"Barbares already knows what happened in the Oren Empire, Your Highness."
"That's right." Oswald pondered, "About when?"
"Seven days ago." The black-haired man in white armor and white robes, who was slightly more than half the height of the Pope, nodded, "Maybe earlier - if he has an intelligence source that I don't know about."
"I understand." The Pope looked into the knight's eyes, "What was his reaction at that time?"
"He just nodded." The Yite knight replied thoughtfully, "and did not ask for further details, as if... he had expected this to happen."
"Okay, another question. Does he know the news that the mercenary group that brought his daughter returned to Volcano Castle from the Ghost Forest?"
"Maybe not yet, Your Highness." The knight shook his head and said, "He has never paid much attention to his daughter."
"Find a way to get him to pay attention." Oswald said softly, "That girl is not simple, and so is the mercenary group. They must have brought something back."
"I'll give it a try. Is that all, Your Highness?"
"Ah, that's right. Be prepared." Oswald nodded, "If you find anything or the other party takes any actions, please report it to me at any time."
The knight in white armor bowed, put his right hand on his chest, and disappeared into the air in an instant. The middle-aged man in white robe looked at the closed wooden door, covered the "Bright Gospel" on the table with his palm, and slowly
Slowly close your eyes and exhale.
"Autumn is already halfway through... there isn't much time left."
The calendar on the table has been turned over two-thirds, revealing the date at this moment - Saint Leon Calendar 458, the month of Autumn, the fiftieth day. He visited Karan a month ago
, and he had known about the death of Rogman Oraire from a "sudden illness" more than twenty days ago, a week before Clovis's public declaration.
In Oswald's opinion, perhaps that was the beginning mentioned in the prophecy.
"When the emperor dies, the prince also dies. When the nobles die, the knights also die. When the city and state dies, the people also die. When mortals die, the gods also die. They rise with death and end with death. The fields are burned with fire, and the barren hills are stained with blood. All souls
Withered, the earth enters winter. After death and sorrow, there may be new life."
The narrator of the prophecy is "Prophet" Aina, the thirty-third member of the Templar Knights. Her predictions are more accurate than those of the traveling Yit fortune-tellers, but she still only has less than half the hit rate. Three
Years ago, she predicted the return of the Fritz people, the unification of the Saatchi clan, and the destruction of Breeze Forest. Only the first one finally became a reality.
After all, prophecies are just prophecies, and reality relies on everyone's decision-making and wishes. "Bear King" Lalum has the ability to unify various tribes, but he did not choose to do so; Breeze Forest did suffer disaster, but in "Dream Traveler"
The danger was saved due to the intervention of Feist, the 'Lilinono Regiment', and the Theocracy.
Regardless of whether this prophecy is true or false, Oswald cannot allow it to happen. That is his responsibility as the spokesperson of the "Lord of Light" and the "authority" of the church.
——Protect the survival of the entire continent.
There were two gentle knocks from outside the wooden door, and then the voice of the guarding monk, "Your Highness."
Oswald raised his head. "What's the matter?"
"The "Silver Witch" is here to visit. Do you want her to come in, Your Highness?"
What was supposed to come finally came. Oswald had foreseen this day ever since he met Karan...or even earlier. Choosing to visit him in public instead of having tea with him in private meant that Hylanthia was interested in him.
Dissatisfied——
That's a matter of course, the white-robed Pope thought. At least she didn't break into the audience hall directly, so there would be room for change.
"Let her come. You go and rest first. I'll call you if anything happens."
The monk's footsteps faded away. Oswald stood up, took down two white porcelain tea cups, put in tea leaves, picked up the short staff on the table and tapped the rim of the cups, pouring clean hot water into them.
As soon as he finished all this, the wooden door gently opened outwards. Helenthia Silver Moon, dressed in a pure white nun's robe and holding a simple long staff made of oak, looked at him quietly from the door.
