Heart of the Castle

Chapter 710 Secret communication, target change
The mortal spokesperson of the Lord of Glory, Flandara, His Majesty Pope Nicholas St. Kaiyuan, who holds the supreme authority of the Temple of Glory, is over 60 years old, but his body is still as strong as a man in his 30s, with a flat belly , the legs are strong, and although the muscles on the arms are not as developed as those of a knight, they are far stronger than the generally weak clergy.His Majesty the Pope wore a triple crown inlaid with gold and precious stones to form a seven-colored sunburst, and an exquisitely cut and luxurious golden high-necked robe set off his slender body with an extraordinarily sacred and solemn temperament.

Almost at the same time when the screen composed of hundreds of polished crystal flakes was turned on, His Majesty's majestic eyes swept over, even if the image was transmitted thousands of miles away through the alchemy equipment, It also made Cardinal St. Nemok and the head of the Trunicion Oita immediately feel an invisible pressure in their hearts, and they couldn't help standing up straight.

"Brother St. Nemok, Brother Triuni." His Majesty the Pope spoke slowly, his voice was very amiable, and he didn't seem to be surprised or dissatisfied by the sudden interruption at midnight, "Since you have contacted me by means of emergency communication , it seems that just as I guessed before, you encountered some unexpected troubles in the northern border county of the Kingdom of Arthur?"

"Your Majesty, our humbleness is in awe of your wisdom." St. Nemok Cardinal put his hand on his chest and bowed deeply, "I am sorry that we failed to fulfill the sacred mission you entrusted to us, because in this pagan In a country that is rampant, we have discovered something that was not mentioned in the original intelligence."

His Majesty the Pope raised his right hand and waved it lightly, as if driving away the infesting flying mosquitoes in front of him, "Brother St. Nemok, you don't have to apologize for the mistakes that weren't yours. For the information about the Northern County of the Kingdom of Arthur Insufficient collection, someone else should be responsible.” When His Majesty the Pope said this, his voice paused, although his expression did not change, but Cardinal St. The pressure has increased a lot. "Brother St. Nemok, we are both humble servants of our Lord Flandara. We should be honest with each other, and there is no need to cover up with hypocritical politeness. What did you see in the northern county of the Kingdom of Arthur? If you are surprised, please tell me frankly."

Cardinal St. Nemok and the head of Triunician Oita showed moved expressions at the same time, but the expression of the latter was a bit blunt, while the former was more natural, but it was only because the acting skills of the clergy were always higher than that of the knights. .

For the vast majority of believers in the Lord of Radiance, the image of His Majesty Nicholas St. Kaiyuan has always been amiable. When he preaches in person, he can make all the believers cry and confess their sins from the bottom of their hearts.However, most of the high-level church officials knew the true face of His Majesty the Pope. Beneath that holy appearance, which seemed as if an angel descended, was a heart that was colder than eternal ice.Even among fanatic groups like Sword of Condemnation, those who can slaughter the old, the weak, women and children are still quite rare. At least after their hands are stained with blood, they need to prostrate and pray in front of the icon of the Lord of Radiance to let Soothes my shaken soul.But His Majesty the Pope is definitely an exception. He can sign the death plan of thousands of heretics with a smile on his face, and he can give the order to wash the town with holy flames with a kind face, as if what flows in his veins is not blood, but blood. The cold and merciless fire of judgment.

Facing such a His Majesty the Pope, no matter how friendly he put on, Cardinal St. Nemok and the head of the Triunician Oita Division still felt a sense of breathless depression in their hearts.

Seeing that Cardinal St. Nemok did not respond immediately, His Majesty the Pope took the crystal cup from the low table beside him, took a sip of the clear water in the cup, and then asked slowly. "Brother Saint Nemok, your silence is very unusual, does it mean that you still have any worries in your heart?"

"Yes...no...Your Majesty the Pope, I mean, I...a lot of things we saw in North Border County are really unbelievable, and some of them come from speculation. Interfering with good judgment made."

"Ah, you don't have to worry about this at all, Brother St. Nemok." His Majesty the Pope smiled—or it was a perfect smile, and the coldness in his eyes not only did not diminish, but became darker and colder. . "I trust that what you see with your eyes is the truth, just as I trust every church brother who wholeheartedly believes in our Lord Flandara. As for the possible errors, you don't have to bear any responsibility for it."

These words at least made St. Nemok Cardinal heave a sigh of relief. He bowed again to express his thanks, and then began to describe in detail what he saw and heard in Northern County from the day the Rimang landed at the port of the Greencastle Flying Ship. .

Due to his frequent participation in evangelistic activities, Cardinal St. Nemok's eloquence is at least quite good. Although the situation described is slightly different from the actual situation, it is generally close to the truth-of course, it is only close to the plan by Levi Stone and others. Show him that side.His Majesty the Pope listened carefully, with a smile on his face from the beginning to the end. Even Cardinal St. Nemok said that the northern border county has an air force that is comparable to the orc barbarian king's guard - the Wyvern Knights. , and when the god of the earth, Cageno, and the god of the sky, Tomica, showed signs of recovery, his expression remained motionless, as if it were a mask on his face.

