Wizard: I am a goblin

Chapter 123 Please have some self-respect, Father!

Normally, the composed Father Usa would never have been frightened by such a strange occurrence.

However, tonight is not an ordinary night, and Wu Sha is not calm.

A week ago, Usha stopped paying the beastmen. In the past few weeks, he had exhausted his savings and even used the parish fund—Usha was a simple and old-fashioned priest, unlike some other parishes that used the church's power to amass wealth. But when it came time to defend his faith with gold, he found himself powerless.

Perhaps I shouldn't have made the contract with those beasts... I opened the box of calamity, but I have no power to close it.

These Ansar people did not stop—they had become demons even more terrifying than manticores. Usha did not know whether the farmers had been killed by the beastmen, but the possibility lingered in his heart—the devout old priest supported his tough mask with prayer and willpower.

Faith is the armor of God's servants—but tonight, at this moment, Usha feels so helpless, so naked.

The priest, his hands trembling, pushed open the chapel door. A ray of cold moonlight shone into the darkness of the chapel, dividing it in two.

The chanting seemed to vanish the instant the door opened—leaving only a human voice praying softly.

Is it a child?

No, they are halflings.

The priest walked to the center of the chapel, looked at the small figure praying, and coughed lightly.

"Glory to the Lord... Ah! Father, I'm sorry..." Geb seemed not to have noticed the priest coming in. He turned around, was startled, and quickly stood up properly, bowing to the priest.

"Why are you here so late?" The priest breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was the person who had come with the female knight earlier that day, and resumed his stern expression.

"I'm so...so sorry...I couldn't sleep at night, and when I saw the chapel door was open, I thought I'd come in and pray...I thought it was just me and the Lord here...I'm really so sorry."

Father Usa had intended to reprimand the short man in front of him, but seeing his humble attitude, he sighed softly.

"The chapel opens at dawn, so if you want to pray, you can come early," the priest said to Geb, his tone softening. "Your piety is commendable, but you must also follow the rules."

"Yes..." Geb replied, bowing his head and fidgeting. "Father, if you don't mind... may I finish my prayer? I feel it's disrespectful to walk away halfway through a conversation with God."

The priest listened to what the man in front of him said, glanced at him, and nodded.

The halfling thanked the priest, then knelt back on the floor—Usa knelt beside him, nodding and praying silently.

Gebu spoke in a low voice. The room was quiet, and every word reached Wusha's ears.

"...May you bless the soul of my dwarf friend, that he may escape the clutches of those beasts, or at least that he may die without pain."

Usha's eyebrows twitched, but he didn't interrupt Gebu's prayer. Only after the halfling finished did he ask:

"You're praying for a dwarf? Why? Don't you know that dwarves don't believe in the true god Obak?"

"Ah, you heard that..." Geb scratched his head, looking ashamed. "I...I'm sorry, Father, actually, I have a question. Could you answer it for me?"

"You say it," Usa said to the little guy in front of her.

Will the souls of those who do not believe in God be redeemed after death?

"No," the priest replied firmly. "The holy decree clearly states that only those who believe in the Lord will be saved—their souls will ascend to the astral plane, reunite with Him in God's realm, and enjoy eternal bliss. Those who do not believe in God, after death, will have their souls fall into the etheric realm, associate with evil magical energy, and suffer eternal torment."

"...But what if that person is pure and kind, but goes astray because of certain reasons—such as their background—they haven't been exposed to the teachings of the Church of Orbak? Would such a person also not be saved?"

"Purity and kindness are false propositions. A person who does not believe in God can never experience true goodness—they may appear kind, but their soul is ultimately tainted. Only by opening one's soul and receiving the baptism of holy light can one truly become sincere, kind, and beautiful."

"I see... I'm sorry, Father, I asked a very stupid question."

“No question is a stupid question. Educating people is the duty of every believer,” the priest said righteously. “However, you still haven’t answered my question: why are you praying for a dwarf?”

"To tell you the truth, Father, I am very confused... I have become friends with a dwarf, a craftsman from the Salt and Iron Merchants' Guild. I know you do not approve of our kingdom's devout believers associating with dwarves," Geb said cautiously, glancing at the holy emblem as if afraid of divine punishment.

