The sun has completely sunk below the horizon. In the northern part of New Camelot City, on both sides of the smooth and clean roads, in the glass globes on black iron lampposts, the "Eternal Flame" emits light without warmth.
Occasionally, a phantom horse carriage with luxurious appearance and exquisite carvings passes by on the road. Waves of fragrant wind drift from the side of the carriage, and you can faintly hear the laughter of men and women in the carriage.
Once the Phantom Horse Carriage was born, it replaced the live horse-drawn carriages used by the upper class in a very short period of time. The reason is also very simple. No matter how well-tamed the horse is, it will eat, drink and litter. In the past, some princes and nobles would do it at any cost.
Fumigation with various herbs and splashing of perfume are used to alleviate the horse's odor, but it is difficult to completely cover it up.
But the phantom horse is different. It doesn't have any peculiar smell, and it won't get tired. Even under the use of intermediate and advanced mage, the phantom horse can walk on the water, fly in the air, and even fly at high speed while carrying the caster.
The empire has also formed a special Knights of the Phantom Pony, whose members are basically war mages and arcane knights. They did not choose to improve the overall arcane ability, but reduced the difficulty of using the Phantom Pony through continuous research.
Later, the mages also made another improvement to the Phantom Pony spell, which was to give up the flying ability of the advanced Phantom Pony, so that it can be maintained for a longer period of time, and finally reached the point where it can be maintained almost indefinitely.
The Phantom Pony exists.
Of course, such convenient power is still expensive. The Phantom Horse, which can run for several days without recharging, is ten times more expensive than horses with noble bloodlines in the past.
However, the advantages of the phantom colt compared to the live horses in the past are indeed obvious. Live horses are inevitably frightened and may lose control, while the phantom colt is completely obedient to the operator. The carriage equipped with the phantom colt was quickly improved and was the first to be valued by the imperial nobility.
, it is almost the standard equipment for upper-class people traveling nowadays.
Accordingly, transforming the carriages to make them more luxurious and eye-catching has become one of the projects that the upper classes compete for.
At this moment, various beautifully decorated phantom horse carriages are parked outside Duke Dekford's manor house. You don't even need "detection magic" or "secret vision" to observe the aura effect. Most of these carriages are inlaid with large gems.
Hanging crystal lanterns are always exuding colorful brilliance, and some simply use illusions to project family emblems that have been passed down for hundreds of years to demonstrate status and prevent offense from ignorant people.
In fact, there are no such ignorant and reckless poor people in the rich areas. The teams of guards patrolling the road are enough to stop any intruders. Even the recent noisy demonstrations in the city for many days did not cause trouble to Decker.
Near the Duke's manor house.
The shiny breastplate of the city guard reflected the light of the street lamp, and the sound of footsteps passed outside the manor house. In an old house two streets away from Duke Dekford's house, Cavendi
Marshal Shi put on full-body plate armor, with his bright red cloak hanging straight down. His eyes were fixed on the crystal plate on the table. A map of the city appeared on it, and clusters of light spots visible to the naked eye moved slowly in the streets.
"Marshal, the 7th, 11th, 14th Corps, and the attack team have arrived at their destination." An officer came to report.
Marshal Cavendish traced his finger across the crystal plate. In the mountains and hills north of New Camelot City, there was a large dense mass of light, like an arrow ready to be fired, to be shot into the rotten flesh.
Destroy it completely.
"Okay." Marshal Cavendish tightened his wristband: "Continue to monitor the movements of Duke Dekford's residence and listen to my orders at any time."
…
Under the pure and flawless miraculous light, a sacred blessing ceremony was at its climax, and the majestic chants echoed in the hall, making people feel awe. Even though most of the nobles and rich people present had magical items with protective charm control spells,
Still unable to resist the miracle that touches the depths of the soul.
Perhaps this is not magic, but the power of faith. The church's blessing ceremony and hymn praise really awakened the power of longing for light and kindness in the souls of everyone present.
Standing in front of the holy stone cabinet and raising his arms to welcome the radiant miracles, the head of the dean's family moved his lips slightly and recited the teachings of the holy scriptures softly, but his voice overlapped and echoed, as if thousands of devout believers were reciting at the same time.
In the ears of the nobles and wealthy people who were present to receive the blessing.
