A man in the ark was forced to become a king

After thinking for a moment, the Pope took a sip of the juice and asked calmly.

Even after hearing the news that war was imminent, he remained as calm as ever without any panic.

"I... I'm sorry, Your Majesty the Pope, the only thing I can do is to remain neutral. I will not take action against my compatriots for the Golden Tree, nor will I help Rutland participate in the war against the Golden Tree."

Mostima lowered her head slightly, looking a little ashamed. She didn't want to give this answer, but it was her only choice.

"There's no need to apologize, kid. It's already good. At least, when the war came, you didn't choose to point weapons at your compatriots."

The Pope was not surprised by Mostima's answer. He had been in the position of Pope for too long, had seen countless people and things, and had led Rutland through many crises.

War is indeed uncommon for Rutland, but it is not unheard of in the past.

Compared to the citizens who betrayed Lateran for various reasons, Mostima was able to choose not to help each other. He already had too much power and could not ask for more.

The arrival of the war itself had nothing to do with Mastima, and he would not embarrass a young child and force her to make a choice.

"The holy city of Lateran is the pure land on earth and a paradise for us to live in peace."

"We never like war, but if an enemy wants to invade this pure land, we will never be afraid."

"Please bring my words to that leader. Rutland accepts this invitation to fight."

"I will, Your Holiness the Pope."

Mostema nodded slightly, his lips trembling. After hesitating for a moment, he still couldn't hold it back and reminded in a low voice: "Your Majesty, if you plan to accept the challenge, you'd better take his... warning to heart and don't ask for help from other countries. Otherwise, he will really attack Rutland directly, which will be a devastating disaster."

"I will remember your advice, kid."

The Pope nodded slightly. As for whether he really listened, Mostima didn't know.

There was only so much she could say and do.

All that remains is to hope that the pope and cardinals will really listen to that advice and will not make irrational choices.

Lin Lu left Rutlan a choice and would also practice what she said to the letter.

If Rutland goes against his will and asks for help from other continental countries, an unprecedented crisis will await this holy city.

Those who have never witnessed Lin Lu's power with their own eyes cannot imagine what it would be like.

That is a power that can truly be called moving mountains and reclaiming seas. It is comparable to or even surpasses the pure destruction of large-scale natural disasters. If it falls on a city, the entire city will evaporate in an instant. The ancient holy city will probably be unable to withstand it.

"Go and take care of Lemuan. There may be relocation of people in the city later. Her body has not recovered yet and she needs your help."

"Yes."

Mostema bowed again and left the room.

She has said everything she can, and that's all. The rest will have to wait for time to bring the answer.

"War..."

There was only one person left in the room. He drank up the remaining juice in one gulp. The Pope took off his glasses, took out the cloth from his pocket and wiped them gently, his eyes dim.

This word has not appeared in Lateran for a long time.

Perhaps, this time it will be a difficult test.

Sacrifice is inevitable.

All he can do is try his best to minimize losses, keep the enemy out of the Holy City, and protect this pure land.

He has been doing this for many years.

So……

"Maybe this is the last time, let us old guys use our remaining energy."

The gentle voice floated in the empty living room.

The Pope stood up slowly and walked towards the door, his slightly rickety body straightening up little by little, like an old pine.

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"I heard that there is a little girl over there at Longmen who is very familiar with you. Why don't you take her with you?"

"It's better not to let children get involved in this kind of thing. The bad impact it has on young people is immeasurable."

Under the shadow of a huge boulder on the ground, Lin Lu sat on the ground leaning on the cold stone wall and shook her head when she heard the words.

He knew who Outcast was talking about, who else could Sakota of Dragon Gate be?

However, things like war should be kept away from children.

He wants to attack the Holy City of Sakota. His sister is still there, how can he bring her there?

Although...it seems quite interesting.

But forget about that level of bad taste. It would be hard to deal with if it leaves a shadow on the little girl's young mind.

"Instead of focusing on others, why don't you talk about yourself, Outcast, why do you want to come with me?"

"The boss asked me to be a guide, how dare I refuse?"

Outcast, who was leaning against the stone, raised his eyelids and joked casually.

As a Sakota, she didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with bringing a man who was preparing to launch a war against Rutland. She looked completely unconcerned and was still thinking of joking.

"Come on, I made it clear that you can refuse."

Lin Lu rolled her eyes and pretended to be a fierce threat: "I am not going on a trip this time. I will bring war to your holy city!"

"Yes, yes, war, where is my chocolate bar?"

