One hundred and sixty-eighth act, the elves cross the sea
The dusk bell tolled over the city of Nabothus. The bell echoed in the empty twilight, far and near. The setting sun shone on the dome of the Floating Gold Palace through the fiery sunset, reflecting an orange-red light.
Groups of golden-helmeted guards lined up to change shifts on the ramp outside the palace wall. The uniform commands of the knights were heard in the distance. The noise passed over the copper-plated treetops and even reached the inner court. In the Winter Solstice Palace,
Pope Petian III hurriedly finished his dinner - half a carefully cooked roast lamb, a silver sea mackerel, and exquisite pastries were all served on a snow-white porcelain plate. The meat dishes were served with basil leaves and served with snow from St. Osol.
Prepared from tree leaves, topped with sauce and black pepper, the meat is crispy and fragrant, but the diner himself has no appetite. After a brief taste, he puts down his silver knife and fork and wipes his lips with a gold-embroidered square handkerchief.
He ordered his attendants to arrange a carriage for him to go to the Emerald Gold Hall.
Faenzan's religious power is unified. Although privately, the nobles will still have feuds with the temple due to uneven distribution of benefits, from the secular power upward, the secular laurel crown and the sacred scepter are all concentrated in the hands of one person. Because of this,
The pope is often not hereditary, but usually emerges from eight cardinals. After the pope of the previous generation abdicated, he was named a saint and lived in the Cuijin Holy Hall. Regardless of secular power, he was still the spiritual leader of the Holy Church.
Therefore, for thousands of years, this empty throne has also possessed great power. Even today, the current Pope can certainly make arbitrary decisions, but in fact he still has to be restricted by it.
The reason why Petian III had been uneasy these days was due to this. He sat on the carriage and looked at the shadow of the vault of the emerald gold church from a distance, as if a giant beast was entrenched in his heart, glaring at him, making him uneasy.
The former Pope Asabantu XI was his mentor on the holy journey, and he single-handedly cultivated him to where he is today. Although the relationship between teacher and student was harmonious, there was always a throne that separated them. Petian knew that this was due to their respective statuses.
All previous popes have been like this. It is understandable in the first place. But something has happened recently. He has always advocated a jihad against the Cruz people in the south. Asabantu XI has always been clear about his thoughts. Now the Cruz people will be in chaos if they don't fight. That
The Mad Queen dared to restore the Dark Dynasty. This was a God-given opportunity that allowed him to attack Cruz in a legitimate name. He even contacted the envoys of the Wind Elves and the Knights of Gracius to stock up on troops and food on the border.
He was preparing to display his grand plans in order to leave a significant mark on history. At this time, a truce order made his expectations come to nothing. This order came from the emerald gold holy hall in front of him——
This kind of thing may not happen once in a hundred years. The last time it happened was in the era of the Limadorian Rebellion. King Gloria I used the power of the Holy Inquisition Knights to remove the then-incumbent pope from his position. This association made Petian III look pale.
It was dark and unclear. He watched with a gloomy expression as the seven-foot-high gold-painted palace door of the Emerald Hall slowly opened in the hands of the guards on both sides. He didn't know what kind of thoughts were running in his mind. The deeper uneasiness in his heart came from
Judging from the reactions of bishops from various places, the bishops and knights from various places did not seem to react as fiercely as he expected to the current arrogant and unreasonable edict. The interior of the empire was like a surface of water as flat as a mirror, without any ripples. He knew that the palace gate
The old man behind the scenes must have used some power unknown to him to make all parties submit to him respectfully.
As a superior, no one can tolerate power beyond his control, especially when the power is so great that it exceeds his expectations.
Accompanied by his attendants, he walked through the cloister. Petian III stopped in front of a dark walnut door. Then he raised his hands to move away, and at the same time stopped his followers from reporting. Facing this walnut door, the Holy Inquisitor
The arbitrary Supreme One actually found a trace of hesitation in his heart. But this hesitation was as light and weak as a spider's thread. His Majesty the Pope broke free from the restraints with a slight break, put his slender palm on the doorknob, and pushed the door open.
