Chapter 75: The Unruly Power of Fate

Link had originally thought that persuading Cecily and Irene to stay long-term would require quite a bit of effort, but to his surprise, when he brought them back, an unexpected joy awaited him: the two of them were already acquainted with the three cardinal archbishops, and their relationships were quite good. Upon meeting, greetings were exchanged, both surprised and delighted.

Afterward, Lingfeng signaled to Link with her eyes, suggesting he leave the space to the women. Link promptly withdrew, and an hour later, the three archbishops sought him out to report that Cecily and Irene had decided to stay permanently. Though they would not join the Church of the All-Father, they were willing, as payment, to aid the church with their alchemical skills, both by preparing medicines and teaching the art.

This left Link quite astonished. Alchemy was a secret skill of the Lotus Order, never to be passed on. Cecily and Irene, though somewhat naïve, were surely not so foolish as to divulge such a deeply guarded secret. Only after the three archbishops explained in detail did Link feel reassured. It turned out that, with skills in persuasion rivaling his own, they had greatly extolled the virtues of the Church of the All-Father and assured Cecily that, should the church be willing to help her and Irene, avenging the Bal Order would be no difficult feat. When Cecily’s heart was thoroughly moved, they ‘unintentionally’ mentioned the church’s desperate need for a skilled alchemist.

Though Cecily was innocent by nature, the destruction of her order had long since stained her pure heart with hatred. She had not lost her reason, but revenge had become her only wish, far outweighing even the thought of reviving her church. In her eyes, the true church was the one where her loved ones and elders had lived; now that this home was gone, revenge was all that remained.

It must be said that Cecily possessed a measure of restraint. She did not reveal her burning desire for vengeance, but it could not escape Lingfeng’s discerning eyes. Lingfeng used this to her advantage, painting for Cecily an irresistible vision—a promise so grand it could not be refused.

No, it was more than just a vision. From Lingfeng’s perspective, now a devout believer in the All-Father, it was simple truth: if the church truly wished to help Cecily and Irene, then a mere Bal Order would stand no chance against a church that had a true god behind it; their destruction would be inevitable.

After this vision was presented, the three archbishops proceeded to recount some of the evil deeds committed by the Church of the Moon. Every word was true, and while Cecily and Irene might doubt Link’s claims, they would not distrust Lingfeng and her companions. Learning that the Church of the Moon was unlikely to help them seek vengeance—in fact, might imprison them and force them to become exclusive alchemists for the Church—Cecily and Irene abandoned all thought of seeking sanctuary there.

Innocence makes one easily trusting, and hatred makes one easily manipulated. Cecily and Irene possessed both qualities. After weighing her options, Cecily took the initiative: she offered to remain with the Church of the All-Father, to aid them in alchemy and to teach her craft. Although she spoke nothing of revenge, the three archbishops knew she was simply biding her time. When the moment was right, she would almost certainly approach Link or one of the three archbishops with her true request.

The archbishops saw no reason to object. The church’s doctrine called for the eradication of evil, and given what the Bal Order had done, its destruction was only a matter of time.

Even so, they did not agree to Cecily’s proposal immediately, but, showing proper restraint, left the decision to Link. Though they were certain he would consent, the addition of an alchemist was no small matter for the Church of the All-Father, and they would not overstep their authority.

It had to be said that the three archbishops knew their place well. Even if Link did not mind, they insisted on upholding every rule, reminding him that order was the backbone of all organizations. After several months together, the three had observed that Link was easygoing and kind—a good man. But a good man is not always a good leader. Many churches had fallen into chaos due to a lack of clear hierarchy and rules. The Church of the All-Father had not yet encountered this problem, but the sharp-eyed archbishops could see the potential danger and had taken to subtly reminding Link to pay attention to his own status.

They never spoke of this outright, but their hints were obvious. Link had noticed early on and felt both touched and helpless—touched because the three archbishops were sincerely devoted to supporting him, helpless because their efforts had begun to create a widening gulf between him and the others. Where once Saka and the rest had been both respectful and friendly, now they kept a conscious distance, interacting with him as subordinates. Even Alia was gradually affected, often seeking guidance from the three archbishops, and the once playful girl was now becoming composed and aloof, displaying the air of a traditional saintess.

Link did not care for this change, but he had no choice but to adapt and grow. To gain something is to lose something else. Since he had chosen to make the Church of the All-Father a great institution, he had to be ready to take his place at the top, even if it meant changing against his will.

