Rebirth of the Interstellar Pope <Mecha>

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

[Anno: I've always wanted to find a lover who doesn't need to know me too deeply but only needs to love me. Yet, he must understand what religion is. Unfortunately, I've never found that person. My God has taught me that if I keep holding to this standard, I'll be single for the rest of my life. And He was right.]

Connecting with nature to relax the mind and prepare for consciousness control was essential.

Was this why Rufeite had placed the students of the Department of Religion in this rundown, two-story building?

No, of course not-Anno had initially thought so, but he had clearly oversimplified things.

After the meal and a bit of rest, Cadilla was nowhere to be found. Only Rufeite, reclining on a soft chair with his legs crossed, remained. The students waited anxiously for him to speak, but Rufeite kept his eyes closed, a slight smile playing on his lips, before finally asking, "Are you ready?"

One student, half-joking, replied, "If it's just my stomach, then definitely!"

The cafeteria erupted in laughter. But when Rufeite slowly opened his dark eyes, scanning the room with a sharp gaze, and stood up, his voice was tinged with regret. "If all you've prepared is your stomach, then I regret to inform you that you'll be expelled soon."

The laughter died instantly. The room fell into an uneasy silence.

"Good. Now, G9, begin the lesson," Rufeite commanded.

At his word, the tables began folding up on their own. The once white walls slid back, revealing silver metallic panels. Within seconds, the tables disappeared, and the students realized the cafeteria had transformed into an expansive conference room. As Rufeite put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, Kane gaped.

"Wow, Rufeite must be loaded."

Rufeite smiled, exuding arrogance. "Now, let me tell you the schedule for the next half month."

"First, there's closed physical training. Three hours a day using the simulator. Fail, and you're out."

The room remained quiet as Rufeite surveyed the students. "Any feedback?"

A few half-hearted responses of, "Oh~~" echoed around the room.

"Good. Second, religious history studies. This is just to satisfy the old men in the Religious Senate. You'll each have an iris machine for when they come to assess you. Fail, and you're out again. I'm not wasting my iris machines or interstellar coins on you."

This time the room responded more enthusiastically, "Oh yeah!~~"

"And third," Rufeite continued, his voice dropping slightly, "the most critical step, in my view-the foundation for reshaping your religious concepts after we tear down your old beliefs. I will show you how dirty this world truly is."

A stunned silence followed.

None of the students understood why Rufeite would say such a thing. For many of them, the Interstellar Federation was a model of fairness. They had grown up benefiting from government subsidies, free education, and housing. To them, the galaxy seemed just and prosperous.

Yet here was Rufeite, telling them the world was dirty.

Anno, meanwhile, had assumed that with the current schedule, Rufeite wouldn't have time to pester him about the hexagram or the nine-pointed star diagram. He figured their interactions would be minimal. But it was clear he had underestimated the situation.

That is to say-

Kane slapped Anno on the shoulder, grinning. "My dear friend, Lady Luck must've smiled on you last night. You've been paired with Rufeite for military training!"