Mystery: But the Witch's Path

Chapter 68 St. Samuel's Church

Evening of October 10, 1346

After dinner, Altair bid farewell to his Uncle Rafe and left Strauss Estate by carriage.

She could have left after lunch, but perhaps because Altair felt that her uncle was all alone and really lonely, she stayed until dinner was over before leaving.

After Altair returned to the manor, he summoned Hahn, who had been in charge of the weapons factory recently, into his study to inquire about the factory's situation.

As soon as Hahn opened the study door and before he had fully entered, Altair casually asked, "Hahn, Uncle Rafe said at noon today that the factory is operating at full capacity and weapons are selling like hotcakes?"

Instead of replying to Altair immediately, Hahn walked to the desk, stood opposite her, and happily replied, "Yes, Count Altair."

"Because after the factory was completed, you gave the order that unless a major problem occurred, there was no need to report every day, only a monthly report was required."

"That's why I didn't tell you about this."

After listening to his words, Altair nodded slightly.

The main reason this happened was Altair's fault, because she really didn't want to look at those documents.

The Sheffield family owns so many businesses that even with professional agents managing them, Altair still needs to spend half a day each day reviewing the agents' documents.

So a month and a half ago, she ordered all agents to only submit weekly and monthly reports unless there were major decision-making issues.

After thinking for a moment, Altair said directly, "According to our previous calculations, the factory should already be operating at overcapacity. Remember to pay attention to the workers' rest."

"We must also pay close attention to safety. This is a weapons factory, and any safety issue would be a major accident."

"Understood." Hahn nodded heavily after saying that. He thought for a moment and then asked, "Count Altair, winter is approaching. Should we return to our ancestral lands this year to spend the winter?"

Altair hadn't really considered this question, so he casually replied, "Hmm, I'll think about it some more."

Backlund was like "Foggy London in the Victorian era," with damp, cold, and foggy winters, and severe smog pollution from coal burning, which was not good for the health of the nobility.

Therefore, most nobles would choose to return to their ancestral lands to spend the winter.

Of course, a small number of nobles choose to stay in Backlund. These are mostly high-ranking lords who need to handle political affairs, or newly promoted nobles who rely on social seasons to expand their network.

Previously, because his original father was still alive, Lucius could not return to his ancestral land every year, but he would basically return once every other year.

Now that Old Sheffield is gone, it's up to Altair to make the decision.

When Altair recalls the past, he still inevitably feels a sense of loss. He really can't figure out whether he took over Altair's body or merged with it.

After patting his head to bring himself back to his senses, he instructed Hahn, "Go to the Church of the Night and hire a clergyman. I need to systematically study the church's rituals and doctrines..."

Upon hearing this, Hahn asked in surprise, "Count Altair, are you confirming the matter of faith?"

"Yes." After saying that, Altair seemed to remember something else and said to Hahn, "Rex's faith is still undecided, right? Be sure to remind him to choose the Storm God."

"If there's nothing else, you can leave now. I need to rest."

.......

December 1346, 10

In the early morning, after a simple breakfast, Altair had Eileen style her hair, putting it into an elegant low bun with a white lace headband. She then changed into a light-colored long dress, covered with a sheer shawl, and wore simple pearl earrings.

We left the manor in a plain, undecorated black carriage and headed to St. Samuel's Church, located on Pesfield Street in the northern part of Backlund.

Religious events are usually solemn occasions, so any flashy elements should be avoided to match the solemn atmosphere. This is a matter of common sense.

The main reason Altair chose today to formally establish his faith and participate in the activities of the Church of the Night is because:

The Church of the Night will be holding Sunday Mass today, and most of the believers in Backlund will attend. This will make it easier for her to spread her faith to the Goddess of Night.

When the carriage arrived at the driveway in front of the church, Altair got out and saw a church built entirely in black, with a bell tower on each side, presenting a symmetrical beauty.

Seeing the steward waiting at the door, Altair led Eileen slowly over.

Originally, when a "noble youth" confirmed his faith and entered a church for the first time, he would be led in by an elder.

Unfortunately, she is now the only one left in the Altair family. As for letting Uncle Rafe lead the family, forget about it; that would be considered a heretical act.

"Good morning, sir," Altair greeted as he approached.

"Good morning, Earl Sheffield. Please follow me into the Great Prayer Hall." After saying this, the steward gestured for him to enter and then turned to walk towards the church.

Altair followed closely behind, entering the church. The interior was simply yet elegantly furnished, with stone pillars extending along the corridors, bearing the weight of the entire building.

As you walk through the quiet corridor, you can see that the walls are covered with ancient murals and paintings, depicting stories from the Bible and images of saints.

The three of them entered the Great Prayer Hall after walking for a short while. After a quick glance, Altair saw that the early believers were already scattered in various corners.

At this moment, the hall was illuminated by faint candlelight, exuding a delicate fragrance and creating a solemn and peaceful atmosphere.

When the steward gestured that everyone could sit down, Altair went to the person she had arranged to meet beforehand, and she and Eileen sat down nearby.

As soon as I sat down, the girl next to me whispered, "You're here."

Altair smiled, nodded slightly, and said softly, "Good morning, Miss Audrey."

After speaking, he nodded slightly to the girl's family members beside him as a sign of politeness.

Unlike Audrey, Altair's background was problematic, so her father, Old Sheffield, never allowed her to make a choice.

Audrey, however, was different. Her family believed in the "Goddess of the Night," so she officially became a believer when she turned 14 this June.

Audrey looked around and, noticing that the mass hadn't officially started yet, said:

"Good morning, Miss Altair. You've changed so much lately. If you hadn't greeted me, I would have thought I'd mistaken you for someone else."

"Well, girls change a lot as they grow up. You'll be the same when you grow up," Altair said casually.

It had been two months since the two last met.

The main reason for this was not that Altair was unwilling to befriend her; on the contrary, the two had been corresponding.

It's just because of Audrey's older brother that we haven't met yet.

When the choir entered through the side door of the hall, Altair and Audrey ended their chatter and waited for the Mass to officially begin.