intense religious atmosphere—but simultaneously, exerted the most severe oppression on people.
"Bong... bong... bong..."
With the piercing sound of church bells, finally, the Mass celebration of divine grace's descent commenced grandly!
"Ooo... ooo... ooo..."
Solemn, weighty horn blasts sounded from the church, instantly resonating throughout the entire city. The sound was profound yet oppressive, solemn yet majestic, like ancient echoes returning to this mortal world.
Immediately following, came the unified chanting of thousands, creating a buzzing drone like flies throughout the city.
Both the impoverished and knights now began reciting in unison, murmuring contents from The Bible, praying for the deity's descent.
As the humming intensified, the Holy Lord Cathedral's great doors swung open with a thunderous crash.
The pure white missionary procession followed Father Mia's lead, slowly emerging from the cathedral. Treading on flower-paved paths amidst millions' prayers, they advanced toward The Sanctuary like true divine disciples.
Their pure white missionary robes appeared spotless under sunlight, the white procession resembling lambs in God Caesar's embrace, full of holy and mystical essence.
The fragrance of flowers intertwined with the city's accumulated years of stench created an indescribable mixture!
The pristine church personnel and filthy impoverished stood in stark contrast, like heaven and hell's polar extremes!
Norton followed at the procession's very end holding a pure white flower basket, his hooded head only allowing peripheral glimpses of the surroundings.
But this completely confined, controlled life was genuinely driving him insane, forcibly sealing away his emotions and desires until his mind felt somewhat abnormal!
If he weren't a transmigrator, if he hadn't experienced modern life before, he could probably have lived in this church his entire life. But having once known freedom, having experienced various emotions and thoughts, he couldn't possibly endure being imprisoned in this church like a trapped dog forever.
Norton's inner excitement and anticipation completely vanished after seeing the outside scene.
The impoverished people's emaciated bodies and scant clothing made him face reality, this extreme disappointment leaving him somewhat disoriented.
Norton numbly followed at the procession's very end, joining others in scattering dried, hardened black bread crumbs from his basket.
As bread crumbs continuously scattered from the Mass missionary procession, the relatively better-off impoverished who usually had some food could take it or leave it when grabbing. But the beggar-like impoverished lining the streets fought like dogs in frantic competition.
They wrestled together, using their teeth when strength failed, even kneeling to lick sewage mixed with excrement for mere bread fragments.
The broad figures of Church Knights in spotless armor formed an impenetrable wall, ensuring those fighting for bread crumbs wouldn't cross the boundary even if trampled to death.
Norton felt chilled witnessing these scenes. Only seeing true Middle Ages misery firsthand made him understand why this era was called the man-eating age.
And these self-proclaimed divine messengers, these holy disciples preaching purity—the missionaries showed not the slightest pity for the surrounding scenes. Instead, they looked down from their high position, watching with relish.
The holy procession trod on soft petals advancing toward The Sanctuary.
After several hundred meters though, they split into eight groups.
Mass was a baptism, a city-wide baptism, and also a blessing for everyone. Thus they needed to separate into groups to cover all main streets throughout the city.
So the eight groups proceeded along predetermined routes toward different directions.
Norton remained at his group's very end. Head bowed, he scattered bread crumbs while following the procession forward.
As they advanced, people ahead of him gradually dispersed into side streets one after another.
Until finally, only Norton remained, treading on petals as he strolled into the very last street.