I changed the world.

Page 411

Due to the time difference, it is 19:03 on April 9th ​​in Bergopelli.

A little late at night, Father Pierre Simon, assistant to the head of the Department of Human Development, had countless trivial matters to attend to.

As a newly established holy ministry, the Congregation for the Promotion of Human Development was formed by merging several committees. Its full name is the Congregation for the Promotion of Human Development, a holy ministry with rather complex powers.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 841 Father Simon's Promotion

From the prevention and control of regional infectious diseases to the care of the poor; from the environment to humanitarian work; from immigration to trade; from deep space exploration to finance... these seemingly complex and even unrelated matters are all service areas covered by the Diocese of the Holy See for the Promotion of Human Development.

Previously, His Holiness the Apostolic established this department in order to better unify the numerous committees under the Church and to cope with the increasingly rapid development of new things after the beginning of the new millennium.

"Good evening, Your Excellency Simon!" Greetings came from church staff members, some familiar and some unfamiliar, and Father Pierre Simon returned them with polite smiles.

Since returning from his recent visit to the East, Father Simon has been received by the Apostolic Nuncio, and there have been rumors that he is likely to take over as head of the Assessment and Planning Department.

The Department of Human Development has three specific departments: the General Secretariat, the Assessment and Planning Division, and the Management and Services Division, which respectively carry out the mission of "listening and dialogue; exploration and reflection; communication and feedback".

According to the church's official explanation: "Listening and Dialogue" means engaging in dialogue with local churches and professionals at all levels who promote the overall development of humanity; "Exploration and Reflection" means looking at the challenges of today's world in accordance with the church's necessary rules and social teachings, and trying to provide answers; "Exchange and Feedback" specifically means providing feedback to local church groups through documents or practical and helpful suggestions, and sharing them through a wide network.

The position of head of the Assessment and Planning Department had been vacant for some time. If Father Simon were to take over, it would mean that his rank would be promoted from assistant bishop to episcopal, and he would even be guaranteed to be promoted to archbishop in the future. For a church worker, this step is extremely difficult to take; most clergy members retire as assistant bishops or honorary bishops.

In fact, as Cardinal Wells' assistant, Father Simon's rapid promotion was to be expected, given that Cardinal Wells, as a powerful figure in the Church, was also a close advisor to the Pontifical faction.

As a behemoth with a history spanning over 2000 years, the Church of Our Lady of Revelation inevitably has its share of factions and power struggles. After all, each pope is elected through closed-door consultations by the College of Cardinals. In this process, there are those who agree and those who disagree. Typically, upon assuming the papacy, each pope promotes a group of ten to twenty of their own people to the position of new cardinals, which is a common practice. Because they wear red robes, these high-ranking clergy members are also known as cardinals.

Cardinal Wells was one of the close confidants promoted after the Pope's accession to the throne, so in the eyes of many, Father Simon's promotion was predictably smooth.

However, Father Simon himself knew that the truth was not so simple. As an assistant who had only been with Cardinal Wells for a short time, his relationship with Cardinal Wells was not as close as many people imagined. What helped him get promoted this time was very likely the events he had experienced in the past...

His pendant, which he suspected was a relic, was taken away by an apostolic attendant the moment he returned to Bergopelli, which undoubtedly disappointed him. He was also required to write a full report. Fortunately, at the same time, he also received a church prize of one million pesos.

A few days after submitting the report, he was questioned by the Apostolic Secretariat. In addition, Bishop Wells, who had returned to Bergopelli, also questioned him formally or informally on several occasions about everything that had happened before. Some questions were repeatedly raised, and Father Simon began to realize that his report had obviously not been fully trusted. This repeated questioning was actually a rather subtle way of confirming his identity.

This realization made him somewhat unhappy, but fortunately it didn't last long. Soon after, he received a notification that His Holiness the Pope wanted to see him.

That was my first time having a private audience with the Pope, and aside from some perfunctory questions, the Pope focused his attention on my supernatural experiences during that short half-hour audience.

In fact, Father Simon was not entirely unprepared for the Pope's summons. After all, the experience was so fantastical that it had even challenged his own worldview. He believed that the Church could not possibly be indifferent to this, especially the Apostolic Nuncio himself, who was reportedly under considerable pressure recently.

The audience did not last long. His Holiness Clement III appeared somewhat tired and rushed. Their conversation lasted only half an hour before being interrupted by a servant reminding them of the time.

Following this, the Bishop of Wales hinted to him that he would be nominated to take over as head of the Assessment and Planning Department.

In the past, such a promotion would undoubtedly have been a blessing from the Holy Lord for him. After all, at his age, being able to take this step would have proven to him that his future was bright within the Holy Revelation Church system.

However, after experiencing those events not long ago, his interest in these mundane advancements in status and identity suddenly diminished.

Walking hurriedly down St. Tiber Street, Father Simon did not intend to go home immediately. Instead, he headed towards a bookstore on the corner. It was a newly opened secondhand bookstore that mainly sold religious books, which he had just discovered the day before.

