She hadn’t lied; she truly hadn’t held a higher position within the Church of Life. A deity, after all, wasn’t considered a position within the Church.
Hearing her reply, Milton remained silent for a few breaths before continuing to question her:
““Did you understand the doctrines of the Church of Life previously, or perhaps perform any related work? For instance, assisting a priest in imparting the doctrines?””
““Hmm… I believe so.””
The founding of the Church of Life necessitated doctrines. To increase the number of her followers, she had concealed a portion of her authority over life within these teachings.
This made it easier to bestow blessings upon her believers.
There seemed to be little difference between creating doctrines, researching them, and imparting them. Back when she first disseminated the teachings, the priests within the Church were incredibly busy.
Sometimes, they even required her explanations to truly grasp the doctrines’ profound meaning.
These experiences, she mused, should certainly meet Milton’s requirements.
Milton, naturally unaware of her true thoughts, simply assumed her hesitant response stemmed from a superficial understanding of the doctrines. A flicker of disappointment was unavoidable in his cloudy, aged eyes.
He should have faced reality long ago. Elves who still deeply understood the doctrines of the Church of Life were exceedingly rare.
At least within this city, there were certainly no more suitable candidates for a priest.
““‘I believe so’? The requirements for a priest in the Church of Life are quite stringent now. If you wish to become one, you must pass my assessment. I trust you understand, Miss?””
Unwilling to waste any more time with Isis, Milton directly proposed that she undergo the assessment.
If she passed, she could become a priest; otherwise, she would simply return whence she came.
““Yes, no problem. I will take your assessment, Mr. Milton.””
Having received her answer, Milton turned his attention to Philomena. Upon seeing her looking vibrant and in rather good spirits, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief and asked, perplexed:
““By the way, Philomena, how did you get here? And how is your illness?””
They were all well aware of Philomena’s illness. How could she have possibly made it to this church in such a critical condition?
Even traveling by carriage would have seemed impossible.
Standing up, Philomena spun around once before Milton. Her formerly pale, sickly face was now flushed with health, and the cane she usually leaned on was nowhere to be seen.
““Can’t you tell, Lord Milton?””
““Your illness… it’s cured?””
““Yes, thanks to the help of a benefactor, my illness has been cured.””
Milton’s pupils instantly dilated. For a moment, he struggled to comprehend her words.
They knew her illness intimately; it was a strange malady that even the doctrines of the Church of Life couldn’t cure.
Of course, it was possible their understanding of the doctrines wasn’t profound enough, not yet reaching a point where it could cure all ailments.
However, this alone attested to the difficulty of treating such a peculiar illness.
Moreover, not only could they not cure her, but even the followers of the Blood Church had failed.
They had already resolved to take good care of Lily after Philomena’s passing, yet, unexpectedly, her illness was cured?
““Benefactor…””
Noticing Philomena’s mention of a “benefactor,” Milton instinctively glanced at Isis, who was seated nearby. Upon realizing she possessed no magical power, he immediately ruled her out as the benefactor.
To cure Philomena’s illness, magic was indispensable. How could the elf before him, who lacked even a trace of magic, possibly have accomplished such a feat?
It was likely someone who had recently arrived in Prarie who had cured her illness.
Milton felt this was the only plausible answer at present.
It must be said, his guess was quite accurate. It wasn’t Isis who had cured Philomena, but Beacai.
““Come with me, Miss Isis.””
There was little time to waste on such matters; the priests of the Church of Life were exceptionally busy.
Milton rose and left the office, gesturing for Isis to follow, while Philomena chose to bid them farewell.
Next was Isis’s assessment.
Within this building, he kept tools specifically for assessing priests. With a simple test, he could ascertain the depth of Isis’s understanding of the Church of Life’s doctrines.
Based on her previous descriptions, he didn’t hold much hope for her passing the assessment.
““Miss Isis, where do you hail from in Prarie? And what did you do before?””
As they walked, Milton continued to inquire about Isis’s past. Deep down, he still yearned for her to become a priest of the Church of Life.
After all, the Church of Life was severely understaffed, and there weren’t many elves living in Prarie to begin with.
““Mr. Milton, you’ve likely never heard of the place I come from. I myself was merely an ordinary elf, with only a hobby for studying the Church’s doctrines.””
Unfortunately, Isis’s reply utterly crushed his hopes. Seeing her unwillingness to divulge more information, Milton let out a soft sigh.
He then continued leading her towards the first floor.
In the narrow corridor, Isis encountered two other priests. They seemed to know why Philomena had brought her, for after they passed by, she overheard their conversation.
““Has a new priest finally arrived? We’ve been so busy lately, with no time to rest. If a new priest joins, perhaps our work will lighten up a bit.””
““Whether she’s a new priest is still uncertain. Lord Milton’s assessment is even stricter than previous ones. This lady appears to have no magical power at all, so it’s really not guaranteed she’ll pass.””
““Perhaps her understanding of the doctrines is quite profound? At least there’s a glimmer of hope.””
‘Busy?’
Isis thought they seemed rather relaxed, with ample time for such idle chatter.
After a small mental grumble, Milton finally led her to their destination.
Inside the room to the left on the first floor, numerous potted plants and flora were arranged. The floor was not ordinary, but rather dark brown earth.
Compared to the outside, the space felt like a miniature forest.
At the very center of this miniature forest sat a round crystal ball. The magical energy within surged like ocean waves, yet remained exquisitely clear and translucent.
““Elves hold varying interpretations of the Church of Life’s doctrines, yet ultimately, they all revolve around grasping the true essence of life.
“I dislike testing on dry, academic doctrines; I prefer something more direct and simpler.””
As he spoke, Milton picked up a cloth from a nearby table and carefully wiped the crystal ball twice. He then turned, gesturing for Isis to place her hands upon it.
““The doctrines are imbued with the power of the Mother Goddess’s authority over life. Therefore, Miss Isis, please use your understanding of these doctrines to manipulate the magical energy within this crystal ball and make this seedling grow rapidly.””