Heart of the Castle

Chapter 731 An audience with the Pope, a simple dinner

The rooms inside the Radiant Temple are more luxurious than the red-robed old scholar Master Sugad could have imagined. The floor is made of holy white stone that has been skillfully polished, and the walls are made of marble covered with golden dark patterns.However, Master Sugard did not despise the Radiant Temple because of this.Both of them are stones with fairly good anti-magic effects, together with the complex charms hidden and carved, they together form a set of very powerful magic circles.

The trainee priest who was in charge of leading the old scholar to the room lit the butter candle on the gold-plated candlestick. With the soft and warm candlelight, a unique fragrance diffused in the room immediately. "Master Scholar, is there anything else you need?" The trainee pastor asked respectfully. After receiving a negative answer from Master Sugard, he bowed again, and then quietly exited the room, taking Closed the door.

Almost as soon as the figure of the trainee priest disappeared behind the door, the old red-robed scholar impatiently walked to the wall, his piercing eyes inspecting the complex and unspeakable array of magic lines on it, and the frenzy revealed in his expression It was simply daunting.

After knocking on the door several times without getting a response, Marquis Jellosh pushed open the door of Master Sugard's room. He thought that the old red-robed scholar had gone to bed early because of exhaustion, but the result made him feel dumbfounded.What he saw was not an exhausted old man slumped on a high-back chair, but a research madman who was so energetic that he was lying on the wall and moving from side to side.

Master Sugard ignored Marquis Jellos, or the old scholar who focused on the effect of the rune didn't notice that there was already an extra person in the room, but leaned his body close to the wall and carefully observed it with a crystal lens with a magnifying effect. The exquisite carvings on it, even every slight nick and every fancy pattern are spared.

"Prisoning teleportation, resisting vindictiveness, magic is invalid... the Lord of Wisdom, Merkativo, is above, where is this guest room? It is simply a gorgeous cage, even if it is an earl with a sword or a great magister, he is captured without preparation." You will be helpless even if you are trapped in the room!"

After several minutes, Master Sujiad muttered, straightened up, and at the same time put the crystal lens into his arms with great care.This magic equipment can judge the effects of various ancient magic runes and reveal hidden magic traps or mechanisms. He got it from Mr. Dish at the price of promising to work for Levi for ten years.

Master Sugard's soliloquy was heard in the ears of Marquis Jerome, and immediately made the head of the mission turn pale, "Cage? Trap? Lord of Glory, Flandra, how can they be so despicable?" Treat us shamelessly? We are envoys from the Kingdom of Arthur, not prisoners!" At the end of the speech, the voice of this royal nobleman who always pays attention to demeanor can only be described as furious.

"Ah, you can't say that, Lord Marquis Jerome, these magic circles have not been activated, so the rooms are still safe." Master Sugard corrected in a serious tone, "And if the Temple of Glory really wants to do something to us, It doesn't matter if there are these magic circles or not, does it?"

Thinking of the number of powerful apologist knights and armed clerics in the Temple of Glory, Marquis Jerome nodded with a stiff neck, acknowledging this obvious fact. "Master Sugard, what should we do next?" He took a deep breath and decided to change the subject.

"Next, we might as well just wait and see what happens." The old red-robed scholar said as he walked to the fireplace, picked up the golden jug on the shelf, and observed it carefully in front of his eyes, "Oh, this is 300 years The production style of the former Black Moon Goddess, it seems that these places are full of precious antique artifacts."

A trace of impatience flashed quickly in the eyes of the Marquis Jerome, "Master Sugard, is it too childish to do this? We came all the way to the Temple of Radiance, is it just to rest?"

Master Sugard curled his lips, and there was something similar to cunning in his smile, "Lord Marquis Jerome, with all due respect, our mission is to delay time rather than reach a consensus with the high-level of the Temple of Glory, so we arrived here After that, every day is the basis of victory, if His Majesty Pope Nicholas wants to deal with us with cold reception, it will be the best result."

The Marquis of Jerome showed a sudden realization expression, and then raised his hand, "Lord of the Glory, it is true, it seems that the oppression that the Chief Ingram has caused me is too strong, So much so that even our most important purpose is..."

There was a rhythmic knock on the door, and Marquis Jerome immediately shut his mouth tightly, and exchanged a nervous look with the old scholar in red.The latter pondered for a while, then nodded vigorously, then got up and walked towards the door.

The figure that appeared after the door opened surprised both of them. It was not surprising that the two trainee priests were holding gold-plated candlesticks, but what was strange was that behind them stood St. Bogdan and St. Believe. Cove the two cardinals.The former had a wide smile on his face, while the latter's face was so gloomy that it looked like a stormy sky.

"Marquis Geralds, my old friend." Cardinal St. Bogdan spoke in such an affectionate tone that it made one's scalp tingle, "I am very happy to tell you a piece of good news, the Supreme Pope His Majesty Nicholas St. Kaiyuan attaches great importance to the distinguished guests from the Kingdom of Arthur, and hopes to have dinner with you and Master Sugard tonight."