And enter.
Since his old age, Assebantus XI likes to light the fireplace in his study and sit on a low chair. He reads the church classics and documents all day long, although Petian doubts that there are any
How true it is, but there is more or less envy in his heart. Since taking control of the secular power, he has inevitably alienated the sacred will - "The Holy See is not as good as the ascetic monks". This proverb is by no means a rumor in Faenzan
.
The warm breath hit his face, and the hot wind hit his cheeks, making him couldn't help but squint his eyes. The dancing firelight in the fireplace seemed to flow out through the crack of the open door, like flowing warmth, spreading over his face.
The golden shoes and the ends of the robe.
Asebantu XI was not the only one in the room. In addition to a servant in his forties, there was also an old man with white hair and beard wearing glasses. Petian III recognized this person at a glance.
He is a famous scripture scholar in the temple. Asebantu XI is still wearing a simple robe today, but rarely wears a hat. He looks quite formal and serious. A woman sits opposite him, Tippeian III
Somewhat surprised, he couldn't help but take one more look at this woman, but after another look, he couldn't take his eyes away anymore - this woman had long dry brown hair, shining like emeralds embedded in the rocks.
The pair of glowing eyes are said to be embedded in the rocks because her skin looks extremely dry, dull and lacks luster. Her cheekbones are high, like steep rocks, and her lips are sharp and angular, as if they were carved out of them.
It is immediately obvious at first glance that this woman has an extremely determined character.
There is only one woman in the world with such a face, and only one woman with a life span of a thousand years. Ti Pei'an respectfully greeted: "Sage."
Asebantu XI looked at his students with a smile while closing the book in his hand. It was a scripture that expounded the early teachings of the church. The person who recorded it fell asleep in the soil about three to four hundred years ago.
Even though he was canonized as a saint after his death, he waved his hand, indicating that Tipian should not be too polite, as if he had already foreseen his arrival: "His Holiness, you are here today, do you have many questions?"
The situation was beyond Tipian's control. The current pope thought for a moment and nodded solemnly.
"Let me answer you," Sage Airanta said. Her voice was unexpectedly soft and pleasant, completely different from her face: "I requested His Excellency Asebantu to issue that edict."
"Why?" Ti Peian III asked.
"Because I hope Faenzan will not participate in this war, Your Holiness the Pope."
"Why?" Ti Pei An still asked this question.
Assebantu XI took over the conversation with a smile: "Your Holiness, for half a century there has been turmoil in the church, and the old and new doctrines have been arguing. You have witnessed all this with your own eyes. The reason is nothing more than to discuss whether a question is just or not.
The problem. The root of this problem is the war sixty years ago. We saw so many things behind that war that we began to question the foundation of our existence. What do you think of this?"
Tippeian did not answer. Instead, he glanced at Alanta.
"I can't give you the answer to whether history is right or wrong, Your Excellency the Pope." Airanta replied calmly: "Although I have experienced it personally, I, Gil, St. Osol, and your ancestors all have the law."
Even Enzan can't answer this question. Odin thinks he is wrong, but this can only represent his view of himself - he cannot judge history and everything in the past. In a certain stage of history we are in, there is no
Anyone can judge himself correctly, let alone countless sages before him - many, many people have devoted themselves to it, anyone in this one-sided history. Whether he is a witness or a bystander
, we can only observe a fragment of it, so we can only experience it personally and witness it. I live for a thousand years just to see the result with my own eyes——"
Emperor Tipian III frowned. "But do you think the Queen of the Cruz people made the right choice?"
Alanta shook his head. "No, it's precisely because we can't confirm whether we are right or wrong that I want to look at another path in history. You know the prophecy: the lost moon takes away the light, and the light is lost
, the Silver Generation was lost on the earth, marching forward in darkness and ignorance, the chance encounter between the emperor and the fool. The rusty clockwork is being reset, the sword that changes destiny - it is this change that Warnd is waiting for
The sword of destiny."
