Of course, they were not kneeling to Motan. As holy warriors eligible to guard the doors of the chapel, even if the City Lord of Pato City came personally, they would have to be courteous to both guests. They were kneeling to the gods they themselves believed in...
As a coalition leaning towards law and order, none of the sects that have joined the Holy Alliance would have any of the rules that Motan just mentioned. It's not even worth mentioning that ordinary people can pray in the chapel. Even the so-called 'evil gods' in the eyes of most people would not refuse any potential believer.
So their behavior just now might seem a little bit over the top, but if they really think about it, they have technically violated the doctrine.
Of course, as to which doctrine they have violated, whether they have violated one or two, Motan doesn't care, nor is he interested. He was just using this small incident to prove something.
That is, the influence that the talent of an atheist can have on others.
After all, the description of this talent is too vague...
[Atheist: You cannot choose faith, because you will not have any reverence for any higher existence. No preacher will waste time on you! None!]
Since this talent was forcibly placed on Motan by the system, it hasn't shown any actual effects so far. From the description, he probably guessed that he would not be actively sought after by religious people for proselytizing...but he wasn't sure about the specific situation.
This talent may not have a big impact on him right now, but it is enough to become a hidden danger, and it may cause a series of unexpected changes at any time and place.
At this point, Motan, who enjoys and is happy to see changes, really dislikes any unexpected situations.
Rational people are not scary because their thinking patterns are too easy to infer...
Smart people are not scary because as long as you put your heart into it, you can find the thoughts behind their every move...
Madmen are even less scary, anyway, they are already mad~
But a person who is both rational and smart, and whose thinking pattern is unpredictable, is a little scary.
[Devout believers will have a slight dislike and caution towards me, but they will not actively harbor strong hostility towards me until I make any radical moves. However, they probably won't believe any of my words.]
Motan squinted slightly, looking down at the two guards who were praying in a low voice for the forgiveness of the gods, while thinking...
[Experience, wisdom, and rationality may all correct their actions. The older guy just now obviously thought more than the other dolt, but he didn't completely block the influence brought by the talent.]
"I'm sorry, I may have said too much." Motan walked to the two men, knelt half-way in front of them, and said with slight regret in his voice: "Due to some troubles at home, I wanted to pray in our city's chapel. I didn't mean to make things difficult for you two. Probably because my mother is seriously ill, I've been restless, falling into an extreme emotional state..."
[If I show goodwill proactively when they are emotionally vulnerable and show enough goodwill...]
"No, it was me who offended earlier." The young holy warrior lowered his head in shame and said, "I didn't realize your..."
"Luo!" The older warrior interrupted him in a deep voice, "Don't get it wrong, what we violated was the doctrine...you should feel ashamed for first and foremost violating the will and admonition of the gods!"
[It works, but the effect is minimal for those with firm beliefs. This may be related to my charisma and eloquence, but it can't be verified right now. What can be confirmed is that, whether it's a positive influence or a negative influence, the stronger the believer you're facing, the less effective it is. But the subconscious doubt is more troubling...hehe...interesting, let's end it here for now...]
"Then may I ask the two of you, may I enter now?" Motan stood up and asked politely, "I want to pray for blessings for my family."
The older of the two had finished praying by this time and seemed to have received some sort of response. He let out a sigh of relief and said, "Please, but remember to abide by the rules here."
"About that..." Motan immediately showed an awkward country bumpkin expression. He awkwardly adjusted his clothing and hairstyle, and muttered in a low voice, "The rules and all...I might not be particularly..."
This somewhat 'crude' awkward remedy was too easy to see through. The warrior sighed helplessly, turned to the younger man and said, "Luo, take him inside to pray, I'll watch here first."
"Yes, senior." The holy warrior named Luo immediately responded, then nodded to Motan, "Please follow me."
There aren't actually many taboos in the chapel of the Holy Alliance. After all, this is not an independent sect devoted to a single god, but a relatively loose alliance. Unless someone openly blasphemes, there are basically not many rules that can be violated.
However, for some reason, the holy warrior felt uneasy. He kept feeling that this guy, who looked clean and tidy, was somehow unreliable. To blaspheme a god or something...what if he could do it?!