This blessing ceremony is indeed not simple. It is different from those miraculous ceremonies that protect others, break curses, and heal injuries. This time, the head of the old home personally performed the "soul baptism". This ceremony is used to guide those who have passed through
Priests who have studied, trained and tested for many years have truly realized the miraculous power contained in their souls and become official priests.
It can be said that those believers who have been fully prepared can basically become priests or armed guards after undergoing "soul baptism". This is also one of the reasons for the enduring popularity of the Holy Lord Church.
However, this kind of ritual cannot be performed frequently. Firstly, it requires very expensive incense, and secondly, it must rely on the holy relics left by saints on earth in the world, so that it can lead the holy Lord to perform miracles that reach deep into the soul.
The holy relic used in the ceremony at this moment is the spearhead of a broken spear placed in the holy stone cabinet. The old leaf-shaped spearhead is obviously no longer suitable for today's era, and there are even mottled rust on the surface of the spearhead.
, making people wonder whether this is a sacred relic of the church.
But even if there are holy relics, the old home can only perform "soul baptism" once in the first year. Now it is openly performed on a group of nobles and rich people in New Camelot City. Although it cannot make them qualified priests, it can
Touch the heart as much as possible.
This is not a spell that confuses and controls the mind, nor does it have any trace of interfering with thinking. No matter how high the spell resistance is, it is meaningless. "Soul baptism" actually makes the heart clearer and allows people to let go of all kinds of gains and losses.
, pursue interests, return to your simple and true self, face the real situation calmly, and make a choice that you will not regret.
For mages who do not understand or are unwilling to personally experience the miracles of the church, the miracles they understand are that they rely on firm will and strong perception to guide incomprehensible magical power from some special mysterious source.
But high-ranking clergymen like Lao Yuanshou and Zhuo Mu know very well that they simply know how to examine themselves, reflect on past mistakes, mistakes and even sins, and make profound corrections. The power of miracles is not mysterious at all, and even
It is clearly written in the holy scriptures, and countless copies have been published, but people in the world are often unwilling to look directly at themselves.
They clearly know that the group of aristocrats and wealthy people in front of them does not have many devout believers. They know that both parties are deeply involved in the pursuit of real interests, and they will not easily change their positions based on faith alone. They know that once they break up, they will fight each other and fight to the death.
On and on...but the old head of the hospital still wants to try his best to ease the conflict. He wants to save more people.
The old president still remembers that when he was a child, the "Bishop Copyist" who was one of the Three Saints said to him under the apple tree: "If you want to become a bishop, you must not only live in ideals, but also live in reality; however,
If you want to become a saint, you must not only live in reality, but also in ideals."
When the leader of the Lao Yuan took his current position, he could be said to hold great power in the scourge and even in the Holy Lord Church. He realized firsthand that if the pursuit of real interests was all that was left, he would surely fall into intricate entanglements of interests and blindly
If you listen to one side, you will not be able to practice your faith.
Just like the group of aristocrats and wealthy people in front of them, they are endlessly cannibalizing and embezzling for the sake of short-term visible gains. They completely ignore the wails and lamentations of the general public, as if they take it for granted that their success is unshakable and inviolable.
But this is by no means a matter of course. Under the "baptism of souls", these aristocrats and wealthy people do not have any protection from external status and power in their hearts. They will understand the impact of their actions as if they were experiencing it, and their souls and horizons will be expanded in an instant.
, as if inspired by the divine Lord.
What is a miracle?
This is a miracle!
The hymns and hymns came to an end, and the chanting of holy scriptures echoed in my mind. The miraculous light seemed to be as if the gates of the kingdom of heaven were closing, no longer full of intensity.
After the "soul baptism" was over, the head of the old courtyard looked at the nobles and wealthy people kneeling together. Most of them had tears in their eyes. This kind of touch on the soul cannot be resisted even by the high mage's will immunity, so it is also the most repulsive to the mage.
They criticized it as "hypocritical self-impression".
However, a middle-aged rich man was heard exclaiming. A faint white light appeared on his body, and soft miraculous power began to flow. Someone actually became a priest who mastered miraculous things on the spot, attracting everyone's attention!
"Congratulations." The old man put his hand on his chest and bowed slightly, then said: "Your piety has been responded to by my Lord. Are you willing to follow my Lord's teachings and illuminate the hearts of the world?"
The middle-aged rich man was excited: "I do!"
