Dany had just revealed the plan of the "Seven Gods Dragon Sect" to Bu Tian, and the president of the Necromancer Association immediately
Dany had just revealed the plan of the "Seven Gods Dragon Sect" to Bu Tian, and the president of the Necromancer Association immediately understood her intention: to obtain the power of faith.
Well, Bu Tian did not actually guess correctly.
The Black Dragon had already taken over the pool of faith belonging to the Seven.
Of course, Dany desired the power of faith in Essos, but her most pressing task at the moment was to usurp the divine offices of the Seven!
Regarding the secrets of divine offices, very few in this world's extraordinary realm had any knowledge.
Even those who had already become true gods or demigods had no concept of divine office, and merely regarded the special powers it granted as a higher level of divine power.
The God of Fire was supposed to have an extraordinary ability to control fire, the Drowned God was expected to command the sea more easily than others, and the Storm God was believed to wield storms with greater force.What divine office or not—weren't such abilities natural? Otherwise, why call them the "God of Fire," the "Drowned God," or the "Storm God"?
In a sense, this thinking was not wrong. A divine office was a kind of converter, transforming the power of faith into divine power for specific use.
Whether or not one understood the theory of divine offices made no difference to those gods.
Especially for demigods, who acted by instinct and had no need for complete divine theory.
It was not that demigods were foolish, but rather a matter of the world's laws: ordinary mortals could not, through cultivation, ascend step by step into true gods.
If there were no dragons, what was the point of cultivating dragon-slaying techniques?If one could never become a true god, what was the use of studying the theory of divinity?
The High Sparrow was a mere mortal and knew nothing of the secrets of divinity. He never imagined that "Saint Dany" was so bold as to plot to seize the positions of the Seven.
But those were the Seven!
The High Sparrow truly believed in the Seven and never doubted their existence.
Thus, his perspective was simple: would this action violate the doctrines of the Seven? If it did not, would it benefit the development of the Faith? If it benefited the Faith, then what could he, as High Septon, gain from it?
His reasoning was clear and straightforward: first, it must not violate doctrine; second, it must help the church; and lastly, he himself should also profit from it.
He never once worried about the faith of the Seven being usurped by an outsider.
The Seven were real, supreme in the world—who could possibly steal their faith?Even if some extraordinary figure warned him otherwise, he would still answer in that way.
In fact, someone really had warned him.
Cersei's foremost henchman, who replaced Varys as the new master of whispers, "Maester of the Dark Arts" Qyburn.
After the Black Dragon accepted baptism from the High Sparrow and officially became the Great Protector of the Seven, the sparrows began construction in the Great Sept of Baelor to raise a statue of the Bright Protector.
At that time, Qyburn approached the High Sparrow and told him:"Never in history has it been heard that a dragon could possess such wisdom and even speak like men.
That night in Braavos proved further the strength of the black dragon's power.
So, I suspect he has the potential to become a demigod.
Now that you make him a Great Protector and erect a statue in his honor, once believers begin to pray devoutly before it, there is a strong chance it will help him ascend to demigodhood, perhaps even diverting the Seven's power of faith."
Qyburn also knew the truth—that the Seven were no more than seven pieces of wood—but how could he dare say such a thing in front of the Holy Son, the High Sparrow?Besides, he believed that without divine beings to absorb it, the power of faith given by believers would simply vanish. He did not believe the Black Dragon could inherit the "vast wealth" of the Seven.
"The Seven are supreme. Adding one more black dragon demigod as Protector is no wrong. It is like the King's Guard: the guards protect the king, and the king bestows upon them honor and rights," the High Sparrow replied calmly.
Yet in his heart he thought: This wretched old man is scheming. Seeing the black dragon join our faith, countless men and women flock to the church as believers and soldiers. The Iron Throne cannot bear it and now seeks to ruin my alliance with the dragon and the Mother of Dragons!
The High Sparrow did not entirely wrong Qyburn.
Though much of what the dark maester said was true, his motives were far from pure.
The Black Dragon becoming the church's Protector had too vast and too wide an influence. Across the Seven Kingdoms, it stirred a storm. Countless landed knights donated their lands to the Faith, then joined themselves as well, becoming Warriors of the Faith.
Qyburn was acting under Regent Kevan's orders to stop the erection of the Black Dragon's statue.
Later, when the statue was built, the Dragon Queen sent a letter suggesting that the dragon be made the "Hand of the Seven," just as kings had their Hands.
This, however, was far too contrary to doctrine.
It did not fit the High Sparrow's "simple worldview."
So he outwardly agreed to the queen, saying he would seek guidance from the Crone of Wisdom, but in truth he never once fasted and prayed before the statues of the Seven.
He had deceived the Dragon Queen.
The effect of the Black Dragon as Protector was too good and too powerful. He did not wish to refuse too bluntly or too harshly, lest it damage his friendship with the queen—especially since he was at that time judging Queen Margaery and under heavy pressure.
Even later, when the Dragon Queen, much like a certain coffee chain luring American investors, tempted him with data of "expansion" in Essos—one hundred Great Septs of the Seven—urging him to "invest" by adjusting doctrine and statues, the High Sparrow merely sighed with admiration:"Saint Dany is indeed Saint Dany. So driven, so capable—not only has she established the Faith of the Seven in Slaver's Bay, but even spreads branches in Essos, land of heresies."
Naturally, the "Seven Gods Dragon Sect" in Essos made him even more aware of the dragon's power and influence.
