Chapter 76 The Church
"...I am now being poured out as a libation, and the hour has come for me to depart.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Amen."
In the solemn church, the elderly pastor finished reading the long eulogy, and a dozen or so elderly people dressed in black below the platform solemnly raised their heads, which had been slightly bowed.
Sitting at the very front was an elderly nun.
Although her face was full of wrinkles and spots, her back was still straight. Her expression lacked the kindness one would expect from an old woman; instead, it was serious and cold, making her intimidating.
"Making you a pastor was a mistake. You read a simple eulogy like this. If Green knew from beyond the grave, he would be cursing you again."
Hearing the nun's sarcasm, the pastor on the platform put down his Bible and spread his hands.
"I told you long ago I'm not cut out for this, so isn't it perfect for you to read the eulogy?"
The nun shook her head.
"I'm a nun of the church, I can't do the work of a pastor."
The pastor's lips curled into a smile, wanting to laugh but lacking the courage, he could only silently mutter to himself.
I, a fake pastor for a day, am not as good as you, a fake nun who has been a pastor for over forty years.
"Alright, we can sing hymns to send Grimm off." The nun directed. The elderly people present all stood up shakily from their seats, some so old that they could no longer straighten their backs, and all their teeth had fallen out.
But even the oldest of them stood up at this moment, leaning on their canes.
They sang hymns together, their aged voices echoing in the small chapel, adding a touch of loneliness to the already empty church.
The singing ended, but no one sat down.
Silence lasted for a full minute before the nun slowly spoke.
"Today, another old friend has left us forever. In the forty-five years we have lived here, Green was the twenty-third to pass away.
But his achievements, like those of the twenty-two colleagues who left us before him, will be forever remembered in the hearts of each and every one of us until the last of us grows old."
She stood tall and solemnly recited the belief she had held for forty-five years.
"For the greater good!"
the old men cried in unison.
"For the greater good!"
The aged voices were still loud, but like the tolling of a twilight bell, they would eventually fade with time.
They lined up and walked one by one to the platform to offer their farewell gifts to their old friend lying in the coffin.
The coffin was eventually carried away by the deceased old man's family. Some of the old men were married and were taken away by their families. Others, unmarried and frail, were helped home by those still relatively healthy.
The nun stood there, silently watching them leave one by one, until finally she called out to three people.
"Smith, Simon, Leon, you stay."
Hearing her voice, a lame man with a cane, a fat man with a full beard, and a gaunt old man who had just taken off his priest's robes on the platform stopped what they were doing and gathered around the nun.
"What's wrong, Rozier? The cows on my ranch haven't been fed yet tonight; they can't stay here too long," complained Simon, a fat man with a full beard.
"A wizard has come here," Sister Rozier said calmly.
This was like a bolt from the blue, stunning the three old men present.
It took them a long time to recover.
The fake priest, Leon, was a little nervous; he stammered,
"A wizard…a wizard dares to come here?"
"A wizard dares to come here!"
The one who repeated his words was the old cripple named Smith.
Unlike Leon, who seemed tense, Rozier's senses were sharp, her voice booming, suggesting a rather tough character.
Rozier sat back down, glancing at the cross on the platform.
"Two days ago, a wizard entered here. His magic was powerful; he was an adult wizard. This afternoon, another wizard arrived. His magic was weak but energetic; he should be a minor wizard around fifteen or sixteen years old."
"What are they doing here?" Simon asked incredulously.
Rozier glanced at the simpleton, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and puffed away in the church, showing no reverence whatsoever for the clergy.
Leon, though somewhat timid, was the most astute among them. His face paled, and he muttered,
"What we need to care about now isn't why they dared to come here, but whether their purpose is for us."
Simon glared at him, seemingly disliking him.
"We're all here now, everyone's just an ordinary person, what are you afraid of!"
Leon blushed and defended himself.
"I'm just worried about my old friends who have started families! The Ministry of Magic has connections with the Muggle government in Britain. If they send people to have the local Muggle police cause us trouble, how are those married people supposed to live?"
Rosier flicked her cigarette ash, frowned at the two men, and said coldly.
"If you want to argue, go outside. Don't disturb the Lord's peace."
The two old men shrank back, intimidated by her, and shut their mouths, though they were muttering something to themselves.
"As long as we don't leave this city, the Ministry of Magic won't bother us anymore. Dumbledore promised us that."
Rosier defined the matter. Although they were enemies, she had to admit that Dumbledore's reputation was impeccable.
"So we're just going to ignore it?" The old men looked at the nun expectantly, waiting for her to make a decision.
Rosier stared at the cross for a while, as if lost in thought, or perhaps looking at something.
"One of you should go and see what they're planning to do, and then we can discuss what to do next."
The three old men exchanged glances.
"You need to take care of the cows on your farm. Smith is a cripple and has difficulty moving around, so I'll go," Leon, who seemed the most timid, volunteered.
Simon shook his head.
"The cows can go hungry for a while, it won't matter. You used to be our ace, too many wizards knew you before. If you go and get recognized, it'll alert them, which wouldn't be good. I'll go."
Smith, who hadn't participated in their conversation, tapped the floor with his cane to stop their politeness.
"Shut up!" he shouted irritably. "What's the point of arguing! I'm a cripple, that makes it easier for people to lower their guard. I don't have anything to do at home, I'll go!"
With that, he put on his hat and limped out of the church, leaning on his cane.
Rozier stubbed out his cigarette and scoffed.
"You're just going like that? Do you even know where they are?"
Smith froze, turning around with a dark face.
"Where are they?"
"They're all near the bars on Marton Road. Wizards have a different aura than Muggles, so pay attention."
Read 20+ advanced chapters ahead on Patreon!in just $five.
patreon.com/Horizons685
(End of Chapter)