Embers of Embers

Chapter 247 The Golden Age
This was a secret conversation, and there were soldiers guarding the room outside the soundproof room. Under the secret implementation of the purge agency, this action did not attract anyone's attention. This would be a win-win situation, and the exiles would receive a powerful boost. In addition to the agency, it can also confirm the unknown information, and Duke Salicardo can also officially contact this dark world.
People chase danger, and are willing to put themselves in danger for the feeling that makes their heart beat violently.
"That is to say, all this is true, and the evangelical church did not lie to us, right?"
Galahad's mood fluctuated slightly, his worst suspicions were confirmed, and even he was a little confused.
I originally thought this was a conspiracy of the evangelical church, but I never thought it was a real reality.
Shermans nodded. Although he didn't know what the man in the photo had to do with all this, he still said it seriously.
"Although I am very old, my memory has not declined. I remember him. They usually guard the St. Nalo Cathedral, and sometimes guard us cardinals. I have a deep impression on him."
"Is that so?"
Galahad kept Shermans' answer in mind. Although he had gone through so much, when he suddenly looked back, he realized that it had been a huge trap from the beginning.
"I will inform Arthur secretly about this, then...come down..."
Not knowing the truth was terrifying, and as one of the people who knew it, Galahad felt a huge sense of crisis, which was far more terrifying than Dean Lawrence.
"Are you ok?"
Shermans asked, looking at the slightly pained Galahad.
"I'm okay."
Although he wanted to express it this way, Galahad's voice was a little loud because of the weird feeling, as if he was shouting angrily.
Galahad calmed down as much as possible, and after a long pause, he spoke slowly.
"I'm sorry, I lost my temper."
"It doesn't matter. I'm used to it. There are many demon hunters like you in the Seven Hills."
"Witcher?"
Galahad felt a little surprised, "I am not a demon hunter."
"Of course I know, I mean, many witchers are in the same situation as you."
Shermans recalled.
"The forbidden blood flows in the bodies of the demon hunters. Even if they are bound by the silver bolt, many demon hunters still go to destruction."
He looked at Galahad with some pity. In his eyes, this skinny man was just like those former demon hunters.
"The demon hunters did not die well. Their will gradually grew old, but the boiling secret blood became more and more intense. They were tortured by the uncontrolled secret blood. If they continue to let it go, they will only give birth to terrible demons."
"How did you handle it?"
Galahad asked curiously.
This is a blind spot that the Purification Agency has never touched. Since the development of the Evangelical Church, there should have been countless demon hunters, but no one knows their endings.
"I only know a rough idea. Although I am a Cardinal, you can also see that I don't have much power. Compared to Miguel, I am just a make-up. I have nothing to do to exercise my voting rights."
Shermans continued.
"I don't manage the affairs of the Demon Hunter Order, but I also know a lot about it initially. In fact, as demon hunters grow older, their integration with the secret blood becomes deeper, but when they get older, Or maybe like you..." Shermans glanced at Galahad. He could recognize the injury. The man in front of him almost died from the erosion.
"The demon hunters have survived, but the remaining erosion will still drag them into the abyss bit by bit. When the tired will can no longer control the secret blood, they will be destroyed."
"How to destroy it?"
Galahad asked, something like a demon hunter can't be killed just by talking about it.
"It's very simple. After all, the premise of creating weapons is that we have the ability to destroy weapons..."
Shermans suddenly stopped talking and looked at Galahad with a smile on his wrinkled face. After a brief doubt, Galahad understood what he meant.
"According to Arthur's wishes, when you confirm for us..." He couldn't help but glance at the black and white photos on the table, suppressing the fear in his heart, and continued, "When you confirm his identity, we will have reached an agreement. Cooperated.”
"Oh! It sounds really good, but I just don't understand. Is his identity so important? Originally, I thought my most valuable information was the hiding place of the Knights Templar's treasure."
It may be cultural differences, or it may be that Shermans is old. Sometimes he can't figure out what these people want. He always regards those treasures as his last trump card. After all, this is what the Knights Templar has accumulated over hundreds of years. of wealth.
"You don't need to know this, please continue."
Galahad interrupted him directly, not allowing him to continue questioning.
"The way to destroy it is actually very simple." Shermans recalled those dirty knowledge. In fact, after he became the Cardinal Secretary, he seldom remembered it, and now it is much more blurred.
"A demon hunter is a human being after all. There are human parts in his body and even in his soul. As long as those are restricted."
Long-lasting memories flashed back in front of his eyes, like galloping war horses, crashing into the old thoughts. Shermans suddenly remembered those words and whispered the fatal words.
"We call that thing a cantrera."
The memory became clearer, Shermans repeated.
"Yes, that's the name, Cantrera."
"what is that?"
