Rebirth of the Interstellar Pope <Mecha>

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

[Rufeite: Anno is my unwavering belief and the love that courses through my very blood and bones. I cannot explain why I fell for him, but I know I will always cherish him.]

The courses in the Department of Religion at Jerusalem were distinctly different from those in other faculties. There were no rigorous admission processes; the university took care of everything. All students needed to focus on was studying religious history before embarking on their physical training.

The history of religion began in earnest after the fall of Earth civilization, leading to a long machine age, a period later dubbed the Dark Ages. During this time, all religious theology vanished in just two centuries. Humanity plunged into a frenzied age of machine faith, where the pursuit of material wealth overshadowed all else. The belief in a savior faded, and materialism expanded unchecked.

The consequences of such a faithless existence were predictable. Without guidance, human hearts became unbridled, driven by greed and shamelessness, leaving them spiritually homeless and reliant on unrestrained materialism. Millennia later, following the end of the Dark Ages, religious theology slowly began to reclaim its rightful place.

However, by then, most religious texts had been lost to time, leaving behind only fragments of theological references and scriptures passed down through oral tradition. Another millennium passed before these remnants resurfaced, notably the works of Pope Anno. Yet, after Jerusalem's destruction three thousand years ago, it was primarily Rufet who penned the renowned texts, all bearing the inscription: "Written by Pope Anno, authored by Rufet the Celestial Monk."

The Department of Religion was tucked away in the university's northernmost corner, housed in a two-story building that appeared worn and out of sync with the interstellar age. The first floor featured a cafeteria and classrooms, while the second housed a rest area and a library.

In a thirty-student English class, an almost palpable silence enveloped the room, each student engrossed in their readings. Kane, seated beside Anno, began rolling his eyes after only a few pages, reflecting the growing restlessness of others around him. A few whispered among themselves, struggling to comprehend the complexities of religious history.

As the title page indicated, "Written by Pope Anno," Anno breezed through the text, but he soon stumbled upon unexpected references: ambiguous interactions between homosexuals interspersed throughout the religious history compiled by Rufet.

He nudged Kane, who was dozing off beside him. "At what age can one get married now, Bishop An Jiao in the church?"

Kane yawned, barely lifting his head. "How old? I think you can register for marriage at eighteen. The church doesn't really enforce these things. You're actually curious about why the book mentions demons and angels together, right? Isn't that contrary to religious promotion? Oh, didn't Rufet do an interview once? He-"

Kane was abruptly cut off by a sharp female voice. "Please, don't spread nonsense! Everyone has the right to question, but you have no right to claim that Pope Anno is fictional! The Interstellar United Nations wouldn't waste its time promoting someone who doesn't exist!"

The classroom fell silent, and all eyes turned to the source of the outburst. A black-haired girl in a school uniform glared at the red-haired boy behind her, who was casually crossing his legs and whistling. "If he doesn't exist, then he doesn't. Religion is about faith, but without a tangible belief in the interstellar age, we risk descending into chaos like during the machine age. Conveniently, the particle explosion three thousand years ago provided the church with an excuse to create the character of Anno."

The girl's expression darkened, anger flaring as she regarded the red-haired boy, who merely shrugged off her irritation.

Kane, sensing the escalating tension, felt his inner gossip stir. He whispered to Anno, "How do you explain what happened with Pope Zang's body that day?"