If, at that moment, greyscale were to spread across Westeros and only the dragon could save lives, the High Sparrow might truly have agreed to the queen's proposal.
He was devout, but not rigid.
He understood compromise and could read the times.
Unless absolutely necessary, he would not amend doctrine again in the short term.
Then, "necessity" arrived.
Sam lost the baby Other. Dany, though saying she would not interfere and truly too busy to care, still had the Black Dragon bring back three skinchangers. Along the way, she casually dropped off a wight at the Great Sept of Baelor.
Yes, the Wall had no captive Others, but still had a dozen wights.
The first time he saw a wight, the High Sparrow nearly suffered a mental collapse.
Especially when, after its limbs were hacked off with blades, the severed parts still crawled about. That hair-raising sight instantly jolted the High Sparrow out of his "game of thrones": perhaps the Dragon Queen was not mad after all, and perhaps the Long Night was indeed real.
Then, he decided—No, not to contact the Dragon Queen, nor to summon the faithful and proclaim a holy war against the Others, and not even to alter doctrine or reforge the statues of the Seven as the Dragon Queen had suggested.
He decided to fast and pray!This was a true fast and prayer—every day he drank only a small bowl of rice soup, keeping himself alive on a single breath, kneeling before the statue in the sept without sleep or rest. Perhaps he would doze off while still kneeling.
The High Sparrow prayed to every deity within the sept, beginning with the Crone, then the Father, the Mother. In the end, exhausted and starving, his mind hazy, he even prayed to the Black.
The High Sparrow was the Holy Son, and his devotion was profound. The Black immediately sensed it.
With the intellect of a boy barely ten years old, the Black also understood that Daenerys had been waiting for this very moment.
So without hesitation, he actively reached out to Daenerys's dragon spirit, and through the faith-line between the High Sparrow and the statue, his consciousness descended into the Great Sept.
The Great Sept of Baelor, with domes of glass, gold, and crystal, had floors of white marble and walls set with massive windows of colored leaded glass.
The Seven, seven altars. Before each altar, hundreds and thousands of candles lit by the faithful.
The High Sparrow knelt before the statue of the Crone holding the golden lamp, the candle flames casting flickering light on his pale, haggard face.
"Guide me, wise Crone. With your golden lamp that foresees destiny, disperse the darkness before me and lead me onto the true path. Mighty Champion of Light, can your flaming sword defeat the northern demon? Great Warrior, grant me strength."
Following the faith-line, Daenerys could sense the High Sparrow's emotions at this moment: hesitation, helplessness, yet unwavering piety and resolve.
He firmly believed the Seven would give him guidance.
Until the Seven gave him a sign, the High Sparrow would not end this fast and prayer.
Most of the time, he achieved his goal.
If one starves long enough, exhausted and near death, even the strongest will see visions.
Like the little match girl, who in the snowstorm saw everything she longed to see.
But this time was different. The High Sparrow had fasted for "only" a week, and the Seven had already given him an answer.
"Child, do not waver," said a gentle voice.
"Crone?" The High Sparrow was momentarily dazed. Before his eyes appeared a woman in white robes and veil.
She floated half in the air, her lower body wrapped in white mist.
Her face was kind, her features beautiful and gentle.
Even her aura of divine majesty could not prevent others from feeling close to her.
"Mother? You are the Mother! Mother of mercy!" The High Sparrow threw himself to the ground, crying out.
Strangely, though another figure had appeared before him and he cried aloud, none of the septons nearby seemed disturbed.
"Hehe." The woman covered her mouth, laughing softly, her voice clear and slightly mischievous.
The High Sparrow was startled. He raised his head, and the kind-faced woman in white had transformed into a lovely, playful maiden.
Her hair was adorned with green roses, tulips, and camellias. She wore a simple blue pleated skirt, her hands clasped behind her back, leaning forward with a teasing smile.
"Ah, Maiden!" The High Sparrow once again prostrated himself.
"Child, do you not have many questions in your heart?"
Her voice changed again, and the maiden became the kindly Crone holding the golden lamp.
This time, the High Sparrow, who had long studied the scriptures of the Seven, was no longer confused. He knew the Seven were one—Maiden, Mother, and Crone were all the same deity.
"Crone, I need your guidance," the High Sparrow said earnestly.
At this moment, the shadow of the wights appeared in his thoughts. Through the faith-line, Daenerys instantly caught his mind.
The Crone said softly, "I have seen the doubts in your heart. Yes, the Others are real. The Long Night is coming. This is the greatest catastrophe humanity has ever faced."
"Then, what should I do?"
The High Sparrow grew fearful, recalling how he and the Black Dragon had contrived the idea of the 'Holy Son of Light.'
The instant the thought formed, it was sensed.
The Crone transformed back into the Maiden. She bent down, touching her gentle fingers to the High Sparrow's forehead.
"Hehehe, you are devout enough, entirely qualified to be the Holy Son. It's just that before there was no Champion of Light, it was hard for me to project divine power into reality," the Maiden said with a smile.
The High Sparrow felt a wave of relief, though countless new questions arose in his heart.
In past communions with the Seven, he too had seen them (Daenerys: Are you sure?), but never with such clarity. Usually, once an answer was given, the divine descent ended.
This time, he was determined not to let the chance slip away. He would ask the Seven thoroughly about the teachings that had always puzzled him.
(End of Chapter)
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