As Galahad asked, he made a mental note of this unfamiliar word.
"The poison against the Demon Hunter was made by a Cardinal. He was a terrifying person comparable to Cardinal Medici. It's a pity that his ending was much worse than Cardinal Medici."
Along with this word comes the memory of that era, Shermans couldn't help but sigh as he spoke.
"His name is Caesar Borgia, the notorious Poison Duke. He first used this poison to kill all his political opponents, and plundered land and cities with his father, the Pope. However, the tyranny could not sustain a long rule, and they began to To poison is to be poison."
Shermans recalls that brief period of glory, which preceded the golden age.
"They were poisoned, ending their rule, and then Cardinal Medici came on stage and took over the rule of Florence, but the poison was retained and people noticed Its special nature, after being processed by the alchemist, it becomes the poison that subdues the demon hunter."
He looked at the stunned Galahad and smiled.
"That's it. In fact, weapons against demons are also weapons against demon hunters, whether it is holy silver or cantrera."
"You never trusted the witcher in the first place?"
"Those are a group of dangerous monsters, and monsters need strong shackles."
The amiable Shermans also showed his cruelty at this moment, his face was calm, as if it had nothing to do with him.
"What's more, aren't you the same? Although I may be an incompetent Cardinal, I have faced demons before. I know all too well the cost of facing such monsters."
Galahad was silent. If the poison called Cantrera was the fate of the demon hunters, then Black Mountain Hospital was their fate. Although the news had not yet been made public, Galahad knew very well that The mysterious Lancelot had long been sent to Montenegro Hospital due to erosion, and he had no idea about his life or death.
Strange thoughts arose, and Galahad remembered the change of the code name. When Galahad did not have the code name "Galahad", it belonged to someone else. That Galahad died, and he Then he becomes his successor. Maybe one day a strange guy will appear in front of him, and he will be named Lancelot.
"This is the price. If you want to accomplish something, you have to pay something, right, no matter good or bad."
Shermans still had that kind smile, but Galahad now understood the exile a little better. He was a cardinal, one of the few people who really had authority in the Evangelical Church, but what could he be? Such pain will make a person hate power and only want to serve the gods until death.
"Okay, Mr. Galahad, don't talk about these useless things. These are not things you and I can decide. We are just a cog in the machine. Let's talk about "Revelation". I have said it." That’s enough, it’s your turn.”
Galahad did not reply immediately, but remained silent for a while. Although he did not get much information, each one was enough to shake up the situation. Even he felt a little tired. Looking at Shermans who looked calm, No one knows what else is going on in this old guy's mind.
"About the Book of Revelation..."
"Yes, I remember that he was stolen by Dean Lawrence. Are you tracing the whereabouts of Lawrence?" Speaking of this, Shermans was obviously more anxious.
"You don't seem to know that..."
"what?"
"Lawrence is dead. He is dead. We executed him in the north before God's birthday. He died completely."
"Lawrence is dead?"
Shermans' calmness fluctuated for the first time, and the old cardinal screamed like a child.
But he soon realized his gaffe, swallowed his saliva, and suddenly felt much better.
"That bastard is actually dead..."
To a certain extent, Lawrence is the culprit of everything. If he had not rebelled on Advent Night, everything would have gone very differently.
But soon Shermans' face changed, and he asked seriously.
"Are you sure?"
"can."
"His body was completely destroyed in front of your eyes?" Shermans emphasized again.
Galahad was not on the scene at the time, but the weird black angel was being placed in the depths of the pump of perpetual motion at the moment. Those on-site reports would not deceive him. Lawrence died, even if there were any remains of flesh and blood. On top of that armor of original sin.
He nodded again and confirmed.
"I'm sure."
Shermans stared at Galahad. After an unknown amount of time, he took a long breath, as if all the burdens had been lifted.
"Although I failed to kill the new pope, it's not bad that Lawrence is dead. It's great," Shermans said, shaking his head with a wry smile. "I'm starting to believe in something... There's something good about good. Retribution for evil will be rewarded with evil.”
"And what do you have?" Galahad asked.
Shermans frowned slightly and said helplessly, "It's definitely not a good ending anyway."
"Then why do you...doubt that he won't die?"
Galahad continued to ask. From what Shermans had just asked, it seemed that he did not believe that Lawrence would die, or simply die like this. This reaction was strange and caught Galahad's attention.
"Because he's a witcher, remember Cantrera?" Shermans said.
"The position of dean is not that easy to fill. In order to ensure that the demon hunter is under stable control, the demon hunter will not have any power."
"But he became a Cardinal...as a witcher," Galahad said.
"Yes, that's the reason. In fact, Lawrence is older than me, but the secret blood has extended his lifespan. I am almost dead of old age, but he is still alive and kicking..."
