Having tamed beasts with you is a great deterrent to keep looters away. I walk downtown since no public transportation is running right now.

The Church of Merita is a large cathedral, white marble with gold embedded into the stone. Statues of her divine beast flank either side of the doors. Two golden pigs.

When people started converting to the other world's religions, they also learned the deep history related to their god. Pigs used to be sacrificed in her honor in rituals to pray for wealth or opportunities. But for humans, it reminds them of piggybanks rather than sacrifice. I wonder what she did with all the dead pigs.

There is a perimeter of church members blocking entrance into the building. I try to walk past one of them, but a middle-aged woman stops me in my tracks.

“Stop. What business do you have with our church?”

The woman is wearing a business suit and excludes an aura of smugness, almost like she feels better than others because her goddess has done something big, while other gods ignore their followers.

“I want to talk to Merita and cash in an IOU. Do you know what the proper channels to do that is?”

She looks upset and speaks with a huff. “No random shmuck can waltz in off the street and demand to talk to our divine goddess.”

She tries to push me, but I don’t move an inch. What a bitch.

“Leave now before the church sues the living hell out of you.”

[Don’t hurt her, Ellis. If what thisss one understands human society correct, spending a long time in a box would be a bad thing.]

Hmmm.

I’ll try to be diplomatic, just this once.

“I have proof, and why can’t I go in and pray anyways? Why would the church send newcomers away instead of inviting them into the flock.”

“A strange man bringing in over fifty beasts is not enough to stop you? Plus, we are not letting people in at this time. The church is being used by those who lost their homes from the banks' belligerent foreclosing of properties. For safety reasons, non-members cannot go in.”

Shit, I can actually understand her sentiment. She is still a bitch.

“You can join the church over here. We have a table set up where you can fill the proper paperwork and start your free trial of becoming a follower of Merita.”

Her demeanor changed when she went into “sell” mode. Also, free trial? Do you have to pay a subscription to follow the money goddess? Isn’t that counterintuitive? What’re next, microtransactions?

I shake the stray thoughts out of my head and take advantage of this new “friendly” version of this follower. I will have to use an ultimate move. A maneuver that she probably has used but is not prepared for to be used against her.

“May I speak to your manager?”

~

After some back and forth with this woman, I was allowed to come inside and speak to the bishop. I had to leave my tamed beasts outside the premises, but they allowed me to take in Flash Gordon for some reason.

I expected the inside of the church to be garish and overwhelming with gold and marble, but it’s actually tame. From what I have seen, it looks like a church. The carpet looks expensive, and everything is meticulously pristine, but so far, so good.

I don’t get led to the main chapel but to something that looks like a confessional. I guess the bishop is inside. I open the door and sit inside.

“Forgive me, father. For I have sinned?”

“Hahaha. That's a good one. The Church of Merita doesn't have confessions, but I appreciate the humor.”

A deep melodious voice sounds out from the partition. The bishop’s appearance is hidden, but the voice sounds like it would be owned by a handsome middle-aged man.

“So, you claim the Divine Dealer owes you something? I would like to see the proof it's not a bother.”

I hesitantly pulled out the slip of paper with the goddesses writing on it. The bishop must have sensed my hesitation and spoke out to comfort me.

“Don’t worry, this is a place of God. We follow the goddess of wealth and deals, not the god of pilfering.

My eyes squint. Where did I hear that one before? I slide the paper into a slot big enough for a stack of documents. This seems to be a “private” place to make deals. It seems counterintuitive to not be able to see the person you made a deal with. I wonder if it has religious indications like god is unseeable or if it’s just the bishop's private deal room.

Silence fills the box as the bishop doesn’t speak a word.

“Hey, are you okay? I also had some questions about investor’s rights?”

“U-u-um, one moment. I have to make a few calls,” stammers the bishop. I hear a door open and the sounds of a man running down the hall.

I immediately open my door and jump out. The bishop left before I could even catch a glimpse of the door closing.

“WHAT THE HELL. We don’t follow the god of pilfering, my ass.” I am conflicted about what to do. Do I wait, or do I try to track this guy down?

“What should I do, Flash Gordon?”

“...”

“You’re right. Patience is a virtue, but getting scammed for the second time is worse.”

