aircannonsinc Chapter 1309 Chaotic Faith
Chapter 1309 Chaotic Faith
Just as Frederica finished speaking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the office.
Immediately afterwards, Abedo stood tensely in the open doorway.
Upon seeing Qin, he immediately said urgently, "Commander Qin, I have something to discuss..."
Before he could finish speaking, Abedo's gaze suddenly fell on Frederica beside the harp. Recognizing her as the "Alder Knight" returning from her expedition, he composed himself and greeted her politely:
“Oh, I’m sorry, Lord Alder Knight, I didn’t mean to interrupt your reminiscing, but this matter is too urgent and I have to report to Commander Jean immediately.”
Seeing Abedo rushing around, Frederica immediately realized that something was amiss.
She took a few steps back, distancing herself from Qin, and waved gently to Abedo, indicating that they should handle their official business first.
“It’s alright, Mr. Abedo. Since it’s urgent, don’t worry about me. You can talk to the acting leader first. I’ll just wait here for a while.”
Abedo nodded, his gaze returning to Qin. Without further ado, he got straight to the point: "Captain Qin, it's about the Demon Dragon Dulin."
"During this time, I tried every method I could think of, such as applying a seal or even using special alchemical potions to try to suppress its energy fluctuations, but none of them worked."
"The dark power within it has not only not weakened, but is showing a trend of becoming more and more active. I really can't handle it alone, I need Sugar and Timaus's support!"
He took a deep breath and added with some difficulty, "In order to concentrate resources on dealing with the crisis in Dulin, the alchemy potion industry in Mondstadt will probably need to be suspended for a while."
When Jean heard Abedor say that the alchemy potion industry was to be suspended, she panicked. This was Mondstadt's lifeline! How could it be stopped?
"No, absolutely not! The potion business can't stop now, and the sugar and Timaus can't be taken away either!"
"The reconstruction of the West Wind Cathedral requires a large sum of money, agricultural subsidies are still pending, and now that the main force of the Knights has returned, daily defense expenses are now supported by the profits from alchemy potions!"
Abedo felt helpless looking at Qin's flustered state.
He was well aware of the importance of the alchemy and potion industry to Mondstadt, but faced with the threat of the dragon Durin, he had no other choice.
“I know better than anyone that the pharmaceutical industry can’t stop, but if Durin really does come back to life, given Mondstadt’s current strength…”
"At that point, not only will the pharmaceutical industry be destroyed, but the entire Mondstadt could be wiped out!"
Then, Abedo said somewhat indignantly, "Moreover, Ms. Alice has been completely immersed in the fantasy of 'killing Shao Yun' all this time, so we can't count on her."
"My strength is too limited on my own. I can only concentrate all available resources to deal with Dulin. This is the only way I can do it. Please forgive me, Commander Qin."
Qin stood there, feeling utterly overwhelmed.
On one side is the dragon crisis that threatens Mondstadt's survival, and on the other is the economic lifeline that sustains Mondstadt's operation. Abandoning either side would bring disastrous consequences.
But in the end, she took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down, and attempted to find a third way.
"As for Ms. Alice... I'll try to communicate with her again later. But Abedo, is there any compromise you could offer?"
"Don't suspend operations immediately. Give us at least some buffer time to handle our current affairs first, and then gradually allocate manpower and resources. How does that sound?"
Looking at the pleading in Jean's eyes and thinking about Mond's current predicament, Abedo's resolve wavered.
He remained silent for a few seconds, but ultimately conceded.
“Alright, I understand your difficulties, Commander Qin. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll send Sugar over to support me first; as for Timaus, I’ll give him a month to help you finish up the potion business.”
He paused, then added, "Don't take any new orders for alchemical potions in Mondstadt recently. Try to communicate with clients who have already paid deposits to cancel them. At most, finish all the orders for the next month and settle the payments."
"Timaeus must report to me in a month, and all alchemical resources must be gathered together. We can't delay any longer."
……
In conclusion, after repeated negotiations and compromises between Jean and Abedo, the fate of the alchemy potion industry was finally decided.
One month later, all production lines will be shut down. Sugar will immediately support the sealing of the dragon, while Timaus will stay behind to handle the final tasks.
While this isn't the worst outcome, for Mondstadt, both sides are equally precious, and it would hurt to lose either one.
Now that the pharmaceutical industry has lost its revenue support, the reconstruction of the Cathedral of the West will slow down, and agricultural subsidies may be abandoned.
From now on, we'll probably have to live a life of hardship, tightening our belts and enduring hardship.
Jean leaned back in her office chair, gazing at the streets of Mondstadt outside the window, her face full of exhaustion.
Frederica walked over, gently patted her head, and said with concern, "Don't be discouraged, everything will be alright."
Qin raised her head, gave her mother a bitter smile, and forced an optimistic attitude.
"Well, there's always a way... Once we get through the crisis in Dulin, we can figure out how to restart the pharmaceutical industry or find other revenue streams. For now, we can only take it one step at a time."
Even so, she knew in her heart that Mondstadt would have an extremely difficult time for a long time to come.
