Man on the ark, forced to become king

Sacrifice is inevitable.

All he could do was try his best to minimize the 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 folks do our part."

The soothing sound drifted through the empty living room.

The Pope slowly rose and walked towards the door, his slightly hunched body gradually straightening up, like an old pine tree.

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"I heard there's a girl from Longmen who's quite familiar with you. Why didn't you bring her along?"

"It's best not to involve children in these kinds of things. The negative impact they can have on teenagers is immeasurable."

Under the shadow of a giant rock jutting into the ground, Lin Lu sat on the ground, leaning against the cold stone wall, and shook her head upon hearing this.

He knew who Outcast was talking about; who else could it be but Sakorta of Lungmen?

However, war is something that should be avoided when talking about children.

He's already targeting Sakota's holy city, but his sister is still there. How can he take her there?

Although... it seems quite interesting.

But let's forget about that level of perverse humor; it might leave a bad impression on a young girl's mind.

Instead of focusing on others, talk about yourself, Outcast. Why did you come with me?

"My boss asked me to be his guide, how could I refuse?"

Outcast, leaning against the rock, raised his eyelids and made a casual joke.

As a Sarkaz, she didn't seem to see anything wrong with bringing someone who was preparing to wage war against Laterano to her side, appearing completely unconcerned and even having the mind to joke around.

"Don't give me that, I clearly stated that you could refuse."

Lin Lu rolled her eyes and threatened in a feignedly fierce manner, "I'm not going on vacation this time; I'm going to bring war to your holy city!"

"Yes, yes, war. By the way, where's my chocolate bar?"

Outcast's tone became even more perfunctory as she rummaged through her fanny pack, trying to find the snacks she carried with her, as if the impending war between the Golden Tree and Laterano was less important than her missing chocolate bars.

"Warfarin said you need to limit your sweets intake. If you can't find them, I suggest you ask her when you get back."

Lin Lu glanced at her sideways, making no attempt to hide her schadenfreude.

Outcast shrugged helplessly, then magically pulled a chocolate bar from the ammunition belt that should have held gun bullets, unwrapped it, and smiled, saying, "She certainly didn't expect me to have predicted her prediction."

"...I don't understand what you people are thinking."

Lin Lu was speechless. Her gaze shifted to the gun hanging on the woman's waist. She raised an eyebrow and tentatively asked, "Can I see your gun?"

"Wow, that's quite a bold invitation. Do you know what it means for a Sarkaz to let a member of the opposite sex touch her Guardian Gun?"

Although he said that, Outcast obviously didn't care and casually pulled out his pistol and threw it over.

"What does it mean?"

Taking the pistol with its unique design and cylindrical magazine in the middle, Lin Lu examined it while continuing the conversation.

Outcast's Guardian Pistol differs from Remule's and from common imitations on the market. The magazine isn't at the bottom; instead, it's a cylinder in the middle that holds six bullets. This means it can only kill a maximum of six people. Compared to Remule's automatic pistol, it has far fewer bullets than even the most common imitations on the market. It's hard to imagine how one could use it in a proper battle.

What if it misses?

However, since Outcast has been used all along, there must be a way to resolve this.

"This means that the two have a very close relationship, either they are family or they are about to become family."

Outcast continued the conversation with a smile, his eyes full of teasing.

She wasn't just making things up. For Sarkaz, who came from Laterano, the Guardian Gun was as important as life itself. She personally took care of its maintenance and would never let anyone touch it easily.

During a certain period in history, when Sakota personally handed over the Guardian Gun to a woman, it certainly had that kind of meaning.

What should I do if I suddenly feel that my hand is a little hot?

Lin Lu's lips twitched upon hearing this, but she did not immediately give up the pistol she had just acquired. She raised her arm and tried to pull the trigger, but nothing happened, so she regretfully threw it back.

"Of course, those are all old stories, and this saying is no longer applicable to people my age."

Outcast casually put the gun back in its original position, a slight smile playing on his lips; he seemed to be in a very good mood.

The leader of the Golden Tree... his strength and status are unparalleled. The pleasure of being able to make a few jokes with him is unmatched by anyone else.

"Are these all the rules in Laterano?"

Thinking about Laterano's 'laws', and then about the current situation of Laterano that Mostima and Fiameta had mentioned between their words, Lin Lu suddenly felt that the holy city famous throughout Terra was a very strange place.

With so many rules and regulations, the people who come out of there are all the type who let loose and be themselves. Is that reasonable?

"That's all just hearsay. In reality, the law doesn't apply much. It's not what you think. Besides, the law only applies to the Sarkaz. The residents of Laterano are not limited to the Sarkaz."

"The laws of Lateran seem like they're going to be a really interesting thing."

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

"Do you think Laterano will accept the challenge? What's the most likely person I'll encounter first when I get there?"

“I am a Sarkaz from Laterano, and I was once a cardinal. You want to wage war against my homeland and then try to extract information from me? That’s not appropriate, is it?”

Despite saying that, Outcast was clearly not really concerned about it. He made a joke and then lowered his head slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he gave his answer: "There will definitely be Papal Knights. It's hard to say about other things. It depends on how much those old guys value the Golden Tree. However, when you enter Lateran, the first people you will most likely encounter are from Landon Abbey."