"Are you willing to dedicate all your good things to my Lord? No matter how difficult the road ahead is, you will protect my Lord's faith?" the head of the old hospital asked while the iron was hot.
The middle-aged rich man looked determined: "I do!"
The head of the old house smiled slightly: "Are you willing to be our Lord's shepherd and guide the lost lambs towards a better future?"
At this time, the devout prayer Zhuo Mu glanced at the head of the old house, because the sentence he just said was a bit irregular. The end of this kind of inquiry should be "towards the kingdom of my Lord", but the head of the old house changed it to "a better future"
, it is impossible for him to make such a mistake.
But before he could correct himself, the middle-aged rich man looked excited, even a little fanatical: "I do!"
"Welcome, my brother!" The old man smiled heartily, then opened his arms and stepped forward to hug the middle-aged rich man who had just become a priest.
The faces of other nobles and wealthy people present changed. Someone immediately took the lead in applauding, and the applause quickly became one. After all, becoming a priest can be regarded as surpassing "ordinary people" like them. It's just that there are really people who are like this.
At this juncture, he suddenly became a priest and joined the church.
These nobles and wealthy people do not understand that the banquet hosted by the scholastic school is nothing more than asking them to obey the tax reform of the Russian Governor. It is obvious that everyone has communicated with each other in private, and they want to take this opportunity to unanimously express their opposition. Otherwise, what will happen next will not only be
Demonstrations are so simple, even if the church scribes intervene, there will be no good results!
Who would have thought that someone would actually become a devout believer on the spot, and then reach heaven and obtain the gift of the divine Lord? This kind of thing is too nonsense, isn't it? Is this guy confused about his religious beliefs? Not even the Duchess of Deckerford and her family responded.
!
It's a pity that these words cannot be said openly, and this time it can be regarded as a formal demonstration of the power of the church's miracles. Compared with arcana, which requires hard study and study by oneself, the Scribes seem to be showing that as long as they are devout believers,
It is possible to receive gifts and become a priest who can master miracles.
From a utilitarian point of view, there seems to be no harm in being religious, not to mention having a good relationship with the church. There are many benefits. After all, who doesn’t have a headache? The healing miracles of the church are more effective than the healing potions of the alchemist.
The nobles and wealthy people present are all shrewd people, and they also understand that this is actually a gesture of goodwill from the church, letting everyone understand that besides the Eye of Mystery, they have other options.
At this time, a servant came to guide the nobles and wealthy people to the banquet hall. The sacred ceremony was too solemn and solemn to discuss worldly interests. Everyone needed to change the occasion to eat, drink, and relax.
Although the banquet was held in the name of the church's scribal school, the specific arrangements were made by the Duchess of Deckerford and her family. The tables were filled with delicacies from all over the New and Old Worlds, and skilled chefs cooked on site. Different meals were paired with different wines.
, in short, they are the enjoyment of the upper class and do not conform to the rules of the church.
Fortunately, the church and others did not criticize this matter, which allowed the banquet to continue with rounds of congratulations, conversation and laughter, without any uneasiness.
"Archbishop." A fat and rich man wiped his mouth. He had already finished the dessert in two mouthfuls: "I really can't hold it in anymore. What are your thoughts on inviting us this time? What if it's a donation?"
Donate money and materials, you just say it, we will never be ambiguous."
Others also echoed softly, and the head of the old home put down the tableware and said: "I'm afraid that today's problems cannot be solved by simply donating money. You all have many industries under your name, and the production of colonial food and various materials is also under your control.
You have also benefited greatly from this. However, there are a large number of people inside and outside the city who are hungry. I have held many blessing ceremonies these days and found that the situation is not optimistic."
The fat rich man spread his hands: "That's what you say, but the food we grow must be transported back to the mainland under the orders of the Senate. We also work for people, and we really don't have any extra food~"
The head of the old courtyard shook his head and said: "I have heard such reasons before. At present, the Governor of Russia and Georgia has a plan. He is going to establish an exclusive chamber of commerce for the colony and use 40% of the equity to redeem the properties under his name from you. This chamber of commerce will be integrated
Domestic farms, plantations and mines can effectively allocate all resources and compete with the mutual protection alliance for a long time. This exclusive chamber will allow everyone to have higher expected returns, and can greatly alleviate internal refugee and public security problems, minimizing the