Outcast's tone became more perfunctory as she rummaged through her fanny pack, trying to find the snacks she had brought with her, as if the impending war between the Golden Tree and Rutland wasn't as important as her missing chocolate bar.

"Warfarin said that you should limit your intake of sweets. If you can't find it, I suggest you ask her when you go back."

Lin Lu looked at her sideways, not hiding her gloating.

Outcast shrugged helplessly, and like magic, pulled out a chocolate bar from the bullet belt where the gun bullets were supposed to be placed, peeled off the wrapping paper, and said with a smile: "She must not have expected that I predicted her prediction. "

"...I don't understand what you people think."

Lin Lu couldn't complain, and her eyes shifted to the gun hanging on her waist. She raised her eyebrows and asked tentatively: "Can I see your gun?"

"Hey, this is really a bold invitation. Do you know what it means for a Sakota to let the opposite sex touch her guardian gun?"

Although he said this, Outcast obviously didn't care and casually took out his gun and threw it away.

"What does it mean?"

Taking over this hand gun with a unique shape and a cylindrical magazine in the middle, Lin Lu observed and continued talking.

Outcast's guardian gun is different from Lemuel's, and different from the common imitation guns on the market. The magazine is not at the bottom, but a cylinder stuck in the middle, which is filled with six rounds of bullets. In other words, this This thing can only kill six people at most. Not to mention compared to Remuel's repeating gun, it has far fewer bullets than the imitation guns on the market. It's really hard to imagine how to use it to fight a serious battle.

What if it comes up short?

But since Outcast has been used, I guess there is a way.

"It means that the relationship between the two is very close. They are either family members or are about to become family members."

Outcast followed up with a smile, his eyes full of teasing.

She was indeed not talking nonsense. For Sarkota, who was born in Rutland, the guardian gun was as important as life. He had to do the daily maintenance himself and never let others touch it easily.

In a certain period of history, Sakota personally handed the protective gun to the opposite sex, which indeed had that meaning.

...What should I do if I suddenly feel a little hot?

The corner of Lin Lu's mouth twitched when she heard this, but she did not immediately give up the gun she just got. She raised her arm and tried to pull the trigger. When nothing happened, she threw it back with regret.

"Of course, those are all old accounts. This statement is no longer applicable to people of my age."

After casually inserting the gun back to its original position, Outcast's lips curled up slightly and he seemed to be in a very good mood.

The leader of the Golden Tree... He is extremely high in both strength and status. Being able to joke a few words with him personally brings joy that no one else can compare to.

"That's all you have in Rutland?"

Thinking about the 'laws' of Lateran, and thinking about the current situation of Lateran that Mostima and Fiameta had revealed between the lines, Lin Lu suddenly felt that the holy city famous in the Terra continent was... Very strange place.

There are obviously so many rules and regulations, but the people who come out there are all the type to let themselves go. Is this reasonable?

"That's all spread from outside. In fact, the law doesn't have many restrictions. It's not what you think. Besides, the law can only control Sakota. The residents of Lateran are not just Sakota."

"The Law of Lateran, I think it will be a very interesting thing."

Lin Lu touched her chin, showed some interest, and waved her hand: "But it doesn't matter. Anyway, when I leave Rutland, there will only be one law there, and that is the Golden Law."

"Do you think Rutland will fight? When I go over, what will I most likely encounter first?"

"I am Sacota, who was born in Lateran, and I also served as a cardinal. You are going to start a war on my hometown, and you are here to get information from me. Isn't it appropriate?"

Although he said that, Outcast obviously didn't really care about this matter. He bowed his head slightly after making a joke. After pondering for a moment, he gave the answer: "There must be papal knights. It's hard to say anything else. Look at those old You guys attach great importance to the golden tree, but when you enter Rutland, there is a high probability that the first people you will meet will be the people from Langdon Abbey."

"Their situation in recent years has not been very good. They can't recruit students, and the bread and beer they produce have no market. Their life is very tight. I heard that they are almost unable to open the pot. There is a chance to get funds from the Pope. , I will definitely not let it go.”

"...No, is it so perfunctory? Is this the attitude of you Laterans towards war?"

Lin Lu's eyes became more and more weird, and the information he got from various places was pieced together to form a general picture of Rutland, giving him the impression that the people of Rutland seemed to have some abnormal brains.

No, it's not that the people of Rutland are abnormal, it's that the country's overall style sounds out of place with the entire world...

"People always have to eat. This is normal. After all, Langdon Abbey once relied on force to survive. There were no wars, and you couldn't get money for your own specialties. So who can withstand it? Maybe someone will come to the door. They will be very happy when the news comes."