The woman's face seemed to have never changed in decades, and her expression was the same familiar one in her memory - calm and reproachful, as if she was facing a student who had made a mistake due to impulsiveness.
She closed the door, tapped the ground with her long stick, walked to the opposite side of Oswald, pulled a teacup in front of her, and sat down silently.
"The Fritz people handed over the design drawings of the magic armor to the empire. Was it your arrangement, Os?"
Oswald shook his head slowly.
"The existence and origin of the magic armor is not a secret, and the Grand Duchy of Lors is not just our vassal. Barbares is willing to recognize their sovereignty and even give up part of the territory. I think this idea was made from the very beginning.
"
"Maybe that's right. Then can you promise me that the messengers from Lors have not come to you, or have you tried to stop them, Oswald?"
The white-robed pope remained silent, which was tantamount to admission. But he could not hide everything unless he planned to completely break with Hiranthia - his former 'teacher'.
"Because of the help Karan gave, the people of Fritz are more concerned about the Theocracy's attitude." Helencia leaned her long staff against the table and lightly traced a circle on the rim of the cup with her fingertips. "You acquiesced to them.
Action. In other words, this is the development you expected, right."
"Who do you want them to use against when you give them swords? The domestic affairs between the two "empires" have little to do with the Theocracy. In other words, you chose another target for them - Elders, Lo
Els, the tribes of the northern wastes, or Saint Leon himself?"
"You think too much, Thea." Oswald raised the tea cup and took a sip to calm down his mind. "Seeing another invasion happen is definitely not what I want."
"But they will do that, and it has nothing to do with whether you are willing or not." The woman in the white robe curled her index finger and tapped the table lightly, "When people made bows, arrows and spears, jackals, tigers and leopards became prey. Os.
, do you plan to turn the entire continent into a gladiatorial arena established by you?"
"What are these words?" Oswald's expression was cold - he tried to calm down, "Whether it was Rogman's death or the empire's invasion of Elders, which one was caused by
Did I cause it? Do you think that if you don't do anything, things will develop in a good direction?" He put his hand on the table, "Besides, the matter about the Black Crow Knights is still the advice you gave me.
What?"
"That's different. The Theocracy's intervention in the last war was to protect innocent people and to allow peace to come earlier." Hylanthia said calmly, her eyes never leaving his face, "We protect
, without conquering; we guide without dominating; we save without controlling; we give without seeking in return—you must remember these words of Leonos clearly."
"But this time you are watching the fire from the other side, guiding the situation, trying to keep everything in your chess game. This is not like you before, Os." The woman's eyes held reproach, and something he couldn't understand.
"My impression is that you are full of energy, but not so eager for success. What do you know?"
The pope in white robes shook his head, took a deep breath, and sorted out the thoughts swirling in his head. An impulse suddenly swept over him, making him want to confide everything to the woman in front of him, seeking her understanding and support.
She can understand you, but she won't support you. Another voice told him.
"A prophecy." Oswald swallowed, speaking as concisely as possible, "a very bad prophecy."
Helencia nodded, raised her left hand, and stopped what he was hesitating to say.
"I know, Os. Maybe more than you." She blinked and looked at the tea in the cup, "After all, we failed once."
The dissolution of the Miracle Brigade. Oswald heard the outline of the incident and deeply regretted it. But what he said was another sentence.
"So are you going to stop me and make me just like you... become a deserter and forget about the coming disaster?"
He originally thought that Hiranthia would be angry, or scold him for being unreasonable. But the nun stretched out her slender arm and gently placed her palm on his shoulder. There was no anger in her crystal pupils, just a trace of worry.
"I am worried about what you are doing. If you give them swords, you must have prepared a sharper one for yourself. Tell me, Os, what will it be?"
Oswald's right hand slipped from the edge of the table and slowly clenched into a fist on his lap. Ordinary answers could not convince the "Silver Witch" - not even himself. The two knights could not occupy the hands of the magic armor.
