Chapter 496 The sun shines on Luan City

The rising sun shines on this church city with hundreds of years of history.

The giant sun rises from the horizon, and the huge solar disc covering a small half of the sky emits a hazy halo like clouds to all directions. The wood grain-like lines on the corona are as solemn as a wrinkled face. Looking down at the land that has experienced blood and fire, the centuries-old streets and lanes of Luan City, the ancient church spires, the mottled city walls and towers, and the stone roads soaked in blood and fire, everything is bathed in this boundless and warm feeling. In the morning light, a light golden color spreads over the whole city. This scene makes people unable to help but think of the scene that Saint Dumont painted to the world before his death four centuries ago——

I saw a huge city, endlessly wide, with light diffusing from between the bricks and stones of the city, and the whole city seemed to be cast in light.

However, the scene painted by Saint Du Meng eventually passed away with his eternal sleep. All the imaginations of people in later generations about the Kingdom of Holy Light can only stop at the ravings of a dying man before his death. For the residents of Luan at this time, they had no time to care about what a saint who had been dead for four hundred years saw before his death. They just gathered in the square in front of the cathedral and faced the rising sun. Cheering for their victory—and survival.

"We won!!" "Blessed by the Holy Light, we won!" "Long live Cecil!!"

The cheers resounded throughout the square and even the entire In the church area, volunteer mercenaries and adventurers raised their swords and shields high and banged them hard to express their excitement. Farmers and craftsmen also waved their pitchforks and hammers in the air, and Everyone laughed heartily together. The businessmen and gentry from the Carroll area seemed to have forgotten the barriers of status at this moment. They threw their canes, hats, and handkerchiefs into the sky, and then hugged everyone around them warmly - a kind of An excitement that no one had ever experienced was stirring in the crowd. Although no one could describe what this excitement was, its meaning was self-evident: the "lower people" in this world finally succeeded in resisting. I became a "superior" once.

In a corner of the church square, under the strict supervision (and protection) of a dozen white knights and a large group of volunteer mercenaries, a small group of priests and priests with bloody heads, tattered clothes and even dying The priests were huddled together, watching in horror what was happening before them.

They are the only remaining priests and priests of Luan Cathedral, and they were specially reserved for the purpose of holding a "public trial" in the future. In addition to them, more than half of the priests and priests had died during the battle - many were killed on the spot by white knights, some were besieged and eliminated by adventurous teams composed of mercenaries and adventurers, and a small number of others were killed. Some of them were beaten to death by the angry people with stones, sticks and hoes when they were exhausted.

This small group of survivors witnessed everything, and the power unleashed by the angry people frightened them from the bottom of their hearts: The sticks and stones may not be as powerful as a spell, but the power behind it is show itThe stuff is frightening.

In the corner of the square, on a tall spire, several young people from Cecil News Agency and their mentors used Magic Network terminals to record the scene in the square, watching the people bathing in the Seeing the crowds in the sun and the ancient city shining in the morning light, a young man couldn't help but sigh: "What a miracle."

Another young man shook his head: "But also Some people will definitely call this an atrocity.”

“This is indeed an atrocity, or an act of violence. Any major change involving the replacement of order and the reorganization of social rules is inevitable. It will be accompanied by violence, and there is no exception in thousands of years of history," the robed old man standing behind the two young people, Godwin Orlando, the most famous scholar in the South, said in a calm tone. This man has been studying for most of his life. Scholars of history and grammar see the things before them very clearly, and as a traditional scholar, he believes that he has the obligation to teach these to his most trusted apprentices. "The difference is that what has happened in history Those changes are all at the same level. One lord attacks another lord, one royal member attacks another royal member. Even if the scale is large, the change to the social order is very small, usually no more than a few decrees or a few titles. The right to claim is more like the transfer of power and clever disguise, and what is happening here today is a violent change from the bottom to the top. Although our lords are behind this, the change itself is participated and completed by the public. The result is even more shocking: it directly destroys an old order."

"There will be a vacancy after the collapse of the old order, so a new order must be filled in time. That's what you told me last time, instructor. Ours."

"Yes, but this is what our lords and the Protestant Archbishops are primarily concerned about," Godwin Orlando smiled calmly, "What we have to do now, Just recording this scene at this moment..."

Seeing the apprentices look thoughtful and getting busy again, Godwin Orlando nodded slightly, and then he took out his After thinking about it for a while, he took up his pen and wrote on it:

In the year 737 of Ansu, on the 30th of Frost Moon, Requiem Day, tens of thousands of people from the northern part of the southern border attacked the Holy Light Cathedral. The belief in God has been subverted, and the authority of "God" will fall to the ground from now on...

Godwin Orlando hesitated for a moment, raised his pen, and crossed out "Belief in the God of Holy Light" The word was changed to "rules of faith".

......

In the City of Saint Sunil, the Cathedral of the Holy Light, and the Great Hall of Light, the bishops were reporting news from the eastern part of the plain to Pope Saint Ivan III.

Since the Crusaders of the Holy Light Church broke the rules, participated in the Ansu Civil War and joined the royal camp, the war balance that had begun to tilt has returned to a delicate balance.