He was neither surprised nor opposed to Cecily and Irene’s intentions to remain in the church, for this had been his plan all along. As long as they were willing to help the Church, their personal motives were of no matter.

He agreed at once, and upon hearing the news, Cecily and Irene were overjoyed, expressing their heartfelt gratitude to Link and promising their unwavering support.

The news made Link genuinely happy, though he did feel a flicker of guilt for having deceived the two naïve girls—enough to make him pause in self-reproach for a whole second before he smiled again.

Yet before he could fully savor his triumph, a message from the system left him dumbstruck.

[Ding, the first step of Destiny’s Guidance, ‘Fateful Encounter,’ is complete. The second step—‘Chaos of Destiny’—has begun. Please look forward to it.]

Link stared blankly. “What? There’s a second step? Isn’t it over already? I just wanted to use the power of destiny to find an alchemist! What is this ‘Chaos of Destiny’? Why should I look forward to it? Look forward to what, exactly? System, explain yourself!”

The system offered him only silence. Frustrated and helpless, Link hurried to consult the three archbishops, but they knew nothing of it, and even prophecy proved useless.

A chill settled over Link’s heart. He suddenly recalled a phrase common in many novels: “Those who toy with fate will one day be toyed with by fate itself.”

He now understood this deeply. He had merely intended to use the power of destiny to find a good alchemist, but though the alchemist had been found, things were now developing in ways he could neither predict nor comprehend. He had no idea what this so-called ‘Chaos of Destiny’ might mean.

What unsettled him most was the implication of further steps—if there was a second, what else might come? Though Remilia’s blessing of fate had been given with goodwill, after its enhancement by the system, who could say what effect it truly had? The phrase ‘Chaos of Destiny’ hardly sounded promising.

Though the consequences had yet to appear, Link already regretted having used the system to enhance the power of destiny. A situation he could neither control nor foresee left him profoundly uneasy, and his instincts warned him that something significant might soon occur.

With such foreboding clouding his mind, Link tightened the Church’s security, sending patrols through Kinko Town each day. Bai Ling and Shadow remained on constant alert, while Altair was tasked with gathering intelligence from elsewhere. He also increased the number of paladins sent to other churches. In the nearly two months since these measures began, the Church of the All-Father had produced over forty paladins. Despite their uneven strength, they had become a force to be reckoned with.

Beyond the paladins, the training of mages was also bearing fruit. The former Celestial Order had many mages, with the three elders being the most accomplished. With their help, and support from the Soul of Flame, the Church had already trained over a dozen first-tier mages. The existing mages had also improved to some extent. While Link had not stationed them in branch churches, he had begun drilling them in team tactics, ensuring they could quickly form a fighting force if danger arose.

He recalled that when he first revealed the Soul of Flame, Lingfeng and the others had been shocked for quite some time. Such a wondrous artifact was indeed a boon for students of magic. Even the three archbishops, who had not advanced in years, found themselves on the brink of breakthroughs after using it.

Of course, it was not simply the magic of the Soul of Flame that aided the three archbishops, but the underlying principles it embodied. Learned as they were, they could discern what ordinary people could not.

The more they studied it, the more astonished they became. The Soul of Flame operated on principles unlike any magical item they had ever known, crafted by a method far superior and utterly alien—like a piece of technology from centuries in the future appearing in modern times, its design, construction, and effects all vastly surpassed anything currently known.

Faced with this, Link attributed the origin of the Soul of Flame to the great All-Father, and the three archbishops, shocked as they were, accepted this explanation. If it came from a god, then such an artifact could indeed be made with ease. With this belief, their faith in Link grew only deeper.

But that is a digression. Let us return to the main story. Under Link’s careful arrangements, the Church of the All-Father entered a semi-mobilized state. Some expansion plans, such as sending missionaries and staff to the former Celestial Order’s churches, had to be postponed. After the Celestial Order merged with the Church of the All-Father, those churches and monasteries became the Church’s property, but due to a shortage of manpower and their distance, Link had intended to send people gradually. Now, even that plan had to be put on hold.

Other projects, however, continued as normal—construction proceeded apace, and study programs advanced. Cecily, true to her word, worked diligently to prepare medicines and teach alchemy to the Church’s apprentices. She held nothing back, but her teaching skills were limited and the apprentices themselves were not prodigies, so progress was slow. The plan to train a large number of alchemists would take time.

In this fashion, a month slipped by in the blink of an eye. Just as Link was about to begin a new round of the lottery, the system delivered a chilling message ahead of schedule.