The embers in the fireplace radiated waves of residual heat, making the whole room exceedingly warm, only occasionally pierced by a draft of cold air from the open window to one side.
"November 1st, Mr. Jacob donated five shillings."
In the small cabin behind the church, Marvin sat at the table, recording the day's income with a quill pen dipped in ink. Although he didn't have the habit of keeping a diary, accounting was essential. It allowed him to rapidly recall the source and destination of each sum.
The pages were densely packed with dates, names, and amounts of money. In October alone, the Church of Truth had earned an income of 25 gold pounds, 3 shillings, and 11 pennies, nearly 300 pounds for the year, brushing the threshold of the middle class.
The currency of the Kingdom of Windsor was divided into four principal types: the highest in value was the gold pound, with 1 gold pound exchangeable for 20 silver shillings, 1 shilling exchangeable for 12 copper pennies, and 1 penny further exchangeable for 4 farthings.
These revenues were the fruits of Marvin's own labor. He did not levy a tithe on believers, for he understood that a church's flock consisted not only of the wealthy. Many more were the poor and hungry, and forcibly collecting fees would not only tarnish the reputation of the church but also hinder its ability to truly reach into people's hearts and gain a foothold in the towns quickly.
Therefore, after Marvin arrived in New Ross City, he immediately declared that all help provided by the church was completely free of charge.
Furthermore, in the initial stages of establishing the church, he funded out of pocket regularly to offer relief to the poor, established Sunday schools to teach the children of New Ross City free of charge, and held the indispensable Friday masses. Over time, the Church of Truth gradually established itself firmly in New Ross City, and what started as a cash-burning venture slowly began to turn a profit.
"It's been three years already..." Setting down his pen, Marvin looked out the window, gazing at the blue sky with a sigh of mixed emotions.
Three years earlier, he had found himself in this world.
His original name was Marvin, and as a psychology major in college, he opted to become a graduate student in philosophy because he realized the inseparable link between philosophy and psychology. To delve deeper into the human psyche, he had to study philosophy.
But, in the year he was set to graduate, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma. In the last year of his life, despite being tormented by his illness, he felt fortunate, thanks to the constant support of his family and the warm inquiries from friends and classmates. He felt luckier than the abandoned souls out there.
In the last moment of his life, he chose to close his eyes and peacefully embrace the onset of death, but...
The crisp sound of a mallet woke him.
Having inherited the memories of his original body, Marvin became aware of the whole story.
Marvin Enders, vice commander of the Saint Matier Fleet, garnering wealth by seizing the ships of the Boupon Kingdom through a letter of marque issued by King Rhodes IV of Windsor. Their fleet was invincible, plundering from the northern seas of the Boupon Kingdom to the south before returning north, filled to the brim with loot, the ship's waterline sunk by a meter.
Everything had seemed smooth sailing, but upon searching his predecessor's memories, Marvin discovered...
They had angered the Bourbon Royal Family. The real reason Bourbon King Ivan XIV, along with several allied nations, had assembled a vast fleet of over a hundred ships to ambush them in the Perea Strait—an obligatory passage on their return to the Kingdom of Windsor—seemed to be because they had robbed a ship bearing the Church's merchant flag.
The original sailing log contained the following entry:
"October 1st, we encountered a storm during our voyage. After the storm subsided, a merchant ship flying the flag of the Church of Wisdom passed before us... We were stunned, and so were they."
"October 3rd, after a day and a night of pursuit, we successfully intercepted that merchant ship... No, that was certainly not a merchant ship. They had the most seasoned sailors and an experienced captain. Upon inspection, we discovered gold in the hold! Countless gold! My God, they must have found some treasure!"
"October 4th, when tallying the spoils of war, we found a stone tablet among the gold, inscribed with obscure ancient text. If the accompanying Bishop from the Church of Wisdom hadn't vomited blood and died last night, perhaps we could have deciphered a thing or two..."
The subsequent entries were trivial, unremarkable chit-chat, with only the final entry revealing anything of substance.
"October 25th, we have been surrounded... The enemy's numbers are three times our own, having blocked the entrance to the strait. During the battle, Captain Turey Crowley was shot and fell overboard, the letter of marque on his person. Without that document, perhaps... we won't be able to return home before the New Year."
The Windsor Royal Family had issued only one letter of marque, carried by the fleet commander. Without it, the succeeding commander, Marvin Enders, could not prove that the Saint Matier Fleet was a legally 'just fleet.' After being captured, the Bourpon Royal Court swiftly decreed the Saint Matier Fleet guilty of piracy and condemned them to a gruesome death by hanging from the gallows on the Banks of the Rhine.
The executioner maliciously switched to shorter ropes, wanting to ensure that the 138 members of the fleet, including Marvin Enders, died in agonizing pain.
Luckily, fortune took a dramatic turn: just one minute before the execution, the fleet commander, Turey Crowley—who had been shot and fallen overboard—miraculously appeared at the execution site. He produced the sea-soaked letter of marque whose words could still be faintly discerned. He had not abandoned his crew. His clever and brave action saved Marvin Enders and the others.