In the vast darkness, a knight came galloping under the stars, dismounted outside the gate of Yongzhou City. He raised his sleeves, wiped the sweat mixed with dust on his face, and put his identity document and a small bag of coins together.
Submitted it to the guards at the city gate for inspection. After receiving approval, the knight immediately got on his horse and rushed into the city, ignoring the eyes watching him from behind and the whispers.
Strictly speaking, the name "Eternal Day City" is not realistic. Even as the capital of the Theocracy, it still has day and night. It is early in the morning, most areas of the city are still dark, and most residents are
Trapped in a beautiful dreamland. In an hour or two, whether they like it or not, they will usher in a new day.
The only exception is the Great Cathedral. This temple located in the center of the city is both the religious core and the political center of the country. No matter day or night, the interior of the Great Cathedral and the central square in front of it are always bright as day. As long as travelers are willing,
You can visit at any time - of course there are limits to the areas you can enter.
Today, this great church welcomes a special guest.
Payne tried his best to slow down and not appear too impatient or rude, but the anxiety on his face could not be hidden. After leaving Holly Castle, he worked hard and completed the journey that usually took nearly ten days in only five days.
Without taking a moment to rest, he took advantage of the city's public water well to freshen up, and then, with a tired look on his face and a body full of travel dust, he applied to the cathedral for an audience with His Majesty the Pope.
Perhaps the reported identity and purpose were taken seriously, but half an hour later, he was received by His Majesty.
The audience hall of the cathedral is located on the left side of the highest floor. The decoration is not luxurious. The whole room is soft milky white, and bright light falls from every part of the vaulted ceiling, covering the entire hall. Pope Oswald
De was wearing a white robe and stood alone at the end of the hall.
In the Theocracy of Saint Leon, although the Pope is the nominal supreme leader and has the authority to directly mobilize the army and issue decrees, successive popes rarely participate in politics personally. On the other hand, the Lord of Light's teachings are very tolerant.
Affected by this, the Theocracy allows its citizens to believe in multiple gods, or even simply believe in other gods - as long as it does not cause harm to the country.
It is this seemingly vague doctrine that magically integrates justice, customs, politics, beliefs and other things, but it does not lead to excessive authoritarianism. It is also this unique system that has allowed the Theocracy of Saint Leon to go through several
A hundred years later, it is still at the forefront of the mainland.
He calmed down, walked over, knelt down on one knee, and paid homage to the supreme leader of the Theocracy.
"Knights of the Black Crow, Payne Desk, greets you."
"I understand." The white-robed pope raised his hand to signal him to stand up, "Tell me why you came."
"I..." Payne hesitated, not knowing how to speak. He was silent for a long time, and his right hand unconsciously grasped the lapel of his clothes, "Your Majesty, you may know that the Holly Castle where we are located is suffering from an imperial attack.
team’s attack.”
"Really?" the Pope responded calmly, "What does that have to do with our country?"
"I come with the wishes of Grand Commander Sean to ask for help." Payne knelt down on one knee again, "Please help end this war so that the Knights... and the soldiers of the empire can avoid disaster!
For this, we can pay you whatever you need in return!”
"What kind of reward is it? Tell me." The Pope glanced at him and his voice was calm.
"Money, real estate, or personnel." Payne said solemnly, "In addition, you will also gain the friendship of the Knights. We will serve you when necessary."
"So," the Pope narrowed his eyes and looked at him, "What if I want all of your surviving members to give up their original beliefs and join the church of the "Lord of Light"?"
Payne pursed his lips tightly, and the light above his head seemed to become dazzling, making him feel dizzy.
"That is... even so," he hesitated for a moment and shook his head vigorously, "no... I don't agree with that."
"Really?" Oswald in white robe sighed, then smiled, "That's not bad. If you agree, I would like to ask you, what kind of knights can betray their beliefs casually?
What’s the meaning of existence?”
"It's just that I'm sorry." He changed the subject, "Since you are still followers of Marr and are within the territory of the empire, our country has neither the ability nor the will to interfere in this war."
"But... those are the lives of many people." Pain gritted his teeth, "As an agent of the "Lord of Light," don't you want to see the mainland fall into war?" He pondered for a moment and continued, "
The empire is attacking us now. After that, where will it burn the flames of war? With the empire's historical ambition, perhaps even your country will be one of their goals."
"But after all, that time has not yet come." The white-robed Pope said expressionlessly, "If the name is not justified, the words will not be justified. As an internal battle within the empire, our country has no appropriate reason to intervene."
Payne wanted to say something else, but the cold gaze from the throne made him swallow his words.
