This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange - Chapter 611

Chapter 611: Chapter 611: Pyramid of Faith
Kain listened intently as Serena continued her explanation through their mental link, her words painting a picture of the Western Continent’s twisted hierarchy of power.

“Their entire cultivation system,” she said, “is structured like a pyramid—an immense, unforgiving one, where those at the top grow fat on the devotion of those beneath them.”

Kain’s eyes flicked to the Holy Son, who was still calmly weathering the Eastern girl’s fury. “So it’s a scam? Do the followers get anything out of it?”

“Not a scam,” Serena corrected. ” And yes. They get protection. Although things are relatively peaceful now, aside from the odd beast-tide or Abyssal attack, keep in mind that less than a millennium ago, humanity existed mostly in the form of isolated city-states, frequently destroyed by rampaging spiritual creatures. Back then, that centralized structure of worship—the promise of divine guardianship—was seen as necessary for survival. It was a pact built on fear.”

“But now?” Kain asked.

Serena’s tone sharpened. “Now, during these more peaceful times, that same structure has become a cage. Their rigid hierarchy—worshipping the Church for protection—is no longer as beneficial for the masses, yet still strictly enforced.”

“Unlike in the Empire,” she began, “or most other nations, where talent and determination can help someone climb through the ranks—where a beggar with a powerful enough affinity or gift can rise to become the most powerful person in a nation or tribe—the Western Continent… doesn’t believe in that.”

“In the Western Continent, strength wasn’t earned through talent or hard work alone. It was assigned—by the Church.”

Serena then broke it down for Kain:

The Radiant Ascension Church dictated everything. From birth, citizens were indoctrinated into the faith, taught to channel their belief into their superiors. The more followers a person had, the more power they could draw from their devotion. But here was the catch—you could only keep what your rank allowed.

“The Pope sits at the apex,” Serena said. ” He receives the faith of an entire empire. Every prayer, every ounce of devotion, even the massive amount of spiritual energy and faith released at the moment of a follower’s death—part of all of it flows upward to him like a tax. Directly, or through the hierarchy. Beneath him are the Cardinals, then the Archbishops, then the Bishops, and so on. Each tier must tithe a portion of the faith they gather to those above them. The higher your rank, the more you can keep for yourself.”

Kain’s lip curled. “So the grunts at the bottom get scraps, while the elites hoard the real power.”

“Exactly. A lowly priest might have a handful of followers, but most of their gathered faith is siphoned upward. Only those at the very top reap the full benefits.”

‘It’s a pyramid scheme.’ Kain thought, while recalling a similar organizational structure from his past life.

It was a system designed to maintain absolute control. No matter how devout or gifted a person was, they could never surpass their station. A peasant could devote their entire life to the Church and never rise beyond the lowest tiers—because advancement wasn’t about merit. It was about permission.

“The Holy Son and the Saintess are exceptions,” Serena added. “They’re chosen shortly after birth—the male and female considered to have the highest potential in a generation (although that point is debatable)—whose bodies are able to accommodate the great amounts of faith and have powerful gifts. They’re groomed to compete for the title of Pope, and they’re allowed to amass followers freely. But even they must tithe to the current Pope.”

A cold realization settled over Kain. “If their power comes from faith… then the more people believe in them, the stronger they become.”

“Yes. And also the higher quality of the soul devoted to them, the better.”

Kain’s gaze lingered on the golden-haired figure. “So that’s why he wanted Lady Zhao’s soul. Another follower, even in death.”

Serena nodded grimly. “And why the Easterners are so furious. To them, it’s desecration. To him? It’s charity. An opportunity to become one with the ‘Chosen One’ who may one day become Pope and the strongest man in the world.”

“Although talented, the Holy Son, and the Pope above him, aren’t just strong because they’re talented. They’re strong because millions worship them. If the Church ever declared war, every believer would become a battery for their army.”

Kain’s stomach turned. “That’s horrifying.”

“It’s also why they’re so disliked, but also feared by other nations,” Serena said.

The Eastern girl’s voice rose to a piercing scream, pulling their attention back to the confrontation.

“I’d rather scatter her ashes to the winds than let you defile her spirit!” she shrieked.

The Holy Son sighed, as if disappointed by her lack of vision. “Then you condemn her to oblivion.”

“You briefly mentioned that when their followers die, they can receive a massive amount of faith at once from taking in their souls. But Lady Zhao isn’t a follower. Therefore, her soul should have nothing to do with him.” Kain relayed the point that was confusing him to Serena.

Serena also frowned at the loophole in her description, but more from worry at the implication. “Cassian and the others don’t seem surprised. I can only take it to mean, like all other nations, the methods of the Church are also advancing with the times. They likely have a method of obtaining faith from those not belonging to the church. Perhaps this method has already been relayed to the leaders of other countries using people they’ve planted in the West. However, it looks like the method isn’t something that can be easily used, and he likely is only considering it for Lady Zhao because of the quality of her soul.”

“How could you be so sure that it has limitations?” Kain questioned her conclusion. Especially after seeing the expressions of the Easterners, and now even Cassian, growing darker as they looked at the Holy Son.

“Because…” Serena’s mental voice shook slightly at the thought of what she was going to say next. “If they could obtain faith from non-believers without limitation, then the citizens on the other continents would be a massive resource to them—one they likely would have already declared war on to conquer.”

‘Honestly, it’s only because it’d take far too much time and energy to convert conquered nations that they probably haven’t already tried it.’ Serena thought, but kept it to herself.

The silence that followed this realization was heavy, mostly because a war seemed like a hopeless inevitability if the West continued to progress in this direction.