To be honest, the Templars are not warriors used to charge into battle. None of the apparent power of the Theocracy can be used as an answer.
"It's you." He pondered for a long time and finally said, "Are you willing to help me, Siya?"
The nun in white opened her eyes slightly and curled her mouth, as if she was about to laugh. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"I'm not kidding." The Pope put his hands on the table again, leaned forward, and looked at the woman's face seriously, "Don't you want to do something more? As the "hero" of the past, Siya, you
Can you really watch everything happen and still remain indifferent?"
Helenthia picked up the tea cup and shook it gently between her fingers. She turned the rim of the cup toward herself, looked at it for a moment, and then put it back on the table.
"What are you going to do, Os?"
It's done. Oswald took another breath to avoid exposing his flaws.
"I don't know the specific appearance of the disaster. According to the prophecy, it will be a war sweeping the entire continent. Whether it happens between the current countries or it originates from external enemies, we are now helpless."
"so what?"
"The Theocracy must unify the world and gather the power of all mankind. The 'swords' made by the Northern Empire need to be returned to our hands and become a weapon to defend this continent. I know that you have a good relationship with Protodis. If
You seek help from the "Lord of Light" and ask him to bless our warriors——"
"I can't do this."
Hylancia interrupted him calmly, as expected.
"Leonos will not intervene in mortal wars. He is the guardian of Aiur, not a god who belongs to the Theocracy alone. If you really want to protect this continent, you cannot involve him."
"Then you and I can only fight in person." Oswald shook his head helplessly and forced a smile, "In addition, the Shining Knights and the Strong Shield Knights want to protect the Theocracy from being invaded.
It can still be done.”
The nun raised her eyebrows, "Do you mean to strike first and knock down all those who 'want to harm'?"
"That's the best way." Oswald said seriously, "otherwise, they will become the source of disaster one day."
"What if I don't agree too? I'm not your pawn, Os. I don't believe you will put all your bets on me."
Oswald was silent for a full half minute, and finally sighed softly and smiled helplessly.
"Then that's all there is."
He leaned back on the chair, opened the drawer, and put a badge on the table. At first glance, it looked like a dark cloud, with lightning looming in it; but as soon as he tried to stare intently, it completely disappeared from sight.
That is the holy symbol of Nolan, the 'god' who controls space and the 'Lord of Judgment'.
Halancia tightened her grip on the long staff on the table. She only glanced at the badge, and then stared firmly into his eyes.
"When," she asked softly, "when and through whom did you contact Bayard?"
"Everyone has some secrets, and so do I, Thea." Oswald said gently, "But He promised to help me. Those who follow Him never 'give up'."
Helencia glanced at the badge, then continued to look at his face, as if judging the truth or falsehood of those words just now. Finally she stood up, looked over his shoulder, and looked at the ginkgo tree crown that filled the entire window.
"I won't go with you, Os. But I will find a way to 'help' to prevent your so-called 'infringement' from happening. As for Bayard, I will also confirm with those people." She seemed to sigh vaguely,
"I don't want to see a disaster. I don't want to see a disaster caused by you yourself."
"It doesn't matter." Oswald shook his head, "I will wait for you to come back at any time - when you understand that I am right."
The nun tapped the ground again with her long staff to remove the barrier that blocked the sound. Then she turned around, opened the door, and disappeared from Oswald's sight.
The Pope picked up the emblem on the table and gently put it back in the drawer. He waved his hand to close the wooden door again, closed the blinds, and swept the room with the power of the "Lord of Light" to clean up all the magic except it.
Then completely isolate it from the outside world.
Then he carefully opened another drawer, took out a seemingly ordinary wooden box, unlocked the lock, and lifted the lid.
Inside was a clear blue crystal, about the size of a fist, and its soft light illuminated the entire room. Oswald stared at it, feeling as if the accumulated fatigue was washed away by the tide, and was swept away in a moment.
.
It slowly alternates between light and dark, just like the rhythm of life.