Shermans spoke slowly, deliberately, with greed in his voice.
“He was a demon hunter during the Golden Age, and he was from the same era as Cardinal Medici. At that time, the entire Feilengcui was ruled by Cardinal Medici.
The Pope is just his puppet. His rule over all this is comparable to that of the tyrannical Poison Duke, or even more powerful than him. After all, Cardinal Medici’s methods are much gentler, and everything under his rule is Developing in a good direction, a golden age of prosperity has arrived. "
His voice stopped, then started again.
"The Cathedral of Saint-Naro, the Seven Hills, the Feileng Cui and even the entire Holy Evangelical Papal Kingdom are all in his hands. Do you think he won't extend his tentacles to the Demon Hunting Order?"
It was then that Galahad realized the connection between the two.
"Lawrence is Cardinal Medici's man?"
"Almost, you should also be aware of the status of the demon hunters. They praise them but do not give them power. They can only firmly grasp the help of Cardinal Medici and become his puppet. This is why Lawrence did not The reason for his death was that Cardinal Medici was a human being and he did not have secret blood. He did not have such a long time to train another priest.
So with the help of Cardinal Medici, Lawrence became a cardinal and escaped death. Don't think it's impossible. At that time, Cardinal Medici's power reached its peak. He could even depose the pope at will. He... He is simply a god on earth. "
Shermans had witnessed the end of that golden age. He praised and admired that great man, but his enthusiastic expression suddenly weakened, and Shermans looked decadent.
"But after all, he is not a god, he is a human being, and humans will age."
He sighed, seemingly telling the story of Cardinal Medici, but it was more about his own dissatisfaction.
"Time treats everyone equally. Cardinal Medici suddenly gave up his power, focused on his faith, stayed away from all disputes, and became a devout believer. The golden age ended so quickly that no one Come to think of it, except Lawrence.
This was his only chance, and the demon hunter also seized this opportunity. He was different from ordinary people. At that time, he was still young and possessed power. With his long accumulation, he consolidated his status as a cardinal. Because of his status, he survived in the cracks until the night of Holy Advent. "
Shermans gathered his emotions and sat upright with a solemn expression.
"So back to the topic, Cardinal Medici also died on the night of Holy Advent. The cause of death is unknown."
Galahad was startled, as if he did not expect such a legendary figure to end so peacefully, but then he wondered.
"Does that have anything to do with our problem?"
"Of course there is. It can be said that everyone who knew Cardinal Medici is dead. Except for Lawrence, he witnessed the rise and fall of Cardinal Medici. If anyone can truly understand him, it is only Lawrence."
Shermans suddenly hesitated, as if he was not sure whether he should say this or not, but thinking about it carefully, there was no point in carrying those secrets into the grave. It would be better to tell them all.
"Actually, this is our inference about the cause of Cardinal Medici's death after Advent. He was secretly killed by Lawrence."
"revenge?"
If it was revenge, it would be easy to understand. After holding back for so long, Lawrence finally killed the person who once dominated him. This was revenge and betrayal that had been accumulated for decades, and all his wishes were fulfilled in that night. .
"No, we guess that he is doing it for Cardinal Medici's secrets..."
Shermans suddenly laughed strangely, with a bit of madness, as if he was possessed.
"The thing that is truly worth dying for, the Medici's treasure, his treasure..."
“Everyone was deceived by him, how could that guy show weakness?
Lorenzo Medici was a great man who created a golden age. Do you think he would really be willing to die in the torrent of time? "
He spoke faster and faster, as if he was reciting some abominable curse. As he whispered, something in the darkness was ready to move, trying to break out of the cage.
“Lorenzo Medici devoted his life to that beautiful golden age, how could he be willing for it all to end like this?
We speculate that after the end of the golden age, Lorenzo Medici still ruled Feilengcui, but he became the emperor in the shadows. He already had everything a mortal could get, gold, status, praise, Power...what else could he desire? "
Galahad looked at this crazy old man, and his mouth suddenly whispered uncontrollably, as if someone was answering this question through his body.
"immortal……"
An icy chill covered Galahad's body, as if this unknown story had finally come true. In a corner of the world, those cold eyes were still watching the world.
"Of course, it's just a guess. Guess, they are all dead, Lawrence is dead, Lorenzo Medici is dead, everyone is dead, dead people cannot speak, there is no way to judge whether these are true or false. "
The voice had a bit of lightness, which was completely different from the cold and depressing voice just now, but Galahad didn't listen to all this at all, he was just thinking about it.
What if... what if everything you say is true?
He raised his head in horror, but opposite him, Shermans looked at him expressionlessly, like a sculpture that had lost all its life, neither happy nor angry.
The deep sunken eyes were filled with darkness, like a dead abyss.
(End of this chapter)