Outcast said it as a matter of course and didn't think there was anything wrong with it at all.

Based on her understanding of the people in Rutland, this is probably what happened. The nuns at Langdon Abbey have been hungry for so many years, and their eyes are probably green with hunger. Knowing that the war is about to break out, they will definitely be the first to rush. come out.

Chapter 9 Langdon Abbey

Langdon Abbey, originally founded by Paul Langdon, was originally intended to protect the personal safety of the Pope and important clergy.

But in fact, Langdon Abbey cannot be regarded as an official institution in Lateran, but a deeply trusted private organization. Many of the believers it recruits are from outside Lateran.

The original Langdon Abbey had a glorious period, and once existed as an important military support for Lateran.

However, as time changed, its functions were replaced by the Papal Knights and the Lateran Guards. The imitation guns developed based on the Guardian Guns of Sakota, as well as the emergence of a large number of modern equipment, also made Langdon Abbey the best in bows and arrows. was challenged.

Even though they want to keep up with the times, the complex personnel structure of the monastery directly limits their development. Without capable scientific researchers and strong technical reserves, they can only fall further and further behind.

With the passing of the strong men of the older generation, the new generation of monks do not have the strength of their predecessors, and the technical equipment they use cannot keep up with the development of the times. There is even a saying in the market that "the gun is faster than seven steps away, and the gun is fast within seven steps". Accurate and fast remarks.

Although it is said as a joke, it is also true in a sense.

In addition, the material conditions of the monastery itself lagged behind the times. Even if a certain Bishop Langdon established a complete education system and tried to accept some young people to enter the monastery, there were still fewer and fewer newcomers willing to join the monastery. Overall, Caught in a vicious cycle of inactivity.

The most important thing is that, as a civil organization independent of the Lateran political system, although the monastery has a higher degree of freedom than official institutions such as the Institute of Justice, it has no way to directly obtain official funding.

This shortcoming was nothing when Langdon Abbey was prosperous. At that time, the Langdon Guards were famous and there were countless people willing to hire them. The monks could exchange for enough funds by relying on their own role, and they were also growing crops. , brew beer, you don’t have to worry at all.

But time has changed, and today's monastery has lost its reputation and is declining day by day. It can no longer get enough support from the Lateran officials like its predecessors. The beer that was once highly sought after by the nobles has also lost its market due to the booming brewing industry in various places. , the shortage of funds has become a fatal shortcoming.

Even if they didn't have their own cultivated farmland to grow crops, the monks in the monastery would be reduced to doing part-time jobs on the streets to make ends meet. This is not an empty talk, some people have already started to do this.

Counting the income she earned from selling home-brewed beer and breast milk bread all day long, the young nun pinched the corners of her clothes that had turned white after being washed, and couldn't help but sigh.

It is said that in the past, Langdon Abbey’s home-brewed beer and specialty tumor milk bread were well received and very marketable. But now, new varieties of alcohol appear on the market almost every month, including but not limited to beer. There are an endless variety of desserts and snacks. In comparison, the beer and bread they still sell seem outdated. If it weren't for the small price advantage, they might not be able to sell them.

In fact, the monastery also thought about expanding the types of products, but in the end they found that they did not have the innovation and technology, nor could they afford good materials. In the end, they could only rely on the wheat and tumor milk produced by themselves.

The money earned in this way, after the price is compressed to the limit, only a few meager profits are left. It can almost be said that it is hard-earned money from selling some points, barely making ends meet.

But even so, life still has to go on...

The young nun carried the packed package on her back, glanced at the shops on the roadside, swallowed her saliva, did not dare to look more, and hurried back on her way back with the sunset.

Langdon Abbey is independent of Lateran City and is quite a long way from the main city.

Walking out of the city, across the plains, and across the fields, we set off when the sun was just setting. By the time the little nun returned to the convent, the sky had already darkened.

At this time in the past, it would be around the time for dinner, and as expected, there would still be the same dry and hard bread that has remained unchanged for years.

A monk with firm faith will not be shaken by material needs, but if he eats the same thing for too long, he will inevitably want to change it...

With random thoughts in her mind, the little nun wiped the sweat from her forehead, stepped into the door, and then discovered that the monastery today seemed different from usual.

Several older monks gathered not far from the gate, chatting with each other, and there were some smiles on the old faces that had not been seen for a long time.

This is very rare.

The financial situation of the monastery was deteriorating year by year. Except during the harvest time, the little nun rarely saw the smiling faces of the elders.

Is there anything to be happy about?