"Their situation hasn't been good in recent years. They can't recruit students, and there's no market for the bread and beer they produce. They're struggling to make ends meet, and I've heard they're almost starving. They certainly won't let go of any opportunity to get funding from the Pope."

"...No, is this how you treat it? Is this your attitude towards war, Lateran people?"

Lin Lu's gaze grew increasingly strange. The information he had gathered from various sources pieced together a general picture of Laterano, giving him the impression that the people of Laterano were somewhat mentally unstable.

No, it's not that the Laterans are abnormal, it's just that the overall style of that country sounds completely out of place in the world...

"People always need to eat, that's normal. Langdon Abbey used to make a living by force, after all. Without war, and with their own products not fetching money, who can hold out? They might even be happy to hear that someone is coming to their door."

Outcast spoke as if it were perfectly reasonable, without finding anything wrong with it at all.

Based on her understanding of the people in Lateran, that was probably the case. The nuns at Langdon Abbey had been starving for so many years, and they were probably so hungry that their eyes were practically glowing green. Knowing that war was about to break out, they would definitely be the first to rush out.

Chapter Nine: Langdon Abbey

Langdon Abbey was originally founded by Paul Langdon with the initial purpose of protecting the Pope and important clergy.

However, in reality, the Randon Abbey was not an official Lateran institution, but rather a trusted folk organization whose members came from outside Lateran.

The original Langdon Abbey had a glorious past and once served as an important military stronghold of Lateran.

However, as time went on, its function was replaced by the Papal Knights and the Lateran Guard. The imitation guns developed based on the Sarkaz Guardian Gun, as well as the emergence of a large number of modern equipment, also challenged the archery that Landon Abbey was best at.

Even though they wanted to keep up with the times, the complex personnel composition of the monastery directly limited their development. They lacked capable researchers and solid technological reserves, and could only fall further and further behind.

With the passing of the older generation of powerful figures, the new generation of cultivators lacks the strength of their predecessors, and the technology and equipment they use cannot keep up with the development of the times. There are even rumors circulating that "a gun is fast beyond seven steps, and accurate and fast within seven steps."

Although it's said in jest, it's also true in a certain sense.

In addition, the monastery's material conditions were outdated. Even though a certain Bishop of Langdon established a complete education system and tried to accept some teenagers into the monastery for study, fewer and fewer new people were willing to join the monastery, and the whole thing fell into a vicious cycle of a lack of successors.

Most importantly, as a non-governmental organization independent of the Lateran political system, the monastery, while having a greater degree of freedom than official institutions such as the Justice Bureau, also had no way to directly obtain funding from the government.

This shortcoming was nothing when Langdon Abbey was thriving. At that time, the Langdon Guard was renowned and had countless people willing to hire them. The monks could earn enough money by the role they played, and since they also grew crops and brewed beer, they had nothing to worry about.

But times have changed. The monastery is now obscure and in decline. It can no longer obtain sufficient support from the Lateran government like its predecessors. The beer that was once highly sought after by nobles has lost its market due to the booming development of brewing industries in various places. The shortage of funds has become a fatal flaw.

In fact, if it weren't for the farmland they cultivated themselves to grow crops, the monks in the monastery would have to resort to odd jobs on the streets to make a living—this is not just idle talk; some have already started doing it.

As she counted the earnings from selling homemade beer and rumen bread all day, the young nun clutched the faded hem of her robe and couldn't help but sigh.

It is said that in the past, Langdon Abbey's craft beer and specialty rumen bread were highly praised and had a good market. However, nowadays, new types of alcoholic beverages appear on the market almost every month, including but not limited to beer, and all kinds of desserts and pastries are emerging one after another. In comparison, the beer and bread they are still selling seem outdated. If it weren't for a slight price advantage, they probably wouldn't be able to sell them at all.

In fact, the monastery had considered expanding its product range, but in the end, they found that they lacked both the innovation and technology, and could not afford good materials. Ultimately, they could only rely on their own wheat and tusk milk.

The money earned in this way, after prices are compressed to the limit, leaves only a small amount of profit, which can be described as hard-earned money to barely make a living.

Even so, life must go on...

The young nun, carrying her packed parcels, glanced at the shops along the roadside, swallowed hard, and dared not look any longer before hurrying on her way home as the sun set.

Langdon Abbey is located outside the city of Lateran, quite a distance from the main city.

They left the city, crossed the plains and fields, setting off just as the sun was beginning to set. By the time the young nun returned to the convent, it was already dark.

At this time of day, it would usually be mealtime, and unsurprisingly, it would be the same old dry, hard bread.

A monk with unwavering faith will not be swayed by material needs, but if he eats the same thing for too long, he will inevitably want to change things up...

Lost in thought, the young nun wiped the sweat from her brow, stepped through the gate, and then noticed that the monastery seemed different from usual today.

Several elderly cultivators gathered not far from the gate, chatting with each other, and a few smiles appeared on their long-lost faces.

This is extremely rare.

The monastery's financial situation deteriorated year by year, and the young nuns rarely saw their elders smile except during harvest season.

Is there something to be happy about?