"My lord Flandara! Is this true? Dinner with His Majesty the Pope? My...my honor!" Marquis Jellos was shocked by the sudden news and became incoherent.

"So you and Master Sugard agree to attend?" St. Bogdan Cardinal nodded in satisfaction, "The dinner will be held about an hour after sunset, and there will be prayer bells ringing through the sky before the start, Jellosh Marquis, I think both you and Master Sugard need to take a bath and change clothes, or have time to take a nap. If you need anything, you can tell any trainee priest or temple guard, and if they don't have permission, let them come to me or the Holy Spirit His Excellency Cardinal Belikov will handle it."

The Marquis of Geros casually agreed. In fact, his heart was completely filled with the fact that he was about to meet His Majesty Pope Nicholas, and he could not accommodate other things. Until ten minutes later, he and Master Sugard both It was only when he was soaking in the wooden bucket filled with hot water that he realized what this incident meant.

"Your Majesty Pope Nicholas... Already know the purpose of our trip?" Although the temperature of the hot water in the tub was almost scalding hot, Marquis Jellos still felt a weird chill penetrating his bone marrow when he thought of this. . "Benevolent Father God, how on earth...how did he know?"

Master Sujiad let out a long and comfortable sigh, closed his eyes and enjoyed the wonderful taste of the hot water soaking away his fatigue little by little, "Analysis, speculation, and big prophecy are all possible, but so what?" The scholar lazily opened one eye, his eyes full of mockery, "Lord Marquis Jellos, are you...afraid of death?"

The Marquis of Gerald stood up from the tub almost excitedly, "Afraid of death? Master Sugard, you must take back this sentence. If you are afraid of death, I will not ask to be the head of this mission, but stay in the The high walls of the Green Castle are behind us!"

"Yeah, I think so too." Master Sugard showed the indifferent smile unique to those who are not afraid of life and death, "So, let us try to chat with the supreme Pope, it will definitely Unforgettable."

One hour after sunset, the dinner bell of Guangyao Temple rang on time. The solemn and melodious bell echoed at the foot of the holy mountain, with a unique rhythm and a thought-provoking flavor.After bathing, Marquis Jellos and Master Sugard, who looked brand new, followed several trainee priests in white robes on the corridor leading to the audience hall. This is a magnificent long corridor with an arched roof and rows of There are floor-to-ceiling windows made of hundreds of colored crystals, and the window frames and railings have exquisite gold-plated carvings. Through these windows, one can look at the holy mountain in the distance, or overlook the core buildings of the Radiant Temple.

The Marquis of Geralds never thought that his clothes would look rustic. This term should be reserved for those rural lords in the northern counties, and he, who was born in the noble family of King Fermeyer, always dressed gorgeously. His behavior is elegant, and he often even leads the fashion trend of the nobles in the royal capital.

However, in front of the high-level and secular representatives of the Shining Temple Church gathered in the audience hall, Marquis Gerald suddenly felt like a big crow among a flock of birds, or a warbler among flowers, Although the costumes of those high-ranking church officials conformed to the teachings of the Temple of Radiance, they were more gorgeous than the other. Each piece of clothing was magnificently decorated with fur, jewelry, and precious metals, while the costumes of the secular representatives were even more spectacular, with pearl-studded Tight-fitting tops and thin-leg trousers with gold embroidery are considered the most modest of the outfits.A series of gazes looked at Marquis Jeros and Master Sugard from all directions, making the former feel very uncomfortable when attending a dinner for the first time in his life, and even had the urge to escape.

The arrival of His Majesty the Supreme Pope Nicholas St. Kaiyuan relieved the embarrassment of Marquis Jerome. On his head, His Majesty the Pope wore a triple crown inlaid with gold and gemstones into a colorful sunburst. His collar was exquisitely cut and luxurious. Accompanied by two cardinals and four headmasters of the Knights of the Apologists, he appeared in the audience hall with a golden high-necked robe.

Fanatical cheers and prayers immediately swept through the entire hall, but the duration was very short, because His Majesty the Pope raised his right hand, and the golden scepter emitted a dazzling light like the sun at noon.The cheers and prayers disappeared immediately, and His Majesty Pope Nicholas showed a gentle smile, and said in a low, kind voice, "Pious believers of the Lord of Radiance, I am very happy to announce that today is a memorable day. Days! Our once lost brothers have at last sent their envoys, Lord Jeromes Amberpasia, Lord of Arthur's Kingdom, and Master Sugard Scholar, advisor to the royal family. Now, I propose, let us send them our sincere greetings and A warm welcome!"

The applause sounded neatly and enthusiastically. The clergymen spontaneously sang the praises of the Lord of Radiance, and then many secular representatives joined in. With the joint efforts of hundreds of voices accustomed to singing hymns, the deep and slow tunes The reverberation under the vaulted roof of the audience hall is like a surging ocean roaring, sending out continuous and majestic waves.