I should’ve met up with the dean instead of coming here…

I quickly run in the direction I believe the bishop went.

~

I scratch my head at an impasse. I am completely lost inside this church. It’s way bigger than I thought.

“Which way should I go. I would ask a church member for directions, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get kicked out.”

I roll Flash Gordon on the ground. He slightly curves left, so I decided to head that way. Flash Gordon has never led me astray before.

I was looking for the bishop, but I found something else. A lavish meeting room with a golden statue of Merita in every corner, The central table is filled with over a dozen church members with the bishop sitting at the head. They are video calling someone. I can’t see who it is at this angle.

The door wasn’t locked or even closed all the way. I boldly step inside and speak.

“It’s been more than one moment, bishop.”

Heads turn as they notice my arrival. The person on the screen speaks out to the room.

“Now, just who might this be?”

I look at the screen and am met with a woman who looks surprisingly like Charlie but a little older. She looks slightly like Merita, who also looks like charlie. What the fuck Charlie. Why does your entire family look similar to a goddess, and why won’t you respond to my calls.

The woman who stopped me from entering and then walked me inside is also here. She stands up and points at me.

“What are you doing in here! This is a private-”

“That's enough now. This young man is why I called this emergency meeting,” interrupted the bishop's smooth voice.

The woman quiets as the Charlie lookalike asks a question. “And why did you have to call me as well?”

“Archbishop Greenback, you are the only one I could call about this substantial piece of information. This is the 6th known human that has made a deal with our goddess!.” He raises the slip of paper and shows it to the room.

Everyone gasps and the Charlie lookalike leans in, closer to her screen. I guess they see something I don’t. It wouldn’t be strange since they are devout followers of that scammer. I am just left standing there confused.

“Can I have my slip of paper back? You just ran off with it and left me alone in a box.”

The bishop rubs the back of his head. “Hehe, sorry about that.”

I would believe you if you weren’t sheepishly smiling like you got caught with your hand in a cookie jar.

The Charlie lookalike speaks up after a brief moment of silence. “Everyone but the young sapling can leave. I want to speak with him alone.”

I grab the arm of the bishop and stick my hand out. The bishop hesitantly puts the IOU back into my palm. I let him scurry away with the rest of the church members.

~

“Tell me, how did you contact our god?”

“No. Why do you look like my friend Charlie? Are you his sister? You guys have the same last name.”

She doesn’t falter, “Are you Ellis? I’m Charlie’s sister, and you look just like he described. Rock and everything. How did you meet my little brother?”

Hmm.

Is this woman trying to bring me into her tempo? Or am I just paranoid? I won't be able to get what I want if she keeps leading the conversation.

“What’s your name?”

I can tell a vein almost popped out of her forehead from my blatant ignoring of her questions. Honestly, her reactions are almost worth coming here.

“My name is Cloe Greenback, an archbishop of the Church of Merita, underneath the human cardinals and overseer of the church in Goldcrest, near the capital. I am 28 years old and have a rare class. Is this enough information Mr. Ellis?”

“I have three more. How do I cash in an IOU, where is Charlie, when can I talk to him, and something about getting money from investing early.

“That was four questions.”

She had to stop herself from continuing. She exhaled and calmed herself down.

“I will answer your questions if you answer mine. A fair deal, no?”

I only nod. My unwillingness to start the conversation prompted Cloe to answer my questions first.

“Sigh. If the goddess gave an IOU, she would deliver on her own time. The piece of paper is unnecessary since it’s not binding anyway. Charlie is in a safe place for his protection. When father heard that a small-time casino owner almost stole away the goddess's deal from him, he was put into lockdown. I don’t know what is going on in father’s mind.

You can speak to Charlie soon, but I don’t have an exact date. I have no idea what you mean by your last question. If it’s related to the goddess, you can expect a similar treatment with the IOU.”

My eyes narrow. “Alright. I am indeed Ellis. I met Charlie in high school and he tricked me into buying limited edition bubblegum. The goddess wanted something I had, so I made a deal.”

Her eyes light up, before she can speak I ask one last question.

“Is Charlie being held hostage by his own family?”

Her eyes narrow, before abruptly ending the call.