"Do you believe what is described in the Black Prophecy, Sage?" Emperor Tipian III asked back: "Everything will be born from darkness?"
"This is what the Miner people are unwilling to give up, Your Holiness the Pope," the sage replied: "This is the age of black iron, the age of heroes. Martha has handed over power to mortal hands, believing that among mortals there will be
Heroes are born, but from the perspective of the race of gold and silver - how can we save our world by winning against the weak? Not to mention the failed works lost in the dark forest, everything seems to warn civilization that this is a mistake
The descendants of the Azure Knight are arguing over this, and the fire of civilization is declining day by day. It is even unsustainable. The Dark Dragon Odin made a last resort choice to save everything. Today will be the moment when it shows the results.
"
Airanta looked at Tipian III and replied: "Thousands of years of history seem to have returned to a reincarnation, but this may not be the beginning and starting point of everything. I will follow the agreement with Odin and witness the last thing.
But no matter what, I still hope to keep a little fire for civilization and not devote all my strength to just one answer. Therefore, I hope that the Faenzan people can stay away from this mortal stage, because there is a more important war to fight.
Your strength."
Ti Pei'an raised his head slightly: "Sage, what do you mean?"
Ellanta raised her head, her emerald gaze seemed to be able to penetrate the palace wall of the emerald golden hall. The direction she was looking in the distance was across the vast hills and plains. Under the burning clouds, the waves of the emerald sea were thousands of thousands of times.
Over the years, the alliance known as the Ten Cities has taken root and thrived in this vast land. About five hundred and thirty years ago, mercenaries from the Iniel and Macison regions
They came here with merchants and spent hundreds of years building the first city here. Half a century later, a new kingdom was established. Its people include humans, mountain people, elves and dwarves. The teachings of the temple are here.
It is widely spread, but the belief in nature is not rejected by others.
This is a paradise of freedom, where money and the sound of swords complement each other all year round.
But today, under the White City, the fishermen who went to sea suddenly stopped their work. Some sailors were cleaning the fishing nets and cables, some were still clinging to the mast, some were drunk and had just stepped onto the deck from the cabin, and some
The sails were being set, and some were weighing anchor at the winch, but without exception, they stopped and looked back toward the sea and sky.
The fort on the city wall was firing warning cannons, and groups of guards rushed to the city platform. The sea was full of blue waves, and the sea and sky were calm and there seemed to be nothing unusual about it.
But just in an instant, a dense black dot appeared in that direction——
Rand put on a piece of armor hastily and hurried to the city wall. The servants surrounded him and came to the edge of the battlement. He raised his hand to stop the noisy noise around him, and then raised the monocular telescope in his hand.
——What came into view was a white triangular sail, which almost dazzled his eyes. He cursed in a low voice and moved his vision downwards. The silver oak emblem on the sails shone brightly in the sun, and then downwards,
He saw the elegant white hull of the Elf.
"The fleet of wild elves——"
Rand spat and put down the telescope. "There are at least three hundred ships. This is an army of thirty thousand people. Is Ailanta crazy?"
The Ellan Tower in his mouth naturally refers to the country of wild elves. He took another look to make sure that he was not hallucinating. At this time, alarm bells were already ringing in the White City, and ships outside began to enter the harbor. Lan
De glanced at the direction of the port and estimated that the port would have to be closed in about half an hour. He turned around and realized that he was just a small group leader and could not make any decisions on this matter. He handed the binoculars to his deputy.
, and then said to a follower: "You go and inform the Far Eagle and the City Lord, let them make a decision. If the elves are serious, it is impossible for White City to be defended. We must immediately seek support from other city-states -"
The guard glanced at him in panic, then tremblingly took his brass token and stumbled down.
"Look at that ship -" suddenly a guard pointed in the direction of the sea and shouted.
Rand turned around and saw a light boat emerging from the wild elves' fleet and approaching the White City at an extremely fast speed.
"It's the messenger."
"They sent messengers out."
"What do the elves want to do?"
…
(ps: A new month has begun, let’s keep up the good work~)