He was even pleasantly surprised to find some rare antique books inside, including a handwritten book that was said to have survived for at least five hundred years. It described the history of the medieval church, and the author himself seemed to be a priest.

He wanted to buy it then, but these kinds of old books have always been quite expensive in the market. He didn't bring enough money yesterday, so he couldn't buy it. Today he plans to buy it.

He had previously taken courses on church history while studying at Grand Royal College, and after graduating, he thought he would never pay attention to this subject again. However, since returning from the East, he suddenly realized that his previous understanding of the church was merely superficial. What he needed to understand was not the major events that occurred in specific historical periods or the names of certain important figures, but rather what happened behind the scenes, in those hidden corners, in the shadows of history…

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 842 The Vanished Bookstore

Father Simon arrived at a simple bookstore with little decoration. Although it was a new store, the decor was quite old-fashioned, with a feel of the 1970s or 80s. There were some wooden bookshelves inside.

The bookshelves were filled with religious books with obscure titles. There was no one else in the bookstore at the moment, except for a middle-aged clerk wearing glasses who was sitting behind the counter, engrossed in reading a book. He didn't greet Father Simon when he came in, nor did he even glance at him.

Father Simon naturally didn't have any other thoughts about this, after all, he was just there to buy books. On the contrary, he quite liked the atmosphere and felt very comfortable without being disturbed.

He walked straight to the counter, and when he arrived, he glanced at it. Sure enough, the old book with the thick cover was still lying in the counter.

"Sir, I'm here to buy this book." He took off his hat and placed it on the counter, pointing to the books in the display case as he spoke to the clerk.

Upon hearing this, the shop assistant adjusted his glasses, glanced at him, and nodded without saying anything. He then took out a pair of white gloves from his person, put them on, and took the thick ancient book from the counter, carefully placing it on the counter.

"7 lira." The shop assistant nodded to him, indicating that he could check it.

Father Simon took a deep breath, picked up the old book and examined it. The pages were old but well-preserved, and the writing was clear, densely covered with text. He flipped through a few pages, closed the book, nodded in satisfaction, and then took out his bank card to transfer the money.

Because of its small size, Bei Yier Ling Ge Pei ① Li Qi Yin {the area of ​​which is only the dead area of ​​a single city ⑨, the currency of which is the same as that of Lombard, the lira, with a value of about 0.85 Zhao Imperial Vouchers. Although it seems that selling a book for such a price is really expensive, this is, after all, an ancient manuscript, not a book printed after the popularization of printing presses in later times. In fact, this price is not only not expensive, but in Father Simon's opinion, it is relatively cheap, and he considers himself to have gotten a small bargain.

After purchasing the ancient book, the shop assistant wrapped it up, placed it in a wooden box, and tied it with rope. Father Simon took the box but did not leave immediately. He lingered in the shop for a while longer, still somewhat wanting more, before finally leaving satisfied.

After leaving the bookstore, a light mist had risen around us. Father Simon dined at a nearby restaurant called "Saint's Pizza." In Bergopelli, with its strong religious atmosphere, such restaurant names are commonplace.

While waiting for his meal in a corner of the restaurant, Father Simon peered at the street scene through the floor-to-ceiling glass window and couldn't help but pull up his sleeve. On his forearm, a clear circular mark could be seen, with a crown-shaped pattern in the center, just like a tattoo.

He was extremely familiar with the pattern on this mark, because it was exactly the same as the sacred pendant he had submitted...

However, Father Simon clearly remembered that he had never intentionally tattooed such a pattern on his hand!

He was certain that he had discovered the pattern while bathing on the third day after returning to Bergopelli, the day before the papal attendant had taken the pendant from him.

He felt that there might be a closer relationship between himself and that "sacred object"! However, so far, no matter how he pressed it or soaked it in water, he did not find that the mark had any special function. It was just like an ordinary tattoo.

"Sir, here is your food, please enjoy..." Just as he was lost in thought, the waiter brought him his food.

After nodding his thanks, Father Simon began to enjoy his dinner. He quickly finished his food, got up, and walked out of the dining room toward his apartment.

When he arrived at his front door, he suddenly realized that his top hat was missing. After thinking for a moment, he realized that he had left it in the bookstore, so he went back to get it.

However, when he hurried back to the bookstore, Father Simon was surprised to find that the bookstore, which was located on the street corner, had its roller shutter door closed, and there was a "Shop for Rent" sticker on the door.

Father Simon frowned. Closing so quickly? He checked the time; it was 19:52 PM. Bergopperi's tourism industry was extremely developed, so most shops stayed open until 21:00 PM, some even later. He looked around and spotted a grocery store next door, so he went inside.

The grocery store clerk was a large local woman wearing a silver chain with a crown pendant. She was playing on her phone when Simon came in and looked up.

"Ma'am, do you have the phone number of the bookstore owner next door?" Simon thought he would call the owner and tell him that if the hat was in the store, he would come to pick it up tomorrow.

"A bookstore?" The woman repeated, looking puzzled. Then she frowned, looked around blankly, and replied, "Sir... are you mistaken? We don't have a bookstore here."

"No?" Father Simon frowned upon hearing the woman's statement. He gestured in a direction: "No, it's the one next door, the newly opened bookstore..."