The singing gradually fell silent. His Majesty Pope Nicholas raised his eyes unhurriedly, looking around the hall with calm and benevolent eyes, and his thin and clear face added some solemnity to it.When the eyes of His Majesty the Pope looked over, Marquis Jellosh tried his best to restrain the trembling of his body, clenched his fists secretly, and due to the excessive force unconsciously, the back of his hand had sprouted veins like little snakes .

"Welcome to the sacred hall of the lord of glory, Flandara, my child." His Majesty Pope Nicholas smiled, and even condescended to bend forward slightly, "Being able to see the glory after the disaster comes It is a great comfort to me, a humble servant of Flandara, that the devout followers of the lord are safe, and that the sight of the holy mountain has not been forgotten."

The Marquis of Jerome stepped forward quickly, and then bowed deeply with his hands on his chest, "Seeing the mortal spokesperson of the lord of light, Flandara, in good health, this is the greatest joy I can feel as a devout believer. "

His Majesty's eyes quickly flashed a haze, and in the blink of an eye, he restored his kind smile, "Thank you for your blessings, the Lord of Light will bless the devout believers, so that their souls can bathe in the eternal and nightless sky. In the light." Then he turned his head away, "Brother Saint Bogdan."

"Your Majesty, I am here." Cardinal St. Bogdan stepped out of the crowd quickly, and saluted his chest. "Please give me your instructions."

"The dinner can begin. Please invite these two distinguished guests from the Kingdom of Arthur to my room for dinner, so that we can have enough time to talk without being interrupted." His Majesty Pope Nicholas ordered.Then he walked in the direction he had come from, followed by Cardinal St. Belikov and the four headmasters of the Knights of the Guardian Order.

Everyone bowed and watched His Majesty the Supreme Pope leave the audience hall.Cardinal St. Bogdan, who did not leave with His Majesty the Pope, exchanged simple greetings with several secular representatives who were particularly well-dressed, and then walked towards Marquis Jellos.

"My old friend, I should say congratulations and good luck today." Cardinal St. Bogdan said with a warm smile, "the honor of having dinner with His Majesty Pope Nicholas is not a casual one Granted to ordinary secular representatives, even if they are the king of a country, if their beliefs are not pious enough, they will be mercilessly rejected by His Majesty the Pope."

"I am deeply honored by His Majesty the Pope's kindness." Marquis Jeros replied half sincerely and half politely.

Cardinal St. Bogdan himself led them through a side door into a spacious and comfortable room.Strictly speaking, this ornately decorated room should really be described as a small living room. In the center of the room is a long table covered with a white tablecloth with countless golden shadows. On it are gilded candlesticks and a complete set of tableware. Fruit, cheese, and bread piled up on the plate into hills, and wine and brandy bloomed charmingly in long-necked crystal bottles.

There are two rows of seats around the long table. Although the pine wood itself is quite hard, there are fluffy cushions on it.Among them, the one at the top can be described as a throne. Just by seeing the unique pattern inlaid with crystal, gold, silver and jewels, one can guess that it is the exclusive seat of His Majesty the Pope.

So when His Majesty Pope Nicholas walked over slowly and sat on the throne, neither the Marquis Jerome nor Master Sugard showed any surprise, but they took the seat under the guidance of the servants and sat with His Majesty the Pope. opposite to each other.

The food for dinner was unexpectedly simple. In addition to the fruits, cheese and bread that were put on the long table early, there was only a thick soup made of potatoes, kohlrabi and an unknown plant root, and a bowl of more than A gruel made of oats, barley and beans.His Majesty Pope Nicholas didn't even take a sip of wine and brandy, but just drank some mint water from a flask.

Seeing the hesitant expression of Marquis Jerome, Cardinal St. Bogdan came over and explained softly, "Except for the red wine distributed during the annual prayer ceremony, His Majesty the Pope rarely drinks any alcoholic beverages. Meat is also rarely eaten. Because according to the teachings of the Lord of Glory, a devout believer can only eat meat three times a week and drink alcohol once, and it is absolutely not allowed to overdose. Frequent drinking and eating meat will corrode the healthy mind , it will also make people sprout evil thoughts.”

"Oh, this is really admirable behavior." The Marquis of Geralds replied with a dry voice, and at the same time strengthened his belief in the glorious Protestantism that does not prohibit drinking and having fun.

Including the prayer ceremony before the meal, this not-so-rich dinner only took 10 minutes to end.The Marquis of Geralds ate two small pieces of bread, took a few bites of cheese, and drank two small glasses of wine under the persuasion of Cardinal St. Bogdan. full stomach.

When he saw His Majesty Pope Nicholas, who also had a small appetite, put down the finished porridge bowl and wiped the remaining bread crumbs from the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief, the Marquis of Jellos immediately cheered up all his spirits and listened to His Majesty the Pope. Prepare to speak every word.

(End of this chapter)