The whole journey was unstoppable, and they successively attacked Solinburg and more than ten fortresses, large and small, and successfully reached theThe Eastern Legion at the Giant Wood Crossing was finally able to contain its offensive when it was about to enter the central area of ​​the Holy Spirit Plain. The soldiers of the Royal Army, supported by the Holy Light, formed a human wall with their boosted morale and strong battlefield recovery ability. In front of the giant wooden crossing, he broke the invincible situation of the Eastern Army. After paying the lives of thousands of soldiers, King Thorin's commander-in-chief, Earl Thorin, successfully repulsed the Eastern Army and advanced the front line eastwards for thirty years. Li - the front line was pushed back to a "safe distance" away from the hinterland of the Holy Spirit Plains, and then had to return to a stalemate.

Because the harvest day has passed - the king missed the last opportunity to regain the grain-producing lands in the east. The grain grown on Solinburg and the surrounding large fields fell into the hands of the rebels in the east.

After filling their stomachs and regaining their morale, the Eastern Legion once again established a firm foothold on the Holy Spirit Plains.

The stalemate in the war has left the people in charge in Silver Castle at a loss. It may also have made the leaders of the Eastern Rebels anxious. However, as a force that has just joined this war, the people in charge of the Holy Light Church They are quite tolerant of the current stalemate.

"Your Majesty, the activity of the Crusaders on the front line is obvious to all. Now the people in the Jumu Crossing area have an extremely strong desire to convert to the Holy Light. A large number of new baptized people appear every day - many of them have changed. The believers of the strange gods and the soldiers of the king," a bishop said loudly, with joy in his voice, "Count Thorin specially wrote a document of commendation and thanks to thank our priests for helping him withstand the defense line. "

"The temporary stalemate can make people realize the significance of the presence of priests and Holy See knights on the battlefield," the deep and slow voice of Saint Ivan III echoed in the Great Hall of Light, "but also Be aware that a stalemate that lasts too long will make people question the power of the Lord, and we must be vigilant that heretics are also taking advantage of this opportunity to grow..."

"Yes, Your Majesty, a large number of Aberrant God believers have entered. They have entered the eastern region, and recently there have been hostile priests with the power of the God of War and the Blood God on the front line. They may follow the example of the Crusaders and form the Eastern Region Priests..."

Saint Ivan III was silent. For a moment, as if listening to the hazy whisper coming from the distant Kingdom of God, he broke the silence half a minute later: "The Lord doesn't care, those heretics have not found the right way, and they are just a mob when they gather. We should only continue to spread the word Just keep the gospel of the Lord and intercept those heretics who try to escape to the east..."

The meeting in the Great Hall of Light was held in a solemn atmosphere. Under the guidance of the old but wise Pope, all Everything was finally arranged appropriately, and finally, the meeting ended.

Veronica Moen, who was named the "living saint", stayed with St. Ivan III after all the bishops left the hall as usual.

In the long silence, St. Ivan III hunched over in the large and gorgeous seat as if half asleep and half awake. The bright holy light shone on him and projected a long line of light behind his seat. long shadow - bright lightIt was clearly illuminated from directly above, but the shadow stretched far and wide in a long, thin and curved way, branching out into many branches. The shape was like a strange tree, with the top of the tree covered with what looked like palms, eyes, and faces. , an illusion that is constantly shaking and changing like a grinning mouth.

Veronica turned her head slightly and glanced at the shadow behind the Pope's chair, her face expressionless.

According to sacred teachings, no one can stand behind the Pope's chair. Except for living saints and archbishops, no one is allowed to peek behind the Pope's chair because it is considered " The place where "God" is invisible and stands, the original scripture of Holy Light describes it this way: The God of Holy Light stands behind the Pope, looking at His people and kingdom with the help of the Pope's eyes.

At a certain moment, St. Ivan III seemed to have fallen asleep completely. A peaceful and peaceful atmosphere enveloped him, and faint sacred music came from the air. This state It only lasted a few seconds before the old pope suddenly raised his head: "The glory of the Lord has dimmed..."

Veronica leaned down slightly and said: " The South? "

"...It's the South. I saw the glory of the Lord wavering in that land, blood and fire spreading on the earth, and the sound of swordsmanship..." Saint? Fan III had already opened his eyes, but his tone seemed to be a bit sleepy, "This phenomenon has never happened before... This phenomenon has not happened even in the East Territory..."

Veronica There was finally a trace of surprise in the expression that seemed to be always calm and indifferent.

Prince Edmund of the East has begun to officially expel the Holy Light priests and issued an order to eradicate the faith in the Holy Light. Those who follow the God of the Holy Light can only secretly pray in their hearts. It can be said that in In that land, the attack on the faith in the God of Holy Light was unprecedented. However, in the south... a more terrifying and complete decline in faith occurred than in the east? !

What happens behind the majestic walls of Rock Fortress? Could it be that the resurrected founding Duke massacred all the believers of the God of Light?

Soon, Veronica put away the shock in her eyes and continued to say in a calm and tranquil voice: "I would like to go to the south and witness the changes there with my own eyes."

" You may not be allowed to enter the hinterland of the South, but as long as you are close enough, you should be able to sense what factors are affecting the brilliance of the Lord," Saint Ivan III said in a deep voice, and the eyes of this old man who seemed to be dying were twinkling. With the powerful radiance of holy light, "Find it and investigate it. If it is really Gawain and Duke Cecil who has done some sensational act of extermination of faith, then give priority to protecting your own safety and discuss countermeasures after coming back. If it is someone A blasphemous force has entered the world... Then destroy it."

"Yes, your Majesty," Veronica bent down slightly, "for the glory of the Lord."