Lindy's supporters voluntarily organized a rally for him in a small park near major hospitals and academic institutions. Mardias, dressed like an ordinary student, observed from a distance, confident that his simple disguise would prevent his identity from being revealed. He noted that the attendees were mostly students, healthcare workers, and young clergy, aged between eighteen and thirty-five. Absent were merchants, soldiers, or nobles, which led Mardias to realize he had underestimated Lindy's support base.
After listening to several representatives' speeches, Mardias became more convinced that Lindy was in the most delicate position among the candidates. Unlike the easily swayed devout poor, these supporters were realistic and ambitious but lacked the action-oriented drive of the builders reconstructing Stormwind. Some speakers emphasized that Lindy, as Archbishop, could significantly advance medical development, thus reducing casualties in future natural disasters. However, this emphasis overlooked the essence of the Archbishop election: choosing a religious leader. For ordinary believers suffering from earthquakes, promising medical advancements was far less effective than emphasizing prayer to the Light to dispel darkness.
Mardias knew from the beginning that Nehari was unlikely to win, and now he couldn't see a way for Lindy to gain an advantage. Ultimately, the decision rested with a small group of senior Church members, influenced by the religious leanings of the people of Stormwind, assuming they weren't solely considering internal Church needs.
It was time to consider strategies for Hylan becoming Archbishop. Notably, Hylan had not publicly responded to Nehari's withdrawal and support. Perhaps he didn't want to appear to accommodate Nehari's aggressiveness. Since Jorgen's imprisonment, Hylan had been silent, having quickly won support and suppressed the Seven before Nehari's withdrawal. For Mardias, the most important and challenging task was understanding Hylan's motives. So far, Hylan hadn't shown any actions against Lindy, which was a good sign, suggesting that even if Hylan became Archbishop, there might still be room for maneuver.
Lindy's speech was somewhat disjointed, sometimes pandering to supporters and other times seemingly talking to himself. He didn't seem prepared for the situation.
After the rally ended and most people had left, Mardias intercepted Lindy on a path.
"Where are you going?" Mardias asked. "I told you I had something to discuss with you."
"You... go ahead."
Mardias looked at Lindy's hand clutching a book and then at his forehead.
"You're sweating. No need to be so nervous."
"It's the crowd. I mean, it's crowded."
"They're all your supporters."
"I know. I should have talked about Hylan and Bishop Nehari... I had a plan but forgot."
"Why talk about them? This whole thing is about you."
"I don't want to seem like I'm pushing out other candidates. Most of my supporters are young and easily excited. This isn't a conflict; they should understand that."
"But you shouldn't appear passive. I know it took a lot of effort to convince you to attend this rally. You can't let them lose faith in you."
"Faith can't be imposed on others. I'm already working to gain support, in my own way, so please don't interfere."
"Even though Nehari withdrew, you shouldn't slack off."
"This has nothing to do with him."
"Of course it does. Everyone knows how Nehari treated you and what you think of him. You don't need to be his enemy; he's already made himself your enemy. Just because he withdrew doesn't mean his threat is gone. He said he would fully support Hylan in the future. What do you think that means?"
"He certainly won't support me."
"Exactly. He knew from the start he couldn't win, so he chose to withdraw and try to influence Hylan to reach his goals. If he can't become Archbishop, he might as well ally early with the most likely candidate."
This was a speculative statement without evidence, but Mardias decided to use it to pressure Lindy a bit. Mardias acknowledged that Lindy was right about one thing: faith couldn't be imposed. Trying to instill confidence in Lindy was less effective than forcing him into action.
"I don't like the Seven's habit of maliciously speculating about others' thoughts. Nehari does have many things I dislike, but he is still a bishop recognized by the Church. Even if I have some personal dissatisfaction..."
"Lindy," Mardias interrupted. "We'll leave it at this for now. We'll wait for Hylan and Nehari's next public statements or any other developments. I'm not asking you to accept my conclusions; we'll see once things become clearer. Agreed?"
Lindy didn't respond.