Meanwhile, at the construction site of the West Wind Cathedral, the atmosphere was starkly different from the somber mood in the Knights' offices, yet it also conveyed a complex mix of emotions. Workers were busy clearing debris and leveling the ground.
The cathedral, which had stood for a thousand years, had long been razed to the ground. Thanks to the previous profits from the alchemy potion industry, the reconstruction work was able to begin smoothly, and at least the funds for the foundation excavation and building materials were secured.
Simon Page stood at the edge of the ruins, his hands behind his back, gazing at the scene before him with a sorrowful expression in his eyes.
He sighed softly, his voice low and somber: "The Cathedral of the West Wind... It has stood for so many years, witnessing all the trials and tribulations of Mondstadt, and now it's become like this, alas..."
As a cardinal of the Church of the West Wind, he also had a deep affection for this church. Seeing the familiar building reduced to ruins, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
"Your Excellency Cardinal, you're back!" A joyful voice suddenly rang out, and Talia, the deacon of the Church of the West Wind, strode toward Simon with an excited smile on her face.
"It's so good that you're back. With you here, things at the church will go much more smoothly. It seems like things are starting to get better!"
Simon turned his head and saw Talia. The sadness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by relief.
He stepped forward and patted Talia on the shoulder.
"Talia, it's been a long time. It must have been four or five years, right? You're quite capable of handling things on your own now."
Talia smiled sheepishly and nodded: "More or less... During the years you were away on your expedition, the church's affairs were kept in order thanks to everyone's help.
Simon Page recalled that before the expedition, he had entrusted Cardinal Calvin with the daily affairs of the church, and now that he had returned, he naturally wanted to find out what had happened first.
"By the way, Talia, where is Cardinal Calvin? I need to have a good talk with him about the specific situation of the Church during my years of expeditions."
When Talia heard "Cardinal Calvin," the smile on her face faltered slightly.
Just as he was about to speak, Barbara, standing beside Simon, whispered, "Dad, after the Cathedral of Zephyr was destroyed, Cardinal Calvin fell ill and stayed home to rest..."
"Sigh, so during this time, my sister, Talia, and I have been managing the church affairs together. We've been figuring things out as we go."
Upon hearing that Calvin was ill, Simon asked with great concern, "Is he sick? Is it serious? How is he now?"
He knew that Calvin's health had never been very good, and the destruction of the cathedral was a huge blow that he might find difficult to bear.
Barbara's eyes darted away when her father pressed her for an answer.
She had been either suffering from a mental breakdown or busy collecting faith power in Liyue recently, and hadn't paid any attention to Calvin's situation. She only heard about his illness by chance from Talia.
“I…I don’t know the specifics…I’ve been in Liyue and haven’t been in Mondstadt much. I only heard about Cardinal Calvin from Abbess Talia.”
Seeing his daughter's guilty expression, Simon reached out and gently stroked Barbara's hair, soothing her in a tender tone:
“It’s okay, it’s normal that you didn’t know. You’ve had a tough time lately. The hardest times in Mondstadt are over. Dad’s back. From now on, whatever happens, Dad will be there for you. Everything will be alright.”
Barbara looked up at her father's gentle eyes and nodded slightly: "Yes, thank you, Dad."
Just then, Talia took a deep breath and took over the conversation with a serious expression.
“Your Excellency Cardinal, the most serious problem facing the Church right now is not Cardinal Calvin’s illness, but Mondstadt’s faith.”
"Ever since Lord Barbatos 'kidnapped' Miss Ying and then the news of his 'death' spread, the believers have been in a state of confusion, and no one knows who to believe."
She paused, her tone full of helplessness: "Many believers think that Lord Barbatos will definitely return, after all, He has protected Mondstadt for so many years."
"But some believers think that the change of gods is a normal phenomenon: 'Look at Liyue, the Geo Archon abdicated and things are still fine, aren't they?' So they want to worship the second Anemo Archon, Lord Dvalin."
“The two sides are arguing very seriously now, and even some people within the church have different opinions. We have mediated several times, but it has not been effective.”
Talia said, letting out a soft sigh.
“If this continues, it may affect the cohesion of the church and even shake the foundation of Mond’s faith.”
After listening, Simon remained silent for a few seconds, his gaze sweeping over the ruins of the construction site, before calmly giving his advice.
"The issue of faith cannot be resolved in a day or two. Let's take it slowly. First, let's go see Cardinal Calvin and find out about his situation."
"As for the differences among believers, we cannot rush to conclusions, nor can we force everyone to agree. We must let the facts speak for themselves."
"Fortunately, we have time to allow the ancient kingdom of Mondstadt to slowly heal its wounds and for everyone to gradually rediscover the direction of their faith over time."
……
Mondstadt has acquired a new national spirit: a chaotic faith.
[Effectiveness: Stability: -30%]
[Description: The old gods are gone, and the new order has not yet been established. Barbatos' departure left a vacuum of faith in the Church, and the succession of his confederate Tvalin failed to bridge the doctrinal differences. Rumors spread throughout the city, and voices of doubt and devout prayers echoed. We must quickly establish a unified creed, or the rift in faith will tear society apart and bring about a new war.]
[Note: A dead shepherd cannot protect his flock...]
……