Although everything was complicated as the army was about to depart, Soshyan still took an hour out of his busy schedule and left his command post, his battle brothers, and even Veronica.
When Stormbird stopped in front of the largest and oldest church in Sagan, the place had already been cleared of irrelevant people.
This church is majestic and majestic, located on the top floor of the hive. Because it was donated and built by nobles, ordinary residents are naturally not eligible to worship.
If he said he went in just to pray, Soshyan would be lying.
He just needed a quiet place to think.
The appearance of the church is full of religious mystery and majesty. The two towering spiers are six hundred meters tall. The exterior of the church walls draws on the artistic style of the M36 apostasy era. The main entrance is made of layered eaves and pediments. Overlapping arcs and triangles, leaning columns and flat pilasters are used on both sides of the door. Large scrolls are carved layer by layer on both sides of the upper facade. Not far from the church is the cemetery for the nobles. In the middle It is a large green grassland, opposite to which is a row of reliefs, engraved with the statues and names of countless people who donated in this place. This place promotes the generosity of believers, who spend large sums of money without hesitation just to "purchase" "The Emperor's blessing is dismissive of all living beings in the distant hive.
There are also many gargoyle statues on the church walls, which play low hymns on a loop until nightfall.
Soshyan, who was wearing a robe, walked to the gate alone. There were three gates in the middle of the shell-like dome. The middle gate was the main passage and was usually not open, but today all three gates were open.
This trip was actually very sudden. Soshyan came down with just a brief notice. The priests could only hurriedly drive away the believers who were here before, even themselves. Only some senior priests stood at the posts that must be maintained, in awe. Looking at this angel who holds the life and death of billions of lives in his hands, the church has nine floors in total, except for the bottom floor, which is mostly divided by a suspended sun garden, making the light appear fragmented.
Soshyan walked through a glass-covered corridor and entered the church. After the main entrance, there are several doorways that gradually shrink inward, with statues on each floor.
When entering the magnificent main hall, melodious hymns echo among the domes painted with emperors and angels. Most of the windows here are in the form of plant leaves and are inlaid with colorful glass patterns, but this does not affect the light transmittance.
The senior priests standing here were all stiff, with their hands on the rosary. When Soshyan moved forward, they consciously stepped aside.
It seems that the smell of an Anglican church is the same no matter where it is, chrism, candle wax, incense, dry wood and... confusion.
This is a spiritual weight, it is the pressure of responsibility, and it is also the atmosphere that the State Church strives to create - when a person stands here, it seems that he can really feel that the Emperor is watching him.
There are five aisles behind the main hall. There is a patio at the end of each aisle, and there is also a statue inside. The statue in the middle is the largest, seventy meters high. It depicts the God Emperor sitting on a golden throne. The huge, tortured face stared into the distance over the heads of the beings, with a determined look on its face.
Whether or not the person who carved it had actually seen the Emperor, it was nevertheless crafted in a form that at least fit the mortal view of the Emperor.
But Soshyan was more interested in the statue in the hall outside, where the Emperor was portrayed as a warrior, wearing armor and holding a sword. Even though the sword was as slender as the statue itself, it looked a bit ridiculous. , but consistent with the Astartes' view of the Emperor.
Unfortunately, there were still too many people there, and it was too big and empty.
After seeing most of the statues, he chose a side hall, or the emperor's statue there, and more importantly, there was no one there, and then sat on a bench.
Soshyan himself couldn't remember how long it had been since he had meditated alone in the church. Originally, this was supposed to be a required daily course for an Astartes, but he seemed to have forgotten about it. It stands to reason that any warrior would do this. , he will immediately be questioned by the priest. He does not know whether he is abusing the privileges of the chapter leader.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of rain.
In Sagan during this season, it seems to rain from time to time. After all, the world retains more natural environment, and this church happens to be shorter than the clouds, perhaps deliberately.
The singing of the choir floated melodiously, and the pouring rain was blocked out.
But for some reason, Soshyan remembered another place, which was also a church, but it seemed to always rain, as if it would never end.
That place is called Thunder Rock.
Thinking of this, Soshiyang took out the small white porcelain cup. He didn't know why he brought it. Maybe he was too confused during this time, so much that he really wanted to be alone. , a person who can really fully understand all this to answer.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him, like high heels tapping on the stone floor.
No one dared to approach him privately, and he knew who it was without looking back. After all, the church was her "territory" in a sense.
"I was praying and heard you coming."
Soshyan turned around.
"Good morning, Velez."
Velez looked happy, and her body was still surrounded by the warmth of incense, perhaps thanks to the small incense burner on her waist.
Then the nun walked to Soshyan's seat, sat down, took out a jar and opened it.
"Rose candy?"
"Well, I need it occasionally when I'm meditating. Speaking of which, my grandma always scolded me not to eat too much sugar, because appetite is also the source of sin."
Looking at the candy handed over by Velez, Soshyan smiled and took it in his hand. Its taste was so rich that he could taste the aroma before entering his mouth.
】
Velez suddenly looked up at the Emperor in armor. She was surrounded by rows of burning candles, but the light did not illuminate him, and the shadows covered his face instead.
"Why did you choose to come here? Why not in the main hall?"
"I like this statue."
"like......?"
"I'm not here to seek repentance or absolution, although these things always come and go for the state religion. I just want a person to think quietly and try to see if I can get...enlightenment."
Velez blinked.
"This is your first time trying to talk to me about these topics, so...what do you like about this icon?"
"Her face, she was the Emperor, the Lord of Mankind, but she didn't look happy, as if she had won a great battle, but that victory had to cost her dearly, and she ended up with a She made what she thought was the right decision in a way that we will never understand now... I look at that statue and I see her alone and can understand her trying to do what is right in a world that disgusts her The mood when things happen.”
Suddenly, Velez stretched out his hands and pressed the back of Soshyan's right hand.
"I get it, you're disgusted by what you did."
The nun said softly:
"You see yourself in her."
Soshyan's expression froze, and Velez squeezed his hand harder.
"There is no need to be afraid, it is not blasphemy to see her struggle! You see yourself in her, this is her inner connection with each of us, she is our master and we are her servants, but we are all living in our Fight the same fight in your own way, Soshyan.”
