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Sonia Sea, Future.
Cattleya returned to her captain's cabin and found a letter suddenly appearing on the table, which had been empty.
Cattleya's eyes brightened. She quickly walked over and indeed saw the familiar handwriting. There was only one sentence, similar to a prophecy:
"Your opportunity for advancement lies with Frank Lee."
Cattleya was momentarily stunned. As a Pirate Admiral, she naturally knew that the ritual for a Constellations Master to advance from Sequence 5 to Sequence 4 Mysticologist required completely analyzing a drop of mythical creature blood.
That corresponded to a true Angel. For some reason, Cattleya's mind immediately recalled the figure with twelve wings on his back that night, and her emotions surged.
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On Monday evening, Lord Aaron, in formal attire, arrived at Saint Samuel Cathedral with his butler by carriage to attend the charity gala held by the Church of the Evernight Goddess.
After passing through the main entrance, he was led by a priest to a hall on the side.
There was a shrine here, containing the holy emblem representing the Evernight Goddess. Several small crystal chandeliers hung above it, and in front, there were slender candles and inverted metal covers filled with wax.
At this moment, they were all lit, illuminating the hall brightly and cleanly, exuding a sacred aura.
Aaron looked around and saw rows of neatly arranged seats and well-dressed guests.
Among them, women's attire was mainly divided into two categories: one type of dress was either vibrant or dark, both bold and revealing, showing large expanses of fair skin on the chest and arms. The other type of clothing had fresh colors and was quite conservative, with even collarbones only vaguely visible or even covered.
In the Loen Kingdom, this signified the difference between married and unmarried women, while widows and divorced women could choose either style, though the former's colors would tend to be darker.
Besides these, Aaron also saw gleaming necklaces, exquisite earrings, and various precious ornaments. Compared to the balls and banquets hosted by Councilor Macht and himself, the guests here were noticeably more distinguished.
Stepping into the hall, Aaron greeted the bishops he knew, Councilor Macht, and others, engaging in pleasantries and casual conversation.
Just then, a sound came from the entrance. Many guests turned their gaze there, all smiling and going to greet them.
Aaron's eyes brightened, and he walked to the very front. The arrivals were Audrey Hall and Earl Hall and his wife.
Audrey's golden hair was casually styled, flowing smoothly and lustrously. Her emerald eyes were as deep as the ocean, yet like the purest gems. Her features and face shape created breathtaking beauty, and her demeanor was elegant and pure.
After some pleasantries, Aaron and Audrey's family walked deeper into the banquet hall while discussing Capim's wicked deeds.
Marquis Rosent, Earl Gross, Viscount Lavland… one after another, the Goddess's noble believers proactively approached Aaron to exchange a few words, their attitudes quite amiable.
Before Aaron finished his greetings, an elderly man entered through the door.
He wore a black and red clerical robe, adorned with five Darkness holy emblems on his chest. His face was clean, without a beard, and his eyes were deep, dark, and tranquil.
Including Earl Hall, everyone turned to face the elder, bowing respectfully and saying:
"Good evening, His Grace Anthony."
This elder was Saint Anthony Stevenson, one of the thirteen Archbishops of the Church of the Evernight Goddess!
He was the head of the Backlund Diocese, a true high-ranking official of the Church.
Saint Anthony smiled, looked around, and tapped his chest four times clockwise, saying:
"Praise the Goddess."
"Praise the Goddess," the guests attending the charity gala responded.
With the arrival of this Archbishop, the gala officially began.
As per custom, everyone first sat in their places and devoutly prayed to the Goddess for three minutes. Then, the church choir walked to the front of the shrine and praised the Goddess with ethereal, harmonious singing that seemed to cleanse the soul.
After the religious ceremony, Bishop Electra, assigned by Saint Anthony, came to the side of where the choir had just stood. There was a tall wooden stand there, on which various scriptures could be laid out.
"Thank you all for coming. Your character is like brilliant stars in the tranquil Darkness…"
Bishop Electra first offered a few polite words, then said:
"This time, we are establishing a charity foundation. Currently, its main direction is a scholarship fund for the poor, originating from Lord Aaron's proposal."
"He is a truly noble aristocrat. His piety and character are impeccable, enough to serve as an example."
Aaron nodded slightly and walked towards Bishop Electra amidst applause.
Seeing Aaron leave, Earl Hall turned to Audrey and chuckled:
"My dear little princess, would you like to work for this foundation after you come of age?"
Without Audrey needing to ask, Earl Hall sensed her confusion and explained with a smile:
"Aaron is a very insightful person. Some of his ideas have given me inspiration and resonated with me. Moreover, we cannot ignore suffering just because it objectively exists and is difficult to truly solve for a long time."
He looked at Audrey again and said with a smile:
"You don't have to force yourself. I can find others to join this charity fund. I just hope that you can see more through this, and not view certain things as inevitable and unchangeable."
"Heh heh, and even if you miss this one, there are other charity organizations."
Before Audrey could answer, Earl Hall seemed to recall something and said with some emotion:
"Most of the commoners abducted by Capim lacked skills or resources. Sending them directly back to the East Borough would only lead them into more difficult living conditions and potentially increase the various challenges and risks they face."
"It would be very hard for them to find suitable work or make a living. They would be more susceptible to social exclusion and highly likely to become victims or participants in underground gang activities, or even be swayed by cults."
"Once the Grain Act is truly abolished, food prices should fall sharply. Even now, the rental standards for fields and pastures have already begun to plummet."
"Furthermore, while those workers who protested the Grain Act did see a decrease in food prices, their quality of life has not improved, and has even tended to decline."
"Many bankrupt farmers have moved into the cities, competing for jobs with low wages. Currently, the wages of the labor class in many areas of Backlund are rapidly decreasing."
Earl Hall glanced at Audrey, who was deep in thought, and added:
"And all of these could lead to the emergence of large numbers of displaced people and unemployed individuals. Therefore, this current charity fund is indeed a very good countermeasure, and you can gain significant experience here, while also building connections with other nobles."
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