"Now that the empire has taken action, it is impossible to easily agree to peace talks. If we join this fight, our soldiers will die; and the soldiers of the empire will also die. Whether it is us or the soldiers of the empire, there are
What do you want the followers of the "Lord of Light" to think?" Oswald concluded coldly, "Leave, you can't get anything you want from me."
…
"Ah..." Elena closed her mouth, her expression full of worry, "So, Sister Yinyue, he just left like this?"
"Of course not." Helencia smiled like a fox, "Did you really listen carefully to what Oswald said just now?"
"So," the girl picked up the cup and stared at the dark red tea soup, "His Majesty the Pope is saying... that you can't get help from him?"
"Correct." The silver-haired woman nodded, "So, after that man left dejectedly, I ran to find him."
"But if this happens, won't His Majesty the Pope be angry?"
"Of course. Rather, he just wants me to do this." Helencia stood up, took out the teacup and tea leaves in a familiar manner, and brewed a cup for herself. "On the surface, the Theocracy cannot deviate from its
It’s a matter for believers, but if you act without permission in the name of the ‘Silver Witch’, it won’t matter.”
"But what can we do with just one person?"
"Think carefully about what Oswald said."
"Hmm..." the girl clutched her pigtails and thought, "As a believer of Mar, and we are in the territory of the empire... that means that although the belief cannot be changed, as long as the latter condition is not met, we have an opportunity to intervene?"
"That's right." Helencia stirred the tea with a silver tea spoon, "As long as they can cross the border, the Theocracy of Saint Leon will not give up on these outstanding citizens easily. What I have to do is
It’s just to convey the news.”
"Hailancia," the middle-aged man in white robe sighed, "Twenty years have passed and you are still so nosy. But...this is what you look like."
"That's right." Helencia raised her head and raised the corners of her lips slightly, "I am not Grandpa or Feist. Although I have temporarily given up on my original goal, there are still things worth doing in this world.
There are many, many.”
"So," the silver-haired woman picked up the teacup and looked at the girl through the mist, "Little Elena, do you understand what I want to say?"
Elena looked at the two people in the room, then turned to look out the window. The autumn sunshine filled the streets, people came and went, and there was a certain order in the noise. Everyone who came here every day had their own unique style.
They are not the same, but this scene and this city continue year after year, welcoming new visitors every day.
"We need a rule to guide people's thoughts and lifestyles. Therefore, those facilities, customs and rituals are necessary, like the city, the cathedral, and the monks and nuns who preach and pray every day
They." She turned back, with some understanding in her eyes, "On the other hand, every believer can understand different truths from the teachings of the "Lord of Light." For now, I am the only one who can
Well, whether it is seemingly trivial things or not, moving forward according to one's own will may be the true meaning of "tolerance"."
"So, Teacher Karan, I can leave here and go see where I want to go."
"Your father will be worried, Elena." The middle-aged man in white robe said seriously with a serious face.
"Teacher Karan, if you convince him, father will agree."
"Also, you seem to get lost easily in the city." The middle-aged man glared, "How can I be assured of your safety?"
"This..." the girl was speechless for a while, "Anyway, I can get it back in the end every time, so there is no problem!"
The two bickered as usual, making the silver-haired woman laugh out loud.
"Leave this matter to me, little Elena." Helencia nodded the girl's nose, "As the saying goes, haste makes waste, too much haste is not good. At least wait until after the Autumn Harvest Festival, then
If so, I should be able to accompany you for a while."
"In the end, I let you snatch away my lovely disciple." Karan looked helpless, but there was no dissatisfaction in his words.
"Who makes you lazier than me?" The silver-haired woman drank all the tea in the cup and stood up. "As a disciple, your future achievements may not be worse than yours."
"In this case," the middle-aged man showed a gentle smile, "it seems that I have to work harder to avoid being surpassed by my disciples."
The girl looked at the familiar face in front of her and suddenly felt strangely moved. She sniffed to prevent tears from falling from her eyes.
"Thank you, Teacher Karan, Sister Yinyue." She took a breath, "I will not embarrass my father, nor will I let you down."
The middle-aged man in white robe stretched out his hand and put it on her shoulder. It was the teacher's promise to the student, a silent encouragement and recognition.
"You have to spend the remaining time here well." The silver-haired woman put her hands behind her back and leaned her face close to the girl, "As the "light" of the church, you must always keep your heart full of light.
.”
The girl savored the expectation hidden in this sentence and nodded seriously.
This was the original agreement between the "Silver Witch", the second Templar Knight, and Elena Qiuyue, who was only seventeen years old at this time.