"I only disapprove of the merchant lifestyle; I have no problem with the dwarf race," the priest said slowly. "But please continue."

"...We were traveling when we encountered danger. Neither of us were soldiers, so we had to run away in a panic. During the escape, I lost my footing and fell off a bridge—he could have escaped on his own, but he came back and rescued me."

As he spoke, Gebu suddenly burst into tears.

"But... he fell into the water while saving me, and in my panic, I didn't even look back and ran away... I was so despicable. I am ashamed to be a follower of O'Bak..."

"I see." The priest sighed softly. "You don't need to blame yourself too much. The fact that you feel ashamed is already proof of your goodness. We all measure our actions by the standards of saints, but we are not saints."

The old man placed his hand on Gebu's forehead and softly murmured a prayer. A moment later, Gebu was blessed and felt a warm sensation flowing through his body.

"Thank you, Father. ... I pray for my dwarf friend whose fate is unknown, and I pray for myself... I also pray for you, Father Usa."

"Pray for me?" Usha looked up at the halfling.

"...I feel that being able to pass on the warmth of the Lord to the hearts of others is the noblest cause in the world. You have dedicated your life to the Lord, and your heart must be as clear as a mirror. I respect you and admire you...I also want to dedicate my life to the Lord."

Upon hearing this, Father Usa lowered his head slightly, a hint of shame flashing in his eyes.

“Those half-human, half-beast demons will surely be punished! Their words are full of disrespect for the Lord…” Geb continued. “They said they would kill every O'Bak believer they saw! Adults and children alike, none spared!”

Father Usa's body seemed to have been electrocuted, and the candlestick in his hand almost fell to the ground.

He instinctively turned his back to Gebu, his eyes darting around.

"That Rose Knight promised me that after killing the manticore, she would help me find these blasphemous beasts and bring them to justice on the spot... I am insignificant and powerless, but if I can help that lady defeat evil and spread the glory of the Lord throughout the kingdom, even to the empire... Yes! That is what I should do! Like the saints, I should venture into the lion's den and deliver the Lord's faith to the other side of Shanhaiguan..."

"You…" Father Usa couldn't believe the halfling in front of him was saying such a thing. He still had his back to him, his lips trembling as he said, "You're not even a priest, how could you do something so dangerous?!"

"I... to be honest, although I have not received any clerical training, my faith in the Lord is unwavering! I even persuaded Lady Stoneheart of the Salt and Iron Caravan to establish a missionary society within the caravan—I believe that both dwarves and imperial people can be moved by the Lord's holy light. As you said, there are good people among them; they just need to open their souls and let the gods in."

"It's not that easy! Putting aside the dwarves, the Empire is a breeding ground for evil wizards. If you go there..."

"I am not alone, Father Usha. I have the Rose Knight by my side, and your blessing, and most importantly..." Geb paused, and the priest couldn't help but turn to look at the halfling.

"Most importantly, God is with me."

The moonlight fell on the pyramid emblem, casting a faint golden halo—the halfling was bathed in this holy light, his eyes burning with a divine radiance!

Father Usha was stunned. The scorpion lion, the beastman, the rose saint, the halfling... all the coincidences turned into destiny before his eyes.

"You..." The priest had a hundred questions, but none of them mattered at this moment. The little guy in front of him reminded him of the first time he received divine revelation—so firm, so devout, so unquestionable.

"Father, we beg you, we can only be at ease with your permission. We are willing to give our lives for the Church of Oberc, please bless us!"

silence.

silence.

Gebu hesitated for a moment—it didn't work? No way, it sounded so good, I was even moved to tears myself.

A single hot tear rolled down the priest's deeply lined cheek and splattered onto the ground.

"Obak above... I have wasted my life, and now I am old and frail, only to find now... what I should have done from the very beginning..."

"You?" Gebu asked in a low voice.

"Not only will I bless you, but I will also go with you!"

That's it, egg.

I was so incredibly moved!!!

"Please...please have some self-respect, Father!!!"