This is not surprising. In the memory of Cardinal St. Nemok, His Majesty Pope Nicholas St. Kaiyuan has always had such a calm expression. Many clergy have speculated that even the legendary day of final judgment will come early. , His Majesty the Pope will not show surprise.

But when Cardinal St. Nemok talked about the attendant in white beside Levi Stone, especially the long sword that was hung on his waist was shaped like the holy sword of light described in religious books, the Golden Dawn However, the pupils of His Majesty the Pope shrank slightly, and then he put the crystal cup in his hand aside casually. Due to the excessive movement, even the clear water in the cup splashed out.

"My lord, the golden dawn of the holy sword of light has appeared again?" His Majesty's tone rarely revealed surprise, and there seemed to be a faint trace of fear, but this feeling was fleeting. His Majesty the Pope then recovered his calm expression, making Cardinal St. Nemok feel that he should have had an illusion that he shouldn't have just now.

"Your Majesty the Pope, please forgive me for interjecting." The head of Triunisian Oita suddenly stepped forward and bowed respectfully at the same time, "In my opinion, the man in white that the Cardinal saw should be just A court jester, because I didn't feel any fighting spirit, magic or magic power from him, he looked no different from ordinary people. As for his saber made into the Holy Sword of Light, it didn't matter. Strangely, Cardinal Enoch Sebasta, who was martyred in the Diocese of Fillmeyer some time ago, has the right to read all religious books. Perhaps they are imitations made by him to decorate the facade during his lifetime. Many bishops of the diocese have done it before. I have done similar things." Triunicion paused, then took a deep breath, and said fiercely, "I think this kind of thing is a blasphemy against our Lord Flandala, and it should be banned! "

Cardinal St. Nemok’s cheeks couldn’t help twitching. Just as Triunician said just now, he privately manufactured some imitations of the legendary sacred relics to decorate the facade. This behavior is above the level of the regional bishop. It is very common among the clergy, and Cardinal St. Nemok himself is certainly no exception.He now wears several legendary relics of saints, including the boots of the light-chaser on his feet, the blazing belt around his waist, and the necklace composed of countless colorful crystals on his neck—— Perrol's Creed.Although these relics of the saints exude faint fluctuations of light and divine power, they are actually imitations carefully crafted by master craftsmen, and the effects they can produce are only at the level of ordinary magic items.

His Majesty the Pope seemed to see the embarrassment of Cardinal St. Nemok. He first showed him a kind smile, and then turned his gaze to the head of the Sword of Condemnation Oita, "Brother Treuni, your starting point is not wrong. , but the consideration is not perfect. From the matter itself of making imitations of sacred relics, it is indeed some kind of undignified behavior towards the martyred saints and our Lord Flandara. However, considering the need to spread the teachings , Their behavior is understandable. Well, Brother St. Nemok, this matter will be handled by you. After the mission is over, you will draft a proposal on the standardized use of imitations of sacred relics, and then submit it to the temple high-level meeting to discuss."

Cardinal St. Nemok blinked, and then fully understood what His Majesty the Pope meant.Drafting a proposal for discussion at the high-level meeting of the temple is actually just a nicer way of putting it on hold.The high-level meeting of the temple is composed of more than a hundred clergymen above the bishop level. Every time it is held, a lot of time is spent discussing many unimportant and complicated matters.Since every participant has the right to express his own opinion, and the meeting does not rely on voting to select the final conclusion, the proposals waiting to be discussed are estimated to be much thicker than the religious books collected in the Great Library of the Radiant Temple, even Some proposals are holdovers from the days of previous popes.

"I respect my wishes, Your Majesty the Pope." Cardinal St. Nemok replied respectfully, and then asked in a tentative tone, "The orthodox royal court of the Kingdom of Arthur was too deeply influenced by that heretic Leviston, even Queen Fleisher is no exception, how should we respond to this series of unusual cold reception received by the Shining Temple? I ask His Majesty the Pope to make a ruling."

His Majesty Pope Nicholas St. Kaiyuan has always had a calm personality. He is used to deliberating and listening to others' opinions rather than making decisions right away. However, the length of his contemplation this time is indeed rare, showing a somewhat unusual flavor.After seeing this situation, Cardinal St. Nemok and the head of the Trunician Oita branch subconsciously held their breath, for fear that their voices would disturb His Majesty's thoughts.

A stagnant silence enveloped the cabin of the alchemy flying ship, and only the low hum of the magic energy furnace could be heard in the ears. Time seemed to pass very slowly, and every second seemed like an hour.Although it is a summer night, the remote location in the north of the Green Castle, and the alchemy magic circle used for heat dissipation is also in operation, the temperature in the cabin is actually quite cool, but the forehead of Cardinal St. There were beads of sweat, and Triunicion's face became tense.When His Majesty the Pope finally spoke, both of them heaved a sigh of relief. The sound of the air rushing out of their throats was so loud that they were startled.

