"No dinner."
That night, when Maiev returned to the church with Yunia, he was met by a very disgruntled Mrs. Cecil.
"Father, where on earth have you been?"
Mrs. Cecil stood with her hands on her hips, her tone sharp. "Thanks to you, I haven't even had time to sweep the floor today!"
"Huh?"
Maiev looked at her, puzzled. "What happened?"
"See for yourself!"
Mrs. Cecil slammed a thick registry onto the table. "At least a hundred people came to the church today, wanting to join the Church of Truth! But you weren't here, so I could only take down their names. I was busy until evening! Heavens, I haven't even had a cup of tea!"
Picking up the registry, Maiev flipped through it. Indeed, there were many new names—roughly a hundred and twenty by a quick count.
A moment's thought told him why the number of believers had surged.
After the earthquake last night, he had publicly announced that he would bear the cost of repairing believers' houses. Once word got out, naturally, people would flock to him...
However, Maiev knew clearly that among these 'believers' attracted by fame, few were likely sincere about joining the church. The vast majority were there for the repair money.
"Father, while your willingness to cover repair costs for the faithful is touching, I must remind you..."
Mrs. Cecil said sternly, "This is not a small sum."
"I know."
Maiev handed the tin of honey candies to Yunia and spoke calmly. "But no matter what, I do not wish to see believers in danger because they cannot afford repairs... Each of them is a loyal supporter of the Goddess Yunia. As for the money, I will think of a way."
Hearing this, Mrs. Cecil felt a headache coming on. "Father... among the people who came today, how many are truly converting to the church?"
"In their eyes, your actions are no different from charity!"
"By the way, Mrs. Cecil, this is Nia. She is my daughter."
Maiev suddenly changed the subject, patting Yunia's head. "From today on, she will be living with me."
"Daughter?"
Mrs. Cecil looked at Yunia in surprise, then at Maiev. "Father, when did you have a daughter? How did I not know about this?"
"Well... a man always has a past, doesn't he?" Maiev smiled. "Nia, say hello to Mrs. Cecil. She is a veteran believer of our church."
"Hello, Mrs. Cecil..."
With a honey candy in her mouth, Yunia blinked, looking at the woman curiously.
"Hello to you too, Nia." Mrs. Cecil smiled, instantly taken by the porcelain-doll-like girl. "So you borrowed children's clothes from me last night for Nia. You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go prepare something simple."
"Thank you."
Once Mrs. Cecil bustled into the kitchen, Maiev took off his heavy coat and hat, placing them on the rack, and closed the church doors.
"Papa, Papa..."
Yunia followed close on his heels, asking repeatedly, "Why was Mrs. Cecil so angry just now?"
"Because she understands human nature and is thinking of the church's best interests."
"Oh... So, Papa, was your act of paying for the believers' repairs wrong?"
"Of course not."
"Then Mrs. Cecil was wrong?"
"She wasn't wrong either."
Seeing Yunia's confused gaze, Maiev sat her down on a church pew. He looked up at the tall statue and spoke slowly. "Ultimately, the disagreement between Mrs. Cecil and me stems from a difference in perspective."
"As a believer, her main concern is whether the church can sustain itself. As the founder and manager, I need to consider not just survival, but how to make the church flourish."
"My covering of the repair costs might result in a significant financial loss in the short term. But we are only losing money, and it is an amount I can currently bear."
Maiev paused, then continued:
"If we look further ahead, the returns from this act will far exceed the coins spent today."
"Yunia doesn't understand..."
"Reputation. Prestige. These are necessities for growth."
Maiev explained, "I spent a little money to make the name 'Church of Truth' pass from lip to lip. Today, perhaps only a hundred people know of it. But tomorrow? The day after?"
"I dare say, within a week, the name of the Church of Truth will spread throughout New Ross City. Existing believers will feel proud, deepening their loyalty. Those who are not believers will be left with an impression—that the Church of Truth is a good church that truly cares for the welfare of its flock."
"First impressions are vital. This will be extremely beneficial for our future development. Even the nobles will hear of the church's benevolence."
"Hmm..."
Yunia sucked on her candy, her brain working fast. "Papa, you said this afternoon that the patron of the orphanage is the Fourth Prince. Does that mean your weekly donations are intended to make contact with him?"
Maiev laughed. "Who knows... Yunia, I have work to do. Go to the kitchen and help Mrs. Cecil with dinner, okay?"
"Mhm!"
Yunia nodded, grabbed her bear by the arm, and ran toward the kitchen.
Watching her leave, Maiev lit a kerosene lamp and opened the believer registry on his lap.
The thick book was filled with names. Every person who had been baptized and formally joined the church was recorded. Total count: 807.
807 believers. It sounded like a lot, but in Maiev's eyes...
It was not enough!
Far from enough!
From his questioning last night, he learned that Yunia's power was linked to the number of believers. The more believers, the stronger she became.
But 807 believers? To the great, ancient churches, that wasn't even enough to fill a single parish. The Church of the Three Fates, the state religion of the Windsor Kingdom, had millions of followers!
How powerful... must their God be?
There was no doubt that in the coming revolution, every church with a God would frantically expand its territory, fighting tooth and nail for believers.
In this process, relations between churches would not be peaceful. They would view each other as mortal enemies.
To let more people know the Truth, expanding the church was essential.
"This is a clash of doctrines, a war of beliefs."
Maiev stroked the leather cover of The Book of Truth.
"Even in the Era of Theocracy, I firmly believe that Truth will be the only light."
Thinking this, he suddenly stood up, carrying the lamp in one hand and the registry and book in the other, heading for the study.
"I can't take it slow anymore. I must change my strategy!"