Todd poured himself and Mary a cup of coffee respectively, then he sat on a chair and listened to the other person's words quietly.
Mary took a sip of the bitter drink, let out a vague sigh, and whispered: "I always feel that it has been a long time since I last tasted coffee."
"If you are willing, I can send a troop right now to take you back to Twilight City." Todd held the mug and felt the temperature coming from the wall: "You should know that my intention is not to
You join this war."
Mary focused her gaze on the spinning water in the cup, shook her head and said, "I know what you want to say, but I can't leave there now. Those soldiers and people looked at me with hope and begging in their eyes.
, like unbreakable threads, tightly binding me to the throne of the Holy Acropolis, I can’t go anywhere..."
Todd's eyes dimmed: "Mary, I'm sorry."
"If you are sorry because I have to take on the responsibilities of the Queen, then I can tell you now that it is not necessary." Mary took a sip of coffee and looked at the man opposite: "If you are
Because another thing is apologizing to me and I will gladly accept it."
Todd had raised his head: "Another thing?"
Mary put down the cup, stared at Todd, and asked in a deep voice: "I heard that you refused to accept me as the queen of Twilight West City."
Todd smiled bitterly. It had been almost four years since he came to the other world, and he still couldn't accept the straightforward way of speaking of Westerners.
"I did say that, but that was because of some reasons..."
Mary leaned forward and asked, "Is it because I was once married?"
Todd replied with a headache: "No, it's not. Please listen to my explanation..."
Mary continued to ask: "Is it because my appearance makes you dissatisfied?"
"No, your appearance is very outstanding, but..."
"Is it because of Rachel?"
Hearing the name that suddenly came out of Mary's mouth, Todd was stunned, his body froze, and he stopped all movements.
Looking at the expression on Todd's face, Mary closed her eyes gently and said softly: "I understand."
Mary fell into great frustration and sadness, which made Todd feel pain for no reason. He moved his chair towards the woman and whispered: "You may not understand that in the future, Twilight City may never appear.
The queen."
Mary opened her eyes in shock: "What do you mean?"
Todd thought for a moment, organized his words, and said slowly: "After the Battle of Holy Acropolis, if we win, then Muxi City will inevitably implement religious reform. I believe you know this."
Mary nodded.
"The so-called religious reform is to create a third sect on the basis of the original Church of Heavenly Father and the Orthodox Church. I will call this new sect the Muxi New Church. After the sect is established, I will
Win over the many kingdoms in the diocese and make them break away from other denominations and join the Protestant faith."
When Mary heard this, she was still a little confused: "So what is the relationship between the founding of Protestantism and the absence of a queen in Twilight West City?"
Todd glanced at her and said only one sentence: "Who do you think the first pope of the Protestant Church will be?"
Mary's eyes widened and she understood everything immediately.
Indeed, as Todd said, if the Protestant religion is established, looking at the entire Duxi City, no one will have an influence that rivals the king, and the throne of the Protestant pope can only be occupied by Todd.
So, as the pope, Todd naturally cannot marry a woman like a secular king.
Seeing Mary's stunned expression, Todd lamented in his heart. He only told her half of some things, and the other half of the truth was so cruel that he couldn't tell her at all.
"Your Majesty, if that's the case, then I understand your good intentions." Mary looked a little distressed: "But don't you consider the issue of your heirs? Do you plan to be alone all your life?"
Mary's words made Todd think deeply.
Todd thought to himself that he had only had sex with two women, one of whom was Rachel, who had made it clear that she could not have children; the other was Deirdre, but what was her situation like?
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Mary's call awakened Todd, who was in deep thought, and she asked: "If you have no heirs, who will inherit Muxi City in the future?"
Todd scratched his head: "The issue of inheriting the throne of Muxi City may be more complicated. I can't explain it to you now. You will know it later."
Mary looked at Todd for a long time and finally nodded: "Since you have said so, I will not ask any more questions. What I want to tell you is that if you really become the Pope, then I promise you,
Holy Acropolis will be the first to convert to Protestantism. And I, as the Queen of Holy Acropolis, will choose to serve the Holy Spirit and God for life and never marry again."
"Wait a minute! What do you mean by not marrying again?"
Just when Todd was about to ask Mary for details, she drank all the coffee in her cup, turned around and left the soul space.
Looking at the empty seats, Todd rubbed his hair with his hands, sighed, and said helplessly: "In the end, it still became my fault..."
———————————————
The Battle of the Holy Acropolis, Day One.
Cumberland stood at the top of the city, using Muxi City's newly invented high-power telescope to look at the enemy formation, frowning.
"If I guess correctly today, it should be a probing attack." Cumberland put down his telescope and ordered to the adjutant beside him: "Inform all armies that when the enemy approaches, put them into the middle defense circle before launching an attack.
.”
Watching the adjutant follow the order and leave, Cumberland moved his arm, feeling the dull pain caused by the bone hook of the keel parasite, and said unhappily: "Everything about this broken insect armor is good, but it's the hook that makes me uncomfortable!
"
"Lord Cumberland, today is the day the war begins?" Queen Mary, dressed in military uniform, walked up to the top of the city and came to Cumberland's side, looking at the enemy in the distance and said.
Cumberland turned sideways and suggested to Mary in a low voice: "When the battle starts, arrows and stones are unknown threats. You'd better go back to the fortress and wait for the result."
Mary brushed her long hair blown by the wind with her hand and said with a smile: "If my appearance can boost the morale of the army. Even if this encouragement can give us a better chance of winning, this kind of risk is too big for me."
It means nothing."
Seeing that he could not persuade the other party, Cumberland simply gave up the verbal dispute and asked: "After we left yesterday, did you and your Majesty talk about...?"
"I asked."
Cumberland raised his eyebrows in surprise: "What did your Majesty say?"
"He convinced me, and the reasons were so good that I couldn't refute him."
Cumberland opened his eyes wide: "How could this happen? Does His Majesty insist on letting that woman?!"
Mary looked at Cumberland, smiled and shook her head: "Things are different from what you think. According to His Majesty's plan, there may not be a queen in Twilight West City in the end."
Cumberland shook his head incomprehensibly and growled in a low voice: "There is no queen in Muxi City? Do you know what you are talking about? What on earth does this mean?! Have you told His Majesty about the future of Muxi City...
"
"Sir, the enemy has launched an attack!"
While Cumberland and Mary were talking, the successor of the scout responsible for monitoring the battlefield issued a warning.
Cumberland, who was interrupted by the battle and asked questions, shook his beard angrily and put on his helmet roughly. While muttering something in his mouth, he gave Mary a back-off gesture and strode towards the observation deck.
.
Watching the old knight leave, Mary's originally calm face showed a confused look. She said in words that only she could hear: "But there is another possibility... In the end, the queen of Muxi City will