"Next door?" The woman's face remained blank, then she pointed uncertainly in the direction of the next door: "You mean... that shop next door?"

“Yes, it’s the one next door, the newly opened bookstore. I just bought a book there… I saw it’s closed now, and I was wondering if you knew the owner’s phone number, because I left my hat inside,” Father Simon explained.

"Are you... sure it's there?" The woman looked at Father Simon with a strange gaze, but when she saw the black robes distinctive to clergymen on Father Simon's body, her lips trembled slightly, but she ultimately didn't say anything unpleasant. She simply said impatiently, "Sir, you must be mistaken. The shop next door moved away a long time ago. Old John got old, so he closed the shop and went back to his hometown in Pervis to retire. The landlord hasn't found a new tenant yet, so how could there be a bookstore there..."

"Sir, are you perhaps a little confused..." Judging from her expression, she clearly thought Father Simon had been drinking. Although the Church of Saint Revelation does not prohibit clergy from drinking, priests who are alcoholics are still criticized by others, as can be seen from the woman's slightly downturned mouth.

Volume Two: The Truth Hidden Behind History Books: Chapter 843, "The Gray Book"

“No…no way…I really…” Upon hearing this, Father Simon’s eyes widened. He raised his hand again and pointed in the direction of the bookstore next door. He simply couldn’t imagine how he could have confused them when he had just come from there…

"Alright, sir, there really isn't a bookstore there. You might want to try asking around nearby..." The woman shrugged at him helplessly, then turned back to her phone, ignoring him completely.

Father Simon stood there for a moment, feeling a bit bored, then turned and left. Still not believing the woman's words, he went into another shop nearby to inquire. It was a clothing store, and the male owner, after learning Father Simon's purpose, gave the same answer as the woman: there were no shops there, and they were always available for rent.

This answer greatly surprised Father Simon. Afterwards, he stubbornly walked towards the third shop, which was located across the street...

As Father Simon walked toward the third shop, a young man in a trench coat was smiling at him from a short distance away on the street. A light mist was drifting around them, and although occasional pedestrians passed by, no one paid any attention to him.

This person was Zhang Jing, and at this moment, a new wish had been added to the wishing book in his hand.

"I made a wish, and Father Pierre Simon of the Department of Human Development in Bergopelli took a liking to the old book with a brown cover, 'The Grey Book,' in the bookstore at the corner of the street."

The wish has been fulfilled.

1000 Wishing Points deducted.

"Then the rest is up to you." Zhang Jing glanced at the floating puppet beside him, only to see the puppet bow its head with utmost respect, saying, "I will obey your will, my great and noble master."

Zhang Jing glanced at the shop not far away again, only to see Father Simon emerge from it once more, standing there blankly. A slight smile crept onto Zhang Jing's lips, and the next moment, he vanished...

................................................

“Really, there isn’t one…” Father Simon stood frozen by the roadside, the shopkeeper’s look of disbelief at him replaying in his mind. Three shops in a row had confirmed without a doubt that there had never been a bookstore on that street corner.

So... what facts did I see?

What did I buy myself...?

He subconsciously looked at the wooden box he was carrying again, which now seemed incredibly mysterious.

Just then, a policeman dressed in classical attire, with a long sword at his waist, walked towards him on the street ahead. Bergoperi's policemen are quite distinctive; their clothing retains characteristics of the pre-Renaissance classical era, making them a unique sight for tourists, who often seek them out for photos. Of course, some critics believe this reflects the Church's unwillingness to relinquish the remnants of the old era…

Simon, the father of the finned shrimp, moved and went straight to the underworld to reveal his identity: "Hello, I am Simon, the assistant bishop of the Department of Human Development."

For these ordinary police officers, Father Simon's status as assistant bishop still held some value; at least getting him to do a small favor was no problem. Sure enough, upon hearing this, the man immediately smiled and said, "Hello, Your Excellency Simon, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Excuse me, are you a patrol officer here?"

"Yes, you may call me Andrew, Your Excellency."

“Okay, Officer Andrew, it’s nice to meet you. Here’s the thing, a friend of mine wants to rent a shop here. I saw one on the opposite corner that seems to be available for rent. You see… it’s that one over there.” Father Simon pointed to the shop on the opposite corner.

"That shop, do you know anything about it?"

“Oh…you mean the one across the street?” Officer Andrew glanced over and said with realization, then nodded: “That shop used to be a candy shop. The owner, Old John, was a nice man, but since he fell last year, his health has been deteriorating day by day. He moved out last month and went back to his hometown in Pervis to retire.”

"That shop has a good location and no other problems. I've seen several groups of people come to look at it in the last couple of days. If your friend wants it, he should hurry up."

“Okay, so… this shop hasn’t been rented out yet, has it?” Father Simon asked the question he most wanted to know.

"It shouldn't be yet. The landlord came by this afternoon, and I happened to be passing by when I asked him. He said it hadn't been rented out yet," Officer Andrew said with a smile.

"I see, thank you very much then." Father Simon nodded in thanks, then took his leave.