Translator: Cinder Translations
...
"What's this?"
Father Anderson looked at the box with confusion.
"Let's talk inside!"
"Alright, my lord, please come this way."
After entering the small reception room of the church, Paul didn't immediately open the wooden box. Instead, he engaged in casual conversation with Father Anderson.
"I've heard that Father Anderson has broad interests. Indeed, today I see exotic flowers and plants everywhere."
"Ah... just a small hobby of mine, making you laugh."
Father Anderson felt a bit bitter inside.
Paul showed an interested expression and asked him, "I heard you're a member of the Rationalist Society, is that true?"
"Well... not yet, of course, I would very much like to be one of them. Um... I greatly admire them; the people inside are all learned scholars."
"Why haven't you joined then?"
Father Anderson blushed and said, "Well, this sect has rather high requirements for new members. You must have significant academic achievements or new discoveries to join."
"And I... have not yet met their expectations."
Honestly, Paul was quite interested in this unique sect, the Rationalist Society. Previously, he thought people in the church were just swindlers who only knew prayers and deception every day, but he didn't expect there was a group inside doing things similar to scientists, advocating "approaching divinity through exploring truths in nature."
But then again, in the recent history of Earth, there have been many people with religious backgrounds, such as Copernicus who proposed heliocentrism, Mendel the founder of genetics, and Lemaitre who proposed the Big Bang theory, surprisingly, they were all Catholic priests.
The reason lies in the fact that the Catholic Church preserved cultural knowledge from civilizations like ancient Greece and Egypt before the medieval era, and the schools run by the church were one of the few places where commoners could receive education at that time.
"Don't be disheartened!"
Paul encouraged Father Anderson, "Gold will always shine! You will definitely gain their recognition."
"Thank you for your kind words!"
Although he said this, Father Anderson felt that this goal was gradually drifting away from him. Once he became the dean of the monastery, where would he find time to engage in research?
Paul placed the box on the table. "So, I've decided to lend you a hand! I've specially invented this tool for Father."
Under Anderson's curious gaze, Paul opened the box, revealing its contents—a microscope.
Actually, upon hearing about Anderson's interest, Paul had planned to give a microscope to the priest. It's just that he had forgotten about it due to recent events.
Anderson couldn't understand what this thing was for.
"Please wait..."
Paul lifted up a thin piece of something for the priest to see. "This is a thin slice cut from a piece of cork."
Paul placed the slice under the eyepiece, "Father Anderson, please take a look. Look through the mirror at the back of this metal tube."
Following Paul's instructions, Father Anderson peered into the microscope's eyepiece.
"This is...?"
Upon looking, Father Anderson was greatly surprised. He saw grids or small rooms. How was all this achieved?
Paul proudly said, "This treasure is called a microscope. It uses lenses to refract light, magnifying objects observed several hundred times. What you're seeing now is an image of that cork slice magnified several hundred times!"
"Incredible! This is truly incredible!"
Father Anderson exclaimed, yet his eyes remained firmly glued to the microscope's eyepiece, unwilling to look away.
"If what you say is true, is the body of wood really composed of these small grids?"
Father Anderson was actually seeing the dead cell walls of plants at this moment.
Paul smiled and said, "As for the truth, it still depends on someone like you who enjoys researching to verify it thoroughly!"
Only then did Father Anderson look up. "My lord, this... this..."
"Microscope."
"This microscope, are you giving it to me?"
"Of course, Father, didn't I just say so?"
Anderson was extremely excited. In that moment when he brought his eyes to the lens, a door to a new world opened wide before him.
He deeply bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, my lord."
"Haha, you're welcome." Paul waved his hand and reminded him, "Perhaps you can use it to observe other items, like slices of other plants, leaves, or even pond water. I guarantee it will amaze you."
Finally, he grinned mischievously. "Of course, if you have the time..."
One sentence stirred Father Anderson's sorrow. His earlier excitement was dampened by more than half.
He sank down, sighing deeply. "Alas... I fear I will have very little personal time in the future."
Paul pretended to be surprised. "Oh? Father Anderson, why do you say that?"
Anderson honestly replied, "To be frank, my mentor, Dean Leonard, is about to assume the position of bishop in the Northwest Gulf."
"That's great news! With Dean's fairness and piety, he will surely bring more of God's glory to the congregation."
"Well... it is indeed good news. I'm very happy for my mentor."
Anderson hesitated for a moment but continued, "However, my mentor has appointed me to take over his former role, managing the nearby monastery..."
Paul immediately put on a happy face for Father Anderson. "For you, this is also a promotion!"
"Oh, no, no! As a servant of the Lord, it matters not whether it's a rise or fall. But... but..."
Anderson looked troubled, hesitating as he spoke. "Managing a monastery is not a simple matter. It takes a lot of energy every day. I'm not afraid of hardship, but my usual hobbies..."
"I understand!"
Paul showed a deep understanding.
"Since taking over as lord, I can no longer be as carefree as before. There are endless documents to process every day, reports to read, and I must always watch my words and actions. I truly empathize with your current concerns!"
Anderson was touched. "Thank you, my lord, for understanding me."
"But my mentor insists that I take on the role of dean, and as a servant of God, how can I shirk my responsibility because of my personal interests?"
Anderson suddenly looked very conflicted. "Ah... I am truly sinful, wavering on this issue. It's... it's not very devout of me."
Paul shook his head. "I once heard a saying: I want to eat fish and I want to eat bear's paw, but I can't have both. It seems to capture your current dilemma."
"Ah... I apologize, that was just an analogy."
He quickly apologized, realizing that comparing Father Anderson's inner piety to satisfying culinary desires wasn't quite appropriate.
"Oh? By the way!"
Paul seemed to suddenly have a good idea. Slapping his thigh, he hurriedly said,
"Father Anderson, how about I recommend an assistant for you? With his help, you'll surely save a lot of time, and then you'll have the time to pursue your own interests, won't you?"
"Oh?" Father Anderson was stunned. Lord Paul wanted to recommend an assistant for him.
If this person could really help him manage the monastery...
It did seem like quite a good idea!
(End of the Chapter)