"In the meantime, you shouldn't appear too passive. No one's asking you to publicly oppose Hylan with your supporters, but remember, this is still a confrontation."
"Mardias, I have something to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"I heard you made statements against Jorgen during the interrogation, saying he should be held responsible for the chaos in the Seven and must be punished. Is that true?"
"This is an internal matter. You don't need to worry about it."
"The Archbishop election is also an internal Church matter."
"I understand your suspicions, Lindy. Jorgen is the person who connects you to the Seven, and he has maintained that connection. I appreciate your concern for his situation, so I can tell you that this is different from the Archbishop election because there is no internal conflict within the Seven. The decision to keep my grandfather's death secret and for Jorgen to handle the main affairs for eight months was made collectively, weighing the pros and cons. We operated smoothly during those eight months without causing any harm. It's the outside world's fight against us that has turned this into a seemingly more sinister conspiracy. I don't need to remind you that Nehari and Hylan's involvement worsened the situation. We've already planned how to respond, so don't absurdly think I'm excluding Jorgen."
Mardias took out an envelope and handed it over.
"Jorgen anticipated that you would suspect me after his actions were restricted. He asked me to keep this letter and give it to you at the right time."
"This was written before he was imprisoned?"
"Even earlier. Probably when the Archbishop was critically ill."
Lindy took the letter, pulled out the paper, and began reading. Mardias watched him. The letter's main content was to assure Lindy of Mardias's arrangements.
After the parliamentary inquiry, Mardias completed this letter overnight. His grandfather had practiced imitating handwriting with his partner Jorach in their youth; six months ago, Mardias and Jorgen had also mastered this tactic. It wasn't deception, as Jorgen had indeed dictated some of the content, and Mardias believed Jorgen would approve of this approach.
Admitting that his influence was not as strong as Jorgen's was no longer an issue for Mardias. At this stage, he had to use Jorgen's name to get things done. He suddenly realized that he, along with the imprisoned Jorgen and Jorgen with the deceased grandfather, had become part of the same cycle.
Lindy finished reading the letter, looked at Mardias with unsteady eyes, then lowered his head and folded the letter into a small square, holding it as if unsure what to do with it. After a few seconds, he unfolded it partially and placed it in his book.
"So, he went to prison voluntarily?"
"Yes. I have no reason to force him."
"I still don't understand why the Seven chose this approach. Whether something is right or not, it always has to be dressed up differently. You're right, Mardias, the Seven's internal affairs are none of my business because I'll never understand."
"This is a crisis for the Seven. You will face a crisis too, though different in nature, it's caused by the same group of people. We have no choice but to cooperate."
"I told Jorgen the same thing. If the Seven takes any action against Archbishop Hylan..."
"I know. That won't happen. I have to go, Lindy. Think carefully about my suggestion: don't be too passive."
"Wait. There's something else... I need your approval for, or rather, you should inform Jorgen." Lindy paused before continuing. "I plan to move Mrs. Dalia to a different ward."
"Why? Where?"
"As the situation with the Seven becomes more widely known and directly involves Jorgen, some curious people might want to investigate. She's been staying in my hospital for years, which isn't a secret to many, so I can't guarantee a disturbance-free environment. As for where... that brings up another issue. From a medical perspective, we've done all we can..."
"You mean you're giving up on treating her?" Mardias interrupted.
"No, that's not what I mean. As you know, the 'treatment' process stopped a while ago. What we've been doing is trying to create the best possible environment for her. Mardias, please understand, at this stage, don't view your mother as a seriously ill patient. Think of it this way: she has improved as much as possible, but she's not fully recovered yet. We all know what full recovery means, but the time required is unpredictable and may never happen. Aside from being asleep, she is a normal person and shouldn't be confined to a hospital."
"Alright. I'll notify you once the arrangements are made."
Lindy nodded. Mardias realized that since they started discussing Dalia, a spark of excitement had appeared in Lindy's usually tired and confused eyes. Sometimes hospitals discharge patients without hope of recovery, but Mardias believed this wasn't Lindy's intention.
This should be good news.
But he couldn't tell Jorgen just yet.