"Brother St. Nemok, Brother Triuni, first of all... I must say sorry to you." His Majesty's first words after His Majesty's opening made the expressions of the two people who had just relaxed tense again.However, fanatics are fanatics after all. Cardinal St. Nemok was still thinking nervously, and Triunician’s fanatical and excited voice sounded, "Your Majesty... for my Lord Flandara The light of glory is shining all over the world, I am willing to sacrifice this life, please command me!"

A smile of approval appeared on His Majesty's face, and a slight sense of satisfaction was added to his tone, "Brother Treuni, I'm afraid you have misunderstood me. Your dedicated life, as a devout believer of the Golden Sun, your life is much more precious than you think."

Cardinal St. Nemok couldn't help clenching his teeth, so as not to blurt out a voice full of annoyance and regret.There is a small temptation hidden in His Majesty's words just now. He was about to straighten out the relationship between gains and losses, but he was snatched by the brainless fanatics.

"Your Majesty the Pope, please do not hesitate to order that my life belongs to the Supreme Lord of Glory, Flandara." Cardinal St. Nemok tried to make amends in a devout tone, but even he himself knew it was too late , at least one label that is not pious, has been firmly engraved in the heart of His Majesty the Pope.

No matter what thoughts His Majesty had in his heart, there was no way to tell from that kindly smiling face, "You two are devout followers of our Lord Flandara, I have never doubted that, but My apology is also natural, because next, the goal of the mission in the northern border county of the Kingdom of Arthur must be greatly changed. The original goal was to contact the important ministers of the Kingdom of Arthur as much as possible, and try to sign a covenant with Queen Fleisher. And exclude the pagan regent from the core of power; now this is an impossible and unnecessary task, and you must make this task 'totally fail'!"

"A complete failure?" Triunicion exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty, do you mean to let us give up the mission immediately and return to the Holy Mountain?"

"No, of course not." His Majesty the Pope shook his head slightly, "In that case, for the Temple of Radiance, it would have lost a precious opportunity to get in close contact with the pagan regent. It is not difficult to imagine that if the god of the sky entrusted The revival of Mika and the god of the earth, Kagino, is indeed true, and if they choose the pagan regent as the spokesperson for the mortal world, the belief of the Lord of Light will be challenged and threatened to some extent."

"Your Majesty the Pope, I have a way to solve the source of trouble, Leviston!" Triunicion pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword and gritted his teeth, "Even if he has a heavenly knight guarding him at any time, but It is bound to be impossible to advance and retreat together forever. I suggest that the Rimang take off immediately and strike the banquet hall of the main building of the Green Castle with all the alchemy crossbows. If the heretic can escape by chance, when he leaves there, I will For a surprise assassination, even if the Heavenly Knight guard never leaves, I am more than [-]% sure that I will complete the mission in the chaos!"

Cardinal St. Nemok's face turned pale, and he was about to stop it.No matter whether Triunicion's method is successful or not, the Shining Mission will become the eternal enemy of the Kingdom of Arthur.Cardinal St. Nemok did not forget what the head of Oita said not long ago, that the strength of the air knight unit was comparable to that of the Wyvern Knights.Although the Rimang is also equipped with some alchemy ballistas, in terms of power and quantity, it is far inferior to the Judgment of Light used for military strikes, and the alchemy energy is not sufficient.At the beginning, the Judgment of Light could only survive under the siege of the Wyvern Knights, but if it was replaced by the Sun Mansion, the result would be even more miserable.

His Majesty the Pope considered this proposal for a few seconds, then shook his head and denied it. Cardinal St. Nemok could not hear whether there was any regret in his tone, "No, Brother Treuni, doing this will not only make Guangguang Except for losing you, Brother St. Nemok, and the Riman, the chances of success are too small. Especially when there is a great possibility of recovery for the two pagan gods, even if the pagan regent is killed If you successfully kill, there is still a chance of resurrection—for the gods, resurrecting the dead will cost them a lot, but it is by no means impossible."

Triunicion was about to continue explaining, but His Majesty the Pope had already made a stop gesture, which forced him to swallow the words in his throat. "Brother St. Nemok, I say utter failure, to make you appear arrogant and arrogant, clash with the heathen regent on the issue of alliances, and fail. Remember, It was a crushing defeat, and any harsh conditions can be agreed to."

"Your Majesty, how can we do this?" Cardinal St. Nemok shook his head vigorously, "That will cause huge losses to the Temple of Radiance, and we will also become sinners!"

"You must do this!" His Majesty the Pope suddenly stood up and said loudly in his thick voice, his tone was as cold as ice, and he could not refuse at all, "For the golden light of my Lord Flandara to shine all over the world, whether it is you Your reputation or the benefit of the Shining Temple, even I myself can be sacrificed together! You must be stupid and arrogant, in this way, tie yourself to the chariot of the heathen Regent of the Kingdom of Arthur without any trace !"

(End of this chapter)